Author: Angela Woolsey

Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.

Around Town

Artists pay tribute to Lake Anne Plaza in exhibit opening Thursday

By Angela Woolsey
Rosemarie Forsythe's painting of Reston's Used Book Shop is among the works included in the new exhibit Art of Lake Anne (courtesy Reston Art Gallery and Studios)

With its first exhibit of the new year, Reston Art Gallery and Studios is turning its attention to a subject close to home: Lake Anne Plaza.

The gallery at 11400 Washington Plaza West, Suite B, will unveil the new exhibition “Art of Lake Anne” tomorrow (Thursday), showcasing interpretations of Reston’s original village center from nine different local artists.

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Around Town

Tiki Thai restaurateurs expand grab-and-go concept to Tysons Galleria

By Angela Woolsey
Bird's Eye Thai in Tysons Galleria (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A new eatery at Tysons Galleria is catering to diners who crave staples of Thai cuisine but don’t have the time to eat a full, sit-down meal.

Bird’s Eye Thai, a relatively new concept from the team behind Reston’s Tiki Thai, opened just over a month ago on Dec. 6 in the mall’s third-floor food court, taking the place of the recently relocated Empanadas de Mendoza.

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Countywide

Fairfax Community Services Board head to lead Virginia’s behavioral health department

By Angela Woolsey
Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board Executive Director Daryl Washington has been appointed commissioner of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (courtesy Fairfax County)

Fairfax County will soon have a void to fill at the agency that provides its behavioral health services.

Daryl Washington, who has led the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) since 2018, has been appointed commissioner of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger announced on Monday (Jan. 5).

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News

Park authority rolls back boulders blocking field at West Falls Church park

By Angela Woolsey
Boulders on the open field at Roundtree Park in West Falls Church (photo provided by tipster)

An array of boulders recently placed on a field at Roundtree Park (3320 Annandale Road) in West Falls Church is being removed, the Fairfax County Park Authority says.

The appearance of dozens of rocks in late December alarmed residents and park visitors, who frequently use the open field for soccer and other recreational activities.

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Countywide

Books from Fairfax residents and libraries find new life with resale programs

By Angela Woolsey
New Legacy Books collection bin (courtesy Fairfax County Department of Environmental Services and Public Works)

Fairfax County’s efforts to divert more waste away from landfills have taken a literary turn.

The county launched a book reuse and recycling program last month that encourages residents to drop any unwanted books into a green donation bin at the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road) near Fair Lakes.

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Countywide

Fairfax legislator to resurrect bill enabling local gas-powered leaf blower bans

By Angela Woolsey
Person using a gas-powered leaf blower on stairs (via Callum Hill on Unsplash)

An expanded Democratic majority in the Virginia House of Delegates could bode well for a revived bid to let local governments ban gas-powered leaf blowers.

When the General Assembly convenes this month, Del. Rip Sullivan (D-6) recently confirmed to FFXnow that he intends to reintroduce legislation authorizing localities to prohibit or regulate the machines after previous attempts faltered along party lines.

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News

Longstanding Seven Corners grocery store, Italian restaurant eyed for redevelopment

By Angela Woolsey
New Grand Mart in Seven Corners (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Efforts to revitalize Seven Corners could spell the end of two businesses that have anchored one of the corners for decades.

The Falls Church-based developer that has owned the New Grand Mart and Pistone’s Italian Inn since the 1950s is now looking to replace the grocery store and restaurant with a 450-unit residential complex, according to a rezoning application submitted to Fairfax County on Dec. 30.

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News

Reston becomes next focus of W&OD Trail tree maintenance work

By Angela Woolsey
Power lines over the W&OD Trail at the Sunset Hills Road crossing in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

With the new year underway, Dominion Energy is gearing up for another round of tree maintenance along the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail, shifting its focus to the Reston area.

The power company has flagged 19 “hazard” trees near its electrical lines for removal in a 2.7-mile stretch of the trail between its Hunter Mill Road substation in Wolf Trap and the Reston substation on Sunset Hills Road, Dominion Electric Transmission Forestry Manager Amanda Keyes told NOVA Parks Executive Director Justin Wilson in a Dec. 16 letter.

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News

Photos: Vienna library demolished after 54 years of operations

By Angela Woolsey
An excavator at work on the demolition of Patrick Henry Library in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Vienna’s Patrick Henry Library is officially being torn down to make way for a more up-to-date and arguably more attractive replacement.

Construction crews began demolishing the one-story library building — which opened at 101 Maple Street East 54 years ago — late last month, slightly ahead of the most recent project timeline shared by Fairfax County Public Library.

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News

Reston Parkway lane temporarily closes for ongoing bridge repairs

By Angela Woolsey
Traffic on the northbound Reston Parkway bridge over the Dulles Toll Road (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reston Parkway will be one lane narrower over the next couple of weeks, as repairs continue on the bridge over the Dulles Toll Road.

Starting at 9 a.m. today (Monday), the parkway’s right northbound lane will be closed along the bridge, shifting the other northbound lanes to the left, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced on Friday (Jan. 2).

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