May/June 2020 Newsletter

Phyllis Gilreath Local Business, Social Events

 

 

*The Board of Directors usually meets the first Wednesday of most months at the Sears Shelter.   Members are welcome to attend board  meetings.  Please email northmaincomm@gmail.com   to confirm location and to find out if we are meeting that month.

 

NMCA Membership Social

We still do not have a date for the Annual Social.  We anticipate early fall, but as with everything right now, it depends on the situation with COVID-19 and how comfortable folks are with coming out.

Membership dues:  We have not sent out invoices to either businesses or residents for 2020 dues as most everyone has been affected in some way by the virus.  If you would like to pay your dues, you can do so anytime by going to our website where you can pay via Paypal or credit card or you can print the membership form and mail with your check to P.O. Box 571, Greenville, SC, 29602.  Thank you!

 

Greenville’s Response to the Coronavirus

City/State Ease Restrictions on COVID Issues

The City has been focused on how to best address COVID-19.  Here are some of the recent actions by the City and State:

  • Governor eased restrictions on dining-in, so as to allow capacity at 50%
  • City expanded service areas for restaurants in many public spaces
  • Falls Park and Cleveland Park now open
  • Swamp Rabbit Trail now open
  • TD Saturday Market opening in June
  • City conducting business by phone and on-line
  • Support to local businesses provided through the Business Recovery Committee
  • Eliminated late penalties for business license fees, essentially delaying payments for businesses if they so desired

To view City information on COVID-19, CLICK HERE.

To view business resources regarding COVID-19, CLICK HERE.

  • As a member of the Greenville Business Recovery Task Force, which was a coordinated effort between the City, the County, the Chamber and the GADC, I and others were tasked with determining how to best support businesses in their efforts to open their doors. Issues include, but are not limited to, supporting small businesses, looking at grants and loans, travel & tourism, office space, getting back to work, and communications. These efforts will be ongoing. For more information, Click Here. (Councilman John DeWorken email)

 

Additional Information:  Gov. Henry McMaster lifted  restrictions on close contact services – fitness + exercise centers, salons, etc. – starting Monday, May 18.

City of Greenville officials are proposing to reopen a scaled-down version of the TD Saturday Market (the TD Essential Market) on June 6. Only 40 of the market’s 83 vendors will be allowed on-site each week, and only 175 people will be allowed into the market at a time. Vendors, city staffers, and attendees will all be required to wear face masks + have their temperature checked before entering the market. For more details on the proposal, click here. (Greenville Journal)

This year, Greenville’s annual Fourth of July Red, White & Blue festival and fireworks show may be streamed online from the Greenville Downtown Airport + AVL Solutions Warehouse. The city is also considering in-person viewing opportunities from various nearby parking lots with spacing between cars. (Greenville News)

South Carolina plans to hold in-person elections for the upcoming state primaries on June 9.  Markers will be used to enforce social distancing, poll workers will be wearing protective gear and wiping down all equipment hourly + voters will be able to make their selections using a cotton swab.

The Blood Connection is now offering COVID-19 Antibody Testing for free. The test works by using a sample of the donor’s blood to test for COVID-19 antibodies and will be offered to blood donors at all TBC donation centers + mobiles across SC, NC, and GA. More information here.  This is not COVID-19 diagnostic testing. Positive test results do not confirm infection or immunity.

The CDC issued new guidance to help reduce the spread of coronavirus between people with pets. Recommendations include the following: do not let your pets interact with people not in your household, keep cats indoors if possible, and avoid dog parks. While domestic pets are not known to transmit coronavirus, there is a possibility that the virus can survive on animals’ fur for up to a few hours.                              

