James Lee Community Center
A Tour of the James Lee Community Center
by Annette DeLucia Comé, June 2011
“James Lee School” is still carved into the historic façade at 2855 Annandale Road, but inside the building, now the James Lee Community Center, nothing is set in stone. A recent tour of the center, inspired by speakers at our May Civic Association meeting, revealed a surprise around every corner of this dynamic neighborhood facility.
It is noon at the James Lee Community Center, and the talk is all about food. Seniors, wrapping up a morning of activities and socializing, gather around an impressive assortment of fresh breads in the Senior Citizens Center. In the Computer Clubhouse, tweens set aside robotics projects, shut down computers, and join members of the Young Mathematicians Club, now en route to the cafeteria. They are greeted there by the happy participants of Summer Recquest, a drop-in recreation program for elementary school children. Only the teenagers, intense on the basketball court, seem oblivious to the call of the cafeteria.
As the Center’s new director, Zurii Conroy, escorts me through the beautifully renovated building, we talk about other kinds of nourishment served up here: inspired programs like the James Lee League of Champions, which recruited the area’s most talented high school basketball players and created a dream team league that draws hundreds of fans. Brain food is plentiful too, at the Olympia Chess Academy, and the music lab that inspires kids to new creativity. In this active building, only the Chill Spot Teen Center is quiet today as the teens are off on a field trip to DC.
In the front wing of the building, the 250-seat James Lee Community Theatre is being readied for the upcoming One-Act Play Festival as their across-the-hall neighbor, the Northern Virginia Literacy Council, welcomes adult students learning to read and speak English. At the end of our tour, we wind past the Fairfax County Cultural Resource Office, housed in its own corner of the original James Lee building. A friendly volunteer informs us that the Cultural Resource Protection team inventories, documents, protects, and interprets the County’s historic and archaeological resources. We gladly accept his offer to show us around the labs and are soon stunned to find ourselves face to face with more than three million carefully preserved artifacts. Ok, so maybe some things are set in stone at the James Lee Center, but even that was a surprise!
To learn more about activities and offer your programming suggestions, contact the James Lee Community Center at 703-534-3387. Tell them you heard about them through the Westlawn newsletter.
League of Champions: Basketball games on Monday and Wednesday nights at 6:30 and 8 p.m. Call ahead for info.
The Mini League of Champions: For youth 4-6th grade Basketball clinics and games with teen mentors from the James Lee League of Champions. Call Emily or Kim at 703-534-3385 ext. 200.
Recquest: You may register for the entire 11 weeks or any combination of weeks. James Lee is one of seven sites. 703-324-5518.
Olympia Chess Academy: Saturdays 4-7 p.m. and Thursdays, K-6th graders, 5-6 p.m. 703-534 3387.
Razorback Football First Annual FREE Football Camp: Saturdays in July. Call Shenna Cox or Frank Grant at 703-534-3387.
Senior Center: Hours of Operation are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday-Friday. Call director Greg Williams at 703-534-3387