Ode Street Tribune

Arlington's stories: Cathy Schnittker's story

2012-01-26T21:48:00.000-05:00

If you need some personal inspiration, check out Tell Arlington's Story. From there you can read and watch stories of amazing persons who don't just live in Rosslyn, but actually all across Arlington. For example, rejoice in Cathy Schnittker's life of love in action:

Of the unsung heroes and heroines in our midst, many are uncelebrated because of their innate modesty and their commitment to their contributions, not to their glory. None fits this image more than the decidedly humble, yet deeply dedicated, Catherine P. Schnittker.
In an era in which punishment without rehabilitation is the simplistic answer given toward criminal offenders, and so many of our young people are growing up without a sense of direction or a sense of hope, Cathy Schnittker has given up on neither. Instead, for the past two decades, she has guided youthful offenders, along with their adult counterparts, through thought-provoking and meaningful behavioral changes and healthy integration into their communities.
As the founder and coordinator of the community service program of Offender Aid and Restoration of Arlington County, Inc. (OAR), since 1978 Mrs. Schnittker has annually supervised hundreds of individuals as they perform thousands of hours of court-ordered community service. In the past year alone, 645 workers provided over 19,000 hours of service to over 150 non-profit and public agencies in Arlington County and surrounding jurisdictions. This number included 407 juveniles and 238 adults.

Forget about that crazy driver who almost killed you. Arlington has a lot of extraordinarily caring persons.

light up Artisphere every night

2012-01-25T21:09:00.000-05:00

In a brief interview with the Ode Street Tribune last week, Peter Fallon, who is very knowledgeable and active in community development, suggested that Artisphere be lit up every night. The Tribune heartily endorses getting lit. Artisphere needs to raise its profile. Having its sphere glowing every night would make Artisphere into an unmissable Rosslyn landmark.

Lighting up Artisphere would also highlight Rosslyn's artistic leadership in the greater Washington area. The Hirshhorn Museum plans to light up its building with a specially commissioned work every evening for two months starting March 22, 2012. Per square foot and per dollar spent, Artisphere is far more artistically interesting than the Hirshhorn. Let Artisphere's light shine!

Amy Hughes Braden paints tweens at Artisphere

2012-01-24T20:27:00.000-05:00

"I covered my shyness with being mean to people I felt I could bully. I feel bad now ... sorry Rodney." "Smoked + Camped in forest clearing, got spooked by police heli." "I was waaaaay too promiscuous & nobody stopped me." "Angry and lonely ... still am"

Amy Hughes Braden has set up studio in Artisphere's Works-in-Progress. She's working on portraits of tweens. You can participate in this art by talking with her and sharing experience on the Works-in-Progress Gallery's huge blackboard. Braden's paintings will be in an upcoming 2013 Artisphere show.

Garvey pedals to victory in Democratic primary

2012-01-23T20:57:00.001-05:00

Libby Garvey rode to a big win in the Arlington County Democratic Committee's caucus that concluded this past Saturday. With her victory, Garvey became the Democratic candidate in the special election, upcoming on March 27, for a seat on the Arlington County Board.

While Arlington school crowding and the proposed Columbia Pike streetcar were major issues in the election, an informed observer attributed Garvey's impressive victory to her experience. "When setting multi-modal transportation policy," he explained, "there's no substitute for on-bike experience. Garvey's on-bike experience gave her the decisive edge in this important election."

Vote tally from the Arlington County Democratic Committee:

Libby Garvey: 1,915 votes
Melissa Bondi: 966 votes
Terron Sims: 922 votes
Kim Klingler: 333 votes
Peter Fallon: 178 votes

Sunday's video

2012-01-22T12:14:00.001-05:00

bike and dog parking at Trader Joe's

2012-01-21T17:50:00.000-05:00

The Trader Joe's near Rosslyn has plenty of bike parking nearby. Along the sidewalk on the block in front of the store are seven steel loops for bike parking. In addition, a bike rack is available just past the entrance booth for the underground inhuman-powered vehicle parking (entrance on Garfield St.).

If you have a well-behaved dog, the steel parking loops in front of the store are also handy for dog parking. This past Thursday night, a black Labrador parked there was giving passers-by a clinic in calm patience.

big turnout for Arlington Democratic caucus

2012-01-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

Many civic-minded residents turned out the Arlington Democratic caucus this evening at at Washington and Lee High School. While there was a large line of voters, voting was well-organized and total time from in-the-door to out was about a half hour at 7:15pm. Voting continues until 9pm tonight. If you can't vote tonight, you have another chance to vote from 11 am to 7 pm on Jan. 21 at Kenmore Middle School.

Many Arlington politicians, including all the candidates in this election, were greeting and talking with residents at the voting location. This caucus voting is a chance to meet informally in person the movers and shakers in Arlington politics. Don't miss it!

pending legislation threatens your local news

2012-01-18T21:43:00.001-05:00

In a misguided, grossly over-reaching attempt to fight content piracy, pending legislation in Congress threatens the viability of vital local news sources like the Ode Street Tribune and all other activity on the web. Put simply, this legislation will expose everyone on the web to a much greater risk of legal thuggery.

Legal thuggery is not just a hypothetical concern here at the Tribune. Back in July, 2010, after a post describing a film shoot at the Iwo Jima, the Ode Street Tribune received a legal document threatening legal action against the Tribune for a particular phrase that the Tribune used (and has continued to use) in that post. The law firm's client claimed to own that phrase. Claiming to own words such that they can't be used in a news report is completely ridiculous. Pending legislature in Congress will aid and abet legal thuggery like that, but worse.

Act now to stand up for your right to communicate on the web. Click here to contact Congress to preserve your local news and your First Amendment rights.

Garvey leads Board candidates in cycling

2012-01-17T21:57:00.001-05:00

Donaldson Run, an impressive new North Arlington news source, has posted an important series on the cycling views of the candidates for the Democratic nominee for the Arlington County Board. Here are the candidates' cycling statements (in temporal order of response):

Libby Garvey's statement includes a powerful affirmation of the personal joy and public value of cycling. This statement makes clear Garvey's in-the-saddle lead in bike experience and bike organizations. The other candidates also put forward impressive bike statements. Melissa Bondi declared:

Working with appropriate state agencies, Federal agencies, and private organizations to improve access and reduce risks at key locations such as the Rosslyn “circle” west of Key Bridge and North and South Glebe Road, and to create new links where they’re needed – including to traverse I-395 in South Arlington and across the rail lines and roadways that inhibit access to the Mount Vernon Trail.

Peter Fallon, following up on his appealing, Rosslyn-centric tweet-your-candidate submission, also highlighted Rosslyn's needs:

One accident is too many, and there are far too many accidents happening in Rosslyn. We need to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of the cyclists at the Lynn St. intersection and anywhere else we have a danger point.

Well-tuned readers might perceive a sense of lament in Terron Sims' statement that he does not have a bike. As a fit and trim West Point graduate, Sims probably could be a major asset to a local bike racing team. Somebody should get him a bike. Kim Klingler speaks out on the importance of wearing bike helmets. The Tribune's journalist knows persons who would be dead if they hadn't been wearing a helmet. Some consider wearing a helmet to be unfashionable or an impediment to an attractive hairstyle. Klingler courageously speaks good sense on this important issue.

* * * * *
Voting for the Democratic nominee to run in the special election for the Arlington County Board will occur from 7 pm to 9 pm on Jan. 19 at Washington-Lee High School and from 11 am to 7 pm on Jan. 21 at Kenmore Middle School.

Sunday's video

2012-01-15T12:28:00.002-05:00

Melissa Bondi, candidate for Democratic nominee for Arlington County Board

2012-01-14T15:56:00.000-05:00

12-year Clarendon leader who has stood up to developers and for neighborhoods, for Orange line housing/diversity, walking & transit options.

Kim Klingler, candidate for Democratic nominee for Arlington County Board

2012-01-14T15:55:00.000-05:00

Bring private sect., EMT, community volunteer perspective. Independent voice. Schools priority. Dem. Manage growth. Keep diversity.Vote Kim.

Peter Fallon, candidate for Democratic nominee for Arlington County Board

2012-01-14T15:53:00.000-05:00

Peter & Alexandra at Light-up Rosslyn 2011. Snowflakes on the Artisphere. Do this all year with seasonal themes to showcase Rossyln & dome!

Terron Sims, candidate for Democratic nominee for Arlington County Board

2012-01-14T15:52:00.000-05:00

Personally knocking on over 5000 doors in 70 days gives me the best perspective with which to go forward and lead Arlington#SimsForArlington

Libby Garvey, candidate for Democratic nominee for Arlington County Board

2012-01-14T15:51:00.002-05:00

We need leaders who set priorities and manage change to keep what matters most as Arlington grows and develops. I’ve proven I can do this on the school board for 15 years.

