Westmoreland condo fees to rise only 3-5%

At the Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums Board meeting tonight, the Board noted that the condo fee increase to be presented for approval at this April's annual condo association meeting is likely to be 3% to 5%.  That's much smaller than last year's 11.4% condo fee increase.  Previously the Board stated that it projected 10% per year condo fee hikes for the next ten years, which would generate a condo fee of about $660 per month for a 1BR Westmoreland condo in the year 2019.  At last night's meeting, the Board stated that condo finances were doing better than they had thought.  Whether projections for future condo fee increases have also been revised isn't clear.

Additional meeting notes:

• The Board discussed thoroughly the cost tradeoffs between deep-root feeding of trees and possible tree replacement.  No specific decision was reached.
• The plan to re-issue all Westmoreland parking stickers is moving forward.
• Brick facade work will begin this spring on building 1336 and is projected to take about a month

Attending the meeting were Board members Jose Calvo, Jennifer Feinleib, Joe Ruland, and Emil Tabakov; residents Mark G., Douglas G., and Clayton T., and Zalco property manager Dennis Freeman.  The next regularly scheduled Condo Board meeting with be Tuesday, March 29, at 7pm in the onsite condo manager's office. Note that, just for this month, the meeting has been moved from the last Monday of the month to the last Tuesday.  The annual condo association meeting will occur in April.

this will change

Soon to be a sea of colors...

cyclist breaks chain

About 9am this morning at the stoplight in front of California Tortilla in the Courthouse neighborhood, a cyclist broke his chain when the light went green and he started forward.  He declared that his awesomely powerful downstroke destroyed the chain.  Ode Street Tribune sources, however, revealed that his bike was in filthy condition after a rainy ride this past Monday.  The chain was probably weakened from road grit and interior rust.

Keep your bike in good working order.

local news suffers major setback

Local news site TBD is laying off most of its reporters and will re-organize as a niche site focusing on arts and entertainment.  Arts and entertainment are important, but a vibrant, engaged community needs more than just arts and entertainment.  TBD's failure in local news is bad news.  
 
TBD reporter Rebecca Cooper has done an excellent job covering Arlington local news.   Without her work, here's just some recent news that you would have missed:

• Where are Arlington's most dangerous motor vehicle intersections? The intersection that had the most motor vehicle accidents in the past four years is close to Rosslyn.  Find out where. 
• Now is the time for community engagement in planning Rosslyn's Gateway Park.  Get informed about Gateway Park development.
• Curtis Moten works out twice a week on the streets of Rosslyn. Let Moten inspire you to get exercise.
• Two Capital Bikeshare stations will be installed in Rosslyn in mid-March.  Find out where these bike stations will be installed.
• Arlington sister places Rosslyn and Crystal have distinctive above-ground and below-ground urban structures.  Get more appreciation for the the development of Rosslyn's urban figure.

Providing local news is a difficult enterprise.  That's all the more reason for celebrating ARLnow's impressive growth.  The Ode Street Tribune strongly supports praise, honor, appreciation, and, if sought, monetary profits for local news enterprises. 

abandoned bikes need care

At the entrance to Rosslyn's unique Freedom Park, a bike rack is filled with apparently abandoned bikes. The apparently abandoned bikes take up space for working bikes and detract from Rosslyn's visual allure.  Those bikes need a new home.  Suggested policy: any bike left on a public bike rack for more than two weeks is automatically donated to Phoenix Bikes.

