Scene around A-Town: Wacky weather
Rhododendrons in early March. A late snowstorm hasn’t been kind to these flowers, who probably thought, like the rest of us, that we were done with winter. Despite a mild winter and early spring, it’s not quite time yet to put away the snow shovels. The kids finally get a snow day.
‘Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing’ at Signature Theater
Debra Monk as Mrs. Miller. [Margot Schulman] By David Siegel With gentleness and clear affection for an unexpected heroine, Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner James Lapine has written and directed with a disarming touch an endearing new play “with music” called “Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing.” In its premiere at Signature Theatre, the production … Continued
Immigration policy has huge impact on local community
Government leaders and representatives of nonprofit organizations are reaching out to calm fears following the Trump Administration’s hard-line approach to immigrants and travelers, which is encouraging a rising tide of hate crimes. Panelists at March 11 forum hosted by the Fairfax County NAACP at the Kings Park Library spoke about how children are afraid to … Continued
Tea shop opens in Annandale
There’s a new spot in Annandale for enjoying a relaxing cup of hot tea or a cold, refreshing fruit-flavored tea drink. Ocha Tea, at 6653 Little River Turnpike, is in a space formerly occupied by a cash-for-gold store in the Willow Run Shopping Center. It offers several varieties (black, green, jasmine, and oolong) of hot … Continued
Bleak funding outlook presented at Budget Town Hall
Fairfax County’s financial situation remains stagnant, as cost pressures rise, revenue isn’t expected to increase much, and there aren’t any new funding sources available. That’s the bleak picture of the FY 2018 advertised budget presented by County Executive Ed Long at a Town Hall hosted by Mason Supervisor Penny Gross March 9. The county’s needs are greater … Continued
Supervisor Gross to host Town Hall on Gangs
Graffiti is a sign of gang activity, although it’s not known whether this particular example in Annandale is gang related. Mason Supervisor Penny Gross is hosting a Town Hall on Gangs March 29, 7 p.m., at the Mason Government Center. “We need to get gang activity under control,” Gross said. Many residents have been expressing … Continued
Historic Oak Hill is on the market
Oak Hill, the oldest and most historically significant house in Annandale, is on the market for $1.55 million. The listing, by Christie’s International Real Estate, says the Georgian-style house, at 4716 Wakefield Chapel Road has six bedrooms, five and a-half bathrooms, a modern kitchen, and a private apartment over a two-car garage. The 2.6-acre property … Continued
Homeless shelter in Seven Corners to be replaced
The Patrick Henry Family Shelter. The effort to build a new Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter is getting a lot of attention, but there’s another shelter project in the works in Mason District. Fairfax County has begun the process to replace the Patrick Henry Family Shelter in Seven Corners. The shelter, located at 3080 Patrick Henry … Continued
JBG backs out of plans to redevelop Beauregard Corridor
JBG Cos. will not go forward with plans to develop a mixed-use project on two blocks along Beauregard Street in Alexandria’s West End. Instead, the company plans to sell the properties it owns on the Beauregard Corridor, AlexandriaNews reports. Those properties include the Shops at Mark Center and six residential projects – Brookdale, Hillwood, Lynbrook, … Continued
An unusual evening of mind reading
Derek Jasper By David Siegel Local audience demand has been so robust that Evan Hoffmann, artistic director of NextStop Theatre in Herndon, said he “had to bring back Derek Jasper to the NextStop stage for a third time. It will be an evening of live entertainment like no other.” Jasper is a magician, mentalist, and … Continued
Child honored for saving his family during fire
Taeloire, with firefighters, Ravensworth Principal Roxanne Salata, and his parents. [FCFRD] Firefighters from the Annandale Volunteer Fire Department, Station 8, came to Ravensworth Elementary School March 6 to present a Life Saving Award to Taeloire, a third grader, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports. Taeloire was credited with saving his family when his … Continued
African American women of the past appear at Annandale library
From the left: Patricia Tyson, Bobbie Coles, Cavon Dixon, Jeremiah Brown, Carol Gordon, and Judy Williams. Frances Ann Rollin was a writer who scored an early civil rights victory. Hallie Quinn Brown was a leader in education and women’s rights. Elizabeth Taylor was an accomplished singer, and Hattie was a slave who lived in obscurity. … Continued
School news: Rocket science
Students at Luther Jackson Middle School teach art to classmates with disabilities. [FCPS] An occasional series highlighting programs and activities at schools in the Annandale/Mason District area. The information here is from Fairfax County Public Schools and individual schools. Annandale High School students are taking part in the Team America Rocketry Challenge, one of the world’s biggest … Continued
Expansion of townhouse development proposed
A completed section of Ambrose Hills and a new tot lot. Stanley Martin Cos., the developer of the Ambrose Hills townhouse development on Columbia Pike and Powell Lane, is requesting a rezoning to build five more homes on a small parcel it acquired a couple of years ago, long after the rest of the property … Continued
Public officials, religious leaders denounce anti-Semitic attacks and bomb threats
Rep. Gerry Connolly at the podium, surrounded by public officials. [Jamie Smith] Government leaders and the heads of various religious institutions appeared at a news conference at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia March 3 to denounce the recent wave of anti-Semitic vandalism and intimidation nationwide. Hundreds of gravestones were toppled at Jewish cemeteries … Continued