Michelle Obama to speak at Annandale High School
Obama First Lady Michelle Obama will visit Annandale High School Oct. 13 along with Republic of Korea First Lady Kim Yoon-ok, the student newspaper, the A-Blast, reported. The White House is hosting Lee Myung-bak, president of the Republic of Korea, and his wife that day for a State Visit. Michelle Obama will speak to the … Continued
Park users unaware FXCO is using bowhunters to reduce deer population
Deer on the Cross County Trail in Annandale, Oct. 4 It’s deer hunting season in Fairfax County parks, but most park users don’t seem to know much about it. All but one person the Annandale blogger encountered while on a walk along the Accotink Stream Valley were unaware that the county has authorized a group … Continued
Candidates clash over roads, taxes, and environment
Saslaw Voters Fairfax County’s Braddock District got a close-up look at some of the candidates running for office in November at a forum Tuesday evening sponsored by the North Springfield Civic Association. Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, who has been in the Virginia legislature since 1976, reminded the audience of some of his accomplishments: bringing … Continued
FCPS outlines procedure for hiring a principal for the new school
A principal will be hired for the elementary school under construction in Annandale by early December, says Dan Parris, Fairfax County assistant superintendent for Cluster III. The new principal will start work by Feb. 1, which will provide plenty of time to organize the school before it opens in September 2012. Parris and Beth Boivin … Continued
Friends of Accotink Creek seeks new leadership
Sediment from the beltway HOT lanes project is clogging the Accotink watershed The Friends of Accotink Creek (FACC) has been keeping watch on Annandale’s major watershed since 2004, organizing clean-up and monitoring actitivies. The group also educates the public on watershed protection and takes part in environmental advocacy. But now that the founders of the group, … Continued
Local volunteers heading to Haiti on a medical mission
You might not be willing to give up your vacation time to help people in Haiti get needed medical care—as several local residents are doing—but you can support their efforts by contributing money and supplies. The team going on the Nov. 8-14 medical mission to Chantal, Haiti, includes 41 doctors, nurses, dentists, and other … Continued
Annandale Family History Center offers lots of resources for researchers
If you are thinking about researching your family’s history, you might be surprised that there is an excellent collection of easily accessible genealogy resources right here in Annandale. The Annandale Family History Center in the Church of the Latter Day Saints, 3900 Howard St. (off Gallows Road) in Annandale, has over 1,000 books, an extensive … Continued
Supervisor of Mason police bike team arrested for assault
Sonnenberg (photo from WUSA9) Officer Brian Sonnenberg, supervisor of the bike team at the Mason District Police Station in Annandale, has been charged with assault and battery in Prince William County. According to news reports, Prince William County Police arrested Sonnenbert after they responded to a domestic call in the 12800 block of Noltland Castle … Continued
Change of leadership for Phillips School
Phillips Big changes are coming to the Phillips Programs for Children and Families, which operates the Phillips School in Annandale. Sally Sibley, who has been president and CEO for 42 years, is retiring at the end of September. The Phillips board of trustees has named Nancy Mercer to take on that role, beginning Oct. 1. … Continued
Mason supervisor candates stake out positions in debate
Left to right: David Feld; Ravenworth Park Civic Association President John Iekel; Sleepy Hollow Civic Association President Steve Tillman; and Penny Gross Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross and her Republican challenger David Feld squared off in a debate last night at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School that touched on taxes, zoning, transportation, revitalization, and other issues … Continued
Mark Center employees being phased in over next few months
If you regularly drive near the new BRAC-133 Mark Center buildings at the Seminary Road exit on Interstate 95, is the traffic worse than it used to be? So far 2,200 Department of Defense employees have moved into that complex, the city of Alexandria reports. Another 2,500 employees are scheduled to move in by Dec. 31 and … Continued
School bond includes funds to expand Thomas Jefferson HS
The $252.75 million school bond referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot doesn’t include any major projects for regular public schools in Annandale or the Mason District. It would, however, provide more than $84.6 million for renovations at the aging Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. TJSST, in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County, just … Continued
Former students have fond memories of Masonville Elementary
Masonville Elementary in 1974-75. Former Annandale resident Carol Morris Dukes has such fond memories of the long-gone Masonville Elementary School in Annandale, she created a Facebook group for alumni to share their memories. She believes it’s especially important to reconnect now that the building has been torn down. A new elementary school under construction on … Continued
Missing dog near Bristow Drive area
Update: Rosie was still missing as of Sept. 30. Bob and Sarah Turner’s beloved dog, Rosie, ran off from their church at the corner of Ravensworth Road and Braddock Road in Annandale Saturday around 11 a.m. She was headed up Bristow Drive toward Little River Turnpike, but they don’t know how far she went. Rosie … Continued
Stephen King offers insights on writing horror fiction
Best-selling author Stephen King wowed the crowd at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts in Fairfax Friday evening in a lecture that touched on what inspired him to write horror fiction, the impact of fame, and a preview of works in progress. The event was the finale of the 2011 Fall for the Book … Continued