We here on Nelson Avenue are in the forefront of biodegradable low to no emission transportation.
A biodegradable, no-emissions, eco-friendly compact car.
Eco-friendly Transportation
February 9th, 2010To Shovel or not to shovel, that is the question
February 8th, 2010You might have noticed that we recently got a wee bit of snow. You might also have noticed that the City has forgotten where the center of the universe is and plowed minor streets such as Mount Vernon and Route 1 better than and before the most important street in Alexandria. Clearly their priorities are mixed up. If the LesDunBelle area has been plowed better than we have, I’m going to be mighty irate because we were here first!
But I do not write to talk about the misalignment of city resources, I will save that for a snarkier posting in the future (feel free to chime in with your own…). No, today I write about shoveling snow. Yeah, most of us have been out there multiple times shoveling our walks, the sidewalks and our cars out (well, those who drive much. My car will stay safely ensconced in its white cocoon until next weekend at least!). And, some are not very nice neighbors as they have not shoveled but, for the most part, our block does a pretty good job. Not like the residents of 1415 Mount Vernon Avenue (SE corner of Mount Vernon and Nelson) who never shovel their sidewalk.
The sidewalks are passable, your cars could go somewhere but what about the roof? We’ve been hearing of some roofs collapsing and, there was the Knickerbocker storm back in 1922 so named because 98 people were killed when the roof of the Knickerbocker theater collapsed under the weight of the snow. So, the question is, should you shovel your roof?
Being dorkier than most, I set out on Saturday morning to figure this out. I won’t bore you with the details (email me if you really want to know them) but the short answer is that if your roof beams are in decent shape then you probably don’t need to worry. The load on the roof (assuming you live in one of our lovely rowhomes) is only about 10 pounds per square foot for a total of 2 ton. Now, 2 ton sounds like a lot but it is evenly distributed across the entire roof. And, it is melting so the load today (Monday) is less than yesterday. Additionally, wood, like steel, tends to “communicate” before it fails – you’d probably (but not always) hear creaking/cracking long before it failed.
Another way of looking at it is that we’ve got somewhere around 60 houses on the block so N ~= 60 and, being greater than 30 provides a valid population for statistical analysis. With a grand total of zero roofs on our block having failed during this snowfall so far, I’d say the odds of your roof failing are pretty slim.
Of course, I’m not a structural engineer; I’m not even an engineer! So if you’re really truly worried, don’t listen to the rantings of a dorky schmo on the intertubes, get the opinion of someone who is a real structural engineer.
UPDATE: Here’s a WaPo article published on 10Feb2010 which basically says the same thing as I – don’t bother shoveling your roof.
Shooting at Gold Crust!!
December 18th, 2009Sara called just now to alert me to major police activity at Gold Crust. Mary’ son told Mary that the police pulled a gun on him in the alley. No, they’re not being overly pushy in looking for donations, there was a shooting at Gold Crust and they were being very cautious. Mary then told Beth who told Sara who called me. And now we’re watching all the police activity.
UPDATE: (7:30am Saturday) Looks like two people were shot, one killed and as of late last night the shooter was still on the loose. See this article in the Alexandria Times.
UPDATE (10:00am Saturday) Two items of note I just learned:
- Sara texted me at 11pm last night (I was sound asleep) and told me that it was a standoff – the “guy” (we’re assuming it’s the shooter) was on the second floor of Gold Crust. Since the cops were gone when I woke this morning, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that they apprehended him.
- Here’s a press release from the Alexandria police:
Alexandria Police Investigate Double Shooting on East Monroe AvenueAlexandria Police are investigating a double shooting that occurred at
501 East Monroe AvenueOn Friday, December 18, at approximately 7:30 P.M., officers responded to a report of shots fired. Upon their arrival, they found two victims. One victim was transported to a local hospital. The second victim was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the criminal Investigations Section of the Alexandria Police Department at 703.838.4444 or the Crime Solvers tip line at 703.838.4858. Detectives would like to remind witnesses that they can remain anonymous.
UPDATE: (1:00pm Saturday) Conjecture, Rumor and more!
Anne says in the comments below that the police have apprehended the shooter. Several news outlets say the shooter is still at large. Since Anne is a card-carrying member of the Nelson Ave Gang, I’m going to believe her over the local reporters. And, while I’m updating this, let me just say that the folks over at LesDunBelle had better take this as a warning – we here at Nelson Ave are a gang and should not be trifled with! haha!
UPDATE: (3:00pm Sunday) Updates from neighbors and Alexandria Times
I heard from a reliable source which was told by someone else who talked to some of the employees of the Giant that the shooting was the result of a love triangle. Also, the Alexandria Times has updated their article – the shooter shot himself in the head when officers approached him.
Also did anyone else notice that the WaPo is running a story about a worker who died in an industrial accident in Denver (another sad story) on their front (web) page this morning but a local murder/shooting is relegated to three small paragraphs in local news which hasn’t been updated since Friday night? Way to drop the ball, WaPo. At least the Alexandria Times has been updating the story periodically throughout the weekend.
