Free tax help available in Annandale
Free tax preparation assistance is available in Annandale for households that earned less than $58,000 in 2021. The service is provided through the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. VITA is aimed at helping families maximize their tax returns and avoid the fees businesses charge to prepare taxes. VITA is available at … Continued
The Joint Chiropractic offers free visits
To promote the opening of The Joint Chiropractic in the Plaza at Landmark in Lincolnia, the office is offering free consultations, exams, and initial adjustments. You can claim the limited-time special by texting “Landmark” to 56468 or filling out an online form. The Joint invites the community to its Grand Opening on March 19, 12-2 … Continued
FCPS sets metrics for ending mask mandate
Fairfax County Public Schools will begin to roll back its mask requirements when the county reaches “moderate transmission rates” and remains there for seven consecutive days, the school system announced. Meanwhile, both the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate have passed bills allowing parents to have their children opt out of school mask mandates. Gov. … Continued
Couples boutique opens in Annandale
Night Dreams, a couples boutique, has relocated from Tysons to Annandale. The shop, at 7225 Little River Turnpike, is in the building that had housed Steinhorst Plumbing for decades. The adults-only shop sells lingerie, novelty items, sex toys, and bachelorette party supplies.
Groups launch Safe Streets campaign
The Coalition for Smarter Growth and the immigrant advocacy group CASA are launching the Safe Streets for Bailey’s Crossroads campaign. The goal is to engage and organize the local community in pushing for improved access for walking, biking, and transit. The Mobility Fund awarded the groups a $50,000 grant to implement the Safe Streets campaign. … Continued
Vape store opens in Annandale
House of Vape opened Feb. 12 on John Marr Drive in Annandale. The shop sells health-promoting CBD and Delta-8 products made from cannabis but not psychoactive.Delta-8 is especially good for back pain, arthritis, and anxiety, says employee Garrett Beach. CBD products come in many forms, including gummies, bath bombs, water, and chocolate bars. Edible CBD … Continued
Audrey Moore Rec Center needs updating
Community members feel strongly about the need to renovate and expand the Audrey Moore Rec Center. What they’d most like to see are improved locker rooms and showers. That’s one of the key findings from a survey that will help guide improvements to the facility. The survey was conducted by the DLR Group, an architectural/engineering … Continued
Annual seedling sale starts March 1
Every year, the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District sells a collection of bare-root native seedlings. This year’s sale starts March 1 at 10 a.m. The 2022 seedling sale features shrubs and small trees that attract bees and produce colorful flowers and fruits.Seedlings packages must be purchased in advance online. The Tree-Mendous Flowers package … Continued
Two sites identified for dredging operation at Lake Accotink
Fairfax County public works staff recommend two sites for processing the sediment to be dredged out of Lake Accotink. Those sites, announced at a community meeting Feb. 10, are at Southern Drive and the maintenance area in Wakefield Park. The dredged material would be transported to whichever dewatering site is chosen via a pipeline. After … Continued
New group supports public education
A new grassroots advocacy organization, called 4 Public Education, is speaking out against the increasingly aggressive attacks against public education. Mason District resident Holly Hazard, chair of 4 Public Education, announced the launch of the group during the community participation portion of the Feb. 10 Fairfax County School Board meeting. “Negative forces are at work … Continued
Mason District not likely to be renamed
The Fairfax County Redistricting Advisory Committee is not expected to recommend that the name “Mason District” be changed. According to the RAC’s draft report, the Mason and Mount Vernon Subcommittee agreed neither district be renamed. The RAC is scheduled to present its recommendations to the Board of Supervisors by March 1. The BoS will make … Continued
Supervisors approve county trash service for two Annandale neighborhoods
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this week approved a motion to add two communities in Annandale to the county-operated trash and recycling program. A new Small and Local Sanitary District will be created for the Canterbury Woods community, and the sanitary district in the Pleasant Ridge neighborhood will be expanded. The changes will take … Continued
Alternative names proposed for Lee Highway
The Confederate Names Task Force has recommended renaming Lee Highway and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway and presented several possible alternatives to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Feb. 8. For Lee Highway (Route 29), the task force recommended these new names:• Cardinal Highway• Route/Highway 29• Langston Boulevard/Highway• Lincoln-Douglass Highway• Fairfax Boulevard/Highway For Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway (Route … Continued
Watch out for counterfeit face masks
There is some concern that the free N95 and KN95 masks distributed to Fairfax County employees might be counterfeit. Fake masks are a nationwide concern, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC reports 60 percent of the N95s it evaluated in 2020 and 2021 were counterfeit. An employee who works in … Continued
Historic marker project engages students
The Historical Marker Project, launched by the Fairfax County School Board and Board of Supervisors earlier this month, is aimed at encouraging students to bring attention to the accomplishments of lesser-known people and communities. The project will initially focus on the county’s Black/African American communities and will expand to other underrepresented stories in the coming … Continued