Thank Our Business Neighbors

30 years ago, Northland Mall was still a BIG DEAL “place to go” for shopping in Columbus — and there were many booming businesses along the Morse Road strip.

20 years ago Northland Mall was featured on the Ghost Malls website — and a significant number of the businesses on the strip were struggling. … But positive developments were starting to move! New people filled with new hope (many in a new country) were moving in. These folks saw good housing in a good neighborhood. They saw the empty storefronts as an opportunity. They perceived the value of the area and were eager to join us! Some came as renters first, some bought homes immediately, some established businesses. People from 4 continents recognized Forest Park and Northland as a place they could call HOME!

Today the empty storefronts on Morse Road are GONE — essentially fully occupied, and 161 is soon to follow. Most of these are local businesses, run by local people — not chains that cut and run if the company has a bad quarter. (Remember the Olive Garden, busy and prosperous, but still pulled out. … and the chains eventually seek to follow the local entrepreneurs back into the neighborhood.)

I encourage you to visit these neighbors. Tell them about the Forest Park Civic Association. Invite them to JOIN F.P.C.A., both as families (if they reside in Forest Park proper), and as businesses. There are a couple of fine fellows who can help them join as well:

Business Representative: Sheridan Landon, sheridanlandon@yahoo.com, 614-515-0783
Asst. Business Rep.: Alan Ray, aray.bergahorn@gmail.com, 614-506-3386

See you soon! It’s so good to be sharing a place we can all call HOME.

Your president, Scott Prigan.
—
See the recent Columbus Dispatch story that inspired my thoughts:
New census data show Asian, other minority residents driving Northland’s population growth

References:
Contact FPCA
Join FPCA
online Business Membership Form

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: September 14, 2021

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

14 September 2021 – Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order and Pledge of Allegiance opened the meeting @ 7:05 PM by Ryan Finke

OFFICER REPORTS

President’s Report   Scott Prigan scottprigan+fpca@gmail.com  (Absent)

  1. Welcome to Elizabeth Kengeter-Bash, our new Social Activities chair. As she is an Art educator, we are excited to have a creative person assume this role at this challenging time.
  2. We still need a successor to (not replacement for) Mike Stone as Volunteer Coordinator. If you are interested, Mike can help you launch. Scott and Ryan can provide support.

Vice President’s Report Ryan Finke ryan.finke@gmail.com

  1. Working on creating some promotional pieces that further explain the value of the civic association.
  2. The Forest Park Neighborhood Facebook Page and Nextdoor website are great places to connect with your neighbors. Please consider joining and continuing to interact with your neighbors there. There are some great conversations happening there. We will try to share some important information from social media in the printed Foresters to get it in front of more eyes, especially those not online.
  3. Looking for anyone who wants to be more a part of their community, who has an idea they want to see come to life, who sees a problem that needs fixed, please let me know! I’d love to meet you and see how I can help you succeed and make a difference.

Secretary’s Report Lou Bernard loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance was taken from those in attendance and those on Facebook Live.

Officers Present: LB, RF, CL, RW, AR, ER, EV

Area Reps in Attendance: 3, 7, 9, 11

Area Reps Absent: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14

  1. Minutes from last month were reviewed and accepted. They are posted on the website as well as in the Forester.

Treasurer’s Report  Cheryl Lutman cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. We have a few checks that were written in August but did not clear until September. I have moved those expenses to September.
  2. I changed how people can pay through PayPal, and folks who are paying that way are adding the PayPal fees to their membership. This means we do not pay the transaction fee. It’s a small savings, but a savings nonetheless. We are also getting people adding funds for the other items – Security, Forester, Beautification, so that’s great!
  3. We are currently ahead on an annual basis on many of our expenses, however some of that may be due to checks that have not yet cleared. I’m working with the bank to get checks that are requested in a particular month sent out. There’s currently an odd delay in the timing which concerns me and I’ve been talking with the bank about it. More to come.
  4. Given that we are coming up on 6 months of this fiscal year budget, I am gaining clarity on how things will shape up for the rest of the year, which is helpful as I continue to wrap my head around how all this works. Membership mailings are definitely slowing down (June = 308/August = 34), so I intend to spend time reviewing the budget and making sure we are on track for the rest of the year.
  5. Treasurer’s report was reviewed and accepted.