UPDATE: (10:00pm Monday) Victim Identities
According to one of the more recent police press releases the victim who died was Kossi Djossou, 19 of Fairfax County. They do not mention if Kossi is male or female and I am unfamiliar with the name. The Alexandria Times mentions the victim who died as being female so maybe my sources (mostly rumor and her neighbor conjecture) were wrong and the one who survived is male? That or the Alexandria Times is wrong but they have real reporters – something which I am obviously not. While I’m asking questions, does anyone know how the victim who survived is faring?
We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…
Truck Parking
December 6th, 2009About 5pm or so this evening I noticed one of the Giant truck drivers parking his trailer in the alley behind my place. Now, they have never done this before so I figured something must not be right. A few hours later and the truck is still there so I put on my investigator hat and went sleuthing.
First thought was to call the police but I like the Giant being there and I know they’re not doing so well since the bridge construction began (and they certainly weren’t the most profitable store before that) so I don’t want to cause them any trouble if I can help it. I *like* having a supermarket 50 feet from my back door.
Second thought and a much better one was to walk over and ask the people in the store what the story is. Of course, this required me to put on shoes and walk 50 feet. Oh, the things I suffer to bring you the news of Nelson Ave.! 
I got to the store and asked what they knew and apparently I’m like the third person there. Clearly I wouldn’t get the scoop if this were a real news story. Though I did get the scoop on the armed robbery at the CVS a while back! No one at the store seems to know what the deal is but they make a few phone calls and finally tell me that the truck is broken and the driver is right around the corner.
It being a nice evening, I walk over and find the truck replete with driver and – most importantly – a repair man fixing the truck. They were working on the air line which provides air pressure the the air brakes (See a pattern? Lots of air here!). The driver joked that it probably wouldn’t be so good for him to have driven down the alley with no brakes. The repairman corrected him and said that the default for the brakes are to be “on” so he wouldn’t have been able to drive down the alley. The driver told me that the police had driven by twice and talked with him once so *someone* called the police (and, Kerry, if you’re reading this, it wasn’t me!)
Safety discussions aside, by the time you read this the truck driver and his trailer will have been on their merry way. I feel for the driver – he said he lives in Aberdeen and is going to end up in a hotel this evening instead of getting home to his wife. Poor guy.
Never a dull moment on East Nelson Avenue!
Historical Records
February 1st, 2009Many years ago when library card catalogs went electronic quite a few researchers were up in arms. Their concern was that many of the things you find or learn while researching are incidental. That is, when searching the card catalog for book X you accidentally come across book Y which provides a richer and more thorough research experience. Of course as has been seen, this argument was probably as much the voicing of the fear of a new technology as it was a lamenting for the loss of card catalogs.
Why do I mention card catalogs on a blog devoted to nirvana (East Nelson Avenue)? Because last night when Googling for something completely unrelated to our little patch of Earth I came across a part of the Alexandria Library’s website titled “The Tax Assessor’s Handiwork: Alexandria’s Historic Structures Online“. Even better is that the old tax records of East Nelson Avenue are on this page.
These records are not just dry, bland accounts of how much our houses were worth at various periods (in 1971 my house was worth a whopping $8,050!). They also include photos of our houses, who the owners were in 1971 and other information. I discovered that there was a fire in my house sometime in 1977 because $6,975 was spent to repair “FIRE DAMAGE”. It must have been a lot of damage because in 1977 my house (building only) was worth $27,900. They also must have done a pretty good job of repairs because with all the renovation I have done, I have yet to see any evidence of fire damage. Although this might explain the water marks on some of the beams in the basement…
Other things I learned include that my HVAC system was installed in 1977, the small addition on the back of my house was already there in 1971, and my living room was carpeted in 1971. Probably psychedelic shag carpet… it was the 1970’s after all.
After discovering and studying these documents for a while I googled the former owners of my house (Earl W. and Edna E. Mans). There was only a single link which gave me more information on these two people – apparently Edna was Secretary of the Potomac Triumph Club in 1976 (you know, the British car that was small, fast and known for breaking down on a VERY regular basis). Now I want to go visit the library to learn more about the history of my house and Nirvana, er, East Nelson Avenue.
Perhaps you know something more about the history of our block? Or you know a former owner? It would be great to further document the history of East Nelson Avenue. Read the rest of this entry »
Councilman Krupicka Budget Cut Discussion
October 29th, 2008In his latest email newsletter Councilman Krupicka discussed the large budget shortfall our fair city is facing and the budget cuts this will require. He is encouraging everyone to attend and voice their views/opinions at the budget public hearing on Oct. 30th at 7pm in City Hall. He has also offered to meet with small groups of residents to discuss the budget, economy and the best way to work through these challenges.
