Sen. Warner urged to address Citizens United
Activists present box of petitions to Sen. Warner. A coalition of organizations concerned about the corrosive effects of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and related decisions on money in politics presented petitions to Sen. Mark Warner’s office in Vienna Sept. 4 urging him to support a congressional resolution to set limits on campaign spending. … Continued
Gym members mobilize against eviction of Pro Maxx Fitness
Rachel Martin speaks to members of Pro Maxx Fitness. About three dozen Pro Maxx Fitness members gathered in the gym’s aerobics room Wednesday evening for a meeting to mobilize opposition to a planned eviction. Pro Maxx owners Susan Hilaski and Ahmed Ragheb informed members Aug. 30 that they’ve been unable to agree on an acceptable … Continued
Be generous on HS band Tag Day
Stuart High School music students prepare for Tag Day. Tag Day is coming. This is the day when members of local high school bands knock on doors to request donations from the public. Annandale High School Band Tag Day is this Saturday, Sept. 6. Both the Falls Church High School and Stuart High School bands … Continued
Police focused on gangs, robberies, and prostitution this summer
Harry Henderson, president of the Bailey’s Crossroads Rotary Club (left), presents a certificate of honorary membership to Mason police commander David Smith at the CAC meeting. Henderson praised Smith for having “high moral character and community awareness,” which makes him a perfect fit as a Rotarian. The crimes in Mason District that have gotten the … Continued
Jaguars vs. Atoms in Mosaic Bowl
The second annual Mosaic Bowl, a football game featuring the Falls Church Jaguars and Annandale Atoms, takes place Friday, Sept. 5, at Falls Church High School. The game is sponsored by the merchants of the Mosaic District in Merrifield and the Falls Church Jaguar Boosters. Pre-game festivities begin at 6 p.m., with the kick-off at … Continued
A historic first day of school at Bailey’s Upper Elementary School
The bus drop-off went smoothly. About 600 third, fourth, and fifth-graders streamed into the brand-new Bailey’s Upper Elementary School Sept. 2 on the first day of the 2014-15 school year. Housed in a former office building on Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners, Bailey’s Upper is the first vertical, urban-design public school in Fairfax County. Principal … Continued
Pro Maxx Fitness is being evicted
A letter to members on the front door says the gym expects to close at the end of the month. Owners, employees, and members of Pro Maxx Fitness in the Annandale Shopping Center on Columbia Pike are mounting a petition drive to fight the landlord’s plan to evict the gym by the end of September. … Continued
Suspicious death in Culmore area
The body of an adult male was discovered in a parking lot in the 6000 block of Bellview Drive in the Culmore area of Bailey’s Crossroads just after 2 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 1, Fairfax County Police report. There was “trauma to the upper body,” according to the announcement in the police blotter. “Police are … Continued
Help the needy on Day to Serve, Sept. 13
A volunteer collects donated groceries at the Annandale Giant during the 2013 Day to Serve. [ACCA photo] Local residents are encouraged to contribute food items during Day to Serve, an interfaith community service event on Sept. 13 aimed at filling the food pantries operated by Annandale Christian Community for Action (ACCA) and the Dar Al-Hijrah … Continued
Local Boy Scouts explore wilderness on a Western camping trip
Members of Boy Scout Troop 895 of Falls Church headed west for summer camp this year, traveling a bit farther than usual, reports Matt Dillard, assistant scoutmaster. After over a year of planning and fundraising, 26 boys and 14 adults spent a week in Yellowstone National Park and a week in the Grand Tetons. At … Continued
77 townhouses planned for Columbia Pike
This house on Powell Lane will be torn down to make way for townhouses. Stanley Martin Homes plans to start work soon on the development of 77 townhouses on Columbia Pike between Powell Lane and Madison Lane. Two long-time businesses on that site, Rosslyn Auto Body and Nicholls Imported and Domestic Car Service, have relocated. … Continued
County education campaign targets speeding
Braddock Supervisor John Cook (left) speaks at kick-off of anti-speeding campaign. Fairfax County launched an anti-speeding campaign Aug. 28 aimed at educating drivers about the dangers of speeding on neighborhood streets. Fairfax County supervisors, Fairfax County Police Department officials, and leaders of community associations and Neighborhood Watch groups gathered at the FCPD driver training facility … Continued
Victory Lane Aquatic Club has a new coach
The Victory Lane Aquatic Club (VLAC) is continuing under a new coach, Shawn Mansfield. The swimming program was founded in 2008 by Clayton Joyner of Annandale, who died in May at the age of 29. Joyner had been a champion swimmer on the Falls Church High School swim team and was a coach for the … Continued
Seven Corners Task Force to vote on Sears redevelopment plan Sept. 9
The Sears site on Route 7 in Seven Corners The Seven Corners Land Use and Transportation Task Force, at its Aug. 26 meeting, deferred a scheduled vote on a redevelopment plan for the Sears site on Leesburg Pike until Sept. 9. The task force had planned to select one of three options spelling out the … Continued
Bailey’s Upper Elementary School offers light-filled, innovative learning spaces
A science lab. The brand new Bailey’s Upper Elementary School, retrofitted in a former office building on Leesburg Pike in Seven Corners, offers “a rich environment for learning and a rich environment for teaching,” says Jeffrey Platenberg, assistant superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools for facilities and transportation services. Pointing to all the windows and … Continued