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

 

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: June 10, 2025

FOREST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING

Date: 10 June 2025

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:04 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via roll call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com  

Welcomed everyone and let people know that since we have 2 guest speakers, the committee reports will be cut very short. 

Guest Speakers:

Rosalie Hendon, City of Columbus Forester, spoke at our meeting. She gave a very informative talk about the state of trees in the Northland area and how that compares to the overall general metro area. She explained the mission and policies, called the Columbus Urban Forestry Master Plan, that guide Columbus. Rosalie took time to answer questions from the members present. ~Thank you, M. Cote for arranging this.

Lily Schaefer from the Columbus Audubon Center spoke about this summer’s Ohio Young Birders Club, ages 12-18 years old, through Woodward Park Community Center!  It’s FREE! Join the central chapter of the Ohio Young Birders Club, sponsored by Grange Insurance Audubon Center, for three fun outdoor field trips this summer! Sign up at the Woodward Park Rec Center. ~Thank you E. Materu for arranging this.

Vice President  Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com  No Report

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, MB, LB, CL, MSg, RW, SL, LH, EM, MSt, TS, KG, QM, DP, SB, AH
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: DVM, KVM
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 13
  • Area Reps Absent: 2, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14
  • Total meeting attendance: 31
  1. Reviewed minutes from May, no changes or corrections needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.
  2. The Attendance Sheet thru June is online.

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. 97 new household memberships, bringing the total to 262. As a reminder, our budget is based on having 450, so just slightly more than halfway there. There are several more to process in the coming days. 
  2. We had advertising income, donations to all our additional function areas, and another $2,750 in mulch sales. There is one additional sale to process.
  3. Expenses remain in line – PayPal fees (the vast majority of folks are including the fee – thank you!!), printing the Forester, ordering bags, paying for security and island maintenance. Finally, we paid $99 to renew a plugin that helps our website run, and we did pay $1.50 for going over 100 transactions in April.
  4. REMEMBER: You do not need a PayPal account to use it for your membership. You can still pay with a credit card through PayPal with no account.

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com

  1. Mary has ordered the candy that will be handed out in the 4th of July parade.
  2. We are looking for volunteers to walk in the parade behind our FPCA banner. If you are interested, please contact Mary or Erin. We will meet in the old HomeBuys/Kroger parking lot at the corner of Morse and Karl Rd. at 9:30 AM. 
  3. Fall Community Garage Sale will be Saturday, September 13th, it is an OSU bye weekend, so no conflict there!!
  4. From Erin-The Association would like to acknowledge our founding resident and valued member, Bob Hinebaugh, who is currently in hospice care. In a small gesture of love and appreciation, we have placed a sign in Bob’s front yard to let him know that we miss him at the meetings and are thinking of him.

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester@fpcivic.org

  1. Happy to see folks responding to note in June Forester, we have received over 45 responses in just a week.  
  2. Everything is needed for the July Forester by Monday, June 16th
  3. We are looking for people who are willing to deliver the Forester to the homes in FP. We lost another volunteer delivery person, that’s the 4th one in the last 2 months.  
    • Need delivery for the following streets:
      • North Tamarack Blvd (36 homes)
      • Denise Dr (32 homes)
      • Green Apple (29 homes)
      • Blackgum & Sweetgum Place (21 homes)
      • And 45 homes on FP East near Coghill

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

See the report in the Forester.

Business Representative Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  

We have a new business member: Sister Sister Childcare: First Steps 1300 Yellowwood Dr.

Civic Action Officer  Vacant

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

Laura is working with some new neighbors who may take the position of Welcome Committee Chair  – look for an update next month! If you’d like to be involved, please contact me. 

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu – mmateru@hotmail.com

  1. We have a new Forester deliver volunteer couple – Welcome, Lydia and Jake from Area 1! 
  2. New Area 13 Reps Linda and Harold Bozeman! 
  3. The Forest Park Civic Association is thrilled to announce its upcoming New American Multicultural Party, Saturday, June 28th, from 1-3 p.m. at the Woodward Park Rec Center. We are excited to celebrate the many cultures that make our neighborhood so unique and beautiful. This joyful gathering is open to everyone in the community and promises to be a feast for the senses. It is free and open to all residents of Forest Park. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Erin at (614) 254-0712.

Membership Coordinator  Mike Stone – msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. Data collection is underway. Electronic submissions received through PayPal have been recorded, and thank-you messages have been sent to all contributors. Mike is especially grateful to Cheryl for providing that data—there were some encouraging surprises in the mix.
  2. Although this is just an early sample, it’s worth noting that 41% of our May PayPal memberships are from new members or individuals not recorded in the previous cycle. Mike plans to compile a more complete picture by the end of the week, incorporating the mailed responses as well.
  3. That said, if we’re able to retain the vast majority of last year’s members, he is cautiously optimistic that we’re on track to meet—or possibly exceed—our goals for this year.

