NMCA 2022 Holiday Newsletter

NMCA Local Business, Newsletters, Social Events

NMCA Newsletter 2022 Holiday Edition

 From the NMCA board to all our members, friends and neighbors…Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!

NMCA President’s Year End Note to Members

 

I want to thank all of you for being members of the most active community association in the city!  Even though we have a membership of about 15% of the over 2000 homes in our area, we are able through email, various internet sites, and word of mouth to effectively communicate city and community information throughout our area. Our May social was a big hit again this year, and it was more relaxed as covid has somewhat diminished. There will of course be another social in 2023, and we will also try to have get togethers quarterly so read your NMCA newsletters and check Facebook and Instagram for event locations and dates.

We have added 3 new board members mid-year to give some relief to those who have served for many years. A big thank you for their work goes to Kevin Parker and Julie Proctor for their willingness to give time to the association and to the neighborhood!  We welcome Becca Fowler, Kristina Hammock, and Carlie Boese to our ranks. Some details are still being worked out for the sharing of the work and the board assignments will be completed soon. We still have me, Rhett Brown, and Phyllis Gilreath who will continue into 2023 depending on the call for volunteers and elections that are part of the NMCA by-laws.

I have been participating on the pedestrian safety committee and the development code rewrite committee with the city. In January there will be a presentation of the new development code at the Bobby Pearse Center, and I encourage all who are interested to attend. After that, there will be a review and input period before the new code is adopted. This code will replace all the current zoning and building codes, so it is essential that the community associations around the city review the code to give feedback to the city.  More to come about the NMCA review.  For pedestrian safety, the city is reviewing intersections and streets that have had the most incidents, and there will be structural changes to increase safety. For the most part, the issues are drivers going too fast and drivers being distracted. So please slow down and stay alert while driving!

The North Main Community Association continues to work with the City Council, City Manager and Deputy Managers.  John DeWorken and Dorothy Dowe continue to be very supportive of our neighborhood. Rotary Park was recently upgraded with new playground equipment which appears to be very popular from my observations!

Many of you paid your membership dues in 2022. You can pay your membership dues for 2023 via PayPal on our website at https://northmaincommunity.org/nmca-membership/.  We will be sending out reminders early in 2023.

Best wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season and safe 2023!  (Steve Mills, NMCA President)

 

 

Meet Your New Board of Directors

 

Left to Right:  President – Steve Mills; Vice President – Rhett Brown; Treasurer – Becca Fowler; Membership Secretary – Kristina Hammock; Recording Secretary – Carlie Boese

When you see them, please thank them for their service to our wonderful community!

 

 Spring 2023 NMCA Member Social

 

Watch your email and upcoming newsletters for the date and venue for the NMCA annual member spring social.  We will also be sending out reminders for dues renewals early in 2023.  Be sure to pay those before the social so you don’t forget.  You can pay via our website or send a check to PO Box 571, Greenville, SC, 29602.  Dues are still only $20 per resident household and $30 for businesses.  And if you would like a decal as pictured here, just drop us a note at our new email address northmainCA@gmail.com  Thank you for your continuing support!

 

Christmas in Downtown Greenville

 

Downtown Greenville is transforming into a magical city for the holidays   They have a full lineup of activities and events throughout the winter season!

 UNITED COMMUNITY BANK ICE ON MAIN

November 11 – January 16

Glide your way into the holiday season at United Community Bank Ice on Main!

 

Holiday Fair  Dec 1-3 at the Greenville Convention Center.  The region’s largest selection of holiday arts, crafts and gifts for everyone on your list – all under one roof.  Exhibitors include more than 350 crafters and commercial vendors in this three-day award-winning fair that gives shoppers a chance to support small businesses this holiday season.

 

NIGHT OF LIGHTS

December 2 – 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM

*Official tree Lighting Ceremony to begin at 6:00 pm

Rock around our 30-foot Christmas Tree adorned with 25,550 LED lights. Located at the intersection of Court Street + Main Street (in front of M. Judson Booksellers)

 

POINSETTIA CHRISTMAS PARADE

December 3, at 6:00 PM

The parade traditionally features over 75 musical marching units, elaborately decorated floats and Santa Claus.

 

 TD SATURDAY MARKET HOLIDAY EDITION

December 10 / 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

Shop for unique artisan gifts, seasonal locally-grown fresh produce, gourmet foods and fresh-cut flowers for your loved ones every holiday season at the TD Saturday Market – Holiday Edition.

 

WINDOW WONDERLAND

Month of December

Window shopping has never been so fun! Downtown merchants transform Main Street into a holiday wonderland for residents and visitors to enjoy. Visitors can stroll the streets and vote for their favorite merchant display every December. View all 2021 Windows

 

POINSETTIA POSTCARDS

Month of December

Local nonprofits and school groups construct and decorate grand holiday postcards displayed throughout Greenville’s Main Street plazas in December. View all 2021 postcards.

