Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
September 1, 2023

Letter from Your President

Hello neighbors!

This month’s topic is security. At our last meeting, Captain Blendowski of the Columbia PD shared with us that our neighborhood is relatively safe. No incidents were reported in the last 6 months and car break-ins are still our greatest threat. His advice: Lock ‘er up overnight and don’t leave electronic devices or guns, yes, guns in your vehicles. There are also more and more home-owned security cameras that can capture and lock up these offenders. Call 911 for help or 803-252-2911 for non-emergencies.

At last week’s meeting of the Columbia Council of Neighborhoods, Trevon Fordham was the guest speaker. He is appointed as the Director of the Office of Violent Crime Prevention for Columbia. He has extensive experience in criminal justice. He told us about the initiatives they are pursuing. The environment for crime is poor lighting and vacant homes or lots.

The average age for offenders is 16 to 25, with victims averaging 16 to 35. Social Services has identified those at highest risk are repeat offenders in this age group and are focused on providing education, job training, and job opportunities as the most successful solutions. This approach will provide better choices for offenders to break the dysfunction that ruled their previous actions. If you want more info on Mr Fordham’s program call 803-545-3031 or contact him via email Trevon.Fordham@columbiasc.gov

Please take time to review the minutes of our last meeting. Our membership and attendee lists keep growing. Be part of our movement to build a better community in our neighborhood.

Taking Pride. Nurturing Roots.
Gail Wojtowicz, President SFNA

Forest Friends
Forest Friends Native Tree Giveaway

Our second annual tree giveaway is underway! Our goal is to help neighbors replace trees they have had to remove, or fill in where one is needed, in order to maintain and improve our urban forest.

See our Forest Friends info on our website for photos of trees planted last year and more information about the importance of native trees and other plants.

Trees will be in three gallon containers or smaller, so they will be easy to handle and plant. We will provide guidance.

If you would like a free tree this year, please email Valerie Marcil with the type of tree you would like – small, large, flowering, fall color, etc and what the conditions are where you want to plant the tree – shade, sun, wet, dry. You can list a specific type of tree if you like. We will have an exact list of available trees by September 9, but because we will need to order quickly, we need to know general interests as soon as possible!

Don’t delay!

Artists In Residence
Appreciate Artists? Come have some fun!
Gemini Arts
2847 Commerce Drive
Saturday and Sunday, September 16 & 17, Noon – 6pm

Be among the first to discover the new artist studio and exhibition gallery being created five minutes from Sherwood Forest near Owens Field and Hunter-Gatherer at the Hangar. When completed Gemini Arts will be the largest group of artist’s studios in the Midlands.

Sherwood Forest neighbors are invited to come preview what’s being created by some of our finest artists. Get enthused and enjoy the first art exhibition the weekend of September 16-17, noon to 6. Come by for the eye candy. Chat with artists.

Participating artists include Ron Hagell, Kate Heald, Charles Hite, Michael Krajewski, Michael Naughton, Britty Pointer, Lucas Sams, Fred Townsend, Ashley Warthen and more.

Maybe spring for some fresh and amazing new pieces for the house!

Gemini Arts is SC a non-profit being produced by Sherwood Forest Artist In Residence: Ron Hagell

USC Belser Arboretum Open House
Sunday, September 17, 1-4pm

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

Regular Volunteer Work Sessions
Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9am-Noon, Thursdays, 4-6pm
Weather and work schedules can occasionally change these times.

October Book Club
Sunday, October 1 at 3pm
Everyone is invited to join the USC Belser Arboretum Book Club as we read and discuss The Nature of Oaks: the Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees by Douglas Tallamy.
More info in the Arboretum Newsletter…

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

SFNA General Meeting
Wednesday, November 8, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Sherwood Forest ARP Church

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

Draft minutes from the 3rd quarter general meeting…

SFNA Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up
Saturday, November 18, 9:30-11am

Mark your calendars!

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

Join the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association

Become a member or renew your membership now for 2023!

The SFNA is a volunteer organization of neighbors working to create a greater sense of community in the Forest.

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
August 1, 2023

Letter from Your President
Please attend our quarterly meeting this coming week. I understand that there are a hundred reasons you might have to not attend. But I ask you to take just an hour to see the things which are blooming in your community. Attendance and membership are up. We are embracing our forest and our neighbors. We have started a campaign to include more art in our spaces and lives. Our volunteers just need you to say yes. Just an hour of your time, from 6:30 to 7:30 on Wednesday the 9th.