* * * * *
Part of the tweet-your-candidate series. Voting for the Democratic nominee to run in the special election for the Arlington County Board will occur from 7 pm to 9 pm on Jan. 19 at Washington-Lee High School and from 11 am to 7 pm on Jan. 21 at Kenmore Middle School.

Note: Counting all characters in the standard technical sense, Libby Garvey's text has 162 characters. That's greater than the 140 character limit. However, the Tribune's text analysis team determined that Garvey's text has exactly 140 characters if blank spaces are excluded. After a three-hour meeting debating the correct interpretation of the rules for the tweet-your-candidate series, the Ode Street Tribune's Editorial Board decided by a bare one-vote margin to post Garvey's full text.

new obstacles on expressway

2012-01-12T20:51:00.001-05:00

Construction of the new Radnor Heights power substation and power distribution line has created a bump in Rosslyn's Arlington-Washington Bike Expressway. Particularly with rain and freezing conditions, cyclists should take extra care in going over or around it.

In related news, wooden overpasses (bridges) that have remained on Memorial Bridge for months create slippery conditions when wet. These sidewalk bridges freeze sooner than the whole road bridge, which freezes sooner than other roads.

In cold weather, going down is particularly unpleasant. Be careful!

tweet your candidate

2012-01-11T20:44:00.000-05:00

The Ode Street Tribune this Saturday will have a special series of posts from responding Democratic nominee candidates for the Arlington County Board. Each candidate has the opportunity to have one post consisting of an image and not more than 140 characters. If you're a politically active reader, you can tweet the post of your favorite candidate. If you're an extremely busy or a politically apathetic reader, you can make an informed choice among the candidates by looking at images and reading no more than 140 characters per candidate. The Ode Street Tribune is here to serve everyone.

The Tribune has sent each candidate the following invitation:

Thanks for your service to Arlington, and your willingness to serve on the Arlington County Board. To help inform voters, the Ode Street Tribune is giving each County Board candidate an opportunity to communicate with voters.

You can have one post for free on the Ode Street Tribune. The form of the post will be the same for all candidates. The title of the post will be "{candidate's name}, Democratic nominee candidate for Arlington County Board seat" The contents of the post will be very simple: you provide a photo/picture/drawing (image) and no more than 140 characters of text. The Ode Street Tribune would prefer a creative image relating to your vision for Arlington, but you can submit any image that you choose, including even just a headshot of yourself or an image like a roadside campaign sign or a website advertising banner. The Tribune will not edit the image at all. The text, which is optional and limited to no more than 140 characters, can compliment the image, explain the image, or whatever. If you would like some word in that text to be linked to your website, include an explanatory note describing which word you would like linked to your website and the Tribune will add the link. Otherwise the text (limited to 140 characters) that you provide will not be edited at all. Please don't submit any image that will generate controversy over copyright for the Tribune or yourself. At the end of each post, the Tribune will append details on voting times and places.

I'm sure that you're very busy with meetings and events. This opportunity is meant to be simple, fun, and useful for informing voters on the important upcoming choice of the Democratic nominee. I hope that you will take advantage of it.

Look for candidates' responses on the Tribune this Saturday!

celebrating Arlington County's environmental services

2012-01-10T23:25:00.002-05:00

Arlington's outstanding Department of Environment Services (DES) does an enormous amount of work. DES's Solid Waste Bureau currently sits atop the rankings for interacting with Arlington residents. The Solid Waste Bureau currently interacts 4.2 million times per year with Arlington residents, compared to 2.1 and 2.0 million for the ART bus and Arlington libraries, respectively. Recycling helps to lessen the amount of wastes. But some wastes are just a natural human function, and their elimination tends to be taken for granted. But have no doubt, without DES's careful maintenance of sewer infrastructure, life would stink in Arlington.

DES is about more than waste. DES brings you fresh, clean water through 526 miles of water pipes. Moreover, DES played a key role in capping the Deep Soil Rosslyn Water Spill and stopping another water main break that threatened service at a key local institution.

DES also maintains traffic signals, road signs, and road markings. Just imagine, there are more than 100,000 traffic signs in Arlington!

Residents in the Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood are still waiting for repair of some annoying potholes on N. Ft. Myer Dr. But given the scope of work that DES faces, those potholes really are relatively unimportant.

immerse yourself with Beauty Pill at Artisphere

2012-01-09T22:47:00.000-05:00

Whatever medicine you're taking, you've got to take in Beauty Pill at Artisphere's Immersive Ideal installation. Among other gems, one song lyrically flows: "If you see something that you don't have, you already know how to live without it," and then fades to a chanting refrain "I'm so lucky." That's far better medicine than any prescription anti-depressant.

Even more potently, you get to hear this beautiful music within a collage of images of its creation, and you participate in shaping the rhythm of the images. You tap buttons on a control board, and the images surrounding you change content and tempo. This is psychiatric therapy at its best.

Make sure to schedule an appointment, at your convenience, to see the Immersive Ideal with Beauty Pill at Artisphere's Black Box Theatre through January 22.

Note: brief review video included in post.

Sunday's video

2012-01-08T12:06:00.002-05:00

Democratic nominee candidates for County Board

2012-01-07T15:33:00.002-05:00

Voting among Democrats for the Democratic nominee for the vacant Arlington County Board seat will occur in less than three weeks. This is an important choice. Voting will occur on from 7 pm to 9 pm on Jan. 19 at Washington-Lee High School and from 11 am to 7 pm on Jan. 21 at Kenmore Middle School.

To help voters to consider the nominee candidates, the Arlington County Democratic Committee this past Wednesday organized a candidates' forum. The nominee candidates, with links to their websites, are:

Melissa Bondi (website)
Peter Fallon (website)
Libby Garvey (website)
Kim Klingler (website)
Terron Sims (website)

At the forum, the candidates gave opening statements, each responded to the same six questions, and then they gave closing statements. The questions were:

What's the most important experience or asset that you would bring to the Arlington County Board?
What would you do to promote affordable housing for families in Arlington?
Does Arlington need a streetcar?
What's your view on the relations of the County Board and the School Board? What works, what could be improved?
What would you allow developers to do with pipe-stem lots?
What is the biggest challenge that the County faces, and how would you seek to meet that challenge on the Arlington County Board?

The videos below group the candidates' opening statements, questions, and closing statements. The order of the candidates shown is as occurred at the forum. Technical limitations prevented the Ode Street Tribune from providing a fully fair selection of video thumbnails (initial static images). Please ignore the video thumbnails in your consideration of the candidates. Each video includes presentations from all the candidates.

Candidates' Opening Statements

What's the most important experience or asset that you would bring to the Arlington County Board?

What would you do to promote affordable housing for families in Arlington?

Does Arlington need a streetcar?

What's your view on the relations of the County Board and the School Board? What works, what could be improved?

What would you allow developers to do with pipe-stem lots?

What is the biggest challenge that the County faces, and how would you seek to meet that challenge on the Arlington County Board?

Candidates' Closing Statements

Trader Joe's open near Rosslyn

2012-01-05T21:33:00.000-05:00

A Trader Joe's grocery store has opened at 1109 North Highland St., just a 20-minute walk from downtown Rosslyn. The store is open from 8 am to 10 pm, 7 days a week. It offers free, underground parking for cars. Whether bike parking is also available in the underground parking lot isn't clear and is currently under investigation. You can contact the store by phone at 703-351-8015.

While the covert and alluring underground Safeway near the center of Rosslyn is likely to remain the go-to grocery store for pressing neighborhood needs, Trader Joe's offers exotica. For example, Trader Joe's offers organic butternut squash soup (low sodium), freeze-dried raspberries (unsweetened & unsulfered), and steamed & peeled baby beets. Use the baby beets, along with Greek yoghurt, avocado, sprouted lentils, mung, and adzuki beans, and homemade buckwheat hearth bread (if you're fortunate enough to have some) to prepare a folk delicacy known as odinar. Fast to prepare, and delicious!

Trader Joe's new store sadly lacks a good assortment of manly vegetables. The store apparently doesn't carry asparagus, carrots, celery, etc. It carries Brussels sprouts stalks, which look like a post-apocalyptic mutant vegetable. Stick with old-fashioned Brussel sprouts from Mexico.

Immersive Ideal at Artisphere

2012-01-04T23:39:00.000-05:00

This past July in Artisphere's Black Box Theatre, Washington DC-based band Beauty Pill worked to create an album in front of the eyes and ears of anyone who entered Artisphere. That's what the band called "an exercise in radical transparency." They showed form being formed. They made art without artifice.

The band members have left the Black Box Theatre. Their remains are a new Beauty Pill album and photographs of its creation. From January 7 to January 27, enter into the Black Box Theatre, look within transparency, and immerse yourself in those remains.

A free, public opening reception is this Saturday from 7-10pm.

important Democratic Arlington Board choice soon

2012-01-03T22:08:00.000-05:00

Within the next three weeks, an Arlington County Democratic Committee caucus will choose the Democratic nominee for an open Arlington County Board seat. The Democratic Arlington County Board nominee will surely win the upcoming March 27 special election for that seat.

