As we head into the new year, I want to share some thoughts about the content of this column in the coming year. When I started writing this column last February, I worried about the challenge of responding to the weekly question of “What the heck am I going to write about this week?” But due to the good fortune of being part of a vibrant community, it turns out that I have plenty of material to work with! I look forward to learning even more this year about our shared life in Arlington, and I will also continue to use a historical lens in many of my columns.

But going forward, I may try to solicit some “guest columns” from various community members, as an opportunity to engage with other perspectives that a reader might find interesting. I am not sure exactly how to incorporate such a concept — stay tuned!

Today I would like to begin to explore the challenges we all face when it comes to being informed about our community. What type of information is important to know, and what sources can one turn to? Print journalism in Arlington has withered in recent years; there are a number of online sources, but how does one navigate those various sources for whatever information you deem to be important?

Let me start with a source that might not immediately come to mind: the newsletter of a civic association. Arlington has more than 50 civic associations covering a variety of neighborhood clusters. As might be expected of a system of volunteer-run organizations, some associations are very well-organized, with terrific newsletters and websites, while others clearly are in need of some assistance. To learn more about the civic associations in the county, you can start with the Arlington County government website, and with a few good keyword searches you should be able to find a civic association map. From there, you can find your association, and discover whether your association has a website, and/or newsletters.

Or you can start with the Arlington County Civic Federation (ACCF), at www.civfed.org, in order to find a list of civic associations (as well as other civic groups). The ACCF has an informative monthly newsletter, the Civic Voice. For those not familiar with the ACCF, they provide (in their own words) “a forum for civic groups to discuss, debate, inform, advocate and provide oversight on important community issues, on a nonpartisan basis.” The ACCF has a long history of civic participation in Arlington, starting in 1916, when a coalition of six local civic associations formed the Federation to promote civic improvement (their initial goal involved getting a public water and sewage system in the county).

In closing, I want to give a shout-out to two associations for their excellent newsletters: the Glencarlyn Civic Association and the Crystal City Civic Association. I discovered the Glencarlyn newsletter (the Village Voice) when I gave a talk at the Glencarlyn Library this fall. Their newsletter was so impressive, with a lot of good information (and remarkable photos), that I decided to check out some other associations, and found many high-quality newsletters.

I will close with an excerpt from the November 2025 edition of the Crystal City Insider (the newsletter for the Crystal City Civic Association). The outgoing president, Eric Cassel, wrote a reflection based on his 25 years of community involvement. Cassel includes a list of his top takeaways of what he learned during his involvement with civic issues. I think it is terrific advice for all of us in the Arlington community:

“Be patient. Arlington builds really great projects, but at a glacial speed.

Speak up. You may not win every battle, but the county always provides a platform for public comment.

Watch the money. Ideals are great, but money drives decisions. Tap our knowledge base. With one of the nation’s highest rates of graduate-degree holders, our community is packed with experts ready to contribute.

Bend — don’t break. Aiming for total victory leads to frustration. Focus on adjusting policies, and you’ll succeed.”