 

Parking is FREE in some downtown parking garages on Black Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Visit Greenville Parking for a complete listing of City parking locations.

 

 

 

 

 

City News

 

  • Walkers, runners and bikers will soon be able to safely and conveniently travel from downtown Greenville to CU-ICAR via the Green Line of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail. The new trail is a cooperative city-county project, with the city responsible for building The Cleveland Connector (also know as the Paperclip), Laurens Road Bridge, Haywood Road Bridge, and Verdae Blvd Crossing. The county will pave the trail and continue to own and maintain this section of the Green Line.
  • City Council voted unanimously to adopt an economic development strategic plan that lays the foundation for sustained growth and prosperity. The plan puts heavy focus on entrepreneurship and innovation; talent recruitment; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and relying on the GVL2040 Comprehensive Plan to address housing affordability and transportation.

Strategies include targeting small business and retail in underserved corridors and neighborhoods; investing in additional community gathering spaces; preserving Greenville’s tree canopy and open spaces; advocating for career and technical education; continuing to promote Greenville’s brand and image.

  • We’ve been asked about the new striping on North Main north of Gallivan. It appears that they intend to put the bike lanes next to the median on each side.  There is ongoing discussion about this between City Council and City Staff and we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.  They are not marked as of this writing, but if you are a cyclist and happen to use them anyway, please drop us a note and let us know what you think.  I think the city would welcome our input.
  • Did you know there is a Guide to Doing Business with the City? This guide is a resource to facilitate business development in the City of Greenville. It is not inclusive of all services and agencies that can assist you and your business, but it does provide the basic tools and contacts necessary to successfully operate a business in the City of Greenville.
  • If you haven’t already, be sure to take the kids to the North Main Rotary Park and check out the new playground equipment.  Lots of new equipment, and more suitable for younger kids!

  

 

Business Member

Marcy Connors of Southern Accent Designs is one of many local artists.  You may have seen her work in public and private art shows, Artisphere or First Fridays.  As a working artist for more than 35 years, she has created art in a variety of forms for private individuals as well as businesses and organizations.   Presently, she is focusing on murals, paintings, illustrations, decorative and fine art. Inquiries for commissioned artwork are always welcomed, so feel free to contact her.

Her studio space is in Downtown Greenville at The Art Crossing, Studio 101B.  She welcomes you to stop by anytime and visit.  Or visit her website for a virtual tour and follow her on Facebook.

 

 

 

Holiday Shopping

 

If you’re like me, there’s always that one person on your list who has everything.  Charitable donations make great gifts and with the cost of mailing packages these days, it’s a no-brainer.  While we always encourage you to shop local when you can, we know that online shopping is more popular than ever. If you do shop on Amazon, at least make sure you are using AmazonSmile.  It’s just like regular Amazon, but a small part of the proceeds goes to a charity you choose…and there are over a million organizations to choose from.  It can be a national charity or a local one, like an animal welfare group.  To learn more, visit smile.amazon.com/charitylists or tap Charity Lists on the “Programs & Features” menu in the Amazon Shopping app on your mobile phone.  You may think it’s such a small amount that it doesn’t matter, but it adds up.  Amazon has donated more than $377 million globally to charitable organizations through the AmazonSmile program since its launch in 2013.

 

 

 

 

Tips for Yard and Holiday Waste

In the spirit of end-of-the-year yard cleaning, Greenville Today provided some pro tips + tricks on what to do with your yard waste.

🍂 Accepted yard waste items:  The following items are accepted by the City of Greenville Solid Waste. Do not bag your yard waste. Instead, place in a loose pile at your curb for collection every week.

  • Limbs
  • Branches
  • Trimmings
  • Sticks

🍂 Leaf collection:  Greenville Waste Collection offers weekly leaf and lawn clipping collections. Like yard waste items, do not bag your leaves and clippings. Form a pile on your curb so the collection crew can properly take your waste.  Please do not mix lawn and leaf clippings with shrub or tree trimmings.  And DON’T put dog poop bags in the pile!

🎃 Compost:  Give your jack o’lantern a second life. You can opt for valet composting with Atlas Organics, which will provide curbside pick-up of your compost. There are a number of service bucket options and weekly pick up schedules to choose from. There is also a drop-off option at Compost Cabins in the area.

🎃 Feed the birds:  Provide the chickadees and cardinals with their own holiday feast and turn your pumpkin into a birdfeeder. Simply cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, and fill with birdseed. Tie two lengths of twine around the bottom to hang in your backyard.

