Annandale's got a new bear

Happy July 4th  [SJ]

There’s a new bear at the corner of Ravensworth Road and Davian Drive in Annandale. His name is Felix, and he replaces the old bear who had been standing watch over that corner for the past 10 years or so.

Bartholomew, the Annandale Bear, was a local landmark, delighting passersby as his ever-changing costumes reflected the seasons and holidays. After he was attacked by vandals in April, his owners, Sid and Missy Jaffe of 7501 Davian Drive, discovered termite damage and vowed to replace him. 

“So many people were upset that he was damaged. Lots of people wanted to help,” says Missy. Their daughter set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for a new bear.

Their son, Father J.D. Jaffe, the director of vocations for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, had found the original bear statue on eBay. So he did some research and secured a woodcarver, Jason Stoner,of Chain Effect in Fairfield, Pa., who created a new bear statue. It was installed on June 25.

The Jaffes won’t dress him up as much, Missy says. He’s thinner than Bartholomew and his shoulders are narrower, so he won’t be able to wear Bartholomew’s old clothes. He’s also made out of a different kind of wood that could rot if covered up too much. The new bear is attached to a more sturdy base, which should prevent vandalism. No one was ever arrested for damaging the old bear.

Felix the Annandale Bear.

The Jaffe’s decided to give the new bear a new name because “we didn’t think he looked like Bartholomew,” Missy says. “We thought he was a happy bear,” so they named him Felix, which means “happy” in Latin.