Brookside Woods Civic Association

August 2003 Woods' Lore

Aug 16, 2003

Summer is almost over, and your Brookside Woods Civic Association (BWCA) has been busy. We held a very successful raffle that allowed us to purchase and install a soccer goal at the Brookside Woods Park. We have selected an official name for our park at Oakfair and Maplebrook Lane. We have replaced the bad sections of sidewalk at Maplebrook Civic Park. Our Father/Son Golf outing was held and everyone had fun.

I want to thank this year?’s Board members and the many neighbors who have contributed financially and with time and effort to the many activities we have performed this past year. Ed Kromer has served as VP, President and Treasurer, and will be retiring from the Board this September. Trina Dunlap has served as Blockwatch Captain for four years and is also retiring. Alan and Cindy Shultz took on the Parks this year and are ready to hand off this rewarding position to the next volunteer. Tom Steyer wrote our Woods?’ Lores and created our web site this year. His family will be relocating out of our neighborhood in August. Scott Fair is interested in serving as VP again this next year. If approved by the new Board, I will serve as Treasurer this next year.

While we are loosing much talent, these individuals are committed to providing an orderly transition to the new Board volunteers. Please consider sharing your talents this next year as a BWCA Board member. Feel free to call any Board member to learn more about these positions and your Civic Association. Officers will be elected at our annual Civic Association meeting held at 7:30 pm September 8 at the Northwest Library.

Here is a final update on my five areas of focus during my year as President:

1) Improving the safety of our neighborhood: In April, we placed a request into the Columbus Division of Water to perform various maintenance activities on water curb boxes at many of our homes. Replacing caps and adjusting the height of these water shut off valves will reduce a tripping hazard and eliminate mowers hitting the curb boxes. This work has begun.

I was sad to hear about the vandalism that has affected many of our neighbors. We have been in touch with the Columbus Police, and will discuss this subject at our Annual BWCA Board meeting September 8. During evening hours please turn on your outside lights, lock your windows and park your cars in the garage. Report any incident of vandalism to the Columbus Police Department as well as your neighborhood BWCA Block Watch Board Member, currently Trina Dunlap: 761-1457. If you notice unattended youth outside past curfew (midnight for teenagers), you may also consider notifying the Columbus Police Department: 645-4545.

2) Improving the appearance of our Oakfair/Maplebrook Park: We have replaced the damaged sections of sidewalk this summer. We will add a sign with the new park name this fall: Maplebrook Civic Park.

3) Improving the safety, usefulness and esthetics of our Brookside Woods City Park: The Brookside Woods Park Committee earned enough money to purchase a new soccer goal for the park. Our next thought is to gather money for the purchase of additional benches for the park. We are asking interested families to sponsor the purchase of a bench for a $500.00 donation.

4) Improving the communication within our neighborhood: With the regular publication of the Woods?’ Lore and the maintenance of a neighborhood web site.
www.neighborhoodlink.com/columbus/brooksidewoods

5) Improve the percentage of neighbors who join Brookside Woods Civic Association: The association membership this year ended up being 231 out of 299 families (77%). Thank you very much for your participation and generosity! Mark Gresham



September 8, 2003 Annual Civic Association Meeting & Board Elections: 7:30 p.m.,
Northwest Library, 2280 Hard Road (between Sawmill Road and Smoky Row Road).

AGENDA:

* Election of 2003-2004 Board Officers: 7:30 p.m.

* OSU Airport Director - to discuss Development Plans: 8:00 p.m.

* Trina Dunlap - neighborhood crime issue: 8:30 p.m.

2002-2003 Board Members: President-Mark Gresham 889-2891; VP-Scott Fair 761-3715; Treasurer-Ed Kromer 932-9505; Secretary-Tom Steyer 336-8437; Blockwatch-Trina Dunlap 761-1457; Parks-Alan & Cindy Shultz 792-3524; Garage Sale-John Hart 792-8657; www.neighborhoodlink.com/columbus/brooksidewoods


We want to thank Dave Brehm for assisting BWCA and the Far Northwest Coalition with a rezoning case. CarMax Auto Superstore wants to develop on the Farmers Drive and Caine Road location. Through Dave?’s efforts, we have negotiated a much better sight plan, operational agreements and better traffic signage in this portion of our city. THANK YOU DAVE!


A special thanks to Todd Strawsburg of Mule Stump Removal (phone 937-834-2672, mobile 937-313-2245) who removed brush from our neighborhood for free. This saved our civic association over $250.00. Please support those who support our community.


