The Friday Letter | August 9, 2013

Volume 2 ISSUE WEEKLY

29

NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

August 9 2013

FridayLetter THE

this issue

In The News:

Park News P.1 Enterprise Services P.2

Romare Bearden Park An Annual Celebration

Nature Preserves and Natural Resources P.5 Community & Recreation Center Services P.6

The Romare Bearden Birthday Bash will be an annual Festival that will be held over Labor Day weekend which is the closest to the

Park and Recreation— Park News

actual September 2nd birthday

of

Romare

Bearden.

This will be a two-day event full

of

musical

entertain-

ment, dance and art. There will be feature bands on both Friday and Saturday nights with regional talent playing throughout the Saturday. There will also be at least one Dance performance and the Art show will be expanded upon. Family friendly activities will be run throughout

the

day.

Romare Bearden Park Prepares to Open, August 30th, 31st — September 1 It was all “a glow”, or shall we say, “a go” on the night of July 31st as the lights went on during testing at Romare Bearden Park (see below). Park Operations gears up to open the park during it’s Grand Opening weekend celebration.

Romare Bearden Park

Events In The News

Grady Cole Center & American Legion Memorial Stadium

The Double Oaks and Cordelia Outdoor Pools offer summer swim leagues for youth, free swim lessons as well as open swim opportunities. Come on down and enjoy the water.

Hours of Operation Mon - Fri 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Sat: 11 am - 5 p.m.

Sun: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Admission Fees Everyone is only $1 all summer long.

FREE SWIM LESSONS AT THE OUTDOOR POOLS Registration for swim lessons will be accepted, beginning on Wednesday June 13, at the pool you wish to attend. Registration will be taken every Wednesday beginning at noon for the following week only. Registration for lessons is done weekby-week and must be done in person. No phone reservations will be taken.

All reservations are first come, first served and spots are limited.

Memorial Stadium hosted the final home game of the Charlotte Hounds playoff bound season. Thanks to Matt Danowski, the Charlotte Hounds picked up a big win over the Hamilton Nationals on Saturday. The Hounds earned the second-year Major League Lacrosse franchise’s first-ever postseason berth. Danowski scored a career-high six goals and accounted for half of Charlotte’s points as the Hounds overcame a slow start to beat the playoff-bound Nationals 14-11 at Memorial Stadium.

Memorial Stadium hosted the Nightbeat “Tour of Champions” on Saturday, July 27.

Eight drum corps from across the country put on a spectacular show witnessed by more than 7,000 spectators. Drum corps were started at the end of World War I when veterans would get old instruments and uniforms from armed services. American Legion halls and VFWs would then train them to play and march. Carolina Crown, a drum corps based in Fort Mill played host.

Tournaments & Adult Athletics

Co-Rec Flag Football started its Summer Season on August 7. Games are held on Wednesday evenings at Nevin Community Park. There are a total of 6 teams participating this season.

Women’s Volleyball A hosted its second round of playoffgames this week on August 8. Games are held on Thursday evenings at West Charlotte Recreation Center. There are a total of 6 teams participating in the playoffs.

Co-Rec B Volleyball started its Summer Season on July 22. The games are held at Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center on Monday nights. There are a total of 6 teams participating this season.

Co-Rec Grass Volleyball started is Summer Season on July 30. The games are held at Nevin Park on Tuesday nights. There are a total of 8 teams.

Women’s Basketball will kick off its Summer Season on August 11. Games will be held on Sunday evenings at Tuckaseegee Recreation Center. There are a total of 9 teams participating this season.

Co-Rec and Men’s Softball will kick off its Fall Season on August 12. Games will be held Monday through Thursday in the evenings at Renaissance Softball Complex. There are a total of 73 teams participating this season.