 

Other City News

NMCA President Dave Modeen participated in a webex organized by John DeWorken, District 1 Councilmember and supported by Assistant City Manager, Shannon Levrin, and City Communications Manager, Leslie Fletcher on May 15th.  Key points were:

  1. The city anticipates a reduction in this year’s General Fund of about $5-7 million on what is typically ~ $90 million budget.  The City budget process continues as scheduled.
  2. Asbestos remediation of the Bobby Pearse Center is complete.  City Parks & Rec staff is awaiting response to its Request for Bids on a scope of work returning the Bobby Pearse Center to service, as well as improved parking, storm water drainage and access consistent with the American Disabilities Act requirements.  John anticipates subsequent Council funding and contract approval to support work completion by end of year.
  3. Partly in response to NMCA and other neighborhood association and citizen comments on last summer’s revisions to Sec. 19-6.2. – Landscaping, buffering, and screening, City Manager John McDonough, has prioritized the review and updating of two ordinances.  One is to review and enhance Sec. 19-6.9. – Single-family residential infill standards. The other is Sec. 19-6.3. – Tree protection.  The latter will be altered in scope, with a new title of Tree Protection and Removal.  Assistant City Manager Levrin will lead both efforts, with the first City staff discussion starting this coming week.   Interestingly, she noted a review of the tree canopy led by the City arborist identified that the City’s canopy has decreased from 43% in 2000, to 35% in 2010 and most recently under 30%.
  4. Shannon noted Neighborhood Associations will be provided a resident survey request in June, as well as draft ordinance revisions in July for comment.  The City Manager would like to have a “final” draft for Council review in August.  Staff acknowledges it is an aggressive schedule but reflects the importance.
  5. Any specific comments or ideas from residents in the interim are welcome and can be provided via NMCA or directly to Shannon at Slavrin@greenvillesc.gov
  6. Pedestrian Safety – the City is assessing the value and effectiveness of alternate cross walk signaling devices to enhance pedestrian safety and ensure more compliant driver behavior.  Designs would include a pedestrian-initiated sequence with distinctive yellow and then red lighting, potential lowering of arms, such as at a railroad crossing, etc.  A detailed description of one such approach is provided at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAWK_beacon.
  7. City staffing – focused efforts are underway to hire an Economic Development Manager.  The role is to provide a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship elements in the pursuit of corporations to locate or expand their presence in the City.  John noted the progress in the hiring of a permanent Chief of Police.

We’ve had a few folks ask if anything is happening with the old Rite-aid site, the old baby Bi-Lo site or the site on Mohawk where the storage facility was going to be built.  John DeWorken checked with city staff and there are currently no prospects at any of those locations as of this writing.  Too bad they already cleared the property on Mohawk…now it’s just an eyesore.

With the recent rains and flooding, another large tree has fallen at the North Main Rotary Park, this time it fell across the creek toward the Bobby Pearse Center.  It damaged the walking bridge and destroyed a bench.  There is also erosion causing damage to the sidewalk and sand washed from the ball field covering the sidewalk on the East side of the Park.  Cones and tape are in place, but please be careful if  you are in that part of the park.

Greenlink transitioning to electronic ticketing beginning July 1. Customers will be able to purchase the 20-ride pass electronically through TouchPass, Greenlink’s electronic ticketing system, which allows customers to pay their bus fare using a reloadable smart card or a smartphone app. Credit and debit cards are not required to use TouchPass; customers can use cash to load the passes to their account at the Greenlink Transit Center.  To ease the transition to TouchPass, from July 1 to December 31, customers preferring the reloadable smartcard can get one for FREE at the dispatch booth inside the Transit Center. For more information, contact Nicole McAden, Greenlink’s Marketing and Public Affairs Manager, at nmcaden@greenvillesc.gov or 298-2756.

Birthday Brigade. If you’ve been hearing a few extra sirens in the area on Fridays, it may just be the Birthday Brigade. They’ve switched to afternoons.  This past Friday we had one on W. Montclair. They go to different streets depending on where the child lives and bring the trolley, a fire truck, police and dump trucks, with sirens and lights going. If you have a child between 2 and 12 and would like them to come by your house, just go to this website and complete and submit the form.  https://citygis.greenvillesc.gov/BirthdayBrigade/index.html

 

Why Should I Complete the 2020 Census

 

The census isn’t just information for information’s sake. Census responses could impact you, your loved ones and your community in a variety of ways over the coming decade.  The ultimate purpose of census data boils down to two essential components: federal funding and representation.   On the funding side, hundreds of billions of federal dollars are dispersed annually using information gathered from census data — an amount of money that’s hard to conceptualize.  It’s mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2: The U.S. has counted its population every 10 years since 1790.

