Ode Street Tribune

Sunday's video

2012-06-03T12:59:00.000-04:00

young artists at Artisphere

2012-06-02T19:48:00.001-04:00

To see a wide variety of highly accessible art, go to Artisphere for works from the Congressional Art Competition. This exhibit displays art of Northern Virginia high-school students competing to have a work displayed in the U.S. Capitol under the sponsorship of Rep. Jim Moran. High-school students typically haven't yet learned to curry favor with art critics. Hence they don't create obscure, ugly work. You will enjoy viewing this art exhibit. Go soon, because the exhibit closes on Sunday, June 17.

Art criticism is even more contentious than politics. But the Ode Street Tribune is not afraid to address controversial issues. We boldly declare that the judging in this art competition lacked artistic sophistication and appreciation for Rosslyn. Pushing aside the official list of award-winners, the Tribune's editorial board unanimously declares that two works are co-winners of the Citizens' Best-in-Show Award.

The first co-winner is Catherine Beall's self-portrait. Beall, a student at TC Williams High School, has created an incredibly creative, engaging work. It is every bit as good as works shown in major galleries of contemporary art. The work pushes traditional materials (acrylic, tempera, paper, and newspaper) and a traditional composition (portraiture) into a volcanic cone of emotions, thoughts, and questions. Part of this uncanny self-portrait is pictured above. See more at Artisphere.

The second co-winner is Sydney Long's Winter in Rosslyn. Long, a student at Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria, is perceptive enough to come to Rosslyn for artistic inspiration. His work captures brilliantly the portentous starkness of Rosslyn in winter on a Friday night. It is a haunting work bringing comfort in being here together. We regret that we cannot identify which tree in Rosslyn is represented. The first reader to correctly identify the tree will win a free, one-year subscription to the Ode Street Tribune.

Rosslyn can have food trucks and restaurants

2012-05-31T20:13:00.000-04:00

The Rosslyn BID has posted a press release related to the controversy over food trucks. The promising concluding paragraph:

“We are optimistic that the Rosslyn community can have multiple exciting choices: both food trucks and restaurants,” says {Rosslyn Retail Task Force Chair} Wright Sigmund. “This issue is not unique to Rosslyn, and we welcome continued dialogue on the topic to make it a win-win for all.”

new houses put up next to Arlington Cemetery

2012-05-30T23:56:00.000-04:00

Two new houses (one pictured above) have been erected right along the fence line for Rosslyn's Arlington National Cemetery. Zoning laws almost surely prohibit putting up residences in that location. Moreover, the large signs on the outer walls of the houses probably violate the Arlington sign regulations.

On the other hand, these houses have some merit. They are relatively low cost. Rosslyn needs more affordable housing. Moreover, Rosslyn is a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community. These houses provide a place for residents who might not otherwise have a roof over their heads.

In a special closed-door session, the Ode Street Tribune's editorial board could not come to an agreement on an authoritative declaration concerning these houses. In accordance with modern democratic practices, the Tribune will thus let the people decide. Cast your vote in the poll below!

Artisphere's Town Hall can be your third place

2012-05-29T23:36:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday afternoon, Annie brought some work and some food to Artisphere's air-conditioned, wifi-equipped Town Hall space. Annie's a photographer who lives across the street from Artisphere. She frequently comes to Artisphere on weekends to do some work. It's like her own, free studio space.

More space is available in Artisphere's Town Hall, which is open whenever Artisphere is open. Put yourself in a space for creative work in the evening or on a weekend afternoon.

be extra careful at Meade St. intersectoins

2012-05-28T21:43:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday afternoon, a bus collided with a car turning onto Meade St. from the Rt. 50 exit ramp. Accidents frequently occur at the intersections on both sides of the Meade St. bridge. Improvements to these intersections are moving forward. But until the new stoplights are installed, be extra careful at these intersections.

