The Friday Letter | October 10, 2013

Volume 2 ISSUE

36

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

October 11 2013

FridayLetter THE

this issue Park News P.1

In The News:

Enterprise Services P.2

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation wins 2013 Excellence in Youth Sports Award We are proud to announce that

Mecklenburg

County

Park and Recreation Depart-

Nature Preserves & Natural Resources P.4 Community & Recreation Center Services P.5

Park and Recreation— Park News National Recreation and Parks Association Annual Congress Meeting

ment has been confirmed as a 2013 Excellence in Youth Sports Award winner! This

October 8-10, 2013 George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas

National Award is presented to only 5 organizations in the Country each year. The Excellence in Youth Sports Award recognizes programs that are doing superior jobs of conducting diverse activities with a focus on providing safe and positive experiences for all youth sports

NRPA's Congress and Exposition is the flagship event of NRPA and the premier annual event of the park and recreation community. The threeday conference brings together more than 7,000 park and recreation professionals, citizen advocates, and industry suppliers for amazing networking opportunities, hundreds of educational sessions, and the industry's largest trade show showcasing the products and services of nearly 400 exhibitors.

The NRPA Annual Congress location has historically been selected to follow a geographic rotation in the Eastern, Central or Western portion of the Country.

participants - including children, parents and coaches.

Next Stop—Charlotte, NC in 2014. What a grand opportunity it will be!

Stay connected for more information.

Festival in the Park by Photographer Chris Austin

In The News

Tournaments & Adult Athletics

The Co-rec B Volleyball Summer Championship game was held on Monday September 30. The winning team was “Plan B”. Games were played on Monday evenings at Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center. There were a total of 6 teams participating this season.

Highlights for the Past and Upcoming Week

Co-rec B Volleyball will start the Fall season on Monday October 7.

Games will be played on Monday evenings at Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center.

Men’s B Basketball started the Fall season on Monday October 7. Games will be played on Monday evenings at Grady Cole Center.

On September 28-29,there were Youth Baseball Tournaments at Hornet’s Nest Park named The Hardball Classic and The North Carolina Fall State Championship. Another tournament at Nevin Community Park was The North Carolina Fall State Championship. There were a total of 141 teams who participated in the weekend tournament, all from North Carolina.

On October 5-6, there were two Youth Baseball Tournaments at Nevin Community Park named Brawl of Carolinas which hosted 82 teams and the Octoberfest Championship which hosted 44 teams. All the teams in the two tournaments were from North Carolina.

Tournaments & Grady Cole/Memorial Stadium

Men’s B Basketball started the Fall Season on Wednesday October 9.

Games will be played on Monday and Wednesday evenings at Grady Cole Center. There are a total of 7 teams participating this season.

Hindu Festival at the Grady Cole Center Over the next two weekends, the Grady Cole Center will host the annual Hindu Festival.

More than 2,000 people will celebrate together each night and enjoy the music of local and international bands. The guests will be able to enjoy indigenous cuisine as well as native dances. The festival, known as Navratri, is dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. It lasts for nine nights and ten days, and the traditional dance of ‘Garba’ is widely performed. The Hindu Center of Charlotte sponsors this wonderful cultural event which has been held at the Grady Cole Center for the last decade.

Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews The Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews opened this week, hosting practices and games for sports including youth soccer, adult women’s soccer, football, and field hockey. The Sportsplex’s first tournament is the “Stick with Us” Charlotte Fall Classic lacrosse tournament. It will be held October 26 and 27.

More Sportsplex Photos

In The News

Mecklenburg County Races Highlights for the Past and Upcoming Week Be The Match 5k

Curing blood cancers one patient at a time— For patients diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases, a bone marrow or cord blood transplant may be their best or only hope for a cure.

Yet 70% of patients who need a transplant to do not have a matching donor in their family. They depend on Be The Match® and our supporters to find a match to save their life.

Every dollar raised helps us add new potential donors to Be The Match Registry, conduct research to save more lives, and ease the financial burden for patients before and after transplant.