Public Relations Report Mary Sguerra Mary.Sguerra@HERrealtors.com  (Absent)

  1. The FPCA Community Garage Sale will be held this weekend. We do have volunteers to pass out the flyers at the entrances of FP.

Forester Editor’s Report  Rita Woeste forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Discussed the timeline for this month’s Forester. October articles due Sept. 17th. November articles due October 21st.
  2. There are 7 volunteers who stuff the 3000+ Foresters! Thank you.

Supplemental Security Report  Daryl Van Mercetta dvanmercetta@gmail.com, Katie Van Mercetta kvanmercetta@gmail.com (Absent) Officer Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418

Officer Yandrich’s Report:

  1. Officer Yandrich introduced himself. This was his first FPCA meeting.
  2. The new chief is allowing facial hair (goatee and beards are now allowed). Tattoos will now be permitted below the sleeve. There will also be a change to the uniform. Dark shirts will replace the white shirts. Hats are now optional, and a ball cap will soon be made available. 
  3. The Speedway at Maple Canyon & 161 is being slammed with car thefts. Keep your valuables locked up. DON’T leave your car running.
  4. Catalytic converter theft is still high. Mostly from cars on the street. Park in your driveway if you can.
  5. There is a person (male, black, 50 yrs. old) walking around FPWest asking for money to help out his family. He has stolen a person’s wallet when they have offered to help. 
  6. Homeless problem was discussed at length. Look for an article in this month’s Forester.

Business Representative  Sheridan Landin – sheridanlandon@yahoo.com (Absent)   Alan Ray – aray.bergahorn@gmail.com

  1. Stewart has been canvassing the area around Rose’s store on Karl. He has gained 3 new business memberships.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Ellin Ray – eclaire1226@gmail.com

  1. Ellin has Welcome Folders for each area ready to be picked up! Area Reps need to attend the monthly meeting to pick up the folders for delivery.

Volunteer Coordinator Mike Stone msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. New Social Activities Coordinator. The Social Activities Chair has been filled by Elizabeth Kengeter-Bash. Liz is an Art instructor by trade and is likely to bring a tremendous dose of passion to FPCA.
  2. Membership as of 9/06. We have 361 paper memberships IN HAND, which means the memberships from PayPal are not included. We need to consolidate this in the short future.  It is amazing how many people have donated numbers in the 50’s and hundreds. We had one person donate $1,000. Let’s all get the word out and make one final push. 
  3. New Volunteers. There has been a list created and distributed among the officers and committee chairs of those who listed that they want to volunteer on their returned Data Sheets. It does not include many who are actively volunteering.
  4. Mike’s expectation is to roll off from the FPCA in this formal role at the end of October. If there are people interested in filling this role, please let him know so that he can get you up to speed.   

Social Activities Report Elizabeth Kengeter-Bash  No Report.

NCC Representative  Ken Gilbert kgilbert78@att.net (Absent)

  1. Attended the September 7th meeting of the Northland Community Council. 
  2. It was noted that the old Rodeway Inn near the Continent has reopened. It did pass its license inspection for a partial re-opening (a number of units are under renovation). The city is keeping an eye on it.
  3. The new Karl Road Library branch opened on September 9th. 
  4. The NABA golf outing is September 23. 
  5. City council is back to open, in person meetings as of September 
  6. A roundtable discussion was had featuring Merideth Metcalf of National Church Residences about their Senior Select Program. 
  7. The NCC is looking for a new Secretary (immediately) and a new Treasurer (for 2022). 
  8. The Fourth of July parade is back, and we have co-chairs for the event. 
  9. The Northand Unity Festival will be this weekend (September 18) at the YMCA off Karl Road from 2-6 pm. Sponsored by Elevate Northland.
  10. There was a discussion of the development issues along Ulry Rd, and the NCC repeated their statement of a couple of years ago regarding high density development in that corridor and the plan already agreed to by the city.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale evanasdale@insight.rr.com Dave Paul dwpaul@fpcivic.org (Absent)

3 cases were heard: 

1) A car wash on Morse Rd. (in the old Miller Ale House) is refusing to put in a sidewalk from Morse Rd. to their property. NCC said – No.     

