Sunday's video

(if you don't see the above video in your email reader, click here to see it on the Ode Street Tribune site)

Deep Throat Parking Lot

In spot 32D in the underground parking lot of 1401 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn, just across the street from where the Internet was invented, a high-ranking FBI official ("Deep Throat") passed secrets to a news reporter.  Those secrets drove the Watergate scandal and eventually the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon. 

Rosslyn's Deep Throat Parking Lot deserves a historical marker.  Without that parking lot, the Watergate scandal might never have been uncovered.

Styrofoam Mom says avoid single-use Styrofoam

Styrofoam Mom wants to eliminate single-use Styrofoam containers and plastic bags from Arlington's restaurants and retail stores.  Styrofoam isn't easy to recycle.  It also might not be good for you.  A fellow news source recently stated:

As for styrene’s presence in Styrofoam and other consumer products, Brawley [Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society] likened the risk from such products to that of coffee and cellphones — uncertain and slight.

Worrying and getting stressed out about possible health risks surely is bad for your health.  The Ode Street Tribune recommends avoiding that.  You might also look at Styrofoam Mom's list of area restaurants that do not use Styrofoam.  They are probably establishments that take recycling and public health seriously.

children's playground going into Ft. Myer Heights Park grass

A proposed renovation of the Ft. Myer Heights Park will move the children's playground down to the grassy area of the park along Ft. Myer Dr.  The children's playground will be enlarged and equipped with more, new play equipment.  The playground will have two different sets of play equipment: one set for children ages 2-5, and another set for children ages 6-12.  The set of equipment for children ages 2-5 will be surrounded by a four-foot-high fence.  In addition, a wooden wheelchair path will be built to provide disability access to the picnic area in the upper part of the park.

A significant open design issue is the treatment of the basketball court and the use of the space beyond the basketball court.  The space beyond the basketball court now contains a small playground and an open space with a picnic table.  Possibilities include enlarging the basketball court, replacing it with a handball, volleyball, or tennis court, or making the space into an open, natural space.  The Ode Street Tribune opposes any extension of asphalt and favors open, natural space.  The world already has enough pavement.

A design committee of neighborhood residents will review proposals for the park renovations in a meeting on Aug. 25.  The final proposal likely will be presented at the September RAFOM meeing. Construction will begin in the spring of 2012.  The total budget for the project is $559,000.  If you're interested in joining the design committee, contact Arlington County designer Aaron Wohler at 703 228-7928 or awohler at arlingtonva.us 

huge erection in Rosslyn

A massive crane is now hard at work constructing the new 1812 N. Moore St. tower.  The building will have a shape similar to that of the Washington Monument and will be the tallest office building in the metropolitan Washington DC area.  This exciting project will make Rosslyn an even more uplifting destination for visitors.

$29K for sidewalk and stairs renovation around Westmoreland 1336

At the Westmoreland Condo Board meeting today, the Board approved an expenditure of about $29 thousand for repair of the sidewalk, stairs, and railing leading up the back side of the Westmoreland 1336 buildings.  The need for these unbudgeted repairs emerged in the course of doing the facade restoration for 1336.  The repairs are intended to improve the building's appearance and improve the safety of the entranceway, especially in winter.

Other notes from the Condo Board meeting:

• Roof repair on Westmoreland 1336 will start on Aug. 21 and will probably take only two days.
• the Westmoreland 1315 electrical service switch replacement will occur in September
• the condo physical plant and financial reserves study will be available in September

Attending the meeting were Board members José Calvo, Jennifer Feinleib, and Joe Ruland; residents Douglas and Mark, and Zalco Property Manager Dennis Freeman. The regularly scheduled August 29 Condo Board meeting may be canceled.  Check with the Condo Office a few days before to confirm the show and to reserve your seat.

Sunday's video

(if you don't see the above video in your email reader, click here to see it on the Ode Street Tribune site)

gorgeous street art

Street art in Rosslyn rises far above graffiti.  You can find this cubist masterpiece on Fort Myer Dr. in Rosslyn, under the construction outside the Holiday Inn.

