Thursday, June 30, 2011

did you lose a hubcap?

If you were recently driving by the majestic Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums on historic Ft. Myer Drive, are you missing a hubcap?  If so, this hubcap might be yours.  It appears to belong to a Toyota Corola. The hubcap has been saved at the base of a large tree in front of Westmoreland. 

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

curb hazard in downtown Rosslyn


This past Thursday night, an Ode Street Tribune beat reporter wearily returning home noticed a young pedestrian stumble across a curb in downtown Rosslyn at the corner of Wilson Blvd. and 19th St.  Investigating the cause of the accident, he discerned that the curb cut is not aligned with the crosswalk marking.

Many persons walked the streets of Rosslyn early in the twentieth century.  Today, fashionably dressed lovers staring into each other's eyes and hipster peering into their smartphones distractedly stroll about Rosslyn. So too do Rosslyn's active, friendly, and respected senior citizens.  Senior citizens could be seriously injured with a single fall.  This curb cut is a hazard to them and to all.  Beware!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

sharing talents beautifies temple

Rosslyn's mustard seed of faith, the Arlington Temple United Methodist Church, is now flying beautiful banners from its hard ground above the Sunoco gas station in Rosslyn.  The banners resulted from collaboration between Arlington Temple, Rosslyn Renaissance Board member Carol Muszynski's Eighth Day Design firm, and a design class at Rosslyn's Art Institute of Washington

The Temple is beautiful inside and out.  Anyone is welcomed to spend some time inside of it any weekday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Monday, June 27, 2011

new roof on 1336 N. Ode in late July

At tonight's Westmoreland Terrace Condo Board meeting, the Board noted that a new roof will be installed on the Westmoreland 1336 N. Ode building in late July.  Installation will only take a few days.  The installation will not cause any disruption of air-conditioning. 

Facade work on 1336 is nearly completed. A first payment of $62,634 for that work was approved.

The building electrical connection for 1315 needs to be replaced.  Payment of $11,887 was approved for this repair.  A similar repair was made about a year ago to 1303.  Either replacing or testing with preparation to replace similar electrical connections is being considered for incorporation into the building-by-building facade repair program.

The Board approved an expenditure of $7,800 for a financial reserve study by the company Facility Engineering Associates.  The study will include a comprehensive review of the physical state of the property and financing requirements.  State guidelines recommend such a study every three to five years.

Other improvements have been made to the property.  Railing has been installed on the stairs behind 1336.  Sod has been installed in the courtyard of 1307/1309.  A slow-watering procedure has been recommended for Westmoreland flower and shrub beds.

Attending the meeting were Board members José Calvo, Michelle Clifton, Jennifer Feinleib, Joe Ruland, and Emil Tabakov; residents Douglas and Gretchen, and Zalco Property Manager Dennis Freeman.  The next regularly scheduled Condo Board meeting in July 25, 7pm, in the condo office.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

make your voice heard about Comcast and community video programming

As part of the Comcast Cable Franchise Renewal Process, Arlington County is soliciting via an online survey residents' views on Comcast services and local programming.  Cable franchise requirements have supported Arlington Virginia Network, Arlington Independent Media, and video channels for Arlington Public Schools.  Make your voice heard about these and other important video possibilities.

Earlier this month Arlington held focus group meetings about the franchise renewal.  An Ode Street Tribune staffer failed to attend a focus group meeting on the grounds that he was tired of doing unpaid overtime work.  He has been fired.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

stoplights to be added at Meade St. Bridge ends

This past Thursday night, the third public meeting on the Meade St. Bridge Alternatives Study discussed the tentative preferred plan. The plan includes new red-yellow-green stoplights on both ends of the bridge.  The intersection on the south end is currently a safety horror for pedestrians, cyclists, and inhuman-powered vehicles.  A stoplight there will be a huge improvement.

Additional improvements in the currently preferred plan include:
  • bridge sidewalks will be widened
  • single-lane counterflow street next to Gateway Park will be eliminated
  • intersections with the access roads to and from Rt. 50 will be made more rectangular
  • one of the two southbound through lanes on the bridge will be eliminated
  • colored bicycle lanes (indicating extra caution) will be painted across the bridge
These improvements probably will begin being implemented in a year or two.

Cliff Garten, the artist designing Rosslyn's luminous bodies corridor of light, attended the meeting.  He described his concern to respect and honor a path to the Iwo Jima Memorial. The installation of light sculptures on the south end of the bridge has generated some heated concern. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was also highly controversial. Expect Rosslyn with its luminous bodies to attract more tourists than that now-celebrated memorial does.

