Christmas in Cameron Terrace / Oak Park

Click here for a slideshow of Christmas lights in the Cameron Terrace / Oak Park neighborhood.

Yard of the Month for December

Congratulations to Patricia Walker. Her house at 1325 Iroquois Street was selected Yard of the Month for December.

Yard of the Month for November

Congratulations to Stanley and Carol Thompson. Their house at 5118 Monterey Street was selected Yard of the Month for November.

November 13th Neighborhood Cleanup

Our next neighborhood cleanup will be on Saturday, November 13th. It will be a little different than a cleanup, though. Volunteers will be canvassing the neighborhood, inspecting the sidewalks - identifying areas that need to be replaced, any that need to be edged, or low-hanging limbs that need to be cut. This will be huge a step in beautifying our neighborhood.

Volunteers will meet at Scott and Fred's house at 5218 Braddock Avenue at 9am. Maps and forms will be distributed and areas will be assigned. Look forward to seeing lots of volunteers on Saturday!

Yard of the Month for October

Congratulations to Margie Ridgeway. Her house at 5241 Braddock Avenue was selected Yard of the Month for October.

Yard of the Month for September

Congratulations to John and Annette Reeve. Their house at 5061 Victoria Avenue was selected Yard of the Month for September.

CTOP Constitution Approved

The revised CTOP Constitution, approved by members at our May meeting, was approved by the Citizens' Advisory Committee at their August meeting. To view our revised constitution, please click here or use the link to the right.

National Night Out

On Tuesday, August 3rd citizens, law enforcement agencies, community groups, businesses and local officials in over 10,000 communities and military bases worldwide will join forces to mark the 27th Annual National Night Out.

Locally, the North Charleston Police Department, in conjunction with national sponsor Target Stores, will sponsor the 27th Annual National Night Out event Tuesday, August 3, 2010 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

At 6:00 pm, Mayor Pro-Tem Bob King, along with Ferndale neighborhood president Charlynne Smith, will join residents to kick off a neighborhood cookout and crime prevention walk. The event will take place at the Ferndale Gym located on Piedmont Avenue.

Similar events will occur simultaneously in neighborhoods throughout the city. Citizens are asked to turn on their porch lights as a sign of unity and to let the criminals know that the City of North Charleston is organized and fighting back.

National Night Out is designed to (1) heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; (2) generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs; (3) strengthen neighborhood spirit, police and community relations; and (4) send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods around the world are organized and vigilant against crime.

Nationally, over 33 million people will participate in ‘America’s Night Out Against Crime’ this year.

The Cameron Terrace / Oak Park Civic Club is celebrating with Oak Terrace Preserve. There will be a cookout with live music in the pocket park in front of the School of the Arts at the end of Lakawanna Blvd.

from cityofnorthcharleston.blogspot.com

Yard of the Month for July

Congratulations to Beth and Ken Speight. Their house at 5015 Parkside Drive was selected Yard of the Month for July.

July 17th Neighborhood Cleanup

There will be a neighborhood cleanup on Saturday, July 17th from 9am to 10am. Instead of picking up trash along Attaway and Filbin Creek, we plan to spruce up our two neighborhood signs - the Cameron Terrace sign near the Armory and the Oak Park sign on Braddock Avenue. We plan to do some touch-up painting on the signs, trimming and cleaning up plants and mulching. We hope to see you there.

Public Forum to discuss revitalization plans

Mayor R. Keith Summey and City Council invites the community to Felix C. Davis Community Center within Park Circle on Thursday, July 8, 2010. There will be a neighborhood cookout at 5:00 pm, followed by a public forum at 6:00 pm to discuss the potential implementation of the City’s ongoing revitalization plans. According to sources, the forum will also be about the State Ports Authority's proposal to add rail lines to the navy base.

North Charleston’s City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 8, 2010 at 7:00 pm will be at Felix C. Davis Community Center rather than City Hall.

