The January 2025 newsletter is linked below. If you have any comments or questions, email editor@ashtonheights.org.
The Vision Thing – Arlington 2050
by Scott Sklar, President, AHCA
Our Ashton Heights Civic Association (AHCA) meeting in January will feature Libby Garvey. Libby just served as our Arlington County Board Chair, has served on the board for over a decade after over another decade on the Arlington School Board, where she also served as its Chair.
Her last official act was to unleash an effort called “Arlington 2050”, where she brought certain vision leaders and Arlington leaders together this year to start the process over a dinner at Amazon headquarters. I was invited to this effort, and it reminded me of our early civic association leaders – principally in Ashton Heights and Lyon Park, who drove “The Arlington Way”, the Greenway, and the early historic housing inventory – to build a vision, an awareness, and an approach on how we work together and move forward together.
The Vision 2050 – or more formally “Arlington 2050: Envisioning Tomorrow Together”, is a year-long effort to engage neighbors across Arlington on what the County should look like by the year 2050 and what challenges the County, and its residents foresee. More information at: https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Departments/County-Board/Arlington-2050.
This effort needs Ashton Height’s involvement, vision, and participation. I hope you will join us at the January AHCA monthly meeting at the Clarendon United Methodist Church social hall.
As an Ashton Heights resident since 1984, parent in 1993, founding my international sustainable energy global business in 2000, a GWU Professor since 2011, your AHCA President since 2012, and additionally teaching at GWU’s Graduate Urban Studies program in 2013 – I have a long involvement through many different vision points – and the point is – all of you do too!
Since most of us came to Arlington from other parts of the USA, have diverse backgrounds and professions – we all offer unique perspectives that we can bring together. This has served us well, and allowed us to have a robust tree canopy, an active and interactive relationship with our County in almost every aspect of almost every issue — along with fabulous schools, walkable communities, great bike paths and parks, plus solid police, fire and ambulance services. Yes, always room for improvement – but pretty good so far.
So, I realize we are all busy with family, work, errands, hobbies, traveling, and upkeep – but visioning is important for all of us – our families, our community, and our businesses. Let’s take the time and add our joint visions. Happy 2025!