Author Archives: Scott Biggs

mulch on pallets

2026 Mulch Sale Update

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Hi neighbors,

I wanted to share an update about the Forest Park Civic Association’s annual Mulch Sale. After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to pause the sale for this year.

Over the past few years, the mulch sale has grown into a huge success—last year alone, we delivered more than 1,200 bags across Forest Park East and West! That kind of support from our community has been incredible, and we’re truly grateful to everyone who has ordered mulch.

The challenge, though, has been staffing the event on delivery day. Delivering 25,000 pounds of mulch takes a strong team of volunteers, and in recent years we’ve had a very small group—mostly the same dedicated FPCA officers, family members, and a few generous neighbors—carrying the load. With some of our regular helpers unavailable this year and others dealing with physical limitations (most of us are AARP-eligible), I simply don’t expect to have enough hands to make the event safe and successful. I was always hopeful that we’d have more volunteers join in, but we weren’t able to grow the team as much as we needed.

Rather than stretch our volunteers too thin, I felt it was best to take a year off and regroup. If we can build a larger volunteer base, we’d love to bring the mulch sale back in the future—it’s a great fundraiser and a service many neighbors enjoy.

In the meantime, there are still plenty of ways to support the FPCA:

• Join or renew your membership during our April membership drive—just $30/year helps fund neighborhood initiatives and services.

• Attend a monthly meeting and share your ideas—we’d love to hear from you. Meet our new co-presidents, mingle with your neighbors, and learn about the many things happening here.

• Volunteer in small ways—we have plenty of opportunities that fit into busy schedules and don’t require heavy lifting.

Keep an eye out for your membership packet in the mail this month, and please consider getting involved. The FPCA is entirely a volunteer-run non-profit community organization, and everything we do is powered by neighbors like you.

Thank you again for your support, and I hope to see you at a meeting soon!

Scott Biggs
Mulchmaster
Area 5 Representative
Forest Park Civic Association

FPCA Open Forum

We want YOUR opinions at the FPCA OPEN FORUM

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FOREST PARK RESIDENTS — WE NEED YOUR VOICE!

The Forest Park Civic Association is hosting an Open Forum on Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00 PM at the North YMCA (Studio A), 1640 Sandalwood Pl. (at Karl Rd.).

Whether you’re a long-time member or brand-new to the neighborhood, everyone is invited. We want to hear from members and non-members. This is your chance to tell us what’s working, what’s not, and what you’d like to see from the FPCA moving forward.

What matters to you?

• How should we communicate with residents?
• What information do you want more of?
• What issues are most important to Forest Park right now?
• What would make you attend more meetings or events?
• What do you love most about living here?

To help guide the conversation, we emailed a short Community Survey to all members — but everyone is welcome to fill it out. It only takes a few minutes, and two respondents will win a $25 Kroger gift card!

Take the survey here
Let’s shape the future of Forest Park—together. See you on December 9!

 

Security patrol cars

Meet our neighborhood’s Supplemental Security Staff at the November Block Watch.

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Meet our neighborhood’s Supplemental Security Staff at the November Block Watch.

On behalf of all residents, the FPCA has a contract with a private security firm that drives through our streets. FPCA members can request the security patrol check on their homes when they are away. This is a free service available through The Forester Newsletter and online.

Many people have requested to meet with our security patrol staff so our volunteer Supplementary Security Chairs have arranged for a representative from the supplemental security company, US Protection Services, to attend the November Block Watch meeting on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.

The Block Watch precedes each monthly FPCA General Meeting on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church.

November 11 FPCA Meetings

6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Block Watch Meeting/Supplemental Security Report
Columbus Police Liaison Officer Dan Yandrich and our Supplemental Security chairpersons provide police and security updates and answer your questions.

6:30 – 7:00 p.m. 311/Code Enforcement Issues Discussion/NCC Development Report
Learn about the latest development plans and requests, new businesses, updates from the Northland Community Council, and ask about code enforcement issues.

