The April 2025 newsletter is linked below. If you have any comments or questions, email editor@ashtonheights.org.

We Have Challenges, But We Can Handle It
By Scott Sklar, President, AHCA

At our March AHCA meeting, Arlington County Board Chairman Takis Karantonis laid out the challenges and issues before the county. Commercial space is 20% empty, close to 30,000 Arlington residents are out of jobs (federal workers, federal contractors, and low age workers), and there is lower tourism.

Atop of that sobering scenario, AHCA’s chair of the Tree Canopy and Native Plants Committee, Brooke Alexander, went over a digital map of Ashton Heights-Lyon Park which shows ‘tree canopy’ is down while old canopy has expanded. Our quality of life, at many levels requires us to turn this downward trend around.

On a higher level, as our national politics changes direction, greenhouse gas emissions are going to go up – summers hotter, winters more extreme, and rains becoming more torrential. Which in turn brings higher energy bills, more water damage, negative changes on our trees-gardens-flora, along with severe impacts on wildlife. As a county along with our other local government partners, we are all going to need to march together and take the lead.

And with all these stressors, on a personal level, we need to be more appreciative of one another. Pay greater attention to our kids, spouses, relatives, friends, neighbors, work colleagues – actually with all levels within our community – from home workers, delivery people, restaurant severs, healthcare aides, cashiers, teachers, and beyond. As a community, we need to be better attuned, supportive, sensitive, and agile.

Believe me, I am optimistic – communities working together can move mountains. Most change happens at the local level. I want to challenge you to suggest efforts, programs, campaigns, educational events, or just get togethers that the Ashton Heights Civic Association (AHCA) can launch, implement, or host. Sometimes joining together creates opportunities and helps leverage and catalyze other opportunities.

Let’s use these challenges and drivers for new opportunities as well as provide some introspection and time to appreciate our families, coworkers, neighbors, and our communities that make our lives richer.

Happy Spring 2025!