Annandale office building to be renovated
Hanna Plaza would share parking with the VCA Annandale Animal Hospital. Plans to renovate a vacant office building on 7409 Little River Turnpike, renamed Hanna Plaza, are going forward, with construction possibly starting in early spring 2015 if the building permits are approved in time. The concept drawing for Hanna Plaza. The owner of the … Continued
Police seek witnesses to fatal crash
The Fairfax County Police Department is seeking information from the public on a fatal hit and run crash in the Falls Church area on the evening of Friday, Oct. 31. A 2013 Tao Tao moped traveling eastbound on Wilson Boulevard was struck by a 2007 Volkswagen sedan. The driver of the moped, Eliseo Hernandez Diaz, … Continued
Planning commission defers decision on Afghan funeral chapel
A map showing the location of the proposed funeral chapel. Following a lengthy public hearing on a proposal by the Afghan Academy to build a funeral chapel on a .92-acre lot on Braddock Road in Annandale, the Fairfax County Planning Commission approved a motion to defer a decision until Nov. 20. [Update: On Nov. 5, … Continued
For some religious kids, Halloween is the birthday of the devil
While many local kids are celebrating Halloween with costumes, pumpkins, and candy, some children were spotted marching along Backlick Road in Annandale on Oct. 31 with protest signs opposing the holiday. They are Sunday school students at the Instituto Biblico Gamaliel, which is operated by a Latino Pentecostal church at 500l Backlick Road. “Halloween is … Continued
Police targeting drunk drivers on Halloween
A display at the Spirit of Halloween store in Seven Corners. Watch out for trick or treaters tonight and be extra careful if you’re heading out to a Halloween party. Seven police agencies from Northern Virginia are teaming up in a collaborative effort to conduct saturation patrols detecting and arresting drunk drivers tonight. This effort, … Continued
Seven Corners Working Group on Sears site to start with clean slate
The Special Working Group on Area C at its first meting in the library at Bailey’s Lower Elementary School. The first meeting of the newly formed Special Working Group to consider Opportunity Area C in Seven Corners (the Sears site) Oct. 29 was mostly taken up with procedural and operational issues plus a briefing on … Continued
Chuy’s: Tex-Mex with a quirky twist at Springfield Town Center
The Elvis and Priscilla Presley booths. [Photos by Mark Heckathorn] By Mark Heckathorn Chuy’s, the quirky Tex-Mex restaurant from Austin opened at the new Springfield Town Center Oct. 28, joining Maggiano’s Little Italy on the mall’s restaurant row facing Loisdale Road. It’s the 59th Chuy’s since the first one opened in August in 1982 and … Continued
Arrest made in Culmore murder
Gavidia Fairfax County Police have made an arrest in the homicide of Filaberto Filipe Paz Ramirez, whose body was found in the Culmore area Sept. 1. Police arrested Jose Antonio Gavidia, 24, Oct. 8 and charged him with murder, according to an Oct. 29 announcement from the Mason Police District. He is in police custody … Continued
Residents object to proposed funeral chapel on Braddock Road
A rendering of the proposed funeral chapel. Residents of Hillbrook-Tall Oaks and nearby Annandale neighborhoods urged the Mason District Land Use Committee Oct. 28 to oppose plans for a funeral chapel on Braddock Road near the Backlick Road intersection. Their concerns primarily have to do with traffic on Braddock Road, spillover parking on neighborhood streets, … Continued
Lost cat in Annandale
The cat pictured here has disappeared from her home near Brenda Lane and Justine Drive in the Columbia Pines/Broyhill Crest area in Annandale. Her caretaker is offering a reward. If you see this cat, call 703-658-9650.
Volunteers form friends group for Long Branch Stream Valley
Volunteers collect trash along the Long Branch trail Oct. 18. [LBSV photos] Volunteers from several Annandale and Fairfax neighborhoods created a new group, the Friends of Long Branch Stream Valley, to maintain the trail and address erosion, water quality management, invasive species removal, and related environmental issues. The 2.75-mile Long Branch trail follows the stream … Continued
Board of Supervisors to vote on Bicycle Master Plan
A bicyclist on Columbia Pike in Annandale. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will hold the final hearing Oct. 28 on the county’s first-ever Bicycle Master Plan. The Planning Commission approved the plan Oct. 15. The master plan, developed by the Fairfax County Department of Transportation with input from an advisory committee, stakeholders, and the … Continued
Blanket drive assists Syrian refugees in Turkey
Blankets collected in 2013. Local governments and other organizations in Northern Virginia are again sponsoring a blanket drive to assist Syrian refugees seeking shelter in Turkey. More than a million Syrians have fled to Turkey to escape civil war and attacks by ISIS. The first blanket drive was held last year after several local government … Continued
Fire at Woodlake Towers displaces two
Woodlake Towers Two people were displaced following a fire at approximately 12:35 a.m., Oct. 26, in a nine-story building in the Woodlake Towers Condominium at 3100 S. Manchester Street in the Seven Corners area, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports. Firefighters encountered smoke and fire coming from a fifth-floor side window and quickly … Continued
A spooky, fun time for Parklawn community
A large crowd, enthusiastic runners, creative Halloween costumes, a scavenger hunt for kids, friendly neighbors, hardworking volunteers, a long list of sponsors (including the Annandale Blog), and perfect fall weather all helped make the first annual Parklawn Spooky 5K/1K a huge success. The event, organized by the Parklawn Civic Association, took place Oct. 25 … Continued