The Friday Letter | April 5, 2013

Volume 2 ISSUE WEEKLY

12

NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

April 5 2013

FridayLetter THE

this issue In The News:

Park News P.1 Enterprise Services P.2

PLANT SALE UPDATE:

Nature Preserves & Natural Resources P.4

Nature Preserves and Natu-

Community & Recreation Center Services P.6

ral Resources Division 2nd Annual Plant Sale The Nature Preserves and Natural Resources Division and

MeckTeens

accepted

Park and Recreation— Park and Recreation Commission

pre-orders through March 29 for their 2nd annual plant sale benefiting youth outdoor programs.

Citizens & the public will be able to place an order and pick up at Latta Plantation Nature Center, McDowell Nature Center or Reedy

Citizen Involvement The Park and Recreation Commission will meet on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 for their monthly Commission Meeting at the Administrative Office Building, 5841 Brookshire Boulevard. Members of the Community/Citizens are encouraged to attend and learn more about Park and Recreation in Mecklenburg County.

Park and Recreation Commissioners are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners and provide joint leadership to the Park and Recreation Advisory Councils, which consist of citizens, and serve as a liaison between the Park and Recreation Department and Citizens of the County.

Creek Nature Center. Plants will be available April 8-12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The public sale will take place at Yorkmont Farmer's Market,

Public Appearances are open to citizens, who may sign-up to speak at Park and Recreation Commission Meetings, on topics of interest and importance relating to Park and Rec. Speakers will have three minutes to address the Commission and are welcomed to stay for the entire meeting, if desired.

1801 Yorkmont Road, on April 13 and 20, from 8 a.m. 4 p.m.

Click here for a listing of plants and vegetables that were available for ordering.

Park Ops Weekly Minute The Park Ops weekly minute will return on next Friday. Until then, catch up on our archived “ Weekly Minutes” by clicking the icons below.

Park Operations Jeff Robinson, Division Director Greg Clemmer, Park Superintendent Chris Hunter, North Park Region Manager Michael Campbell, Central Park Region Manager Patricia Poteat, South Park Region Manager

Mecklenburg County Races— Event Highlights:

Grady Cole & American Legion Memorial Stadium Sticks and Bones Trail Race – Start 2 Finish held the Sticks and Bones 5K and 10K trail Race at Renaissance park on Saturday, March 10th.

Participants enjoyed sunny and 60 weather as they ran on the scenic wood trails.

Both races started at 8:00am.

A 1 mile dog race began at 9:30am where owners could enjoy the trail race with their furry friends. Top times for the 5K and 10K were 23:12 and 39:36, respectively. All results can be found at: Race Results On-line

Adult Athletics

Charlotte Running Club held their 1st annual Easter egg race at McAlpine Creek park on Saturday, March 10th.

Roughly 50 runners participated on a gorgeous sunny, spring day where temperatures were in the mid 60’s.

Runners collected Easter eggs along the trail that contained gift cards, candy, and time deductions. For more information on the Charlotte Running Club please visit: Charlotte Running Club

Scenes from Events:

For additional Information on upcoming races please visit the adult running webpage or contact Preston Buckman at Preston. Buckman @mecklenburgcountync.gov.

Adult Athletics will be hosting the 18th Annual “U Got Game” adult men’s basketball tournament this on April 5-7. Sixteen (16) teams have entered the tournament and we have teams participating from as far away as Washington D.C. Games will be played at the Bette Rae Thomas, Hickory Grove and Ivory Baker Recreation Centers.

Adult Athletics will also host the opening round and championship games at Grady Cole.

Spring Adult Co-Rec Flag Football League started on March 26 at Nevin Park. Nine teams are registered for this spring. Spring softball is finishing up it third week of play. Eighty four (84) teams have registered for this spring. Games are being played at Renaissance and Nevin Park.

Our spring volleyball leagues are all in full swing with leagues at Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center on Mondays, Tom Sykes Recreation Center on Wednesdays and West Charlotte on Thursdays.

