Letter to the Residents of Arlington Heights

Hello, It's Tabitha,

When Peter and I married in 2000, we decided to settle in Arlington Heights for a whole host of reasons. Peter was born and raised here, he already owned a condo, we would remain close to family, have easy access to Chicago, a safe and friendly community, and the people and the downtown were active and inviting.

Two weeks after we wed we set out for Kay’s Animal Shelter. We brought home our pride and joy and named him Japhy. Within a few months Japhy had outgrown the size limit for our condo. We had to move.

Home prices were reasonable and we were able to purchase what is still my dream home. An English Costwald built in 1926 on South Mitchell Ave.

I often describe something old as “having good bones”. Our house has good bones. It needed a facelift but the remnants of its past remained. I have a great respect for the past and those that have come before me. That first week we pulled up carpeting, pulled down wallpaper, and taped paint swatches to the various rooms to see what we liked.

Now here’s the thing about Arlington Heights: the people are genuine, insightful, and curious, which for me is always welcome. Before long, our neighbors were stopping in to see what we were up to and making subtle suggestions on paint colors. These neighbors knew past owners that lived in our house or played in our home as children. I didn’t get the chance to step foot in the Historical Society to find out details about my old new home. I didn’t have to! It was all still in the neighborhood! That’s rare these days and it has endeared me to Arlington Heights.

I’m running for Village Trustee because I want everyone to have this feeling about our community. Our Village has good bones, it’s gone through its facelift. It’s now time for a new vision. I believe in listening to the residents, exploring new ideas and pulling the community together to achieve greatness.