The 2020 census had been scheduled to stop at the end of July, but the deadline has now been extended to mid-August.  2020 is the first census being completed online (though phone and mail responses are still available).  So older adults are considered a hard to reach group.  Please take a few minutes and complete the census.  Thank you!

 

 

Greenville’s Tree Ordinance Being Studied

 

According to a February 2020 article in the Greenville News, “The city of Greenville is considering tightening its rules on how trees are cut down, whether it’s for a new subdivision, office park or, perhaps, an addition to a home.

In this way, Greenville leaders say they are looking to Atlanta, where regulations call for essentially replacing one tree for every one cut down.  “Atlanta is the gold standard in saying, ‘If you remove a tree, you have to replace a tree,’ said Jeff Waters, the city’s capital projects manager and urban designer.

 A new tree ordinance could come before the (Greenville) City Council this fall. There is a “resounding outcry” for the city to do more to protect its tree canopy, Councilwoman Dorothy Dowe said in a recent council retreat to map out goals for the year.

 The Atlanta standards are significantly stricter than the tree ordinance that Greenville last amended in 2014.  The differences start in the formula for how trees are preserved.  Greenville has a matrix of factors that result in a confusing ordinance for developers to follow and the city to enforce, Waters said. Under current guidelines, the city is saving only about 14 percent of trees, he said.”

We do have an NMCA member on the task force looking at the tree ordinance.  If you have any comments, you can send them directly to us by emailing northmaincomm@gmail.com

 

Heat and the Human Body

As heat waves grow hotter and more frequent, research has suggested some places will begin to see events that reach that limit of human tolerance in the coming decades. But now a new study shows they already have. The findings, published on Friday in Science Advances, underscore the need to rapidly curtail emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases and develop policies that will help vulnerable populations stay cool.

High temperatures prompt the human body to produce sweat, which cools the skin as it evaporates. But when sky-high humidity is also involved, evaporation slows down and eventually stops. That point comes when the so-called wet-bulb temperature—a measure that combines air temperature and humidity—reaches 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). These humid heat extremes have already emerged in the same places that earlier modeling studies had identified as future hotspots. Most are coastal areas that are both near warm bodies of water, which can supply abundant moisture, and subject to soaring overland temperatures.

It also raises several questions, including what policies governments will need to develop to safeguard vulnerable groups, such as establishing cooling centers for elderly residents or sending out warnings before heat waves. And industries whose workers toil outdoors—such as agriculture and construction—may need to shift their schedules to cooler times of day. Even in the abundantly air-conditioned U.S., heat currently kills more people than cold, floods or hurricanes.  (Scientific American Magazine)

For our Four-Legged Friends

Greenville County Animal Care  is still open for adoption and fostering by appointment only as of this writing.   Call 864-467-3950 to make an appointment. The No Empty Bowls Pet Food Bank is available by appointment. Please call 864-467-3992 to schedule your pick-up time.   You can check out available cats and dogs on their website.  You can also email fosterapet@greenvillecounty.org . The annual Tails & Trails 5K has been postponed until 2021. More information on changes at GCAC can be found here.

Community Cats (The TNR program) is back on a limited operating basis at Greenville Animal Care..  It will be by appointment only.  Walk-ins cannot be accommodated at this time.  Limited appointments are available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings.  We recommend making an appointment at least 24 – 48 hours before you intend to humanely trap a cat.  Call 864-467-3950 to make your appointment.   They also rent traps by appointment.  Call 864-467-3951 to rent your trap.

On May 11, the Greenville Humane Society Adoption Center, Vaccine Clinic and Spay/Neuter Clinic opened by appointment only! In order to serve our community in the most efficient and safe way possible while following social distancing guidelines, we will only be allowing visitors who have booked an appointment for one of our services online to visit our facility. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding during these unique times! To book an appointment online and for more information, please visit http://www.greenvillehumane.com..  Greenville Humane Society’s Mutt Strutt has been postponed until Nov 7.

