The April 2026 newsletter is linked below. If you have any comments or questions, email editor@ashtonheights.org.
Community Organization and an Appeal for Volunteers!
By Scott Sklar, President, AHCA
In fall of 1984 I moved onto North Ivy Street buying a 1922 one story bungalow. The first thing I noticed is that most of my neighbors on the street had front porches, which they sat on often. That was my start of being assimilated into my neighborhood. As a young single professional, everyone was nice and welcoming. The older men lent me tools, or went out with me to Virginia Hardware, Cherrydale Hardware, Bill’s Hardware and Brown’s Hardware in downtown old Falls Church. I befriended all their owners over the years. The older women helped me actually eat well, but as I married and had a young daughter, they helped me out in so many other ways that I could write a whole column on the topic.
The first few weeks after I moved into my house, while working on my front lawn, an old lady with a walker was plodding mid-street and stopped in front of my house. I immediately walked up to her and introduced myself, and we had a great talk. Before she left, she told me she had a 1929 black and white picture of my house with a cement flamingo in the front yard and asked if I would like it. I said yes. A week later she handed it to me and three months later she passed away. As many of you know, I have huge flurry of lawn flamingos including that original 1929 flamingo, in front of my house. But these experiences set the tone of my 42 years here in Ashton Heights on this three block street living among wonderful people.
What was great to know was these same types of people, with varied backgrounds, histories, experiences, jobs, and interests were all around me. And as we all make friends and acquaintances through our children, jobs, houses of worship, and our associations & hobbies – wow – great, amazing people were everywhere.
Fifteen years ago I was approached to become President of the Ashton Heights Civic Association (AHCA) which was without a president for over a year. Now I was not involved, but I did read the newsletter thoroughly – but running a trade association for 15 years with long evenings and being an involved dad for my daughter Stella (now 32+ years old), I didn’t have much free community time. By the time I was asked, I was single again, my daughter had just moved out of our house to DC for the start of her career and I had started my own global sustainable energy company (promising more time for myself) – so when asked, I decided I needed to give back to this great community. So that started my journey with AHCA.
I met even more amazing people, and many who lived in this community 40 years before I ever showed up. I am still working with Julie Mangis and Ann Felker from the early days in AHCA and who are still running programs for our community. WOW!
A solid group of volunteers has delivered the AHCA newsletter to make sure EVERYONE sees and hears about what is going on in Ashton heights. Our listserv of over 700 people is humming along with interesting conversations over a variety of topics including community issues, events and recommendations.
We also have a dedicated group of people who strive to bring compelling speakers to our monthly meetings at Clarendon United Methodist Church. And we have other community members who chair and co-chair our committees to follow issues within our county and talk with our county leaders and staff to try to make our lives better, solve problems, and become involved in short term and long-term planning.
To top it off, we have individuals who take on more narrow issues: commercial noise, stormwater abatement, historic preservation and education – to track, intervene and educate us as “events” happen.
We are all better off having this cadre of amazing volunteers – working hard for all of us and our children to preserve and enhance our quality of life – now and also in the future.
I am putting out a personal appeal to all my neighbors in the Ashton Heights community to help fill vacancies on the AHCA Executive Committee, or better yet, jump into running for any of the positions.
Consider joining one of our committees – contact the chairs and co-chairs listed on page two of our monthly newsletter – or our newsletter editor to contribute an article or make a suggestion.
I have been your association President for 13 1/2 years, and plan to step down after 15 years (or sooner, if someone will consider stepping up). I am excited to entice you all to work for your community – to make it better, safer, healthier, friendlier. You won’t regret it.