Neighborhood news: Dogs' pool plunge at Veterans Park

Take your dog to the Pool Plunge on Sept. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Veterans Park for a fun-filled day full of activities and events. Admissions is $5 per dog (limit 2 dogs per person) and a bag of pet food per dog. All registrations will be taken the day of the event, but space is limited.

Dogs must be six months or older; the handler must be 18 years or older. Some of the events will be "Doggies Got Talent," Biggest Dog, Littlest Dog and Frisbee Catch.

Veterans Park pool has a beachfront entry or graduated entry so the dogs can walk in and out of the pool as they please. There are no people allowed in the pool at any time. This means you cannot swim with your dog.

For additional information, call Veterans Park, 703-491-2183

Book bargains

Friends of Potomac Library invite you to a used book sale on Sept. 11 and 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sept. 13 from noon to 2 p.m. On Sunday all the books you can fit in a paper grocery bag are only $1. Sale is at Potomac Library, 2201 Opitz Blvd. For more information, call 703-494-8126.

PW Forest Park festival

Take a journey through time at the 2009 Prince William Forest Park Heritage Festival on Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Music, crafts, antique cars, kids' activities and more will showcase the park's amazing history which spans from the American Revolution to World War II. Admission is $5 per vehicle with free parking. For more info, call 703-221-7181.

Volunteer, Community Appreciation Cookout

The Prince William Clean Community Council will host its 3rd Annual Volunteer and Community Appreciation Cookout on Sept. 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Lake Ridge Park, 12340 Cotton Mill Drive, Woodbridge. This event, which is free to all, is held expressly to thank the citizens and businesses of the county for their efforts toward environmental preservation. Rain date will be Oct. 3.

For questions or to RSVP, please call 571-285-3772 by Sept. 11.

Word processing basics

If you are interested in learning the basics of word processing, the Potomac Community Library will hold a free, hands-on, two-part Word Processing Class in the library's computer lab. The first class, Word I, will be Sept. 14 from 9 to 11 a.m. The class will cover how to open, close and save a document and how to add, delete and move text. The second part of the class, Word II, will be 9 to 11 a.m. on Sept. 21 and will build on the knowledge already gained with additional instruction about setting margins, changing the style and size of type, adding color and other features of the program. A $10 deposit will be returned to participants who attend both sessions.

Potomac Community Library is at 2201 Opitz Blvd. For more, call 703-494-8126.

Veterans Park playschool

It is not too late to register for Veterans Park playschool for ages 3 to 5. The playschool promotes age-appropriate development and facilitates kindergarten readiness. For more info or to register, call 703-491-2183.

African-American Book Discussion Group

Join Potomac Library's African-American Book Discussion Group on Sept.10 at 7 p.m. This month's selection is "Act Like a Lady, Think like a Man" by Steve Harvey.

Bunny Mahar reports your neighborhood news from the Woodbridge area every Saturday in the News & Messenger. If you have news about birthdays, your family, your club or your HOA activities, please send it to Bunny at wood-potnews@aol.com.