7:00 – 8:00 FPCA General Meeting
Updates from our many committees, upcoming plans, and other discussion about Forest Park issues and events.

Meeting Location: Epworth United Methodist Church, 5100 Karl Rd., Columbus, OH 43229
(At the intersection of Karl Road and Penworth Drive)

Everyone in Forest Park is always invited!

Learn more or request a Security Check at www.fpcivic.org/supplemental-security/

FPCA New American's Party

The 2025 Forest Park New American’s Party

Join us on Saturday, June 28, 2025, from 1 to 3 pm at the Woodward Park Community Center at for The Forest Park New American’s Party. Everyone is welcome as our longtime Americans meet and celebrate with our New American neighbors from around the world!

This is a free family-friendly event with international foods and music. We will welcome special guests from the City of Columbus, our Karl Rd. library, local churches, and international groups in Northland.

More than just a meal, this celebration is about sharing stories, creating connections, and embracing the beauty of diversity. It’s a chance for families, friends, and new faces to come together and learn more about the neighbors who participate in the Forest Park Civic Association.

The Forest Park New American’s Party

  • Woodward Park Community Center, 5147 Karl Rd., Columbus, OH 43229 (Behind Woodward Park Middle School)
  • Saturday, June 28, 2025
  • 1 to 3 pm
  • Food and Music
  • Everyone is Invited!
Forest Park Bikes and Trikes

Get ready for The 2025 Northland Community Fourth of July Parade

Join the FPCA and organizations and groups from all over Northland for the annual Northland Fourth of July Parade, presented by the Northland Community Council. Kids can join the parade in the Bikes & Trikes group.

The Northland Community Fourth of July Parade, started in 1962, is the only traditional parade on the 4th of July in Columbus, Ohio!

This parade is a completely volunteer effort which requires hundreds of hours of dedicated work to pull together this annual event.

Parade Details:

  • Northland Community Independence Day Parade
  • Friday, July 4th @10 AM to about Noon
  • Theme: “249 & Counting” (One more year and the USA will celebrate its 150th Birthday)
  • The parade starts at 10 AM from the parking lots north of Karl Rd & Morse Rd. The procession travels north up Karl Road towards Dublin-Granville Rd. (1.7 miles).
  • Grab a chair or blanket and set up along Karl Rd. between Morse Rd. and Hempwood Dr.
  • Kids can decorate their bikes and join the parade from the Woodward Middle School parking lot (see details below).

The Forest Park “Bikes & Trikes” tradition continues. 🚲🛴
Kids can decorate your bikes, tricycles, wagons, or scooters and meet us at the parking area in front of the Woodward Park Middle School at 9:15 am on July 4th.

We will judge bikes based on 2 categories:

  1. “249 & Counting”
  2. PATRIOTISM

Parents or guardians must register participants and sign a waiver. Children five years of age and under must be accompanied by a parent or older child during the parade. The children will join the parade with the Forest Park group after judging & the presentation of awards.

All children will need to wear a helmet if riding a bicycle.

If you would like to judge the Bikes & Trikes or help with the Forest Park Float email: volunteerfpca@gmail.com

FPCA Bikes and Trikes

 

house with trees

City Tree Expert to Speak at FPCA Meeting on June 10: Urban Forestry, Tree Care, and New Rules

Rosalie Hendon, an environmental planner with The Columbus Parks & Recreation Dept., will be our guest speaker at the FPCA’s June 10 meeting.

Appropriate for a neighborhood named Forest Park, Rosalie will discuss tree maintenance, planting, and provide updates on the City’s Urban Forestry Master Plan.

The public tree code — which Hendon presented to City Council in her previous position as an environmental planner for Recreation & Parks — went into effect last August. The new regulations require “inch for inch” replacement of any trees removed from city property in the course of any development project.

Columbus has been named the fastest growing urban heat island in the country.

