By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered Virginia to restore more than 1,600 voter registrations that she said were illegally purged in the last two months in an effort to stop noncitizens from voting.
Live Fairfax is a bi-weekly column exploring Fairfax County. This week’s column is sponsored and written by Mackenzie Horne of McEnearney Associates. Questions? Reach Mackenzie at 571-594-9136.
Thinking of moving to Great Falls, Vienna, or McLean? Are you wondering what to do for fun with your kids — here is the scoop!
Great Falls Village Center, located in the heart of Great Falls, is quiet, tree-lined, and where memories are made. On the Green, kids can run freely and burn off their energy from having an ice cream at the Great Falls Creamery or after an evening meal with friends at the Old Brogue. From May to October, you can attend Concerts on the Green… bring a picnic blanket, pick up some pizza from Deli Italiano, and enjoy live music with friends and neighbors.
A few weeks ago, we were there with friends and the 5- and 6-year-olds were rocking out, dancing, cartwheeling, and even getting shoutouts from the band.
Ever notice how some kid-friendly spots don’t open until 10 a.m.? I don’t know about you, but my kiddo is up and ready for Saturday morning activities well ahead of this time frame!
If you are Saturday morning early birds, put Katie’s Cars and Coffee on your calendar! It is a great place to walk around with the kids, grab a cup of coffee, and see some amazing vehicles. Plus, it goes on all year round (weather permitting) every Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
No matter the time of year, there is something fun to do together as a family. From the 4th of July Fireworks at Turner Farm to the Celebration of Lights in December. Keep an eye out for the Colvin Run Mill who also hosts Santa in the Mill every year!
Are you looking for some great playgrounds? Check out the Great Falls Grange, which has a fantastic playground for kids of all ages, including a merry-go-round, swings, monkey bars, and a large baseball field.
Clemyjontri Park is truly a special place, where children of all abilities can play side-by-side. This park is a place where children who use wheelchairs, walkers, or braces, or who have sensory or developmental disabilities, can have a parallel playground experience of fun and exploration. My daughter loves going on the well-maintained carousel in the summer and always tries to snag the zebra!
Some of our family’s favorite places to go with kids include Wolf Trap Performing Arts with their robust kid-friendly offerings, NOVA Wild with its drive-through safari and petting zoo, Reston Farm Garden Market which my daughter likes to call the ‘Piggy Farm’ because she loves going to see the pigs, goats and chickens that are free to visit any day of the week. There are so many amazing options to choose from!
Want to grab a cup of coffee and connect about all the things? Call me, text me, email me anytime. These kids are such powerful inspirations for living our best lives, and I am here for you as you think about finding the perfect place to call home!
New interpretative signs are headed to Riverbend Park in Great Falls and Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly next month as part of an initiative to promote poetry in Fairfax County’s park system.
Set to be unveiled next Friday, Nov. 1, the signs will showcase poems selected by outgoing Fairfax County Poet Laureate Danielle Badra for both of the locations.
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]
There are no permanent lights on the football fields at either Flint Hill School in Oakton and the Potomac School in McLean.
Yet, because temporary lights have been installed on each gridiron at the private schools, the football teams will host separate Friday-night games on Oct. 25.
Democratic candidates maintain cash-on-hand advantages in two of three significant Northern Virginia races for the U.S. House of Representatives.
With Election Day looming on Nov. 5, the financial margin is closest in the 10th District, where Democrat and current state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam held a robust but not overwhelming cash-on-hand lead at the start of October over Republican Mike Clancy, a lawyer, according to the latest figures from the Federal Election Commission as reported by the Virginia Public Access Project.
Bobby’s Bagel Cafe is shuttering its doors at North Point Village Center in Reston, but the closure will come one month later than originally estimated.
Business representative Nishi Arora tells FFXnow that the shop will now close on Nov. 30 instead of Oct. 31. As previously reported, Bobby’s Bagel Cafe is set to be replaced by the D.C.-based deli Call Your Mother, which expanded its Northern Virginia presence with an opening in Vienna this week.
Those parking in certain residential lots across Fairfax County with expired registration decals or inspection stickers now have a grace period before facing the possibility of a tow.
Fairfax County supervisors moved on Tuesday (Oct. 22) to bring the county code into compliance with a new state law that requires towing operators to give vehicle owners written notice before any towing action. The vote by supervisors was unanimous and came after a public hearing that didn’t draw any community or board comment.
Building Burning for Firefighter Training — “On Thursday, 10/24, 8:30am-1:00pm, #FCFRD will be conducting live burn training at an acquired structure in the 3000 blk of Popkins Ln in the [Groveton area] of @fairfaxcounty. Expect to see smoke and FCFRD apparatus and personnel in the area.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Judge to Hear Lawsuit over Virginia Voter Removals — “More than 1,600 Virginians have had their voter registrations canceled since August under a state program that the Justice Department and advocacy groups contend is illegal.” The Justice Department will make its case for blocking Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s effort to drop people flagged as “noncitizens” from voter rolls at a hearing today (Thursday). [Associated Press]
Metro to Open Early for Marathon — All Metro stations will open two hours early at 5 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27 for the 2024 Marine Corps Marathon, which will start and end near Arlington National Cemetery. “All lines will operate frequent all-day service and fares are up to $2.50 flat rate for any one-way trip.” [WMATA]
Huntington Club Development May Restart — After stalling due to financing challenges, developer IDI Group says there’s a “strong possibility” it can resume work on plans for a mixed-use community in 2025, thanks to falling interest rates. Fairfax County officials have discussed making the Huntington area eligible for economic incentives to encourage revitalization. [Washington Business Journal]
Fairfax Veterinary Clinic Nears Grand Opening — “Bond Vet, the new veterinarian clinic in the Scout on the Circle development in Fairfax City, is celebrating its grand opening with a Halloween-themed open house event. The Fairfax City community is invited to join the celebration from 12 to 2 p.m. on Saturday.” [Patch]
Turkish Dessert Shop Coming to Annandale — “Pasha Castle, a dessert, ice cream, and tea shop in Georgetown, is opening a second location in Annandale. The café will open in a building being renovated at 7228 Columbia Pike.” [Annandale Today]
GMU Students Research Language Barriers at Courthouse — “Members of a team of 15 volunteer students from the Jurisprudence Learning Community (JPLC) … are spending time in the hallways and offices of the busy [Fairfax County] court complex conducting a survey project aimed at helping the court understand the accessibility needs of court users.” [GMU]
McLean Library to Host Local Author Talk — Writer Mark Aldrich, who has also acted on Broadway and TV, will visit Dolley Madison Library at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 to discuss his fantasy book series “The Peripherals.” Advance registration is required for the event, which still had seats available, as of press time. [Fairfax County Public Library]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 65 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 14 to 16 mph and gusts reaching up to 25 mph. As for Thursday night, it will be clear with a low temperature around 43 degrees, and a northwest wind at 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
By shooting rounds in the 70s, eight golfers from Fairfax County high school teams earned berths at a qualifying competition to play in the upcoming Girls State Open.
Resulting from their strong play, three players from Robinson and one each from Fairfax, Langley, West Potomac, Woodson and Lake Braddock will participate in the 18-hole Virginia High School League tournament Oct. 28 at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg.
