Category Archives: Community News and Events

Helpful information about the community, including events. (Events may also appear on Calendar).

See some photos of 2015 Holiday Lights of our Neighbors in this gallery.
Click on any item for a closer view, and to view slide show!

Columbus Division of Police Community Meetings – Feb-Mar 2015

The one nearest our neighborhood is March 12th @ Crossroads Baptist Church, 5077 Cleveland Avenue (on the Calendar). Please come and contribute to a constructive dialogue with Chief Kim Jacobs and her staff.


Columbus Division of Police Community Meetings

Mayor Michael B. Coleman, City Council President Andrew Ginther, and Public Safety Chair Zach Klein announced in January a community outreach initiative to seek input on policing in Columbus. The initiative is in response to the national dialogue on building trust between the police and community.

The five (5) community meetings will take place in each police zone from 6:00p.m. to 8:00p.m. They have been set for:

  • February 23rd @ First Church of God, 3480 Refugee Road
  • March 2nd @ Briggs High School, 2555 Briggs Road
  • March 5th @ Linden McKinley High School, 1320 Duxberry Avenue
  • March 9th @ East High School, 1500 East Broad Street
  • March 12th @ Crossroads Baptist Church, 5077 Cleveland Avenue

These forums will provide the Chief and her executive staff an opportunity to listen to community concerns and accept suggestions regarding the Columbus Division of Police.

Upon completion of the community forums and reviewing the national, state, and local recommendations, Chief Jacobs will draft recommendations based upon best practices that will work in the City of Columbus.

The goal of these recommendations is to enhance training, review policing policies and procedures, increase education and outreach, and better improve upon relationships and trust between the community and police.

For further information, Contact:
Sergeant Rich Weiner or Denise Alex-Bouzounis at (614) 645-4593

Progress on A Nuisance Property – Club LaRue

Our work is starting to pay off!
Read:
Police shut down North Side after-hours club | The Columbus Dispatch
about progress in shutting down one area nuisance property.

Thanks to Bill Sperlaza at the City Prosecutor’s office, as well as Officer Scott Clinger and company at the Columbus Police. Thanks also to Rep. David Leland for working to get the bill in the Ohio legislature to give us more options.

Let’s keep the momentum, and keep building alliances with other community organizations on the legislative initiative.

WARM NORTHLAND – Holiday Season 2014

WARM NORTHLAND

Where Members & the Community Come Together
NORTH YMCA

Winter coats and accessories are being collected to support a Winter Clothing drive in 2 locations this fall.

  • Now through January 1 our goal is to collect 2,015 items (hats, scarves, mittens, gloves). New or clean, gently-used items are welcome. Gift cards and cash to purchase items are also welcome.
  • Have coats? We are partnering with Victorious Life Christian Center (on Tamarack Circle) to support their Coat Drive, November 13. Drop off your clean, gently used winter coats at the North YMCA.
  • Save The Date: January 6, 2015 we are hosting a Warm Northland giveaway event at the Y to celebrate the new year and distribute the collected winter accessories. Volunteers are needed to help with this event.
    Check the FPCA Calendar when the event draws near for update on times.

FOR MORE INFO: ymcacolumbus.org/north
A Togetherhood TM Project

CPD helicopter unit flying in to Block Watch Meeting!

Hello BW,

for the Tuesday Aught 26, 2014 meeting:

This month we will be having the CPD helicopter unit flying in, weather and mission status permitting.. I would highly suggest being a bit early as they plan to land at 7 and will be there about 20 minutes unless called to a mission.

We will also be going over new online CPD incident reporting system that I think you will find very helpful in tracking crime events throughout the city.

Bring a new neighbor or friend!

John Biteman
Director
Forest Park Blockwatch
W 614-848-6360
C 614-205-2939

We meet the 4th Tuesday of the Month at Epworth United Methodist Church at 5100 Karl Road at 7.

AEP Phone Scam Alert

PHONE SCAM ALERT: Thieves are calling customers, telling them their power will be shut off if they don’t quickly make a payment over the phone. Before you pay, call AEP Ohio’s Customer Operations Center at 1-800-672-2231 to see if you have a payment due and to check the status of your account.

