Brookside Woods Civic Association

President's Report

Apr 01, 2003

What a winter! Unless you were lucky enough to be out of town these past few months, you have experienced one of the harshest winters in 100 years. The Columbus area received over 15 inches of snow on February 15 and 16. We paid a private firm to plow our streets twice that weekend. The City of Columbus did not get to our neighborhood streets until Tuesday evening, February 18. Our Civic Association spent over $1,236.00 on snow plowing last month (this represents the dues contributed by 25 of your neighbors). This is a prime example of how our Civic Association benefits everyone!

Your Brookside Woods Civic Association is busy planning spring activities, such as a Spring Cleanup on April 12, Neighborhood Garage Sale on April 26, new sidewalk and landscaping for Oakfair/Maplebrook Park, and new features for Brookside Woods Park.

Here is a quick update on my five areas of focus this year:

1) Improving the safety of our neighborhood: We worked with the Columbus Division of Electricity on the installation of an overhead street light on an existing utility pole at Snouffer Road and Thistlewood Drive. The light was installed in February!

2) Improving the appearance of our Oakfair/Maplebrook Park: The City of Columbus has removed the two tree stumps this winter and will plant new trees this spring. We will repair the sidewalk this spring and work on our landscape plan during the Spring Cleanup ?– April 12. Please meet at this park at 8:00 a.m. or as your schedule allows.

3) Improving the safety, usefulness and esthetics of our Brookside Woods City Park: The Brookside Woods Park Committee is working with the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department on a design for new playground equipment ?– City to fund this. We are asking for donations from within the neighborhood, so we can get some additional items (soccer net, benches, and maybe a drinking fountain [expensive]) installed within the park. If our Civic Association income allows, we will help pay for additional mowing of the park in the spring. The Recreation and Parks mowing schedule is expected to be once every 14 to 21 days.

4) Improving the communication within our neighborhood: with regular publication of the Woods?’ Lore and the creation of a neighborhood web site - thanks to Tom Steyer!

www.neighborhoodlink.com/columbus/brooksidewoods

5) Improve the percentage of neighbors who join Brookside Woods Civic Association: The association membership to date totals 200 out of 299 families (67% - while our goal is 90% participation or 270 Families ?– PLEASE JOIN). Of those families that have joined, 35% have also contributed to our Capital fund. Thank you very much for your participation and generosity.

Have a great spring! - Mark Gresham