Officials Celebrate Woodson HS Renaming — “Wednesday’s rededication, school officials said, served as a reminder of the previous namesake’s troubling past and an opportunity to acknowledge it and move forward.” The Fairfax County School Board voted last Nov. 9 to name the Fairfax school after historian Carter G. Woodson instead of former superintendent W.T. Woodson. [WTOP]
NASA Robot Added to Smithsonian Museum — “NASA’s retired space shuttle Discovery has been reunited with one of its last crew members. The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum debuted Robonaut-2 (R2), NASA’s first dexterous humanoid robot flown into space, on Thursday (Oct. 24)… R2 is now on exhibit at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center” in Chantilly. [Collect Space]
Vienna Halloween Paradegoers Share Election Thoughts — “Wednesday night WUSA9 went to the annual Vienna Halloween parade to find a cross section of voters. As the local clubs and civic groups paraded down Maple Avenue, we found families parading around in costumes. We also found some strong political opinions.” [WUSA9]
Tennis Court Renovation Complete — “The newly renovated tennis courts at Woodley Hills Park in Mount Vernon are ‘open and ready for business,’ in the words of the Fairfax County Park Authority. The repair work to the two courts, which began this past summer, wrapped up in mid-October, according to Park Authority spokesperson Ben Boxer.” [On the MoVe]
Annandale Dunkin’ Offers Free Donuts — “The new Dunkin’ in Annandale is celebrating its Grand Opening on Saturday, Oct. 26, by offering a free donut with a beverage purchase. The shop, at 8205 Columbia Pike, is along the route of the Annandale Parade, which starts Saturday at 10 a.m.” [Annandale Today]
Pumpkin Display to Light Up Local Business — Set to return to Franconia this November, Nalls Produce & Garden Center’s annual Pumpkin IllumiNIGHT “invites pumpkin lovers and families to help light up Beulah Street following Halloween by adding their own carved pumpkins to its jack-o-lantern display. The drive-by display is expected to feature over 100 pumpkins.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Woodlawn Park Welcomes New Playground — “Join the Fairfax County Park Authority and Supervisor Rodney Lusk for an afternoon of free outdoor fun on Monday, Nov. 4, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Muddy Hole Farm Park located at 7941 Kidd St.” Activities will include the mobile Wonder Wagon and a ribbon-cutting ceremony “for the new playground at the park.” [FCPA]
It’s Friday — Expect sunshine and a high temperature around 68 degrees alongside light and variable winds turning southwest at around 6 mph in the afternoon. Friday night will be partly cloudy, with lows near 54 degrees. South winds at 5 to 7 mph will shift to the west after midnight. [NWS]
