Letter from the President – January 2019
Another busy quarter for the Yorktown Civic Association (YCA). On October 1, the YCA hosted a debate between County Board candidates John Vihstadt and Matt de Ferranti. Over 75 local residents and the local press attended the debate. Many of the residents participated in the spirited question and answer period at the end of the debate. Questions ranged from bicycle and pedestrian safety to tax policy for local small businesses. Photos and candidate quotes were featured in the Arlington Sun Gazette.
On election day, many Yorktown residents worked at polling stations, while others worked outside of the polls and greeted voters. The 2018 election saw the highest percentage of voter participation for a nonpresidential election. In all, 107,406 voters, or 71 percent of those registered, cast ballots in this election.
On Dec. 1, the Lee Highway Alliance (LHA) held its “Winter Festival of Lights” event at various locations along Lee Highway. At the Lee Arts Center, parents and kids participated in art and crafts activities. At the corner of Lee Highway and Harrison Street, local residents were entertained by Steve Kish’s
magic show and a dog show. At the Langston-Brown community center, John Vihstadt unveiled the John M. Langston portrait and kids participated in face painting and learned how to operate a basic printing
press. At the Cherrydale Historic Volunteer Fire Station residents shopped at the Holiday Market and kids got to dress up like firefighters.
The Yorktown Civic Association Executive Committee continues to move toward incorporating the civic association as a 501(C)4 nonprofit corporation. The draft bylaws are almost done and will be posted on the Yorktown Civic Association website soon. If you have any expertise in bylaws for non-profit organizations, please contact me.
At the next YCA meeting on January 9, Noah Simon, the Chair of the 26th and OD Task Force will provide the community with an update on the Task Force activities and discuss what to expect in the next few months.
Please pay your dues. Annual membership dues are $20 and lifetime membership dues are $100. As of December 24, only 26 residents have paid their annual dues and 47 residents have paid their lifetime dues. The Yorktown Civic Association newsletter reaches ore than 1,000 local households. If you own a local business, please consider purchasing an ad in the YCA newsletter. Contact Dustin Anderson for more info.
Finally, in winter, consider helping your elderly and disabled neighbors. If you need help shoveling, please post your request in Nextdoor.
Mike Cantwell
President, Yorktown Civic Association