The 40 & Over Men’s Basketball League Champion,” The Blazers”.

Adult Athletics Winter League Title.

They recently won the

Aquatics In The News: CPRP Awarded

Enterprise Services— Aquatics Division Supervisor Joy Corum recently received the distinction of Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP).

Ray’s Splash Planet

Congratulations to Jody and to the Department!

SpEGGtacular Fun— Easter fun was had by all at Ray's Splash Planet this past Thursday March 28,2013 from 5:30pm to 7pm when the Easter Bunny himself visited. Two hundred and ninety five adults and children participated in the festivities which included an Easter egg hunt, games and activities and prizes plus the opportunity to swim and take a photo with the Easter Bunny.

Previous Page: Visit the Adult Athletics Homepage to learn more about Spring Leagues and Sports such as Volleyball, Flag Football and other ways to recreate through sports.

It’s more than just letters after your name – it’s an investment in your career that demonstrates your practical knowledge and that you have the current realworld skills necessary in today’s changing park and recreation environment.

Center for Biodiversity Studies The James F. Matthews Center for Biodiversity Studies (CBS) is located at Reedy Creek Nature Center. At CBS you will find scientists hard at work studying the plant and animal life of the Piedmont region. The CBS houses a wonderful natural history collection, documenting the unique plants and animals that occur in our area.

ECO-DAY at Davidson Elementary School Staff from Latta Plantation, Reedy Creek and McDowell Nature Centers ran a special event at Davidson Elementary School on March 28th. Every DES student participated in three outdoor activities based on the science curriculum for their grade level. Some of the topics covered included Water Cycle, Species Habitat Requirements, Recycling, Composting, and The Many Uses and Benefits of Trees. This event is part of a partnership with Davidson Elementary School in which Environmental Educators visit each classroom multiple times during the school year. This was the third year this event was offered at Davidson Elementary.

CBS is part of the Natural Resources Section of Park and Recreation, and the studies at CBS are supported by the field activities and collections of the Natural Resources team. Our namesake, Dr. James F. Matthews, Professor Emeritus of Biology at UNC Charlotte, continues to contribute to knowledge of the natural history of the Piedmont as regular volunteer at CBS. We’re available to answer questions about plant and animal life in the Piedmont of North and South Carolina. Also, if you have plants or animals that you would like to have identified, please contact us. We’d love to have you bring them in!

Please be sure to make an appointment as we also do fieldwork and may not always be in to assist you.

See Full Page for Center Contact Information 

CFWR Wetland Study and Citizen Science On March 26th students from Davidson Community High School participated in a three hour program focusing on a wetland area of Cowan’s Ford Wildlife Refuge. Staff from Latta Plantation Nature Preserve guided students in a citizen science program surveying and recording data on amphibians observed under cover boards and in the wetland area. Students from Davidson College spoke to the high school students about the wetland study Davidson College is running in the area including details on sampling techniques, the importance of the research and results found. The program concluded with a discussion on land management practices utilized at CFWR.

Center for Biodiversity Studies For appointments, please send us an email at Reedy.Creek@mecklenburgcountync.gov or call (704) 432-6458. Next time you’re at Reedy Creek, stop in to say hello – we also welcome questions without appointments, as long as we’re in!

CFWR Wetland Study and Citizen Science: Story on Page 4

Nature Preserves & Natural Resources Scenes from Events: (Pictured Left) participants receive instruction on data recording and sampling techniques.

On March 26th students from Davidson Community High School participated in a three hour program focusing on a wetland area of Cowan’s Ford Wildlife Refuge.

Cowan’s Ford Wildlife Refuge Cowan's Ford Wildlife Refuge is a 850-acre peninsula extending into Mountain Island Lake, a reservoir of the Catawba River and primary drinking water source for over 700,000 people in Mecklenburg and Gaston counties. The refuge protects a diversity of natural communities, four miles of shoreline, and a natural heritage site.

