the Annandale Blog

Most of these girls are students at Poe Middle School.

If Americana Drive in Annandale looks lot nicer today, it’s because about 80 volunteers took part in a cleanup event on Presidents’ Day.

They collected 352 bags of trash – beer bottles, coffee cups, diapers, fast food wrappers, and much more – and many large items, such as couches, construction debris, discarded Christmas trees, and car parts along the wooded area between Americana Drive and the beltway sound wall.

Volunteers find plenty of trash along Americana Drive.

The event was organized by Amy Gould, a resident of Lafayette Forest Condominium and a member of the Fairfax County Restoration Project, with lots of help from Friends of Accotink Creek. The Annandale Rotary Club donated $100 for snacks for the volunteers.

VDOT provided trash bags and hauled the trash away, and Fairfax County police officers patrolled Americana Drive to ensure volunteers’ safety.

The volunteers included residents of the condominium and apartment complexes lining Americana, members of environmental groups, students, Scouts, and people who heard about the cleanup event online.

Tommy Tran (left), a student at Poe Middle School, and Garion Neusea, a 10th-grader at Oakton High School and a member of Boy Scout Troop 1978.

Among the items collected by Tommy Tran, an eighth-grader at Poe Middle School who earned community service hours for volunteering, was a $20 bill and, ironically, a flyer seeking volunteers for the cleanup event.

Another Poe student found a drug needle along with a large number of beer bottles and other trash. Among the other finds were a wallet with an ID card inside and a box of bullets, both of which were turned over to the police.

Rick Pratt (left) a resident of Brook Hills and an Annandale High School alum, and Gilbert Alvarado, of the Vistas of Annandale, fill up a pickup truch with trash.

“Being out here really makes you believe in the need for a bottle deposit law and a plastic bag tax,” said Bruce Atkinson, a member of Friends of Lake Accotink.

Joyce Briley, 76, a resident of Tall Trees South, took part in the cleanup despite having an artificial hip. She said she had contacted county officials about the trash on Americana Drive but never heard back.

For years, construction contractors have used the wooded area in the Annandale Drive easement as a dumping ground for leftover wood and other materials, while residents regularly dropped off broken furniture.

A cleanup crew from the Vistas of Annandale.

The huge amount of trash along Americana “is really dragging down the community,” said Gould. Also, the many commercial trucks with two wheels parked on the easement are disturbing the soil, adding to the sediment in Accotink Creek, which “taxpayers are spending money on to restore,” she said. One solution would be to restrict parking to the other side of the street.

“We want residents to have pride in where they live,” said Dawn Miller, the vice president of marketing for the Vistas of Annandale, who brought about 15 Vistas residents. She hopes the cleanup event will give people an incentive to keep the area free of litter.

The Vistas will host more cleanups, Miller said, “so it doesn’t get to this point again.”

County Executive Bryan Hill addresses the Board of Supervisors Feb. 19. [Supervisor John Cook]

You can expect another increase in real estate taxes.

The fiscal year 2020 advertised budget presented by Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill to the Board of Supervisors Feb. 19 would retain the current real estate tax rate of $1.15 per $100 of assessed value.

However, based on a 2.36 percent increase in residential equalization, the average tax bill for homeowners will increase by approximately $149. In Mason District, the average assessment is up 2.31 percent.

The average price of homes sold in Fairfax County in 2018 rose 1.9 percent from the previous year.

Almost 76 percent of homes experienced an increase in assessed value; 7.8 percent decreased in assessed value.

The county’s advertised budget calls for increasing the total amount of funds transferred to the schools by 3.82 percent for a total of $2.35 billion.

The Fairfax County Police Department’s weekend crime report offers more information on the shooting incident Feb. 17 in the 7900 block of Charles Thomson Lane in Annandale.

The victim was getting out of his car at 6:12 a.m. when he was approached by two black men wearing all black clothing.

The suspects demanded money from the victim, and when he refused and started walking away, he was shot in the back. He was transported to a local hospital where his injuries were deemed not life threatening. Detectives continue to investigate the incident.

Also on Feb. 17, officers responded to a report of gunshots on the 3400 block of Glen Carlyn Drive at 4:10 a.m. Officers stopped a car leaving the scene and recovered two handguns and an empty box of ammunition.

Asenai Zigita, 26, of Falls Church, was arrested for felony reckless discharge of a firearm, having a concealed weapon, and being drunk in public. Jorge Melendez Gonzalez, 21, and Derlin Carcamo Alvarez, 21, both of Falls Church, were charged with having a concealed weapon.

On Feb. 15, at about 2 a.m., police encountered a man in front of the Babylon Café at 3501 S. Jefferson St. in Bailey’s Crossroads being disorderly. The man continued to act erratically and was arrested for being drunk in public.

During the arrest, the man actively resisted and assaulted officers while his friend attempted to stop the arrest.

Darnell Jennings, 29, of Oxon Hill, Md., was arrested for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assault on law enforcement. Jimmy Brown, 28, of Alexandria, was arrested for disorderly conduct and obstructing justice.

Thuan Du, 46, of Falls Church, was arrested for possession with the intent to sell schedule I or II drugs at 8 a.m., Feb. 18, in the 3700 block of Hummer Road in Annandale.

Officers found him slumped over in a car and saw a large amount narcotics and cash while checking on his welfare.

Jeff McKay address supporters at his campaign kickoff event.

Jeff McKay has the experience and competence it takes to be an effective chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Rep. Gerry Connolly said at McKay’s campaign kickoff event Jan. 12 in Springfield.

