Sandra Day O’Connor reads to students at Columbia Elementary School
Students at Columbia Elementary School in Annandale had a special visitor April 16: Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor read a book she authored, titled Chico, to first and second-graders. The book is about the pony she grew up with while living on a ranch in Arizona. O’Connor, the first woman on the Supreme … Continued
FXCO Planning Commission to vote on Peace Valley Lane development
After the Ravenwood Park Citizens Association (RPCA) has spent many, many months fighting plans for an overly dense development at Peace Valley Lane, the issue is coming before the Fairfax County Planning Commission tonight as a “decision item.” At issue is an amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan as the first step in rezoning … Continued
County takes action against ‘extreme yard sales’ on Braddock Road
Appliances for sale at 4508 Braddock Road Recent media attention on the “extreme yard sales” on Braddock Road may be having an impact. The Fairfax County Office of Code Compliance has issued a citation for 3908 Braddock Road, and is expected to cite 4508 Braddock this week. Neither house had the usual array of refrigerators, … Continued
We remember Virginia Tech
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. On April 16, 2007, a student at the university in Blacksburg went on a shooting rampage, killing 32 people and wounding 25 others. Among the victims was Mary Read of Annandale, a 19-year-old freshman who graduated from Annandale High School in 2006. Friends and … Continued
White Horticultural Park was saved from development
There’s a “secret garden” in the Mason District, a 13.5-acre parcel of woods and meadow that will never be developed. For that, we can thank Margaret White for her generosity in selling her homestead to the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) in 1999 for much less than she could have gotten from a developer … Continued
Democrats open campaign office
With the opening of an Organizing for America office at Loehmann’s Plaza in Falls Church April 14, the campaign to re-elect President Obama is officially up and running in Fairfax County. The office will serve as a hub for volunteers engaged in phone banking, door-to-door canvassing, and other campaign activities on behalf of Obama and … Continued
Scene around A-town: Bluebells
Bluebells along the Cross County Trail near Wakefield Park
Play ball! Little League in full swing
Team members and sponsors, including Mr. TD from TD Bank, joined in the “parade of champions” as part of the opening day ceremonies for the Annandale-North Springfield Little League this morning at Pine Ridge Park in Annandale.
Fuddruckers will close May 1
Want to have a last meal at Fuddruckers before the restaurant closes? You’ve only got a couple of weeks. Fudds’ last day will be April 30, says manager John Hannah. The building will be demolished, and a Walgreens drug store with a drive-through pharmacy will be constructed on that site, between Little River Turnpike, Columbia … Continued
Charter school leader Eric Welch reaches out to Graham Road parents
Eric Welch speaks to parents at a Graham Road Elementary School PTA meeting Eric Welch, the founder of a plan to develop Fairfax County’s first charter school reached out to Graham Road Elementary School parents at a PTA meeting April 10 to urge them to consider the school for their children. The Virginia Board of … Continued
New Mexican restaurant to open in central Annandale in July
A model of Buenos Grill The new Mexican restaurant under construction on the corner of Columbia Pike and Evergreen Lane in Annandale is tentatively scheduled to open July 1. Earlier plans to open in April fell through because the permit approvals took longer than expected. Buenos Grill will be a “family-oriented fast food-casual restaurant” serving … Continued
Most residents oppose the plan for redeveloping the Beauregard Corridor
The shopping center on N. Beauregard Street would become a new town center. The vast majority of the residents of Alexandria’s West End who spoke at a community meeting April 9 have major concerns about the city’s revised draft plan for redeveloping the Beauregard Corridor. Among the major complaints from the public: … Continued
Cop school: Gangs still pose a threat in FXCO
The following report about gangs in Fairfax County is based on a presentation by a police detective in the gang unit at the April 5 session of the Citizens Police Academy. The detective often works undercover so he prefers to remain anonymous. Gang graffiti in Fairfax County “The gang problem is not as bad as … Continued
A mad scramble for eggs
Crowds of children brought creatively decorated baskets to Mason District Park in Annandale Saturday morning for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. An incorrect listing on the Parks Authority website sent dozens of people to Hidden Oaks Nature Center by mistake but park staff directed them to the right spot, where they found the Easter Bunny … Continued
Think spring: Flower and plant sale benefits Annandale PTSA
The annual Annandale High School PTSA Flower Madness Plant Sale is now underway. Orders must be placed by April 16. Visit the Flower Madness section on the Annandale PTSA website to submit orders. Plants can be picked up at the school on May 4. The PTSA Plant Sale Committee works with a reputable wholesale nursery to … Continued