On Saturday, September 28, over 600 participants came out to Jetton Park to support Be the Match Foundation’s 5k Walk and Run. Be the Match Foundation helps provide cures for various blood cancers.

There was music, food, children’s activities, and local entertainment. This year, they are very close to reaching their impressive goal of $75,000!

UNCC Cross Country Invitational On Saturday, September 28, UNCC hosted their Cross Country Invitational at McAlpine Creek Park. The event brought participants from all over the country.

Mississippi State won first place in both Division I Men’s and Women’s races. Helping them achieve victory was Emma Neigel with an impressive 21:24:0 6K and John Valentine with a 25:12:2 8K. Charlotte also came out with speed on Saturday, earning the second place slot in the Women’s and tying for second in the Men’s. Other Universities that participated include Davidson, Florida State, Northern Kentucky, and many more! To view a full listing of detailed results, visit www.flashresults.com. The 2014 Invitational will be held on Saturday, September 27 of next year.

Mecklenburg County Special Events Special Olympics Tennis Tournament On Saturday, September 28, the Jeff Adams Tennis Center held the Special Olympics Tennis Tournament. There were a record 85 athletes that participated in addition to 55 volunteers and approximately 50 parents and coaches.

Citizen’s Information: Ray’s Splash Planet Ray's Splash Planet is currently closed for it annual maintenance shutdown through October 18th.

Some of the Board approved capital projects for this year is repainting/ fireproofing the support columns in the pool area, upgrading the family locker room, and lots of cleaning.

Ray’s Splash Planet will reopen to the public to celebrate ’s its Eleventh Anniversary on Saturday October 19, 2013.

Mecklenburg County DIRTways Update

Did You Know?

National Visit A Park Day— Have you heard that October 4, 2013 is National Visit a Park Day? This is something that has been celebrated over the last couple of years to help promote the wonders of our natural and treasured resources out there – local parks.

In past Visit a Park Days, local and state recreation and parks programs, nonprofits, and related civic groups have united nationwide to support this initiative.

See Back Page for More Information ~

Natural Resources and Park Services have been working together to open the first of two DIRTways in the County.

DIRTways are temporary natural surface trails that give access to neighbors until a paved Greenway trail can be built on the property.

This bridge (above) spans Walker Branch, and connects the existing Walker Branch Greenway with the new Walker Branch DIRTway (to be open in November). Many thanks to Park Services staff!

Young Naturalist Club at Reedy Creek Reedy Creek Nature Center has kicked off their Young Naturalist Club with a group of enthusiastic teens! This club will meet once a month to discover more about their natural surroundings, take part in Citizen Science opportunities and receive training so that they can share this information with others in the community.

2013 Amazing Maize Maze at Rural Hill Nature Preserve:

Young Naturalists on the Move: One down and three to go— Until teens Brandon Baxter and Asha Simmons make it to their free ski trip. Thats right, the first of the McDowell Greenhouse workdays kicked off this past Saturday. Teens are assisting in the greenhouse this year as part of a work-exchange program to earn a free skip trip. On Saturday they hiked around McDowell Nature Preserve’s prairie, collecting native seeds for plant propagation in the greenhouse. By the end of the day, the teens collected seed from six different species of beautiful wildflowers that will help keep McDowell’s prairie thriving and raise money for more scholarships. Pass word around the rec centers that there are more opportunities for teens to volunteer each month until the ski trip on January 20, 2014. A big thanks to Jared Mull for going above and beyond for the kids in his neighborhood!

Big Sweep 2013 at Latta Plantation Nature Preserve Operations staff assisted with the annual Big Sweep on September 28. A group of 138 volunteers removed trash from area waterways, including Mountain Island Lake. This year’s event netted nearly 5, 000 lbs. of trash and ten square yards of recyclable material!

Get lost in one of the largest corn mazes in the Southeast, featuring over two miles of interconnecting paths! Looking for an even bigger challenge?

Traverse the maze in the dark during one of our famous Family Friendly Friday Night Mazes! Bring your own flashlight and an appetite for adventure.

