Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
December 1, 2022

Letter from the President

As we look back on 2022, I am eager to highlight the successes this organization has achieved.

Past president Ed Tilden heard the calls from our residents for better street safety and badgered the city into reducing our speed limit from 30 to 25 MPH, with new signage posted. He continues to coordinate with the city to get speed warning signs in place along our busiest routes.

Our thanks to Dave Nelson for leading our quarterly Adopt-A-Highway litter pickups, and stocking our poop bag stations. Curb appeal is everyone’s responsibility. Dave’s coordination keeps it fun and rewarding.

Recently retired, Pat Mason joined the Executive Committee as the Vice President and has tackled multiple projects. He re-engaged and recruited our block captains for flier distribution, new resident contact and membership drive. These folks are the heart of our face-to-face engagement. They will share the good news of our neighbors and help us take pride in their accomplishments.

Block Captains 2022 listing and map…

Pat has also drafted and begun our work with the Branding Task Force. There is a survey we are encouraging our residents to help with. What is our neighborhood identity? Can we capture that in a slogan? This branding will then be included in our developing Welcome to the Neighborhood signage, business cards and correspondence.

Please take a few minutes to give us your thoughts with the online survey…

Pat and Gail are working on initiating regular contacts with our local commercial businesses; finding out their desires and finding common collaboration. We are working with Shandon to learn their best association practices. We are involved with Columbia’s Council of Neighborhoods, sharing ideas and information.

Valerie Marcil initiated Forest Friends and executed a plan to offer free trees to our residents, reaffirming the importance of our Sherwood Forest name. She includes the whole kitandcaboodle with a site survey, a list of available native trees, the pick up and delivery of trees, planting instructions and pride signage. There have been many who have assisted in this program and we expect to continue this program into the future.

We are grateful for the role that Reverend Russ Harless and Sherwood Forest Associate Reformed Church has played in our Association. They have hosted us for our Quarterly meetings and for National Night Out. They continue to look at ways to be part of our neighborhood by offering their playground for use and are excited to work on developing a dog park on church grounds.

We are now up to 5 hosted annual social events: 12th Night, Spring Fling, National Night Out, Halloween and Santa’s Hayride. These have been super chances to meet and share with our neighbors and we are grateful to all our hosts for their energy, coordination and execution. Unfortunately, our limited budget based on $20 annual membership dues has been stretched thin. But we know it’s important to keep membership dues low, so we are developing alternate funding sources, such as corporate and individual sponsorships. More info as we address this challenge.

Thanks for supporting your Association and neighbors. We are excited about the prospects of 2023 and greater involvement.

Gail Wojtowicz

Santa’s Hayride!
Saturday, December 10th 5-7:30pm

Join your Sherwood Forest neighbors Saturday, December 10, 5-7:30pm on Allen’s Way culdesac for some Holiday Family Fun in the Forest. Neighbors are invited for a Christmas drop in with hay ride and visit from Santa.

BYOB, park on Bloomwood or walk.

Facebook event…

SFNA Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up
Saturday, December 3, 9:30-11am

Volunteers are invited to participate in the cleanup which is part of the Keep The Midlands Beautiful Adopt-A-Highway program. It usually takes each volunteer less than an hour and it can really make a difference. Plus, it’s an easy way to meet your neighbors and a chance to do good.

Meet at the Piggly Wiggly parking lot on the Kilbourne Road side. Volunteers should wear closed toed shoes and bring your own gloves. Pickers and trash bags are provided.

Contact Dave Nelson at 803-447-4793 or appearance@sherwoodforestneighbors.org for more information.

Facebook event…

Twelfth Night Adult Post Holiday Party
Friday, January 6, 6pm-9pm

The 12th Night adult gathering is set for Friday, January 6th hosted by Regina Monteith at 530 Kilbourne Road. The property is known as Bloomwood, the original 1920’s home of W. Gordon Belser.

Strict Covid-19 proof of vaccination is required. Traditional potluck protocols will apply with beverages furnished by the Association.

Facebook event…

USC Belser Arboretum Open House
Sunday, December 18, 1-4pm

Open House is always the 3rd Sunday of every month.

Follow the Arboretum on Instagram and see Facebook for event info.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Sherwood Forest ARP Church
4325 Wilmot Avenue
Christmas Eve 6pm

All are invited.

SFNA Needs Your Input!

We’re still asking for your help with our Branding Survey to define what makes the Forest special to our residents!

Our request is to take a few minutes to have some family conversations, gather your thoughts and answer a short 4 question survey.

Take the short survey…

Be a Forest Friend and celebrate SC Arbor Day in December!

Arbor Day is an opportunity to celebrate the trees that make your world better! While National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April, the first Friday in December (December 2, 2022) is South Carolina’s Arbor Day. The difference in dates is that trees in South Carolina are better able to get established when planted in the winter.

To read the rest of this short article, which includes a gorgeous photo of the author Sue Watts‘ favorite tree, go to Clemson’s Arbor Day website…

Consider planting a tree this month! If you want suggestions of sturdy native trees well suited to our neighborhood and especially friendly to birds, try this fun Audubon website list for our zip code…

Forest Friends…

SFNA General Meeting
Wednesday, February 8, 6:30pm-8pm
Sherwood Forest ARP Church

Mark your calendars!