McKay has represented the Lee District on the board for the past 12 years.

Some of the supervisors, school board members, and state legislators at the McKay event.

“Experience in this job matters. There’s a lot at stake,” Connolly said. McKay understands the complexity of the issues the board deals with and is “the only candidate who has that experience.”

McKay faces two challengers in the Democratic primary: Ryan McElveen, an at-large member of the Fairfax County School Board, and Tim Chapman, a housing developer and former chair of the Virginia Housing Development Authority. (Chapman has contributed many thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates over the years, but also donated $15,000 to far-right gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli in 2013.)

Republican Supervisor Pat Herrity (Springfield) still hasn’t decided yet whether to run for the position of BoS chair, he said at a meeting of the Mason District Republican Committee Jan. 12.

The current board chair, Sharon Bulova, will retire when her term is up Dec. 31. Primary elections are June 11. The general election is Nov. 5.

McKay told the audience at his campaign event – which included dozens of elected officials and candidates – that he plans to maintain the progressive vision that made Fairfax County “a beacon of hope and inclusivity for the nation.”

McKay grew up along the Route 1 corridor, as did his parents. His biggest inspiration was his grandmother, a strong advocate for equal rights and affordable housing, who told him “if you want to improve people’s lives, you have get involved in local government.”

He touted his leadership on the board’s legislative committee, where he advocated for expanding Medicaid and restrictions on firearms, and the board’s budget committee, noting that for the first time in over 20 years, the board last year fully funded the school system.

McKay vowed to ensure schools remain “Fairfax County’s number-one priority.” His agenda includes expanding prekindergarten and school safety.

He lauded the One Fairfax policy adopted by the BoS and school board, which calls for both bodies to “look at everything through an equity lens to lift up the most disadvantaged people.” Under One Fairfax, county leaders look at “what is wrong in society that we can fix systemically,” he said.

Fairfax County has a “moral responsibility to lead the commonwealth of Virginia on environmental issues,” he said, which includes being a leader in attaining zero-carbon emissions and removing the restraints that prevent solar installations on schools and county buildings.

Other items on McKay’s agenda include working with nonprofits to develop more affordable housing, support for mental health counseling, and standing up for county employees when their benefits and pay are threatened.

Abrar Omeish

Big changes are expected in the makeup of the Fairfax County School Board next year.

Three school board members – Sandy Evans (Mason), Pat Hynes (Hunter Mill), and Jane Strauss (Dranesville) – are not running for re-election.

Ryan McElveen (at-large) and Dalia Palchik (Providence) are not filing as candidates because they are running for the Board of Supervisors. McElveen is running for board chairman, and Palchik is running for the Providence position on the BoS.

The two Republican members of the school board – Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield) and Thomas Wilson (Sully) – will face strong Democratic candidates if they run for re-election. Neither has officially announced yet.

School board members who have confirmed that they are running for re-election include Karen Keys-Gamarra (at-large), Ilryong Moon (at-large), Megan McLaughlin (Braddock), Tamara Derenak Kaufax (Lee), and chair Karen Corbett Sanders (Mount Vernon).

Robert Walter

Fairfax County school board elections are officially nonpartisan but the political parties endorse candidates.

The Fairfax County Democratic Committee will meet in May to determine who to endorse in cases where there is more than one Democrat vying for a school board seat.

No candidates on the Republican side have so far announced plans to run for the school board, says Jim Trollinger, chair of the Mason District Republican Committee.

The Democratic and Republican primaries are June 11, and the general election is Nov. 5.

So far, two Democratic candidates are running for at-large seats on the school board:

Abrar Omeish is co-chair of the Fairfax County school board’s Human Resources Advisory Committee, former president of the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, former member of the school board’s advanced academics committee, and founder of Give Youth, a youth-led nonprofit organization.
Rachna Sizemore Heizer represents the Braddock District on the board of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board and is a member of the boards of the Special Education PTA, the FCPS Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities, and Arc of Northern Virginia.

In the Mason District, Jessica Swanson is seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed Evans. Another Democratic candidate could possibly surface, as well.

In the Springfield District, where the school board seat is held by a far-right Republican, Elizabeth Schultz, two candidates are competing in the Democratic primary:

Robert Walter is director of the SUNY Washington Internship Program and is a member of the school board’s Human Resources Advisory Committee.
Laura Jane Cohen is a substitute teacher, PTA president at Cherry Run Elementary School, and former preschool teacher.

Alicia Perhoples

The other Republican member of the school board, Thomas Wilson (Sully), faces a Democratic competitor, Stella Pekarsky, a PTA leader, former English-as-a-second language teacher, and parent of six FCPS students.
There are two Democratic candidates running in the Providence District:

Jung Byun is a data scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton and a member of the FCPS Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee.
Karl Frisch is executive director of Allied Progress, a consumer watchdog organization, and chair of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee’s LBGTQ+ Committee.

Alicia Plerhoples is running as a Democrat for the Dranesville position on the school board. Plerhoples is a law professor at Georgetown University, a member of the school board’s Human Resources Advisory Committee, and a member of the governing board of the McLean Community Center.

In the Hunter Mill District, Melanie Meren is seeking the Democratic endorsement. A marketing professional, Meren worked at the U.S. Department of Education, serves on the school board’s Human Resources Advisory Committee, and was a co-leader of the #IamFCPS grassroots campaign to oppose budget cuts.

You don’t have to wait for a national drug take-back event to get rid of your expired or unneeded prescription medications.

