AHCA Newsletter January 2010

Agenda:

• Update on Maria Teresa's Daycare
• Update on Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee
• Membership Renewals (see insert for renewal information!)
• Discussion of the 40-year plan for Crystal City
• 2010 Priorities and Events - Bring your ideas!

Childcare will be provided.

Aurora Highlands Centennial - 1910 to 2010

This year our neighborhood celebrates its one hundredth year. The name Aurora Highlands comes from an amalgamation of the original three subdivisions: Addison Heights, Aurora Hills, and Virginia Highlands.

Did you know....?

• Our neighborhood appears on early 19th century maps as part of the Custis estate which stretched from the current Arlington Cemetery to Barcroft.
• In 1896 our neighborhood was touted as being a 12-minute ride by trolley from the U.S. Department of the Treasury Building.
• Fourteen dwellings in Aurora Highlands date back to 1910.

County Facing Serious Reductions in 2010

County Budget Planning for Fiscal Year 2011

Arlington County kicked off the Fiscal Year 2011 budgeting process with a Public Budget Forum at Washington-Lee High School on 8 December. Although Arlington County is in better shape than many counties across the U.S., we are going to have significant revenue shortfalls this year. Arlington County's principal source of revenue is property taxes, so declines in real estate values have reduced property taxes and thus the county revenue. Overall, the county projects a $80-100M short-fall in a $1.2B budget. However, when obligations and revenue sharing is accounted for, the shortfall becomes sharper. The county expects a $40-45M shortfall against a working budget of roughly $340M, and the schools expect $40-50M short-fall against a schools budget of roughly $454M. The county says that easy cuts were made last year - this year services and staff will be reduced, even if part of the shortfall is made up by a prop-erty tax rate increase. The county board has provided budget guidance below:

• FY 2011 Proposed Budget No Greater Than FY 2010 Adopted Budget
• Maintain Our Commitment to Fund Services For:
Health & Safety of the Community
Affordable Housing
Environmental Sustainability
Public Schools
Providing a Safety Net for Those in Need

• Preserve the County's AAA Bond Rating
• Equal Division of Revenue Increases and Expenditure Reductions

The meeting collected substantial input from about 100 folks, in about 10 breakout groups. Mike Dowell made clear that our community is looking for equity in any service cuts, and is particularly concerned that the Aurora Hills library remain open and viable. We will have to make these points repeatedly and clearly during the budget planning - but we also need to recognize that some cuts to services will have to be made somewhere. The county is seeking more public input during the budget process. Here are some important dates:

• January 14, 2010, 2 to 3 p.m. ­ Live, Online Q & A
• February 21, 2010 ­ County Manager presents proposed budget to County Board
• March 24 and 25, 2010 ­ Public Hearings
• March 26, 2010 - Public Tax Rate Hearing
• April 28, 2010 ­ Board Adopts Final FY2011 Budget

Tree Canopy Grant

Fourteen trees were planted in our neighborhood in November under the Arlington Tree Canopy Grant fund. The purpose of the fund is to replace aging and dying trees in Arlington on private property using funds collected from developers who choose to pay rather than replace trees they remove on building sites. The program is administered by Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment. View photos of the new trees at:

2010 Tree Steward Class

Tree Stewards are volunteers dedicated to improving the health of our urban trees through educational programs, tree planting and tree maintenance throughout Arlington and Alexandria. The next Volunteer Training Program will be held Tuesday evenings, from February 16 through April 27 at the Walter Reed Community Center in Arlington with some Saturday mornings to include hands-on planting, pruning and volunteering at community Earth Day events. Trainees make a commitment to improve and protect their community forest through 30 hours of volunteer service during the next year and opportunities for volunteering are provided.

A $120 fee covers the cost of the course, a training manual and all handout materials. Scholarships are available and no one will be turned away for inability to pay. The class is limited to 25 participants and the deadline for applying is January 22nd. Applications are available online at http://arlingtonext ension.org/ treestewards/ TS_Class2010. pdf, by phone at 703-228-6423 or by email at TreeStewards_ArlAlex@verizon.net.

Tree Stewards are sponsored by the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, Virginia Urban Forest Council, City of Alexandria, and Arlington County.

Crystal City 40 Year Plan

Go to http://www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com/index.cfm/11250 to see all the plan info.

Tutors Needed at Oakridge Elementary

Be a child's tutor at Oakridge! There are still children in line for after-school help with basic reading and math. It's 3:40 to 4:40 Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, ending mid-April. You can sign up for both days or just one. No prep required, materials are provided, as well as guidance from your student's teacher and other tutors. A wonderfully rewarding experience. Contact Malcolm Tronic (Oakridge librarian) at malcolm_tronic@apsva.us.

December Holiday Potluck in the Firehouse

In December we held our annual Holiday Potluck supper in the Aurora Hills Firehouse. It was very well-attended and there was plenty of delicious food shared by neighbors. In addition, we enjoyed an amazing pot of Firehouse Chili. The kids were treated to an exciting moment when the fire bell rang, the firefighters suited up, the garage doors opened and the trucks sped away with sirens wailing. Soon after, our hosts returned and continued on with the party.

Thanks to all who helped organize this cheerful community event. We were pleased to welcome County Board member Walter Tejada at our holiday potluck party.

January Meeting Food Drive

The Aurora Highlands Civic Association will be collecting food donations during our January meeting for the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) annual Martin Luther King Day, Day of Service. Please bring food in cans, boxes or bags. No glass jars please!

Aurora Highlands Civic Association

P.O. Box 25201 - Arlington, VA 22202

"The Association is a non-partisan organization of community residents formed to work in the overall community interest in promoting civic pride, enhancing the quality of life in the community, preserving the character of the community and planning for the orderly, safe, and humane development of the community" (AHCA Bylaws, Article II). The AHCA meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month (unless specifically noted) in the Aurora Hills Recreation Center (735 S. 18th St.) at 7:00 p.m.

Advertise in the AHCA Newsletter--Give your busness a boost! Contact Marty King for rates: martinch@erols.com.

Our sincere thanks to SOC for their support of AHCA by printing our newsletter.

Membership Renewal

Please join or renew your membership in the Aurora Highlands Civic Association. We can work together more effectively to improve our South Arlington home if we have more people sharing opinions and becoming involved in issues that matter to us as a community. Our neighborhood social events create opportunities to get to know each other as neighbors and friends.

Join Today!

If you are interested in the quality of life in our neighborhood and want to participate in keeping our community safe and vibrant, please join Aurora Highlands Civic Association. Membership is open to all residents aged 18 or older. Dues are $3 per year (individual) and $6 per year (family). Please com-plete the following information and mail with your check payable to "Aurora Highlands Civic Asso-ciation" to AHCA, P.O. Box 25201, Arlington, VA 22202 or bring to the next monthly meeting.