Saturday, June 29, 2013

everything wrong sign is wrong

An "everything is wrong" sign has been wrongly installed under Rosslyn's Westmoreland Pedestrian Overpass for Rt. 50.  The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has wrongly installed the nearby digital traffic message sign.  A "welcome to DC" sign in Rosslyn is also wrong.  However, Elvis appearing at the Rosslyn pit stop for Bike-to-Work Day was profoundly right.

Everything is not wrong.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

trees worth more than parking spaces


A few years ago, Rosslyn's VirginianSuites replaced roughly ten parking spaces with trees.  That was a bold, farsighted move.  The VirginianSuites parking lot is now much, much nicer with these beautiful trees.  More work is currently ongoing in the VirginianSuites parking lot. This work will probably provide further natural, green landscaping.  Can you afford not to plant trees?

secret frozen yogurt shop open in Rosslyn

 A FroZenYo frozen yogurt shop has opened at 1735 N. Lynn St. in Rosslyn.  The shop is about 100 feet towards Key Bridge from the entrance to Chipotle at the intersection of Lynn & Wilson.  It's easy to miss because it doesn't have a prominent sign.  Hours of operation are Monday-Thursday, 7am to 10pm; Friday, 7am to 11pm; Saturday, 8am to 11pm; and Sunday, 8am to 9pm.  Frozen yogurt is another good reason to take a walk downtown Rosslyn.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Georgetown seeks better connection to Rosslyn

Georgetown is exploring the idea of a gondola to better connect Georgetown to Rosslyn.  It's not surprising that the aging Georgetown would like to hook up with dynamic and vibrant Rosslyn.  The Georgetown Metropolitan reports:
The idea would be to better connect Rosslyn with Georgetown University. Stringing a system between those to points could potentially move a great deal of individuals. Georgetown estimates that its GU-Rosslyn GUTS bus route carries over 700,000 riders a year.
But why just connect Georgetown University to Rosslyn?  All of Georgetown would benefit from being better connected to Rosslyn.  The demand is certainly there.  Persons are so keen to get to Rosslyn from Georgetown that they will walk across Key Bridge in a snowstorm.

Moreover, the most scenic route for a gondola would connect the Georgetown Waterfront Park to Roosevelt Island and then to the center of downtown Rosslyn.  Persons from Georgetown and Rosslyn could then enjoy the beautiful natural environment of Roosevelt Island and then move on to the excitement and energy of downtown Rosslyn.

facade work forthcoming on Westmoreland 1303

At tonight's condo board meeting for the historically important Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums, the condo board approved spending $111,000 for Culbertson to repair the facade of building 1303.  The work should begin within two months and will create some minor inconveniences for residents.

The board also decided to move forward with installing a new roof surface for one of the buildings.  The building chosen for roof repair will be determined after review of the records of leaks.  A contract for the roof repair will be put out to bid.

Due to recent court decisions, the condo bylaws need to be amended to allow the condo association to recover legal fees associated with collecting on delinquent accounts.  Approval of this amendment will require assent from 75% of condo owners.

All condo owners should have received in the mail a copy of the adopted budget for fiscal year June 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014.  Condo fees for this fiscal year have risen 3.77%.  Total projected expense to year-end 05/31/12 were $451,585.  The largest expense items within those expense are utilities ($77,830), landscaping and janitorial services ($60,946), building repair and maintenance ($50,000), property and liability insurance ($34,036), payroll for onsite maintenance and management personnel ($52,934), and Zalco management fees ($58,668).   The mailed budget shows projected year-end excess of expense over income of $29,859.  At today's meeting, Zalco property manager Lenard Goldbaum reported that the year-end figure actually turned out to be a slight surplus of income over expenses.

Attending this month's condo board meeting were resident Douglas; condo board members José Calvo, Joe Ruland, and Gretchen Sprehe; and Zalco property manager Lenard Goldbaum.  The next regularly scheduled condo board meeting will be on Monday, July 29.