On July 27-28 there was a Youth Baseball Tournament at Nevin Park. The name of the tournament was Legends of Summer Championship. There was a total of 68 teams that participated in the tournament. (See Pictures in Side Column)

In The News Certificate of Appreciation from USDA Moth Night at Reedy Creek Nature Center It was National Moth Week and Reedy Creek hosted a special program. Jeff Schmuki and Wendy Deschene are resident artists at McColl Center for Visual Arts. They brought a new perspective of pollinators and art. Lenny Lampel is our in-house moth expert and he was there to share with the public the importance of moths for people and the environment.

Reedy Creek Nature Center received a Certificate of Appreciation from the United States Department of Agriculture this week. This certificate was earned by hosting International Migratory Bird Day events. Our staff has done a fantastic job involving school students and teachers to make this a great day to celebrate and raise awareness on migratory birds. ______________________

Each week, the Little Explorers Series at the McDowell Nature Center introduces toddlers and their parents to the wonder of nature around them. Through crafts, games, songs, and animal encounters, little explorers begin to discover the outdoors.

Each week features a different topic including favorites such as Totally Turtles, Fantastic Frogs, Lovely Leaves, Perfect Pumpkins, and Wiggly Worms.

This week was all about snakes! Often misunderstood, this playful program created a fun and friendly interaction with our slithering friends. After singing some songs, listening to a story, and creating a snake craft, toddlers and their parents went on a scavenger hunt to find some snakes and even met one of the resident snakes at McDowell.

Join us next week as we learn about turtles!

_____________________

In the News Flooding Continues to Create Challenges—

Latta Plantation Nature Preserve – Get in the Swing!

An Eagle Scout project was completed this week at Latta Plantation Nature Preserve, providing us with two attractive new swinging benches. One is located at the Gar Creek Parking area and the other at the Latta Picnic Area. Scout Chris Wheeler provided the materials and much of the labor to make this happen.

Staff at McDowell Nature Preserve and Latta Plantation Nature Preserve have been working hard to clean up debris from flooding along Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake. Many trails and other public areas have been inundated with water multiple times this summer.

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities

X-Treme Teens vs.

Inner Peaks: On Wednesday, the XTreme Teens Camp from Naomi Drenan Recreation Center tried their skills at Inner Peaks Climbing Center. With most having a fear of heights, they quickly became conquerors and experienced a day of challenging obstacles on various walls. We all had an amazing time and can't wait to see what the next X -Treme challenge will be.

Southview Recreation hosts Teen Summit

On Thursday evening, August 8th, Southview Recreation Center partnered with WPEG "Power 98" to offer an end of summer teen summit. 70 local teens were treated to the antics For more information of the Power 98 about our programs and morning show team events, contact Naoas well as educational miDrenanRecreationCenter sessions. "Cyber bul@MecklenburgCounlying & safety" was an informative break out session as also was "Rep your brand" where tyNC.gov or call the teens were encouraged to focus on building a positive reputation. Many thanks to 704.432.5231. staff from Berewick, Elon, Abor Glen as well as Southview having all hands on board for this special program

Southview Recreation Center For more information, please call 704-392-7452

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities Revolution Park Sports Academy Revolution Park Sports Academy Wrestling Camp: Campers at Revolution Park Sports Academy spent this week working on the fundamentals of wrestling. Campers' ages ranged from 8-12, including beginner and intermediate experience levels. For some, this camp was a first time introduction to the sport of wrestling. Everyone had a great time, and learned a lot. Campers learned various take down methods, defensive maneuvers, and pinning combinations. Camper’s skills were put to the test throughout the week through various drills, wrestling matches, and fun mini-games. For more information on Summer Camps or other programs, please contact Revolution Park Sports Academy at (704) 432-4963.

Sports Camp at ARRC Albemarle Road Recreation Center is currently hosting a Sports Camp committed to teaching the basic fundamentals of basketball, soccer, baseball, and football. Each day participants are engaged in exciting drills and games! Time is also devoted for character and literacy development. During the first week, campers received a surprised visit from NaVorro Bowman, star linebacker of the San Francisco 49ers! By the end of this four week program, campers will have been given opportunities to go bowling, roller skating, tour Bank of America Stadium, visit a batting range, and participate in a national anti-bullying program.