If our camaraderie is not enough to draw you then come for the Duck Donuts and coffee. And better yet, bring a neighbor with you. Peer pressure is the strongest force on earth. We are better together.

Taking Pride. Nurturing Roots.
Gail Wojtowicz, President SFNA

SFNA General Meeting
Wednesday, August 9, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Sherwood Forest ARP Church

We will have a Police update from MPO David Gibb, updates on social events, and news from the Branding Task Force.

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

Here is the current meeting agenda…

The meeting will also be available on Zoom. Zoom ID: 863 8990 6648, Passcode 649565

Draft minutes from the 2nd quarter general meeting…

National Night Out Reminder
Tuesday, August 1, 6-8pm

Shandon has invited us to a NNO event at Sims Park with freshly grilled hot dogs, an ice cream truck serving cones, with music and mingling with elected officials, CPD officers, CFD firefighters and games for the kids.

Forest Friends
Free Trees and Watershed Champions!

Our Forest Friends group is working with the Midlands Chapter of the Native Plant Society to coordinate another native tree giveaway for this fall. The tentative plan is for an event around South Carolina Arbor Day, which is December 1 this year. Planting trees later in the fall is best for SC. A list of tree options will be available in the next month or so – stay tuned and be thinking of where you’d like to add a new native tree!

Meanwhile, several of our neighbors have recently qualified as Watershed Champions, a program just launched by Gills Creek Watershed Association that encourages sustainable yards and awareness of our own property’s impacts on the watershed. I’m sure many of you could qualify for this certification without doing another thing, and others by taking just a few simple steps. The application is FREE and anyone in Sherwood Forest who applies before the end of this year will get a free sign, as well, if you notify Valerie Marcil. Take a look at the program and open up the application to see how to qualify (easy peasy).

USC Belser Arboretum Open House
Sunday, August 20, 1-4pm

Open House is always the 3rd Sunday of every month. Open for walkers and volunteers Wednesday and Saturday 10am-noon, Thursdays from 4-6pm.

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

Mail Theft and Fraud

Unfortunately, the Forest has seen a few instances of mail theft from our mailboxes, both incoming and outgoing. Outgoing is more problematic since you are likely mailing checks and the red flag is a signal to thieves!

Mail theft can lead to financial issues and identity theft.

For that reason, it is not recommended to place outgoing mail in your mailbox.

The Forest is lucky to have a blue United States Postal Service (USPS) collection box at the heart of our neighborhood!

A few tips include:

• Try not to leave letters and packages in your mailbox or at your door for any length of time.
• Hold delivery if away or ask a neighbor or friend to collect your mail for you.
• If you do not receive a check, credit card, or other valuable mail you’re expecting, contact the sender as soon as possible and inquire about it.
• Consider using one of the USPS’s certified mail services for large checks or valuable documents.

For USPS online services…

Report mail theft or fraud to the United States Postal Inspection Service…

Of course, having a neighbor pickup up delivered packages from USPS or other delivery services off your porch if you are going to be away for the day or longer can help foil the thieves as well!

SFNA Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up
Saturday, November 18, 9:30-11am

Mark your calendars!

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

Join the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association

Become a member or renew your membership now for 2023!

The SFNA is a volunteer organization of neighbors working to create a greater sense of community in the Forest.

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER UPDATE
July 23, 2023

National Night Out Update

SFNA held our own NNO Celebration last year, but it was hot and a lot of work! So here are two alternatives: one indoor and one hosted by our neighbor neighborhood.

We had a little mixup on the dates and times for our two NNO celebrations in the July Crier so here is the right info!

The City of Columbia Police with Columbia Council of Neighborhoods (CCN) support will be hosting a National Night Out indoor event at the Columbia Convention Center on Thursday, July 27 at 5:30-8pm with neighborhood display tables, prizes, etc.
More info…

Then on Tuesday, August 1, Shandon will host a NNO event at Sims Park from 6-8pm with freshly grilled hot dogs, an ice cream truck serving cones, with music and mingling with elected officials, CPD officers, and CFD firefighters. A fire truck from the Devine Street station should be on hand. In addition to the playground, there will be games like cornhole, bocce, and basketball. Shandon has invited Richland Library Wheatley to have a book/reading station, and other local organizations who might wish to have a presence at the event.
More info…

And the Shandon Neighborhood Council has invited Sherwood Forest to join their festivities!