This Arlington Democratic caucus is an important election. Outgoing Board Member Barbara Favola, who was elected in November to the Virginia Senate, has served on the Board for the past 14 years. Current Board members Chris Zimmerman, Jay Fisette, Walter Tejada, and Mary Hynes have served for the past 15, 13, 8, and 4 years, respectively. The Board member chosen at the Democratic caucus probably will serve on the Arlington County Board for more than the next decade.

The Arlington Democratic caucus will be held from 7 pm to 9 pm on Jan. 19 at Washington-Lee High School and from 11 am to 7 pm on Jan. 21 at Kenmore Middle School. Persons who wish to vote in the Democratic caucus must sign the following pledge:

I certify that I am a resident of and registered to vote in Arlington County, Virginia; I am a Democrat; I believe in the principles of the Democratic Party; and I do not intend to support, endorse or assist any candidate who is opposed to a Democratic nominee or endorsee in the ensuing election.

Participants in the caucus should take that pledge seriously and make a choice for the nominee carefully.

You can learn about the candidates for the Democratic Board nomination at a candidates forum that will be held this Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 7 pm at the NRECA Building in Ballston.

Tribune management decides journalist will work through holidays

2011-12-19T20:26:00.000-05:00

After nearly a day-long meeting, the Ode Street Tribune's Management Committee voted to require its journalist to work through the holidays. The Management Committee consists of five managing editors, four assistant managing editors, three deputy assistant managing editors, two departmental sub-editors, and a supervisor in operational charge. Only the supervisor in operational charge voted against the resolution. The supervisor stated, "I think the journalist deserves a day or possibly two of vacation. His performance this past year, with a few notable exceptions, has been adequate, and deserves to be formally recognized as such." The other members of the Management Committee made lengthy speeches about the crisis in the news industry, how everyone has to work harder, and how in a few years the situation will be back to normal. As is usual practice, the editor adopted without comment the Management Committee's resolution on holiday operations.

After receiving the memo on holiday operations, the Tribune's journalist made an undignified and inappropriate gesture toward a deputy assistant managing editor, overturned a sub-editor's carefully tended office plant, and stormed out of the office. The Tribune thus once again has an opening for an experienced, hard-working journalist seeking advancement in the news industry. The Tribune hopes to resume local news coverage with its new staff by Jan. 3, 2012.

Sunday's video

2011-12-18T12:04:00.001-05:00

never give up

2011-12-17T13:19:00.001-05:00

honoring veterans

2011-12-15T20:17:00.000-05:00

Take a moment this holiday season to remember those who are not with us. They include soldiers now far from home carrying out highly dangerous missions, and many who have sacrificed their lives for our country.

Gravestones in Rosslyn's Arlington National Cemetery are currently embraced with evergreen wreaths and red ribbons to recognize the service of all veterans. That makes now an especially good time to take a quiet, contemplative walk through the cemetery.

For persons who don't live in Rosslyn, the best way to get to Arlington National Cemetery is via the Rosslyn metro stop. From there, enjoy the amenities of downtown Rosslyn and a healthy, vigorous walk to the Rosslyn (north) gate of the cemetery, opposite the Marshall Drive entrance to the Marine Corps' Iwo Jima Memorial.

majestic Rosslyn

2011-12-14T20:49:00.002-05:00

old foot warmers keep feet warm

2011-12-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

For winter weather cycling, shoe coverings (booties) are essential. But booties have to have an opening in the sole so that the shoe cleat can snap into the peddle. That opening transmits cold up into your foot.

One solution is warming insoles. You would have to put in a new pair for every day's ride. That's a bother, costs money, and generates waste. The solution, just like for laundry, is don't change.

Even through dead soles don't give off heat, they still provide insulation. Dead soles help to keep your feet warm. Thank you, dead soles, for making the world better!

RAFOM holiday party draws record crowd

2011-12-12T20:12:00.000-05:00

The RAFOM holiday party for low-income neighbors attracted a record crowd of more than 200 persons for fun, food, and gifts this past Friday night. Last year's holiday party attracted about 150 persons, and the previous year, 125 persons. This growth indicates RAFOM's successful outreach to low-income neighbors and their appreciation for the event.

RAFOM Vice President Patricia Darneille expertly led the planning. Local restaurants Domino's Pizza (Rosslyn), Goodys, Il Radicchio, Ireland's Four Courts, The Liberty Tavern, Santa Fe Cafe, and Toscana Grill contributed food. Our 2nd District neighborhood police officers distributed gifts from the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. 2nd District police Captain Andy Penn's wife and children dressed up as elves to help with the gift distribution. Events like this signal a great neighborhood.

Sunday's video

2011-12-11T12:14:00.001-05:00

proposed trail tunnel under N. Lynn St. near Key Bridge

2011-12-10T17:36:00.001-05:00

The N. Lynn Street Esplanade and Lee Highway/Custis Trail Improvement Project is considering the construction of a pedestrian/bike tunnel under N. Lynn St. at its intersection with Lee Highway just before Key Bridge. This intersection is very dangerous. Adding a tunnel would greatly improve safety.

However, making the Custis Trail into a highway similar to Rt. 66 might deprive trail users of opportunities to contemplate the beauty of Rosslyn. Perhaps a better long-term solution would be to incoporate a Lynn St. intersection by-pass in a new pedestrian access bridge connecting downtown Rosslyn to the west bank of the Potomac. Cyclists and pedestrians should be encouraged to come into Rosslyn, not merely go around her and ignore her.

Dakshina brings on the spring at Artisphere

2011-12-08T22:04:00.001-05:00

Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company's open rehearsal tonight showed that its upcoming performances this weekend at Artisphere have great creative range. The first piece, Vasanth, celebrates the endurance and triumph of spring. It's thus an excellent piece to see in early December. Vasanth fuses Indian classical and folk dance with modern dance. It's narrated with words and precisely articulated gestures, and it takes the internal spirals of classical Indian dance out into the dance space and across the ensemble of dancers.

Two other pieces are readily appreciable modern dances. By the light, an expression of death from ALS, is gut-wrenching to watch; it's intensely physical self-strangulation. A counterpoint to that dance is Since You've Asked, a lyrical torch dance with wonderful floor work. Two men dance this duet, which ends with a silent segment and a gesture that evoked to my perverse mind a queering reference to American Gothic. As much as By the light is a beautiful horrible dance, Since You've Asked is a beautiful beautiful dance. Together with the Indian fusion of Vasanth, these Dakshina dances promise an abundant spring.

Artisphere's harmonica-case exhibit celebrates creativity and sharing

2011-12-07T20:50:00.001-05:00

Take some object from your everyday life and make it extraordinary in over 350 ways. Put together new materials, new colors, new shapes, new symbols, new representations in collaboration with many different makers from many different places. Then let anyone see your collection. Even let anyone touch each unique object in your collection. You merely ask everyone to be careful, because some of the objects are very fragile. That's what Bob "Hoff" Hoffman has done with his extraordinary harmonica-case collection, now on exhibition in Artisphere's Mezz Gallery.

You might think this exhibit is ridiculous, but only if you're stuck in a rut. Seeing this exhibition can help you find new directions. Try to pull others along with you!

Coppi surges to podium

2011-12-06T23:38:00.001-05:00

At this Sunday's Capital Cross Classic 2011, local Squadra Coppi bike racer Douglas Galbi surged from the back of the seventy-man Cat 4 field to finish on the podium in fourth. Galbi started at the back of the field because he did not pre-register for the race. In an exclusive interview, the Ode Street Tribune asked Galbi what happened. "I was planning on doing the regular Squadra Coppi Sunday morning team ride, but after a tough effort on the previous Sunday's training ride, I decided to go for an easier workout and do two Capital Cross races instead." "Aren't training rides Zone 2?" the Ode Street Tribune knowledgeably inquired. "That's what they claim," said Galbi, "but I think some of the guys get confused between Zone 2 and Zone 11."

Squadra Coppi superstar Kimani Nielsen finished 2nd in the Men's 3/4 after teammate Brad Evans took the field out on a hard early pace. With this finish, Nielsen nailed down 2nd place in the overall local super-cyclocross race series. Squadra Coppi junior Jake Thompson, doubling up after the Junior 15-18, finished an impressive 32nd in the Men's 3/4.

The Bike Lane Race Team put on this superb cyclocross race at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston. The course featured a lot of muddy, tight turns, a steep chute drop, and a run-up that some top riders reportedly rode. A good example of how the race served participants was the provisioning of a bike-wash station that included free Wicked Wash bike washing solution. The Wicked Wash made the mud melt off the bike without also taking off lube. The bike wash saved at least one participant from having a mud-caked bike sitting in his living room until spring.

Westmoreland hosts holiday ball

2011-12-05T22:01:00.001-05:00

Rosslyn is known for creative holiday decorations. This year, a beautiful red ball decorates a weeping blue tree. Residents seem to remember seeing this ball in previous years, but there's no record of it in the local newspaper of record.