Rosalie manages natural resource projects on city parkland — everything from forests to prairies. She holds two master degrees from The Ohio State University in public administration and natural resources. She leads the creation of citywide environmental plans and policies, including Columbus’ first Urban Forestry Master Plan, public tree code updates, and the creation of private tree protections.

The private tree code would be a similar mitigation measure applying to trees removed from private property. Hendon told ColumbusUnderground.com that her department is not necessarily aiming to penalize the average person for taking down a tree in their backyard.

“We are looking primarily at when a property goes through development or redevelopment,” Hendon told ColumbusUnderfground.com. “There are cities that permit a tree removal when it’s just a single property owner and it’s a tree in their backyard kind of thing. But that is not something that we are looking at at this stage in Columbus, simply because we want it to be practical and realistic. And really we see a lot of loss and we hear a lot from our stakeholders and our residents when properties are experiencing a lot of loss of trees due to development. So we really wanted to focus in at that stage of property ownership.”

Rosalie wrote The Columbus Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP). The plan is available here.

Tree canopy has been identified as vital city infrastructure, as trees reduce urban stressors — cleaning the air and water, improving public health, providing shade, reducing heat stress and energy costs, intercepting stormwater and more. As the 14th largest city in the country with only 22% canopy cover, the City of Columbus recognized the need to plan for its trees.

Columbus Recreation and Parks Department’s Forestry section is solely and legally responsible for all public trees in Columbus that grow along streets, in public parks and on all city properties.

The Columbus Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP) is the first citywide, strategic plan to improve Columbus residents’ quality of life through investment in urban trees.

Approved by Columbus City Council in April 2021, the UFMP guides the entire Columbus community to prioritize, preserve and grow our tree canopy. The UFMP sets three tree canopy goals:

  1. Reach Citywide Tree Canopy Cover of 40% by 2050
  2. Stop the Net Canopy Losses by 2030 and
  3. Invest in Equitable Canopy Across All Neighborhoods by 2030.

To accomplish these goals, the UFMP details four strategies: community coordination and collaboration, best practices, dedicated resources and stronger policies.

A video presentation of the plan is available on YouTube.

Tuesday, June 10, FPCA Meeting Schedule

6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Block Watch Meeting/Supplemental Security Report

Columbus Police Liaison Officer Dan Yandrich and our Supplemental Security chairpersons provide police and security updates and answer your questions.

6:30 – 7:00 p.m. 311/Code Enforcement Issues Discussion/NCC Development Report
Learn about the latest development plans and requests, new businesses, updates from the Northland Community Council, and ask about code enforcement issues.

7:00 – 8:00 FPCA General Meeting
Updates from our many committees, upcoming plans, and other discussion about Forest Park issues and events.

Meeting Location: Epworth United Methodist Church, 5100 Karl Rd., Columbus, OH 43229
(At the intersection of Karl Road and Penworth Drive)
Everyone in Forest Park is invited!

Be a part of the pasrk - Join the Forest Park Civic Association

What does your $30 FPCA membership do? A lot.

What does your $30 do?

Some benefits of FPCA membership are easy to see. Some are not.

You can join the FPCA online right now.

Across Columbus, you can see the difference between neighborhoods that have an active civic association and those that do not.

We are not a homeowner’s association. We do not enforce neighborhood rules. We are a civic association that works to benefit all Forest Park residents.

Membership in the FPCA is only $30 per household. The FPCA is entirely run by volunteers who are residents just like you. That means every dollar is used to directly benefit our neighborhood.

We are dedicated to transparency and publish our Treasurer’s Report every month in The Forester newsletter. Our volunteer treasurer also provides an update at every FPCA monthly meeting (I invite you to join us for our next meeting).

What do you get for your annual membership contribution? Some benefits are obvious because you see them every day.

