Wakefield Forest Elementary to be expanded and redesigned
Wakefield Forest Elementary School Wakefield Forest Elementary School, in western Annandale, is getting a total makeover. Fairfax County Public Schools plans to expand and totally redesign the school, which was built for 500 students but now has 700. After the renovation is completed, the school will have capacity for 800. The project will add about … Continued
Public comment sought on pedestrian signal at dangerous Annandale intersection
The Conwell Drive intersection at Little River Turnpike. Representatives from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation will be at a tent at the corner of Little River Turnpike and Conwell Drive in Annandale tomorrow and Monday seeking public feedback on a proposed HAWK signal for improving pedestrian safety. Residents are invited to drop by and discuss … Continued
Lidl opens in Pinecrest Plaza
The new Lidl (rhymes with “needle”) grocery store in Pinecrest Plaza drew big crowds for its grand opening Sept. 9. There were long lines before the doors opened at 8 a.m., and one man reportedly started waiting at 9 p.m. on Tuesday night, even though there was no big prize for being the first one. … Continued
Stuff the Bus is back this Saturday
Stuff the Bus is back this month at two locations in Mason District Sept. 12 and Sept 26: George Mason Regional Library, 2001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. Bailey’s Upper Elementary School, 6245 Leesburg Pike, Seven Corners. A Fastran bus will be at both locations 10 a.m.-3 p.m. to collect food donations for the food pantry … Continued
Annandale dry cleaner is closing
Another local business has gone under due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee’s Cleaners is closing Sept. 19. The shop has been in the Annandale Shopping Center, at 7024 Columbia Pike, for the past 10 years. Owner Byung Lee is retiring. The business is unable to stay afloat, as people teleworking aren’t wearing professional clothes that … Continued
New daycare center in Annandale offers safe playtime for young children, learning pods for older ones
A classroom at My Baby Steps Academy. A new daycare/education program, opening in Annandale Sept. 14, offers a place for children to play and learn in safety as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. My Baby Steps Academy, at 4602 Ravensworth Road, is based at Hope Lutheran Church. It’s operated by Wilson and Mina Marroquin, who … Continued
Food drive will help the needy
The ACCA food pantry. The pandemic and related job losses are creating hardships for local families. People who can help are encouraged to donate nonperishable food items. The Mason District Police Station and the Annandale chapter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) are hosting a food drive at the Mason Government … Continued
CDC imposes eviction moratorium
An eviction protest in July in Alexandria. [Janet Barnett/Connection] Northern Virginia residents worried about paying rent could be helped by a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order issued Sept. 3 to temporarily halt evictions to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. That order is critical, as a moratorium on evictions authorized by the … Continued
Shooting and assault incidents in Bailey’s Crossroads
The Fairfax County Police Department reports the following crimes in the Mason District in the past week: There was a shooting in the 6000 block of Knollwood Drive in Bailey’s Crossroads at about midnight on Aug. 29. Officers responding to a call about a shooting found two men inside a residential area suffering from gunshot … Continued
Car thefts in Mason District way up during pandemic
A car theft captured by a surveillance camera. If you think there have been more car thefts in the Annandale/Mason area, you’re right. Auto thefts in the area served by the Mason District Police Station have more than doubled during the period Jan. 1-Aug. 30, compared to 2019. There were 113 auto thefts during the … Continued
Two Annandale development proposals deemed worthy of further consideration
This facility could be replaced with a four-story structure. A Mason District task force agreed Sept. 2 that two proposed projects in Annandale – an expansion of a storage facility on Ravensworth Road and a major mixed-use redevelopment project between Little River Turnpike and Hummer Road – should proceed to the next phase. The task … Continued
Dominion will bury power lines in Annandale/Mason District
Buried power lines would prevent power outages during storms. Dominion Energy Virginia is planning to bury power lines along dozens of residential streets in the Annandale/Mason District area. The Dominion Energy Strategic Underground Program is aimed at improving electrical reliability by getting homeowners to agree to have power lines buried in their front yards. The … Continued
Director of Annandale Healthcare Center replaced
Ezedube Eze is no longer the director of the Annandale Healthcare Center, the nursing home on Columbia Pike under fire for its poor response to protecting patients and staff from COVID-19. Eze’s last day was Friday, Aug. 28. Alexandra Rehkemper, who had been the assistant director since February 2019, is the new director. Rehkemper According … Continued
Hit-and-run driver destroys Broyhill Park sign
This sign has been here for decades. [Photos by Vince Wilson] The sign at the entrance to the Broyhill Park neighborhood at the corner of Annandale Road and Graham Road was reduced to a pile of bricks after a vehicle smashed into it on or around Aug. 30. It shouldn’t be too hard for police … Continued
Sprinklers save man from fire caused by smoking in bed
A resident of an apartment in the 3700 block of S. George Mason Drive in the Skyline area of Bailey’s Crossroads woke up shortly after 11 p.m. on Aug. 30 with a fire next to his bed, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports. A sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire before firefighters … Continued