January Meeting
The Carolina Forest Civic Association’s first meeting of the new year is next Wednesday, January 18. Our guest speaker is Dr. Cynthia Elsberry, Superintendent of Horry County Schools. Our schools have been a much discussed topic in The Forest lately. There have been a lot of changes, and more changes are pending. Carolina Forest Elementary was expanded to eliminate the need for portable classrooms, and Carolina Forest High School received a new Field House; both schools also received new principals; the Board of Education devised a plan to address overcrowding at Ocean Bay Middle School; they will be making better use of available space, changing student programs and appointing a citizens advisory committee; and construction is underway on River Oaks Elementary, which is scheduled to open in August, and will relieve overcrowding at Ocean Bay Elementary. The CFCA is looking forward to a very informative discussion with Dr. Elsberry next week.
Membership Renewal
Don’t forget that it is time to renew your CFCA membership for 2012. If you are not yet a member, this is a perfect time to join the ranks of those who are continually striving to make The Forest a better place in which to live, work and get an education. You can print out a membership form by going to www.cf-ca.org and clicking on the “Join CFCA” link.
Clean Up The Forest
The Families in the Forest committee and Keep Horry County Beautiful are planning a Spring Roadside Litter Pick Up on Saturday, March 31, sponsored by the CFCA. The route of the pickup will extend the length of Carolina Forest Blvd from 501 to River Oaks Drive, continue to International Drive, and end at the middle and elementary schools. The event will begin with registration, coffee & doughnuts at 9am in the Forest Square Shopping Center, and end at 11am, followed by lunch. Volunteers are needed. The CFCA is working closely on this project with Horry County Public Safety and Keep Horry County Beautiful to ensure that safety procedures are properly implemented. This is an excellent opportunity to participate in the beautification of your community. More information is posted on the CFCA’s website.
This project is being funded by a Palmetto Pride grant awarded to the Families in the Forest committee. The check will be presented at a grant awards luncheon next Wednesday afternoon at Seawell’s in Columbia. The CFCA board wishes to thank committee member Curt Johnson, Horry County Senior Planner Christopher Klement, and Horry County Councilmen Marion Foxworth & Brent Schulz for their help in preparing the application.
HOA Committee
The HOA committee is requesting updates for your neighborhood’s board of directors and committee chairpersons. This will enable the HOA committee to keep everyone updated concerning CFCA events and information. Civic Association representatives are also available to speak at your annual HOA meeting. Please email the HOA committee at hoa@cf-ca.org.
Warriors
The CFCA welcomes the South Carolina Warriors to The Forest. My son and I went to their premier game at the Carolina Forest Recreation Center last Wednesday. It was a fun, community atmosphere, and we enjoyed meeting some of the other fans. The Warriors are quickly becoming familiar faces in the community. My friend Erin Wilde asked me to share that her son invited the team to attend his little league game last week, and they were more than happy to comply. Now that’s a community team.
As a reminder, the next open meeting of the CFCA is 6pm next Wednesday, January 18 in the community room of the HTC building. We hope to see you there.