Sunday's video

2011-12-04T13:47:00.001-05:00

must-go fusion Indian dance performance and party

2011-12-03T15:05:00.001-05:00

This coming weekend Artisphere will host spectacular fusion Indian dance performances and dance parties. The dance performances are by Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company, a dance company that has been critically acclaimed locally and in showcase tours of India and Bangladesh. Here's the amazing description of the forthcoming show:

For the Artisphere engagement, the Company warms up with Singh's signature fusion work Vasanth, which depicts the Indian myth of how spring comes to earth--the work premiered to critical acclaim at Kennedy Center's Maximum India Festival. Since You've Asked is a tender duet for two men drawing on Singh's gestural, lyrical work. Other highlights include Eric Hampton's By the Light..., a gem of a dance depicting Hampton's struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease. Interestingly, Hampton chose the Moonlight Sonata for the score, which historians now agree was written during Beethoven's middle period when he had already begun losing his hearing. Whether by choice or by luck, the poignancy of a choreographer losing his ability to move and a musician losing his ability to hear are brought together in this gem of a dance. The evening will close with Ludovic Jolivet's whimsical and poignant work Voy Y Vengo. Jolivet is an Arlington based artist who creates works that connect modern dance and mime. In Voy Y Vengo, the dancers use office chairs as their props to explore the cycles of life.

Without a doubt, this is a must-go event. All the dance performances will be followed by dance party hosted by the U.S. Department of Bhangra’s DJ Beta-G. DJ Beta-G puts crowds in motion to the pungent rhythms of Punjabi dance music.

For Friday and Saturday night, Dec. 9 & 10, tickets to the 8pm dance performance followed by the Bhangra dance party are $25, or come at 9pm Friday and Saturday exclusively for Bhangra dancing for $15. Tickets to the Sunday 3pm matinee for families (which includes both the dance performance and Bhangra dance party) are $12 for adults and $8 for children.

Don't miss this spectacular event!

old bike inner tube helps to repair brakes

2011-12-01T19:51:00.001-05:00

Tightening bike brakes typically requires three hands. If you're a person with only two hands, you need old bike inner tubes. Simply wrap the old bike inner tube around the brake pads and pull tight until the pads are the desired distance from the rim. They you can easily adjust the bolt securing the brake cable so that the cable is taut with the brake pads in that position.

You can't do this kind of repair with duct tape, which is factually not as useful as old bike inner tubes. In these times of vicious partisanship, the duct tape community is likely to vociferously attack this objective report of a key bike repair. While old bike inner tubes have much greater elasticity than duct tape, the Ode Street Tribune will not engage in mud-slinging.

with proper care, Artisphere will grow

2011-11-30T22:14:00.001-05:00

Over the past year, Artisphere exhibitions such as Hamtdaa: Together and Dance: Films have highlighted Arlington residents doing art of world-wide significance. Artisphere has hosted the Arlington side of an international artist exchange with Aachen, Germany. Artisphere has displayed a community quilt, highly accessible art, and wonderful objects for curious exploration. While Rosslyn already has a vital position in the greater Washington DC area, new development in downtown Rosslyn will make Rosslyn an even greater destination in the future. Artisphere should be an important and distinctive part of Rosslyn's future as the gateway to Arlington.

Unfortunately, Artisphere continues to suffer from lack of recognition and lack of appreciation. At a recent Arlington County Board meeting, County Manager Barbara Donnellan put forward a new business plan for Artisphere. This business plan includes $2.67 million in County funding for Artisphere in Fiscal Year 2012, and projected funding of $1.58 million in Fiscal Year 2013. At the same time, Artisphere is immediately scaling back some aspects of its operations. Starting Dec. 12, Artisphere will be closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays. Here, the cafe and bar in Artisphere, is closing as of Nov. 30.

Artisphere's struggles are due in part to the Ode Street Tribune's failings. The Tribune has managed to attract only the most sophisticated, cultured, and discerning residents of the greater Rosslyn area. Others have not been adequately informed about Artisphere's attractions. The Tribune, whose revenue has remained rock steady since its founding, resolutely refuses to change to attract the uninformed masses. Artisphere will have to rely on its own new initiatives to reach a broader audience.

Westmoreland decides to fix potholes

2011-11-29T21:01:00.001-05:00

Less than 200 yards away from the still-gaping Ft. Myer St potholes is a pothole in the Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums parking lot. At last night's condo board meeting, the board decisively decided to repair the Westmoreland pothole. The pothole apparently arose from bad quality repair of cracks in the parking lot during the last parking lot resurfacing. Unsatisfied with the quality of that work, Westmoreland has withheld final payment for it.

Other items from last night's board meeting:

The board discussed a draft of the reserve study. The final study will be available for residents to review shortly. The main conclusion of the study is that Westmoreland's reserves are sound in relation to the physical condition of the complex.
The next parking lot resurfacing will require milling the existing surface. Milling will create extra expense and inconvenience.
The board approved a $2,900 expenditure for the 2012 condo association financial audit.
The board will investigate the cost of pruning trees that overhang roofs, thus contributing to pest squirrel problems.
Residents failing to bag and dispose of pet wastes is a concern. The board is considering purchased of five Doody Calls pet waste disposal stations. The community could avoid the cost and sight of such stations if residents would be more conscientious in doing their duty.

The regularly scheduled December condo board meeting is canceled. The next regularly scheduled condo board meeting is Monday, Jan. 30, 2012.

Rosslyn leads abstract constructivist movement

2011-11-28T22:42:00.000-05:00

Rosslyn is pioneering an exciting new artistic movement known as Rosslyn Abstract Constructivist Art or Raca. Art critics see Raca's roots in a concretization of De Stijl, also known as neoplasticism. De Stijl is an important art movement founded in the Netherlands in 1917. Among its leading figures were Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian. Raca trangresses De Stijl's rigid color scheme and transforms its use of shape and line into a dynamic context. Raca's great artistic leap forward is apparent in the comparison between Monday's B-Moore-1812, shown above, and Doesburg's Composition VII (the three graces), shown below.

In Rosslyn, art is everywhere.

Sunday's video

2011-11-27T12:04:00.000-05:00

a bike is a terrible thing to waste

2011-11-26T17:20:00.001-05:00

The local, non-profit organization Wheels to Africa will be collecting bikes on Saturday, December 10th from 10am-3pm at Swanson Middle School, Washington-Lee High School, and Yorktown High School. All collected bikes will be donated to Africans in need of bikes.

A bike can provide critical transportation to reach food, water, work, school, and medical care. If you have a bike that you don't need, don't let it go to waste. Donate it to Wheels to Africa so someone who needs it can ride it.

Suppose you have six bikes, and you need them all. You don't need a vacuum cleaner, a dishwasher, a television, a sofa, and most furniture other than the most basic. Unfortunately, Africans and everyone else don't really need that stuff either. But a lot of people will buy it anyway. So you can sell such stuff and donate the proceeds to help Africans get bikes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T18:16:00.001-05:00

Ode Street Tribune as public-spirited as White House

2011-11-23T22:31:00.001-05:00

The White House website, which is the official website of United States’ President Barack Obama and his Administration, is made available to all under a Creative Commons-Attribution license. That's the same license under which the Ode Street Tribune is made available to all.

A case study on the White House's use of the Creative Commons license observes:

Creative Commons licensing enables the Obama-Biden Administration to work collaboratively with the American people, and demonstrates a genuine focus on democratic participation in the running of the country. The ability to take information from the site with only an obligation to attribute it to the author means that visitors to the site can be fully informed and in turn can fully inform others.

The Ode Street Tribune fully endorses that democratic mission with its own words and actions. Think of the Tribune as the White House for the greater Rosslyn neighborhood.

Lynn St. skywalk will be torn down

2011-11-22T21:19:00.001-05:00

Arlnow reports that the Lynn St. skywalk will be torn down. That makes sense. The plan is to transform Lynn St. into a grand, two-way street, lined with luminous bodies, connecting Rosslyn's Key Bridge to the revered Iwo Jima Marine Memorial. You will want to walk along Lynn St., not cross above it.

At last week's RAFOM meeting, Arlington planner Kelly Cornell responded to a question about the skywalk plans. She noted that the skywalks bringing north Rosslyn residents to the metro entrance will be preserved.

stay alert to stop crime

2011-11-21T23:29:00.001-05:00

At last week's RAFOM meeting, officers from our neighborhood (District 2, beat 24) police team reported that crime in the neighborhood is down over the past year compared to the previous year. Moreover, several months ago the police arrested two suspects associated with a string of local burglaries. Those arrests should help to lessen further local crime.

Taking reasonable precautions and staying alert helps to stop crime. When walking at night, it's safer to walk with company. So invite someone else to go with you to wherever you're walking. Walking with music blaring from earphones or walking while texting and staring into a smartphone decreases your awareness of your surroundings and makes you more prone to be a victim of crime. It's much better to look around and enjoy the colors of fall and the spectacular Rosslyn skyscape.

