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.