Sunday's video

2012-05-27T12:02:00.002-04:00

benches return to Rosslyn park

2012-05-26T16:45:00.000-04:00

One of Rosslyn's hard-working freelance reporters has observed that park benches have returned to Rosslyn's Arlington Ridge (Iwo Jima) Park. She writes:

Rosslyn is full of fit people who jog in the Iwo Jima park frequently and like to spend time taking some rest after the workout. Travelers also visit the park who have a busy agenda which also includes watching DC's colorful skyline from this park. Family members come along with their kids and pets as well as couples like to enjoy the romantic feel of the park. With the benches re-appearing in the park, Rosslyn residents and travelers now have an additional option of sitting on the benches other than the comfy Savannah-type grassland.

Take a leisurely walk in Rosslyn and enjoy some time sitting on these benches.

Shady Brook Farms still injecting salt and sugar

2012-05-24T22:50:00.000-04:00

Rosslyn's Safeway is still selling Shady Brook Farms adulterated "all natural" turkey chops. According to very fine print on the Shady package, the chops have been injected with up to 10% solution containing salt and sugar.

More than a year ago, the Ode Street Tribune got a taste of this food outrage. The Tribune posted an exposé and called on the massive multinational corporation Cargill (which controls the Shady Brook Farms brand) to stop this shady turkey selling. Unfortunately, the Cargill Corporation has not yet yielded to the Ode Street Tribune's righteous demand.

The Tribune believes in the power of the Fourth Estate. As long as those turkey chops remain poorly labeled in the Rosslyn Safeway, the Ode Street Tribune will oppose their sale. Never give up, never surrender.

controversy erupts over Rosslyn food trucks

2012-05-23T23:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Arlnow broke the story that the Rosslyn BID is preparing to recommend to the Arlington County Board to regulate more restrictively food trucks in Rosslyn. These recommendations appear to be intended to protect the economic interests of existing brick-and-mortar restaurants. Good regulation, which can help to make Rosslyn a great place, should promote the interests of Rosslyn more generally.

People should want to be in Rosslyn not just for work, but also all night long. Dinner in a brick-and-mortar restaurant often is the start of a fun night. Some restaurants, like most food trucks, are around only for lunch. Because brick-and-mortar restaurants have a major comparative advantage in serving dinner, competition with food trucks is likely to push brick-and-mortar restaurants towards including dinner service. Good eating regulation should consider not just the viability of brick-and-mortar restaurants in competition with food trucks, but also the lunch-dinner balance among brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Anyone who has walked around in exciting foreign locations such as Crystal City, Dupont Circle, Alexandria, and Georgetown can easily see that restaurants benefit from clustering. Because a bigger cluster of eating options attracts a larger pool of patrons, competitive eating options nearby can mean more business for each establishment, not less. Given Rosslyn's great accessibility, beautiful scenery, and friendly people, Rosslyn's food businesses have much potential for growth. Rosslyn's current collection of food trucks have attracted lunch patrons interest in Rosslyn. Building on that attraction, rather than destroying it, would be far-sighted public policy.

The Ode Street Tribune sympathizes with local brick-and-mortar restaurants. Their difficulties are just like the difficulties in local news enterprises. Every day foreign news pours into Rosslyn, distracting residents with stories of a man masturbating in Clarendon, a scandal in the DC city council, a suicide bombing in Yemen, or a train wreck in India. This isn't news you can use and news that improves your life. Nonetheless, fine, under-appreciated local news sources have to compete with outsiders driving such news into Rosslyn. A vibrant community depends on support for locally rooted enterprises. The Ode Street Tribune strongly favor locally rooted brick-and-mortar restaurants and news sources that cook their stories right here in Rosslyn.