Social Activities Tiffany Smith – tsmith1599@yahoo.com

  1. Will be signing up for the 4th of July parade after the meeting.
  2. We are receiving bikes for a donation for awards for Bikes-n-Trikes, along with other gifts for winners and participants.
  3. A parade meeting is planned for after the FPCA meeting to finalize plans.

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

See the complete report in Forester.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

Four cases were heard at the May 28th meeting. None were in the immediate FP area. To view the report, visit the website under the “Development Reports” tab on the homepage.

Grant Writing Committee Chair  Quentin Monden – q.monden@gmail.com  

  1. We met on June 1 & June 4 as a committee to continue our work. Primary focus New Americans Grant – Festival planned for June 28th. 
  2. We applied for, but did not receive the National Night Out Grant. 
  3. Tree grant update – Thanks to all our neighbors who took time to speak with our arborist Julie on June 6th. We are finalizing tree types and will place our order soon! Remember, we won’t get our trees until the fall. Enjoy your summer! 

Website Administrators Scott Biggs sbiggsmail@yahoo.com (Website/Facebook)   Dave Paul dwpaul@fpcivic.org (Website) Ashley Howard ahoward@ashleynicolecounseling.com (Instagram/Facebook)  

Our website/Facebook page is always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!! Please subscribe/follow us. Also, please tag and reshare any posted info on your FB page or Instagram account.

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

  1. There is a team that is finishing up the work of bringing Google Workspace for nonprofits to the FPCA. Officers and committee chairs can expect to receive more information within the next month about policies and procedures, and training opportunities.
  2. The next FPCA meeting will be July 8, 2025.
  3. There will be NO AUGUST meeting for the FPCA. The annual Northland Community Council Picnic will be on August 12th at the Dogwood Pavilion at Blendon Woods Park. It is a potluck, and all residents of Northland are invited, especially civic association members. Time: Dinner is at 6:30 pm, though you can come earlier.

Meeting adjourned at 8:18 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

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!

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: May 13, 2025

FOREST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING

Date: 13 May 2025

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:05 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via roll call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com   No Report

Guest Speaker: Brandon Thomas – Karl Rd. Library Branch Manager

  1. Brandon lives in the Northland Area and is back working at the Karl Rd. branch.
  2. May 31st – Beginning of Summer Reading Challenge, but the BIG KICK OFF is June 2nd from 11am-1 pm, there will be a bouncy house and other fun stuff.
  3. Reading Buddies is coming back this summer.
  4. Summer Programs: (pick up a calendar at the library)
    1. JUNE: Balloon Art with Picasso (the Turtle), Baby and Me Yoga (BYOB-bring our own baby–babies not provided!), Baby Splash Time outside, and more.
    2. JULY: Foxes and Folklore (real foxes), Steel Drum Band from Trinidad (2-3 pm), DJ workshop, Young Scientist – Owls and Owl Pellets, and more
  5. Free Breakfast and Lunches for youth this summer @ the branch.
  6. In July – at the Main Library branch – Columbus Book Festival: Saturday July 12, 2025, 10 am-6 pm; Sunday, July 13, 2025, 10 am-5 pm

NEXT MONTH’S SPEAKER: The City of Columbus Forester, Rosalie Hendon. She’ll be happy to address any issues of concern about tree maintenance, planting, and updates on the urban forest master plan. Thank you Michael Cote for arranging this.

Vice President  Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

Mark introduced Harold and Linda Bozeman (Area 13). They will be taking over for him as Area 13 Area Reps since he has now accepted the position of Vice President. Welcome to Harold and Linda, we look forward to working with you and thank you for volunteering!

AUGUST MEETING and NCC PICNIC INFO: Instead of our usual meeting in August, we will be attending the annual NCC Picnic on August 12th at Blendon Woods Park, Dogwood Area. NCC has the pavilion for the entire day, so feel free to come out early and enjoy all that the park has to offer. Dinner will be served at 6:30 pm. NCC will provide hamburgers, hot dogs and brats, please bring a dish to share. At 7pm, they will have a very brief meeting. We encourage anyone from the Forest Park community to join us for a day of fun and camaraderie.