Physical Address: 2329 Neck Road, Huntersville, NC 28078

Scenes from Events: Pictured Left) Water samples and sediments are examined

by Davidson College partipants. Pictured: Stephen Hutchinson, Park and Recreation Nature Center Manager. ________________________

Easter Egg EXPLOSION

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities Easter Egg Hunt and More The community came together on Saturday, March 23rd for crafts, food and an egg hunt. Preschoolers and other youths made Easter bunnies crafts and made colorful masterpieces and had a chance to hug and take pictures with the Easter bunny. This kids then went outside to search for eggs and especially the golden one, which came with a special basket of goodies.

Ivory/Baker Recreation Center held it’s Easter Egg EXPLOSION event for nineteen kids. Kids dyed and decorated their eggs and then launched the eggs at targets worth different point amounts.

Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center For more information about other programs, call 704.432.3048 or email at BetteRaeThomasRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.Gov.

Spring Break Programs For more information on programs happening at Ivory/Baker call 704.432.4580 or email IvoryBakerRecreationCenter@Me cklenburgCountyNC.gov.

During CMS Spring Break, Tom Sykes and Ivory/Baker Recreation Centers offered Spring Break programs for youth. Kids enjoyed lots of gym games, arts & crafts, legos, board games, activities at the playground/fields, and even local trips. These centers partnered on two trips, to Latta Plantation and McDowell Nature Centers. In addition, Tom Sykes Recreation Center visited Reedy Creek Nature Center and Ray’s Splash Planet. 60 kids participated at Tom Sykes and 45 at Ivory/Baker during this week. For more information about out of school programs, contact either of these recreation centers. For more information on programs happening at Ivory/Baker call 704.432.4580 or email IvoryBakerRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Exploring Life After High School

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities

at Albemarle Road Recreation Center:

Easter Bunny Brunch at Tom Sykes Recreation Center Program Feedback from A Parent— “My son and I attended the Easter Bunny brunch at the Tom Syke's center on Friday and I was so impressed, I wanted to say thank you once again. I was amazed at the attention to detail in the activities, food, and decorations and at the attentiveness of the many friendly staff members on hand. I expected maybe a donut, a craft and an egg hunt, but what we got (for a mere $6!) was an EXPERIENCE. The food was healthy, plentiful and age-appropriate; the arts and crafts activities were engaging; the room was wonderfully decorated; the Easter bunny visit was well organized; and the egg hunt was fun without being overwhelming for the smallest participants. Really fantastic job all around. I will absolutely look for more opportunities to participate in these events again!”- Received from patron via www.mecklenburgcountync.gov

Albemarle Road Recreation Center Easter Celebration: Albemarle Road Recreation Center hosted a spring fest on March 30th. The event consisted of an Easter egg hunt, games, inflatable bounce houses, and a coloring contest. There were over four hundred people at this community event. Volunteers from local social organizations helped make this event a huge success.

For more information on youth programming, contact AlbemarleRoadRecreationCenter @MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 704.567.1941.

Over 400 people came out to support this community event...

On April 2nd, Teenagers from Albemarle Road Recreation Center toured Livingstone College and Catawba College Campuses. While on both campuses, the teens were given an opportunity to speak with college students, visit athletic facilities, view the inside of a residence hall, and spend time in the student union.

For more information about this and other teen programming at Albemarle Road Recreation Center contact, AlbemarleRoadRecreationCenter @MecklenburgCounto tyNC.gov or call 704.567.1941. www.mecklenburgcountync. gov

_______________________

________________ Easter Egg Hunt at Elon Recreation Center!

The Easter bunny came to Elon Recreation Center! During his stay he took pictures with families and passed out stickers. In addition to the Easter egg hunt there were several arts and crafts activities each child could choose from, as well as having carnival games set up for the children and their parents to play. The main attraction, the egg hunt brought out over 100 participants. During the egg hunt two lucky winners received two tickets to Rays Splash Planet!