2) Old Beechcroft Pool was sold again. Will be more apartments. NCC said-yes. 

3) 6050 Cleveland Ave and Bella Vista Ave- corner lots apts. Looking for a set back right-away.- NCC said -yes. 

Website Administrator Scott Prigan scottprigan+fpca@gmail.com (Absent)

  1. FPCIVIC.ORG is our website. Make sure to sign up for updates.

Old Business 

  1. Sign Committee update. Signs have been purchased and paid for. The committee hopes to get the signs up around the entrances of Forest Park before the next meeting.

New Business/Announcements/Ideas

  1. Lisa Dove (The Forest Park Gardener) thanked all who were involved in the nominations and selections of the Beautification Awards. It was an amazing experience, and she is looking to expand and improve upon it in the future.
  2. 9 volt batteries were passed out at the end of the meeting. They were left over from a fire department program to put batteries in smoke detectors.
  3. If you are a FP committee chair or officer who has receipts for reimbursement, bring them to the next meeting and Cheryl can reimburse you.
  4. Future FPCA meetings will be held in person at the Epworth United Methodist Church as long as they remain open. Masks and social distancing are required. Stay safe everyone. See you next month.

Meeting adjourned at 7:42 P

Ahh!! Peace and Quiet!

I recently got a message from a community member (paraphrased) and my response (annotated):

… I have a question about excessive noise with our neighbor across the back fence and I am not sure who to turn to for help.
He really has a big sound system in the back yard with a massive bass. In past years, he has played music into the early morning hours a couple of nights in the summertime. We just dealt with it. I really don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun. This year, he’s been loud pretty much every weekend, an even weekdays.. The bass can be felt in our house! While my family is trying to enjoy our backyard, we get to hear his music every night.
I have called the police non-emergency number a couple of times, but I know that they are busy protecting us and tending to other things, so I understand it can take a while for them to follow up.
I really don’t mean to complain, start a conflict, or ruin anyone’s fun at all. I just wish I was able to get sleep and enjoy my backyard as the gentleman with the speaker is enjoying his backyard.
I have spoken with several neighbors, and they share my concern. Is there anything we can do to “quiet” this issue?

I too find this kind of thing frustrating. I thought we left all the loud party stuff behind when we left the college environment. (Don’t be tempted to retaliate by chainsawing your old dead tree at 5 am some morning after.)

The best thing, if you can, is to engage the noisy neighbor in a conversation (not confrontation). As school is soon starting, we have another reason to request cooperation. If things go well, you might even get invited to the next (not so loud) party.

The Columbus noise standards are a little subjective, but provide legal support. [2329.11 Community noise.] They stipulate a noise level not to exceed 60 dB over an hour from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., or 65 dB 7 a.m to 10 p.m. 60dB would be normal conversation, perhaps in a restaurant or office, background music, air conditioning unit at 100 feet, fairly quiet — half as loud as 70 dB. 70 dB would be office noise, inside a car at 60 mph.

Sec (C), “Prohibited sounds,” states: No person shall make or allow to be made any unreasonably loud and/or raucous noise in such a manner or at such a volume as to disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of a person of ordinary sensibilities. Strict liability is intended to be imposed for this section. Further, it states that amplified sound should not be heard 50 feet beyond the property line. That limit is reduced to 25 feet when residential units are located within 50 feet of each other, which describes most of our homes with 10-15 foot setbacks from property line.