NNO’s purpose is to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.
National Night Out website…

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
July 1, 2023

From your Vice-President…

Block Captain and Branding Task Force Updates

Your Sherwood Forest Block Captain BC’s are Alive and…

• Listening for their Zone neighbors’ comments and suggestions.
• Inviting you to join and renew.
• Showing up at Quarterly Meetings with your cheers and concerns.
• Finding a couple of hours a month (amidst their busy lives) to lead, serve and engage.
• Being there should you need a friendly chat.

Let’s support their efforts and give ’em some personal recognition. Connect via the BC Leaders list.

Thanks!

Your Sherwood Forest Branding Task Force inches forward.

Larry Hembree is determined to get SF 501C.3 designation re-instated with SC IRS. Financial records collection and filing of forms is next. Then some grant applications for Art & Beautification projects! Yes, and just maybe some dog park funding.

Your Design Team of Lani Stringer and David Johnson are addressing the Gateway Sign, Logo and Home Plaque image opportunities with an eye on continuity, taste, impact and readability.

The potential Devine Street mural wall (tasteful, artful, forest themed) has been measured by Ron Hagell, (89′ by 5’6″ high at one end and 4’6″ at the other). Yes, that’s 89 feet long, just before you’d turn right into the Burnette’s drive up.

Pat Mason is meeting soon with the wall owner to discuss the opportunity.

Pray.

Business Friends Update

In keeping with the Forest Friends theme, Valerie Marcil and Regina Monteith have concepted five donation levels now available to businesses and residents:

• Seedling (generic and small, but critical for all that comes after) – $100
• Redbud (small tree with “bud” symbolizing beginnings) – $100-249
• Sweetgum (larger tree, with the “sweet” connoting a “sweet” deal) – $250-499
• Longleaf Pine (long-lasting, large, and resilient) – $500-999
• Mighty Oak (while not a species, it’s indicative of how important all oaks are, and of course the “mighty” identifies it as super strong and big) – $1000+

Our first Business Friend firm is enrolled! Welcome to the Don Weaver Real Estate Team! Nominate business candidate you like and Pat Mason will reach out.

More info on the Business Friends program…

Forward! March!

Artists-in-Residence Circling Wagons

Sherwood Forest residents Larry Hembree and Ron Hagell invite anyone who is an artist (professional or hobby) or has a great appreciation for arts and culture, to consider participating in a brand-new casual initiative, SFNA Artist Friends. Our goal is to enhance the culture of our neighborhood (what makes it unique, interesting and ultimately a great place to live) by creating opportunities for engagement through artworks and arts experiences that embrace and reflect the SFNA mission and brand.

Arts and culture represent a variety of areas, not only performing and visual arts, but also literary, media, culinary, etc. We will be hosting a gathering of folks in late summer/early fall to explore creative possibilities. Let us know if you are interested in participating or in finding out more by emailing Larry Hembree or calling 803-354-3883.

Pat Mason, Vice-President
Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association
803-467-9570

Forest Friends

Here are a few of the healthy growing native trees from our Fall 2022 Tree Giveaway. If you missed it last year, or weren’t ready, or need another, stay tuned for this year’s offerings next month.

(Click for bigger pics!)

Email Valerie Marcil at forestfriends@sherwoodforestneighbors.org with questions.

USC Belser Arboretum Open House
Sunday, July 16, 1-4pm

Open House is always the 3rd Sunday of every month. Open for walkers and volunteers Wednesday and Saturday 10am-noon, Thursdays from 4-6pm.

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

Have a Safe and Sane July 4th Holiday!

As of 2022, the City Council of Columbia ruled that fireworks must be shot after 7am and before 10pm daily, with two exceptions: On July 4th and New Year’s Eve holidays, you can shoot fireworks until 1am the following day (July 5 and January 1).

Handle fireworks safely (or not at all!) and be considerate of your neighbors. Or attend one of the professionally managed fireworks shows around town such as Fireworks with the Phil at Segra Park, or Fort Jackson’s Independence Day Celebration.

