New details emerge on plan to transform Annandale into an ‘urban village’
Staff from the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment presented more details on their vision for a revitalized Annandale at a meeting of the Annandale Central Business District Planning Committee March 9. That vision is all about transforming Annandale into a pedestrian-friendly urban village with an enhanced “sense of place.” Achieving that vision … Continued
Omni Financial moving to Custom Carpet site
Wonder what’s going on with the building under construction on the site of the former Custom Carpet shop in the center of Annandale? The building’s new owner, Stephen Lee, the president of Omni Financial Corp., plans to move the company’s headquarters to the new building once the renovations are complete. The firm is currently based at 7010 Little River … Continued
Grants will support community projects in Parklawn
Congratulations to the Parklawn community for receiving $10,000 in 2010 grant funds from Fairfax County for community improvement projects. The Parklawn Civic Association received a $5,000 Neighborhood Enhancement Grant for fixing up Glasgow Park, and the Parklawn Pool also received $5,000 grant for environmental improvements, reports the association’s president, Mollie Loeffler. The grant for the … Continued
Urge the county to support the arts
If you agree that public places should incorporate the arts, I encourage you to urge the Fairfax County Planning Commission to approve the Visual and Performing Arts Policy Plan Amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan. The commission will hear the amendment March 10. The amendment would encourage new public and private developments to provide … Continued
Hoarding is a major safety and health hazard
Do you know anyone with a house bursting with piles of old newspapers, broken furniture, or trash? You can help them clean up and get assistance by notifying the Fairfax County Hoarding Task Force. The task force investigates possible hoarding cases, determines whether the property is habitable, and helps the residents get the help they … Continued
Mason District schedules budget meeting for March 15
Mason district residents are encouraged to attend a community meeting March 15, 7 p.m., at the Mason Government Center, on the proposed Fairfax County budget for fiscal year 2011. Similar meetings have been scheduled for other districts throughout the month. With the county facing a projected budget of $257.2 million, the proposed budget calls for … Continued
Real estate market improved in February
Annandale’s real estate market has shown some improvements in February, compared with January. Twenty-five single-family homes were sold here last month, compared to just 17 in January, reports Vivianne Couts of Coldwell Banker. The average sales price in February was a bit lower, though–$435,000, compared to $504,719 in January. There were 62 single-family homes on … Continued
Mason District elects Evans to FCPS school board
Mason District voters elected Sandy Evans to the Fairfax County school board March 2. Evans received 2,633 votes, while her opponent, Samantha Rucker received 2,069. While FCPS school board elections are considered non-partisan, Evans was endorsed by the Democratic Party, and Rucker was endorsed by the Republicans. Turnout was light, as this was the only … Continued
ReLeaf works to conserve and restore urban forests
It always seems like there’s more open space in winter until the trees start sprouting new leaves. But each year, the onslaught of suburban development and large projects, like the beltway HOT lanes construction, have led to a steady decline of the tree cover in Fairfax County. A wonderful volunteer organization called Fairfax ReLeaf is … Continued
Learning to love bibimbap: An Annandale lunchtime primer
By James Moon You’d be hard pressed to find a standard Korean restaurant that doesn’t serve the humble bowl of rice known as bibimbap (pronounced “bee beam bahp”). For those of you who haven’t discovered what is probably Korea’s most accessible and a favorite lunchtime export, here’s a rice bowl primer. Bibimbap is a bowl … Continued
Up for a late-night karaoke party in a private room? Cafe Muse is the spot
If you’ve always wanted to try karaoke but were intimidated about performing in a crowded bar without copious amounts of “liquid courage,” Annandale’s Café Muse Karaoke Studio is a good place to get your feet wet. This establishment, 7356 Little River Turnpike (in between the Safeway shopping center and Markham Street), offers noraebang, Korean-style karaoke … Continued
FCPS Superintendent drops proposal for longer school days
Fairfax County Superintendent Jack Dale recommends that FCPS stick with its original calendar, which calls for April 12 and June 23, 24, and 25 to be used as make-up days for the school days lost to the heavy snowfall earlier this month. Dale had earlier proposed two other options that called for the school day … Continued
Evans more qualified to represent Mason District on Fairfax County school board
Next Tuesday, voters will go to the polls to select a school board member to represent Mason District during a critical period. Over the next few months, the Fairfax County school board will be making some tough choices, as it struggles to adopt a balanced budget to close a shortfall of some $176 million. Of … Continued
Free tax assistance available
Need help with your tax return? Volunteers from the AARP Tax-Aide program are providing free, walk-in assistance to local taxpayers at the Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike in Annandale until April 15. This service is available be 1-8 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays; 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; and 9 … Continued
Annandale girl stabbed on the way to school
The local NBC news station has a report about a 17-year-old girl being stabbed Tuesday morning as she walked to school in the 4400 block of Elan Place in Annandale. According to the story, “neighbors said they heard cries for help. The victim’s father told News4’s Pat Collins his daughter came running back to the house screaming. … Continued