While conflict is part of human reality, possibilities for cooperation between Rosslyn food trucks and Rosslyn brick-and-mortar restaurants should be fully explored. Have Rosslyn food truck operators been invited to join the Rosslyn BID? How about encouraging Rosslyn food truck operators to partner with Rosslyn brick-and-mortar restaurants to co-market food? The Rosslyn food industry is in a difficult transition period. The entrepreneurial spirit and business flexibility of food trucks could help Rosslyn brick-and-mortar restaurants increase their business profiles, expand their distribution, and shift their sit-down businesses up-market. Rosslyn should be looking forward, not striving to preserve the status quo.

vibrant world of art in Crystal City

2012-05-23T01:03:00.000-04:00

Rosslyn's younger sister city Crystal is hosting a massive, free Artomatic art festival through June 23. If you're running back and forth in your well-worn rut and need some new inspiration and new ideas, you'll find wonders at Artomatic. If you're just looking for something to do, go to Artomatic as many times as you have empty evenings. Artomatic is like Artisphere, but hundreds of times bigger. That means that you are nearly certain to find art that makes you say "wow", that makes you smile, that makes you think, and that makes you feel good inside.

At Artomatic you can find an amazing room installation in which Nate Lewis connects the body to music. Lewis works as a Registered Nurse at the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at the Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church. He has found artistic inspiration in his job:

The first thing that I drew for fun was a cluster of red blood cells. Why red blood cells? Partly because I love anatomy and physiology , the design, the processes, the architecture, the relationships of the different systems and hierarchies within the body, the precise, calculated nature of it all, it never ceases to amaze me. ... Also because it's something that the naked eye cannot see and I often find the most meaning in aspects of life that I cannot see. Lastly because from a scanning electron microscope image they look really cool and red and blobby.

Just a few minutes in Lewis' room installation will help you to find art in your job.

Tom Noll shows lyrical possibilities in bending rebar. Rebar is typically used to re-enforce concrete or stone-block structures, such as bomb-proof raised beds for gardening. However, rebar can also be beautifully bent and hold up curiously shaped rocks in unusual positions. Noll's installation of his sculptures at Artomatic nicely contrasts with the regular structure of the buildings beyond the wall of his work. Construct the extraordinary from the usual!

On Artomatic's opening night, a long line of persons eagerly waited to enter. Artomatic is expected to attract 80,000 visitors to Crystal City. That's great for local economic development. More generally, design, creativity, and innovation are keys to economic development in post-mass-production economies. Speaking at Artomatic's opening, Ivan Duque of the Inter-American Development Bank described Artomatic as democratization of the arts and an important engine of economic development. He said that he favors bringing events like Artomatic to South America. The Ode Street Tribune favors bringing events like Artomatic to Rosslyn.

Rosslyn superhero rides vintage-1885 bicycle

2012-05-21T20:44:00.000-04:00

At the Rosslyn stop for last Friday's Bike to Work Day, a guy dressed in a batman costume was riding a small unicycle. Another guy dressed as superman was riding a miniature bicycle. They were entertaining. But there was a real superhero at the Rosslyn stop. With a heavy pack on his back, Tom S. rides a vintage-1885 bicycle to work in Rosslyn. He's sixty-one-years old, has served in the Army for more than three decades, and recently returned from Afghanistan. His Airborne jersey accurate indicates the toughness necessary to ride his bike. He's ridden this bike on a hundred-mile ride.

Tom's bike puts the rider atop a wheel that has roughly a five-foot diameter. The rider's legs on the pedals directly crank the wheel. So, going downhill, the wheel directly cranks the rider's legs. The bike has a brake that pushes against the solid-rubber tire. The brake is essentially non-functional. The bike's balance is delicate and close to that of a unicycle. Hitting a bump, flying forward off the bike, and dying historically has been a significant risk for riders of this type of bicycle.

Tom offered the Ode Street Tribune's intrepid reporter a chance to take a seat on his bike. With a helpful boost from Tom, the Tribune's reporter rose above the crowd and sat atop the huge wheel. Wow! Great view. Also nice position for a front dive. How am I gonna get off this bike? All you have to do is blindly reach a leg backwards to step on a small frame peg just above the tiny rear wheel. With someone holding the bike steady and with a hand supporting your back, dismounting safely isn't too difficult.

Bicycling is for everyone. Riding a vintage-1885 Victory Bicycle to work is only for a superhero.