[So you are fully in your rights to call the police! … But our inquirer was trying to be a kind neighbor, so … ]

You might calmly advise the neighbor of what you expect — e.g. hour after which you would be forced to call police. If there are other neighbors who don’t appreciate the “sharing,” perhaps they can agree and also call when noise is too loud or too late.

One should be able to enjoy one’s music without disturbing the neighbors unduly. That’s a good sign of a lively community. But if they really want to crank it up, perhaps they should take it inside and close the windows — or invest in some great headphones. Respect must go both ways.

Hope this helps.

See you soon! It’s so good to be sharing a place we can all call HOME.

Your president, Scott Prigan.

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: August 10, 2021

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting/Northland Community Council Picnic

10 August 2021 – Northland Swim Club

Our August meeting is always cancelled in lieu of the Northland Community Council’s Summer Meeting/Picnic at the Northland Swim Club. Some of the minutes provided by the NCC are reprinted here. ~Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Meeting called to order and Pledge of Allegiance opened the meeting

Columbus Police Department

Officer Larry Geis, Officer Dan Yandrich

  • Officer Yandrich has taken over liaison for 18th precinct, talked about email regarding Morse Road robberies

City Attorney’s Office

Sarah Pomeroy, 614-645-8619, scpomeroy@columbus.gov

  • Brought information handouts
  • Project Taillight, free tail light repair by  students

Northland Area Business Association

Dave Cooper

  • The next to last 161 Task Force Cleanup will be this Saturday, August 14th at 9 AM, meet behind Jiffy Lube
  • The Ink Well has moved to the Ashland University building, 1900 E Dublin Granville Rd, Suite 115

Roundtable Discussion

Special guests, City Council member Emmanuel Remy and House District 25 Representative Dontavius Jarrells, introduced themselves to the group, and encouraged us to seek their help when needed.

President

Alicia Ward

  • Elevate Northland is having a Unity Festival on Sept 18th 4 to 6 PM outside of the Karl Road YMCA. Still looking for vendors who can sign up online at https://elevatenorthland.org/northland-festival-sign-up

Development Committee

Dave Paul, Chair

  • Upcoming meeting on August 25th will be in person, will go back to meeting at Franklin County Job and Family Services

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: July 13, 2021

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

13 July 2021

OFFICER REPORTS
President’s Report  Scott Prigan scottprigan+fpca@gmail.com

7:03 Meeting called to order and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

  1. Our meeting this month was LIVE and in person at the Epworth United Methodist Church on Karl Rd.! with live streaming on the Facebook Group! Welcome back to everyone-our first in person meeting since March 2020! We will be following COVID protocol. All speakers will come forward to give report so they will be on camera for the folks at home.
  2. Attendance was taken by roll call by the secretary. 
  3. We are still waiting for confirmation on our 501c3 status.
Vice President’s Report  Ryan Finke ryan.finke@gmail.com

  1. We are now live streaming our monthly meetings on FPCA Facebook page. If you attend online, you are welcome to participate by leaving comments or using Facebook Messenger to send us a note. I will voice all written notes during the meeting. 
  2. I’m working on a few projects: communications ideas to help get new neighbors connected with the FPCA, small design updates to the Forester newsletter, adding relevant Forest Park social media conversations to the Forester content, and helping communicate the value of the FPCA to neighbors.
  3. I am looking to make a difference, so if anyone has a project idea, please let me know. I’m happy to help.
Secretary’s Report  Lou Bernard loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Spelling correction to last month’s minutes in the Forester: our liaison officer’s name is Dan Yandrich.
  2. Attendance will be taken via Zoom Participation List.
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: SP, RF, LB, CL, MS, DVM, KVM, SL, MS, EV, KG 
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: RW, AR, ER, DP, FQ (Social Activities Chair remains vacant)
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11
  • Area Reps Absent: 3, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 (Areas 13 and 14 remain vacant )
  1. Minutes from June’s meeting were voted on and accepted into the record.
Treasurer’s Report  Cheryl Lutman cllutman17@gmail.com

(See the budget spreadsheet in this month’s Forester)

