The Friday Letter | March 17, 2017 Revised

The

Accounting Tips for the week: Please ensure signatures are on Deposit Ticket copies sent to Accounting.

Natural Resources Dirtway Improvements Natural Resources staff has been hard at work to improve the Dirtway that follows McDowell Creek near Huntersville. The creek has many areas that hold water above the bank, which creates a challenge in trail construction. In consistently wet areas, staff added wood walkways that will assist Dirtway users across them. To keep the character of the trail, these walkways were used sparingly in areas that are frequently wet or overly muddy. Walkways like these allow trails to travel through unique areas without impacting water quality or fragile habitats.

Community & Recreation Centers Revolution Sports Academy On March 10- 11, thunder was roaring at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center! The 2017 State Golden Gloves came to town and did not disappoint the crowd of over 400 spectators nightly! Hosted by the Charlotte Boxing Academy, there were 22 bouts over the weekend, with CBA boxers coming out on top! The winners now continue training at CBA’s home site, Revolution Park Sports Academy, as they prepare to advance to the Southern Regional Golden Gloves April 20-22.

For more information on boxing programs, call Revolution Park Sports Academy at 980-314-1116.

Community & Recreation Centers State Golden Gloves Thunder was roaring at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center on Friday and Saturday, March 10-11! The 2017 State Golden Gloves came to town and did not disappoint the crowd of over 400 spectators nightly. Hosted by the Charlotte Boxing Academy, there were 11 good bouts on Friday evening, another 11 good bouts Saturday, with CBA boxers coming out on top. The winners now continue training at CBA’s home site, Revolution Park Sports Academy, as they prepare to advance to the Southern Regional Golden Gloves April 20-22.

For information on our boxing programs, call 980 314-1116

Community & Recreation Centers Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Boxing Program On March 8th, our Senior Wellness and Fitness group from Revolution Park Sports Academy was invited to do a boxing demonstration at the Senior Health and Wellness EXPO at the Cabarrus County Arena. In addition to showing off their expertise, the seniors invited the crowd to join them. Before and after their stage presentation, the group had an opportunity to visit vendors, participate in activities, sample healthy food and take home some great giveaways!

For information on this and other boxing program classes call Revolution Park Sports Academy 704 432-4963

Community & Recreation Centers

Community & Recreation Centers Arbor Glen Outreach Ceter: Who Got Game!

On Saturday, February 4, Arbor Glen Outreach Center hosted its first annual “Who Got Game” 8U Basketball Tournament. The format featured a single game elimination bounce out style filled with anticipation, fun and excitement.

Tournament champions, “Charlotte Nets,” a combined team from Hickory Grove Recreation Center and the Marion Diehl Recreation Center received 1st place medallions.

For additional information about programs, contact ArborGlenOutreachCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 980-314-1110.

Community & Recreation Centers Ivory/Baker: Fun Games Our Anita Stroud after school students participated in fun games for Fun Friday. Crazy cones was one of the fun games that caused so much laughter from the players showing their competitiveness. Other fun games included basketball and kickball.

For more information regarding our programs, events, and outreach opportunities, please call 980-314-1112 or email: IvoryBakerRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Ivory/Baker: Outdoor Adventures Ms. Shelby, from Latta Nature Center, recently had students from our after school program go on a nature hike to complete a scavenger hunt. Participants enjoyed listening to bird sounds and completing their lists. Some students were hopeful to find tadpoles in the stream, but no one succeeded in this effort. Until next time....NATURE! For more information regarding our programs, events, and outreach opportunities, please call 980-314-1112 or email IvoryBakerRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Hickory Grove Recreation Center: Character Parties Every Thursday at 1pm, The Grove has awesome parties for the Hickory Grove Preschool. We have fun theme days and the kids absolutely fall in love with the different activities. This unit is about The Worldful World of Colors! The kids are currently learning to read their letter and identify different colors with real world objects while still being able to participate in fun activities. We also incorporated active movement while playing different games with things like a parachute and we even added some freeze dance movements with Mickey! Yes, I did say Mickey Mouse! The kids and teacher go crazy over our special guest each week! The Grove staff would love to invite you to attend our weekly activities so come and stop by!

For more information about these Fun Character Parties, please send an email to HickoryGroveRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or just give us a call at 980-314-1122.

Community & Recreation Centers Mallard Creek Recreation Center: “Oh How Many Feet You Meet�, on a Story Walk at Mallard Creek!

Mallard Creek Staff Stephanie Frisbee and Steve Elliott, led their first Story Walk at Mallard Creek on Friday, March 10th. In celebration of the birth month of Dr. Seuss, The Foot Book, by Dr. Seuss was chosen as the book to be featured. Thirteen boards were placed around the perimeter of the field at Mallard. Each board featured two pages from the book and an activity prompt to get the preschoolers to the next page. Activities included jumping, counting, identifying right and left feet and meeting all the feet in their group! After the completion of the story walk the preschoolers went back in to make their own foot book.