As the weather warms, kitty season is not far behind.  What if you find a litter of kittens?  At first, keep your distance to determine if the kittens have a mother who may just be out gathering food for them. Put blades of grass or twigs on tiny kittens as a way to see if Mom came back without hovering. You don’t want to scare her away! The mother cat will always offer them a better chance of survival. If you don’t see the mom within eight hours, they are most likely orphans.

Leave the family together, while providing food, water and shelter until the kittens can eat on their own. If there is no mom and kittens are too young to be spayed or neutered, you or someone you know who has the time and resources can help care for them in place. Check out this Kitten Care Guide for more information and instructions on Care in Place.  Additional information on feeding guidelines can be found here. For more information, click here.

 

Summer in Your Yard

Although it’s been hard being cooped up for so long, it’s been nice to see so many folks out walking and working in their yards.  This year the Upstate Native Plant Sale has been postponed until October.   The free tree giveaway program that NMCA was working with TreesUpstate on has been postponed for now.  The participants will get an email when a date and location has been set.   The South Carolina Department of Agriculture has made the decision to postpone all events at SCDA facilities until at least May 10, including the Piedmont Plant & Flower Festival originally scheduled for April 30 which has been canceled.

There’s still lots to do in your yard.  You can still prune many trees and shrubs.  Azaleas, dogwood, forsythia, redbud and rhododendron should be pruned after they bloom, since they set blooms in the fall on the previous season’s growth.  If you prune now, you prune off the part that will bloom.  Almost anything that blooms after June 1 (except oakleaf hydrangea and late-flowering azalea cultivars) can be pruned safely. See Pruning Trees and Pruning Shrubs for more information.

The deluge of last week was great for many plants and trees, although we’ve seen many trees uprooted and fall due to the soggy soil and weight of the rain-soaked foliage, including the one at the Bobby Pearse Center.  If you are thinking of planting or re-planting a tree, how deep or shallow rooted it will be might be a consideration.  Hard compacted soils in urban landscapes restrict root penetration deep into the soil profile. Trees can grow fine and appear healthy but can blow over in storms because shallow roots do not anchor the tree appropriately.  Maple is one species that is known for shallow roots. But overall, tree roots follow the oxygen-rich macropores, whether they are in deep or shallow soils. The volume of this soil type determines above all else how large the trees will grow and how deep the roots will grow. Still, the majority of tree roots are in the upper 1-2 feet and out as far as the tree canopy covers.

Also, if you are on the side of the street with power lines, keep in mind how large that tree will get and consider planting what the state terms “street trees”.  Click here for a great resource on tree size and growth habits of trees in SC.

Warmer weather not only means humans are more active but you’ll see more snakes slither out to enjoy the sun.  There are 38 snake species in South Carolina, only six of which are venomous. Many snakes provide an important service keeping rodent and other pest populations under control. Some excellent photos to help identify snakes can be found here.

 

Invasion of the 17-year Cicadas

Known as periodical cicadas, these long-lived insects — the longest-lived in North America — can be found only in the eastern half of the United States, surfacing between May and June in cycles of 13 or 17 years, depending on the species. They live near trees, hatching and growing underground as nymphs and living off sap that they siphon from tree roots.

During their years underground, the nymphs molt through five growth cycles, known as instars. Then, when ground temperatures reach 64 degrees F (18 degrees Celsius) at a soil depth of 8 inches, the nymphs emerge en masse and metamorphose into winged adults.

The noisy insects are either a harmless curiosity or a total nuisance depending on what area of the country you live in and the specific species of cicada that reside there. Folks in Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia will see far more of the bugs than usual in 2020. There are over a dozen of these types of cicada broods, and Brood IX hasn’t been seen since 2003. That means it’s going to be a very noisy summer for the counties where the bugs are destined to appear.  In 2016, periodical cicadas in some areas congregated in densities of 1.5 million insects per acre.

The good news for us is that they know exactly where this brood will appear and it’s not in SC.  What we have here are annual cicadas, sometimes mistakenly called June bugs.  The periodical cicadas shed their outer covering once they pop out of the ground and have black bodies with red eyes and yellowish-orange wings. Annual cicadas are larger and have brown or green bodies with black or brown eyes and black or green wings and appear later, typically June through August.  Cicadas are not dangerous. The male cicadas flexes its muscles to make a loud sound to attract females. While a male cicadas song can be as loud as a power saw, they are considered tasty treats in some parts of the world…stir fried, deep fried or on skewers…presumably tasting somewhat like shrimp…yum!

