October 24, 2026
Community Events
What a week, Ashburn
Three events. Three days. A whole lot of conversations, laughter, and community love.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, my cousin decided to tell me I looked like Arthur the aardvark standing up there with a microphone.
I still haven't figured out whether that was a compliment, but I've been laughing about it ever since.
Tuesday: Family Art & Crafts
We kicked things off at Make It Factory with Family Art & Crafts Night, where our young people made their own Junkyard Trick or Treat Candy Buckets.
There were skulls, spiders, eyeballs, paint, and glue everywhere. But my favorite part wasn't the finished buckets. It was seeing families together, kids being kids, and our downtown full of life.
I've said from the beginning that our young people deserve more chances to create, explore, and enjoy themselves right here at home. Sometimes that starts with something simple: open the doors, put supplies on a table, and give families a place to come together.
Thank you to every parent, grandparent, and child who came out, and to the folks who helped make the evening happen.
Wednesday: Let's Talk Ashburn
Wednesday night, Councilman Sheldon Smith joined me for Let's Talk Ashburn, a live conversation about our community, how City Hall works, and the issues that matter to our neighbors.
We took questions, talked through concerns, and had the kind of public conversation I believe we need more often.
We don't have to agree on everything to sit down and talk. We don't have to wait until election season to ask questions. And we shouldn't have to search high and low to understand what's happening in our own city.
I appreciate Councilman Smith for being willing to sit down, answer questions, and talk openly. Transparency doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it starts with making yourself available.
Missed it? Watch Let's Talk Ashburn.
Thursday: Candidate & Community Open Mic
Thursday night, we opened the mic at Make It Factory for our Candidate & Community Open Mic.
The idea was simple: let the candidates share their thoughts, then hand the mic to the community.
Special thanks to Shannon Stephens, Kelly Dawsey, Tanita Edwards, and Jamese Patterson for stepping up and sharing their voices and ideas.
I wanted a space where people could speak, listen, laugh, and connect without everything turning into an argument. That's exactly the kind of energy I want to see more of in Ashburn.
We can have serious conversations about our future and still enjoy being around each other. We can disagree without becoming enemies. And apparently, we can make a few Arthur jokes along the way.
88 neighbors have spoken. I'm listening.
While all of this was happening, something else was taking shape.
In less than a week, 88 people completed the community survey. That's 88 people taking time out of their day to tell me what they love about Ashburn, what worries them, and what they want to see change.
One issue rose to the top: roads.
One person asking is a complaint. A whole lot of people asking is a priority. I hear you.
Our roads affect how we get to work, how our children get to school, and how we feel about the place we call home.
But hearing the concern is only the beginning. We need to know which roads need attention, what funding is out there, who is responsible for what, and how to put together a realistic plan to fix them. That's the difference between naming a problem and working toward a solution.
The survey is still open, and I want to hear from more of you. Take the survey. It takes about five minutes.
Making City Hall easier to understand
I also spent time this week adding three new sections to the site, all in plain language:
- City Taxes: where our local tax dollars come from and how city taxes work.
- City Code: the ordinances and rules that govern our city.
- City Budget: how Ashburn plans to collect and spend public money.
You shouldn't need a law degree, an accounting background, or a friend at City Hall to understand how your own local government works. Information about our city belongs to the people who live here. The more we understand, the better questions we can ask.
New levels in the game
Who fixes the potholes on your street? Who sends the ambulance? Who decides what happens at the schools? A lot of us aren't sure, and that's not our fault. Nobody ever explained it.
That's why I built Who Does What? The Ashburn Game, and this week it got new levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard. Each level has eight questions about what the city handles, what the county handles, and what the schools handle. You get points for right answers, bonus points for answering fast, and a scoreboard for every level.
Start on Easy and see how far you get. Then send it to somebody who thinks they know everything about Ashburn.
A busy October and a grateful heart
October has been a blazing month. Between a demanding full-time job, a work trip to New York, a wedding, and three community events back to back, I've been running nonstop. And now I'm off on a family trip.
Some days I genuinely don't know how I'm doing it all, but I know it ain't nobody but God ordering my steps.
And I certainly haven't done it alone. To everyone who helped behind the scenes, showed up, or sent an encouraging word: thank you. You may not realize how much those little things mean, but I do.
This week reminded me of what I've always loved about home. We know how to laugh together. We know how to show up for each other. And even when we see things differently, we share a connection to this place. That's worth holding on to.
For me, community has never been just about flyers and meetings. It's about creating chances for people to connect, making room for different voices, and doing the work that helps a town move forward.
We have challenges to address. Nobody is pretending otherwise. But we also have people who care, young people full of potential, neighbors willing to help, and plenty of reasons to believe in Ashburn's future.
Our town. Our future.
Thank y'all for an unforgettable week. And believe me, I've still got more to share.