 

Christmas Tree Recycling

For the convenience of city residents, trees can be placed at the curb for collection on regularly scheduled pick-up days or taken to one of four convenient locations. All trees must be free of debris such as ornaments, tinsel, ribbons, and lights.  Trees are ground into mulch at Twin Chimneys Landfill.

Drop-off locations include:

  • Holmes Park (Twin Lake Road & Holmes Drive)
  • Timmons Park (Oxford Street & Blackburn Street)
  • Gower Park (Laurel Creek Lane & Laurens Road)
  • West Greenville Community Center (8 Rochester Street)

The locations listed are open until late January. Curbside pick-up within the city limits will continue for as long as needed.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS RECYCLING:  Holiday string lights and extension cords can NOT be placed inside of your recycling carts or dropped off at recycling centers. However, local metal recyclers will accept them and scrap them for the copper. Please contact local metal recyclers in your area.

OTHER CHRISTMAS RECYCLING:  All holiday boxes, tissue paper, and wrapping paper (except foil-lined) can be recycled at the curb and at the following locations:

  • Stone Avenue Recycling Center (800 East Stone Avenue)
  • North Greenville Recycling Center (514 Rutherford Road)

 

Crime Awareness

This is the time of year when we are all busy and many will be out of town.  It’s a good idea to let friends and neighbors know so they can keep an eye on your house.  If you have security systems or security cameras, be sure to arm them.  Keep valuable items out of site.  Set timers for lights to make it look like someone is home.  Either stop your mail and paper or have a neighbor pick them up each day.  And remember that at night, even though you cannot see out, if your blinds or curtains are open, those outside, including potential thieves, can see very clearly into your house.

And with Christmas not far away, remember NOT to put those big screen TV or other boxes out on the street after you open them…that’s just advertising to criminals.  Tear them up and place them face down on the curb or take them to the closest recycling site.

If you see something or someone suspicious, please don’t hesitate to call the GPD Non-emergency number:  864.271.5333.

 

Getting Your Yard Ready for Winter

It’s time to plant those spring-flowering bulbs you purchased in September, such as daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and crocus.  The winter months when trees and other woody plants are dormant are excellent times to plant. Be careful that you do not plant them too deep or with too much soil amendment. See Planting Trees Correctly for information on the proper way to plant a tree. By planting now, the soil is still warm enough for roots to begin growth before freezing temperatures move in. This will allow the tree to overwinter better. Think about adding mulch to moderate soil temperature around plants. Remove unsightly dead annuals. Consider planting perennials in the spring so you don’t have to replace them every year.  Start planning now for that pollinator garden you’ve been meaning to plant.  Here’s a site to give you some good examples of what to plant.  And the SC native plant society has information on native plants that do well in this area.

Remember… grass clippings and leaves should NOT be in the same pile as shrub and tree prunings.  They are picked up separately and may get left if they are in one pile.  The city does not have a list of lawn maintenance companies, so it’s up to those who hire companies to insure they know the rules.  Also, I still see poop bags being dropped onto leaf piles.  Please place them in trash receptacles.

“From a wild animal’s point of view, our annual autumn rituals of raking leaves and cleaning up yards and gardens are a major blow.  Just when the going gets tough, we’re removing prime sources of food and shelter. Do the animals (and yourself) a favor and skip the raking, bagging, trimming, and other yard chores this fall—it might just help your neighborhood wildlife survive the coming cold weather. Want an easy (and cheap) way to clear your yard of stray branches and twigs? Build a wildlife brush pile to provide a safe spot for ground-nesting birds, chipmunks, rabbits, and hibernating reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Put it in an out-of-the-way corner of your property, preferably close to food sources and away from buildings. Start with a layer of larger limbs and stack branches loosely, adding grasses and leaves to create nooks and crannies.

Start a compost pile.  Most plant material can be used for compost. Organic trimmings in your landscape, such as fallen leaves, pine needles, grass clippings, flowers and the remains of garden plants make excellent compost. Compost made from grass clippings treated with herbicides and pesticides is not recommended for use in vegetable gardens. Kitchen scraps, such as fruit and vegetable peels and trimmings, crushed eggshells, tea bags, and coffee grounds and filters can also be composted.  Organic materials that should not be added to your compost pile include meat, bones and fatty foods (such as cheese, salad dressing and leftover cooking oil).

Don’t forget about feeding birds in winter.  Water is often more critical than food…especially during dry weather. Keep bird baths filled with clean water, and most important…keep a clean, thawed source of water available!  Though they can extract some moisture from their food, most birds drink water every day. Birds also use water for bathing, to clean their feathers and remove parasites. After splashing around in a bath for a few minutes, a bird usually perches in a sunny spot and fluffs its feathers out to dry. Then it carefully preens each feather, adding a protective coating of oil secreted by a gland at the base of its tail.