Rosslyn is fruitful

 

At the right time of the year, the sidewalk on the Arlington Blvd. access road just west of Ft. Myer Heights Park in Rosslyn is drenched with juices of squashed blackberries. Even in this heat wave, some berries are ripening on low bushes.

new children's playground coming to Ft. Myer Heights Park

Despite the fine state of the Ft. Myer Heights Park children's playground, the renovation discussed last year will move forward this year.  The Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation is planning to build a new children's playground.  Whether an enlargement of the basketball court will also occur isn't clear. 

A meeting with a County landscape architect to discuss the renovation will occur this coming Wednesday, July 27, at 7:30 pm in the Cherry Conference Room #109 (ground floor), Arlington County Building, 2100 Clarendon Boulevard.  If you cannot attend the meeting and would like to provide some input, contact by email Steve Campbell at mitska at juno dot com

gigantic mushroom at Westmoreland

  

This mushroom sprung up in the lovely, shaded courtyard of 1307/1309 Westmoreland. While it looks menacing, it probably won't reach out farther and grab someone. But if you try to eat it, it might kill you.

Rosslyn leads way in wayfinding signs

The Rosslyn BID has been working with Arlington County over the past three years to establish Rosslyn as a pilot location for Arlington County's new wayfinding signs.  "You are here" (and a very interesting place it is) signs have already been installed at the following locations:

• In front of the Key Bridge Marriott at 1401 Lee Highway
• Near the Iwo Jima Memorial on Meade Street
• By Cupid’s Garden on Clarendon Street
• By the Rosslyn BID office on Fort Myer Drive

Wayfinding signs will be installed in six other locations in the coming weeks. Rosslyn rocks!

Giro di Coppi 2011 delivers exciting bike racing

 

Since the beginning of July, excitement has been building among bike racing fans for the decisive day of bike racing.  That took place yesterday in the Giro di Coppi.  The Giro, sponsored by local bike racing team Squadra Coppi, continued its tradition of excellent organization and sun-drenched racing through the beautiful countryside of Montgomery County, Maryland.  No one who attend the Giro could be left with any doubts about whether bike racing is fun.

Official results for the 2011 Giro di Coppi are not yet available online. Through its network of spies, informers, and embedded reporters, the Ode Street Tribune has uncovered that Jason Hall of Squadra Coppi took second in the Men's 3 race, Richard Elder of Squadra Coppi took third in the Men's 4/5 35+ race, and Douglas Galbi of Squadra Coppi took 20th in the Men's 4 race.  Congratulations to these outstanding Squadra Coppi cyclists for their podium or near-podium finishes.

Squadra Coppi cyclist Jay Westcott remains on the injured reserve list. One small consolation is that, using his skills as a professional photographer, he took some great photos of the 2011 Giro di Coppi. Check out the photos, and be at the Giro next year.

Update: Here are some unofficial results.

*  *  *  *  *
Photo above courtesy of Jay Westcott.

strange-looking streetlight

Steetlight number 25 at the corner of Fairfax Dr. and Pierce St. is looking strange.  Perhaps the streetlight was damaged in the recent storms.  Or maybe this is some kind of new surveillance device.

adopt-a-street program

Arlington's outstanding Department of Environmental Services is offering an opportunity to adopt a street.  Persons who adopt a street must pledge to perform the following duties for one year:

• Sweep the curb, gutter lines, and wheelchair accessibility ramps of the adopted street, on a quarterly basis
• Remove litter along the adopted street, on a quarterly basis or as needed
• Schedule a pick-up for sweeping debris to be collected by DES staff
• Update the tasks you completed of your street adopting duties, each quarter
• Report any hazardous conditions, as needed, along the adopted street:

This is a fine opportunity to serve the neighbor.  Among Arlington's many streets, the famous and mellifluous Ode Street is seeking adoption. Inspired by this program and the appalling condition of the Ode Street Tribune's headquarters, the Ode Street Tribune pledges to sweep its headquarter's floors and vacuum its rugs once a quarter over the next year.  Given the additional effort of these four additional cleanings, readers should appreciate even more the Tribune's sparkling content.