Related posts:

Thursday, June 23, 2011

street persons again face eviction

This past September, some street persons faced eviction from their home under a bridge.  Perhaps because of the intervention of caring persons, the eviction didn't take place.  They continue to live there throughout the winter despite a noisy, dirty renovation project right in their midst.

The community under the bridge has grown larger, better provisioned, and more diverse.  Their bedding has improved, and they have acquired some books and some bikes.  Over the past few years, the number of men living there has grown from about two to about four.  Sometimes one guy slept, not under the bridge, but about twenty yards away.  That probably indicates some mistrust, tension, or conflict.  In recent months, some women and children have been associating with the men living under the bridge.  The women and children may be part of the men's families, but they don't seem to live there.


Now the persons living under the bridge again face eviction.  It's true that they now take up somewhat more of the sidewalk.  In the hot weather, there's also some smell of urine.  But the smell about a local fishmarket is far, far worse right now.  An eviction in June is more humane than an eviction in September.  Nonetheless, the Ode Street Tribune resolutely opposes the eviction of street persons who are not causing anyone serious harm.

You can help in a variety of ways persons who are trying to live in difficult circumstances.  The Arlington Food Assistance Center is currently requesting donations of fresh fruits and vegetables.  If you have a garden, there's no better way to share its bounty.  In addition, the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN) is seeking help to win a new van through a Facebook-based promotion with Toyota.  You can also help persons by showing them some respect and not unnecessarily creating problems for them.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

from dull grey brick to glistening granite

The building at 1501 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn is getting a new surface.  A stylish black-and-white granite design is replacing dull grey bricks.

In related news, leftover materials from the Westmoreland Pedestrian Overpass resurfacing have been removed.  

Day by day, Rosslyn is getting more and more beautiful.  Everybody is going to fall in love with Rosslyn!

never give up, never surrender

Last year, the plants in the new Ft. Myer Heights Park garden barely survived the drought.  This year they are thriving. 


As long as there is injustice, whenever a shrub cries out, wherever a distress signal sounds among the stars, we'll be there. This fine news source, this fine journalistic staff. Never give up... and never surrender.

Monday, June 20, 2011

rooftop greenery at Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill

Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill isn't Rosslyn's Top of the Town, but it does have some nice views.  Moreover, maintaining greenery on a roof is neither cheap nor easy.  Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill deserves credit for attempting to add some greenery to the local skyline.  It also seems like a comfortable, upscale place to relax, drink, and eat.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

thrilling new crane at Gaslight Square


A second crane has joined in the action at the Gaslight Square construction site in Rosslyn.  The second crane, although not as big as the first, looks stronger and has a more manly shape.

Construction creates noise and dust in the neighborhood.  Learning to appreciate views of cranes provides some compensation.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

new planning for Rosslyn

The Arlington County Board has endorsed a new planning effort for Rosslyn.  This effort recognizes Rosslyn's rising status:
No longer just a collection of office buildings served by streets meant for cars, not people, Rosslyn already is a more balanced neighborhood, offering residents and visitors shopping, recreation and cultural activities.  New towers have added homes and hotels to the core and brought after-hours life to the streets.  The County opened Artisphere, a new kind of arts center, in the heart of Rosslyn in October. Central Place, a tower that will include both a publicly accessible observation deck and a central public plaza, has been approved and is soon to be built. Improvements are underway on the Rosslyn Metro Station.

But the County, and the community, believe that Rosslyn can become even better with a more refined planning framework in place.
The Ode Street Tribune does not favor overly refined work.  Excess refinement, fastidiousness, and preciousness are inappropriate for Rosslyn developing bohemian culture, avant-garde artistic sensibility, and cutting-edge new media.

The new Rosslyn planning effort plans to focus on four issues:
  • Creating an urban design framework
  • Refining, improving transportation options
  • Recommending a building heights strategy
  • Developing a more cohesive, functional parks and open space network
These are worthy areas for planning.  An additional area where vision and planning are needed is community communications infrastructure.  Some relevant issues:

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

broken piece on Rhodes St. bridge

A broken board with a rusted metal clasp is lying on the Rhodes St. Bridge.  The broken board may be commemorating a historic bridge that once spanned Rt. 50 in Rosslyn.  The broken board might have been part of a covered wagon heading from Rosslyn to Oregon via Rt. 50 and the Oregon Trail.  The board may have been part of fortifications with which Rosslyn defended our nation's capital.   