I have a hummingbird who has apparently decided to spend the winter with us.  She is still here every day, drinking heavily from our feeders.  This is not the first time it has happened.  Instead of a 4:1 water:sugar solution, we’ve switched to 3:1 to keep it from freezing as readily.  We’ve also ordered a hummingbird feeder heater (yes, you can find them online) so that when it gets extremely cold our little friend can still feed.

 

Many people have wondered this fall why we have so many stinkbugs this year.  I have them at home, too.  A new study warned that “invasive” stink bugs are spreading quickly, and the “foul-smelling invaders” could become more widespread around the country.  Thanks to climate change, suitable habitats for the pest could increase further, by about 70%, as the bugs are mostly looking for a warm place to be.  “Many homeowners may find the bugs inside during the winter, researchers noted, but the pest is an “herbivore” and “known to feast on nearly 170 different plants including crops and ornamental plants.”  While not harmful to people as they do not sting or bite, they do emit a very foul-smelling odor when crushed, so I gently show them the door.

 

Keep the Holidays Safe for Our 4-Legged Friends

During the holiday season, eating will probably be a common component of celebrating.  Don’t forget your pets and the dangers of some foods.  We all know about chocolate being a no-no, especially dark chocolate.  The Humane Society of the United States has a comprehensive list of foods that may be dangerous.

With so many pets being reported lost or found, please try and keep your pets either inside or in a fenced yard.  Have them microchipped and make sure they have a collar with ID tags and contact info. And remember, when we are celebrating the New Year with fireworks, this can be a terrifying time for animals, so be mindful of our furry friends.  There are tips on keeping animals calm during these times. Check out tips from PETA.

If you’re thinking that a cute puppy or kitten might be a great gift for the little ones in the house (or the adults, too), please keep in mind that owning a pet is a responsibility and commitment not to be taken lightly.  Hopefully, he/she will become a family member. There are lots of animals that need homes, but they need good, forever homes.  First time pet?  Please considering fostering.  Just a little love and time is all it takes.  No cost at all!  Lots of animals only have the equivalent of a cold, and they get better faster in a home than in a cage.  And if you fall in love, you can always adopt but there are no obligations.

Did you know that all pet adoptions for veterans are FREE at Greenville County Animal Care? This is part of their “Pets for Vets” program! As a service to veterans, all adoptions are FREE with proof of service every day (not just in honor of Veterans Day!). All adoptions include spay/neuter surgery, testing, vaccinations, and microchipping!

Both Greenville County Animal Care and Greenville Humane Society have wish lists of items they need.  And if you have stray cats in your neighborhood, try and provide some type of shelter, preferably in a dry, protected area not too close to the house.  Even a cardboard box on its’ side with a wool blanket in it can work. And if you have outdoor pets, please provide them with a warm place or bring them inside.

Remember….in cold weather, cats will often hide underneath parked cars to stay dry from rain and snow. They have also been known to crawl into the engine compartment to seek the warmth of a recently shut off motor. Before you drive off, always check under your car for animals. Kick your foot under the car, bang on the hood, and honk the horn before starting the engine if you know there could be a cat sheltering under your car.

 

Weather Tidbits

The average maximum temperature for Greenville in Dec is 54.9°F, and the average low is 34.8.  The average rainfall is 4.58”.  The record monthly high was 79 on Dec 3, 2021, and Dec 10 & 11, 2007.  The maximum low temperature was 67 on Dec 2, 1991.  The minimum high temperature was 18 on Dec 31, 1917 (all-time record).  The minimum low was 3 on Dec 30,1917.  Maximum precipitation (rain) in a 24-hour period was 3.83” on Dec 29,1901.  The wettest December was in 1931 with 12.56”.  Record daily snowfall was 14.4” on Dec 17, 1930.  The last time we had a white Christmas was 2010.  (Records are from 1890 to 2021.  Normals are from 1991 to 2010).   http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/index.php .

Temperatures in SC have risen more than 1°F since the beginning of the 20th century, less than the warming for the contiguous United States.  Under a higher emissions pathway, historically unprecedented warming is projected during this century, including increases in extreme heat events.  Future changes in precipitation are uncertain, but extreme precipitation is projected to increase.  In addition, projected increases in temperature will likely increase the intensity of naturally occurring droughts.  Sea level at Charleston has risen by 1.3 inches per decade, nearly double the global sea level rise, since reliable record keeping began in 1921.  Global sea level is projected to rise another 1 to 4 feet by 2010, with greater rises projected for SC.  Rising sea levels pose widespread and continuing threats to both natural and built environments in coastal SC.   https://statesummaries.ncics.org/chapter/sc/

 

 

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.  Click on the business name to go directly 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

 

 

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

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

 

 

 

 

NMCA 2022 Holiday Newsletter
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