Benefits that you see:

  1. We pay to maintain the landscaped islands at the Satinwood Pl. entrances at Karl Rd.
  2. We recently paid to replace all Welcome to Forest Park signs at all entrances to Forest Park East and West.
  3. We pay to print The Forester newsletter every month and pay for the bags which allow volunteers on your street to hang the newsletters on your door.
  4. We pay the professional supplemental security patrol officers who regularly drive through the neighborhoods in their marked cars. Planning a vacation? Every FPCA member can request free home checks with the form in each Forester newsletter, at www.fpcivic.org or by emailing our volunteer Supplemental Security Coordinator Daryl Van Mercetta at dvanmercetta@gmail.com.
  5. We pay for the welcome folders and printed materials that we drop off to new residents who just moved into our neighborhood. These packets include information about Forest Park, maps of the streets, nearby businesses, voter registration information, and other helpful items to make our new neighbors feel at home.
  6. We pay for programs that recognize neighbors for their beautification efforts in the annual Beautification Contest, rewarding our neighbors who enrich our streets with improvements.
  7. We pay for supplies to build our float for the Northland Fourth of July Parade.
  8. We pay for awards for kids who decorate their bikes and trikes in the Fourth of July Parade.
  9. We pay for printing and postage to mail our annual Membership Packet to nearly 3,000 households, encouraging residents to join the FPCA.
  10. We pay for advertising to promote two Community Garage Sales each year, attracting buyers from around Central Ohio.
  11. We pay to design and print the Forest Park Directory, which is updated every several years and delivered to all member households.
  12. We pay for neighborhood social events.

Some benefits are not obvious but are just as important.

Benefits that you do not see:

  1. We pay dues to the Northland Community Council. The NCC is a critical organization that represents 26 area civic associations and organizations in the Northland area. The NCC represents more than 100,000 households and ensures that the City of Columbus recognizes Northland as an important political voice. Two FPCA volunteers currently serve on the commission and provide detailed reports at every FPCA meeting. The NCC is our most effective connection to the City of Columbus and makes recommendations to the city on behalf of Forest Park residents. Among many other services, the NCC protects us from many development and zoning plans that would harm our neighborhoods and maintains a direct two-way channel to city officials.
  2. We pay for insurance that is required for our non-profit organization.
  3. We pay for a P.O. Box and office supplies that are necessary to conduct our operations.
  4. We pay for payment processing fees that are necessary for online membership payments.

Join your neighbors today with your FPCA Membership

You can join the FPCA right now and pay online.

We also welcome your participation and talents.

Want to learn more and get involved? Join us at our next monthly meeting.

 

Join us for our November FPCA meeting on Nov. 12

Join us for our November FPCA meeting

Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024
Guest Speaker: Gifting Youth Joy

Join us for our November FPCA meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12, featuring guest speakers from Gifting Youth Joy .

Note: This is the last public monthly meeting of 2024. In December, officers meet for a holiday dinner meeting (paid for by the attendees not the civic association). Our vice president is moving out of the neighborhood and resigning his position at the end of 2024. Therefore, the office of vice president will be open in 2025. If you are interested in filling this position or any other FPCA office, please attend the November meeting.

6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Block Watch Meeting/Supplemental Security Report
(CPD Liaison Officer Dan Yandrich and our Sup. Sec. chairpersons will be in attendance to answer your questions).

6:30 – 7:00 p.m. 311/Code Enforcement Issues Discussion/NCC Development Report

7:00 – 8:00 FPCA General Meeting

Meeting Location: Epworth United Methodist Church, 5100 Karl Rd., Columbus, OH 43229
(At the intersection of Karl Road and Penworth Drive)
Everyone in Forest Park is invited!

Gifting Youth Joy

Guest Speaker:
Our guest speaker is from Gifting Youth Joy, a non-profit organization, one of whose founder is a Forest Park resident, Ziggy Cicchella.

There are many agencies that do an excellent job of linking families with young children to holiday relief. Unfortunately, kids who are 12 to 18 are often forgotten. Gifting Youth Joy is 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides teens with holiday gifts through donations and fundraising. The organization will accept donations at the meeting.