Embodying the Soul at Rosslyn's Piola

Nia Tavlarides Stratos' art exhibition, Embodying the Soul, is on display at Rosslyn's Piola through July 30.  These are colorful, tactile, sensuous works. They would go well with Piola's Sparta pizza.  The Sparta is a white pizza with colorful highlights of goat cheese, arugola, cherry tomatoes, black pitted olives and mozzarella.  Have a taste of that pizza and you'll get a taste of the art.

new wayfinding signs on Meade St.

The Rosslyn BID, in partnership with Arlington County, has installed new wayfinding signs along Meade St.  The new sign on Meade St. near the Iwo Jima Memorial marks out important neighborhood locations.  One such location is the historic Westmoreland Terrace Condominiums.  The sign above appropriately includes a marker for Westmoreland (black circle no. 34).  This marker will help Rosslyn's many visitors locate the world headquarters of the Ode Street Tribune.

celebrate Naadam

July 11 marks the start of the traditional Mongolian festival Naadam. Naadam involves contests in Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, and archery. Unfortunately, even here in Rosslyn, a world-leading center of Mongolian culture, equipment for celebrating Naadam is rather lacking. 

Nonetheless, an improvised sort of Mongolian horse racing is possible right in this area.  Unlike modern Western horse racing, horse racing in Naadam is a long-distance, off-track event.  In short, it's quite similar to cyclocross.  So get on your horse and gallop across the nearest grassland.

(video embedded above; it you don't see it, go to the Ode Street Tribune home site)

be a sustainable organic steward

Contain, Maintain, Sustain at Artisphere has rotated in some new artwork.  Tattfoo Tan's S.O.S. Guilds invites exhibition-goers to sign a Sustainable Organic Steward pledge:

I hereby pledge to make the following changes in my life.  My actions will be small, but their collective impact will be great.  I promise to consume fresh and local produce.  I promise to reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, and conserve energy.  I will walk, bike or ride public transportation as much as I can.  I will set an example for others as a sustainable organic steward (S.O.S.).

These are good intentions. A pledge makes intentions more solemn, and a public pledge, even more solemn. Who would deny that fresh produce tastes good, especially flavored with garden-grown herbs? The S.O.S. pledge emphasizes the significance of such good intentions for the sustainability of human life on earth.

S.O.S. Guilds now continues in Artisphere's WIP Gallery, just outside the entrance to Contain, Maintain, Sustain.  The WIP Gallery work brings in the economic dimension of art.  It includes details on a small grant proposal for participants to further the ideas of S.O.S. Guilds.  Next to a layout of proposal examples is Tanfoo's book of rejection letters that he has received.  Failure hasn't stopped Tattfoo, and it shouldn't stop you.  The space also includes a money tree containing paper cut-out designs made from near-worthless currency, e.g. Yugoslavian money printed during the Yugoslavian hyperinflation.  It can be viewed as a cuttingly ironic comment on the hope of finding a money tree.

S.O.S. Guilds will be in Artisphere's WIP Gallery through July 31.

dogs pissing kills grass

Last year, leading local media reported that dogs pissing kills bushes.  As this story has developed, it's become apparent that dogs pissing also kills grass.  The new green sod in Westmoreland's 1307/1309 courtyard amply illustrates this effect.

What's a dog to do?  One possibility is to piss on curb in a parking lot or street.  Dogs might find that to be an unnatural and unsatisfying experience.  The Ode Street Tribune recommends that dogs piss on a patch of weeds or at the base of a large tree.

Bairds adopt bike path

Joey & Shannon Baird have adopted a section of the W&OD trail just east of Vienna.  Joey & Shannon are enthusiastic triathletes.  Joey Baird also owns and operates Baird Automotive in Arlington.  Joey's the kind of guy that helps keep a community moving.