Drug collection boxes are now at all eight Fairfax County police stations, including the Mason station at 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale.

Accepted items include prescription medications (schedule II-V controlled and non-controlled), prescription ointments, over-the-counter medications, and medications for pets.

Prohibited items include needles (sharps), liquids of any kind, illegal drugs, medications from businesses or clinics, non-prescription ointments and lotions, aerosol cans, and inhalers.

For more information, contact the FCPD Property and Evidence Section weekdays, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m., 703-246-2786.

Furloughed workers protest the government shutdown in front of the White House (Greg Nash/The Hill)

As the shutdown of the federal government reaches its 26th day – and federal workers have now missed a paycheck – companies, nonprofits, and individual volunteers are stepping in to offer assistance.

The Virginia Employment Commission estimates nearly 178,000 federal employees live in the state, and more than 64,000 of them work for agencies affected by the shutdown. Click here for information on how to file for unemployment compensation.

The shutdown has cost Virginia $22 million in lost income tax revenue so far, reports Secretary of Finance Aubrey Lane Jr. The commonwealth will recoup some of that, however, when the shutdown ends and furloughed employees are reimbursed. But it will not recoup tax receipts for private federal contractors and lost sales taxes due to the shutdown.

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association is offering $100 grants to federal workers who are not receiving a paycheck due to the shutdown and are members of NARFE. Apply here.

The Capital Area Food Bank gave away free produce and shelf-stable items at five Giant stores across the D.C. region last weekend, including one at 6800 Richmond Highway in Alexandria. The giveaways will continue until the shutdown ends. Check here for updates.

Award-winning chef Jose Andres’ organization World Central Kitchen is serving hot meals and to-go items to furloughed federal workers and their families at 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, near the Navy Memorial in D.C. The kitchen and café are open daily 11 a.m.-6 p.m. starting Jan. 16. Anyone interested in volunteering should email chefsforfeds@wck.org.

Washington Gas is offering flexible payment arrangements for government employees affected by the shutdown. Furloughed workers worried about paying their gas bill should call the company’s customer service staff at 1-844-WASHGAS to discuss their individual situation and possible solutions.

The Washington Gas Budget Plan allows eligible customers to spread the cost of winter heating over the entire year. Another option is payment deferments for customers who can’t pay their past due bill or current bill. Under that arrangement, customers can ensure their heat won’t be turned off and can avoid late charges.

The Washington Area Fuel Fund, founded by Washington Gas and administered by the Salvation Army, helps families who do not qualify for, or who have exhausted, government energy assistance. For more information or to apply for assistance, call 888-318-WAFF (9233).

Dominion Energy is offering payment extensions of up to a year, long-term payment options, and bill payment assistance. Click here to see if you are eligible.

Navy Federal Credit Union customers who are federal government employees or active duty members of the Coast Guard affected by the shutdown could be eligible for a no-interest “government shutdown loan” of up to $6,000 with no fees and no credit check. Click here for more information.

Wells Fargo Bank is helping customers who are federal employees affected by the shutdown by reversing monthly service or overdraft/non-sufficient fund fees on accounts with direct deposits of payroll checks and will reverse and waive late fees on credit accounts, including student loans, home equity loans, and mortgages.

The bank encourages account-holders impacted by the shutdown to call its newly established customer assistance line, 800-219-9739, to discuss short or long-term assistance options.

The Fairfax County government encourages federal employees, contractors, and others affected by the shutdown who need assistance to contact the Coordinated Services Planning department, 703-222-0880 (weekdays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.) to get connected with whatever services they need from county and community-based organizations.

Beginning Thursday, Jan. 17, Fairfax Connector will provide free rides for federal government employees affected by the government shutdown who are still required to report for work. Bus riders will need to show a federal photo ID to the driver.

Families participating in the Fairfax County’s Child Care Assistance and Referral program who find their income has declined can request their childcare co-payment be reduced. For more information, contact DFSccarinfo@fairfaxcounty.gov, 703-449-8484.

Affected families with children served by the School Age Child Care program can also request a reduced fee or payment plan or temporarily remove their children from the program. Contact SACC at saccregistration@fairfaxcounty.gov, 703-449-8989.

The Fairfax County Animal Shelter has pet food and limited other pet supplies available for furloughed federal employees. The supplies are available during shelter business hours and no is appointment needed. For more information, call 703-830-1100 or email animalshelter@fairfaxcounty.gov.

For furloughed workers and their families who need to get out of the house without spending money, the county suggests taking advantage of the many free programs offered at county libraries and low-cost Park Authority programs.

The Annandale Blog is taking a much-needed winter break. We’ll be back the first week of February. We know we’re going to miss some big stories, but we’ll catch up when we get back. Enjoy the winter weather, but stay safe and warm!

Drones from the private collection of Roy Shrout.

Fairfax County’s police, fire, and emergency management departments are seeking approval from the Board of Supervisors for a drone program to help with such functions as search and rescue and disaster response.

Several county officials explained the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) proposal at a community meeting Feb. 4 at the Mason Government Center. (That meeting, originally set for Jan. 14, was postponed due to winter weather.)

The proposal calls for the Fire and Rescue Department to have four drones. The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) would have two, and the Police Department would have two to four, said Roy Shrout, deputy coordinator at OEM.

The police would use the drones for searching for missing persons, surveying accident scenes, traffic assessments, crash reconstruction, and forensics documentation.

The fire department would use them for investigating fires, ground operations during fires, accidents involving hazardous materials, investigating blasting sites, and carrying out search and rescue missions. OEM would use them for damage assessments in the case of natural disasters or other emergencies.

