Wednesday, December 19, 2012
County Survey Seeks to Determine Numbers
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Glenda Booth
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
It’s a little dull grayish-brown bug that can devastate trees. The fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria) is “very prevalent” in the Mount Vernon, Huntington and Franconia areas, but not other parts of the Fairfax County, county urban forester Joan Allen recently said. No one knows why they are concentrated in the eastern part of the county at this time. This winter, county staffers are trying to determine whether fall cankerworm populations are reaching dangerous levels and where. In the past ten years, these insects have defoliated up to 5,000 acres in the Mount Vernon area. (The spring cankerworm, Paleacrita vernata, is a different species.) Cankerworm population levels were high enough in early 2012 in the Mount Vernon-Franconia area …
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The Route 1 corridor experienced some traffic light outages, business closures during Hurricane Sandy.
The Route 1 corridor experienced a few broken tree limbs and some traffic light outages after heavy winds and rains from Hurricane Sandy. The Huntington community didn't experience flooding and Fairfax County has lifted the flood warning from Huntington as of Tuesday morning. However, the Belle View and New Alexandria areas are still being monitored for possible flooding Tuesday afternoon or evening. Residents will be called and public safety will go door-to-door if flooding is imminent. Steven Larsen of Larsen Design/Build Associates, LLC said they are keeping in contact with the county engineers at the flood gate and pumping station although the gates are currently closed. "The pumping station is pumping interior drainage for the folks …
Monday, October 29, 2012
Residents are relying on each other for preparation, safety tips and alternative parking.
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Huntington residents are keeping each other informed and safe until the storm blows over. Through Facebook and the community listserv, the residents are passing along safety tips from Fairfax County, and news and weather websites. For the past few days, members of the Huntington Community Facebook group have been posting tips on the group wall about sump pumps, generators and alternative parking. In one Facebook post, group members arranged wake up calls throughout the night in case flooding happens while they’re asleep. Residents posted their phone numbers so their neighbors can give them a call every couple of hours. Throughout the weekend, the Fairfax County Police Department has gone door-to-door, …
Sunday, October 28, 2012
FCPD talked to residents Sunday morning about moving their cars, valuables from basements.
The Fairfax County Police Department knocked on doors Sunday morning in flood-prone Huntington, talking to residents and handing out flyers with safety tips. Officers are encouraging residents to move their vehicles to high ground and move their valuables from their basements. The flyer also provided safety tips if there's a flood. FCPD advised residents not to wait for instructions to move and to be aware of streams, drainage channels and other areas known to flood suddenly. In the past, the Huntington area has been affected by flooding during extreme weather conditions. Captain Randy Joyce — commander of the Mount Vernon Police District — said in several of those incidents, they didn't have enough warning to prepare residents. "In most …
Friday, October 26, 2012
Some people have recently taken to the Web to express some of their concerns about the bond referendum on this year’s ballot.
On Nov. 6, we’ll all head to our polling stations and vote on our next president and local issues that directly affect us, our friends and our families. In May, the Board of Supervisors voted to offer a $30 million bond referendum on the ballot this November. The bond will fund a levee to stop repeated severe flooding in Huntington. Voters will decide whether to approve the bond for flood protection for the Huntington area. Although many Huntington residents are in full support of the bond — including members of the Huntington Community Association — there are some who are not completely convinced. Commenters have recently posted opinions about the bond on other news outlets, such as WJLA and social media, expressing their concerns about …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Volunteers and Huntington residents will begin passing out informational handouts to encourage people to vote "yes" for the Storm Drainage Improvements Bond.
Members of the Huntington community will begin handing out flyers Saturday to remind people to vote “Yes” for the Storm Drainage Improvements Bond. The bond will fund a levee to prevent repeated severe flooding in the area. Volunteers will meet in the parking lot of the Huntington Community Center at 9:30 a.m. to receive flyers to hand out around the neighborhood. Alan Ruof, the floodwall coordinator for Huntington Community Association, said people just need to be reminded about the bond with Election Day right around the corner. “It’s an informational handout to remind people that they should vote on Nov. 6 to help Huntington,” said Ruof. “They can do this by voting yes to the Storm Drainage Improvements Bond. There’s additional …
Monday, October 22, 2012
The following information was supplied by the Fairfax County Police Department. Arrests do not indicate a conviction.
On the above map, the addresses are block numbers, not specific home or business addresses. The following items are from recent police updates through Oct. 18 from the Mount Vernon Police District of the Fairfax County Police Department. Fatal Pedestrian Crash (marked in blue on above map), Police are investigating a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred around 1:50 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18. A 64-year-old man was operating a 2002 Kenworth dump truck northbound in the right lane of Richmond Highway just south of Huntington Avenue. A man walked into the unlit roadway, crossing left to right and walked into the path of the oncoming dump truck. The driver took evasive action but was unable to avoid striking the man. The driver stayed on the …
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
The following information was supplied by the Fairfax County Police Department. Arrests do not indicate a conviction.
On the above map, the addresses are block numbers, not specific home or business addresses. The following items are from recent police updates through Oct. 10 from the Mount Vernon Police District of the Fairfax County Police Department. Assault/Weapon (marked in blue on above map), 7100 block of Fairchild Drive, 10/4/12, 10 p.m. The 18-year-old victim reported she was struck by her boyfriend. He also allegedly fired a pistol into the air several times. Roman E. Avila, 18, of Alexandria, was charged with domestic assault and reckless discharge of a firearm. In separate and unrelated incidents: Burglary (marked in green on above map), 8700 block of Liberty Springs Circle, 10/4/12, 12:45 p.m. A resident reported someone entered the home and …
Monday, October 15, 2012
The most recently available restaurant inspection reports from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4 in the Greater Alexandria area.
Between Sept. 26 and Oct. 4, quite a few restaurants along the Route 1 corridor were inspected. For prior restaurant inspection reports, click here. In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy to see number rating to post in the front window. That said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation. Inspectors grade restaurants based on critical and non-critical violations. A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served." Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance. "Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not …
Monday, October 8, 2012
The following information was supplied by the Fairfax County Police Department. Arrests do not indicate a conviction.
On the above map, the addresses are block numbers, not specific home or business addresses. The following items are from recent police updates through Oct. 5 from the Mount Vernon Police District of the Fairfax County Police Department. Contributing to Delinquency of Minor (marked in blue on above map), 8400 block of Madge Lane, Sept. 28, 10:15 p.m. The mother of a 15-year-old girl reported her daughter was possibly having sex with an 18-year-old. Following an investigation Olman Centeno Sanchez, 18, of Alexandria, was arrested and charged with consentual sex with a child and possession of alcohol. In separate and unrelated incidents: Peeping (marked in yellow on above map), 5300 block of Bedford Terrace, Sept. 28, 12:30 p.m. The victim …
Harry Shepler
3:57 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
The Huntington Community Association (HCA) on its website, www.huntingtononline.org, has information on the stormwater bond referendum and reasons to support the bond. We invite readers to check out information on the “frequently asked questions” and the “results and actions to date” links. more ›