Rosslyn has long been an attractive place

Rosslyn's colorful history is beginning to attract the attention it deserves. Just today ARLnow had a front-page article on Rosslyn.  The Ode Street Tribune's Managing Editor was concerned about exaggeration and bias in that article (Rosslyn is a "ho-hum collection of office towers and apartment buildings"?!@#!), but quickly realized that Ode Street Tribune readers are fully trained to deal with exaggeration and bias.   Hence we recommend without reservation ARLnow's article on Rosslyn as well as its many comments, including one quite relevant to the article.

high winds drive art

Among Rosslyn's magnificent public art is Ned Kahn's Liquid Pixels (2002).   You can see it at the corner of Lynn St. and 19th St. in downtown Rosslyn.  Kahn's artistic statement provides good insight into the work:

The confluence of science and art has fascinated me throughout my career. For the last twenty years, I have developed a body of work inspired by atmospheric physics, geology, astronomy and fluid motion. I strive to create artworks that enable viewers to observe and interact with natural processes. I am less interested in creating an alternative reality than I am in capturing, through my art, the mysteriousness of the world around us. 

This Saturday's high winds, which reached 50mph, put the artwork into intense activity.  Video coverage below.

Arlington's own Luke Idziak represents a new generation of artists exploring the confluence of science and art.  Idziak recent took the top prize in the prestigious Crystal Couture t-shirt design competition.  Idziak's work was variable-speed blinking neon t-shirt. 

Westmoreland Terrace designated historically important

Arlington's Historical Resource Inventory has named 136 Arlington buildings/complexes as historically important buildings.  Important buildings help to make Arlington the place that it is:

The Important properties help communicate and reinforce the architectural and historical character of Arlington. In addition to their individual merit, many of the Important properties shape and impact the way we visualize Arlington landmarks and streetscapes. Nearly half of the Important properties are historic garden apartment buildings and/or complexes, which have continuously served the housing needs of Arlingtonians for decades while maintaining their high quality building materials, architectural design, and urban planning principles.

Among the Important properties are the Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums.  Westmoreland in fact is ranked in the top third of the Important properties. 

The Westmoreland Terrace buildings were built in 1947.  Originally Westmoreland served as housing for soldiers and their families stationed at Ft. Myer Military Base.  The army sold Westmoreland, and it re-opened as a condominium complex in 1982. 

A few years ago, Westmoreland was honored at the Arlington County Fair.  Being named as Important adds further to Westmoreland's luster.  As you surely appreciate, Westmoreland is a fitting location for the Ode Street Tribune's world headquarters.

do more cycling and recycling

Arlington County has recently expanded recycling requirements for business and multi-family residences.  Under these new regulations, business and multi-family homes must offer customers and residents opportunities to recycle:

• Mixed paper (including junk mail, cardboard, office paper, and food boxes)
• Metal cans
• Glass food and beverage containers
• Aluminum
• Plastic
• Metal items

Unlike DC, Arlington does not have a five-cent plastic bag tax.  But here in Rosslyn, fashion matters more than five cents.  Plastic grocery bags are dull.  Rosslyn residents should carry home their groceries with more style.

The above stylish grocery bag was a gift from my wonderful cousin. She had an extra, so she gave it to me.  Gift-giving is an excellent form of recycling.  This re-usable grocery bag even has bicycles on it.  That's a nice reminder: don't stop at just recycling.  Get into cycling, too!

celebrating Rosslyn's renaissance

A new exhibit celebrating Rosslyn's past and future opened this week at Artisphere.  Rosslyn has a distinguished past: Orville Wright's pioneering flight, Buffalo soldiers at Fort Myer, and the roots of Arlington's black history, to mention just some of it.  But well-balanced reporting should also mention Rosslyn's historical difficulties.  As this exhibit forthrightly notes:

In years past, Rosslyn has been the place people love to hate.  In the late 1800's, farmers crossing Aqueduct Bridge from Georgetown into Virginia had to hire armed guards to protect them against marauders and thieves lurking in the Rosslyn darkness below.  Early in the 20'th century, an Arlington County supervisor, Crandall Mackey, led a righteous band of Rosslyn-haters to burn down the saloons and bawdy-houses besmirching our fair county's reputation.  In the 1940's and '50's, it was an industrial site, replete with unsightly pawnshops, oil tanks and lumber yards.

