Category: Uncategorized
FCPS will not use Justice Park for parking
Community members gather on the spot in Justice Park where the parking lot was proposed for a presentation Sept. 18 on the Black families displaced when the park was created. In a huge victory for community members, Fairfax County Public Schools has backed away from creating a parking lot in Justice Park to accommodate the … Continued
Annandale HS and Parklawn Elementary School welcome newly arrived Afghan refugees
Annandale High School Assistant Principal Sarah Eqab, English for Speakers of Other Languages Department Chair Meredith Hedrick, and AHS students from Afghanistan with backpacks and school supplies they’re donating to newly arrived Afghan refugee students. The following article is a lightly edited version of a piece written by the news department at Fairfax County Public … Continued
Virtual learning to be available for quarantined students
Students at Columbia Elementary School in Annandale eat lunch outside. Tents have been set up at many schools for instruction and meals in an effort to limit physical contact indoors. [FCPS] Fairfax County Public Schools plans to provide virtual learning to students who are paused, quarantined, or isolated due to COVID-19. The new system, called … Continued
Man arrested for sexual assault at Seven Corners hotel
Patrick Michael Chaloupka, 38, of Woodbridge, has been charged with sexual assault for an incident that occurred Aug. 26 in a hotel in the 6100 block of Arlington Boulevard in Seven Corners, the Fairfax County Police Department reported Sept. 22. The victim said she met a man through an online app and arranged to meet … Continued
Carnival opens tomorrow at Landmark
The Super Himalaya ride [Dreamland Amusements] The carnival is coming back to the Landmark Mall site, Sept. 23-Oct. 3. Admission and parking are free. Tickets are $1.50 each, 20 for $30, and 50 for $60. A $35 wristband allowing unlimited rides is available for Monday-Thursday only.
Construction underway on Hidden Oaks expansion project
Construction is underway on an expansion and renovation project at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale. The $1.2 million project includes 2,000 square feet for new offices and a new multipurpose room, accessible restrooms, an additional exhibition area, and improved stroller parking.
Six people overdose at Bailey’s Crossroads apartment, as police warn about a fatal batch of fentanyl-laced cocaine
Police Chief Kevin Davis (left) and 1st Lt. Patrick Brusch speak at a briefing on overdoses. After six people overdosed Tuesday morning in Bailey’s Crossroads, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis warned “there is likely a fatal batch of cocaine laced with fentanyl in our community right now.” Officers responded just after 3 a.m. to … Continued
Annandale United Methodist Church restores Little White Church for its 175th anniversary
Annandale United Methodist Church is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year by restoring and rejuvenating the Little White Church, an Annandale landmark established in 1846. The old church is on Columbia Pike at Gallows Road, adjacent to the much larger and newer AUMC building.
Fairfax County forced Black families to vacate land for Justice Park
Edwin Henderson (right) at Justice Park. On the left is Spanish translator Fernando Ferrufino. Long before Justice High School and Justice Park were built on Peace Valley Lane in Seven Corners, the land was owned by a handful of Black families. The community learned about that “hidden history” at an event at Justice Park Sept. … Continued
Art show at Mason Government Center features Annandale scenes by local painter
A painting in the Annandale series by James Albright. The art exhibits at the Mason Government Center are back after an 18-month hiatus due to COVID. The first exhibit of 2021, on view now, features paintings by James Albright of Lincolnia. An open house with the artist will be held on Friday, Sept. 24, in … Continued
Park Foundation honors Valis family for contribution to Pinecrest Golf Center
Angela and Wayne Valis (on the right) with other family members at the unveiling of the TrackMan 4 Golf Simulator at the Pinecrest Golf Center. The Fairfax County Park Foundation has named the Valis family of Bailey’s Crossroads as one of three winners of this year’s Eakin Philanthropy Awards. Wayne and Angela Valis are being … Continued
School news roundup: excellence, fitness, and quarantine
Parklawn Elementary School [Parklawn PTA] The following news items about schools in the Annandale/Mason District area are from Fairfax County Public Schools and school emails to the community. Excellence at Parklawn – The National PTA has recognized Parklawn Elementary School and its PTA as a National School of Excellence.
Early in-person voting begins today
Voters are encouraged to use an ExpressVote machine. Early in-person voting begins on Friday, Sept. 17, at three locations for the Nov. 2 election. Voters will select a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and member of the House of Delegates. There is also a $360 million public school bond on the ballot.
Fire damages furniture store in Springfield area
Damaged goods from a furniture store in the Springfield area. [Fairfax County Fire Department] A fire damaged a furniture store in the 5500 block of General Washington Way in the Springfield area of Mason District, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports. The fire was caused by the combustion of accumulated sawdust from a … Continued
Afghan refugees face big challenges; volunteers help them adjust to life in the U.S.
Newly arrived refugees from Afghanistan often have to build a new life starting from scratch. “We left everything behind,” says N, who fled Kabul with hisfamily last month as the Taliban took over the country. [We’re using initials rather than names to protect refugees’ identities.] N and his family were among several refugees at the … Continued