Tag: parks

Holmes Run orange color – could be harmless bacteria
Russ Smith, an engineer with the Fairfax County stormwater planning department, says the bright orange color in Holmes Run is most likely caused by “iron fixing bacteria,” which shows up when the weather gets warmer. He says it is “totally inert” and is not harmful to people or wildlife. The hazardous materials department has also … Continued

What is this mess?
Holmes Run at Rose Lane Park in Annandale is bright orange. Is it mud or pollution? I’ve seen muddy streams before but not like this. It is coming out of the storm drain.

Fairfax County Park Authority proposes fee hikes
Green Spring Gardens: a popular setting for wedding photos The Fairfax County Park Authority is proposing to raise fees for park users, including an 8 percent across-the-board increase for all of the recreation centers, including the Audrey Moore RECenter in Annandale. That translates to the basic fee for adults who live in Fairfax County would … Continued

History commissioner brings life to suffragist hero
“Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?” These words were hung on banners at the gates of the White House as women marched to demand the right to vote in 1917. These words also began Lynne Garvey-Hodge’s re-enactment of suffragist Mrs. Robert Walker at a presentation at the home of Marie Reinsdorf in … Continued

Renovated Ossian Hall Park enhances Annandale quality of life
The Annandale High School marching band and Korean Pure Sound drummers performed, as a ribbon-cutting ceremony with local government leaders marked the official opening of the newly renovated Ossian Hall Park Saturday afternoon. The 22-acre park, on the corner of Heritage Drive and Four Year Run next to Annandale High School, has a plaza, two playgrounds, … Continued

Bailey’s Crossroads residents respond to plan for Hogge Park
About 60 people came to public meeting at Glen Forest Elementary School Nov. 15 to tell Fairfax County park officials how they would like to see the Boyd A. and Charlotte M. Hogge Park developed. Several local residents opposed a proposal for community gardens and some were concerned about losing the stately trees on the … Continued

Ossian Hall Park re-opening ceremony set for Nov. 20
A ribbon-cutting ceremony has been scheduled Nov. 20, at 2:30 p.m., to celebrate the reopening of Ossian Hall Park. The 22-acre-park, at 7900 Heritage Drive in Annandale, next to Annandale High School, will have a new paved plaza area, two new playgrounds, a synthetic turf field, two multi-use courts, natural stone retaining walls, asphalt trails … Continued
Volunteers sought to clean up Annandale’s Pine Ridge Park
Volunteers are needed this Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., to help Fairfax ReLeaf clean up the wooded area at Pine Ridge Park in Annandale. Volunteers will pull invasive plants and remove debris to clear the way for native species and future reforestation of the park, located at 3401 Woodburn Road. This project is part of VolunteerFest, … Continued

Take your family on a nighttime nature hike with ‘wildlife’ at Hidden Oaks
Ever wonder what goes on in the woods when the sun goes down? Creatures of the night (actually naturalists in costume) will dispel some myths about themselves during “Fear-less Fest,” Hidden Oaks Nature Center’s biggest event of the year. Fear-less Fest takes place Oct. 23, 7-9 p.m. at Hidden Oaks, 7701 Royce St., Annandale. The … Continued

Historic marker commemorating “action at Annandale” unveiled in style
Col. John Mosby, Virginia Gov. William “Extra Billy” Smith, and some Civil War soldiers returned to Annandale Saturday for a ceremony unveiling the historic marker commemorating the “Action at Annandale.” The marker, on the corner of Little River Turnpike and Hillbrook Drive, next to the library, recognizes the historical significance of the roadbed for the … Continued

EPA holds public meeting in Annandale tonight on Chesapeake Bay restoration plan
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is holding a public meeting at the Annandale campus of the Northern Virginia Community College this evening to discuss a draft proposal aimed at reducing pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and waterways that feed into it. The meeting is in the Ernst Community Cultural Center, 6-8 p.m. Accotink Creek in Annandale … Continued

Green Springs Garden is one of Annandale’s best parks
The weather was perfect for the Green Spring Gardens Festival in Annandale earlier today. Among the nurseries and organizations with plants on sale were Morningside Farm, Hillhouse Farm and Nursery, and the Virginia Native Plant Society. Live music in the gazebo, craft vendors, a tea tasting in the Historic House, a bake sale, and children’s … Continued

Annandale photo album: Mason District Fall Fesival
Come to the Fall Festival at Mason District Park this Saturday
Annandale is having a giant block party this Saturday. The annual Mason District Park Festival takes places 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at (where else?) Mason District Park, 6621 Columbia Pike. The Fairfax County Park Authority promises live entertainment, crafts, food venders, hayrides, pony rides, a moon bounce, children’s rides, and police and fire department demonstrations. Oh, … Continued

Draft Accotink Creek Watershed Management Plan proposed many projects in Annandale
The public is invited to a forum to review a draft plan for preserving and restoring the Accotink watershed Sept. 21 at Fairfax High School, 7-9 p.m. Accotink Creek The Accotink Creek Watershed Management Plan, prepared by KCI Technologies Inc. for the Stormwater Planning Division of the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental … Continued