Fireworks Safety Tips from DHEC

South Carolina Firework FAQ

National Night Out

The City of Columbia Police with Columbia Council of Neighborhoods (CCN) support will be hosting a National Night Out indoor event at the Columbia Convention Center on Thursday, July 27 at 5:30-7:30pm with neighborhood display tables, prizes, etc.

Then on Thursday, August 3, Shandon will host a NNO event at Sims Park serving ice cream and hotdogs. The Shandon Neighborhood Council has invited Sherwood Forest to join their festivities!

NNO’s purpose is to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.

National Night Out website..

SFNA General Meeting
Wednesday, August 9, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Sherwood Forest ARP Church

If you have an issue you would like discussed at the meeting please let us know! A full agenda will be available on the website.

The meeting will also be available on Zoom.

Draft minutes from the 2nd quarter general meeting…

SFNA Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up
Saturday, November 18, 9:30-11am

Mark your calendars!

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

Join the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association

Become a member or renew your membership now for 2023!

The SFNA is a volunteer organization of neighbors working to create a greater sense of community in the Forest.

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
June 1, 2023

From your President…

We know your time is valuable. Thank you for reviewing our newsletter.

I am delighted to highlight a few members that are using their time to improve our neighborhood. Our volunteers are not only inspirational innovators but they follow up their ideas with action. Pat Mason, Valerie Marcil and Larry Hembree are just three of these key neighborhood volunteers.

Pat Mason is our SFNA Vice President and my wingman. Pat is leading the team to establish our slogan and get Welcome signs installed. Our survey found that you feel the Forest is a safe and friendly environment. He is working with local business leaders for sponsorships to fund our innovations by launching the Business Friends program. He is even running for an officer position on the Columbia Council of Neighborhoods, sharing Sherwood Forest initiatives with other associations. He was part of a team that took on the challenge of freeing Cash the dog from his tether and abuse by going to court twice to fine the owner. If you want to join his Branding Task Force team, contact Pat at 803-467-9570 or email.

Valerie Marcil leads our Forest Friends team. Her recurring newsletter articles help us tend and mend our own forest plots. Her initiative to give away trees has taken root and we expect to continue this program on an annual basis. In addition, her support of the Gills Creek watershed and understanding of urban heat islands benefits all of us. If you want to join her team, contact Valerie at 803-331-1138 or email.

Larry Hembree leads our Artist Friends, a new initiative to bring more art in all forms to our neighborhood and an avenue for our neighborhoods to share their talents. We will partner with the Arboretum (date TBD) for an exhibition of 15 local artists to perform and display their passions. In addition, the team is developing ideas for Welcome to the Neighborhood gateway signage and murals. Larry is also tackling the challenges of restoring our non-profit status with the IRS, making it easier to get grants and further our great ideas. If you want to join his team, contact Larry at 803-354-3883 or by email.

There are many more volunteers, including our block captains, making our neighborhood a place to enjoy nature and raise families. They are behind the scenes generating a place where we are Taking Pride and Nurturing Roots.

Cash Flow News: Richland County Councilman Don Weaver donated $300 to our association and we got a $140 grant from the city to pay for litter collection which will pay for our poop bags. We offer opportunities for you to also provide financial support for our initiatives. Contact me or Pat Mason.

Following years of medically imposed distancing we are hungry for social interaction. Robin Hood court hosted a campfire and pizza night this week. Fifteen attendees shared important family news and fed our need to be together again. Please find an opportunity to share with your neighbors, too.

Gail Wojtowicz, President
Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association
618-402-8736

Weaver Realty First SFNA Business Friend

SFNA welcomes Richland County Councilman Don Weaver and his Weaver Realty Team as our first Business Friend sponsoring at the annual Angel Oak level. Headquartered on Rosewood Dr. at Kalmia since 1991, customers have come to expect skilled real estate marketing services that include rental management, financing and rent to own solutions. Call Katherine Robinson at 803-269-5745. She knows Sherwood Forest real estate!

Weaver Realty and Prime Financial Services website…

SFNA Business Friends program information…

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

Open House is always the 3rd Sunday of every month. Open for walkers and volunteers Wednesday and Saturday 10am-noon, Thursdays from 4-6pm.

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

Forest Friends
What ARE Native Plants, Anyway?

