Category: Documents

Current Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Officers

Documents

OFFICERS
President: Gail Wojtowicz, 6 Robin Hood Court, (618) 402-8736 <president@sherwoodforestneighbors.org>
Gail and her wife Meredith Boyd are 6-year residents of Sherwood Forest at #6 Robin Hood Court. Gail spent 34 years in the United States Air Force and retired as a colonel, after finishing multiple tours as a commander and extensive staff work at the Pentagon. She worked at the UofSC Belser Arboretum for four years and has been interim president of the SFNA for the past year.

Gail is energized by the increasing involvement she has seen across the board in Association development and projects. Her special interests are improving curb appeal, a new dog park, creating welcome signage to the neighborhood, and seeking stronger relations with other neighborhood associations and with city service support.

Vice President: Pat Mason, 4201 Blossom Street, (803) 467-9570 <vicepresident@sherwoodforestneighbors.org>
Born 8/1/46. Raised on MN horse farm. Lots of 4-H projects. Earned BSBA from Denver University. Served 11 years as a destination sales & marketing executive with Marriott International in DC, NYC and Chicago. Recruited to Columbia by Don Tomlin (US Capitol Corp.) in 1983 as VP for real estate marketing. Purchased 4201 Blossom residence in Sherwood Forest. Organized first iteration of our Sherwood Forest Association.

Formed American Lodging Resources, Inc. with Leyla in 1986. Created a 501.C6 non-profit in a grant partnership with SC PRT to attract visitors with intentions to invest and or relocate to the Carolinas.

Celebrating third year of retirement. Recently completed 2-yr stint as Chair of 28-member Board of Directors serving the SC Wildlife Federation. Currently leading SFNA Block Captain team, Co-chair of Branding Task Force. We love and are committed to nurturing the safety, friendliness and identity characteristics of Sherwood Forest.

Secretary: Kate Barton, 4100 Devine Street, (904) 742-0884 <secretary@sherwoodforestneighbors.org>
Kate and her husband Parker are relatively recent residents to Sherwood Forest at the corner of 4100 Devine and Poinsettia. They are both sales and marketing experts. Kate is in the insurance field with responsibility for South Carolina and Georgia. Both are on the road frequently. They are invested in the success of the neighborhood and when Kate is unavailable, Parker will stand-in to cover Secretarial duties.

Treasurer: Henry Nechemias, 4 Robin Hood Court, (803) 738-0682 <treasurer@sherwoodforestneighbors.org>
Henry is a resident at 4 Robin Hood Court, has served as the Treasurer for about six years and is willing to continue supporting the Association in that role. He is a long-time officer for the non-profit, South Carolina Railroad Museum in Fairfield County.

His wife, Valerie, has been an Association member for more than 30 years and has recently organized the Forest Friends Committee.

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS
Safety: Position Open
Appearance: Dave Nelson, 2 Robin Hood Court, (803) 787-3064‬ <appearance@sherwoodforestneighbors.org>
Social: Position Open
Membership: Pat Mason, 4201 Blossom Street, (803) 467-9570 <membership@sherwoodforestneighbors.org>
Communications: Lewis Kirk, 4000 Yale Avenue, (803) 787-3450 <communications@sherwoodforestneighbors.org>
Legal: Kirby Shealy 500 Kalmia Drive, (803) 787-3744 <legal@sherwoodforestneighbors.org>
Arboretum Liaison: Gail Wojtowicz, 6 Robin Hood Court, (618) 402-8736 <arboretum@sherwoodforestneighbors.org>
Forest Friends: Valerie Marcil, 4 Robin Hood Court, (803) 331-1138 <forestfriends@sherwoodforestneighbors.org>

The Belser Arboretum Endowment Fund

Documents, News

The USC W. Gordon Belser Arboretum in the heart of Sherwood Forest is almost entirely supported by two funds established in 2007 by the University of South Carolina. The Belser Arboretum Endowment Fund (#B11336) was established to provide a permanent funding mechanism for the Arboretum operation. Only 5% of interest earned by the Endowment Fund can be used each year. The second is the Belser Arboretum Fund (#1A3769) which is a spendable fund from which monies can be freely spent for current Arboretum needs.

If you wish to donate to either of these funds, visit giving.sc.edu/arboretum or write a check to the USC Education Foundation, 1027 Barnwell St, Columbia SC 29208 and indicate in the memo field the name and number of the fund.

For more information or to arrange for large gifts, contact Vincent R. Suarez, Senior Director of Development, 803.777.4232 or mobile 803.260.3645, or email him at vsuarez@mailbox.sc.edu.