For more information about our programs, contact ElonRecreationCenter@Mecklen burgCountyNC.gov or call 704.540.2426

_______________

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities

Naomi Drenan Recreation Center Easter Egg Hunt!

On March 30th, Naomi Drenan Recreation Center hosted their annual Easter Egg Hunt.

For 2 hours, over 70 kids participated in various games and activities such as races, face painting, hunting for eggs, and more! In addition to all of that, the amazing Houdini brought out his bag of magic tricks. We were stunned by his illusions that left us in awe. We want to thank all of our volunteers for their assistance in making this program a success.

After School Egg Hunt at Winget: Students involved in the Winget Recreation School Site afterschool program enjoyed their last day of school before spring break with the annual Easter egg hunt. Over 40 children had fun searching for the golden eggs. For more information on programs at the Winget Site contact Clarence.Johnson4@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 704.432.4934.

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities

________________ Revolution Park Sports Camp: Revolution Park Sports Academy hosted a week-long sports camp for youth ages 7-12. Sports inEaster Egg Scrambler at Berewick! cluded football, soccer, GaOn March 29th, Berewick Recreation Center hosted its 2nd annual Easter Egg Scrambler tor-Ball, baseball, swimming, event. Thirty-two children, along with their families, came out and had a blast with our Egg Hunt disc golf, basketball, golf, on the playground, making multiple Easter Crafts and meeting & taking pictures with the Easter and more. 19 students came Bunny! Throughout the two-hour event children couldn’t wait to do the next activity and didn’t out and had a great time want the Easter Bunny to leave; some children even gave one of their crafts to the Bunny as a learning the fundamentals of gift! each sport, as well as perfecting the skills they already had. Nutrition activities on For more information regarding Special Holiday events at Berewick Recreation Center, please con- portion control, and healthy eating were provided daily. tact BerewickRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 704.432.4934 Campers had a blast, and are looking forward to Summer Camp at the Sports Academy in a few short months. For Track and Field: Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation will start the Win With Integrity youth questions on programming track and field league this Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 9am at the newly resurfaced Irwin Belk Com- please contact Revolution plex on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University. Over 365 participants ages 4-18 from ten rec- Park Sports Academy at reation centers will partake in the 50, 100, 200, 400 meter runs , 4x100 meter relay, long jump (704) 432 – 4963. and softball throw. The schedules dates for track and field meets are April, 6, 14, 20,28 and May 4th . For more information on our track and field program and other countywide youth sports programs email us at YouthSports@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov , call the Revolution Park Sports Academy at 704-432-4963 or visit your closest recreation center.

Berewick Recreation Center

Revolution Park Sports Academy

Park and Recreation News: 5841 Brookshire Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 336-8840

Submissions for the Newsletter

Recreate All Year!

As the weather changes, look forward to new and exciting way to continue recreating during the late winter and spring months. Subscribe to the Park and Recreation ENewsletter to stay up to date on activities that may be available to you.

www.parkandrec.com

Please submit all news for the Friday Letter to your Division Director for review and routing.

Park Partners may contact Kesha Meads at Kesha.Meads@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

for publication assistance.

The Friday Letter Volume 2 • Issue 12• April 5, 2013

Upcoming Events: Powerade State Games of NC February Update The Powerade State Games is returning to the Charlotte region in 2013 and we want YOU to be a part of the largest sports festival in North Carolina! Held throughout the month of June, the Powerade State Games will feature over 12,000 athletes participating in 19 different sports across more than 30 venues in a true Olympic-style sporting event. Please read this information carefully to ensure you won't miss out on all the FUN in Charlotte this June!

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Senior Leadership Team Jim Garges, Director

Online registration for the Powerade State Games is open for most sports at www.ncsports.org. You can save up to $20 on registration fees by registering online through the step-by-step Powerade State Games registration system.

Michael Kirschman, Deputy Director James Alsop, Enterprise Services Renea Barber, Human Resources Mario Chang, Budget Administration Lee Jones, Capital Planning Lola Massad, Community and Recreation Center Services Jeff Robinson, Park Operations