Secretary Lou Bernard – secretary@fpcivic.org

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, MB, LB, CL, MSg, RW, DVM, SL, LH, EM, MSt, KG, QM, DP, SB, AH
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: KVM, TS
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13
  • Area Reps Absent: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 14
  • Total meeting attendance: 30
  1. Reviewed minutes from April, no changes or corrections needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.
  2. Attendance Sheet thru April: Online

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. 166 household memberships so far, with a big stack still to go. If your check hasn’t cleared yet, please stand by as Cheryl is still processing checks and more memberships are coming in through PayPal. One renewed business membership.
  2. Our mulch sale so far has garnered $2,385, with the check payments still to process, so we don’t have a grand total yet.
  3. Thanks to Mike S. for getting the annual mailing to the post office when he did, we didn’t have to renew our permit – instead we got two years for the price of one! The postage was $2,012. Finally, food for the stuffing party was $154.11. Thanks, Ed for arranging that.
  4. Our other expense was $1,000 for our security patrols.
  5. Acceptance of the treasurer’s report has been tabled until more information has been received about membership numbers.

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com

  1. Saturday is the FPCA Spring Community Garage Sale. From 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., someone will be passing out a list of households at the Karl Rd. entrances.
  2. June 7th – Forest Park at Gabby’s – Join the FPCA and neighbors (6:00-9:00 p.m.) from across Forest Park for community fun at Gabby’s. No registration necessary. Just show up and enjoy! Bring a side dish/dessert. Main course provided. Live music!

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org 

  1. We have a delivery person moving and will finish their route in June and need a new delivery person for FP East, all of the Arrowwood Loops, E/W/N, and the Court.  Total of 51 homes. Thanks Manny for all of your help over the years of delivering the Forester
  2. Rita wants to do a raffle for members who read the printed Forester. Just click the QR code inside the next Forester to enter – $50 was approved for gift cards! 
  3. Deadline for the JULY issue is June 16th. We want to have the July Forester out to delivery folks by Monday June 30th so there may be one more reminder of the July 4th Parade, Bikes & Trikes, etc. 

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

Citizen’s Police Academy applications are being accepted; search for “CPD Citizen’s Police Academy” for the online application. See report in the Forester.

Business Representative Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  

Sheridan has been calling and visiting past business members and trying to get them to renew their memberships.

Civic Action Officer  Vacant

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

Laura would like to step down as Welcome Chair; she plans to spend her energy with the Grant Writing Team. She will be working with Erin to fill the position.

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu – mmateru@hotmail.com

  1. Thank you to all who volunteered in the rain to distribute mulch and those who purchased it. It was very well organized and Scott did an amazing job! 
  2. We are reviving an old program in Forest Park called “Teen Helpers Work List”. This list will be featured in the next Forester and will have names of kids who can cut grass, pull weeds, dog walking, babysitting, snow shoveling, ect. A resident named Derek Billingsley has volunteered to be the point of contact to add kids to the list. Erin will work with Derek to get this up and running.
  3. We have selected a date for the New American grant party on 6/28 at the Woodward rec center.

Membership Coordinator  Mike Stone – msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. Mike gave the Board the volunteer attendance list from the Envelope Stuffing event. Thanks Dave for creating it!!
  2. Area Reps and other board members – We should have some data to work with regarding membership.  Over the next two weeks (hopefully much sooner) Mike will put out some breakdowns to show nearby neighbors that you can see about membership.  
  3. Mike will begin sending out electronic updates regarding our progress to the community. We will do a “membership countdown” to keep the topic clear and present throughout the summer.

Social Activities Tiffany Smith – tsmith1599@yahoo.com  Absent   No Report

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

See full report in the Forester.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

See report online.

Grant Writing Committee Chair  Quentin Monden – q.monden@gmail.com  

  1. They have had 2 meetings – April 17th and May 2nd. Quentin met with Lindora, Community Relations Coordinator, regarding the Civic Integration Seed Grant for the New American Program. They discussed our progress and plans for a kick-off event for the end of June.
  2. They will apply for the National Night Out Grant (Aug. 5th), and Quentin attended the informational webinar.
  3. They were awarded $3425 from the Parks and Recs Dept. for the neighborhood tree grant. Laura will be talking with people who have signed up for trees about the process. Trees will be planted by FPCA volunteers in September.

Website Administrators Scott Biggs sbiggsmail@yahoo.com (Website/Facebook)   Dave Paul dwpaul@fpcivic.org (Website) Ashley Howard ahoward@ashleynicolecounseling.com (Instagram/Facebook)  

Our website/Facebook page is always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!! Please subscribe/follow us.

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

  1. Thank you to our small but dedicated group of 2025 Mulch Day delivery volunteers. Thirteen people showed up on a rainy Saturday morning on May 3 to deliver 1,260 bags of mulch (over 25,000 pounds) to our neighbors across Forest Park East and West. 