If you have an issue you would like discussed at the meeting please let us know!

At the November Annual Meeting, 2023-24 officers were elected:
Gail Wojtowicz – President
Patrick Mason – Vice President
Kate Anderson Barton – Secretary
Henry Nechemias – Treasurer

Draft minutes from the Annual meeting…

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
SPECIAL DELIVERY
October 27, 202

SFNA Annual Halloween Hot Dog Party
Monday, October 31, 4:30-7:30pm on Kalmia!

Cooler weather, leaves are thinking about changing, pumpkin spice is in the air, oh, and hot dogs!

Must be time for the Annual Halloween Hot Dog Party! Dress up your kids, pets or significant other and come out to be neighborly! We will provide hotdogs, chili and chips. Neighbors can bring sides or desserts. BYOB. Then the kids can trick or treat in the Forest!

The 400 and 500 blocks of Kalmia will be blocked off for the treats and tricking.

Contact Lauren Bradley at 678-637-5347 or Violet Beets at 803-403-5980, or email social@sherwoodforestneighbors.org for more info or to help out.

Facebook event…

Trunk-or-Treat
A Spanish-speaking congregation of the Sherwood Forest ARP Church will have a Trunk-or-Treat event the same evening from 5-7pm with several cars with the trunks open and decorated for Halloween and filled with goodies. There will also be home-made ice-cream in the Fellowship Hall of the church.

SFNA General Meeting
Wednesday, November 9, 6:30pm-8pm
The next general meeting of the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9 from 6:30pm-8pm at the Sherwood Forest Presbyterian Church on the corner of Wilmot Avenue and Beltline Boulevard. Join us at 6pm to meet and greet your neighbors!

The SFNA will elect our Board of Directors for 2 year terms. The officers are President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Executive Committee Members. If you are interested in serving, contact Gail Wojtowicz at 618-402-8736‬ or president@sherwoodforestneighbors.org.

A lasagna dinner will be served courtesy of the church!

Crier emails
Stay up to date on neighborhood events, other local events and information of interest with our monthly email newsletter.

If you have questions, suggestions, announcements, or information of interest to the neighborhood, please pass it along and we may include it in a future Crier.

Subscribe for free, no membership required, but of course we would like everybody to join! New neighbor? Let us know and we’ll send out the welcome wagon.

To subscribe, email membership@sherwoodforestneighbors.org or subscribe online

Why should you join the SFNA? Benefits of the SFNA.

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
October 1, 2022

Halloween in the Forest!
Monday, October 31, 4:30-7:30pm

Cooler weather, leaves are thinking about changing, pumpkin spice is in the air, oh, and hot dogs!

Must be time for the Annual Halloween Hot Dog Party! Dress up your kids, pets or significant other and come out to be neighborly! We will provide hotdogs, chili and chips. Neighbors can bring sides or desserts. BYOB. Then the kids can trick or treat in the Forest!

The 400 and 500 blocks of Kalmia will be blocked off for the treats and tricking.

Contact Lauren Bradley at 678-637-5347 or Violet Beets at 803-403-5980, or email social@sherwoodforestneighbors.org for more info or to help out.

Facebook event…

SFNA Gets Results!

SFNA worked to get neighborhood potholes fixed and have Sherwood Forest designated a 25mph neighborhood through constituent services and persistence with government folks!

Let us know if you have neighborhood concerns that we might be able to help with.

Branding Survey

A task force made up of volunteers in your Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association led by our VP Pat Mason is embarking on a project to build an image and identity that reflects how we all feel.

This first part of the process is meant to discover WHY residents and your children love living here. Our request is to take a few minutes to have some family conversations, gather your thoughts and answer a short 4 question survey.

Take the short survey…

SFNA Forest Friends

We hope everyone survived the little blow we just experienced, and family and friends are all safe!

Every time we have a big storm, we lose some trees, and folks often get scared and decide to cut down trees in their yard.

Please think carefully, though, before you cut down trees. If you are concerned, get trees evaluated by a professional arborist. Most healthy trees weather storms just fine. And trees provide so many other benefits. They actually help to absorb all the water from storms that would otherwise run off, erode property, and cause flooding. Large shade trees can lower summer temperatures by as much as 10 degrees – and it takes about 40% coverage of a given area to have that cooling effect. So every tree is important!

Our inaugural offer of free native trees for neighbors was a success! We are partnering with the Midlands Chapter of the SC Native Plant Society to order 15 requested trees. Most folks were interested in trees with fall color or spring blooms. Some of the favorites with blooms were Red Buckeye, Dogwood, and Redbud. Larger trees chosen with great fall colors were Blackgum, Sweetgum, and Persimmon. Keep an eye open for some of these new trees in the coming months!

While ordering through Forest Friends for this year is closed, the fall is a great time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. If you are looking for natives that support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife, check out the October 14th and 15th Midlands Native Plants Sale.

Did you know that pollinators contribute to one in every three bites of food we eat?! And pollinators rely mostly on native plants.

