Bawadi celebrates re-opening in Seven Corners

The grand re-opening of Bawadi Mediterranean Grill &Sweets Café in Seven Corners Oct. 20 drew a large crowd of family and friends, including the mayor of Falls Church, the people who helped with the relocation, and members of the Amish family whose Meadow View Farm supplies the restaurant’s lamb. 

Let a Jaguar rake your leaves

Our community is beautiful when the autumn leaves are in full blaze but who’s going to do all that raking?

The winter sports athletes of Falls Church High School are ready to assist. The school’s Athletic Boosters Club organized a leaf-raking fundraiser for Nov. 10 and 17.

The students will only rake leaves – they will not deal with brush, rocks, sticks, or tree trimmings.

If you’re interested, send an email to fchsleafraking@gmail.com with the following information: name, address, whether you want to the students rake leaves to the curb or put them in bags, preferred date. Appointments will be made on a first-come first-serve basis.

Man shot outside restaurant at Landmark Plaza

There was a shooting just after 9:30 p.m. Oct. 19 in the parking lot in front of the Viva Tequila restaurant at 6244 Little River Turnpike in Landmark Plaza, the Fairfax County Police Department reports.

When officers arrived, they found a man who had been shot in the leg. They applied two tourniquets and the man was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, later upgraded to non-life threatening.

Supervisors approve large self-storage facility for Mason District

An illustration of the self-storage facility planned for the Shell Oil Industrial Park in Mason District.

The Board of Supervisors cleared the way for the construction of a four-story self-storage facility on a vacant lot in an industrial area of Mason District.

Backlick Park ribbon-cutting set for Nov. 17

The community is invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovated Backlick Park Nov. 17 at 1 p.m.

The 9-acre park at 4516 Backlick Road in Annandale has a new shelter, picnic tables, playground, and fitness area. The tennis courts have been renovated and have new lighting, and the trails and parking lot was repaved.

The $1 million project was funded by a park bond passed by voters in 2016.

Supervisors consider broadening definition of allowable pets

An African pygmy hedgehog

Fairfax County residents could soon be able to keep hedgehogs, chinchillas, and hermit crabs as pets without a special permit.

The Board of Supervisors on Oct. 17 authorized a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance that would allow those animals to be considered “commonly accepted pets.”

A planning commission hearing is scheduled for Nov. 29 and a Board of Supervisors hearing is set for Jan. 22

Man assaults police officer

Lopez [FCPD]

A man was arrested outside Heritage Mall in Annandale shortly before 3 p.m. on Oct. 16 after shoppers at the H Mart said he displayed a knife, the Fairfax County Police Department reports.

The police officers found Yojan Lopez, 24, of Annandale, stumbling around and having trouble speaking clearly. 

As officers were placing him under arrest for being drunk in public, Lopez kicked the officer and spat on him. Lopez was also charged with assault on a law enforcement officer.