James Lee community mourns football coach Frank Grant
The community lost a “quiet titan” when Frank Grant III, the football coach and commissioner of the James Lee Community Center Sports Association in Falls Church, died suddenly on March 18, reports Will Nelson, whose son used to play on the team. Grant, 51, suffered from a heart attack. A candlelight vigil is planned … Continued
Spectrum shopping center goes back to the drawing board
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted March 24 to “defer indefinitely” the rezoning application for the proposed Spectrum shopping center on Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads. Following many discussions with the community and the developer, “we asked the developer to go back to the drawing board and rework the plan for the shopping center,” … Continued
Habitat for Humanity renovates bug-infested house for first-time homeowner
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia has turned a roach-infested, heavily damaged townhouse in Annandale into a beautifully redone home for a lower-income first-time homebuyer. The four-bedroom house at 4537 Garbo Court, in the Cavalcade community off Ravensworth Road, was donated to Habitat in winter 2014 by Mary Ann Elliott. Rev. Jon Smoot, the executive … Continued
Juvenile arrested for DWI, hit and run
A Fairfax County police officer attempted to stop the driver of a vehicle for suspected driving while intoxicated on March 22 at about 2 a.m. on Leesburg Pike near Nevius Street in the Culmore area. The driver gave chase, struck several parked vehicles, then attempted to flee on foot. When police captured the suspect, he … Continued
Residents urge new approach to Seven Corners redevelopment
Del. Kaye Kory and several local residents plan to ask Mason Supervisor Penny Gross to revisit the redevelopment plan for Seven Corners recommended by the Seven Corners Land Use and Transportation Task Force. The Mason District Land Use Committee is scheduled to review the Seven Corners Task Force proposal March 24. The residents plan to … Continued
Fairfax County officials educate neighborhood leaders
Jeff Blackford, director of the Department of Code Compliance, and Rachel Perrott of the DCC. About 300 or so local residents – including many civic association and homeowner association board members – attended Fairfax County’s first-ever Neighborhood and Community Leaders Conference March 22 at Luther Jackson Middle School. At a session on code compliance, staff … Continued
Woodrow Wilson Library reopens
The renovated Woodrow Wilson Library reopened March 21. Opening day festivities for the library, on 6101 Knollwood Drive in the Culmore area, included a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mason Supervisor Penny Gross, Rep. Gerry Connolly, and other county officials and children’s entertainment. The new14,420-square foot building has eight more computer stations than the old … Continued
Annandale Terrace planning 50th anniversary celebration
Annandale Terrace in the 1960s. Do you recognize anyone? Annandale Terrace Elementary School is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. A community celebration at the school will take place June 5, 6-8 p.m. “The plans are evolving as we hear from more and more people,” says Principal Andrea Garris. Former students and staff members will … Continued
Dominion plans to bury some power lines in Columbia Pines
Sue Hollcroft of Dominion explains the process for burying power lines. [Photo by Mary Ellen Dawley] By Bob Kovacs About 10 residents of the Columbia Pines neighborhood in Annandale attended a presentation by Dominion Virginia Power March 18 on the company’s plans to replace overhead power lines with underground lines on Brenda Lane, Bruce Lane, … Continued
Glory Days Grill won’t be coming to Barcroft Plaza
Fairfax County shut down Han-Sung Oak in 2013 for failure to comply with building codes. Plans for a Glory Days Grill at Barcroft Plaza on Columbia Pike have fallen through. A couple of other non-restaurant tenants are being considered for the site, which has been vacant since the Han-Sung Oak Restaurant closed in August 2013. … Continued
Painful funding cuts outlined at Mason Budget Town Hall
From the left: Mason Supervisor Penny Gross, school board member Sandy Evans, and County Executive Ed Long. Of all the funding cuts in the Fairfax County advertised budget for 2016, one will hit some Annandale families especially hard: The budget would terminate the Annandale Adult Day Care Center located in the former Annandale Elementary School … Continued
Fairfax County Public Schools announces new bell schedules for 2015-16
High school students might get to sleep a little longer next year. New bell schedules announced by Fairfax County Public Schools March 10 reflect later school start times agreed to for the 2015-16 school by the school board last October. The policy approved by the school board calls for high schools to start at 8:10 … Continued
Annandale real estate market gaining strength
This 5,188-square foot house on Vellex Lane in the Wilburdale neighborhood is on the market for $1,169,888. It has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a sun room, and much more. [Zillow] The average price of a home sold in Annandale (zip code 22003) in February was $447,450, a 3.47 percent increase over the average home sold … Continued
Campaign season in full swing at Rep. Connolly’s St. Patrick’s Day Fete
Rep. Connolly The Kena Shriners Temple in Fairfax was a sea of green March 17 as hundreds of local Democrats turned out for Rep. Gerry Connolly’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Fete. Just about every elected Democratic leader from Northern Virginia was there, including U.S. Rep. Don Beyer; Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam; Virginia Attorney General … Continued
Annandale Kicks for Cans soccer fest raises funds to fight hunger
The public is invited to come watch some youth soccer at the second Annandale United FC Pride Kicks for Cans Scrimmage Festival to Fight Hunger Sunday, March 22, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., at Pine Ridge Park in Annandale. The AUFC Pride team will play soccer teams from St. Mary’s, Md., and Fredericksburg, Va. The Annandale United … Continued