Update: I've corrected the building number for the facade work.  That building includes the manager's office (1314).  The general number for the whole building is 1303.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Wilson School to be sold to developer

The Arlington School Board intends to sell Rosslyn's Wilson School to a developer.  That means that Wilson School is likely to be demolished.   A planning study, which will include community input, has been established to develop a conceptual plan for redevelopment of Wilson School, Fire Station 10, and some adjacent housing.  The planning study will include an interactive, public planning discussion early this September.

Wilson School has been demolished in DuBois, Pennsylvania, in Enid, Oklahoma, in Monroe, Ohio, and probably many other places as well.  Wilson School is just a building.  What really matters is people and organizations.

The Mongolian School of the National Capital Area must be kept in Rosslyn.  That world-renowned school has been based in Wilson School since 2007.  Rosslyn has deep ties to Mongolia. Mongolians are honored residents of Rosslyn.  Mongolians in Rosslyn are crucial to Rosslyn's future expansion.

Selling Wilson School shouldn't raise concern about old bricks.  The key public issue is Mongolians' importance to Rosslyn's future empire.  The Mongolian School of the National Capital Area must be kept in Rosslyn.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Tribune's printing division in trouble

The Ode Street Tribune's printing division, long affectionately known as the ink-stained wretches, had its self-esteem squeezed further today.  The Tribune's recent blockbuster exposé of a squirrel eating mushrooms generated a reader request to provide a spore print of the mushrooms.  The Managing Editor reported to the Publisher that the newsroom did not have a mushroom spore-printing technician.  The Publisher, enraged, screamed, "Tell the f**ckers in the f**cking print division to print it, or their asses are gonna be in cement, get it?" He then hurled a pencil eraser, two dominoes, and a pack of cards at the befuddled Managing Editor, who quickly retreated to the news room.

The Managing Editor sent a memo to the printing division requesting an immediate spore print. The printing division produced the above spore print. It appears to be a print of mushrooms turning into gooey blobs.  Management isn't going to like this.

The Tribune's printing division has been struggling to maintain its importance. For nearly six months the division has been working on forming a committee to explore the publisher's idea of "inkless printing."  Management has received reports that the Ode Street Tribune's competitors are replacing printing presses with internets.  No one in the printing division knows how to operate an internet.  If the Tribune also purchases internets, layoffs are inevitable.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

improvements to Meade St. along Rosslyn Vista Park

A complete-street makeover to Meade St. to the Rosslyn Vista Park section of Meade St. is coming this summer.  From an Arlington County community relations specialist:
This summer, Arlington County is making changes to N. Meade Street between the Arlington Boulevard Bridge (Route 50) and Marshall Drive. These improvements are intended to make N. Meade Street a “complete street” – to better accommodate all road users including pedestrians, bicyclists, and motor vehicle traffic. Specific changes include:
  • A bicycle lane will be added to N. Meade Street between the Arlington Boulevard Bridge (Route 50) and Marshall Drive
  • Improved crosswalk markings and signage at the intersection of N. Meade Street and 14th Street North
  • Improved lane channelization markings at the intersections within the corridor
No changes to parking are planned as part of these improvements, and they will not affect the capacity of the intersections. The narrowed lanes should have a calming effect on motor vehicle traffic, and the bicycle lanes will improve the mobility of bicyclists through the corridor. We expect the changes to be completed by the end of summer. Questions can be directed to the County’s project manager, David Kirschner, Traffic Engineer, at dkirschner@arlingtonva.us.
The Ode Street Tribune's journalist, with boots on the ground and notebook in hand, brings you more information about street work.
Notice the new, white markings on the street.  Recently the nearby 12th St. and 14th St. were repaved. The Tribune's investigative journalist speculates that this section of N. Ft. Myer Dr. will also soon be repaved.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

squirrel eating wild mushrooms

This evening at Rosslyn's historically important Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums, a squirrel was munching on wild mushrooms.  The Ode Street Tribune's recent report on wild mushrooms in Rosslyn declared that only mushroom experts who know Latin should eat mushrooms they find in the wild.  This squirrel undoubtedly doesn't know Latin.  Hence it doesn't know the genus and species of the mushroom.  Without scientific identification, edible mushrooms can't be scientifically distinguished from poisonous mushrooms.  This squirrel may be facing a much more painful death than the two neighborhood hawks that died in tragic aerial accidents.