  1. Here are the financials for June.  The large expenses include:
  • $528.63 towards the new signage for the neighborhood.  This is a non-budget item, but we will pay from our cash reserves.
  • $1,570 for our bulk mail permit and to put money in our account for the membership mailing
  • $497.51 for new folders for the Welcome Committee
  1. We are still down on memberships from last year, but hopefully as we continue to do outreach, more people will join.  PayPal memberships continue to come in as well as ones in the mail – just not as many as early June.
Public Relations Report  Mary Sguerra Mary.Sguerra@HERrealtors.com

  1. It is relatively quiet. Not many people are reporting disturbances.
  2. Sept. 18 is the date for the Fall Community Garage Sale. Start gathering your stuff now.
  3. New signs were put up on the islands about the 4th of July and tonight’s meeting.
Forester Editor’s Report  Rita Woeste forester_ed@fpcivic.org Absent

  1. Rita was out of town and didn’t make tonight’s meeting.  Articles for the August issue of the Forester due  by this coming FRIDAY,  July 16th.  Foresters will be stuffed the following Friday, July 23rd and out to delivery folks to do the following week.
  2. Will include in August Forester:  Garage Sale on 9/18.  If anyone has any info about Night Out activities, send it to me for the August issue.
  3. Someone take pics of the first IN PERSON meeting in a long time and will put those pictures in the Forester. 
Supplemental Security Report  Daryl Van Mercetta dvanmercetta@gmail.com, Katie Van Mercetta kvanmercetta@gmail.com Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) dyandrich@columbuspolice.org

  1. There were lots of calls about the amount of fireworks through the months of June and July.
  2. We are getting many residence/vacation checks.
  3. Will be reaching out to Officer Yandrich this month. He sent out an email on July 6th about June Homicide States. That was forwarded to all members by Secretary Lou B.
  4. A question was asked about the confidentiality of the vacation checks by the supplemental security company. The FPCA receives the notification for the request and forwards it to the Supplemental Security Coordinator, who then forwards it to the security company. Those are the only people who know if you are leaving of vacation.
Business Representative  Sheridan Landin – sheridanlandon@yahoo.com  Alan Ray – aray.bergahorn@gmail.com Absent

  1. If you are a business owner (or know a business owner) in the FP or Northland area contact Sheridan or Alan to become a business member.
  2. Not much news to report.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Welcome Committee Chair  Ellin Ray – eclaire1226@gmail.com  Absent

New folders from VistaPrint have been ordered, and they should arrive any day now.  They have a QR code on the front that links to the Forest Park Civic Association website.  As soon as they get here, she will be able to start assembling folders for our new neighbors (from the beginning of the year) and will bring them to next month’s meeting.
Volunteer Coordinator  Mike Stone msto0103@yahoo.com  Absent 

  1. We are still looking for help with deliveries.
  2. We are also looking for a person to take over the Social Activities Coordinator – you do have a budget!!
  3. We have 310+ memberships so far, and many people are donating more than the $25 because they know how valuable the FPCA is to the neighborhood.
  4. A constant comment that Mike gets is “What is in it for me?”
    • Vacation checks by supplemental security
    • The Forester newsletter
    • NCC contribution
    • Neighborhood patrolling by supplemental security
    • Island beautification
    • Community events: garage sale, picnics, etc.
  5. Mike is leaving his position as Volunteer Coordinator by the end of Aug. or beginning of Sept. He  is looking for someone to take his place and is very willing to work with you to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible.
  6. A SUPER big THANK YOU to all those who volunteered to make the membership drive a success! 
Social Activities Coordinator  Position is Vacant

If you are interested please contact Mike Stone or Scott Prigan.
NCC Representative  Ken Gilbert kgilbert78@att.net