“Privacy is a huge issue,” said Mason Supervisor Penny Gross. As a result, policies will be established to outline how the drones can be used (and not used) and how long data and images will be kept.

The drones are just another tool for the police, said David Rohrer, deputy county executive for public safety and former Fairfax County police chief. “Don’t think about predator drones” like those used by the military, he said. The county’s drones won’t be used for surveillance or to catch speeders and “won’t be weaponized.”

In most cases, drones could only be used when there is a search warrant, Rohrer said, but exceptions would be allowed when there is an amber alert, an officer is attacked, a senior is missing, or when there is an immediate threat to any person, such as an active shooter, barricade situation, or suicide threat.

If a drone is misused by the police, any evidence obtained by the drone could not be used as evidence in a criminal case, he said.

One issue that needs to be addressed is conflicts with privately operated drones, said Maj. Christian Quinn of the FCPD. The county’s drones will be clearly marked. Individuals who fly their drones near an emergency incident will be asked to step back or operate their drones at a different altitude, he said.

Quinn said a drone could have been helpful in investigating a series of incidents in 2018 when shots were fired at Goodwin House in Bailey’s Crossroads; it was difficult for police to examine the damage in the building’s upper floors. In another example, a drone could be used to assess the situation when a tree falls on a house without having to send an officer inside.

Drones are just another tool for public safety personnel; they won’t replace the police helicopters or anything else, Quinn said. In fact, they will make the police department more efficient and improve public safety.

A drone could reduce the time for a crash reconstruction from three hours to one hour, for example, he noted, and could reduce the time it takes to locate missing persons.

The program would cost about $45,000 for the first year, which would cover six to eight drones and accessories, training, insurance, and the $150 cost per drone pilot for certification by the Federal Aviation Administration.

All drones would have to be less than 55 pounds. (The drones on display at the meeting were no bigger than a bread box.) Maximum altitude would be 400 feet above the ground or the tallest structure. All flights would be within a visual line of sight.

Shrout recounted the history of the drone proposal: The Board of Supervisors formed a work group in 2017 to consider a UAS program. The group included representatives from the police department, fire and rescue department, sheriff’s office, county attorney’s office, urban search and rescue team, park authority, risk management department, and public affairs department.

That group reviewed best practices, went on site visits, looked at UAS systems already established in Virginia, and considered training needs, privacy and transparency concerns, and other issues.

The BoS deferred a decision on the program in July 2018 and created a task force with representatives from the ACLU, FAA, Audubon Society, Leadership Fairfax, Communities of Trust, NAACP, and other groups, as well as county agencies, to further study a UAS program.

The task force is tentatively scheduled to present its recommendations to the board’s Public Safety Committee March 12.

If the board approves a UAS program, the county would set up a steering committee that could include members of the task force and work group to determine which drones to purchase, submit the required paperwork to the FAA, set up a training program, develop policies on privacy and data collection, and host a half-day summit open to the public.

The county will need to get a waiver from the FAA to fly drones within the restricted airspace covering a 15-mile radius around Reagan National Airport. Drones are allowed within a 30-mile radius under certain conditions.

If the UAS program proves successful, Shrout said, it could be expanded to additional uses, such as wildlife population estimates, stream and water management, aerial mapping, and infrastructure assessment.

The possible site of a future Chick-fil-A.

A Chick-fil-A fast-food chicken restaurant has been proposed for 7120 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, on the site of the now-closed Antiques & Art Emporium.

The several small businesses that had leased space in the antiques center had to vacate the building in 2017 after the landlord stopped maintaining it and the Fairfax County fire marshal declared it unsafe.

Little Land LLC purchased the property from Patricia Riesett last June for $2.5 million. Little Land is seeking a zoning special exception to develop a restaurant with drive-through access on the 1.12-acre site.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing on the rezoning proposal for Oct. 2. The Board of Supervisors hearing would be Oct. 15.

As the proposal gets fleshed out, there is likely to be pushback from people who prefer a more comprehensive mixed-use redevelopment project in central Annandale rather than a stand-alone fast-food restaurant, as well as concerns about traffic congestion.

Chick-Fil-A has about a dozen locations in Northern Virginia, including two new ones in Reston and Ballston.

If the Annandale restaurant is approved, it isn’t likely to open until 2021, says A.J. Clemans, franchise owner of the Chick-fil-A on Arlington Boulevard in Seven Corners. There’s a lengthy approval and permitting process and the company has to select a franchisee.

According to Business Insider, Chick-fil-A is one of the most successful fast-food chains in the United States, with $9 billion in sales in 2017, making it larger than Chipotle and KFC combined.

It’s also one of cheapest to open, with franchisees only needing $10,000 to open a restaurant, reports Business Insider, but its franchise application process is highly competitive. The company receives more than 20,000 inquires from franchisee candidates a year and selects 75 to 80 who pass a lengthy interview process.

According to Clemans, the company prefers franchisees who have successful experience in the restaurant business and are actively involved in their community. He had already owned a Chick-fil-A franchise in Ohio before buying the rights to the Seven Corners restaurant, which opened seven years ago.

If Annandale does get a Chick-fil-A, it will compete with several existing chicken restaurants, including two that opened in 2018: Pelicana Chicken on John Marr Drive and Choong Man Chicken on Tom Davis Drive.

Persimmons [NVSWCD]

The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual seedling sale started Feb. 1.