To serve veterinarians providing emergency care for squirrels who have eaten poisonous mushrooms, the Tribune is appending three pictures of the mushrooms that the squirrel was eating.  Keep in mind, however, that there is no substitute for boots-on-the-ground, direct observation of mushrooms and local news.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Rosslyn implementing leading public tech

A new, high-tech parking meter has been installed on Rosslyn's Lynn St.  The meter accepts cash, credit cards, and debit cards, and can converse in at least four languages.  Rosslyn Metro is similarly implementing state-of-the-art fare card management machines.  Of course, all this technology is unnecessary if you just ride your bike.

Friday, June 14, 2013

celebrating Rosslyn's shoreside location

The Heavy Seas Alehouse coming to Rosslyn underscores Rosslyn's premiere position along the shore of the Potomac River.  This nautical orientation has received extra color through yarn-bomb art near Central Space.  Moreover, the SUPERNOVA performance art festival included "Beach Whispers," a beach installation along Rosslyn's Lynn St.  "Beach Whispers" featured an acoustic visual guide and blinged-out beach chairs.  The artists, Annette Isham and Zac Willis, distributed through backpack galleries elegant invitations to their Lynn St. beach oasis.  Go there in your mind.
The new non-motorized boathouse must be located in Rosslyn. It's now time to move forward with that project.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Heavy Seas Alehouse coming to Rosslyn

Heavy Seas Alehouse, a Baltimore-based craft brewery, has signed a lease to open a brew pub in Rosslyn at 1501 Wilson Blvd, next to Roti.  Rosslyn's colorful local history and Potomac shore-side location adds to the storied character of Heavy Seas Alehouse.  Moreover, participants in Rosslyn local planning discussions have repeatedly declared their interest in having a good place to go for a drink.  That important need will be realized when the Heavy Seas Alehouse opens, probably by year-end.

The Ode Street Tribune's journalist worked diligently to extract this exclusive scope from a credible source.  More opportunities for drinking in the neighborhood will help to promote local investigative journalism.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Smolkin describes non-stop news work


At tonight's annual meeting of the Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights Civic Association (RAFOM), POLITICO Deputy Managing Editor Rachel Smolkin described non-stop news reporting on important, fast-breaking political stories.  Journalists at POLITICO, the Ode Street Tribune, and other major Rosslyn-based news organizations work very hard to ensure that their readers are among the best-informed persons in their respective areas of expertise.  Everyone should honor, praise,and financially support journalists.

Other news from the meeting:
  • While POLITICO's owner is selling WJLA, no decision has been made about whether POLITICO will move from Rosslyn.  Smolkin said she likes working in Rosslyn.  That's not news to persons well-informed about Rosslyn.
  • Michael McMenamin, newly elected president of the Arlington Civic Federation, is welcoming input to the Civic Federation on priorities for county government. 
  • Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall Commander Colonel Fern Sumpter spoke about effects of the upcoming furlough operation period, July 8 to Sept. 30.  The furlough will not effect services for retirees, the Twilight Tattoo, and other community-related services.
  • Discussions concerning the future of Wilson School are entering a critical period.  Residents who want to add their voice to the discussion should contact Arlington County planning staff promptly.
  • The RAFOM nominating committee put forward the current slate of RAFOM officers for another, two-year term.  No nominations were received from attendees at the meeting.  Current officers were re-elected by acclamation.

Monday, June 10, 2013

mushrooms flourishing in Rosslyn

Mushrooms have recently been popping up around Rosslyn. The mushroom above is growing at the base of a large oak on the grounds of the historically important Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums.  So too is the mushroom below. 
Many wild mushrooms are not edible.  Some are poisonous.  None, however, has ever bitten an observer.  So there is no danger in finding and observing mushrooms.

