Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

School news roundup

The following news items feature schools in the Annandale/Mason District area. Science star – Heman Bekele, a ninth grader at W.T. Woodson High School, was named the 2023 winner of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge.  Heman, age 14, created compound-based Skin Cancer Treating Soap, an affordable soap solution that could improve skin cancer outcomes. Over the next five … Continued

School news roundup

A Mayan partnership – Braddock Elementary School’s Mayan partners adorned the newly renovated school with two new murals. Braddock has had a partnership for the past eight years with Task-Tarea, an organization of people from Guatemala who moved to the United States and wanted to continue to support Mayan village schools back home. They raise … Continued

Mural in the works in Annandale

Spiderman and baseball legend Jackie Robinson are making an appearance in a mural being painted on the side of the Annandale Shopping Center. Collector’s World, a tenant in the shopping center at 7006 Columbia Pike, commissioned the mural. When finished, itl will feature Spiderman scaling wall facing Gallows Road, Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers … Continued

Artists selected for the Covid memorial

ArtsFairfax and the Fairfax County Arts Committee have selected the artists to design the county’s Covid memorial. The structure – to be created by the team of Miriam Gusevich and Salvatore Pirrone – will serve as a permanent memorial to the victims of Covid-19 and will recognize the heroic efforts of healthcare providers, first responders, … Continued

Annandale ‘comfort woman’ statue is gone

The Statue of Peace in Annandale honoring the Korean “comfort women” has been removed. The statue was installed in front of an office building at 7601 Little River Turnpike in Annandale in October 2019 by the Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues (WCCW). The statue reminds the public of the sacrifices of the thousands of … Continued

Join the Teen Chopped Challenge

The Fairfax County Public Library invites youths age 12-18 to show off their culinary skills by entering the Teen Chopped Challenge. To enter the contest, create an original recipe using three “mystery ingredients”: one can of black beans, one box of Jiffy corn mix, and one packet of Swiss Miss dark chocolate hot cocoa mix. … Continued

Fairfax County is developing a murals program

Fairfax County planners are developing a murals program to bring excitement to the county’s redevelopment areas, such as Annandale and Bailey’s Crossroads/Seven Corners.   The goal is to use murals to support placemaking and enhance pedestrian passageways, Elizabeth Haag, head of the Community Revitalization Section in the Department of Planning and Development, told the Bailey’s … Continued

Dance studio is moving to Annandale

International Dance is moving from its current location in Pinecrest Plaza to the former Treasure Trove spot in the Annandale Shopping Center on Columbia Pike. According to the Pinecrest Plaza website, an ice cream shop called Mimi’s Handmade will occupy the dance studio’s current location. Mimi’s Handmade, located at Pentagon Row in Arlington, offers some … Continued

Annandale HS orchestra teacher Annie Ray named Outstanding Secondary Teacher

Fairfax County Public Schools has presented Annandale High School orchestra teacher Annie Ray with a 2023 Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year award. At the awards ceremony at George Mason University, FCPS called Ray “a passionate advocate for universal access to quality music education.” “Annie regularly develops innovative opportunities to make music accessible to students … Continued

Local Asian Americans showcase their cultures at a community celebration

Members of the local Vietnamese, Indonesian, Korean, Filipino, Nepali, and Indian communities celebrated their cultures with performances, crafts, and food at an Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration May 20. The event, at the James Lee Community Center, was sponsored by the Annandale-based Asian American Community Center and the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood … Continued

Annandale music educators honored

Ær Queen, the music teacher at Braddock Elementary School in Annandale, and Alberto Rodriquez, the orchestra director at Mount Vernon High School, are among the 212 quarterfinalists from across the country for the 2024 GRAMMY Music Educator Award. Annie Ray, the strings teacher at Annandale High School is a legacy applicant who is also eligible … Continued