In keeping with this year’s theme, Incredible Edibles, the sale features native shrubs and trees that provide fruit, berries, and nuts for wildlife, and in some cases, treats for humans.

Seedlings can be ordered online by April 2 or until supplies run out.

Two packages are available: 10 bare-root shrubs and small trees for $17.50 and six bare-root trees for $12.50.

The shrub and tree package includes two seedlings each of American Wild Plum, Pawpaw, American Elderberry, Black Chokeberry, and American Hazelnut.

The tree package has two each of Flowering Dogwood, American Persimmon, and Common Hackberry.

The NVSWCD urges the public to add native plants to their gardens to help clean the water and air, prevent soil erosion, provide valuable habitat, and add beauty and resilience to landscapes.

Customers can pick up their seedlings April 5 and 6 at the Sleepy Hollow Bath & Racquet Club, 3516 Sleepy Hollow Road.

A resident of a nursing home in the 7100 block of Braddock Road in Annandale accidentally started a fire after smoking in bed,

By the time firefighter units arrived shortly before 11 p.m. on Feb. 5, nursing home staff had already put out the fire with a dry chemical extinguisher, the Fairfax County Fire Department reports.

The occupant had been immediately evacuated after staff smelled smoke and discovered the fire. The staff activated the fire alarm and initiated protect-in-place procedures for building residents.

Damages are estimated at $18,750. No one was injured.

Jimenez

Andres Jimenez, a 38-year-old environmental activist and Mason District resident, is challenging long-time House of Delegates member Kaye Kory in the Democratic primary.

Jimenez was motivated to run because he sees “a huge lack of community engagement.”

“People don’t know who their state representatives are and what’s going on in Richmond. That’s a big problem,” he says, citing an example where he emailed Kory and never got a response.

But Jimenez would rather talk about the issues than his opponent.

His priorities include improving the transportation network, protecting the environment, protecting LGBTQ rights, reducing gun violence by implementing universal background checks and closing the gun show loophole, reducing class sizes, and revising the school funding formula to ensure Fairfax County gets its fair share.

Jimenez hasn’t yet focused on where the funding would come from. “That’s a little premature,” he says. “The first step is to get to Richmond, and once there, figure out what committees to sit on and then dive into how to pay for them.” The primary is June 11.

The Jimenez family. Left to right: Norah, Shanna, Andres, and Emma.

“I want to take the voice of diverse groups and constituents and listen to what they say and take their message to Richmond,” Jimenez says.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Jimenez hasn’t raised any campaign funds yet, while Kory, first elected in 2009, has $24,356.

Jimenez hasn’t run for elective office before, he says, but has dedicated “over a decade of my life to public service.”

As the senior director of government affairs for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, he’s an advocate for state and federal legislation to address the growing threat of climate change. His pet project is carbon pricing, which would charge polluters for emitting carbon dioxide into the air.

Previously he was the associate director of government relations at the Ocean Conservancy and has worked for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (focusing on public housing), the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee’s immigration subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), and Howard Berman who at the time was a Democratic congressman from California.

“That’s the experience I bring,” Jimenez says. “I’ve already gone through and understand how the process works.”

He is a member of GreenLatinos and serves on the board of the Rock Creek Conservancy, the advisory board for Ecotropics, and the Green Leadership Trust steering committee.

Jimenez lives close to Justice High School in the Ravenwood neighborhood with his wife Shanna, a marketing director at E*Trade, and two daughters, ages 3 and 6.

His parents, immigrants from Colombia, settled in Martinsburg, W. Va., where his father was a pathologist. Jimenez became a U.S. citizen as a young child. He studied political science at DePaul University in Chicago.

The Chick-fil-A on Arlington Boulevard in Seven Corners doesn't have a drive-through.

The proposed Chick-fil-A for central Annandale would have dual drive-through lanes and outdoor seating, according to the zoning special exception application submitted to the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning by Sheri Akin of McGuire Woods, the agent for the company.

The 4,400-square foot fast-food chicken restaurant would replace a collection of antique shops in two buildings on a 1.2-acre site at 7120 Little River Turnpike across the street from Popeyes. The menu features chicken sandwiches, salads, waffle fries, and milkshakes.

The Seven Corners Chick-fil-A is busy on a Saturday afternoon.

The property is zoned C-6 (highway commercial) and needs approval of a zoning special exception because of the proposed drive-through, Akin says.

“With the Chick-fil-A proposal, the site will be revitalized and improved with landscaping, open space, and an attractive building design,” the application states. In addition to the two buildings on the property, one of which was built in 1900, the site is completely paved with surface parking.

“Based on Chick-fil-A’s experience with similar restaurants in the area, approximately 500 patrons per day will visit the restaurant and 800 will go through the drive-thru,” the application says. The restaurant is expected to have approximately 75 employees, including 12 to 15 per shift during peak hours.

According to the estimate of traffic impact in the application, the Chick-fil-A would generate approximately 2,300 trips per day, including 212 trips during the morning peak hour and 152 during the p.m. peak hour. The restaurant is expected to serve the surrounding area within a 15-mile radius.

The statement of justification in the application says “the design of the restaurant will be compatible with the existing Annandale business sector and design guidelines.”

The statement acknowledges provisions in the county’s Comprehensive Plan for the Annandale Community Business Center that call for residential, commercial, or mixed-use development and discourage auto-centric uses.

However, Chick-fil-A notes that, under the Annandale Comprehensive Plan, “alternative uses may be considered when it is demonstrated that the proposal meets plan recommendations as to urban form, compatibility with surrounding development, transportation needs, pedestrian orientation, and other urban design aspects.”

