Tuesday, September 29, 2009

roof on Westmoreland building 1311 may be repaired first

Courtesy of Board member Joe Ruland, draft minutes from yesterday's Westmoreland Terrace (WMT) Condo Board meeting:

WMT Monthly Board Meeting Minutes
September 29, 2009
WMT, Building 1314, Management Office

Board Attendees:  Jose Calvo, Emil Tabakov, Joe Ruland
Other Attendees:  Dennis Freeman, Property Manager; six residents

I.  Approved last meeting minutes from 7/27/09.

II.  Jose pointed out problems with the quality of the resurfacing of the lots.  The company will be contacted and asked to fix the problem.

III.  Based on input from engineers, the roof for 1311 may be more in need of replacement than 1301.  The plan is to replace one WMT roof every two years, and we’re hoping the new roofs last longer than the old ones.

IV.  We continue to wait on Verizon to find out when they plan to install the Fios hardware.

V.  The settlement issue has been resolved for Apartment #701 to everyone’s satisfaction.

VI.  The board approved the last installment payment for the façade work.

VII.  The board “cautiously” approved payment to Lancaster Landscaping.  We’ll continue to scrutinize their service.  The landscaping contract is $27,330.  Several trees still need pruning.  Azaleas need pruning, and fall bulbs need to be planted.

VIII.  We discussed the sewer back-up in #415 in 1307.  Fortunately the renter had renter’s insurance, and there doesn’t seem to be any damage to other units.

IX.   The board approved $500 for office furniture for Phil.  The amount includes transportation costs.

X.  One of the residents is interested in exploring the idea of adding balconies at WMT, but it’s not likely to be fiscally feasible.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

art happenings at the developing Cultural Center



The under-construction Cultural Center in Rosslyn will host some art happenings on Saturday, Oct. 10, 8-11pm.  The event is free and no tickets or reservations are necessary.

One of the participating artists is Kathryn Cornelius.  She has established a stellar reputation on the Arlington arts scene with, among other works, her installation Address at the Elipse Arts Center (2006) and ReDOIT at the Arlington Arts Center (2008).   Synetic Theater, which put on a magnificent performance of Macbeth a couple of years ago, will also be there.   Another artist to look forward to seeing is Brandon Morse. He does beautiful, stark video installations.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

historic Rosslyn

From a historical marker in Gateway Park, Rosslyn:
Rosslyn traditionally has served as a principal gateway to Arlington and to Virginia.  Captain John Smith explored this area in 1608.  Awbrey's ferry carried travelers across the Potomac for more than a century in the 1700s and 1800s.  The aqueduct bridge opened in 1843, linking the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal with the Alexandria Canal.  One pier of that bridge is visible today near the Virginia shore.  In the 1860s, William and Carolyn Ross had a farm in this area which they named Rosslyn. During the Civil War, federal forces also occupied the region, and Forts Bennett, Haggerty, and Corcoran were built nearby as part of the defensive line around the capital.  In the 1900s, Rosslyn was one of the several areas along the waterfront controlled by a lawless element.  In 1904, members of the Good Citizens' League succeeded in closing down the gambling houses and saloons, restoring peace and safety to Rosslyn.  In 1923, the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge replaced the aqueduct bridge.  Throughout the early 1900s Rosslyn evolved into a commercial and industrial area.  The 1960s marked the beginning of Rosslyn's transformation into a major urban center.
Annie King Philips, a life-long DC resident, a superb collage artist, and the creator of the Thurgood Marshall call box art, told me that, as a girl in the 1930s, she and her friends enjoyed riding the trolly out to Rosslyn.  But they wouldn't get off the trolly in Rosslyn, because they considered Rosslyn to be too dangerous and disreputable.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

RAFOM civic association September meeting

RAFOM, your neighborhood civic association, had a lively and interesting meeting this past Wednesday at Prospect House.

Two Arlington police officers from our 2nd District team presented crime statistics.  In the past three months, our neighborhood had 13 larcenies from autos, 20 larcenies of other sorts (from buildings, bags, etc.), and 4 bike larcenies. That last category of crime seems to me particularly evil. A person whose bike got stolen could be deprived, at least temporally, of the joys of biking to work. Persons keen to get a bike, but unable to buy one, might contact Phoenix Bikes.  They could help a needy person put together a great bike built to last.

RAFOM is conducting voting for the design of neighbor signs to be constructed with Arlington County money.   The RAFOM website states that only persons who pay RAFOM dues ($10 cost) can vote.  The RAFOM Treasurer stated this general policy at the meeting, while another RAFOM Board Member said that RAFOM membership is required only for web-based voting.  I voiced my strong object to requiring payments of any sort for community voting.  Moreover, making it more difficult for persons who don't pay the RAFOM dues to participate in a community vote is also inconsistent with the principles of inclusive democracy.  The RAFOM Board indicated that they would consider changing their sign voting policy.  I refuse to participate in the vote until it is open, without unnecessary financial or procedural conditions, to all neighborhood members.