From our speaker:  Gifting Youth Joy links Franklin County residents aged 12 to 18 with holiday gifts through the help of donations and volunteers. The non-profit sees these youth as an important part of our community who are still young enough to need care and support but also old enough to understand the difficulties that poverty can create. Providing holiday gift assistance is a simple act of kindness that provides dignity and joy where it is lacking. Our vision is to bring teenagers the happiness and connection to the community they want, need, and deserve. Feel free to bring your checkbooks or cash to the meetings, we will pass a hat to collect donations. You can also donate and apply for services through our website, giftingyouthjoy.org.

Forest Park residents can attend the City of Columbus’ Neighborhood Best Practices Conference

Neighborhood Best Practices Conference

Devin Deal, Northland’s Neighborhood Liaison for the City of Columbus, invited Forest Park residents to attend the city’s Neighborhood Best Practices Conference on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Devin was the guest speaker at the Forest Park Civic Association’s September meeting.

This year’s theme of the Best Practices Conference is Let US Grow Together.

“With 3 million people expected to call central Ohio home by 2050, we must work collectively to ensure our growth is equitable and allows everyone to prosper,” the city’s promotional materials states.

The event includes interactive sessions focused on key initiatives that will help address the challenges of our growing community. This event is free.

The city has requested attendees to RSVP online, but that option is no longer available. You can RSVP by contacting the Department of Neighborhoods at 614-645-1993.

When

Saturday, September 14, 2024 | 09:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location

Columbus State Community College, 315 Cleveland Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43215, View Map

Be a part of the pasrk - Join the Forest Park Civic Association

The FPCA needs your talent! Can you volunteer?

We need your talent!

If you already do volunteer… THANK YOU! You are one of the wonderful people who help us make Forest Park a great place to live. As you may know, we are a non-profit volunteer-run organization that serves 2,780 households.

But only a small fraction of residents volunteer with the FPCA. And we need some more help!

HERE ARE SOME VOLUNTEER POSITIONS WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP:

Membership Coordinator – URGENT NEED
Memberships are our primary revenue and our connection to our community households. We need help to keep membership growing. No experience is necessary. We are looking for someone to help coordinate the process. This involves joining us at the monthly meetings 10 times a year, helping us plan and mail our annual membership packet, promoting the many benefits of membership, and tracking membership. You get plenty of help from our seasoned veterans.

Business Representative – URGENT NEED
Our Business Representatives connect with our many businesses in the area to promote business memberships, encourage advertising in our monthly Forester newsletter, and maintain good relationships with our local businesses. No experience necessary.

Area 14 Representative – Forest Park East
We need an Area Rep for Area 14 in Forest Park East, which includes a few streets near Lyle Rd. and Denise Dr. just south of Northland High School. Our Area Reps attend monthly meetings, deliver Welcome Folders to new residents in their areas and communicate news and concerns to and from the FPCA.

Website Administrator
The Website Admin helps update our website at fpcivic.org with news and events and performs other minor maintenance. WordPress experience is helpful.

Social Media Help
Are you handy with social media? Help us get the word out with your skills!

Area Representatives
Assist your current Area Rep by promoting membership, delivering Welcome Folders to new residents, and passing information to and from your block and the FPCA.

Other Opportunities
Please connect with us or attend a meeting if you are interested in something not listed here.

Email volunteerFPCA@gmail.com for more information.

Join us at our November Meeting!
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023
7 pm to 8 pm
Epworth United Methodist Church
5100 Karl Rd.

Our Block Watch meeting starts at 6 pm and our Code Enforcement meeting starts at 6:30 pm. This is our last public meeting of the year.

Zach Williams from State Bank will be the guest speaker. He will be sharing community outreach efforts and financial literacy class info. Free desserts will be served by the FPCA Social Committee.