Vapiano claims title sponsorship for the 2011 Giro di Coppi

Vapiano, a restaurant bringing a European flair to fresh casual food, has garnered the coveted position as title sponsor for the 2011 Giro di Coppi.  Local bike racing team Squadra Coppi puts on the Giro di Coppi.  This year the races will occur on Saturday, July 16, near Sugarloaf Mountain in Montgomery County, Maryland. 

Vapiano has a location in Ballston.  Residents of Rosslyn are hoping that Vapiano will open another restaurant in Rosslyn so that Rosslyn residents will have a shorter bike ride to a fast, wholesome dinner.

Ross sculpture in Rosslyn

Wendy M. Ross's sculpture Radiolaria (2006) rests in the Bennett Park Apartment's courtyard in historic Rosslyn.  In 1860, William Henry Ross bought land that turned into a farm called Rosslyn.  Over the next century and a half, Rosslyn has grown into a bustling center of art, business, commerce, and news reporting.

Ross's sculpture brings to mind Rosslyn's history.  That history actually goes back much farther than Ross's purchase of land.  The current construction boom in Rosslyn is a faint echo of the big bang that created the universe.  Dinosaurs preferred Rosslyn to Clarendon because Rosslyn was more convenient for wading in the Potomac.  Ross's sculpture moves across Rosslyn's deep history, connecting its prehistoric past to its vibrant present. 

4th of July fireworks started on 3rd

Powerful thunder and lightening rocked Rosslyn and surrounding areas early Sunday morning.  About 6pm on Sunday, another storm hit.  The only causalities in the historic Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood was a tree in Ft. Myer Heights Park.  It lost a sizable branch.  The Quarterdeck's rooftop sign got halved, but not quartered. Power was out in the neighborhood from about 6:30 pm on the 3rd to 1 am on the 4th.  Comcast service was out as of 11:16am on the 4th.  Given the critical importance of the Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights neighbor to 4th of July celebrations, the region is fortunate that damage wasn't worse.

Unfortunately, northwest Arlington in the region of N. Glebe Rd. and Old Dominion Rd. got hit hard. A section of N. Glebe road between Old Dominion and Chain Bridge Rd. was closed as of 1 pm today.  The storm toppled many large trees, and some hit power lines.  Power is still out for some persons in that area.  Comments at Arlnow provide additional first-hand reporting.

The U.S. had survived through many difficult situations.  On this sweltering 4th of July, no power means no air-conditioning and no fans.  For those without power this 4th of July, remember Mamie Bell Mackley Brown!

Seeing Everyday Beauty amidst Chaos

A beautiful exhibit of multilayered memories made into paper is on display in Arlington Temple United Methodist Church in Rosslyn.  The artist, Jill Romanoke, has a studio in the Arlington Arts Center and was recognized by leading local media as having the finest work in a recent show at the Arlington Arts Center.  In her artist's statement, Romanoke declares:

I simply love our earth; the space around it, the sun, sky, stars, and air currents.  Our globe is a phenomenon -- its magnificent system of life and its ongoing cycles.  When I create a piece of art, I want to convey this love, its multilayeredness.

Look for this love inside the church above the gas station.  You can find it in the midst of the chaos of the massive construction projects in downtown Rosslyn. Stop in and see what you see!

14th St. hill gets high-quality bike markers

Only a few months ago, 14th St.N, which enters Rosslyn from the west, was a total mess.  Now it's a beautifully smooth road.  Moreover, it has the finest bicycle markers in the U.S.  Compare these bicycle markers (above) to the typically bicycle marker (below).  The drawing above is less blocky and more elegant.  The drawing above depicts a bike that has pedals.  Pedals are a crucial component of a bike.  Moreover, the bike above has a curved front fork, which tends to provide better handling and a smoother ride. The geometry of the rear triange on the top bike is also much better designed.  Rosslyn, a leading center of art and design, is a particularly appropriate place to have fine bike markers.

Related:

• Rosslyn leads in creative bike racks
• Fashion fights poverty at Artisphere in Rosslyn
• Cross Culture contemporary fashion at the Art Institute in Rosslyn