Local church considering plan for affordable housing
First Christian Church in Seven Corners is considering various options for using some of its vacant property for projects to serve the community, such as affordable housing. First Christian has a total of 6.8 acres, including the church building, at 6165 Leesburg Pike. The church is preparing to send out an “invitation for proposals” to … Continued
Mason land use committee votes against homeless shelter relocation
Lincolnia residents who oppose a temporary homeless shelter in their neighborhood stage a protest in front of the Lincolnia Senior Center June 24. [Mark Fraser] Lincolnia residents who have been fighting a Fairfax County plan to move the Bailey’s Crossroads homeless shelter to a field behind the Lincolnia Senior Center achieved an interim victory June … Continued
County bond referenda will be on November ballot
Bond would fund Metro improvements and maintenance. Three Fairfax County bond referenda are expected to appear on the ballot on Election Day, Nov. 8, totaling $312 million. A $120 million transportation bond would be used to pay for the county’s share – $30 million annually over the next four years – of the Washington Metropolitan … Continued
Compost Livin’ helps local residents recycle food waste
Sarah Stakes If you regularly put your recyclable paper, cans, and bottles on the curb every week, do you wish there was a way to also keep food waste out of landfills? That was something Annandale resident Sarah Stakes, who has embraced the “green” lifestyle, was trying to find. There are businesses that collect and … Continued
Fitness camp for kids starts in July in Annandale
Rachel Martin (left) of PR Performance. A new fitness camp for kids age 6-12 is being launched this summer in Annandale. The “PR Fun, Friends &Fitness” camp, hosted by PR Performance Fitness, offers activities aimed at encouraging confidence and teamwork, while kids get some exercise and learn about the value of fitness and wellness. The … Continued
Volunteers sought for Wedgewood Community Center
The Wedgewood Community Center hosts an afterschool program during the school year. Children who live in the Wedgewood apartments in Annandale can participate in a free program this summer run by FACETS, a nonprofit organization based in Fairfax that oversees the Wedgewood Community Center. FACETS would like to host a kick-off party on July 8, … Continued
Free meals served this summer at local schools
The summer meals program at Glasgow Middle School. [FCPS] Children from lower-income households in Fairfax County needn’t go hungry when schools are closed this summer. Fairfax County Public Schools is participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s summer food service program, which ensures that students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals during the school … Continued
Working group proposed to study Stuart High School name change
School board member Sandy Evans (Mason) plans to ask the board to create a working group to consider changing the name of JEB Stuart High School and report back with a recommendation by July 2017. “After reading historical documents and arguments on both sides, considering all the community input to date, and discussing this with … Continued
Police set up ‘exchange zone’ for safer online purchasing
People who buy things online – from Craigslist or eBay, for example – and arrange to pick up their items in person from strangers are taking a risk. Instead of a simple transaction, these sales become an opportunity for criminals. “Police respond to numerous reports of robberies, assaults, and thefts throughout the year, as people … Continued
Bailey’s ES lunch lady arrested for embezzlement
Sarsaur [FCPD] A Fairfax County Public Schools employee, Fadwa Sarsaur, 51, was arrested for embezzling money from student lunch accounts at Bailey’s Elementary School, at 6111 Knollwood Drive in Bailey’s Crossroads. Fairfax County Police detectives began an investigation on June 16 after staff in the FCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services discovered discrepancies in … Continued
Information sought in attempted robbery at Seven Corners pharmacy
[FCPD] Fairfax County Police detectives are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect who tried to rob the Millennium Pharmacy at 6305 Castle Place in Falls Church June 22. The man entered a store, implied that he had a weapon, and demanded prescription medication from two employees. He fled on foot without taking anything. … Continued
Board of Supervisors approve townhouses behind Heritage Mall
Residential development approved for this site. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on June 21 unanimously approved a Comprehensive Plan amendment to pave the way for a 68-unit townhouse project behind a shopping center on Heritage Drive in Annandale. No one from the community spoke at the public hearing. The homes would be built on … Continued
Supervisors approve zoning amendment allowing more density
Seven Corners is poised for redevelopment. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a zoning amendment June 21 that would allow redevelopment with higher levels of density in certain areas identified for revitalization, including Annandale, Seven Corners, and Bailey’s Crossroads. The amendment, which was approved by the Planning Commission June 15, would set a maximum … Continued
Fatal accident in Annandale
The Fairfax County Police Department reports a 68-year-old woman was found pinned under a vehicle in her driveway in the 4200 block of Sleepy Hollow Road (near Mason District Park) shortly after 4 p.m. on June 22. Officers from the Mason Police District, along with fire and rescue personnel responded to the accident, and the … Continued
An open letter to Mason District residents on the homeless shelter relocation
The following open letter to the residents of Mason District was written by Deborah Fraser, Kathy Hoyt, Lynn Bostain, Christine Trapnell, and Carol Turner, who oppose Fairfax County’s plans to relocate the Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter to a site at the Lincolnia Senior Center. This piece reflects the views of the authors, not the Annandale … Continued