Author Archives: Dave Paul

About Dave Paul

Past President of F.P.C.A. and active with Northland Community Council

Great Green Purge – One Stop Drop for Hard to Recycle Items – Saturday June 28 2014

The Great Green Purge
A One Stop Drop for Hard to Recycle Items

SATURDAY JUNE 28, 8AM-2PM
OHIO HISTORY CENTER PARKING LOT
Big Green Head is always helping folks find responsible ways to get rid of “stuff” they no longer want or need. The Great Green Purge is a one-day answer to the question…”what do I do with this stuff?”

With cooperation from SWACO, The City of Columbus, The Ohio History Center, Natural Awakenings of Central Ohio and volunteers from Capitol Square Rotary Club and the Green Shanny Foundation; The Great Green Purge provides Central Ohioans the opportunity to conveniently and responsibly dispose of their unwanted “stuff” while educating the public and providing local resources for recycling throughout the year.

VENDORS INCLUDE:
SWACO – HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
Accurate IT Services – HOUSEHOLD ELECTRONICS
Habitat for Humanity, Mid Ohio – REMODELING MATERIALS
Furniture Bank of Central Ohio – FURNITURE
Goodwill Columbus – CLOTHING & GOODS
Franklinton Cycle Works – BICYCLES & ACCESSORIES
*click on the links above for each vendor’s “accepted items” list.

$20 disposal fee for tube tvs – Special handling is required as they contain several pounds of dangerous materials. Thank you for keeping them out of our landfill!
CRT Monitors – first 2 are free then $5 each.

Military Veterans Resource Center To Host Veterans Career Workshop Tuesday, June 24 2014

Military Veterans Resource Center To Host Veterans Career Workshop

COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 2, 2014)–Military Veterans Resource Center (MVRC) invites all veterans looking for a new career to attend our free Veterans Career Workshop on Tuesday, June 24. This career workshop will take place at MVRC Headquarters, located at 1395 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., Ste. 350. It will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and lunch will be provided.

Veterans interested in attending the Veterans Career Workshop must pre-register by contacting career specialist Velecia Luckette at 614-636-4622, or velecia.luckette@milvetsrc.org. The workshop is limited to 12 participants. Interested veterans should call today to be sure of a seat.

This personalized, interactive workshop is designed to improve veterans’ job search skills and help them become more competitive job candidates. MVRC career specialists will work with veterans one-on-one and will provide individual career assessments, teach cover letter and resume writing, and conduct mock interviews. If veterans have a resume, they should bring it, as they will spend time revising their current resume or writing a new one.

Military Veterans Resource Center is a non-profit organization that provides personalized career services to veterans who served honorably. MVRC works with veterans one-on-one to identify the obstacles preventing them from gaining employment and helps them access the resources to overcome those obstacles. MVRC is based in Columbus, Ohio and operates seven centers throughout the state of Ohio. For additional information, please visit www.milvetsrc.org.

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Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

MVRC 4C logo_B

Abby Reynolds
Public Relations Specialist
1395 E. Dublin Granville Rd, Ste #350
Columbus, OH 43229
614-230-0662 x 103
614-504-4357 direct line

Community Garage Sale and Goodwill pickup Sat 5/17/2014

While we are having the Forest Park Community Garage Sale, there will also be an opportunity to donate items to Goodwill.
Forest Park Civic Association donation drive
DATE: Saturday, May 17, 2014
TIME: 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
LOCATION:
YMCA North
Sandalwood Place
Items will be collected at the Goodwill Columbus truck in the YMCA parking lot.
Read more: Goodwill Forest Park Spring Garage Sale 2014

Military Veterans Resource Center – free income tax filing assistance – Saturday, March 29

FREE INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS

Columbus, OH (March 24, 2014) –On Saturday, March 29, Military Veteran Resource Center (MVRC) will provide free income tax filing assistance for military veterans.

MVRC, in partnership with the Ohio Benefit Bank, offers free electronic filing for federal, state and school district taxes. In addition, the program can help veterans apply for student financial aid, veteran’s education benefits, nutrition and childcare assistance, health coverage and more.

The Columbus headquarters are located at 1395 E. Dublin-Granville Rd, Suite 350. The Veterans Tax Day will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Veterans should schedule an appointment by calling 614-230-0662. They then will receive an informational package to help them prepare for the filing process.

Those who do not bring necessary documentation will not be able to file. Veterans will need to bring a photo ID, their DD-214 (or other evidence of military service) and their income tax records. A full list of required documents is available at http://www.ohiobenefits.org/documents.php.

Military Veteran Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides personalized career services for veterans who served honorably. For more information: 614-230-0662

The Ohio Benefit Bank is a program of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. In addition to tax assistance, through the Ohio Benefit Bank, Ohio families can access food, healthcare, childcare and home energy assistance. For more information: 1-800-648-1176.

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Contact:
Ashley Brewster
Military Veterans Resource Center
614-230-0662
ashley.brewster@milvetsrc.org
milvetsrc.org

March President’s Message

Help Us Help You

This past weekend I had a call from a concerned resident. She wanted me to have a note placed in the Forester about the laws for cars on our Forest Park streets and how long they are, by code, permitted to remain in the same place. The resident did a great job of defining the problem. The resident reported the problem to 311, as we asked. They wanted to be more informed about the law. The resident was observant and followed Officer Clinger’s rule that we learned in Block Watch meetings: “Report Report, Report!”

But there was one problem that reminded me of my first time teaching a chemistry lab at Penn State. I thought i’d done a great job of introducing myself and the class, so when I asked “Any Questions?”, I was sure there wouldn’t be any. But the coed at the front lab desk raised her hand and said: “What’s your name?” Oops. I was so embarrassed.

That’s what happened with the call I received. There was no name. There was no address. There was no 311 report number. There was no way for me to find out what happened and to follow up with the city. Now I don’t want to embarrass our concerned resident. But like my own goof of 35 years ago, I want it to be a learning experience for all of us. That’s one of my goals for this year. I want to teach our community to help us to help you. That’s one of the things you will be reading about in the Forester this year.

In this case, we had an observant, concerned resident who was willing to report a problem both to us and to the city. That is awesome. But because we did not have the right contact information, there is not much we can do to help that resident find a solution to the problem.

Here are some things you can do. If it is an emergency situation involving crime, dial 911 immediately. If it isn’t and you think it is a criminal matter, dial the police non-emergency number, 645-4545. Then contact our Block Watch leader and Supplemental Security officer. If it involves a city matter, like unplowed streets, pot holes, code violations, damage to city trees in the right of way, etc., either dial the City of Columbus Call Center, 311, or go to 311.columbus.gov. On that site you will find out how to report problems to the city. You will also find the refuse, recycling, and yard waste schedules as well as great deal of information for city residents. If you want to learn more about the difference between code violations and crime, come to our Association and Block Watch meetings. You will usually have an opportunity to ask questions of the board or block watch leaders and our city and police liaisons.

Remember the rules of good reporting: Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why. You may not have all of those. Provide as many as you can. Get a 311 report number from the city. When you make a 311 report, give your contact information–either an e-mail address or telephone number. An automatic report number will be generated. Make a note of it. That number helps our City Liaison to help us help you.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Ken Gilbert
President, FPCA