Albemarle Road Recreation Center For more information on youth programming at Albemarle Road Recreation Center, contact Ivan Jones or Tiffany Peterson at 704.567.1941.

"Gatorball Anyone?": Wednesday afternoon, the X-Treme Teens Summer Camp at Naomi Drenan Recreation Center formed two teams of warriors to challenge their skills on teamwork and endurance in a very intense game of "Gatorball" which is a combination of football and soccer. Many of the campers were excited when Ken Koonce, from Revolution Sports Academy, came to the camp to referee the game and explain the rules to the newcomers. Special thanks to Ken for his assistance and all the kids look forward to playing again.

For more information about our programs and events, contact NaomiDrenanRecreationCente r@MecklenburgCountyNC. gov or call 704.432.5231.

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities National Night Out at Tom Hunter Park On Tuesday, August 6, attendees enjoyed free food music and games. Recreation Specialists at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center, Brett Krizanik and Cynthia Smith-Perkins, provided the recreational entertainment for the night, including basketball hot shot, a knockout competition, potato sack races, kan jam, soccer, face painting and more. Mecklenburg County Recreation Employment Corp Staff Mijal Hart, Michael Boone (Sugaw Creek) and Ruben Ortega (Hickory Grove) in addition to Kenyon Smutherman (Recreation Assistant) led organized games for the community. The Summer Camp Fun Hickory Grove, Berewick, weather looked bleak early but cleared up and the night was a huge success! and Mallard Creek Recreation Centers visited the Tweetsie Railroad for Wild West week. Campers enjoyed learning about the western times, while dressing in cowboy gear and hats. They enjoyed rides, a covered wagon, and statuesque horses with lots of walking.

Traditional Summer Camps come to a close on Friday, August 9th. It’s been a great summer.

Look forward to exciting pictures of End of Summer Celebrations in next weeks Friday Letter!

On Friday August 2nd the Hickory Grove Summer Camp took part in an educational program in which Ronald McDonald inspires students to lead active balanced lifestyles and exhibit good character. The program "A Friendship Adventure with Ronald", students learn the qualities of being a friend and how teamwork makes anything possible.

This show has a strong anti-bullying message and helps children practice friendship skills. Ronald uses great new songs, magic, and audience participation games to help deliver important messages about friendship, cooperation and active play. For more program information contact the Hickory Grove Recreation Center at 704-432-4811 or contact at Derichard.McCoy@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities Tom Sykes Recreation Center: 4H Motorsports Camps This past week Tom Sykes Recreation Center completed its 3rd of 4 4H Motorsports Camps. This past week was our teen week; twelve 12-15 year olds participated in this specialty camp which taught math, science, and engineering skills. Campers experienced the life of a pit crew member as they designed, updated, and raced radio-controlled cars head to head on different tracks. These campers also had the opportunity to visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Hendrick Motorsports, and Joe Gibbs Racing Shops. .

Tom Sykes Recreation Center

Summer Bid Whist Tournament

Twenty-six seniors spent the afternoon enjoying a For more information about upfriendly competition in Bid coming programs, contact TomWhist and sampling a variSykesRecreationCenter@ ety of finger foods. Our MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704first place winners were 432-4803.

Olin Thompson/Donald Davis, second place winners were Linda Williams/ Laverne Dukes.

For more information on other senior programs, please contact us at 704432-3048 or email BetteRaeThomasRecreationC enter@MecklenburgCount yNC.Gov.

Bob the Builder visits Tom Sykes Rec. Center Last Thursday, Bob the Builder visited Tom Sykes Recreation Center and our preschool group. During the Building with Bob preschool program, kids interacted with Bob, enjoy story time, colored pictures, and made two arts & crafts project including their own tool belt! For more information about upcoming preschool programs, contact TomSykesRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704-432-4803.

Park and Recreation News: 5841 Brookshire Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 336-8840

Submissions for the Newsletter

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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 29• August 9 2013

Scenes Events: Many campers having fun, fun, fun!

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