New Fairfax Hospital wing to open in August 2012
The new 11-story South Patient Tower at Inova Fairfax Hospital is expected to be completed by August 2012—about six months behind schedule. The building will house 174 all-private intensive care unit (ICU) medical/surgeon, neurosciences, and trauma rooms. Construction on the $161 million project started in June 2010. Staffing projections for the new building have … Continued
Snapping turtle babies released to the wild
Janis Jeffers, naturalist and volunteer coordinator at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale, sent us some photos of the baby snapping turtles released at Lake Accotink:
Mitchell Frank of Annandale to compete in U.S. Open Wild Card Playoff
Mitchell Frank 2011 Annandale High School graduate Mitchell Frank will compete in the U.S. Open Wild Card Playoff Aug. 18. The winner will receive a men’s main draw singles wild card into the 2011 U.S. Open, and a huge cheering section from Annandale could make the difference for Frank. Tickets can be purchased online. There is … Continued
Seven Corners transit center to open in 2011
The new transit center under construction at the Seven Corners Shopping Center should be completed by the end of the year. The $1.5 million facility will have three bus bays and six shelters for bus riders, a bus layover area, and bicycle facilities and is expected to improve traffic flow. Funding comes from the federal … Continued
Kory’s Report from Richmond: Green jobs essential to Virginia’s prosperity
By Del. Kaye Kory As the Aug. 23 primary nears, campaign signs are cropping up across Northern Virginia, candidates are knocking on doors, and shiny direct mail pieces are showing up in mailboxes. Please check to see if there are contested races in your districts and remember to vote. Though national and international economic events … Continued
Hidden Oaks naturalists release snapping turtle hatchlings
Naturalists from the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale released a group of snapping turtle hatchlings into Lake Accotink on Friday, Aug. 12. The baby turtles were the first to emerge from a clutch of 35 eggs rescued from a local resident’s flower garden. The next group of turtles will be released into the lake … Continued
Summer concert series still going strong at Mason District Park
Orquestra Tropikiimba If you haven’t been to a Spotlight by Starlight concert at Annandale’s Mason District Park this summer, you’re missing out on a great opportunity for free, convenient entertainment. The shows take place in the park’s amphitheater every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., and child-friendly shows are 10 a.m. Saturdays. You have a … Continued
Ara Fusion: A great spot in Annandale for a late-night party
Sujaebi Jampong By James Moon The “fusion” in the menu at Ara Fusion Restaurant (7137 Little River Turnpike, Annandale) may be better described as “not your grandmother’s Korean food.” But if you want to understand the culinary genres Ara straddles, you have to know what anju is. Anju is food eaten while drinking alcohol and, … Continued
Armstrong drops appeal of Democratic endorsement process
At-large Fairfax County school board candidate Jeannie Armstrong has dropped her challenge of the county Democratic Committee’s endorsement process and has also ended her quest to run for the board, she announced Aug. 11. Members of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee voted 99-97 to endorse Ryan McElveen over Armstrong during the group’s July meeting. Armstrong … Continued
Bowhunting in FXCO parks starts in September
If you’re planning an early morning or evening walk in county parks during the next few months, you might want to see if there’s a sign posted warning that bowhunting or another deer management operation is in progress. Bowhunters will be permitted in county parks from the first Saturday in September to the last Saturday in … Continued
Annandale rated average on ‘walkability’
So Bailey’s Crossroads and Tysons Corner are more “walkable” than Annandale? Really? We would think none of them are particularly pedestrian friendly. But a company called Walk Score gave Annandale a walkability rating of 50, compared with 67 for Bailey’s Crossroads and 67 for Tysons Corner. In fact, Bailey’s Crossroads, Tysons Corner, and Arlington, also … Continued
Annandale-based Communication Workers union on strike against Verizon
Picketers outside a Verizon facility on Gallows Road Members of the Annandale-based Local 2222 of the Communication Workers of America are on the picket lines against Verizon, after the company and union failed to come to terms on a contract. CWA 2222 members are picketing at Verizon facilities throughout Northern Virginia from 6 a.m. to … Continued
Park Board honors Annandale volunteers
Hidden Oaks Nature Center Two of the three recipients of the Fairfax County Park Authority Board’s 2011 Elly Doyle Park Service Awards are based in Annandale—the Friends of Hidden Oaks Nature Center and dog park activist Chris Robichaux. The other award recipients are Charles and Jacque Olin, founders of the Analemma Society, who were instrumental … Continued
Super Pets will relocate to Springfield
The Annandale blogger has spent a lot of time at Super Pets, so we’re sorry the Annandale landmark has closed. It will reopen in a couple of months in the Ravensworth Shopping Center at the Braddock Road and Port Royal Road intersection, across from Wakefield Park. The family-run business, has been an Annandale institution for … Continued
Let’s Dish! offers free meals for teachers
If you’re a teacher, you can get yourself and your family a free dinner at Let’s Dish! every Wednesday between Aug. 10 and Aug. 31. Public, private, preschool, and college teachers and administrators are eligible for the do-it-yourself meals, says Yosha Wesley of the Let’s Dish! in the Pinecrest Shopping Center, 6550-G Little River Turnpike … Continued