In response to language in the Comprehensive Plan calling for new buildings to support the pedestrian environment and be oriented to the street, “Chick-fil-A proposes a building frontage closer to Little River Turnpike with additional frontage improvements that support and improve safety for pedestrians.”

The application calls for street trees, a 10-foot sidewalk, and additional landscaping along Little River Turnpike. It also proposes traffic improvements, including a dedicated right-of-way.

Members of the media stake out Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax' home in Annandale Feb. 11.

We asked members of the Virginia General Assembly who represent the Annandale/Mason area to weigh in on the scandals rocking the state leadership in Richmond, including the accusations that Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted two women.

Del. Kaye Kory (38th District) said she stands by these statements:

The joint statement by the House and Senate Democratic caucuses said on Feb. 11: “Due to the serious nature of these allegations, we believe Lieutenant Governor Fairfax can no longer fulfill his duties to the Commonwealth. He needs to address this as a private citizen. The time has come for him to step down.”

Virginia Democratic Party Chair Susan Swecker released this statement: “We believe that allegations of sexual assault must be taken with the utmost seriousness. Given the credible nature of the sexual assault claims against Lieutenant Governor Fairfax, it has become clear he can no longer fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the post. While the Lieutenant Governor deserves due process in this matter, it is in the best interest of the commonwealth that he goes through this process as a private citizen. The Lieutenant Governor no longer has our confidence or support. He must resign.”

“I share the shock, sadness and anger many Virginians have felt as last week’s storm of political and ethical turmoil swept through Richmond,” Kory says. “I also share the concerns about the effect this storm will have on our legislative responsibilities.”

“There are only two working weeks in this session until we adjourn on Feb. 23. Constitutionally, we must come to agreement on a budget and on tax conformity, if nothing else,” Kory says. “But I would like to move forward on many other pressing issues as well: the ERA resolution, gun violence, climate change, the opioid epidemic, prison reform, education funding and access equity, student debt and tuition costs, and redistricting.”

“I applaud Dr. Tyson and Ms. Watson for coming forward and am moved by their stories,” Kory continued. “Sexual assault is a heinous act. I join my colleagues in calling for our Lt. Governor to step down. All parties deserve due process and a full investigation which can be more effectively accomplished between private citizens.”

Virginia Sen. Dick Saslaw (35th District) included this statement at the end of an email updating constituents on legislative activities: “Over the past week, the Commonwealth has been made aware of revelations of past actions by the executive branch that are of great concern. Serious allegations of sexual assault have been made about the Lieutenant Governor. Victims must be able to come forward to tell their story and survivors must be heard.”

As of Feb. 11, Fairfax has refused to step down. In an interview with the Washington Post, Fairfax said: “Due process is at the heart of our constitutional democracy in order to get to the truth and be true to what we are as Americans. . . . Everyone deserves to be heard.”

“Even when faced with those allegations, I am still standing up for everyone’s right to be heard. But I’m also standing up for due process,” Fairfax said.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, under pressure to resign since a photo from his medical school yearbook surfaced showing people in blackface and a Klan hood, also vowed to stay in office. After apologizing for the photos, he said the people in that photo weren’t him. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring also apologized for appearing in black face years ago.

Sen. Dave Marsden (37th District) said on Feb. 3: “While I have the greatest appreciation for Governor Northam’s contributions to our Commonwealth and to its citizens, I think it’s appropriate that I reiterate the Senate Democratic Caucus position that he step aside as it will be impossible for him to regain the trust and the ability to work with the wide range of Virginians that must be brought together.”

“The behavior depicted in the photo is abhorrent and repulsive at any age,” says a joint statement from the chairs of the Democratic committees of Fairfax County, Arlington County, Alexandria, and Falls Church that call for Northam to resign.

“There is no place for hate and racism in a multicultural, pluralistic Virginia,” the statement continues. “With the dark and painful history of slavery, racism, and segregation in Virginia and our country, we expect the leader of our Commonwealth to embody the fight for justice, fairness, and equality for all. Governor Northam can no longer do so. We urge Governor Northam to resign. We refuse to place party loyalty above our core principles.”

Argudo [FCPS]

The Fairfax County Police Department arrested a couple from Flushing, N.Y., after they were caught shoplifting at the Giant in Landmark Plaza at about 9:15 p.m. on Feb. 10. Additional stolen merchandise and drugs were found in their vehicle.

David Vargas Ruiz, 29, and Olga Argudo, 45, were charged with larceny, possession of narcotics, and other crimes.

The resident of an apartment in Skyline Towers on the 5600 Block of Seminary Road in Bailey’s Crossroads returned home at about 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 and found the lights on and items scattered around.

She immediately called police who checked the apartment and located a man inside. Nickolai Salazar, 20, of no fixed address, was arrested for burglary and destruction of property.

Fairfax County police are seeking additional victims after Bernard Betts-King was arrested for raping a mentally incapacitated woman in early 2018. A DNA test confirmed she had a child as a result.

At the time, Betts-King, a 60-year-old Springfield resident, was a behavioral specialist the at MVLE Community Center at 7420 Fullerton Road in Springfield. He is currently employed by Community Living Alternatives at 9401 Lee Highway, Fairfax.

Detectives believe they have identified a second potential victim and there could be more victims. Anyone with information should contact the police at 703-246-7800 or submit a tip to Crime Solvers.

Betts-King is being held without bond at the Adult Detention Center. Both of his employers are cooperating with the investigation.


