Annandale HS students raise money for Somali schools
Kudos to Annandale High School students Bashir Warsame and Sahnun Mohamud for creating a foundation to help the children of Somalia. A recent report on the teens on News Channel 8 explains their plan to raise money for educational equipment, like laptops and projectors, for Somali schools. They hope that improved opportunities for education will … Continued
Fairfax County supervisors approve Annandale plan amendment
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a redevelopment plan for Annandale July 13, paving the way for a comprehensive transformation of the suburban community into a walkable, urban, and active mixed-use center. The Annandale Community Business Center Comprehensive Plan Amendment adopts a new form-based approach that provides flexibility by using building form and height to … Continued
Dollar Tree and Petco coming to Little River Shopping Center
A couple of the vacant properties in the Little River Shopping Center in Annandale will be occupied within the next few months. A Dollar Tree is moving into the spot next to the Blockbuster [in photo], which was vacated by the Seoul Department Store. A Petco will move into the long-empty site that once held … Continued
Something Special closing after 42 years in Annandale
It’s the end of an era. After 42 years at Annandale’s Little River Shopping Center, Something Special is closing. Meanwhile, until the shop finally shuts its doors for the last time—in August or September—everything is at least 20 percent off and some items are 70 percent off. Owner Jeff Kay, who’s been at the store … Continued
Weird wildlife siting
Construction starts on Korean pavilion and bell garden
The first Korean bell pavilion on the East Coast and only bell garden in North America is being built at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, a regional park in Vienna near Wolf Trap. The bell garden is the brainchild of Jeung Hwa Elmejjad-Yi, the chair of the Korean-American Cultural Committee, based in Annandale. Many local residents and … Continued
Arrest made in Annandale sexual assaults
Fairfax County Police arrested a 17-year-old allegedly responsible for the sexually motivated assaults that took place in the Avant Apartment Complex in Annandale in recent weeks. The Annandale-area teen was taken to the juvenile detention center and charged with three counts of sexual battery and one count of “animate object sexual penetration,” the police reported … Continued
Extraordinary Communities Project promotes neighborhood connections
Sitting in a traffic jam in the midst of Northern Virginia’s suburban sprawl makes one nostalgic for Mayberry, the fictional town of “The Andy Griffith Show,” where everyone knows one another and you can spend a quiet evening on the front porch with a piece of Aunt Bee’s pie. That’s the inspiration for Frazier O’Leary’s Extraordinary … Continued
Police release video of Pham’s car 10 minutes before body was found
Fairfax County Police detectives have released a video of Vanessa Pham’s white Toyota Scion in the Fairfax Plaza Shopping Center at the 2900 block of Gallows Road taken just 10 minutes before her body was found, stabbed to death, in her car in a ditch off Route 50 near the Williams Road intersection at 3:34 p.m. … Continued
Del. Kory: Beltway HOT lanes will relieve gridlock
The beltway HOT lanes construction is creating headaches for drivers, but the result should be well worth the inconvenience, says Del. Kaye Kory of the 38th District. “The planners of the nearly $2 billion project expect that the drive time from either Braddock Road or Gallows Road to Tysons Corner will be cut in half … Continued
Contest recognizes landscapes pleasing to the environment as well as the eye
Is your home landscape not only beautiful but environmentally friendly? If the answer is Yes, you might want to enter it in the 2010 Conservation Landscaping Contest sponsored by the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council. Novice gardeners, students, schools, businesses, and professionals are all invited to enter. The deadline for applications is Sept. 1. Applicants will … Continued
Sketch of sexual assualt suspect released
Fairfax Police have released a sketch of a suspect believed to be responsible for sexually motivated assaults in the Annandale area. The most recent attack occurred Tuesday evening when an 18-year-old woman was sexually assaulted at the Avant apartment complex in the 7900 block of Charles Thomson Lane. The victim was about to enter an … Continued
Where to go for fireworks near Annandale
There don’t seem to be any major public Independence Day events in Annandale, but there are several close by: July 3 – Independence Day Parade, downtown Fairfax historic district, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (rain or shine) July 3 – Old Fashioned Fireman’s Day, 12:30 p.m., 4081 University Blvd., Fairfax. Firefighter competition, food, and games. July 3 – Fireworks, … Continued
Police seek information on Vanessa Pham murder
Fairfax County Police have issued a flyer seeking information on the murder of Vanessa Pham, age 19, whose body was found in her 2008 Toyota Scion shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Sunday in a ditch off Route 50 near the Williams Drive intersection. According to the police she had been stabbed multiple time and was dead … Continued
Annandale’s Phillips School recognized for excellence in management
Congratulations to the Annandale-based Phillips Programs for Children and Families for winning the Washington Post 2010 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management. Phillips serves the needs of individuals with emotional and behavioral problems and their families throughout the region. It operates two schools, one in Annandale (7010 Braddock Road) and one in Laurel, Md., for … Continued