Deeds supports women’s abortion rights
Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia, hopes to strengthen his support among women, at least those in Northern Virginia and other more liberal areas of the state, by stressing his support for abortion rights—an issue that presents a stark contrast with his Republican opponent, Bob McDonnell. At the kick-off Women for Deeds … Continued
Troubled teens find sanctuary at Alternative House
When local teens flee an abusive home life, get kicked out by their parents, or find life on the streets too tough, they can find a welcoming sanctuary at the Alternative House. The emergency shelter, on Gallows Road in the Tysons Corner area, served more than 200 in crisis teens last year. Among them were … Continued
Obama plugs Deeds at campaign rally
About 1,800 people gave Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds a warm welcome at a campaign rally Aug. 6, but the real star of the evening was President Obama, who was greeted with cheers and shouts of “yes, we can,” reminiscent of his high-energy presidential campaign. With Deeds slightly behind his Republican challenger, former state attorney … Continued
All-Star swim meet is huge success
Hundreds of swimmers and their parents converged at Broyhill Crest pool Aug. 1 for the Northern Virginia Swimming League Individual All-Stars. It was the first time the Broyhill Crest Recreation Club hosted such a large event, and it was a huge success, thanks to the many hours of planning and work put in by Linda … Continued
Take advantage of tax holiday
If you’re thinking about doing some back-to-school shopping, you should take advantage of Virginia’s summer tax holiday Aug. 7-9. During this three-day period, purchases of school supplies selling for $20 or less per item and certain types of clothing and footwear selling for $100 or less per item will be exempt from the state sales … Continued
All Stars swimmers at Broyhill Crest
The Broyhill Crest neighborhood will be hopping Saturday, Aug. 1. Up to 2,000 swimmers and their parents will descend on the local pool for the Northern Virginia Swimming League All Star tournament. Residents are invited to watch the swim meet at Broyhill Crest Recreation Club, located at the end of Early Street, but don’t attempt … Continued
Clean up yards!, neighbors urged
Disgusted by the trash and deterioriation of some properties in the Broyhill Crest neighborhood (near the intersection of Gallows Road and Columbia Pike), about a dozen residents have formed a group to patrol the area and notify people who violate the zoning code. “We’ve found things like cars parked on the grass, non-usable cars in … Continued
Annandale Neighorhood Center faces cutbacks
On a recent Thursday evening, the Annandale Neighborhood Center was hopping. Families hard hit by the faltering economy filled bags with fresh produce, bread, and other donated items. Young children built block towers and watched “Bolt.” And a teenager killed time between a summer school class and his job at a CVS watching videos on … Continued
Bloom delayed
Why has construction on the new Bloom grocery store been held up for months? It’s VDOT’s fault, for holding up the permit approval process, according to the shopping center owner, the land use specialist in County Supervisor Penny Gross’s office, county planning department, and the Virginia Department of Transportation. The permit is required because the … Continued
The future of Annandale: more urbanization
What’s the central business district of Annandale going to look like in 2030? According to plans for the Annandale Revitalization District underway in the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning, we could see a more pedestrian friendly town center with a “higher-intensity mix of retail, office, and residential uses,” including a movie theater and … Continued
Fewer home foreclosures in Mason District
The number of foreclosed houses in the Mason District and Fairfax County as a whole is decreasing, reports county spokesperson Brian Worthy, although there are still plenty of foreclosed properties in our neighborhoods. According to the Department of Tax Administration, the number of foreclosures in the Mason district dropped from 300 in September 2008 to … Continued
July 4 at Broyhill Crest Pool
The annual July 4 celebration at the Broyhill Crest Recreation Club was a huge success, thanks to Uncle Sam; Robin the duck lady; Debo, Ginny, Kathy, and the other organizers and volunteers; and the wonderful weather. And thanks, Bev, for the great pictures.
New movie theater planned
For those of you who miss the movie theater on Lee Highway in Merrifield, there is some good news. Phase 1 of the redevelopment project underway in that area will include a new movie theatre to be completed in late 2011 or early 2012, reports Julie Culbreath, communications director at Edens & Avant, the Columbia, … Continued
Some Annandale HS students will have to transfer
If you or your child plans to attend high school next year, your school might not be the one you had counted on. In spite of strong opposition in the community, the Fairfax County school board voted June 26 to change the attendance area for Annandale High School at the start of the 2010-11 school … Continued
The swim meet
By Jack Winston To understand summer’s true meaning to the residents of Annandale, you must understand swim teams and the pools that host them. Their fund raisers, rallies, practices, and meets are the events around which suburban families arrange their summer schedule. This is the first of at least two photo-essays to educate the uninitiated … Continued