  1. Ken thanked Scott for honoring him with this new position. He represents all of us at the Northland Community Council. If you have any concerns, please contact him.
  2. Safe Streets Program by the CPD: “The Safe Streets program coordinated a collaborative program working with other City departments, including Code Enforcement, the Solid Waste Inspector, the City Attorney’s office, members of the Environmental Court, and community leaders to address quality of life issues at a street level for residents of the Linden, Hilltop and South Side communities.”  North Side Safe Streets northsidesafestreets@columbuspolice.org 614.645.3660
  3. Our new CPD liaison officer is Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) dyandrich@columbuspolice.org
  4. The Karl Rd. Library is slated to open the week of Sept. 1st
  5. NABA Golf Outing will be Sept 15th. If you want to play or sponsor us, Trevor Secord (tsecord@​ymcacolumbus.org) is the chair. 
  6. Many bicycle and pedestrian accidents in the Northland area. Please everyone be careful.
  7. National Night Out is the 1st Tues. in Aug.
  8. The NCC Picnic will replace our FPCA August 10th meeting. @ Northland Swim Club 6pm, bring a side dish or dessert to share. Meat and buns will be provided.
  9. The Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio was voted in to become the newest member of the NCC.
  10. Last week was the successful 161 Clean-up day. Thanks to all who participated.
NCC Development Representative  Ed Vanasdale evanasdale@insight.rr.com Dave Paul dwpaul@fpcivic.org

2 Cases were heard: 1) the Moo Moo Car Wash planned to open on N. Hamilton Rd. had issues with parking. It was resolved. 2) The new Sheetz is slated to open by the end of 2021. It will be located at 975 E. Dublin-Granville Rd. They wanted a variance for a larger temporary sign for their grand opening, and to allow it to be displayed for a longer period of time. Both cases were approved.
Website Administrator  Scott Prigan scottprigan+fpca@gmail.com

Please check it out! Lots of good info. Calendar feed, etc.
Old Business  Scott Prigan scottprigan+fpca@gmail.com

  1. Sign Committee Update: the proposal was voted on and the money was approved at last month’s meeting. The sign company will be notified to start production.
  2. Some neighborly requests to look into incorporating into FPCA. Discussion followed. There are ways for individuals to become associate members. The executive board will discuss/explore this. The issue is pretty complex and they will report back throughout the coming months.
New Business  Scott Prigan scottprigan+fpca@gmail.com

No FPCA meeting in August → NCC Picnic will replace the August 10th meeting. It will be held at the Northland Swim Club (5006 Almont Dr, Columbus, OH 43229) – 6pm, bring a side dish or dessert to share. Meat and buns will be provided.

Meeting adjourned: 7:50

 

Email and TEXT spam schemes

In the past day or so, someone has sent TEXTs to some of you from a number purporting to be from your president. In the past there have been episodes where people have received emails from someone masquerading as an officer or representative of the Forest Park Civic Association. (You may also receive these by people claiming association with other religious, charitable, or community organizations.)

BEWARE!!!

Usually they will ask you to buy gift cards, and send code numbers somewhere, perhaps via reply. Or they may try to get you to go to a web site and enter the code numbers and/or personal information.

Forest Park Civic Association will NEVER send you such a solicitation.

Should you receive something like this purporting to be from person at FPCA, feel free to contact the named person at the email address or phone number listed on our web site Contact page, so they can confirm that fact. You may also like to inform Columbus Police.

Please always be alert to any email if the topic is questionable, the “from” address is unusual, or other clues in the header look strange. The header in the email will likely NOT match the posted address for our representative. Or the TEXT may come from an odd phone number. BE SKEPTICAL. CHECK BEFORE SENDING ANY CARD NUMBERS OR PERSONAL INFORMATION in response to this kind of communication.

(If you have an suspicious email, clues such as those found in the header — and the entire message — will be of interest to legal authorities should you file a report.)

More information:

National Night Out 2021

National Night Out 2021 is happening tomorrow, Tuesday August 3. If you see neighbors gathering together, check it out. (You can catch the Olympics competitions later on streaming!) Have fun!

Here is a partial list of some NNO parties in and near Forest Park:

West
5478/5488 Rockwood Rd
5560/5553 Redwood Rd
5713 Loganwood Rd

East
5264 Butternut Ct East

Near
2377 Halkirk St. North