Great gardens: No more lawn at this Annandale home
The Essers’ front yard. This is the first article in what we hope will be a series on extraordinary gardens in the Annandale area. Please email suggestions for other gardens to highlight. The entire lot surrounding Cam Esser’s house in the Truro community of Annandale is grass-free. Instead of a lawn, there are all sorts … Continued
Dedication ceremony held for Mason Crest Elementary School
Third-graders sing the Mason Crest school song. The Mason Crest Elementary School gym was a sea of parents and teachers, plus a few students, many dressed in the school colors red and black, as local dignitaries officially launched the new school with a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Sept. 18 dedication for Annandale’s newest school, held … Continued
Lake Barcroft Village will help older residents stay in their homes
The Lake Barcroft Village, an aging-in-place organization aimed at helping older residents stay in their homes, is on target to officially launch in January 2013. So far, 28 members and 70 volunteers have signed up and the group has raised $25,000, Dale Gianturco, treasurer of the Lake Barcroft Village, said at the organization’s September meeting. … Continued
The battle of the soups: Pho Hoa vs. Gom Ba Woo
The pho at Pho Hoa By James Moon In some bouts, competitors start from opposite corners. But in Annandale two small, opposing restaurants known for their soup, have shared the same corner, overlooking Columbia Pike at Tom Davis Drive for years. To the left is Pho Hoa (7133-B Columbia Pike), a Vietnamese noodle soup specialist … Continued
Wow! houses: A dome in Annandale Acres
Charles “Chip” Emmons had always been a fan of Buckminster Fuller, the visionary inventor of the geodesic dome. So you could say the house he and his wife, Betty, built in Annandale in 2001, based on that concept, is truly their dream house. Chip says a dome house has one-third more surface area and “the … Continued
MOM’s offers organic, environmentally friendly groceries
Organic produce at MOM’s Market. MOM’s Organic Market, the grocery store that opened in the Mosaic District in Merrifield Sept. 14, puts a high value on organic food and environmentally friendly practices. And that means it doesn’t sell bottled water. [In case you’re not familiar with the harm of bottled water: It creates a huge … Continued
FCPS committee recommends that FLA charter school application not be approved
A Charter School Review Committee, convened by Fairfax County Public Schools to evaluate the application submitted by the Fairfax Leadership Academy (FLA) has recommended that the school board “not accept” the application “as submitted.” A report by the committee, released by FCPS Sept. 14 says the “the proposal as currently described should not be approved” … Continued
Beltway toll lanes expected to open by the end of the year
The Gallows Road exit on the beltway. If you’re one of those people vowing to never pay to drive on the beltway or feel the new Express lanes (they’re not called HOT lanes anymore) promote a class system, with the affluent able to pay for a less-congested trip, the companies developing the new system want … Continued
Support groups forming for women and children abuse victims
The Fairfax County Office for Women and Domestic and Sexual Violence Services is hosting three free, confidential support groups in the Annandale area. [The exact location isn’t being disclosed to the public to protect the participants.] A support group for women survivors of domestic abuse (physical, emotional, or verbal) starts Wednesday, Oct. 17. It meets … Continued
Bank customers cheated by ‘skimmer’ on Inova Fairfax ATM
This “skimmer” was removed by police. Fairfax County police from the Mason district report that a “skimmer” in an ATM machine in the lobby of the Inova Fairfax Hospital Cardiac Care Center has been used to steal thousands of dollars from unsuspecting employees, patients, friends, and family members since late August. There have been no … Continued
Ground broken for new Inova women’s and children’s hospitals
A rendering of the new hospital. Inova Health System senior leaders, elected officials, government representatives, and donors gathered at a groundbreaking ceremony for a $400 million Women’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus Sept. 10 on Gallows Road, east of Annandale. The 650,000-square-foot building is the second phase of the Inova Fairfax … Continued
Rotary Club honors Bailey Elementary Club parent liaison Maria Demarest
Max Gross, the past President of Bailey ‘s Rotary, presents the Citizen of the Year Award to Maria Demarest. By Bob Polson The Rotary Club of Bailey’s Crossroads has honored Maria Demarest with the Citizen of the Year Award for 2011-12. The award honors Demarest for exemplifying the Rotary ideals of “putting service above self,” … Continued
Restaurants coming to Annandale: Menchie’s fro yo, Paisano’s Pizza
The interior of Buenos Grill. Among restaurant changes happening in the Annandale: A new frozen yogurt place is coming to Lincolnia soon (more on that below), we’re getting a new pizza place, and the new Mexican restaurant that’s been under construction for months is expected to open next month. The Pelican Seafood Restaurant, which just … Continued
Task Force begins work on planning future of Seven Corners
County planner Bernie Suchicital (left) addresses the Seven Corners Task Force. Twelve local residents and business people selected for the Seven Corners Land Use and Transportation Task Force met for the first time Sept. 11 to figure out how they will operate over the next few months as they develop recommendations on how the area … Continued
Scene around A-Town: lots of butterflies
Tiger swallowtail Have you seen all the butterflies around here? “This has been a banner year for the tiger swallowtail, the state insect,” says naturalist Suzanne Holland of Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale. “It is not unusual to have many nectaring this time of year. They are a welcomed addition to backyards everywhere.” The … Continued