Stein Mart opens in Loehmann’s Plaza
The new Stein Mart in Loehmann’s Plaza is now open—just in time for the Memorial Day sales. The shop is in the spot vacated by Loehmann’s, which closed in February. Stein Mart offers women’s and men’s clothing, women’s shoes and accessories, and housewares at marked-down prices. Men’s shoes will be added in August, says store … Continued
Annandale real estate market holding steady
This four-bedroom house at 8205 Guinevere Drive in the Camelot neighborhood in Annandale, is on the market for $717,700. [Photo from Zillow] The real estate market in Annandale (zip code 22003) appeared to be sluggish in April 2014, according to data provided by realtor Vivianne Couts of Coldwell Banker. The dollar volume of homes sold … Continued
FBI searching for evidence in local park
The trail leading to the investigation site. Further access is blocked. UPDATE: According to sources near the site, construction workers on the sewer project at Holmes Run Stream Valley Park found a body buried four feet deep. Fingerprints led to a man in custody who told police another body is buried there, too. The crime … Continued
Fire destroys house on Cherokee Avenue
A fire early Monday morning destroyed a house at 5201 Cherokee Ave., in the Alexandria area of Mason District. When firefighters from Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria arrived at approximately 4:45 a.m., May 19, the rambler-style home was “fully involved with fire,” the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports. Firefighters conducted an … Continued
Queen of Apostles hosts 5K and international festival May 31
Queen of Apostles Catholic School in Lincolnia is planning two big community events on May 31: a 5K and one-mile fun run and an International Festival. The “Soar Like an Eagle” 5K winds through residential streets on a USA Track and Field-certified course. It starts at 8 a.m. at the school’s parking lot, at 4409 … Continued
Scene around A-Town: Spring means azaleas at their best
These photos of azaleas in bloom in the Columbia Pines neighborhood in Annandale were taken by Mary Ellen Dawley.
May 22 forum on code compliance focuses on community norms
Neighbors have complained numerous times about this house on Arcadia Road in Parklawn, to no avail. The gutter is falling off, and an addition in the back has been under construction for seven years. Have you filed complaints with the Fairfax County Department of Code Compliance about a neighbor’s poorly maintained home, unkempt yard, or … Continued
FCPS Superintendent Garza reorganizes administrative structure
Fairfax County high school pyramids would be divided among five regions. Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza announced plans May 16 to reorganize the system’s administrative structure. The new system takes effect July 1. Instead of eight clusters, the new system would group schools into five administrative regions, with high-achieving schools that serve affluent … Continued
Effective, safe mosquito control requires more brains than brawn
Yard signs from mosquito control companies. [photo by Friends of Accotink Creek] By Elizabeth Kirchner A yard sign advertisement shows a muscular cartoon warrior wielding a backpack sprayer blasting a towering spear-stingered mosquito: Insecticide “fogging” to control mosquitoes in summertime backyards seems powerful and effective, but specialists—even representatives of insect-control industries, Fairfax County, and the … Continued
Annandale Boys & Girls Club donates $70,000 for turf field at Annandale HS
Photos from ABGC The Annandale Boys & Girls Club has donated $70,000 to Annandale High School’s campaign to bring a synthetic turf field to the school’s Bolding Stadium. “This $70,000 donation will ensure AHS meets the minimum commitment for Fairfax County to bring turf to Annandale,” says Julie Germain Thompson of ABGC. “We’re proud of … Continued
Rep. Connolly and Beanetics win Annandale Bed Race
The Connolly-Beanetics team in action. [Photos by George Burke] It took six years of trying and training, but the team sponsored by Congressman Gerry Connolly (11th District) and powered by Beanetics Coffee Roasters finally won the Annandale Bed Race, reports Connolly’s spokesperson George Burke. The bed race teams. The annual event, sponsored by the Annandale … Continued
Barricade situation disrupts neighborhood around Falls Church High School
The house appears to be extensively damaged. Several streets were blocked off near Falls Church High School May 14 while police negotiated with a man holed up inside a house at 3246 Kenney Drive. Students reported hearing what sounded like three bombs going off in the area. In an email to parents, Falls Church Principal … Continued
Housing development proposed for Sears site in Seven Corners
There’s a plan in the works to build a large housing development in Seven Corners along Leesburg Pike between Juniper Lane and the office building being converted to Bailey’s Upper Elementary School. The Sears store and two office buildings on that site would be demolished. The 847,000 square-foot project would include 748 apartments and … Continued
Repairs underway at Tollhouse Park
The park is on Little River Turnpike between Annandale Road and Columbia Pike. Tollhouse Park, the centerpiece of the Annandale revitalization area, has gotten a little shabby in recent months, but efforts to fix it are under way. The broken lights and the clock, which is about six hours off, will be repaired soon, says … Continued
No carnival in Annandale this year
Fun times at the 2013 Annandale carnival. There won’t be a carnival in Annandale this spring because the Sears Holdings Corp., the company that owns Kmart, won’t give approval to allow the event to take place in the Kmart parking lot. That decision is not due to any particular problems with the carnival—it’s more about … Continued