Sunday's video

2012-05-20T12:23:00.000-04:00

Rosslyn largest stop for Bike to Work Day

2012-05-19T14:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's Bike to Work Day attracted 12,700 pre-registrants and probably many more unregistered, beautiful-weather cyclists. The event included 58 gathering stops for cyclists to get more information on bike commuting, pickup safety gear, get bike repairs, and to socialize and enjoy some refreshments and entertainment. The most attractive stop across the whole metropolitan area was the Rosslyn stop. With its location at the hub of trails traversing the region, Rosslyn attracted over 1000 bike commuters to its Gateway Park stop.

BikeArlington program manager Chris Eatough was at the Rosslyn stop. Eatough won six solo 24-hour world mountain-biking titles. He told the Ode Street Tribune that bike riding is for everyone. You don't have to race or ride for 24-hours straight. Just get on a bike, get some fresh air and exercise, and ponder ways you can do that instead of burning gas in your car and fighting traffic. Whether you're wide or skinny, old or young, whether you're black or white or yellow or feeling blue, bike riding will help save the planet and make you happier. Start rolling!

Rosslyn's wild side bears fruit

2012-05-17T22:57:00.000-04:00

A top-ranked Rosslyn freelance reporter has uncovered wild berries growing just a short distance from Rosslyn's celebrated wild flowers. When persons around the world think of Rosslyn, they usually think of strawberries. But Rosslyn actually offers a variety of berries. A major reason that so many people come here is that Rosslyn is juicy.

In other local news today, man once again triumphs over machine. Biking home from work, Fred went by me, but I held onto his wheel until the Marshall Dr. climb, and then surged. His bike motor couldn't match my leg power.

new bikeshare stations

2012-05-16T23:16:00.002-04:00

The Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) bikeshare station partially installed in N. Meade St. Park apparently isn't going to be fully installed. That pleases some area residents, and saddens others. However, a bikeshare station is now planned for slightly further south on N. Meade St. The new proposed location, like the old one, will provide ready access to Rosslyn's majestic Arlington Ridge Park.

In addition, a new bikeshare station has been approved for installation on the south side of the Queen St. bridge over Rt. 50. A new bikeshare station already has been installed on the north side, slightly up 15th St., at the intersection of 15th St. and N. Scott St.

CaBi bikes are getting a lot of use. They're lessening motor vehicle traffic, lessening environmental harms, and making riders happy. Overall, the CaBi bikeshare system has been a great success.

Bike to Work Day is this Friday. The Rosslyn pit stop in Gateway Park will be filled with bikes and riders from 6:30am to 9am. There's likely to be a lot of competition for the CaBi bikes, so if you want one, you will probably have to ride to work early.

tree saved from English ivy

2012-05-15T20:36:00.001-04:00

A tree that English ivy was attacking has been chainsawed to the ground and its rootless trunk and limbs dragged off. The tree unquestionably was alive. It was old, and the weight of unresolved neighborhood problems and bitter controversies had hunched over its trunk. Yet light still glittered in the green of its leaves. No more.

While removing this tree wasn't necessary to make way for the children's playground forthcoming in Ft. Myer Heights Park, Arlington County arborists recommended its removal. The Ode Street Tribune sought a second opinion from our neighbor Urban Forestry expert. He concurred with the tree's removal:

The tree is still leafing out but it appears about 40% of the remaining canopy/branches are dead (some of which hang over the park bench). It also has significant trunk damage and lost a large limb last year, and is a relatively undesirable species (Silver Maple) Rather than maintain a tree now in severe decline better to plant a new one nearby- the sooner that is done the sooner the new one can start growing. So I would just make sure that the tree is replaced with a new one once the playground work is completed.

That is an expert opinion. The Ode Street Tribune believes that everyone is entitled to have a well-informed opinion. The Tribune believes that the old and disabled are important parts of our community and should not be removed.