They traced their foot, measured feet to see whose was bigger and then decorated their own sock page in the book. This program was a hit with more story walks to follow in the future!!

For more information about this program and other programs at Mallard Creek Recreation Center, please call 980-314-1121 or MallardCreekRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.Gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Berewick Recreation Center: Annual Berewick HOA Meeting Held This past Tuesday March 14, Berewick Recreation Center hosted the annual Berewick HOA meeting. Over 150 residents attended this special event in which their officers were selected, and with guest speakers and police officers spoke to the Berewick residents. This was a great partnership and opportunity to interact with the community.

For more information on our youth programs offered at Berewick Recreation Center, contact staff at BerewickRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 980-314-1102.

Community & Recreation Centers Shamrock Senior Center: Musical Fridays Shamrock participants always enjoy David Hoag and John Tosco; who shares with them the primary effect of music, and the primary biological function of music, which is to induce an altered state of mind. While they listen to the music, it creates a desire to partially disconnect from immediate reality. They understood that Music is performed with a vast range of instruments and vocal techniques ranging from singing to rapping. They listened to the varieties of music for its unique style. It brought the amazing grandeur and seriousness that you can find in any style of music. The Seniors loved the sound of music.

For more information about upcoming programs contact us at 704.531.9101 or ShamrockSeniorCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Tom Sykes Recreation Center: Start Smart Basketball This is a wonderful time of the year! The month of March brings us the great pleasures of spring, NCAA March Madness and Start Smart Basketball at Tom Sykes. The Start Smart basketball program consists of training sessions which educates 3 and 4 year olds on the fundamentals of basketball in a fun and engaging way. During Start Smart Basketball, these future athletes learn proper athletic positioning, passing and dribbling techniques, proper jump shot form amongst many other things; all while having fun! Start Smart Basketball is held every Wednesday in March from 5:30PM – 6:15PM in the gymnasium.

For more information regarding programs and activities at Tom Sykes Recreation Center, call 980-314-1113 or email TomSykesRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Tyvola Senior Center: Celebrates Black History Month Tyvola Senior Center had a week of Black History Month activities for participants to engage in. Individuals participated in events that occurred throughout the week such as African Garb Day, Story Telling Day, African American Collage Day, African American Trivia Day, and Poetry Slam. Ms. Janie is a participant at Tyvola Senior Center and she led our Story Telling Day, where she told her grandmother’s story “Midwife on Trial.” These days were filled with rich African American history about artists, musicians, writers, inventors, and historical leaders. The participants who engaged in these activities thoroughly enjoyed them and are looking forward to more programs like this in the future.

For more information about upcoming programs at Tyvola Senior Center contact us at 980.314.1320 or TyvolaSeniorCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Tyvola Senior Center: Tours Carolinas Aviation Museum Tyvola participants went on a day trip to tour the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, NC. The museum told the stories of people who shaped the Carolinas Aviation heritage and more. Participants toured the Flight 1549 exhibit, where a life and death decision, Captain Chesely “Sully” Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles were able to successfully glide the aircraft to a “water landing” in the Hudson River. This was a unique way for our participants to cross reference the facts from the museum to the movie.

For more information about upcoming programs at Tyvola Senior Center contact us at 980.314.1320 or TyvolaSeniorCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Naomi Drenan Recreation Center: Regional “Create a Rec” Kickoff Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation held a community kickoff event for the newly approved Eastway Regional Recreation Center that will be planned and built over the next 2 years. Naomi Drenan helped out at the event by offering the public a chance to “Create A Rec” using tri-fold boards filled with different activities and amenities to have at the new location. Each patron got the chance to put their own spin on recreation and have their voices heard for the upcoming project by pulling off the pieces and placing them onto another board with open spaces for both indoor and outdoor input. Some of the leading choices included climbing walls, music studios, swimming pools, and community gardens. This was a great way to engage the community and to get feedback on this new project.

For more information about our programs, events and outreach opportunities, contact NaomiDrenanRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 980.314.1100.

Community & Recreation Centers Methodist Home Recreation Center: Happy Hearts Girls On Thursday, March 2nd Methodist Home Recreation Center hosted it’s third meeting for the Happy Hearts Girls. Since March is National Nutrition Month, we touched basis on the importance of eating healthy and exercising. After reading a health related article, the girls prepared nutritious treats such as apple bagels made with apple slices, cream cheese and sprinkles. The next tasty snack was parfaits with fresh yogurt, strawberries and crunchy granola. The girls were a bit skeptical about the apple bagels but luckily there were enough for seconds because they really enjoyed it after they took their first bite.

For more information about our programs, events and outreach opportunities feel free to Contact MethodistHomeRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 980.314.1123.

Community & Recreation Centers Parents Night Out Event Marion Diehl had another successful Parents Night out event. Every second Friday of the month from 5pm-8pm, bring your kids (4-14) out for a fun night of games, crafts, swimming, food and laughs. Parents can preregister up until the day before the event. What a great time for the kids while parents get 3 hrs. to relax and kick back. Call 980.314.1300 to register for our April 7th PNO.

