Water main break disrupts traffic on Columbia Pike
A water main break caused flooding on Columbia Pike. [Fairfax County Police Department photo] A water main break on eastbound Columbia Pike between Madison Lane and Tyler Street caused major traffic headaches during the morning rush hour on Dec. 30. The Fairfax County Police Department called the road “unstable and buckling” and closed that part … Continued
Our top 10 blog stories in 2014
Here are the 10 most popular stories published in 2014 in the Annandale Blog, starting with the story that drew the most readers: Woodson HS community copes with suicides, March 1 (This story got over 11,600 hits.) Stuart HS community unhappy with school’s leadership, June 6 (This piece got 92 comments, the most for any … Continued
FCPS outlines solutions to school overcrowding
Portable classrooms handle the overflow at Glen Forest Elementary School. The proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for fiscal years 2016-20, released by Fairfax County Public Schools earlier this month outlines expected enrollment growth in the schools and offers a long list of short and long-term solutions to increase capacity. The CIP calls for a total … Continued
Gallows Road trees torn down to make way for assisted living facility
Six houses were demolished to make for an assisted living facility on Gallows Road. The developer of the Brightview assisted living facility under construction on Gallows Road was supposed to save a lot of trees, but the site looks mostly denuded. The property has been cleared to prepare for construction of a three-story 95-unit building … Continued
Where to celebrate on New Year’s Eve
Looking for a fun way to celebrate New Year’s Eve without having to go to D.C. or National Harbor? Here are some options for ringing in the new year a bit closer to home: JV’s Restaurant – New Year’s Eve Party with the Shartel and Hume Band, 9 p.m. 6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church. State … Continued
Police help needy family
McCaughey Officers from the Mason Police District made a difference this Christmas for needy family in the Culmore area. Master Police Officer P. McCaughey learned of a family with no financial means to celebrate Christmas, so he encouraged his colleagues on the force and local churches to chip in and provide gifts and a Christmas … Continued
Judge rejects motion to dismiss suit against Bailey’s principal
The lawsuit filed by former employees against Bailey’s Elementary School Principal Marie Lemmon and Fairfax County Public Schools is going forward after federal judge T.S. Ellis III rejected the defendants’ request to have the case dismissed. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria Sept. 25 by a former assistant principal, two … Continued
Happy holidays from the Annandale Blog
The Ruth house on Lincolnshire Street in Annandale.
Dominion is burying power lines to reduce threat of outages
Dominion wants to bury these power lines on Brenda Lane, Annandale. Dominion Virginia Power plans to bury approximately 4,000 miles of power lines – including 1,000 in Northern Virginia – over the next 10 years in an effort to reduce power outages. A letter sent to a resident of Brenda Lane in the Columbia Pines … Continued
Christmas holiday schedule
Fairfax County government offices close Dec. 24 at noon and will be closed Dec. 25 and 26. The courts are closed Dec. 24-26. Libraries are closed Dec. 24 and noon and are closed Dec. 25 and 26. RECenters and parks are closed Dec. 25 and operate on a regular schedule on Dec. 26. RECenters close … Continued
Not ready for Christmas? Don’t panic
By Annandale humorist Robert Schwaninger Like many things around the holidays, this column is woefully late. It is, therefore, the very symbol of Christmas. Unless you are one of those people who starts buying gifts in July for people who might be dead by Thanksgiving, I am reasonably certain that not everything has gone smoothly during … Continued
Bulova defends decision calling for audit of library friends
Following complaints by various library supporters about the Board of Supervisors’ Dec. 2 decision to impose an audit on friends of the library groups, Chair Sharon Bulova issued a lengthy statement explaining her reasons for the audit. Terry Maynard of the Reston Citizens Association’s Reston 2020 Coordinating Committee, Kathy Kaplan, a library volunteer and advocate, … Continued
New park planned for Mason District
Monch Farm Park is the triangular-shaped plot along Canard Street. [Image from Google Maps] Fairfax County has acquired a vacant 10-acre piece of land at 6570 Edsall Road in the Alexandria area of Mason District for use as a park, the Fairfax County Park Authority announced Dec. 17. The park will be known as Monch … Continued
Falls Church HS honors memory of ‘Coach CJ’
Swim team captains unveil the records board at Falls Church High School. More than 150 Falls Church High School students, staff, and community members gathered at the school Dec. 17 for the unveiling of the Clayton Joyner “Reach for the Wall” Jaguar Record Boards. The boards honor Joyner, a FCHS graduate who served the school’s … Continued
Two attempted robberies in Mason District
There were two unrelated attempted robberies in Mason District on Dec. 16, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. At 10:20 p.m., two victims walking on the 3300 block of Glen Carlyn Drive in Bailey’s Crossroads were approached by a man who displayed a hammer and demanded money. The victims ran and called police. Jose … Continued