In the spirit of participatory journalism, the Ode Street Tribune encourages its readers to contribute their own speculations.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

finish the job

The Westmoreland Pedestrian Overpass's new sand surface is an excellent improvement.  But the job isn't quite finished, because some of the surfacing material is littered under the overpass.  That junk joins a discarded concrete piece of ancient and unknown origin.  Given the increased attention that Rosslyn has been receiving in the media, Rosslyn needs to be always looking well-groomed and stylish.

Monday, June 13, 2011

stumps refuse to die


This past April, two trees were viciously cut down in Ft. Myer Heights Park. Drawing upon Rosslyn's indomitable fighting spirit, their stumps are now valiantly sprouting new green shoots.

The United States Army’s 236th birthday is Tuesday, June 14.  As part of your celebration of this birthday, the Ode Street Tribune suggests that you salute these two stumps.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

civic association annual meeting this Wednesday evening


The Radnor / Ft. Myer Heights Civic Association (RAFOM) will hold its annual meeting this Wednesday night at 7 pm at the Top of the Town on the top of Prospect House.  The meeting is free and open to all neighborhood residents.  The featured speaker is Barbara Donnellan, the Arlington County Manager.

The entrance to the Top of the Town is at 1400 N. 14th Street.  Free parking will be available in the lot across the street from the Oak Street entrance to Prospect House.  Join your neighbors and local officials for discussions, refreshments, and spectacular views from Rosslyn over Washington, DC.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Clarke repeats win at Clarendon Cup

Hilton Clarke of the UnitedHealthcare pro cycling team repeated his 2010 victory in this year's Clarendon Cup with a mid-race breakway and strong team effort from UnitedHealthcare.  Once Clarke's breakaway group had lapped the field on the short, one-kilometer Clarendon racecourse, the blue line of UnitedHealthcare cyclists impressively controlled the field from the front.  They set a hard pace and closed down some dangerous breaks to help set up Clarke's win.


The Clarendon Cup, which is part of the Air Force Cycling Classic, takes place just about a mile from the center of downtown Rosslyn.  The course features five turns per lap and tricky winds.  Clarke, a sprinter with superb technical riding skills, loves the course.  He called the Clarendon Cup the race of 500 turns (100 laps with 5 turns per lap).  Riding the turns efficiently is key to doing well.  Clarke rode a Chris Boardman Air / 9.8 bike.  He and his teammates had stylish blue-and-white uniforms with coordinated team socks.

Wearing the yellow winner's jersey after a hard race in blistering heat, Clarke took the time to pose for photos with some local cycling fans.  That's a gracious winner.  The Ode Street Tribune will be cheering for him to take his third victory in a row at the Clarendon Cup next year.


Squadra Coppi cycling star Geoff Hughes, who like Clarke grew up in Australia, had a tough day in the non-professional race.  Local cycling fans were hoping to see Hughes get another big win like his win early this season in the Chantilly Criterium.  But Hughes, who's big enough to be a linebacker on an American football team, isn't well-sized for the Clarendon Cup's tight turns.  He's better suited to the upcoming Giro di Coppi road race.  


The Air Force Cycling Classic continues tomorrow with the Crystal Cup in Crystal City, which is only about two miles south of the center of Rosslyn.  Be there for more exciting cycling action.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Artisphere's Here offers Rosslyn panini

Here CafeBar in Artisphere is offering a Rosslyn Panini.  The Rosslyn Panini is made from fresh-baked bread and is stuffed full of local Virginia pork, Virginia ham, and turkey.  An Ode Street Tribune investigative journalist was delighted to find that the ham far outweighed the pork and turkey.

Here CafeBar is open for lunch Monday to Sunday, 11am -2pm, and for dinner, Tuesday to Saturday, 6pm to 9:30pm. A Happy Hour Monday through Friday, 4:30pm to 7:30pm, features, among other specials, Mojitos and Margaritas for $4.95.

If others are using all your bicycles and you have to drive to Artisphere, don't worry about parking.  Parking in the big parking garage next door is free (with validation in Artisphere) after 5pm weekdays and all day on weekends.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Rosslyn leads New York

The High Line in New York City has become a celebrated park.  But as Cirrus declared at the SkyScraperPage Forum, "The High Line before there was a High Line: Rosslyn, VA's Freedom Park".  Check out the excellent photographic profile of one of Rosslyn's distinctive features.  Area blogs BeyondDC and Greater Greater Washington also picked up the story of how special Rosslyn is.  Of course, Ode Street Tribune readers have known this for many years.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Court House unlikely to threaten Rosslyn's arts superiority

The Arlington Arts Commission has released an initial draft of Arlington Arts 2030.  This report appropriately recognizes the vital role of arts in nourishing a community.  The report, however, is missing five appendices:
  1. Policy for the Support of Arts Organizations and Artists (approved 1990)
  2. Public Art Policy (approved 2000)
  3. Arlington Arts 2030 Charge to the Arlington Commission for the Arts
  4. AMS Best Practices Research Report
  5. AMS Arlington 2030 Cultural Plan Recommendations
This report considers Arlington Arts over the next twenty years.  With that scope, the draft report should include all five appendices.