With the help of Rosslyn Renaissance and other local civic organizations, Rosslyn has become a center of office work, art, fashion, and clean living.  Rosslyn residents have deep appreciation for their location.  Among those surveyed, 100% believe that Rosslyn's best days are still yet to come.

Artiphere's exhibit, Rosslyn: A Work in Progess, will be on display in the WIP Gallery through March 13.

Rosslyn -- a beacon on the Potomac

At the Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights Civic Assocation (RAFOM) meeting yesterday, Rosemary Ciotti, Chair of the Arlington County Planning Commission, spoke about Arlington planning.  She emphasized the importance of civic participation in making Arlington an attractive place to live.  She also offered a glowing assessment of Rosslyn:

It's best days are ahead of us.  It's going to be really, really wonderful. ... Rosslyn deserves to be the beacon on the river. (see video at 16:40)

Many other reports support this assessment.

Additional items from the meeting:

• The County has a tree canopy fund that collects money from developers who do not plant sufficient trees on their property.  The tree canopy fund will provide money to plant trees on other private property.  Arlington Forestry Commission member Steve Campbell is planning to submit a grant request.  If you would like trees for your property, contact Steve Campbell at "mitska at juno dot com".
• The RAFOM holiday party was a big success.  Photos from the event will be available at the March RAFOM meeting.
• The Residential Program Center on Columbia Pike, which provides programs for homeless persons and persons recovering from substance abuse, is looking for more board members.  Contact RAFOM President Stan Karson if you are interested in serving as a Board member.
• Second District Police Captain Andy Penn reported on crime in the area.  A couple of bicycles were recently stolen in the Rosslyn area.  Some cars have had windows smashed and electronics stolen.  The police recommend not leaving a GPS suction cup on your windshield. That can prompt thieves to break into the car to look for a GPS device.

dawn of a new day

After debuting their new CD, New Deal Rhythms, last month at the Lyceum in Alexandria, Doug Bowles and Alex Hassan joined with Cindy Hutchins to sing out the Dawn of a New Day this past Sunday to a packed audience at the Jordan Kitts Studio in Fairfax.  "Dawn of a New Day" was the slogan of the 1939-40 New York World's Fair.  The trio's concert was composed of World Fair songs from the 1930s. 

While the Bowles, Hassan, and Hutchins trio performs under the name the Retropolitans, their musical themes have contemporary relevance in forward-looking Rosslyn, as the above video makes clear.  Let's hope that they're booked for a gig at Artisphere.

Related posts:

• musical stimulus package
• UrbanArias mini-operas

no place like your home

 

Last September, several men were scheduled to be evicted from their home under a DC bridge.  That eviction never happened.  Perhaps some persons intervened on their behalf.  Perhaps someone in the District of Columbia's government had compassion for them.

The men have continued to live under that bridge through the bitter cold days of this winter.  They have even continue to live there while repair crew did noisy, messy work under the bridge.  Evidently the men strongly prefer this home to the alternatives that they have.

new restaurant coming to Artisphere

On April 1 (no fooling), a new restaurant and bar will open in Artisphere.  Its menu will offer "comfort food with Latin flavors made from locally-sourced and fresh ingredients."  The proprietors of Rosslyn's Guajillo Grill will be running the new Artisphere restaurant.  

Artisphere is running a contest to name its new restaurant.  The grand prize is a private dinner party for eight in Artisphere’s Terrace Gallery.  Everyone who enters will receive a discount coupon code for select Artisphere events in March and April.  The contest closes this Friday, February 18, so get your entry in soon.

Here at the Ode Street Tribune, we don't just report the news; we participate in it.  After a thorough investigation, our reporters have come up with "Cocina de Fiesta".   These difficult times in the news industry have produced many hungry reporters.  The Tribune's reporters relish the thought of winning a good meal.

concerns about nationalism and imperialism

Some good readers perceive in Ode Street Tribune articles a bias towards Rosslyn nationalism and imperialism.  A thorough internal investigation has revealed that one Ode Street Tribune reporter believes that Rosslyn rightfully encompasses all territory east of the Mississippi River.  Because our policy is not to discuss publicly particular personnel matters, we will not reveal this reporter's name. 