      Volunteers included FPCA officers Erin Materu, Rita Woeste, Daryl Van Mercetta, and Mary           Sguerra. Also generously dedicating their muscles, time, and vehicles were Max Materu, Kofi       Oduro, Paulissen Owrsu-Ansah, Ed Uppenkamp, Chris Toth, Justin Moegling, James Adkins,           and Michael Wagner.

    Extra special gratitude to Mary Sguerra, who personally purchased and donated 150 bags of        mulch for the large landscaped east and west welcome islands at Karl Rd. and Sandalwood          Blvd. Mike and Diane Wagner purchased and donated five bags of mulch to the island                  landscaping. Justin Moegling of Moegling Home Improvement again this year dedicated his          van, large trailer and his muscles to serve our neighborhood. Thank you to Sequoia Pro Bowl      for allowing us to use its parking lot for our mulch storage and distribution.

    Thank you to the many households that supported the Forest Park Civic Association by                ordering bags of mulch in the 2025 Mulch Sale. ~Scott Biggs, FPCA Mulchmaster, Area 5                Representative

  1. Ambrosia, from Woodward Park Rec Center, will set up a tent on Karl Rd on the 4th of July parade route.  Kids are to be encouraged to participate in the Forest Park Bikes & Trikes competition. As an incentive, up to five bikes will be awarded (donated by WWP) to kids of different age groups judged to have the best bedazzled bikes in the parade! ~Michael Cote
  2. Columbus Recreation and Parks will NOT be hosting a Columbus Symphony Concert at Woodward Park or any other Community Center this year, only downtown at Bicentennial Park. ~Michael Cote
  3. Woodward Park Community Center is looking forward to hosting the Forest Park Multicultural Community Festival on June 28, 2025. Preliminary plans are in the works to invite dancers from the African and Nepali communities. Additional input is welcome. ~Michael Cote

Submitted by FPCA Mulchmaster Scott Biggs, Area 5 Representative.

Meeting adjourned at 8:03 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: April 8, 2025

FOREST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING

Date: 8 April 2025

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:00 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via roll call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

  1. Ed will be stepping down from the role of president this year. He took on the role, for the second time, after the death of our late president, Scott Prigan. He will assume the role of past president in 2026.
  2. Ed wanted to thank everyone for the great work on Saturday at the membership envelope stuffing.

Guest Speaker: None

Vice President  Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

Wanted to also thank everyone for the great job on Saturday.

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, MB, LB, CL, MSg, RW, DVM, KVM, SL, LH, EM, MSt, TS, KG, DP, SB
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: QM, AH
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13
  • Area Reps Absent: 2, 6, 8, 10, 14
  • Total meeting attendance: 30
  1. Reviewed minutes from March; no changes or corrections needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.
  2. Attendance Sheet thru April: online

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. This is the last report for this fiscal year. We were 39 households shy of our target of 480.
  2. Mulch sales have begun, and we did get a few online orders in March. 
  3. We did get a few business memberships this year, but not the 10 we were shooting for.
  4. Our two big expenses this month were the printing of envelopes and data sheets for the membership drive, printing the Forester, and paying for security patrols. We have renewed our post office box.
  5. While we did end the year in the red, there were some extraordinary expenses that pushed us over. The Board has worked to trim expenses, the grant committee is working hard to find funds that way, but again, the biggest way to support us is with your household membership.

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com

Just a quick reminder that we have our Spring Forest Park Community Garage Sale on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Please turn in your garage sale entry form by Wednesday, May 15th.

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Forester Articles for May Issue due to me by Friday, April 18.
  2. Articles in May for the JUNE issue are due by Friday, May 16 (make sure Rita has info for Bikes/Trikes and any other details for the Northland 4th of July Parade).
  3. Thanks to Mary for finding a new delivery person for Larkwood in FPE, and Lou for finding new delivery people, although they have not been assigned an area.
  4. Area that need delivery folks for the Forester
    1. FPW – area 2, 1262-1324 Pegwood Ct. (23) & 1344-1387 Pegwood Dr. (13)
    2. FPE – area 11, 1655-1774 Pin Oak (29) 1608-1632 Sienna Ln. N (4) 4970-5029 Sienna Ln. (15) special instructions for 4975 Sienna Ln.
    3. FPE – Area 12,  2307-2425 Green Apple Ave. (29); 5262-5297 Blackgum Pl. (13); 5272-5301 Sweetgum Pl. (8) DO NOT Deliver to 5288 Sweetgum Pl.
    4. FPE – Still uncovered  1800-1868 Coghill Dr. (12), 1837-1872 Dandridge Dr. (9), 1841-1872 Judwick Dr.(8), 4901-4991 Lyle Rd. (16)