The draft report has provoked the usual concerns of how much County expenditure and for what.  More importantly, a phrase in the report has raised warning voices about a possible threat to Rosslyn's art superiority.  The draft report states:
There is potential for a number of new arts facilities to open over the next 20 years. These facilities include a small theatre in Virginia Square, new spaces in Crystal City and a replacement theatre for the Rosslyn Spectrum. There are also a number of opportunities that are mentioned in various development initiatives, including a new cultural center at Court House Plaza and arts amenities identified as components of the Master Planning Process that will be undertaken for the Four Mile Run area.
 A new cultural center at Court House Plaza, well within Artisphere's sphere of artistic influence?

The Ode Street Tribune does not believe that an artistic threat from Court House should be taken seriously.  Court House lacks Rosslyn's subtle sensuality and sense of artistic freedom.  Court House is formalistic and legalistic.  For art, all but local prisoners will choose Rosslyn.

You can make your independent and creative views known at two public hearings that will discuss the Arlington Arts 2030 draft report.  These hearings are:
  1. Saturday, June 11, Noon - 2pm at Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Boulevard
  2. Monday, June 13, 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Shirlington Public Library, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Shirlington
Help support the incomparable Artisphere for the next twenty years!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Westmoreland pedestrain overpass resurfaced


Following up on its repair to the steps of the Westmoreland pedestrain overpass, an Arlington County work crew has resurfaced the overpass.  The new surface is sand held in an adhesive.  This surface will make the overpass less slippery in wet weather.  Whether this surface will lessen ice buildup during winter remains to be seen. 

The light in the middle of the overpasss remains broken. Cliff Garten, the artist designing luminous bodies for Rosslyn, rejected the idea of installing a luminous body in the middle of the Westmoreland overpass.  This rejection is unlikely to hurt Rosslyn's ranking among leading artistic centers in North America.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

discuss future of Comcast cable service

Arlington County is considering renewal of Comcast's cable franchise.  You can participate in the process by joining a focus group discussion from June 16 to June 23.  The discussions are organized around topics/organizations to which Comcast's service is relevant.  Here's the complete focus group schedule.

Comcast has responded rapidly to at least one infrastructure problem in our neighborhood.  But the scope of the discussion includes not just service quality, but also service scope.  Comcast provides important facilities to the school system, the local government, Arlington Independent Media, and other local organizations.  These services and possible additional services are up for discussion.

The Ode Street Tribune believes Comcast should offer open access for community video.  Arlington residents should be able to upload videos to a staging server where they would then be streamed over a special Comcast community video channel.  Responsible use of such a channel could be encouraged by requiring uploaders to provide a verified real name and (Arlington) address.  If necessary, a cap on total video broadcast time per person per month could be established.  Users who uploaded inappropriate content could have their community video broadcast privileges revoked.  To ensure that the video stream is visually interesting, the video server would interweave the three videos on top of the queue in 30-second-maximum serial segments. The resulting video stream would be like a Twitter stream, but with video and with Arlington residents as the predefined follow group.  Such a service would provide a new visual dimension for our Arlington community.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Internet invented in Rosslyn

Another story in Rosslyn's illustrious history of technological leadership is the invention of the Internet in Rosslyn.   A plaque in front of 1400 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn notes:
The ARPANET, a project of the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense, developed the technology that became the foundation for the Internet at this site from 1970 to 1975.
Leading local news sources ARLnow and bArlington have reported that the Internet was invented in Arlington.  Yes, and more precisely, in Rosslyn.  You can count on the Ode Street Tribune to headline the crucial facts.

Our Man in Arlington of the Falls Church News-Press airs some doubts about whether the Internet was invented in Arlington.  According to a special Ode Street Tribune survey, 100% of persons surveyed believe without a doubt that the Internet was invented in Rosslyn.  The Tribune believes that leaves no doubt about the matter.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

surveillance camera in Rosslyn?

This strange pole, which appears to hold a camera and a spot light, is located in Rosslyn on Wilson Blvd, just up from the Lynn St. intersection.   The camera appears to be aimed at the intersection.  The Ode Street Tribune's Investigative Division has been assigned to ascertain the pole's function.  Does anyone know what the pole does?