Rosslyn as Media Central

2012-05-14T21:48:00.000-04:00

ABC7's award-winning evening news team Leon Harris and Alison Starling are featured guests at Artisphere this Tuesday evening for the opening event in Rosslyn's Rooms with a View series. Harris and Starling anchor evening news from the ABC7 television studio in downtown Rosslyn. One part of this major news operation is on view from the lobby of 1100 Wilson Blvd. They've got impressive hardware -- many screens, large keyboards, a lot of knobs, and huge cameras. Moreover, according to the feature article in the new issue of Rosslyn Magazine, Leon Harris knows how to operate all of it.

Both Harris and Starling have extensive experience in the traditional news business. Harris came to Washington after 20 years at CNN’s Atlanta Headquarters, where he co-anchored “CNN Live Today” and “Prime News,” and hosted “CNN Presents” and “American Stories.” Starling anchored “Good Morning Washington” and ABC 7 News at Noon from 2004 to 2011. Prior to working at ABC7, Starling also has the experience as a reporter at WDEF-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and KIRO-TV in Seattle, Washington.

This year's Rooms with a View series is subtitled "Rosslyn as Media Central." An event this summer will have as guest Alex Orfinger, publisher of the Washington Business Journal, and this fall, Mike Allen, Chief White House Correspondent for POLITICO. Due to a staff shortage and a large backlog of local news, the Ode Street Tribune is not able to participate in this interesting series.

Sunday's video

2012-05-13T12:21:00.000-04:00

entrepreneurs enlarge horizons at Artisphere

2012-05-12T18:37:00.000-04:00

About 500 entrepreneurs gathered at Artisphere today to ponder, discuss, and develop new business ideas. Arlington Economic Development and the DC-Maryland-Virginia entrepreneur community foster.ly organized this sold-out event. Artisphere's creative atmosphere and Rosslyn's open-sky views provided an auspicious setting for imagining the next great thing. In the evening, the event scheduled in Artisphere's ballroom the DC band Two Car Living Room, and in Artisphere's Dome Theater, a showing of the feature-length documentary CTRL+ALT+COMPETE. The latter "takes a revealing look at the startup and emerging business scene through the eyes of five founders and their teams."

This afternoon at the event, the Ode Street Tribune spoke with Kenneth, the creator of the new online dating service, Spring Candy. Kenneth said that his service is better than other online dating services because it is completely free and he pledges that it will always be completely free. The service is ad-supported, but Kenneth said that, unlike other sites, his service keeps profiles private and does not demand that users reveal any personal information that they do not want to reveal. The service politely and amusingly requests, "Please use your real age, it's important for accurate Chinese astrology compatibility information!" Kenneth said that he wanted to get to know other tech developers so that he could try to recruit them when his business expands.

Chris Seline, founder of the Twitter picture search service twicsy, was at the event to uncover ideas and form new relationships. He discussed new ideas for enabling users to socialize with photos and pointed to Doodle or Die as an example of such a service. Instagram is an amazing example of a photo-social service that was launched in Oct. 2010, became hugely popular, and was acquired by Facebook for $1 billion last month. The Ode Street Tribune wishes Chris such success and hopes that he will support fine online local news if he becomes a billionaire.

Recent Stanford University graduate and life-long resident of the greater Rosslyn area Artemio Rivera was at the event to meet persons with whom he might like to work. He's lived in Brazil, Mexico, Japan and Germany, and is fluent in English, Spanish, French, German, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and C. He's highly articulate and creative. Having persons like Artemio develop a deeper connection to Rosslyn is great for Rosslyn.

sign of price inflation

2012-05-10T23:18:00.001-04:00

A leading macroeconomic indicator of inflation is the price of drying a load of laundry in the historically important Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums. A sign in the laundry room declares that the price will rise from $1.25 to $1.50 on or about May 17. The cause of the rise is listed as "fuel costs". This increase suggests that the Federal Reserve's policy of quantitative easing is generating some inflation. To save money, do your laundry as soon as possible.

cultivated and wild flowers in Rosslyn

2012-05-09T22:52:00.001-04:00

The flower beds near Rosslyn's Netherlands Carillon are famous for magnificent tulip displays. But flowers aren't just confined to those beds. Flowers are blooming everywhere in Rosslyn.