While some have demanded this reporter be fired, we have decided to allow him to continue to write for the Ode Street Tribune.  The Ode Street Tribune serves the public in part by fostering careful and critical news reading.  News sources that claim to be unbiased encourage complacent and intellectually somnolent readers.  The Tribune has greater aspirations for its readers.

Let no one be mistaken: the Ode Street Tribune officially rejects the violent overthrow of Arlington neighborhood boundaries.  Any changes in neighborhood boundaries should occur only through the democratic process, agreements among neighborhood leaders, or mass public protests.  Rosslyn's neighbors need not fear the intense Rosslyn spirit of Rosslyn's residents.  Instead, they can look for ways to unite with Rosslyn to be part of the greatest neighborhood in Arlington and in the whole eastern half of the United States.

BLU's MOTO at Artisphere

MOTO, a street-art animation by BLU, is showing continuously on Artisphere's town hall video wall through Feb. 20.  In MOTO, an extrardinary animated figure moves across outdoor walls in Buenos Aires while passers-by take no notice.  Indoors in Baden, Germany, the animation's spatial isolation is more visually barren.  Local office workers shouldn't miss the animated figure eating a paper sheet loosely pasted to a wall.

You could watch MOTO on this screen from wherever you are.  See the video above.  But Artisphere's video wall enhances MOTO.  The surrounding Artisphere architecture gives even more depth and poignancy to the animation's striving to reach out, dig down, uncover, break out, and grow.

Deep-Soil Rosslyn Water Blowout plugged

With bigger equipment and a determined effort, a repair crew has plugged the Deep-Soil Rosslyn Water Blowout and restored normal water service to the neighborhood.   Temperature changes driving the expansion and contraction of a sixty-year-old water main apparently caused the blowout.  The repair crew was onsite by 8:30 this morning.  The condition of the site suggests a tough day's work.

Some controversy has developed regarding the size of the spill.  An Ode Street Tribune report stated that the blowout spilled "tens of thousands of gallons of clean water."  That estimate is based on an estimated water flow of three gallons per minute, for (60 minutes per hour)x(24 hours per day)x(10 days flowing) = approx 43,000 gallons of water.  It's unlikely that the size of the spill was less than this estimate, but the total outflow may have been several times larger than the Tribune estimate.

Damage from the blowout appears to be minimal.  Much of the ground in Ft. Myer Heights Park has been thoroughly watered.  That would have been helpful this past summer.  In addition to getting a new section of water main, the neighborhood is also getting new sections of sewer piping.  Now you can flush your toilet with additional confidence!

efforts intensify to stop Deep-Soil Rosslyn Water Spill

Repair crews have dug a huge hole and located the leaking water main that has spilled tens of thousands of gallons of clean water on Ft. Myer Heights Park. The difficult deep-soil repair operation was suspend late this evening. A temporary water supply for a number of Westmoreland buildings has been established via temporary piping from a fire hydrant across Ft. Myer Dr. The repair operation will resume tomorrow morning.

The Deep-Soil Rosslyn Water Spill:

• water main break in Ft. Myer Heights Park
• water main break gushes anew

enjoy Rosslyn in the morning

A friend from Ballston told me that he loves Rosslyn, but can visit only one night a week. Whether you spend the whole night or only a half hour, revel in the beauty of Rosslyn.

Meade St. bridge fence needs improvement

According to a bronze plaque on the N. Meade St. bridge, the (Virginia) Department of Transportation constructed the bridge in 1965.  The fence on the bridge looks like its gotten no maintenance since then.  As a center of art and fashion, Rosslyn needs a more stylish, up-to-date bridge fence.