We’ve talked a lot about the importance of native plants in Forest Friends, but exactly what they are may remain a mystery. Basically, native plants are those that have grown in a particular area for hundreds or thousands of years and are part of an ecosystem where plants and animals support each other.

One example: a white oak (native) hosts more than 500 insects as opposed to a ginkgo (exotic, native to the Far East) hosts only 5. You may think that is a good thing (no “pests”!), but native insects do not destroy native plants. They nibble at them enough to grow and the insects, in turn, are kept in balance by our native birds. A clutch of Carolina chickadees needs around 9000 caterpillars to grow to fledgling stage!

Most of the trees (e.g. oaks, hickories, wild cherries, river birch, pecans, and both loblolly and longleaf pines) in our neighborhood are native, which is why we have a wealth of birdlife. Most of our shrubbery, on the other hand, is exotic. Many folks think that traditional Carolina landscape plants (e.g. camellias, sasanquas, gardenias, boxwood, and evergreen azaleas) are native, but they are not. These plants are mostly from Japan and China and host few native insects.

Think instead of blueberries, yaupon holly, beautyberry, spice bush, wax myrtle, and native azaleas. These and many others support pollinators, who in turn support our birds. And, by the way, more birds mean healthier people! Read more about why native plants are better for birds and people at the Audubon website…

All of this does not mean you should rip out your non-native landscaping, or that nothing but 100 percent native landscaping will do. Exotic plants have a place and can add interest and beauty to your yard. But as non-natives age out, think of replacing them with natives. Or if you have a yard of mostly turf (non-native), think of adding some native trees and shrubs, grasses, and vines! And stay tuned in the coming months for information on our next native tree give-away.

Many organizations offer great lists of native plants by area, but here is one from the National Wildlife Federation…

Email Valerie Marcil at forestfriends@sherwoodforestneighbors.org with questions.

Pick Up The Puppy Poop!

The Forest is great for walking with the dogs! SFNA has installed poop bag dispensers at the five way and on Bloomwood which our Appearance guy Dave Nelson refills regularly. But bagging the poop is only half the battle! To win the war, the plump poop bags need to be disposed of in the green rollcarts along with bagged household waste.

More info about poop myths and facts…

SFNA General Meeting
Wednesday, August 9, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Sherwood Forest ARP Church

If you have an issue you would like discussed at the meeting please let us know! A full agenda will be available on the website.

The meeting will also be available on Zoom.

Draft minutes from the 2nd quarter general meeting…

SFNA Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up
Saturday, November 18, 9:30-11am

Mark your calendars!

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

Join the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association

Become a member or renew your membership now for 2023!

The SFNA is a volunteer organization of neighbors working to create a greater sense of community in the Forest.

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
May 1, 2023

SFNA General Meeting
Wednesday, May 10, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Sherwood Forest ARP Church

If you have an issue you would like discussed at the meeting please let us know! A full agenda will be available on the website.

The meeting will also be available on Zoom.

Draft minutes from the 1st quarter general meeting…

SFNA Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up
Saturday, May 20, 9:30-11am

Volunteers are invited to participate in the cleanup which is part of the Keep The Midlands Beautiful Adopt-A-Highway program. Meet at the Piggly Wiggly parking lot. 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.

Buy Nothing Friends Launched!
Thanks to coaching from Bill Fairchild, our Zone 7 & 8 Block Captain, we are now ready to invite all residents to download the Buy Nothing app and join in this wildly popular national project phenomena. When joining, be sure to identify Sherwood Forest as your neighborhood.

Buy Nothing offers people a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide network of gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors.
– Buy Nothing website…

Also, for more fun check out Bill’s FB group: Buy Nothing Sherwood Forest…

USC Belser Arboretum Open House
Sunday, May 21, 1-4pm

Join the Arboretum Book Club as we read Upstream by Mary Oliver, selected by Nicola Waldron of USC’s Department of English Language and Literature. She’ll guide our discussion at 3pm.
Eventbrite tickets…
Facebook event…

Open House is always the 3rd Sunday of every month. Open for walkers and volunteers Wednesday and Saturday 10am-noon, Thursdays from 3pm-7pm.