A student displays her research project on the effectiveness of natural and artificial preservatives on bread at the Annandale High School science fair. See more pictures from the science fair here.

School News is an occasional series highlighting news about school programs, activities and issues. The photos are from Fairfax County Public Schools.

School board seeks funding increase – The Fairfax County School Board has adopted a $3 billion advertised budget for fiscal year 2020 (the 2019-20 school year) that includes a $55.2 million investment in teacher salary scales and a 1 percent market scale adjustment.

First-graders at Weyanoke Elementary School practice number sequencing by creating their own 100s chart.

For non-teacher employees, the budget calls for $46.8 million for a step increase and $8.2 million for a 1 percent market scale adjustment.

The school board is seeking a 4.1 percent increase ($117.4 million) over the budget approved for FY 2019. View FCPS budget information here.

The budget also requests $4.3 million to expand the FCPSOn program, which provides one-to-one computing devices to high school students; an increase in substitute pay for retirees; and an additional $2.9 million for student mental health, student safety, and substance abuse prevention.

The budget assumes a slight decrease in student enrollment which will result in savings of $6.3 million.

The School Board will present its FY 2020 advertised budget to the Board of Supervisors on April 9. The School Board has scheduled two work sessions on April 29 and May 2 to further evaluate the budget amendments and follow-on motions.

Outstanding principal– Glasgow Middle School Principal Shawn DeRose has been named FCPS Region 2 Outstanding Principal. “I am incredibly grateful to work with such an outstanding staff and supportive community and believe this recognition is ultimately a reflection of the hard work our staff and members of the PTA have shown in support of Glasgow’s vision,” DeRose says.

Woodson students on PS I Love You Day.

Woodson spreads the love– Woodson High School celebrates PS I Love You Day on the second Friday of every February at part of a national movement to decrease bullying and promote mental health.

This year Woodson students and faculty wore purple as a way to raise awareness that everyone can help students with concerns about depression or suicide. Handwritten notes with encouraging messages were posted on every student’s locker, and student leaders greeted their peers at the door with cheers and wrist bands.

Win cash for your school – The Click for Kids Contest, hosted by WTOP and Huntington Learning Center, is underway. Nominate your school by 5 p.m. on Feb. 22 for a chance to win a cash prize for your school. The grand prize is $10,000. First-place winners get $7,500 for their school, and second-place winners get $5,000.

Color of Justice– Members of the Northern Virginia legal community invite minority high school students to participate in an annual program about the law called the Color of Justice. This year’s program, March 23, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, includes a mock trial, small group sessions, a Q&A panel, and lunch. For more information and to RSVP, contact Mary Huff, 703-279-7217, mhuff@bklawva.com.

There’s also an optional essay contest with monetary prizes for the winners. This year’s topic is on U.S. immigration policy. Essays must be submitted by Feb. 28 to Nicole Grejda at grejda@curranmoher.com

Summer camp– Registration is open for FCPS summer enrichment camps and institutes, including Elementary Institute for the Arts, Institute for the Arts, STEM Camp, Tech Adventure Camp, and Adult and Community Education Extended Day Enrichment programs.

These programs will take place at Fairfax High School. Transportation from schools outside the Fairfax High School pyramid may be available.

Canterbury Woods students send bears to kids in foster care.

Bears to share– Students at Canterbury Woods Elementary School are brightening the lives of children in foster care by dressing up stuffed bears donated by Build-A-Bear and sending them to the Fairfax County Department of Social Services to be distributed to children living in foster care. The students added books and special items, such as a letter or small toy, to the packages.

Learn about vaping– FCPS has created a student-focused webpage about vaping that discusses the risks and provides resources to learn more. Many students erroneously believe e-cigarettes are harmless, when in fact, they could contain nicotine and other harmful chemicals. The FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities document was updated in September to add vaping as a prohibited activity.

Ricardy Anderson with her husband and children.

Annandale resident Ricardy Anderson believes her 21 years of experience in education – including more than 12 years as a principal – makes her an excellent choice for the Fairfax County School Board.

Anderson is running for the Mason District seat on the board. She is seeking the Democratic endorsement, as is Jessica Swanson. Swanson, a former teacher, is budget strategy director for D.C. Public Schools.

The two are vying to succeed long-time board member Sandy Evans who will retire at the end of the year.

Anderson was principal of Cardinal Ridge Elementary School in Loudoun County from January 2014 to July 2018 and before that was principal of Waterford Elementary School in Loudoun County. While holding both jobs, she commuted from Annandale.

She has a son in the fourth grade and a daughter in first grade at Mason Crest Elementary School in Annandale.

“One of the major things I noticed as a Mason Crest parent is the inequity,” Anderson says. “Other schools in Fairfax County seem to have different resources than we do.”

For example, the PTA at a school in the Braddock District was able to raise enough money to give every child a computer, she says. Mason Crest has strong support from parents but the Parent Teacher Organization can only raise enough funds for basic supplies.

Noting that Mason District has a high proportion of students eligible for free and reduced-priced lunches, Anderson says, “there are challenges we have here that we have to address a lot differently.”

“Schools shouldn’t have to rely on the PTA to provide essential services,” she says. While needs-based staffing is important, FCPS also has to be more creative in raising revenue. She suggests giving companies naming rights for athletic fields with the funds share across the system, for example.

If FCPS is going to prepare all students to be 21st century learners, the school system needs to have a more equitable system for ensuring all students have the same level of resources, Anderson says.