Neighborhood Recycling Update

Recently, Charleston County added corrugated cardboard to its list of items available for curbside recycling. Now they will pick up almost all plastic at the curbside. County Council member Colleen Condon is quoted in the Post and Courier, "Now people don't need to turn their cups and bottles upside down to see if they're recyclable." The article continues, "even if no number is visible, Condon said it's best to put it in the recycling bin. Three things not to put in the bin are Styrofoam, plastic shopping bags or plastic wrap.

Yard of the Month for June

Congratulations to Linda and Richard Grooms. Their house at 5110 Monterey Street was selected Yard of the Month for June.

CTOP Wins 2nd Place Sweepshots Award

At last Thursday's City Council meeting, Keep North Charleston Beautiful presented awards to the winners of its Sweepshots photo contest that took place during Clean Cities Sweep. First place went to Forest Hills 1, second place went to Cameron Terrace/Oak Park Civic Club and third place went to the Pepperhill Civic Club. Our treasurer, Jenion Tyson, attended the meeting and accepted the certificate and $100 check on behalf of our neighborhood.

To watch a video of the City Council meeting, click here. The awards presentation is about 10 minutes into the video. To see before and after photographs of the winners, click here.

Yard of the Month for May

Congratulations to Mike Keating. His house at 1368 Maxwell Street was selected Yard of the Month for May.

Vote on Constitutional Changes May 10th

Changes to the CTOP Constitution were proposed to the membership at the April meeting. Members will be able to vote on these changes at the next meeting - Monday, May 10th at 7pm at the Armory. To approve the changes there must be a two-thirds majority vote by the members present. To be a voting member of the civic club, you must have paid dues for the 2010 calendar year. If you have not done so and wish to vote at the next meeting, please contact the civic club's treasurer, Jenion Tyson, at 412-2250 or jeniontyson@gmail.com.

To view the proposed changes, click here.

For a copy of the current constitution, click here, or use the link on the right side of the page.

2010 Clean Cities Sweep

Despite the likelihood of rain, almost a dozen CTOP residents gathered near Filbin Creek on the morning of April 24th for a neighborhood cleanup. This event was organized with support from Keep North Charleston Beautiful as part of Clean Cities Sweep 2010. KNCB provided supplies, including trash bags, gloves and safety vests, as well as funds for a cookout afterward.

Members of our civic club, as well as Zone Officer Allen Cooke and SPEED Team Officer Sam Souther, were on hand to pick up trash, including bottles, cans, tires, shopping carts and even a toilet. The refrigerator volunteers found will have to wait until another time.

Two more cleanups of Filbin Creek are scheduled for July 17th and November 6th - both are Saturdays. Please join us! For a slideshow of the cleanup, click here.

Earth Day Events in Park Circle

Earth Day is coming up on April 22, but Park Circle will be marking the occasion with events this weekend. Here's a round-up:

Charleston County's Earth Day Festival will be held at the Circle from 11 am - 3 pm. Festivities will kick off with the release of a rehabilitated bird by the Center for Birds of Prey, and continue into the afternoon with contests, a climate change balloon launch, and an environmental poetry slam. In addition to events on the stage, local environmental organizations will offer activities and educational displays.

Highlights include:

• Area chefs demonstrating raw, local, and organic cooking
• The Yo Art Project--crafts made with repurposed materials
• Charleston County School District's Mobile Planetarium
• Food vendors featuring recyclable and compostable products
• And much more!

After the festival, the Lowcountry Environmental Education Program and the Greater Park Circle Film Society will co-host a film program on water at the Olde North Charleston Talking Picture House (4820 Jenkins Avenue). A special dinner with locally brewed COAST beer pairings will be served at Cork Bistro on East Montague. Call Cork at 843-628-5534 for dinner reservations.

And don't forget--next Saturday, April 24, is our neighborhood clean-up! Meet at Filbin Creek at 9 am. Parking is available on Attaway Street.

City of North Charleston's Citizen Support Center

Thanks to the City of North Charleston's website, there's an easy way to report problems in your area without waiting until the next neighborhood meeting. The Citizen Support Center(CSC) is a one-stop for almost everything from reporting problem animals and neighbors to requesting repairs of street lights and sidewalks.