An alert resident of Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums recently noticed pry marks on the back door of 1311 N. Ode Street. Arlington County police are aware of this situation. Apartment building residents should be mindful of any fresh or suspicious damage to the doors or any suspicious persons seen in the building common hallways. If you have some concern about possible criminal activity, our neighbor Arlington County police team encourages you to contact them. They can judge much better than you whether some particular activity is significant.

Sunday's video

2011-11-20T12:09:00.001-05:00

identifying planes overhead

2011-11-19T14:53:00.001-05:00

Airplane noise is a major civic concern in Rosslyn. WolframAlpha can help deal with noisy planes overhead. Here's a description of the free online service. Try it by clicking here.

With this handy service, you can precisely time crucial conversations while enjoying drinks on your balcony. Before the crucial enunciation of "Will you ...?", whip out your smart phone, quickly navigate to the above WolframAlpha query link, and check how many miles off the nearest plane is. Proceed with conversation appropriately.

Identifying planes overhead won't make them any less noisy. But at least with WolframAlpha, you'll know exactly what flight you're cursing, and when to say crucial words that need to be audible.

Note: post updated based on very helpful comment.

major changes recommended for downtown Rosslyn

2011-11-17T23:34:00.001-05:00

The Rosslyn Multi-Modal Transportation Study is recommending major changes to improve streets and transportation in downtown Rosslyn. Kelly Cornell, the project manager for the study, described the study's draft recommendations at this Wednesday night's Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights Civic Assocation (RAFOM) meeting. Among the draft recommendations:

convert Lynn St. and Ft. Myer Dr. from one-way streets to two-way streets
study removing Ft. Myer Dr. underpass
relocate some bus stops from Moore St. to Lynn St. and Ft. Myer Dr.
widen sidewalks and reduce street widths
establish a "festival street" for public activities in downtown Rosslyn
establish a new trail connection between Iwo Jima and Roosevelt Bridge

An ambitious and exciting idea is to improve access to Roosevelt Island. Cornell mentioned the possibility of constructing a pedestrian bridge over Rt. 66 that would connect downtown Rosslyn to the west bank of the Potomac. That would be a fabulous way to open up Rosslyn and highlight the natural beauty of its premiere location along the Potomac River.

Think about how to make Rosslyn's streets, trails, and transportation options even better. Ideas and suggests can still be incorporated into the draft Rosslyn Multi-Modal Transportation Study.

Eileen Corbet, Director, Arlington's Residential Program Center, and Kathy Sibert, Executive Director, A-SPAN, spoke to the RAFOM meeting about homelessness in Arlington. In Northern Virginia, 47% of renters are paying more than 30% of their income for rent and utilities. Hence becoming homeless after a sharp reduction in income is a possibility for many persons. Surveys of homeless in Arlington have found graduates of local high schools, persons who have been living on the streets for years, and quite elderly persons.

Single adults comprise about 65% of Arlington's homeless population and number about 300 persons. Among single adult homeless persons, 83% are male. Single adult males are a particularly neglected homeless population. They lack the sympathy and resources that "women and children" get, and they also suffer from a common perception that males who are weak and without money are disposable.

The Residential Program Center is a 44-bed facility on Columbia Pike. It provides non-medical detoxification, substance abuse recovery, and homeless services for single adults. The Residential Program Center is seeking volunteers as well as donations of toiletry items, new clothing, and individually wrapped food items.

A-SPAN is helping to drive Arlington's 100 Homes Campaign as part of the 10-Year Plan to end homelessness in Arlington. In addition, A-SPAN provides ongoing emergency winter shelters and drop-in services for showers, laundry, phones, computers,and counseling. A-SPAN provides about 90 meals at night near Gateway Park in Rosslyn. A-SPAN also is looking for volunteers and donations.

Other items from the RAFOM meeting:

RAFOM's holiday fiesta for low-income children in the neighbor will occur on Friday, Dec. 9
Volunteers are needed on Saturday morning, Dec. 10, to help put wreaths on all the gravestones in Arlington Cemetery as part of the Wreaths Across America Project
the Harvest for Hope party and silent auction to benefit the Residential Program Center will be this Sunday night, Nov. 19.

The next RAFOM meeting will be in February.

potholes multiplying

2011-11-16T20:33:00.001-05:00

The bumpy bottom of N. Ft. Myer Dr. is getting rougher. It now has five significant potholes. The deepest one is 2.5 inches deep and goes down to an underlying layer of payment. Upcoming rain and freezing temperature will make these potholes worse if they aren't repaired.

A leading local news source reported two of these potholes on August 31, 2011. Arlington County Department of Environmental Services, which usually responds rapidly, may be having operational difficulties.

bull riding in Rosslyn

2011-11-15T23:02:00.001-05:00

Rosslyn is not only a center of fashion, media, and military industries, it's also the go-to hangout for urban cowboys. Your average cowboy, whether in the back country or in an urban village, would swallow her chewing tobacco before she set foot in an art gallery. Not so for Artisphere. Artisphere has a rocking program of contradancing, swing dancing, and salsa dancing. Now Artisphere also offers bull riding.

The bull rides are part of Steve Jones' Dinner Bell series. You can choose to ride T-Bone Steak or Cooked Chicken. If you're looking for some rough and tough action, Cooked Chicken is your best choice. But don't get on this bull if you have back problems or neck problems. You could get seriously hurt. Yee haw!

Note: this post includes a video. If you don't see the video in your email reader, go to the post on the Ode Street Tribune.

street signs down

2011-11-14T23:24:00.001-05:00

The street sign at the corner of Queen St. and Arlington Blvd (south side of the bridge) has been knocked down. This may have been a drunk driver missing the right turn by a large margin. On the other side of Rt. 50, at the corner of 14th St. and N. Fairfax Dr., a driver failed to yield to a yield sign.

Running over street signs is much better than running over pedestrians or cyclists. But be careful, because some drivers may not make good choices.

Sunday's video

2011-11-13T12:16:00.000-05:00

get free seed

2011-11-12T14:40:00.001-05:00

Virginia Cooperative Extension will be handing out free seed and gardening wisdom at the Arlington Central Library this coming Thursday from 6:45 to 9pm. No food is more green and organic than food from your own garden. Let the People's Garden be an inspiration for you!

Long Bridge Park northern entrance possibilities

2011-11-11T00:12:00.001-05:00

A railroad line crosses over the Mt. Vernon Trail and the George Washington Parkway to enter Long Bridge Park from the north. Pedestrian and cyclist access to Long Bridge Park would be improved with a trail overpass paralleling this rail overpass. Pedestrians and cyclists using the Mt. Vernon Trail are currently making their own trail to connect to Boundary Channel Dr. next to large Pentagon parking lots. This well-worn improv trail highlights the need for better Mt. Vernon Trail connectivity in this area.

Ode Street Tribune lowers prices for readers

2011-11-09T23:56:00.000-05:00

With the world economy facing serious difficulties, the Ode Street Tribune is boldly attempting to stimulate news readers and help the struggling news industry with a new, highly permissive license to use Ode Street Tribune content. All Ode Street Tribune content produced from today until further notice is available to everyone without any restrictions from the Ode Street Tribune. You can share, remix, and use commercially this Ode Street Tribune content, including text, images, and video, without any further permission from the Tribune. This public-spirited initiative effectively lowers the price for Tribune readers to make good use of all the interesting and useful news stories that they find on the Ode Street Tribune.

Additional points:

If you are interested in pondering legal details of this new license, see the CC BY 3.0 license.
The Tribune would be grateful for attribution in accordance with the terms of CC BY 3.0 license. Attribution, however, can sometimes be distracting, and figuring out required terms of attribution in different cases can cost time and effort. To eliminate this cost and effort, the Tribune hereby waives the attribution requirement. The Tribune, however, remains grateful for attribution by users of its content.
In some cases, the Ode Street Tribune includes content that others have created. Typically the Ode Street Tribune explicitly identifies and attributes that content. The Ode Street Tribune's license does not apply to that content. You are responsible for identifying that content and using it accordance with whatever license you have to use it.
The Ode Street Tribune provides no warranty or indemnification of any sort to anyone. You are responsible for your actions.
The Ode Street Tribune hopes that persons will use its content in non-evil, productive, publicly valuable ways. If results sadly turn out otherwise, the Ode Street Tribune may return to a more restrictive license.

Artisphere hosts international artist exchange

2011-11-08T22:27:00.003-05:00

Last week Artisphere hosted artists from Aachen, Germany, in the second leg of an Aachen-Arlington artist exchange called Project 2011: Face to Face. The German artists stayed in the homes of their Arlington counterparts and worked with them on art at Artisphere. This part April, the roles had been the reverse with the Arlington artists in Aachen. Nan Morrison, an Arlington artist who participated in the exchange, stated:

My Face to Face experience has been extremely educational, fun, and personally rewarding in many ways. The ten-day unique artistic journey and opportunity to work with a group of wonderful and talented artists from Germany is an experience I will always treasure. Their commitment to the project, professionalism, generosity and excitement to be in America and Arlington, Virginia [and especially Rosslyn] has been infectious and inspirational.