By the way, check out Artisphere's suave new website.

sign of environmental improvement

The clean environment mural that was messed up has been fixed.  We believe that Ode Street Tribune reporting contributed to prompting this environmental amelioration.  From mis-administration of a vegetable competition to poorly labeled turkey chops, have no fear, the Ode Street Tribune is here to fight for truth, justice, and the Arlington Way (???).

excellent Mexican Brussels sprouts

At Rosslyn's Pentagon City Costco, you can now buy a two-pound bag of Rosemont Farms fresh Brussels sprouts for a mere $4.79 (plus 12 cents tax).  Two pounds of sprouts is a lot of sprouts.  We recommend microwaving the sprouts for about 2.5 minutes in a ceramic cereal bowl covered with another ceramic dish.  Mix the sprouts into a pile of quinoa, sauteed mushrooms, and freshly ground flax seeds for an excellent dish.

These Rosemont Farms Brussels sprouts are grown in Mexico.  Unfortunately, little information is readily available about the persons who actually grow the sprouts.  Good work, unknown farmers!

Rosemont Farms is a produce-marketing company founded in Florida in 1999.  C.H. Robinson WorldWide, Inc. acquired Rosemont Farms in 2009.  C.H. Robinson is one of the world's largest third-party-logistics providers and had gross revenues of $9.3 billion in 2010.

We appreciate the efforts of everyone who has helped to provide our neighborhood with Brussels sprouts.

water main break gushes anew

Water is gushing forth from a water-main break along the access road to Fort Myers Heights Park near 1322 N. Ft. Myers Dr.  No water is currently flowing across the access road, nor is any streaming out into Ft. Myer Dr. A lot of water is flowing into a drain on the curb of Ft. Myer Dr.  Water can be heard running under the concrete structure in the park, as well as within the drain along the park access road.

Arlington County officials are aware of the situation.  At 7:25pm, before having dinner and filing this report, an Ode Street Tribune notified Arlington Police's non-emergency number, 703 558-2222.

Temperatures tonight are predicted to be in the mid-twenties.  As long as the water continues to flow smoothly into the drains, the water-main break won't create ice on the road.

A 6-inch water-main break occurred at this site this weekend. An Arlington County Public works crew dug a hole roughly seven feet deep and several feet wide to make emergency repairs Sunday night.  Unfortunately, those repairs seem not to have held.  Major-league plumbing is a difficult job. 

electric diamonds win Crystal Couture t-shirt competition

Crystal Couture's eagerly awaited t-shirt design competition capped a stellar night of fashion this Tuesday night in Crystal City.  Among the seven t-shirt designs selected for the finalist showing, Luke Idziak's pulsating crystal colors on an elegant black t-shirt was acclaimed the top design.  Video coverage below.

Idziak is a notable local artistic engineer.  His local electrical-mechanical-artistic laboratory "designs and creates artifacts and environments to enhance and astound the senses."  His bike-power sculpture, A Cosmic Egg, has been a crowd-pleaser at the 2008 Planet Arlington World Music Festival and Arlington parades.  Fashion is artistic engineering and handicraft.  Let that be inspiration for you in sewing and in home repair.

Crystal Couture's body-painted models were incredible.  Makeup artists Kim Reyes and Roger Riggle worked together to produce these masterpieces.  They will do a new work every night of Crystal Couture.  Go to Crystal Couture even just to see body-paintings like you've probably never seen before.

That the couture at Crystal Couture is fabulous isn't difficult to see.  And the models, of course, are gifted with beautiful bodies.  But there's more. Attitude and a way of moving add a lot to a look.  Models really are performing artists.  The models at Crystal Couture put on excellent performances.  They might give you an idea or two when you want to put on your own act.

Given that Crystal City is culturally and architecturally Rosslynish, discussion of Rosslyn bringing Crystal City into a union of mutual friendship or a greater co-prosperity sphere isn't surprising.  Some eyebrows were raised, however, at the appearance of an Ode Street Tribune reporter and his date.  The Tribune reporter was wearing a Genghis Khan tie.  He reportedly said that he was honoring Rosslyn's Mongolian culture.