More info on Forest Friends…

UofSC Belser Arboretum Open House
Saturday, October 16, 1pm-4pm

Open House is always the 3rd Sunday of every month.

Our guest speaker is Joshua Stone, UofSC Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, who will talk about home-grown edible mushrooms, and show us of the non-edible but interesting fungi in the Arboretum.

Follow the Arboretum on Instagram and see Facebook for event info.

SFNA Annual Meeting
Wednesday, November 9, 6:30pm-8pm

The next Annual Meeting of the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9 from 6:30pm-8pm.

Elections for the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer to serve for terms of two years will be conducted.

If you have an issue you would like discussed at the meeting please let us know!

Draft minutes from the August 10 general meeting…

2022 General Elections
Tuesday, November 8

October 7 – Registration deadline

October 28 – Deadline to apply for absentee ballot for General Election

To register or check your status, or for other information see the Richland County website…

Sherwood Forest is divided between two voting Precincts: Ward 14 and Ward 17. Ward 14 includes the south side of Duncan Street to Kalmia, the west side of Kalmia south to Mimosa, and the south side of Mimosa to Beltline.

Please note that US Congressional map redistricting now has Ward 14 in the 6th Congressional District!

Contested elections include: Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Superintendent of Education, U.S. Senate 2, U.S. House of Representatives District 06, and State House of Representatives District 75. There are two Statewide Constitutional Amendments on the ballot.

To see a Sample Ballot and other voting information see SCVotes.gov

SFNA Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up
Saturday, December 3, 9:30-11am

Mark your calendars! The November pickup has been rescheduled.

Adopt-A-Highway program…

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
September 1, 2022

National Night Out 2022

NNO was a great success enjoyed by all who attended!

Thanks to Sherwood Forest ARP Church for hosting us, the Columbia-Richland Fire Department, the musical entertainment, the volunteers who helped to set up the event, and to the neighbors who came out!

See a few photos on Facebook…
(You must be a member of the SFNA private group on Facebook!)

SFNA Forest Friends

The Forest Friends committee is accepting requests for free native trees 3-5 feet tall in 3 gallon containers until September 18th. We’ll help you choose a tree that suits your yard and needs. Contact Valerie Marcil for more information.

We’ve also just learned that Dominion Energy has posted new guidance on plantings appropriate for powerline areas. Learn why they trim and spray under and around lines, and how and what to plant to avoid drastic cutting and spraying on the Dominion Energy website.

Or, go directly to the newly posted list of native trees and shrubs that will work under or near power lines.

This is a great list of smaller native plants that would be good to use in complement to larger trees. Appropriate soils and conditions are listed for all plants, as well.

If you have specific questions or concerns, contact the City’s Forestry and Beautification Department at 803-545-3860 or Dominion Energy at 1-800-562-9308.

More info on Forest Friends…

Homeowner Insurance Offer

You may have seen a notice in your water bill or in the mail that the City of Columbia has arranged with HomeServe USA to offer insurance for your exterior sewer and water lines, and indoor plumbing.

SFNA wanted to find out more about the offer. Our Treasurer Henry Nechemias found HomeServe charges $9/mo. ($108/yr.; first year is 50% off) to cover both exterior water and sewer lines between your house and the street or water meter.

Henry checked with his State Farm agent who said their rider costs $66/yr. for similar coverage, but with specific limits and a $500 deductible. With State Farm, the maximum benefit drops from $10,000 down to $2,500 when your home is over 50 years old. There is no limit through HomeServe for water lines, and a $10,000 limit for sewer lines.

HomeServe’s website also indicates that they partner with Dominion Energy for an expanded range of insurance coverages, but we didn’t investigate those!

SFNA takes no position regarding these policies, but does suggest checking with your homeowner’s policy first to see if it makes sense to add this coverage through your existing policy rather than buying a separate policy.

Be a smart consumer; check and compare!

HomeServe plan info…

UofSC Belser Arboretum Open House
Saturday, September 18, 1pm-4pm

Join us as L.L. “Chick” Gaddy teaches us about the Trees of Georgia, common genera found in the US Southeast and in the Caucasus mountains of the country of Georgia, where he recently finished a plant expedition. Gaddy is an independent scholar and president of environmental consulting firm, terra incognita.

Open House is always the 3rd Sunday of every month.

Follow the Arboretum on Instagram and see Facebook for event info.

SFNA General Annual Meeting
Wednesday, November 9, 6:30pm-8pm

The next Annual Meeting of the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9 from 6:30pm-8pm.

If you have an issue you would like discussed at the meeting please let us know!

Draft minutes from the August 10 general meeting…

Crier emails
The Crier goes out around the first of every month to keep neighbors and friends up do date on neighborhood events, and other events and information of interest.

If you have anything to share with your neighbors, please pass it along and we may include it in a future Crier.

Tell your friends and neighbors to subscribe. No membership required, but of course we would like everybody to join! New neighbor? Let us know and we’ll send out the welcome wagon.

To subscribe, email membership@sherwoodforestneighbors.org or subscribe online

Why should you join the SFNA? Benefits of the SFNA.