If we have enough interest, I (EZ) am willing to host one of these discussions in my living room. Think of it as a fireside chat without the fireplace. I’ll even provide *real* hot chocolate (none of that icky faux powdered stuff in my house!). Voice your interest below in the comments and, like I said, if we have enough interest I’ll coordinate with Coucilman Krupicka to get this going.
Thanks!
~EZ
A note for the moderator
October 21st, 2008Hi there,
I was just wondering if we can add the FireFlies blog onto the blog listing. It is on Nelson Ave (or, I consider it to be since I live on Nelson and own the restaurant 
)
If so, it’s www.firefliesdelray.blogspot.com
Thanks!
As for the block party….. we actually were trying to do a street festival at FireFlies using the first part of the 400 block of Nelson.. but we got shot down by the city among others. We wanted to host a party for our neighbors…. but we couldn’t get city support. Maybe sometime though!
Warning: Package Theft on Our Block
October 7th, 2008Neighbors of the 500-block of E. Nelson Ave. should think twice before allowing delivery/shipping companies to leave packages on their porches.
On Sept. 23 in the afternoon, I witnessed a man steal packages from a neighbor’s porch, put them into a crimson sedan with a driver, then speed away. I called the police immediately, and they came to our block quickly. The police recorded the details but, to my knowledge, did not apprehend the culprits.
Here is the case:
http://www3.alexandriava.gov/police/crime_reports/detail_viewer.php?id=2f4f32ec8ac24004b66e7c06f5b67204&hit=1&so=1
The police recommend that the surest prevention of theft would be to instruct delivery companies to not leave packages. Some of us are lucky to have shrubs that obscure views of our porches, but others have no hiding place for packages.
The police said that some men are known to follow UPS/DHL trucks around, picking up packages just about as soon as they’ve been delivered, but it had not yet become a problem (until now) in our part of Del Ray.
Armed Robbery
September 28th, 2008There is currently an armed robbery underway at the CVS (9am Sunday morning, Sept. 28). I spoke with several police on my bagel run and from what they told me and when I saw them setting up the perimeter (around 7:30am), it sounds like they think everyone is out of the store except for the robber. I have gathered from the loudspeaker they are using that the robber (if he is still in the store) speaks Spanish. That’s all I know right now.
Yes, you read it here first! Nelsonavegang.com, scooping the Alexandria Gazette, Washington Post and, that paragon of intellectualism, USA today.
Note of advice – if you have to leave the block they may not let you back in until this event is resolved. Apparently we are inside of the cordon.
Update: (10am) Well, the police cordon is being taken down and everyone can relax (I know, you were on the edge of your seat breathlessly awaiting updates). Seems the armed robber was not in the store. Better safe than not, right? Of course what this does mean is that somewhere in the area may be an armed and scared/angry/not-quite-on-an-even-keel man.
Of course, this was not nearly as exciting as the pig problem in New South Wales (the pig was eventually captured and rewarded for his behavior by being put out to stud).
Update: (22 Oct. 08) According to a police report I just received, yesterday (10/21) “police arrested Joshua Chevres, a 19 year-old City resident, for both robberies at 415 E. Monroe Avenue.”
Solicitor Update for Environment Virginia
September 24th, 2008A few weeks back we were subjected to another rude solicitor from Environment Virginia. Paul posted a comment about it here and two other neighbors told me about his rude and illegal behavior. You need a permit to do door to door soliciting in the fair city of Alexandria – something which no solicitor from Environment Virginia has been able to show us.
So I called Environment Virginia (434 979 9825). They put me in touch with JR who is the head of Environment Virginia. After playing phone tag a bit JR and I had a nice conversation. He apologized (again) for the rude solicitor without a permit and told me it would not happen again. I asked why I should feel reassured about this because that is what he told me the first time I called when we caught this rude miscreant on our street soliciting without a permit. He assured me (again) that he would take action and that I should send him an email.
Well, that pesky thing known as a job got in the way for a week or two but today I was able to finally write the email to JR and thought you all might like to see what I wrote:
JR,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me a week or so ago.
On two occasions, June 10 and August 27 we have had solicitors from your organization, Environment Virginia, illegally disturb us. On both occasions the solicitors were quite rude and did not have the required permit from the City of Alexandria. On both occasions we called the police. We have been documenting things like this on our neighborhood blog and you can read about both events here:
http://www.nelsonavegang.com/?p=56
http://www.nelsonavegang.com/?p=43#commentsWe would prefer that your organization (and all others except for those selling Girl Scout Cookies) not send solicitors to disturb us. I am sure you will understand why canvassers such as those who have been coming to our street are neither welcome on our street nor are they helping your organization and its cause.
I contacted you after the first incident and, from what you told me, I assumed it would not happen again. If we continue to have this problem we will begin working more closely with the City of Alexandria police department so they recognize the ongoing nature of these illegal acts and we will pursue other communication avenues to hopefully send a stronger message that we do not want solicitors on our street and especially rude ones who are breaking the law.
Thank you for your time,
EZ