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

Forest Friends
To Mow or Not to Mow
You may have heard some of the buzz about No Mow May, which encourages homeowners with lawns to eliminate or reduce lawn mowing in the month of May to allow flowering plants in your grass to bloom to help support pollinators in the spring when sources of pollen are limited. Try it if you like, but an even better approach (for many reasons) is to begin to replace some of your turf with understory plants, and open pollinator gardens.

Understory plants are the small trees (like dogwoods) that love to live in the dappled shade of larger trees (the upper story), as well as native shrubs and perennials that thrive with a bit of shade.

If you have an open, sunny lawn, try adding a rain garden, a regular pollinator garden full of native perennials, or a sunny border garden full of native grasses and other plants. Taking these latter approaches can provide almost year round sources of pollen, seeds and berries for wildlife, while at the same time helping to improve absorption of rainwater, and reduce the pollution and chemicals needed to maintain a lawn.

This approach also allows you to maintain a tidy lawn where you really want some lawn, albeit a somewhat smaller lawn (phew! less mowing!).

Some links about alternatives to large lawns, and native plants to use instead:
How and why to reduce the area you mow – bit by bit…
Great resources from Clemson for creating rain gardens…
National Wildlife Federation plant finder for 29205 zip code…
SC Wildflower collections…

Email Valerie Marcil at forestfriends@sherwoodforestneighbors.org with questions.

Join the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association

Become a member or renew your membership now for 2023!

The SFNA is a volunteer organization of neighbors working to create a greater sense of community in the Forest.

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
April 1, 2023

Parents’ Friday Night Out!
Friday, April 14, 6-8pm
Sherwood Forest ARP Church

Sherwood Forest ARP Church is hosting a Parent’s Night Out event featuring a Good News Bible Club sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Children aged 5-12 will enjoy a meal, games, a Bible story, and music supervised by adults who have had training and background checks through CEF.

The event is free, but you are asked to register your child in advance by going to the CEF website and scrolling down an clicking on Sherwood Forest ARP, or by smart phone using the QR code.

If response to this event is good, then the church will consider holding an event like this monthly.

For more information, you can email Pastor Russ Harless.

Block Captain Update

As a Sherwood Forest resident, you can take deep pride-in and offer-up a high salute of thanks to the 10 neighbors volunteering as your 2023-24 Block Captains.

Please welcome the newest B.C.’s joining the team: Mary Battle Zone 1, Emilie Lewis Zone 2, Cary Perry Zones 4 & 9, and Lauren Bradley Zone 12. Please support their energy and join re-join for 2023. Big appreciation goes to former longtime B.C., Ron Hagell, who now joins the Branding Task Force.

Yes, all “B.C.’s” are busy with their life, family, jobs, etc. Many serving for many years, some even carry extra Zones which need B.C.’s of their own. In particular, the Kilbourne Hill and Cameron Court residents need B.C. leadership.

So, if you can find about 20-hours a year (90-minutes a month) please review the responsibilities and text me at 803-467-9570 with any questions.

Fun! Easy!

Thanks!
Pat Mason
vicepresident@sherwoodforestneighbors.org

See the current SFNA block captains and zone map.

USC Belser Arboretum Open House
Sunday, April 16, 1-4pm

Guest speaker will be naturalist, educator, and environmental consultant Josh Arrants of Arrants Outdoors, LLC.
Meet at 1:30 in the Outdoor Classroom for this month’s talk.

Book Club on The Mind of Plants meets Sunday, April 2, at 3pm in the Outdooor Classroom

Next Book Club will meet Sunday, April 23 at 4pm with USC’s Nicola Waldron. Book to be announced.

Open House is always the 3rd Sunday of every month. Open for walkers and volunteers Wednesday and Saturday 10am-noon, Thursdays from 3pm-7pm.

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

Forest Friends

Spring is a great time to think about complimenting the larger plants in our forest (trees), with shrubs and perennials that attract pollinators, and thus support our birds and other wildlife.

Pollinators also play a huge role in food production, so if you are a backyard vegetable gardener, the pollinators will make your vegetable garden more productive, too! And what you want mostly is native plants that support all stages of the pollinators.