PARK IMPROVEMENT FUND: The Park?’s Committee is currently looking at the proposed design of the new playground at Brookside Woods Park. If you are interested in helping with this project, please contact Lanna Shawgo @766-8204 or Amy Gresham @ 889-2891. There are additional items the Parks Committee felt would be beneficial to our Park. These include a soccer goal (funds earned - goal installed), more benches and a drinking fountain. These items will need to be funded by private sources. As our second fund raising event, the Brookside Woods Park Committee held a raffle with all proceeds going to the Park Improvement Fund. The Grand Prize (6 tickets to a Columbus Crew game was won by Alan and Karen Pillar. Second prize (a soccer ball signed by the Columbus Crew) was won by Anson & Janet Barry. A special thank you to Sherry Segna for her support of the raffle and coordination of prizes.

SPRING PLANTING: A very special thank you to Judy Romes and Ransome Williams for helping Alan & Cindy Shultz with a landscape plan for the entrances at Thistlewood and Lakebrook, and for the hours they spent helping plant the flowers. Thanks also to Amy and Krista Gresham for volunteering their time to help us plant flowers. We had a great time and learned new gardening tips from Judy!

Once we got the flowers in the ground the steady rains came and unfortunately hindered the root growth, so the beds don?’t look as lush as hoped. During the dry spells our neighbors whose homes boarder the entrances have been very generous in helping us keep the beds watered. Thanks to all of you for helping to keep the flowers growing!

TREE LINED STREETS: It is so beautiful to drive or walk through this neighborhood in the spring and fall when all of the trees along the street are in bloom or changing colors. Thunderstorms and high winds have taken a high toll on the Bradford Pear trees in our neighborhood. Damage can be minimized with a periodic pruning of these trees.

Through a program sponsored by the Columbus City Forester high quality trees can be obtained for $70.00 per tree. This price is below market and the trees are guaranteed. We urge you to consider participating in this program. Simply complete the attached form and send it in to the Columbus City Forestry department. For fall planting you should mail your application in by August 31st.

Also, if you have lost sidewalk trees in the past two years due to storms, you can request they be replaced at no charge. If you would like to have your tree(s) replaced, please call the City Forestry department at 645-6640. Call Cindy or Alan Shultz with questions: 792-3524.


NAME THAT PARK CONTEST: Our park?’s new name is: Maplebrook Civic Park and Jane Lamp is the person who submitted the name. She wins $25.00! Thanks to Lois Whisman, Harry Cardillo, Tom Steyer, Krista, John and Louis Gresham for participating. It was hard to choose among all of the great names. We wanted something that would say where the park is located (Maplebrook Lane & Oakfair Avenue) and distinguish it from Brookside Woods Park at Aspenwood Lane & Cloverdale Lane owned by Columbus. We will install a sign at our Park with the new name! Here are some other names that were tempting: Freedom Park; Liberty Park; Windsong Park; Buckeye Woods Park; South Park; No Playground Park.


Neighbor?’s Concern - Proliferation of signs in the neighborhood: With all the spring hail damage, and resulting repair work, many contractors have placed their signs in our curb lawns. A neighbor has asked that a reminder be placed in the Woods?’ Lore that this is against Columbus City regulations and our deed restrictions. Our deed restrictions state, ?“No sign of any kind shall be displayed on any lot except signs advertising the property for sale.?”

For some work the City of Columbus requires the contractor to place their sign in your yard. The city never allows signs to be placed in the curb lawn. As a compromise, I suggest that the homeowner can use their discretion and allow a small sign to be placed in their lawn while a contractor is actively working on your home. Please remove the sign when the contractor is done working for the day. Thank you.

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Dear Woods?’ Lore:

I am writing in response to the neighbor's letter that appeared in a recent issue concerning residents that park on the sidewalk. As a members of a community, we are often confronted with things that annoy us about our community such as trees overgrowing sidewalks, uneven sidewalks, poorly maintained houses and neighbors that park on sidewalks. However, of all of the things that may have bothered me in my years in Brookside Woods, nothing that I have ever witnessed would upset me as much as a
neighbor that would have my vehicle ticketed or towed because of some injustice they have perceived.

Yes, I checked with the Columbus Division of Parking and found that you can be ticketed and indeed towed for parking in your own driveway, if it is blocking the sidewalk. However, even though it is a possible remedy, does that make it right? I thought as a society we had learned a lot of lessons in recent years. Aren't we supposed to be looking out for each other instead of worrying only about ourselves? I would prefer that we work out our disagreements or overlook the transgressions of our neighbors. If we can't do this as a community, how will we ever do it as a country and a world?
John Townsend