SFNA General Meeting Minutes, May 12, 2015

Minutes

Minutes of the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association Meeting
Tuesday, May 12, 2015 6:30 PM; Sherwood Forest Presbyterian Church

Sonya Hodges spoke to the group about trying to reclaim a long forgotten cemetery that is located behind Intertape Polymer Group on South Beltline. What began as a project to compile Hodges’ genealogy has become a mission to honor the African-American infantrymen trained at Fort Jackson and delivered to the blood-stained trenches of France in April 1918. 
Read more here…

MPO Kevin Schmidt gave his report on crime in the neighborhood. There have been no auto break ins or burglaries since April. Shandon has had 7 auto break ins and 8 burglaries. Old Woodlands has also had several. The auto break ins occur when people leave valuables in plain view in their cars. Officer Schmidt repeated that cars should be locked and all valuables removed. Officer Schmidt asked us to look out for the activities of a white man with auburn hair who rides a bicycle. The police feel that he is stealing things as he rides around the different neighborhoods.

Henry gave the treasury report. Cameron Court, which is part of Sherwood Forest, gave the Association a check for $180. This amount covers the dues of all the people living in Cameron Court. We now have $1100 in our checking account. Henry talked about our problems regaining our 501 (c ) 3 status. Many forms need to be filled out, and we would have to pay $400 to the IRS. Henry researched whether we need to have nonprofit status and found that neither the Shandon Association nor the Old Woodlands Association are nonprofit. The city has never required that we have this tax status so the best decision appears to be giving up the nonprofit status. Henry is checking with legal counsel to make sure there are no problems with this decision.

Henry reported that Sherwood Forest will soon have rolling dumpsters for our recycled materials. They will be much like our current garbage dumpsters, but they will only be picked up every other week.

Sherwood Forest is responsible for the gardens on the outside of the Arboretum both on Wilmot Street and Bloomwood. Henry will send a check for $360 which is the yearly fee for the maintenance of the gardens. Several members asked who is responsible for maintenance of the land on Wilmot that abuts Kilbourne Hills. It is city land and the city did plant some cypress trees, but the grass is not being maintained. Mark said that he would check on this problem and find out who should be cutting that area.

Mark followed up on the possibility of the getting video cameras placed in Sherwood Forest similar to the cameras that are in Five Points. He learned that unless the police want to put them in our neighborhood, we will not get them. They are cost prohibitive for neighborhoods themselves to buy and maintain.

On June 6, Sherwood Forest will hold a work and celebration day. In the morning, people will meet to put signs on the storm drains that warn about the hazards of dumping anything but water in the drains. This is a project with the Sustainable Midlands. Then at 11:30 there will be a cookout and party on the church grounds to celebrate the beginning of summer.

Mark proposed that we apply for an Action Grant from the city. The city gives these grants for neighborhood projects. Mark volunteered to write the grant and suggested we ask for funds to help with: the Fall Hotdog Cookout, the January First Night Party, our printing and supply needs, and the Summer Celebration. The deadline for the grant is May 29, 2015. The members present voted unanimously to pursue this grant.

Sherwood Forest works with the Adopt a Highway Trash Pickup program. Our next date to pick up trash around our neighborhood is August 29, 2015.

The next meeting of the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association will be August 11, 2015 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the Sherwood Forest Presbyterian Church.

William Gordon Belser Biographical Information

Documents

Below is an excerpt from the privately published Belser family history.

William Gordon Belser was born October 8, 1875, at the Woodside Plantation. He was educated at the Summerton High School and the South Carolina College (now University of South Carolina) from which he graduated with the degree of A.B. in 1895 with highest honors. He was President of the Euphradian Literary Society, and won the Euphradian Society medal for debate, the Roddwy medal for debate, the Carolinian medal for essay, and the Southern Intercollegiate Oratorical Association medal for oration. After his graduation form the University of South Carolina he taught school for one year (1895-1896) in Georgetown, S. C., where he was taking post-graduate work in English at the time of his father’s death in December, 1896. For the next two years he acted as administrator in the management and settlement of his father’s estate. In the year 1899 he returned to the South Carolina College for the study of law where he was graduated with LL.B. in 1900. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1900, and thereafter formed a partnership for the practice of law in the City of Columbia with his brother-in-law, William C. Melton under the firm name of Melton & Belser, and has continued  until this date in the successful practice of law in the City of Columbia as a member of that firm. He has also been engaged more or less extensively in real estate operations, having been interested in a large development near the northern section of Columbia, and in the development of sections in and around Columbia known as Sherwood Forest, Hampton Terrace, Rosewood Gardens, Suburban Farms, and others. He is president and director of various corporations, – North Columbia Land Company, Argus Investment Company, Acme Building and Loan Company and several others.

William Gordon Belser is member of Pi Kappa Alpha and Omicron Delta Kappa fraternities, of Phi Beta Kappa, and of the South Carolina and Richland County Bar Associations. He is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church. His recreational interests are particularly horticulture and gardening, and travel.

In 1909, W. Gordon Belser married Mary Elizabeth Wilson daughter of Judge John Snowden Wilson, of Manning, S. C. On her father’s side she was descended from the Witherspoon and Snowden families of Williamsburg County, and on her mother’s side she was the granddaughter of Dr. John Ingram, prominent physician of Manning. Of this marriage there are six children.