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

  1. Officer Yandrich was not able to be in attendance tonight (scheduled vacation) so we do not have a report from him for this month, but based on the crime map it looks like there has still been a lot of theft from vehicles and properties in the apartments north and south of us, but Forest Park itself has been quiet and safe.
  2. Other than a few vacation request house checks (all secure), our security patrols have fortunately been uneventful with the exception of a deer that was hit by a car on Tamarack and reported by the patrol officer to Ohio Div. of Wildlife.
  3. Remember to keep your house and vehicles locked up and do not have anything visible in your vehicle that would tempt a thief.

Business Representative Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  No Report

Civic Action Officer  Position Vacant – 311 Meeting 6:30-7:00 before every FPCA general meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

  1. Welcome new neighbors! It’s been a busy spring. 
  2. Laura has been supporting the grant committee and our web administration team and will have an update on welcome folders shortly! 

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu – mmateru@hotmail.com

  1. Thank you for approximately 30 volunteers that made the bulk mailing for the 2025 Membership.
  2. We are now gearing up for the mulch sale in May. 
  3. We still have 2 openings for delivery persons of the Forester
  4. Also, we had over 20 people request a tree. We had overflow requests after the deadline, so we will definitely reapply in the next round.
  5. Also the city is asking to meet with the New American Grant team to see where we are at before the five is the second installment of the money.

Membership Coordinator  Mike Stone – msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. Thanks to the wonderful 30 volunteers that helped us, we tied the FPCA time record of two hours to get almost 3,000 envelopes processed. Andy Hunt and Mike successfully delivered them to the post office Monday and everybody should be receiving them soon. Mike personally appreciates everyone who invested the time to make the endeavor successful.
  2. We can all help facilitate the success of the membership by keeping it a current topic with our neighbors and Forest Park friends. Please remind people about the membership campaign. You can even offer to collect their membership yourself and save them the stamp!! 

Social Activities Tiffany Smith – tsmith1599@yahoo.com

Looking for information on the 4th of July parade. Members of the civic association met with Tiffany after the meeting to get her up to speed on her role in the FPCA parade planning.

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

See full report in the Forester.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

NCC Development meeting – March 26, 2025

1 case was heard, see the report on the website under the “Development Reports” tab.

Grant Writing Committee Chair  Quentin Monden – q.monden@gmail.com  

  1. The grant committee has submitted our first grant application this year for the Columbus Tree Assistance Program (TAP). The grant is issued by the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District. Our application asked for $2,100 in funding to plant 20 native trees, and 2 requests for mature tree maintenance, in our neighborhood on residential property. We were fortunate to receive a letter of support from our Ohio House Rep, and Forest Park resident, Munira Abdullahi. We should hear if we were selected for the grant by the end of the month. Contact Laura Hayes for questions.
  2. We will be having a volunteer meeting to help implement the New American Grant.

Website Administrators Scott Biggs sbiggsmail@yahoo.com (Website/Facebook)   Dave Paul dwpaul@fpcivic.org (Website) Ashley Howard ahoward@ashleynicolecounseling.com (Instagram/Facebook)  

Our social media pages (website/Facebook/Instagram) are always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!! Please subscribe/follow/like us.

OLD BUSINESS

Mulch Sale Update: online orders are coming in and the order form is included in the April Forester. Deadline to order is April 18. Delivery day is Saturday, May 3 from 9 am until noon out of the Sequoia Pro Bowl parking lot. Fit volunteers are needed to lift bags of mulch! Order and pay online at fpcivic.org/mulch. ~ Scott Biggs, Area 5 Rep, The Mulch King

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

  1. Thank you 311! I’d like to remind our neighbors the importance of taking action, no matter how small. On my way to work last week I noticed a new city tree planted on Sandalwood and Cottonwood had been struck by a car and uprooted. I put in a 311 ticket, and alerted a neighbor to see if they could help. With the support of our neighbors, and 311 the tree was replanted and staked. It’s a small thing, but our actions have big impacts. Please be vigilant in protecting and caring for our neighborhood! ~Laura Hayes, Welcome Committee Chair
  2. Our guest speaker from last month extended her thanks for hosting her. She gladly reported that 15 new sign-ups from residents came in and signed up for programs. ~Michael Cote
  3. Woodwark Rec Center will be hosting Columbus’s Earth Day celebration and are looking for volunteers. You can register HERE! or at the rec center. ~Michael Cote

Meeting adjourned at 7:54 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

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.