Proper identification of wild mushrooms, however, requires expert knowledge, a numerous microscopes, and Latin for the genius and species.  If you don't know Latin, don't try to collect wild mushrooms. 

Sunday, June 9, 2013

SUPERNOVA brings new creative visions to Rosslyn

Amid Rosslyn's spectacular built environment, the most important constructions remain flesh-and-blood, breathing humans.  Hector Canonge's poignant SUPERNOVA performance "Hombre de Barro" involved Canonge drenching himself in white paint.  At the end of the performance, he removed his paint-drenched clothes to show true human flesh.
Anyone who doubts the value of performance art would have benefited from Daniel Embree's blessing booth.  Persons could enter Embree's booth one by one and receive a blessing from Embree.  Admission was free.
Rosslyn is home to several important media companies.  With the rise of the Internet, media companies have an urgent need to innovateStephanie Barber & Bonnie Jones's performance, "A New Collaboration in Translation & Aliveness," explored new, more interactive understandings of writing:
Our bodies, memories, poetries, personal histories, political and national histories, religions, race, and idiosyncratic perceptions are inserted into a physical and real space occupied by an equally complex audience. The performance is a document created within the constraint of liveness, of being in relation to each other as performers and as audience members. Each performance is unique and is never repeated.
The Ode Street Tribune has formed a committee to study Barber & Jones's work and to formulate for its journalists new guidelines for personal interactivity in news article production.
Rachel Schmidt and collaborators brought art to the people with backpack galleries.  You don't have to go to an art gallery to see art.  Much public art can be seen around the streets of Rosslyn.  Backpack galleries, like food trucks, economically put more art on the street.  That attracts more art lovers and creates more interest in public art, not less.
Andil Gosine was activating memories in exchanges with passers-by.  He asked triggering questions apparently meant to have something to do with love.  He asked one guy, "When did your heart skip a beat?" The guy wrote something about bike racing and his buddy passing him on a tough climb. Gosine gave in exchange, "The plane dropped.  I grabbed your hand."
Katya Grokhovsky wandered around Gateway Park with a decorated box over her head in a performance entitled "The Lovely Immigrant."  Some people avoided her and looked at her strangely.  Rosslyn residents, in contrast, typically reach out and greet their neighbors, even if they look different.

Sunday is sadly the last day of SUPERNOVA.  Let's hope that another festival like this explodes in Rosslyn in the future.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

SUPERNOVA lights up Rosslyn

Rosslyn's ongoing, free performance art festival SUPERNOVA is bringing new light to Rosslyn's unique spaces and vistas.  Stephanie Miracle took over the now-closed Rosslyn Metro Dry cleaners for an exquisite, intimate performance.  Her performance group's "Seen Seeing" reflected through movement and mirrors different sides of work in low-paid service occupations such as dry cleaning and journalism.  When you drop off your clothes for dry cleaning, do you ever think about the workers cleaning your clothes?  When you pull up a fine local news source with your morning cappucino, do you ever think of the journalists out indefatigably walking their beats, irrespective of the weather, to bring you news?  Everyone who saw "Seen Seeing" will.