Once you reach the CSC web page, click "Make a request"and use the drop-down menu to select a department - then click "Find Request Type". You will be taken to list of service requests and their descriptions. When you find the one you need, click "Select". If you have not used the CSC before, you will be prompted to create a user name and password. For those that already have an account, you will need to log in.

After you have logged in, you will be asked to provide more detailed information regarding your request. When you have filled out the form, click "Submit". You will be able to check on the status of your request anytime by clicking on "My Support Center" which is on the right side of the page.

Proposed Changes to the CTOP Constitution and By-Laws

At the April meeting, the board presented the civic club with proposed changes to the constitution and by-laws. A vote whether to accept these changes will be held at the next meeting, Monday, May 10th. Once accepted, the changes have to be approved by the Citizen's Advisory Council.

To view the proposed changes, click here.

For a copy of the current constitution, click here, or use the link on the right side of the page.

2010 Clean Cities Sweep

The Cameron Terrace Oak Park Civic Club is planning a neighborhood cleanup on Saturday, April 24th. The cleanup will focus on the Filbin Creek area of Attaway Street. It will will begin at 9am and end around 11am. Trash bags and gloves will be provided. We will also have water, but we ask that volunteers bring their own cups. We don't want to generate any more trash than we need to. Volunteers can park either along Attaway near East Dolphin or under I-526.

The cleanup will be a part of the 2010 Clean Cities Sweep, co-sponsored by Keep North Charleston Beautiful. There will be a before and after photo contest, which our neighborhood has won before. Also there will be a cookout at noon following the cleanup at 5218 Braddock Avenue. For before and after photos of our last cleanup, click here.

Yard of the Month for April

Congratulations to Jill and Matthew Patrick. Their house at 4861 Victoria Avenue was selected Yard of the Month for April.

Yard of the Month for March

Congratulations to John Zumalt and Nancy True. Their house at 5044 Spaniel Drive was selected Yard of the Month for March.

Yard of the Month for February

Congratulations to William and Lynda Skilton. Their house at 4969 Parkside Drive was selected Yard of the Month for February.

Snow in Oak Park

Here are a few photos of the neighborhood after a rare snow. For a slideshow, click here.

2010 Neighborhood Cleanups

The Cameron Terrace Oak Park Civic Club is planning three neighborhood cleanups for 2010. Three Saturdays have been selected - April 24th, July 17th and November 6th. The cleanups will focus on the Filbin Creek area of Attaway Street. They will begin at 9am and end around 10:30am. Trash bags and gloves will be provided. We will also have water, but we ask that volunteers bring their own cups. We don't want to generate any more trash than we need to. Volunteers can park either along Attaway near E Dolphin or under I-526.

The April 24th cleanup will be a part of the 2010 Clean Cities Sweep, co-sponsored by Keep North Charleston Beautiful. There will be a before and after photo contest, which our neighborhood has won before. There will be a cookout at noon following the cleanup at 5218 Braddock Avenue. For before and after photos of our last cleanup, click here.

Civic Club Elections

Elections were held Monday to choose new officers for the civic club. Our new officers are:

Carroll Traynham, president
Daniel Nadeau, vice president
Gretchen Scronce, secretary
Jenion Tyson, treasurer

Yard of the Month for January

Congratulation to Wayne and Valerie Hobbs. Their house at 5043 Spaniel Drive was selected Yard of the Month for January.

Recycling in Cameron Terrace and Oak Park

Recycling in our neighborhood is a very easy thing to do. Every other Thursday our recycling is picked up curbside. They take #1 and #2 plastics, glass, aluminum and steel cans. They also take paper products, including newspapers, junk mail, copy paper and paperboard packaging like cereal boxes. They don't take corrugated cardboard at curbside, but you can drop it off at one of their many drop-sites, including the south side of Park Circle, across from South Rhett.

For a copy of our recycling pick-up schedule, click here. For a complete list of recyclable items and where they can be dropped off, click here. For a slideshow of a recent tour of the Romney Street recycling center, click here. For a more detailed description of the tour, click here.