This fall an Arlington County task force will consider issues associated with bus traffic to Iowa Jima.  The Iowa Jima park is open from 6am to midnight.  A large number of tour buses go in and out of the park, particularly in the spring.  Moreover, intersections with Ft. Meade St. and Arlington Blvd (big and little) are quite hazardous.  In fact, that morning a four-car accident had produced a huge traffic backup in the area.  Major changes in traffic routing are being considered to address the problems.

Colonel Richardson is leaving her post as Garrison Commander of our neighboring Ft. Myer Military Community. Prior to 9/11, I enjoyed running through the base and getting my hair cut at an excellent barber there.  For awhile after 9/11 that wasn't permitted.  I'm not sure what the situation is now.  RAFOM members praised Col. Richardson for her outreach to the surrounding civilian community.  Consistent with its security requirements, I'm grateful for Ft. Myer's interaction with the neighborhood.

Featured speaker Scott McCaffrey, editor of the Arlington Sun Gazette, spoke about local housing trends and economic and political circumstances.  Home sales and real estate prices are down.  Arlington County projects 9.1% lower assessment revenue this coming fiscal year.  Arlington's real estate tax base is 45% commercial. That's a much higher percentage than most other jurisdictions; for example, Fairfax's commercial share is 20%.  Unfortunately, commercial real estate values are more volitile than residential values.  All else equal, business cycles thus have a larger effect on the Arlington budget.  The projected budget shortfall is $67.5 million, shared equally between the County Board and the School Board.  School enrollments are growing, and Arlington now has more the 20,000 kids in school.   The budget shortfall points to likely tax increases, county staff layoffs, and service cuts. 

Overall, Arlington has a strong economy.  The unemployment rate in Arlington is 4.2%.  That's much lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.6%.

In 2008, the Arlington County Board modified the zoning code to permit acessory dwellings.  The number of new accessory dwellings was capped at 28 per year.  However, in the first year of the new code, only 8 accessory dwellings were established.

McCaffrey noted the shrinkage of media coverage in Arlington County.  You can count on the Ode Street Tribune to help keep you truly informed and well entertained in the midst traditional media's meltdown.

The next RAFOM meeting is next month, Oct. 15, at the Belvedere Condominium. It will feature a candidates debate among contestants for seats on the Arlington County Board and for our district's Delegate to the House of Delegates in the Virginia General Assembly.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

swim in the Potomac, then bike and run

Swim 1.5 km in the Potomac River, then bike 40 km through Washington, DC, and run another 10 km. Some call it an Olympic-distance triathlon. Most call it simply nuts. But 6,000 hardy competitors signed up for the 2009 Nation's Triathlon, including ace triathlete and DC Mayor Adrian Fenty. The triathlon benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. That's a good choice 'cause you could get blood cancer or some other terrible disease from swimming in the Potomac. Through the wonder of YouTube, you can enjoy the Nation's Triathlon while safely stationary in front of your computer.



Hurricane Jenni and Kristin have some good first-person coverage from Arlington triathletes. Gigi tells you about what it's like to be in a wetsuit. While the field included elite triathletes, a world famous mountain-climber triathlete failed to participate.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Rosslyn Jazz Festival

Last year torrential rains washed out the Rosslyn Jazz Festival. The performers scheduled for last year came back this year for a cool day of jazz. An enthusiastic crowd filled Gateway Park and heard some great music, including Frédéric Yonnet's outstanding harmonica performance.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

it's a dead-end

A new dead-end sign has appeared on Ode Street near the 1301 building of Westmoreland. It has all the signs of a public-spirited, grass-roots initiative. Here at the Ode Street Tribune, we applaud, celebrate, and honor civic participation.


But let's cut to the chase. Ode Street is a dead end! And some of us are quite happy with our dead-end lives. If you don't like that, don't enter!

Update: Our dead end sign has been conventionally re-oriented:


The original orientation of the dead end sign was a splendid indicator of Westmoreland Condos' bohemian geist. I've established an online petition to return the dead end sign to its original orientation. Please sign the petition!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

unsolicited advice

A great thing about the Internet is that it allows you to give unsolicited advice not just to your family and friends, but also to people all around the world. Here's some advice for Westmoreland residents and for everyone living in an apartment complex.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

free firewood


To lessen the risk of power outages, Dominion Virginia Power has trimmed some trees in the area. One result is some free firewood under the power line behind the playground of Ft. Myer Heights Park. Here in Westmoreland we don't have any fireplaces, but maybe somebody with a beach house or a friend with a fireplace could use the wood. The total amount of wood would just about fill the back of a pick-up truck (there are several other piles in addition to the one pictured above). To make arrangements to pick up the wood, it would probably be best to contact the Westmoreland Condo manager, Phil Bogert.