The Upstate Chapter of the SC Native Plant Society assembled a list of native plants for wildlife, broken down by shade, sun, wet, and dry, and also by trees, shrubs, and perennials. Even though upstate plants are featured, many, if not most, can be grown in the Midlands:
Native Plants for Wildlife pdf…

As luck would have it, the Midlands Chapter of the SC Native Plant Society is holding its spring sale Saturday, April 15 with a large selection of pollinators! This spring, the sale will be at the Canoeing for Kids site, 114 Riverchase Court, Lexington. For more information: Facebook event…

Valerie Marcil
vallg29205@gmail.com

Richland County Earth Day Free Drop-Off Event
Saturday, April 22, 8am-12pm
Columbia Place Mall, 7201 Two Notch Road, Columbia SC 29223

Material Accepted:

• Scrap Metal – appliances, bicycles, metal chairs, metal shelving, lawn mowers (drained of all fluids)
• Tires – car, light truck, motorcycle
• Household Hazardous Waste – paints, stains, sealers, solvents, household cleaners, household chemicals, pool chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, acids, bases, mercury, fire extinguishers, propane tanks
• Paper To Shred – limit five boxes or bags per household

Only open to Richland County residents. No businesses.

More info…

68th Annual National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina BBQ
Federation Center of the Blind of South Carolina
119 S. Kilbourne Rd, Columbia, SC, 29205
Thursday, April 27, 12noon-8pm

Our neighbor the Columbia Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina is having their longstanding BBQ fundraiser for 2023!

Tickets are $12 and can be purchased in advance at the Federation Center or at the door. You have a choice of either a quarter chicken or 4 ounces of chopped barbecue and a bun. Each plate comes with corn-on-the-cob and green beans.

See the Columbia Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of SC website for more information or to buy tickets online.

SFNA General Meeting
Wednesday, May 10, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Sherwood Forest ARP Church

If you have an issue you would like discussed at the meeting please let us know! A full agenda will be available on the website.

The meeting will also be available on Zoom.

Draft minutes from the 1st quarter general meeting…

SFNA Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up
Saturday, May 20, 9:30-11am

Mark your calendars!

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

Join the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association

Become a member or renew your membership now for 2023!

The SFNA is a volunteer organization of neighbors working to create a greater sense of community in the Forest.

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
February 1, 2023

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

Come join us and share what is so special to you and your family about the Forest! We need your thoughts to develop an image and message that represents our neighborhood.

That professionally crafted image and message will be used to have welcome signage fabricated and installed at key gateways into the Forest, and used in other materials to promote the neighborhood.

If you have an issue you would like discussed at the meeting please let us know! A full agenda will be available on the website.

The meeting will also be available on Zoom.
Meeting ID: 863 8990 6648
Passcode: 649565
Meeting agenda…
Facebook event…

Unable to attend the meeting?
Please take a few minutes to have some family conversations, gather your thoughts, and share them via a short 4 question survey.

We have received a number of responses, but we need more to have a truly representative sample!

Draft minutes from the 4th quarter general meeting…

SFNA Adopt-A-Highway Clean Up
Saturday, February 11, 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 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.

Forest Friends
Spotlight on Longleaf Pines (Pinus palustris)

Can you spot a longleaf pine? They are the pines with super long needles (up to 18”!) that landscapers covet for mulching. They also have the largest cones in the Southeast (6-15 inches). Our neighborhood has remnants of the of an old longleaf pine forest that covered most of the southeast several hundred years ago before commercial lumbering reduced the stock to 3% or less of what it used to be

Our neighborhood is special – we still have some longleafs. Many yards in Sherwood Forest have a longleaf pine. See if you can spot them! Look for those giant cones and then look up for pom poms of very long needles. In the fall you can see the needles on the ground, too (they’ll be the length of your forearm, or more). Don’t throw them away – rake them up and use them around your shrubbery!

And treasure the trees. In addition to being great for mulch, longleaf pines have many other benefits. They have very deep taproots and strong wood, making them resistant to damage or toppling from storms. They are drought tolerant, and provide lovely filtered shade and habitat for a number of important species (including humans).

Visit this North Carolina State website for more information…

Let us know if you have a longleaf pine in your yard, and if you would like help with identification from the Forest Friends Committee, contact Valerie Marcil by phone at 803-331-1138 or email).

USC Belser Arboretum Open House
Sunday, February 19, 1-4pm

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

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

Check Out the SFNA Website!

In case you haven’t been there, we are working to provide useful and interesting information.