Community & Recreation Centers Arbor Glen Outreach Center On Tuesday, February 28, The Arbor Glen Outreach Center hosted the Senior Mardi Gras Party! Upon entering the party, participants were greeted with party hats, beads and masks. To test their Mardi Gras knowledge participants were given a festival quiz and word search. Along with BrightStar Care, Stratford Richardson YMCA, Tyvola Senior Center, Southview Senior Nutrition, Bette Rae Thomas Senior Nutrition, Northmeck Senior Center, Athletics Division, the Abor Glen Outreach Center provided a bourbon street festival march, corn hole toss, jumbo connect four, sjoelbak (table shuffleboard), a gorgeous balloon arch photo station and more! The seniors participated in a variety of incredible line dances while the energetic MC’s kept the party flowing. The rambunctious group came to party as they were twirling balloons, blowing noise makers, clapping hands, laughing and boogying on the dance floor!

For more information about programs, email ArborGlenOutreachCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 980-314-1110.

Community & Recreation Centers Celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day at Tuckaseegee Recreation Center For the month of March, on our community bulletin board we are celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day. The theme is “Good Luck at Tuck”. All of the toddler programs thus far have focused on Saint Patrick’s Day activities; such as colored hand-held leprechaun mask, painted wooden clovers and colored treasure pots.

Classes are held every Thursdays at 1pm for ages 1-5 years old.

For more information on this program and others please contact Tuckaseegee Recreation Center at 980-314-1115 or TuckaseegeeRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Horticulture This is a picture of the tree and brick we installed in honor of Ann’s long service to the park and her “Friends of Fourth Ward.”

The tree is a Tupelo Tree (Nyssa sylvatica)-40’ plus in ht eventually, great red fall color which shows early in the fall- a good source for wildlife as it agesThanks Again Ann for your dedication to our, no, to “your” park!

Here is the skinny— Participating parties: Park and Recreation, Trees Charlotte, Charlotte Country Day High School Seniors- 130 and Asset Management (Alicia Rocco) Scope of Work on March 16th—  First- had 150 holes augered by Roger McAllister’s crew (thanks Alicia) beforehand.  Planted 150 7 Gallon mostly native trees.  Previous had 2000 native seedlings planted.  Several acres hydroseed with ryegrass and pollinator seeds- thru direction of Angel Hjarding, NC Wildlife Federation and cooperation of Kimley-Horne. A grand experiment- if it works this place with rock and should provide food source for wildlife.

Sports & Fitness and GCC/ALMS Adult Softball Play ball! Opening week in Adult Softball got underway despite Mother Nature’s attempt to play spoiler through the frigid temperatures and rain. You can get your fix each week Monday through Thursday as 57 teams will play a total of 26 games in six different locations (Ballantyne, Berewick, Clanton, Friendship, Nevin and Revolution Park) all throughout the Queen City.

For more information on our Adult Leagues, visit www.parkandrec.com or connect with us by email adultsports@mecklenburgcountync.gov or phone 980-314 -1117.

Sports & Fitness and GCC/ALMS Adult Volleyball March Madness is not confined to college basketball during this time of year‌ volleyball gets its fix too in both the Women’s A League and Co-Rec BB League.

The playoffs begin next week at Sugaw Creek and Tom Sykes Recreation Centers.

For more information on our Adult Leagues, visit www.parkandrec.com or connect with us by email adultsports@mecklenburgcountync.gov or phone 980-314-1117.

Sports & Fitness and GCC/ALMS Adult Men’s Basketball Two teams fell from the ranks of the unbeaten since last week’s Friday Letter, leaving the Men’s 35+ Blazers as the only team with a perfect record across all 3 divisions. Just two games remain in the Men’s Winter A-League and Men’s 30 & Over Divisions before the playoffs begin.

For more information on our Adult Leagues, visit www.parkandrec.com or connect with us by email adultsports@mecklenburgcountync.gov or phone 980314-1117.

5841 Brookshire Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28216 (980) 314-1000

Recreate All Year!

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Park Partners may contact The Friday Letter Team at Richard . McNeill @MecklenburgCountyNC.gov for publication assistance.

The Friday Letter Volume 7 • Issue 11 March 17, 2017

CHARMECK ALERTS The CharMeck Alerts Notification System relays accurate and timely emergency notifications. You control how you’re contacted— whether it’s on your cell, work or home phone, via text, email or voice message. You can receive up-to-the-minute notifications about events and emergencies that may affect your home, workplace or other points of interest—anywhere in Mecklenburg County. Sign up here or call CharMeck 311. To receive CDOT-specific alerts, you must sign up for that item in the list.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Senior Leadership Team Jim Garges, Director Michael Kirschman, Deputy Director Renea Barber, Human Resources Mario Chang, Budget Administration Lee Jones, Capital Planning Terri Stowers, Community and Recreation Center Services Peter Cook, Park Operations Chris Matthews, Nature Preserves and Natural Resources