 

For the Birds

So maybe you’ve started birdwatching to pass the time during the stay at home orders.  There are lots of good resources, including books and websites.  Click here to see the top 30 birding websites.

As we approach late spring and summer, you’ll likely see or hear baby birds. What if you find one on the ground?  The first thing to do is to figure out if the baby bird is a nestling or a fledgling.  Most of the baby birds people find are fledglings. These are young birds that have just left the nest, are still under the care of their parents, and do not need our help. Fledglings are feathered and capable of hopping or flitting, with toes that can tightly grip your finger or a twig. These youngsters are generally adorable and fluffy, with a tiny stub of a tail.  Usually there is no reason to intervene at all beyond putting the bird on a nearby perch out of harm’s way and keeping pets indoors.  If it’s a nestling, the nest is almost certainly nearby. If you can find the nest (it may be well hidden), put the bird back as quickly as possible. Don’t worry—parent birds do not recognize their young by smell. They will not abandon a baby if it has been touched by humans. If the nest has been destroyed you can make a new one, place the chick back inside and watch to see if the parents come back. More information can be found here.

Weather Tidbits

  According to climate data from 1884 to the present, the average maximum temperature for Greenville in June is 88°F, and the average low is 66°F. The maximum high was 105 on June 20, 1887, and June 29, 2012. The maximum low temperature was 80 on June 29, 1931 (an all-time record).  The minimum high temperature was 58 on June 10, 1913, and the minimum low was 40 on June 1, 1972.  Average rainfall is 3.8”. Maximum precipitation (rain) in a 24-hour period was 4.21” on June 1, 1964, and June 16, 1969.   http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/index.php

The wettest day in May was in 1910 when we received 8.2 inches.  The wettest May was in 1910 when we received 12.1 inches for the month.  This year may be the year when we break that record!  Surprisingly, in 1912, we recorded a trace of snow on May 7.

The June-July-August 2019 temperature outlook indicates above normal seasonal mean temperatures for the eastern and western thirds of the US, including Alaska. Below normal seasonal mean temperatures are more likely for parts of the Central Plains. The JJA 2019 precipitation outlook indicates that above normal seasonal total precipitation is most likely for much of the US, including the interior West across much of the Great Plains into the Central Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, stretching to the Mid-Atlantic coast. The greatest probabilities for above normal seasonal total precipitation are for areas of the Central Rockies. Below normal precipitation is more likely for a small area of the Pacific Northwest near the coast as well as southern Arizona. Above normal precipitation is more likely for most of Alaska.

Shop Local

The city may be slowly reopening but small businesses have been hurt and are still struggling as customers are still slow to feel comfortable to shop or dine inside. Please continue to support our small and local businesses as much as possible.  Thank you!

 

Keep your dollars in your community. The following companies are committed to preserving the beauty and economic well-being of the North Main Community and the greater Greenville area.  Please thank them and give them your business when you can. Hover your mouse over each company name to read a brief description or click to go to their website

 

 

  Gardening and Plants

 Law Firms/CPAs/Financial

Insurance

Retail/Home Décor

Realtors

Food/Drink/Catering

Personal Health/Well Being

Home Improvement/Builders/Architects

Miscellaneous Professional Services

 If you would like to see your company listed here, please join the NMCA today!  Businesses do not have to be located in the North Main Neighborhood.  They only need to provide services to North Main residents.

 

               Calendar

 

We are not including a calendar in this issue as so many events have been cancelled or postponed with dates TBD.  And things may still change depending on the coronavirus.  You can keep up with many changes at the City’s COVID-19 emergency website.  For a few of the events that have been listed, check out the City’s Calendar of Events.

 

We hope everyone will be vigilant in protecting themselves and their loved ones.  Stay healthy!

 

The use of trade names or advertisements in this publication does not constitute endorsement or discrimination by the North Main Community Association.

The North Main Community Association does not sell, share or otherwise distribute your email or other information to third parties.

 

 

 

May/June 2020 Newsletter
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