Crier newsletter archive, neighborhood calendar, contact quick reference (city services, utilities, libraries, schools, voting, elected officials, and more…), Forest Friends info, Welcome Packet including city ordinance info, meeting minutes, aerial maps, and how to join SFNA of course!

Take a look…

Join the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association

Become a member or renew your membership now for 2023!

The SFNA is a volunteer organization of neighbors working to create a greater sense of community in the Forest.

Hear ye, hear ye!
Here is your
SHERWOOD FOREST CRIER
January 1, 2023

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.

This event is only for members of the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association. Begin or renew your membership for 2023 today.

If you are not feeling well, please do not attend.

Traditional potluck protocols (bring a dish to share!) will apply. A spiral ham and beverages (beer, wine, soft drinks) will be furnished by the Association.

Facebook event…

Join the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association

Become a member or renew your membership now for 2023!

The SFNA is a volunteer organization of neighbors working to create a greater sense of community in the Forest.

Dues are only $20 for a calendar year. Pay your dues now online at sherwoodforestneighbors.org/paypal or mail a check to Henry Nechemias, 4 Robin Hood Ct., Columbia, SC 29205, and you will be paid up through 2023!

The benefits of membership document on our website explains what it’s all about.

SFNA Needs Your Input!
Do you and your family like living in the Forest?

We hope so! But we want to know why. So please take a couple of minutes to fill out our resident survey.

Your input will help us settle on an image identity caption/message to represent our neighborhood to residents, visiting friends, nearby commercial businesses, buyer prospects, public officials, Realtors and vendors.

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

Forest Friends

In Sherwood Forest, we are grateful to celebrate that our neighborhood is considered an urban forest. Our neighborhood includes the 9-acre Belser Arboretum with its 130 foot high poplars and over 130 varieties of wooded plantings, including seven of Columbia’s Treasured Trees. This urban forest also shelters an abundance of wildlife.

And while we as a neighborhood association cannot enforce a tree removal policy for your personal property, we have some thoughts to share.

While we acknowledge that there are reasons for tree removal due to disease or damage we are against clear cutting on a property. We have compiled a shortlist of some of the benefits of trees in all stages of growth. If you still want to remove trees, we ask that you consult a certified arborist to speak about your safety concerns. Before you proceed make sure your contractor is licensed, bonded and insured.

And finally, do not remove any trees from the City right of way on your property or face serious fines. The City will be glad to remove diseased or dangerous trees on the right of way for you, and will provide a replacement tree, too.

Embrace our forest life!

Benefits of Native Trees…

Grinding of the Greens
December 26, 2022 – January 19, 2023

Don’t let your Christmas tree end up buried with the trash; recycle it through the annual Grinding of the Greens program offered by Keep the Midlands Beautiful!

Bring your naked trees (no lights, tinsel, ornaments, etc) to the City of Columbia’s Compost Facility at 121 Humane Lane (off Shop Road on the way to the City’s Animal Services facility) Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm. Other drop off locations are available.

Free mulch made from the recycled trees is available to the public on Saturday, January 21 from 8:30am until the mulch runs out at the SC State Farmer’s Market, 3483 Charleston Hwy, West Columbia, SC 29172.

More info…

USC Belser Arboretum Open House
Sunday, January 15, 1-4pm

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

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

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

Mark your calendars!

The meeting will also be available on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8035302436. Meeting ID: 803 530 2436.

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

Draft minutes from the Annual meeting…

Curb Appeal Program

While few of us are lucky enough to have sidewalks we are blessed with extra wide streets. Please keep the street clear all the way to your soil edge. This allows ample room for our walkers and bikers, as they dodge passing traffic.

If you do have a sidewalk please keep it tidy, too. Tree and bush overgrowth, weeds, litter, leaf piles and trash bins make it difficult for all walkers and especially for physically disadvantaged to transit. The City spent a lot of money lowering curbs at corners to ensure access.

Please do your part to keep it clean!

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

Mark your calendars!

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

Neighbor Information

The SFNA would like to know who our neighbors are, add you to our monthly Crier email, and how we can contact you if necessary.

All information is for the sole use of the Sherwood Forest Neighborhood Association.

Send us your info by emailing membership@sherwoodforestneighbors.org with your name, address and email (and contact telephone if wish), or fill out the form online.

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…