A common feature of festivals is face-painting for kids.  SUPERNOVA went for a much bigger canvas with Reuben Breslar's belly-painting, back-painting, and other parts-of-body painting.  When you think of Rosslyn, think of a big canvas.
Leah Rafael Ceriello sat, blindfolded and silent, for seven hours in Rosslyn's Crandal Mackey Park.  Her installation included chairs and blindfolds for those who wished to join her for awhile.  She was a vessel of peace and calmness amid the frenzy of SUPERNOVA.
In Freedom Park, Armando Lopez-Bircann and partner alternated masculine/aggressive wrestling with effeminate/affectionate posing.  The piece challenged stereotypes of men and homosexuality.
Patrick McDonough worked a 10-hour day painting the grass white in upper Gateway Park (he'll be back tomorrow to finish the job). Some people paint their grass green. That's fake in a deceptive way. McDonough said that white grass looks like snow, and he likes snow. That's honest performance art work on a hot day.
Lindsay Rowinski and Kat Sotelo were selling artifacts from their past performances.  They had for sale original items from performances, facsimiles of items from performances, and commemorative box sets.  Prices were reasonable, and they were willing to haggle.  Rowinski and Sotelo will be offering their wares again on Sunday. Buy yourself a piece of performance art.
J.J. McCracken finished her epic, 24-hour performance at Rosslyn's Dark Star Park early this evening.  Rosslyn's Dark Star Park is famous among land artists and Grateful Dead fans.  McCracken's unforgettable performance will add to the eternal fame of Dark Star Park.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Special Edition: SUPERNOVA explodes in Rosslyn

The SUPERNOVA free performance art festival is dazzling Rosslyn.  Amid the unique and stunning vistas from Dark Star Park, JJ McCracken has immersed herself in the natural cadences of passing time.  Kids are digging her performance, especially her sun-reflecting suit of mirrors.  She will circle the park through a cosmic, 24-hour performance.  Don't miss it.


If you passed through the Rosslyn metro this workday, you could have gotten some free praise from the clowns of Borealis Theatre.  Getting some negativity from them would have cost you $1.  In most other metros, negativity comes for free, while you have to work hard for praise.  Look around Rosslyn for other well-priced retail offerings.

Kathryn Cornelius put in an impressive 8-hour work day operating a do-nothing machine.  Every job has tasks that you just have to grind through.  Some jobs are nothing but such tasks.  Cornelius's performance showed how to walk though drudgery with highly professional and preter-humanly stolid resolve.
Brian Feldman spent Friday wondering around Rosslyn in his bathrobe.  Don't try this yourself if you think your robe's waist-tie is likely to slip.  Persons are jailed for years for offenses like that.


Jeffrey Cudlin gave an inspiring performance of determination to get to Rosslyn from Georgetown.  Dressed in full climbing gear and with a supporting team of belayers, he climbed from Georgetown across Key Bridge to arrive at the center of Rosslyn.  Rotate your perspective ninety degrees and you can imagine a huge climb up from Georgetown to the level of Rosslyn.


Many visitors to Rosslyn remark about feeling a sense of Xanadu.  This isn't just an effect of Artisphere.  Rosslyn's unique spaces and features evoke imbricated worlds.  Nabeela Vega performed movement between worlds in a swimming pool set up near Rosslyn's church over the gas station.  When you're in Rosslyn, you are free to be in a another world.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

rain won't quench SUPERNOVA

The SUPERNOVA free performance art festival begins this Friday in Rosslyn.  The chance of rain is 100%.  That doesn't matter.  Rain will be part of the performances. 

Among the many great artists performing on Friday, look for Erik Hokanson in Rosslyn's Freedom Park at 7pm.  He will be performing water boarding.  He will be tortured by the universe.

Ode Street Tribune management is interested in "The Do Nothing Machine."  Kathryn Cornelius will be managing this important performance in the park across the street from the main entrance to the Rosslyn metro station.  In related performances, Borealis Theare will be performing "Clowns on a Corner" at Central Space.  Brian Feldman will be performing "Really Casual Friday":
Riding the bus, making phone calls, photocopies, having lunch, observing both city life and other artist’s performances – Brian will be doing all of this, and more, while wearing his ultra-soft Turkish cotton bathrobe and Isotoner slippers.

Because a polo shirt and khaki pants just aren’t casual enough.

When you see Brian around Rosslyn, tweet about it using the hashtag #ReallyCasualFriday.
"The Do Nothing Machine," "Clowns on a Corner," and "Really Casual Friday" will take place for the duration of the standard workday, 9am to 5pm.  Come to Rosslyn during the Friday workday to get more of these work experiences into your Friday work day.
 