More foliage is in the ground pushing upwards. Carole Bernard's excellent Back Story in this spring's edition of Rosslyn Magazine reveals that Rosslyn BID has in its spring planting rotation 7,000 plants and flowers. Forthcoming foliage includes 'Black Beauty' elephant's ears, 'Red Head' coleus, and 'Polka Dot' vinca. This must-read article reveals:

A gorgeous mix of blossoms -- primary reds in the median beds with tropicals and grasses throughout -- are on their way. Terra cotta planters will pop with Pennisetum Fireworks and 'Wildfire' verbena and 'White Queen' caladiums will provide contrast and texture.

Wilson Boulevard will be lined with tree pits dressed in blazing Red Begonias, and Metro Park will shine with Variegated Ginger and 'Dragon Wing' begonias.

Get the full story in the new issue of Rosslyn Magazine. This new issue was available at yesterday's Rosslyn Renaissance meeting. Rosslyn-area residents should look for it coming in the mail soon. Everyone else across the world will be able to read it on the web.

In addition to cultivated beauty, Rosslyn also has a wild side. A freelance reporter recently forwarded to the Ode Street Tribune a photo of wild flowers growing in Rosslyn along the Virginia-Rosslyn-Washington pedestrian-bike superhighway. In upstate New York more than three decades ago, kids liked such flowers and called them 'buttercups.' Today in the Rosslyn metropolitan area, commuters are so busy rushing to work that they bike right by these flowers and don't even notice them. That's sad. Take time to notice Rosslyn's flowers!

Rosslyn Renaissance merges into Rosslyn BID

2012-05-08T23:55:00.000-04:00

The public-private partnership Rosslyn Renaissance officially merged into the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) today at its final annual meeting. Rosslyn Renaisance was created in 1991 to promote Rosslyn, to serve as a clearinghouse for information on Rosslyn development projects, and to help implement the Rosslyn Area Plan Addendum. The Rosslyn BID is carrying forward these objectives.

Rosslyn has a promising future. Congressman Jim Moran spoke at the meeting and described Rosslyn as one of the most exciting areas in the nation's capital region. He called Rosslyn "the gateway into the new Dominion." Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes praised the Rosslyn Renaissance for promoting the sort of community engagement that the PLACE Initiative seeks to advance more broadly. She read an Arlington County Board Proclamation declaring May 8, 2012, Rosslyn Renaissance Day. Rosslyn BID Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy, who helped to found the Rosslyn Renaissance, received 21 red roses in appreciation for her efforts across that many years. As another Rosslyn Renaissance leader mentioned in discussion afterwards, before the Rosslyn Renaissance the iconic image of Rosslyn was pole dancing, after the Rosslyn Renaissance, it is Cecilia Cassidy.

Rosslyn's future isn't an office park offering cheaper commercial footage than across the river in Washington. With an inviting new Gateway Park, the luminous corridor of light, vibrant theater and art, a pedestrian walkway to Teddy Roosevelt Island, unrivaled views of the capital monuments, and a majestic and convenient route to the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Netherlands Carillon, and Arlington National Cemetery, Rosslyn will be a prominent, flagship place in Arlington. It will be a place more vibrant and prestigious than Georgetown.

Good things are happening in Rosslyn. Be part of the change.

North Meade Street Park improvement

2012-05-08T00:02:00.000-04:00

A vintage wooden chair, painted in a soothing green, has been added to North Meade Street Park. It nicely complements the public chairs introduced last summer into downtown Rosslyn. The freelance reporter who submitted this photo noted that sitting in this chair is "as good as sitting in the Central Park chair in Manhattan." For those who prefer Rosslyn to be more like Manhattan than like San Francisco, this chair is an especially welcomed addition to the park.

Sunday's video

2012-05-06T12:11:00.001-04:00