A large crowd gathered this past Thursday night to meet the artists and view results of their collaboration. Their works are on display at Artisphere through December 11.

Kimani Nielsen victorious in Ed Sander cyclocross

2011-11-07T21:25:00.000-05:00

Kimani Nielsen of local bike racing team Squadra Coppi won the men's 3-4 race in this past Sunday's Ed Sander Memorial Cyclocross race. Nielsen's Squadra Coppi teammate Brad Evans finished fifth to give Squadra Coppi impressive representation in the front of the 72-man field.

The race played out on a dry, windy, relatively technical course in Adamstown, Maryland. Nielsen rode a smart race early on, avoiding crashes and staying towards the front of the field but on other riders' wheels. With three laps to go, Eric Krause from Antietam Velo Club attacked. Nielsen kept on his wheel and the two broke away from the field. Teammate Evans stayed off the front of the chase group to help out his teammate Nielsen, then dramatically punched through a steep muddy drop to bridge up to work with his teammate. However, unattached rider Jimmy Picard launched a strong move out of the chase group, pulling back Evans and making contact with leaders Krause and Nielsen. With three-quarters of a lap to go, Nielsen launched a dramatic attack. It wasn't enough, however, to drop Krause and Picard. Going into the home stretch, Nielsen was leading out Krause and Picard. That's not the position a rider wants to be in to win a race. But Nielsen got down into his drops and powered out an impressive win. Josh Doorly of Haymarket Cycles managed to pass Brad Evans through the barriers, and Evans, who took a bad line through a couple of final turns, couldn't recover his position. Nonetheless, Evans finished a highly respectable fifth.

The above photo, courtesy of top-ranked cyclocross photojournalist Jay Wescott, shows Nielsen and Evans in action. Check out more of Wescott's photos of the Ed Sander Cyclocross. Here are complete results for all the day's races.

Sunday's video

2011-11-06T12:17:00.001-05:00

Long Bridge Park needs better northern entrance

2011-11-05T19:27:00.001-04:00

Long Bridge Park is a magnificent new park in the southern Rosslyn area. The park includes three lighted, synthetic turf athletic fields, a beautiful esplanade, and a lovely kinetic artwork called Wave Arbor. Moreover, this already great park is going to become even better in the future. On the northern end of the park will be a new aquatics, health, and fitness center. It will include:

an Olympic-sized swimming pool designed for recreational, fitness, and competitive aquatics—including a 10-meter diving platform. Also planned are an indoor fitness area and an indoor multi-activity center suitable for indoor field sports or community gatherings, an expanded esplanade for outdoor activities, and a fourth full-sized rectangular field.

This park is a great place to go to enjoy nature and to get some exercise.

To get to Long Bridge Park, get on the trail heading south from the Iwo Jima, cross the bridge over 110, and head towards the Mt. Vernon Trail. Once you cross Washington Blvd, take the trail on the right that takes you on the east side of Washington Blvd. That trail/sidewalk will take you to Boundary Channel Dr. Then ride on Boundary Channel Dr. along the Pentagon parking lots to the obscure and dumpy-looking northern entrance to Long Bridge Park.

A longer but more scenic route is to take the Mt. Vernon Trail south to the Crystal City exit near the airport, cross under the George Washington Memorial Parkway, and then turn right on Crystal Dr. and head north. That will take you into the southern entrance to Long Bridge Park.

At times of high traffic and when many cars are entering and exiting the Pentagon parking lots, riding to Long Bridge Park via the northern entrance is likely to be treacherous. I suggest getting to the park via the southern entrance. This has the advantage of giving you about a ten-minute longer bike ride. If you need a bike, they are readily available in Rosslyn via Capital Bikeshare.

A new trail will be built along 110 heading south from the Iwo Jima. If this new trail could connect to the northern entrance to Long Bridge Park, it would provide a faster route to the park and avoid treacherous crossing of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

Rosslyn premiere wedding location

2011-11-03T21:25:00.000-04:00

The space in front of the Netherlands Carillon, with its spectacular view of three Washington monuments, is a premiere location for weddings. Couples marrying in Rosslyn could have a reception in a nearby hotel. A sophisticated and fun alternative would be to rent Artisphere for a wedding reception. The art exhibits and the central spiral stairway would make for a memorable event.

Artisphere mural shows complex identity

2011-11-02T22:57:00.000-04:00

At Artisphere's 1 Party, Arijit Das led a collaborative mural creation. The resulting mural is now on display in Artisphere's Town Hall. If you study this artwork careful, you might notice Euler's formula evaluated at pi (Euler's identity). Euler's formula is a key identity in complex analysis. The complexity of identity is a common theme in contemporary art. This mural incorporates that theme in an sophisticated and innovative way. Such work is helping to propel Artisphere to the forefront of the contemporary art scene.

Rosslyn defends Virginia

2011-11-01T20:07:00.001-04:00

This morning, menacing clouds overflew DC's gates and threatened Virginia. But Rosslyn's majestic skyscape held the clouds back and everyone enjoyed a beautiful, sunny day.

Marine Corps after-marathon

2011-10-31T21:26:00.001-04:00

Rosslyn's world-famous Marine Corps Marathon had 20,895 finishers this year. Cleaning up after all these runners is another, under-appreciated marathon. The area around the Netherlands Carillon is currently muddy and filled with deserted tents. You can almost feel the ghosts of all those runners struggling up the final hill. This would be a scary place to visit on Halloween night.

Sunday's video

2011-10-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

RAFOM candidates' forum

2011-10-29T10:03:00.000-04:00

Candidates for local elected offices gave presentations and answered questions at this past Wednesday night's Radnor/Ft. Myer (RAFOM) Civic Association meeting. The decisions of local officials probably have a greater effect on your day-to-day quality of life than do the decisions of state and national officials, so good local government has great practical importance. Linked below are videos of the candidates' opening statements and response statements. Also included are links to the candidates websites. Caren Merrick, candidate for the Senate of Virginia, 31st District, was the only candidate who did not appear at the forum. The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011.

Senate of Virginia, 31st District

Caren D. Merrick (R) (website)
Barbara A. Favola (D) (forum talk, website)

House of Delegates, 48th District

Robert H. Brink (D), incumbent (forum talk, website)
Janet Murphy (IG) (forum talk, website)
Kathy D. Gillette-Mallard (I) (forum talk, website)

Commonwealth's Attorney

Theo K. Stamos (D) (forum talk, website)

Sheriff

Elizabeth F. "Beth" Arthur (D), incumbent (forum talk, website)

Commissioner of Revenue

Ingrid H. Morroy (D), incumbent (forum talk, website)

Treasurer

Francis X. O'Leary (D), incumbent (forum talk, website)

County Board (two seats)

Mary H. Hynes (D), incumbent (forum talk, website)
J. Walter Tejada (D), incumbent (forum talk, website)
Audrey R. Clement (G) (forum talk, website)

School Board

Abigail J. Raphael, incumbent (forum talk, website)

Morroys deliver singing endorsement of Stamos

2011-10-27T20:24:00.002-04:00

Arlington Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy and her twin sister Judith Morroy delivered a singing endorsement of Theo Stamos for Commonwealth Attorney earlier this year. Theo Stamos won her primary contest and is now running unopposed for Commonwealth Attorney. Ingrid Morroy is running unopposed for re-election as Commissioner of the Revenue. Complete coverage of these and other candidates' presentations at this past Wednesday night's RAFOM candidate forum is upcoming on the Ode Street Tribune this Saturday.

Ingrid and Judith Morroy are members of the Arlington-based, alternative-world-music band, The Constituents. In an interview with the Ode Street Tribune at the candidate's forum, Morroy said that she considered giving a musical presentation of her program initiatives for 2012-2015. She also said that her twin sister had considered running against her. The Ode Street Tribune supports and participates in such forms of public-spirited entertainment. That can help to get more residents involved with local public affairs.

People's Garden still growing

2011-10-26T22:55:00.002-04:00

The People's Garden at Arlington Central Library currently has some magnificent collards, broccoli, and bok choi. These have grown from plantings made in August in conjunction with a fall gardening talk at the library. Bok choi is particularly tasty sauteed in olive oil in a cast-iron skillet. If you're eating lifeless iceberg lettuce, you've need to get informed and get inspired by going to the library.

bikeshare station needed in Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood

2011-10-25T23:13:00.000-04:00

BikeArlington and Capital Bikeshare are looking for community input on where to locate new bikeshare stations. Go and register your preference on the interactive bikeshare proposal map.