Sedate, fair-weather performance art aficionados will have lovely weather in Rosslyn this Saturday and Sunday to soak up a deluge of performance art.  Come and see what everyone will be talking about for months.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

green roofs in Rosslyn

From 1973 to 1997, Arlington County acreage with heavy tree cover fell from 36% to 21%.  Rosslyn, with her many majestic buildings, is stepping up to support trees.  For example, Rosslyn's River Place Apartments has a beautiful array of trees on the roof of its building closest to the Potomac River.  A resident told the Ode Street Tribune that about a decade ago buildup of leaves in a drain on the roof caused a leak into his apartment.  Having to rake leaves on your roof is a minor inconvenience compared to the beauty of trees. 

Consider the trees on the roof of Rosslyn's Wooster & Mercer Lofts.  The trees beautifully accent the shape and color of the building.  Get some trees over your head!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

incorrect sign in Rosslyn near Key Bridge

A sign in Rosslyn near Key Bridge declares, "Welcome to Washington DC."  That's false and misleading.  Even in terrible weather, Key Bridge brings a steady stream of persons from Georgetown seeking to get to the creative and innovative shores of Rosslyn.  Soon Rosslyn's corridor of light will welcome these visitors like a torch of liberty.  That sign, which is in Rosslyn, could truthfully declare "Rosslyn Potomac View."

In accordance with the highest journalistic standards for fully reporting the facts, we note that this misleading sign is on the Rosslyn side of Key Bridge next to the road lane leading across Key Bridge to Washington DC.  It's difficult for the Ode Street Tribune's traffic analysis division to understand why there would be any traffic in that lane. But let's assume that some vehicle was in Rosslyn heading on a path across Key Bridge to Washington DC.  It stands to reason that the driver probably wants to get a scenic view of the Rosslyn skyline.  So the sign might best read:
Right on Whitehurst Freeway for Rosslyn Skyline View
Return via Roosevelt Bridge
Mario Lopez, a leading new reporter, is confused about Rosslyn and Washington DC.  Many other persons undoubtedly are also similarly confused.  Making roadside signs correct and helpful would help to end the confusion.

Monday, June 3, 2013

SUPERNOVA in Rosslyn this weekend!!!

Bohemians, scenesters, grandmothers, disoriented cyclists, and many others will converge on Rosslyn this weekend for SUPERNOVA, an explosive, free, three-day performance art festival.  So many times since you were born you've been in bed and it's morning.  You stick one foot on the floor, then another foot, and then position your torso and head over them.  Vertical again.  Same old, same old.

It's time for something different.  Push yourself off balance.  Peer at the world from a different direction.  Just because you're vertical doesn't mean you're awake.  To wake up, you've got to wander around Rosslyn during SUPERNOVA weekend.

SUPERNOVA weekend in Rosslyn is chock-full of staggering performances of heartbreaking genius.  The full program of events is available online.  Performers in SUPERNOVA hail from Rosslyn to Los Angelos, and from countries around the globe: Denmark, Spain, Austria, Sweden, Rosslyn, Canada, and India. Here's some information about one SUPERNOVA performer:
Subject matter for which this artist has very limited knowledge of or expertise in tend to be the basis of his work. Twisting this obvious ignorance of the materials and concepts being examined into an often offensive and naive depiction of an illusory conceptual landscape which can be shared with all often result in misguided, and perhaps dangerously simplistic representations of the world we live in.
 What will you do this weekend?

Saturday, June 1, 2013

sister and brother work together in Rosslyn

Sisters and brothers sometimes are mean to each other and get in fights.  But Rosslyn is different.  To understand the Rosslyn difference, go see the exhibit by sister and brother Amy Hughes Braden and Aaron Hughes, now showing in Artisphere's Mezz Gallery.  This poignant exhibit contains work that Aaron created after he "suffered a repercussion from a minor legal offense" at age 15.  Amy's work puts her brother's work in the context of the more general experience of vulnerable youths like Aaron was at the time of his troubles.

In Rosslyn, sisters and brothers care for each other.