You also can check the balance of your account at AEPOhio.com.

Ed. Note — this is the kind of thing that happens periodically, so it’s always good to practice discretion
————————————

Dear AEP Ohio Customer:

We are warning all of our customers of a payment scam being conducted via phone in various areas of our service territory. We continue to hear reports that customers are receiving calls threatening to shut off their power if they don’t make an immediate payment over the phone with a money card. This is a scam and people are using our name illegally. The people making these calls are not from AEP Ohio.

We work hard every day to make sure all of your interactions with AEP Ohio are positive. AEP Ohio enforces strict policies regarding customer interaction. Please remember:

  • We do not call customers to demand immediate payment.
  • We notify customers with delinquent accounts via their customer bill.
  • We contact non-responders via a recorded phone message to ask that the person responsible for the electric service call AEP Ohio.

If you doubt whom you are speaking to or the truth of what they are telling you, please hang up and call AEP Ohio at 1-800-672-2231.

In addition, please know that AEP Ohio employees work in marked vehicles, wear clothes with a company logo and will gladly show you company identification when asked. Again, if you are in doubt, please verify the legitimacy of the person’s employment by calling 1-800-672-2231.

We value our relationship with you and will continue to do our best to bring these types of situations to your attention. For more immediate AEP Ohio updates, please be sure to follow us on Twitter (@AEPOhio) and/or Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/AEPOhio).

Sincerely,

Karen L. Sloneker
AEP Ohio Director
Customer Services & Marketing

Walk With A Doc 2014

Walk With A Doc is continuing. Dates are in our Calendar.

Flyers are now available in Spanish and Somali, as well as English. Tell a friend!!!

Take steps to a healthier you with Walk with a Doc. Every other Saturday we will host an hour-long morning walk led by a physician from Mount Carmel Health System or the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Walkers can come and walk for as little or as long as they like and all can enjoy refreshments and walking incentives at each walk.

Where: Woodward Park and Community Center, 5147 Karl Road, meet at front picnic tables*
When: selected Saturdays of each month, 8:30am – 9:30am

*Walks are held in the community center gym during bad weather and after Thanksgiving.

Call 614-645-1260 for more information, or visit the event website. (Informational flyers are available there in English, Spanish, and Somali.)

Supporting Our Community – Current Activities at the North YMCA – July 2014

received via the North Side Health Advisory. Contact North YMCA for more information.

Supporting Our Community – Current Activities at the North YMCA – July 2014

Social Responsibility:

  • Shelter Supply Drive: Blankets, twin sheet sets, feminine products, toothbrushes and toothpaste are being collected to benefit homeless adults and children at the Van Buren Front Door Shelter. Items can be dropped off at the North YMCA.
  • School Supply Drive: School supplies to support 3rd Graders at Salem Elementary school are being collected now through August 13 at the North YMCA. Pencils, bar erasers and wide-ruled loose leaf paper are in most need. In the future we hope to expand this service project to support additional schools. Items can be dropped off at the North YMCA.
  • Project 229 – 229 in the 43229 – Good for our ‘Hood! September 8-19 our goal is to raise funds that would ensure 229 youth and teens in our community have access to skill-building, leadership building programs at the Y!

Youth Development:

  • Fall session programs begin September 5. Activities include Teen Volleyball for girls, Flag Football, Youth Soccer, Swim Lessons for all ages and much more.
  • Teen Leaders Club: A leadership club for teens that involves service learning initiatives and exploration of leadership building activities. Will begin again in September.
  • Robotics Camp: An overnight at YMCA Camp Willson that introduces children to the world of Lego Robotics building!
  • Teen Foundations: A free After School program for teens, grades 7 – 12. Monday – Thursday throughout the school year, teens can receive homework help and participate in a variety of programs at the Y. This is a supervised program and will start in the school year. Teens receive membership benefits by being enrolled in the program.

Healthy Living

  • Senior Wellness Fair – scheduled for the fall. More details to come at August meeting

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