🌱 New Restaurants In Manassas + Raise For Public School Teachers?

Good morning, hello! Sean Peek here with your fresh copy of the Manassas Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the things you need to know about what's happening locally.

But first, today's weather:

Cooler with periods of rain. High: 46 Low: 43.

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Here are the top three stories in Manassas today:

1. Great Eats Hospitality, led by Miguel Pires, will be opening two new restaurants in downtown Manassas. The restaurants, Zengo's and Gadfly Gastro Pub, will be located in the former Okra's building and are expected to open in the summer of 2023. The company is investing $500,000 into the renovations of the building, which will feature new entrances, a new kitchen, and outdoor seating. (Manassas Patch)
2. A $126.79M operating budget for Manassas City Public Schools is under consideration for the coming 2024 fiscal year. The budget includes a 5 percent average employee raise and a 1 percent retention bonus as mandated for standard quality teachers in the state budget. The final revenue numbers are still unknown, as the city has yet to introduce its budget proposal and Governor Glenn Youngkin and the General Assembly are still discussing the state budget in Richmond. The proposed operating budget is over $5.6M larger than in fiscal 2023 but would feature less per pupil spending when adjusted for inflation. (Inside NoVA)
3. Prince William County fire and rescue officials have determined that a fire that caused moderate damage to a commercial building in Manassas was ignited by smoking materials that were improperly disposed of in mulch surrounding the building. Firefighters were called to the 10500 block of Crestwood Drive and found smoke emanating from the attic, but quickly extinguished the fire with no reported injuries. The fire department has issued a warning to residents to dispose of smoking materials with water or in non-combustible containers to prevent similar incidents from occurring. (Prince William Times)

Today in Manassas:

• She Persisted Scavenger Hunt, At Bull Run Regional Library (All Day)
• March First Friday: Mad Hatter March Madness, At Historic Downtown Manassas (6:00 PM)

Tomorrow, Mar. 4:

• Jeremiah Prophett, At Heritage Brewing Co. (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• A lifeguard job fair will be held on Mar. 5 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Chinn Aquatics & Fitness Center in Woodbridge! Sign up here. (Prince William Living)
• On Monday, Chief Keen of the Manassas City Police Department announced the department's Employee of the Year and Field Training Officer of the Year during the City Council Meeting. Congratulations to Officer Eustace and Officer Lane, both of whom stood out for going above and beyond the call of duty. (Manassas City Police Department via Facebook)
• On Mar. 11, save the date and bring your clan to the Greater Manassas St. Patrick's Day Parade at 11:00 a.m. in Historic Downtown Manassas. Don't forget to wear green! (City of Manassas, VA - Government via Facebook)

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• Manassas Symphony Presents "Inspirations" with Pianist Joseph Kingma (March 4)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.