Bikeshare planning has identified Rosslyn's Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood as a propitious location for a bikeshare station. A bikeshare station would facilitate visiting the many friendly and interesting persons who live in the Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood. A bikeshare station would support traffic to the Quarterdeck restaurant for excellent crabs and a chance to be in the company of famous athletes, as well as aid tourists interested in viewing historically important buildings, award-winning landscaping, the Ode Street Tribune's corporate headquarters, and the Iwo Jima Memorial. Residents in the Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood could also use the bikeshare station for visiting the attractions of downtown Rosslyn, including its musically distinguished metro.

changing light bulbs

2011-10-24T23:39:00.000-04:00

An Arlington County worker single-handedly changed three burnt-out streetlight bulbs on N. 12th St. last week. The Ode Street Tribune has heard many reports that it takes up to ten persons to change a light bulb (reports vary as to the persons' occupations). Without the help of Arlington County workers, many Arlington residents would be in the dark.

Sunday's video

2011-10-23T12:10:00.001-04:00

dancing beyond the stage

2011-10-22T23:50:00.000-04:00

With the program Dance:Films at Artisphere this past Friday night, Maida Withers presented dance on film, and dance in person, and dances between. The opening piece, a dance portrait of Maida, used digital video effects to place Maida dancing within a light bulb. The piece showed her efforts to to make her ideas visible. Far from being merely allegorically or artificially represented, those efforts were made present through the whole program.

Withers, who has resided in the Rosslyn area for 46 years, is irrepressibly and fearlessly creative. She is at least in her mid-sixties. Many persons much younger than she relate to their bodies mainly through complaining of aches and illnesses. She continues to express herself bodily through dance.

At the same time, this elderly dancer-choreographer is exploring new media technology. One piece for example, involved Alex Caldiero composing text real-time in Salt Lake City, Utah, in an online Google document that Withers also simultaneously edited. The text was projected onto the dome theater's curved wall as a counterpoint to the live dancing in a piece called Collision Course, a.k.a. Pillow Talk. Online presentations and demonstrations are notorious for failing. Withers isn't afraid of technology even when there's good reason to be.

In addition to creating dance settings through digital video effects, Withers also uses distinctive dance-site locations. This Friday's performance premiered Tuk, a film incorporating footage of Withers and her Dance Construction Company dancing in the wonderful, stark landscape of the Four Corners Area of the Southwest U.S. Another film, entitled Thresholds Crossed - Gulag/Art Angar, showed Withers and Anthony Gongora dancing in what was a dirigible hangar on the Soviet Gulag's Solovki Island. The dance incorporated gestures and bodily positions from photographs of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. It is a terrifying tango. Being able to watch it over and over again as a video adds greatly to the terror.

Thresholds Crossed - Gulag / Art Angar from Maida Withers on Vimeo.

Other pieces showed other aspects of dance in relation to film. Tsveta Kassabova did a beautiful, live dance portrait full of subtle, expressive movement. That piece was followed by a related film showing Kassabova dancing in a digitally created, psychedelic environment. The film somewhat flattened her movement, while adding a much larger canvas of whimsy. Perhaps 3-D digital film would better represent Kassabova. Orbit, a filmed dance duet, was transformed by the camera into a ménage à trois. This film, which was produced with only 11 edits, showed that more powerful video technology isn't necessary for a more powerful video effect.

The least appealing aspect of Friday night's program was the long, slow-moving line to buy a ticket. The Ode Street Tribune's reporter was in line about 7:45 and didn't get into the Dome Theater until about a half-hour later. Only one person was handling ticket purchases, and the procedure for purchasing a ticket was very slow. Artisphere seemed to be ill-prepared for the full-house crowd that attended the program. Artisphere's ticket-purchase procedures need to be revised to cope with the growing success of its programs.

Artists such as Maida Withers help to enlarge the creative space for exploding popular video communication. That need is particularly important in journalism. Many video news programs remain mired in a talking-head video format that is largely based on conventions from reporting news via radio. Leading local news sources such as the Ode Street Tribune have turned to more creative video formats to address particular stories. All news organizations that want to bring their reporting into the video present should watch and learn from Maida Withers.

white oak's leaves turning red

2011-10-20T20:39:00.000-04:00

Leaves are turning red on the significant white oak at 1210 N. Taft St. This tree has an impressive breast-area diameter of 42 inches.

Rosslyn leads development in Arlington

2011-10-19T22:30:00.000-04:00

If you look carefully at this 1861 map (click on it for a bigger image), you can see Rosslyn labeled just across from the island in the Potomac. The bluff, which was the rise now most apparent going up to the Netherlands Carillon and to the Arlington House mansion in Arlington Cemetery, is labeled Arlington Heights. Just south of Arlington Heights is Hunter's Chapel. That's the area now at the intersection of Columbia Pike and Glebe Rd. Other than these historical curiosities, Rosslyn is the only point labeled in Arlington. Draw your own conclusions about the rightful territory of Rosslyn.

For those doubters, here's another map, this one from 1865, clearly labeling Rosslyn.

map of Rosslyn in 1857

2011-10-18T22:29:00.000-04:00

In 1857, Rosslyn was at the intersection of a road heading west, and one heading south. In addition, a road ran east of that intersection out onto Mason's Island, now known as Theodore Roosevelt's Island. The existence of these roads indicates the early importance of the Rosslyn area.

12-story apartment building replacing large tree

2011-10-17T23:14:00.001-04:00

A new, 12-story apartment building has been approved for construction at the western corner of N. Troy St. and N. Fairfax Dr. in Rosslyn. The building will replace a significant white-oak tree with breast-area diameter a full 36 inches. The loss of this large-breasted tree comes as the neighborhood is still mourning the execution of two trees in Ft. Myer Heights Park earlier this year.

The construction will preserve the historic, adjacent Wakefield Manor and Courthouse Manor apartment buildings. Noted architect Mihran Mesrobian designed these buildings as well as the Hay-Adams Hotel and St. Regis Hotel in Washington, DC. Mesrobian designed Wakefield Manor and Courthouse Manor only a few years before the historically important Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums were built.

Additional information:

site plan for new apartment building (large pdf document)
Fort Myer Heights North Plan, 2008 (medium-sized pdf)

Sunday's video

2011-10-16T12:06:00.001-04:00

rain helps plants grow

2011-10-15T14:30:00.000-04:00

kids excited about forthcoming park

2011-10-13T20:48:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, kids decorated the the concrete about a bench and the adjacent sidewalk of Ft. Myer Heights Park. If you study the art carefully, you will observed the inscription "sweet dreams" and representations of play equipment. Evidently the artists are young Ode Street Tribune readers who are aware of the forthcoming new Ft. Myer Heights Park playground. The kids are happy, and you should be, too.

pedestrian signal out at Ft. Myer & Lee

2011-10-12T20:35:00.000-04:00

The pedestrian signal on the northwest corner of the intersection of Ft. Myer Dr. and Lee Highway has stopped working. Persons who walk into Rosslyn from Georgetown for an enjoyable evening cross this intersection when returning to Georgetown via the western side of Rosslyn's Key Bridge. The width of the crossing and the speed of cars approaching the red light make the non-functioning pedestrian signal particularly hazardous.

Bicycle and pedestrian safety issues in Gateway Park / Key Bridge area are currently being considered. Lessening the danger at the nearby Lynn St. and Lee Highway intersection is likely to require major changes. The non-functioning pedestrian signal, in contrast, is a simple problem. It should be fixed as quickly as a non-functioning vehicle traffic signal would be fixed.

Arlington Mercury brings more local news

2011-10-11T23:48:00.000-04:00

The Arlington Mercury is a new local news source. It provides original reporting from boots on the ground in Arlington. The Arlington Mercury began operations a couple of months ago under the leadership of Steve Thurston and L. Carol Ritchie. Thurston was the editor of the insightful and clear-headed, but now defunct, Buckingham HeraldTribblog. The Arlington Mercury is a worthy and more ambitious new venture.

The Arlington Mercury recently ran an excellent investigative piece on backyard chickens and the chicken code. The Merc actually located and interviewed a resident harboring covert chickens. With traditional journalistic care, the Merc carefully maintained the anonymity of its source. The only weakness of the story was the Merc's failure to ask tough questions about roosters. Are roosters louder and more bothersome than the many planes passing over Rosslyn and other areas of Arlington? Would roosters in fact create a better sonic landscape in the neighborhood? And what about the tender needs of hens and chicks?

The Ode Street Tribune has pioneered fearless, avant-garde local news reporting. But there's plenty of room for more hardworking and dedicated local journalists. Enjoy the Arlington Mercury, and shower appreciation, praise, and honor on your local news sources!

no left turn from Marshall Dr. onto Route 110

2011-10-10T22:29:00.001-04:00

Traffic cannot turn left at the intersection of Marshall Dr. and Route 110. Cars are frequently seen doing a u-turn on Marshall Dr. just over the crest of the hill from the entrance road to the Iwo Jima Memorial. At the recent RAFOM meeting, a resident suggested putting a no-left turn sign before the entrance to the Iwo Jima. That's an excellent idea. Then smart drivers would reverse direction by entering the park and going around the Iwo Jima Memorial.

labor strife suspends Tribune

2011-10-08T13:14:00.000-04:00

After a five-hour meeting among with the directors, the managing editor, the chief of staff, and all the department editors and sub-editors, the publisher ordered the Ode Street Tribune's management consultant to draft a reprimand statement. The Tribune's reporter is to be reprimanded for a lack of balance in the stories he filed over the past week. Via a regrettable leak, the reporter evidently learned of the forthcoming reprimand. He stormed out of the Tribune's headquarters late Friday afternoon after hollering, "You [expletive deleted] suits have no [expletive deleted] idea about [expletive deleted] real news!"