She recalls speaking with a student at Annandale High School who had difficulty doing a science project because the school’s lab was broken and she couldn’t gain access to the lab at the elite Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology down the road.

“I want all kids to know they have opportunities open to them,” she says.

Another of her goals for the school board is changing the start times for middle schools. “The board did a wonderful job in addressing the problem of too-early start times for high schools; now it has to do that for middle schools, she says.

As a former principal, Anderson appreciated the benefit of having some autonomy, but she also believes there should be “a consistency of expectations.”

For example, FCPS schools allow elementary school principals to decide whether to give parents progress reports on their children’s academic achievements halfway through the quarter. She would like to see this done by all elementary principals so parents can work with the teacher to address their children’s shortcomings before the end of the quarter.

Best practices also should be shared across the school system, she says, citing Mason Crest’s great job with professional learning communities in which educators collaborate to develop the best instructional strategies for each student. That model is spreading across the Annandale pyramid, and Anderson would like to see it extended to all schools.

The need to raise teacher salaries is also an important issue for Anderson, as well as improving the compensation for teacher aides, bus drivers, and other support staff.

As a principal in Loudoun County, she hired many teachers who could no longer afford to work in Fairfax County – and also registered many families from Mason District who “didn’t have confidence in their schools.”

The diversity in Mason District schools is a huge asset, Anderson says, noting that more than 75 languages are spoken at Mason Crest. “Kids love who they get to interact with,” and that diversity prepares them well for a future where they will have to be able to interact with people across the world.

Her background as an immigrant – her family moved from Haiti to Brooklyn when she was in elementary school – helps her understand the diversity in Mason District schools.

Anderson started her career as a teacher and vice principal in Prince Georges’ County. She served as a director of teaching and learning at D.C. Public Schools, then moved to California, where she was vice principal of a K-8 school and principal of a middle school.

Anderson believes it’s the right time for her to run for the school board as she has retired from being a principal and has more time to get involved. If elected, she plans to be a full-time school board member.

“My work has always been about serving kids, and now that I have my own children, that resolve is stronger than ever,” she says. “When our schools are strong, our communities are stronger.”

The site of a proposed independent living community along Gallows Road.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission on Feb. 13 deferred indefinitely a decision on Christopher Land LLC’s application for a zoning special exception to allow a 72-unit housing development targeted to the 55+ population on Gallows Road.

That’s a huge victory for nearby residents who strongly opposed the project, citing the negative impact on traffic and the character of the lower-density surrounding community.

Julie Strandlie, the planning commissioner representing Mason District, made the motion to defer the decision indefinitely, which was unanimously approved. Strandlie said she appreciates the community involvement; “Your voices were heard.”

A key sticking point was Christopher Land’s failure to get the Virginia Department of Transportation to approve a traffic signal on Gallows Road.

The developer will continue to work with VDOT on that, Strandlie said, but regardless of whether a signal is approved, “it would have to be installed before they break ground, and even if there is a light, it doesn’t mean the application will be approved.”

Commissioner Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner (Providence) said he came to the meeting prepared to oppose the application, noting that both the Mason District Land Use Committee and the Mason District Council came out against it.

He called the proposal for an independent living facility “the right idea in the wrong location.” Having it so close to another facility for seniors (Brightview Senior Living) “establishes a precedent to introduce greater density,” he said.

Niedzielski-Eichner also said the proposed project – and especially the 48-unit multifamily building – would be out of character with the neighborhood and cited concerns with access and egress and safety issues for pedestrians on Gallows Road.

Other commissioners raised concerns about the lack of walkability for prospective residents, that the backs of the townhouses would face Gallows Road, and that the developer failed to consolidate the whole property, as one of the current owners refused to sell.

Generous shoppers at the Annandale Giant on Feb. 9 donated 2,047 pounds of food to the food pantry operated by Annandale Christian Community for Action during the Stuff the Bus event on Feb. 9.

Stuff the Bus, a collaboration of the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, grocery stores, and nonprofit groups, is aimed at encouraging local residents to donate food and cash to restock food pantries.

ACCA volunteers at the Annandale Giant (from the left): Nan Curan, Jean Rackowski, Mary Lee Di Spirito, and Will Bennett.

Unlike most pantries, the one sponsored by ACCA doesn’t invite lower-income families to drop by and collect donated food. Instead, ACCA maintains a list of those in need, and volunteers deliver food to them. That’s because many needy households in our area don't have cars, says ACCA volunteer Mary Lee Di Spirito.

The ACCA food pantry can always use more volunteers, and food captains, who keep track of clients, drivers. For more information, contact Jean Rackowski, henry.jean@verizon.net.

Volunteers clean up Americana Drive

County executive presents 2020 budget to supervisors

Man shot in bank during robbery

McKay lauded as the most experienced candidate for Board of Supervisors chair

Lots of turnover expected on school board

Drop off unneeded prescription drugs at Mason Police Station - any time

Lots of resources available for furloughed federal government employees

We're on a break

Fairfax County considers drone program

Chick-fil-A fast-food restaurant proposed for Annandale

Native seedling sale under way

Nursing home resident starts accidental fire

Environmental activist takes on Kaye Kory

Is Chick-fil-A a good fit for central Annandale?

Local leaders urge Lt. Gov. Fairfax to resign

Shoplifters arrested in Lincolnia

School news: Teacher raises proposed

School board candidate Ricardy Anderson promotes equity for Mason District schools

Christopher Land proposal for 55+ community deferred indefinitely by Planning Commission

Annandale Stuff the Bus event nets more than a ton of food donations