April 2024 Newsletter
Last Friday Night returns tonight and porch parties are just around the corner. Grab your neighbors and let's celebrate good weather and great company!
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See You Tonight at 7 p.m.
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Join us tonight at 7 p.m. to jam out to Preach Jacobs!
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Join us for our first porch party of the season at Ellen and Bob Blundy's house on Friday, May 10 from 6 - 8 p.m. at 2320 Park Street.
Interested in hosting a porch party? Email the board with your name, address and preferred month. The parties are potluck; hosts need only provide whatever food and drink they'd like, a place for people to gather, and (preferably) restroom access. We'll connect you with our Porch Party Captain, Bart Tittle, to help with coordination.
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Save the Date: May Membership Meeting
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Our next membership meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 6 at 7 p.m. We’ll be meeting at the Village Church on Park Street. This is our annual meeting where we’ll be voting on new board members and officers.
EPNA Board Nominations
We have four board seats up for election at our May membership meeting. One seat is open due to an upcoming vacancy and three seats are up for re-election. New terms start on June 1, 2024. Voting will be held in person at our May membership meeting and online for 24 hours afterward. Only current EPNA members are eligible to vote.
If you are interested in running or nominating someone, email the EPNA board.
Up for Re-Election:
- John Wilkinson, EPNA Board President
- Lander Hiott, EPNA Board Member
- Samantha Horsley, EPNA Board Member
New Candidate:
- John Sherrer: A Columbia native, John returned to the capital city in 1996, at which time he began working with Historic Columbia while working on his Masters in Public History from USC. John, a long-time Melrose Heights resident, relocated to Elmwood Park, where he lives on West Columbia. John loves his “new” historic neighborhood and spends much of his time rehabilitating his 1929 bungalow.
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Volunteers Needed Tomorrow
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Our neighborhood garden renovation is full steam ahead! Thanks to a grant through the Columbia Green Grant Program, our neighbors are working hard to revive the garden at Park and Barrett Streets.
Our most recent accomplishment was finishing the new brickwork around the park, thanks to our friend Joe Jackson!
We need volunteers tomorrow (Saturday, April 27)! Starting at 9 a.m., we'll be planting, removing debris and spreading mulch.
Thank you to Gardener's Outpost for providing the plants and design for our project.
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Parks and Rec 10-Year Plan Input
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The City of Columbia Parks and Recreation Department is developing a 10-year master plan to identify current and future community needs for recreation programming, parks, greenways and recreational facilities. Register for an upcoming community input meeting or submit your thoughts online.
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Benton Crossing Now Leasing
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Elmwood Park's newest apartment complex is now leasing! With affordable rent and a convenient location, Benton Crossing offers a great housing option for those who want to live in Elmwood Park without the upkeep of a historic home. We are excited to welcome our new neighbors starting in June!
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Join the Columbia Police Department on Thursday, May 16, at McDonald's on Elmwood Ave for Coffee With a Cop!
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Neighborhood Safety Reminder
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With warming weather, we tend to see an uptick in unwelcome activity in the neighborhood. Please continue to stay vigilant and report anything of concern.
Thanks to a neighbor's report, EPNA recently identified a nearby homeless camp and worked with CPD and Code Enforcement to safely remove it. The City will also be trimming back some overgrown areas to improve visibility.
Please always call 911 for immediate help and then follow up with our Community Response Team (CRT) Officers. You can also call the non-emergency number (803-252-2911) first.
CPD contacts:
- Officer Hendrix at 803-318-6986
- Corporal Rogers at 803-397-2090
- Lieutenant Brink at 803-509-1787
Please also continue to file police reports for anything of concern. There is a convenient online reporting tool for non-emergency matters.
Additional key contacts:
- Yellow Shirts: Timothy Smith, Outreach@msdcolumbia.com, 803-995-2316
- Transitions Outreach Coordinators:
- Larry Benjamin (evening): lbenjamin@transitionssc.org, 803-363-4581
- Alycia Roach (daytime): aroach@transitionssc.org, 803-467-0411
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Show Your Neighborhood Pride With Elmwood Park Merch
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Head over to the Elmwood Park website to purchase shirts, hats, cups, flags and even a new apron.
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Renew Your EPNA Membership
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While we moved to rolling annual memberships last year, many memberships are coming up for renewal now! Please be on the lookout for your renewal email from our Wild Apricot membership platform. If you’re not yet a member yet, join us!
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Gardener’s Outpost April Tip
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Perennials are popping! Gorgeous blooms are making their show and the weather is certainly helping! Warmer temperatures help the blooms open and encourage strong root development, but it’s those cooler evenings that slow down evaporation and help with moisture retention. It is truly the perfect time to plant perennials.
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Need help or have questions? Visit Gardener’s Outpost at 1211 Franklin Street!
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Interested in becoming a neighborhood sponsor? We'd love to have you! Let us know!
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