While the Tribune requires its reporter to work on weekends, his whereabouts are not currently known. A sub-editor has a promising lead on where the reporter will be this weekend, but unfortunately lacks staff to follow-up on the lead. Meanwhile, the Tribune remains actively seeking journalists.

art for a bus at Artisphere

2011-10-06T20:23:00.000-04:00

At Artisphere's Works in Progress Gallery, Victor Ekpuk is working on making art for one of Arlington's ART buses. He'll be in the Works in Progress Gallery this weekend from 11am to 3pm, Saturday and Sunday. You can watch him in action, talk with him, and try your hand at making your own drawings. Drop in!

Special notice: The one place to be this weekend is Artisphere's One Birthday Extravaganza.

data/fields at Artisphere

2011-10-05T23:47:00.000-04:00

Build it with light
        ground to cloud light
      block by block here
you live in this
               art is
                    sun
                       here

Special notice: It's the one -- Artisphere birthday party this weekend!

community quilt at Artisphere

2011-10-04T20:35:00.002-04:00

The past June in Artisphere's Works In Progess Gallery, Michael Booker created a community quilt from material bits of memories that community members donated. This community quilt is now on display just inside the entrance to Artisphere.

Special notice: Be part of the community at Artisphere. Anyone and everyone is invited to the One Birthday celebration at Artisphere this weekend!

pen-and-ink landscape photography at Artisphere

2011-10-03T20:51:00.000-04:00

Contrasts by Andrew Zimmerman is now on display in Artisphere's Mezz Gallery. Contrasts is an exhibition of black-and-white landscape photographs shot in Colorado in summer and winter. The patterns in the landscapes and the density of the prints is extraordinary -- they look like pen-and-ink drawings. Unlike most landscape photographs, the beauty in these landscape photographs is at a high level of abstraction. Yet they are also utterly realistic. See Contrasts at Artisphere through November 2.

Special notice: the globe will be transformed at Artisphere this weekend for its blowout birthday bash.

Sunday's video

2011-10-02T12:43:00.002-04:00

Artisphere blowout birthday bash next weekend

2011-10-01T18:10:00.000-04:00

Artisphere will be turning one year old next week, and it's throwing a blowout birthday bash to celebrate. The celebration will feature, in the spirit of Artisphere, a whole, wide world of activities. Sunday, Oct. 9, from noon to 6pm will be a free arts open house for all ages. It will include animated films in the Dome Theatre, salsa lessons for all ages and abilities, a chance to make art with extraordinary young artist Augie Webster, the freedom to bang hands on drums, a special program of performance art, opera, shadow puppetry, and avant-garde classical theater.

Saturday night, Oct. 9, from 8pm to late, late, late will be the huge 1 Party. Everybody who's anyone will be there. Local artist Brian Stansfield has created a site-specific video for the celebration. Party participants will be able to download original music to accompany the video. The whole event promises to be psycho-sensational.

You may not like everything at Artisphere, but you're gonna love something. What if you don't like any form of art whatsoever? What if you don't even like anything that begins with the letter "a"? Then come for the free birthday cake. Free birthday cake at Artisphere next Sunday afternoon!

stay in Rosslyn all night long

2011-09-29T22:45:00.000-04:00

If you leave Rosslyn after dinner or later in the evening (why would you do that?), watch out for construction on Rt. 50 heading west. Tonight as of 10pm, Rt. 50 westbound was down to one lane just past the Rhodes St. Bridge. With the lane closures, the merge into Rt. 50 going west from the on-ramp near the Rhodes St. Bridge is even more treacherous than normal. At least when the traffic backs up you don't have to pull out abruptly into Rt. 50 where cars are going 45 mph or faster.

Westmoreland delinquencies up

2011-09-28T21:43:00.001-04:00

Condo-fee payment delinquencies have risen to unusually high levels at Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums. While Rosslyn has a vibrant and creative business community, Rosslyn is not immune to economic developments in the rest of the world. European economies are struggling with severe public-debit problems. Residents in debt-free Rosslyn, buffeted by these and other economic developments, are facing more difficulties than usual in paying their condo fees.

Other notes from this Monday's Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums' Board Meeting:

There's not a lot of crime in the area, but some. Use common sense: lock doors, keep portable devices (GPS in cars) out of sight, etc.
The Board renewed its snow-removal contract with Lancaster.
The Board paid a total of $119,903 for a new electrical switch for 1315 and for the second of three payments for the facade and landscape improvements for 1336.
The Reserve Study/Audit that an independent agent is performing will be ready next month.
Work on 1336 is nearly finished. The new railing on the outside stairs at rear will be installed within about a week.

Attending the meeting were Board members Jose Calvo, Jennifer Feinleb, and Joe Ruland, Property Manager Dennis Freeman, and residents/owners Barbara and Fernan, and Kip of the Arlington County Police. The next regularly scheduled Westmoreland Condo Board meeting is the last Monday of next month, Oct. 31, at 7pm in the on-site condo office.

local beauties

2011-09-27T20:58:00.002-04:00

The Radnor / Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood includes beautiful and historically important properties. At the recent Arlington County Board meeting, the Arlington County Landscape Recognition Program recognized two properties in the neighborhood: 1510 Condominiums and the Gables Twelve Twenty-One. Everyone can enjoy looking at these properties at no charge. Moreover, given that we've been blessed with bountiful rain, these and other plants around the neighborhood will remain green and beautiful for a long time.

Tacchino Circlocross delivers chocolate donuts

2011-09-26T21:34:00.000-04:00

In cyclocross, the bike riders have to leap barriers. To summon energy for that leap, riders at this Sunday's Tacchino Circlocross could pick up a chocolate donut before the barriers. Nothing goes with riding in the mud like a chocolate donut.

The Tacchino Circloss is the signature cyclocross event for local bike racing team Squadra Coppi. Legendary race director Jim McNeely made this year's Tacchino even bigger and better than last year's race. The Tacchino race led off a major series of area cyclocross races. For more on the race, see district cycling or watch a highlights video. Jay Wescott, still on the Squadra Coppi injured reserve list, took some great photos of the event. You've already enjoyed one above; enjoy more below!

2011 09 25 Tacchino CX - Images by Jay Westcott

Sunday's video

2011-09-25T12:33:00.000-04:00

the glamor of Rosslyn

2011-09-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

David Chung's magnificent painting Rosslyn (2000) captures beautifully the glamor of Rosslyn. It can be seen in the Rosslyn metro station.

Ft. Myer Heights Park conceptual design

2011-09-22T20:15:00.000-04:00

At this past Tuesday's RAFOM meeting, Arlington County park architect Aaron Wohler presented the conceptual design and plans for the forthcoming Ft. Myer Heights playground construction. RAFOM meeting participants voted to approve the design. The video below shows Mr. Wohler's presentation and one follow-up question.

come ashore at Artisphere

2011-09-21T23:18:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, the PARK(ing) Day realization in Rosslyn encouraged persons to dispel the frantic search for a parking space. Imagine instead gliding into Rosslyn on a small boat guided by mermaids to the newly constructed Rosslyn boathouse, with a pier extending all the way to the front of Artisphere.

Dance Exchange dancers Sarah Levitt and Shula Strassfeld helped Rosslyn PARK(ing) Day spectator-participants to experience that glorious vision. They performed a site-specific adaptation of their work Hammock. Some commenters at Arlnow were somewhat dubious about this work and PARK(ing) Day in general. The actual event turned out to be thoroughly vitalizing and inspiring.

In an exclusive interview with the Ode Street Tribune, spectator-participant Douglas Galbi said, "Even though I hadn't properly parked and locked my bike, I felt completely relaxed." The Tribune asked him if the noise from the airplanes passing close overhead hindered his ability to rest. He said, "Not at all. Resting in the gentle sway of the hammock, I didn't even hear the airplanes." Did he realized that he was alongside a major street in Rosslyn in front of Artisphere? "I could see Artisphere and the sky and Rosslyn's beautiful buildings," he said. "But still, it was like a dream, except in my dreams the women are usually naked."

The Ode Street Tribune believes that PARK(ing) Day in Rosslyn should not be criticized for not having naked women. PARK(ing) Day in Rosslyn was a fun, creative, low-cost event. These are the kinds of events that make Rosslyn the emblem of Arlington's attractiveness.

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Note: a video is embedded in this post. If you don't see it in your email reader, you can find it here.