In addition to the maze, you can take a hayride around the Rural Hill farm, play a round of corn-hole, explore a historic site, play in mini-mazes, have a picnic, hike trails, pick a pumpkin (in October,) & much more!

Visit www.ruralhill.net for more information.

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities Senior Fall Festival Fall Fest can only mean dancing, games and great food as over one hundred seniors attended this event from Bette Rae Thomas, Mallard Creek, Southview Recreation Centers plus Gethsemane AME Zion Church. Seniors enjoyed socializing while listening to music

by DJ JoJo, watching the ballroom dancers and ending with great food provided by Twin 2014 Senior Games Tops Fish Camp.

Effective in the 2014 For more information on other senior programs, please contact us at 704-432-3048 or Games there will be a new email at BetteRaeThomasRecreationCenter@mecklenburgcountync.gov participant bracket added on the Local and State Level.

They will now be taking participants 50 - 54! So spread the word and let your friends who have been volunteers & spectators that they can now participate!

Senior Nutrition Program Expansion Also, Pickleball (Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles) will be added to the State Games in 2014 as well!

On Monday, October 7, 2013, Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center welcomed new seniors from Gethsemane Church as we merged the two Senior Nutrition programs. Silver Fox cheerleaders and Caribbean guitarist welcomed the seniors as they arrived to the facility. With a luau theme event seniors were entertained with games, dance demos, food, exercise and good company. Door prizes were given away throughout the event.

For more information on other senior programs, please contact us at 704-432-3048 or email at BetteRaeThomasRecreationCenter@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities Kite Day Festival Cloudy skies was brighter with a colorful collections of kites flown at Arbor Glen Outreach Center on Saturday, September 21st. Mothers, Fathers and children enjoyed designing the kites and then learning how to fly them thanks to a local kite enthusiast by the name of Jim Martin. His of course soared into the sky, while the children watched in amazement. With the small burst of winds throughout the morning a good time was had by all. Join us April 2014 as we bring in National Kite Month with various kite clubs.

Arbor Glen Outreach Recreation Center For more information contact ArborGlenOutreachCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704-432-1531.

Ray's Jr. Explorer's Class Samson the Dog visited the class of preschoolers at the Mallard Creek Recreation Center.

Jamie who works with the Humane Society of Charlotte, visited the class to teach them about dog safety. The children played a game, enjoyed a book, colored a coloring sheet and had plenty of time to pet Samson.

Girl's Basketball at Albemarle Road Recreation Center: On September 28th, in an effort to encourage more girl participation in the upcoming Basketball season, Albemarle Road Recreation Center hosted " She's Got Next", a girls basketball clinic consisting of a variety of offensive drills and scrimmage games! Volunteer basketball coaches and staff served as instructors and game officials. Girls between the ages of 4 and 12 participated in this pre-season event.

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 or AlbemarleRoadRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

M.A.D.E. is back at Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center!

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities

M.A.D.E. Today provides fun and structured classes that will help your child learn the basics of ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz and cheer. Financial aid is available.

Flag Football Fun at Berewick/Winget: Berewick/Winget participants enjoy a day of fun and more fun with 6 and under flag football at Elon Recreation Center! The kids are having a blast, learning new skills and plays as well as developing good teamwork and sportsmanship.

For more information about this program, contact Eiesha Williamson at ewilliamson@madetoday.net or 704.333.4062.

Berewick Recreation Center For more information about these programs, other youth sports programs, or about the upcoming basketball season (registration is now underway), contact BerewickRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704.432.4934.

Therapeutic Recreation Paralympic/Adaptive Archery: Paralympic/Adaptive Archery started on Tuesday, October 1st and is for teens and adults age 13 and older with a disability. The program adapts archery for participants, including a modification for visually impaired archers. The modification uses a foot and arm position system where participants can independently align their body to the correct stance and direction. As well, participants use a guide rope to walk to the target and retrieve arrows and then return to the stand. A balloon on the target allows participants to hear when they hit the bulls eye. Archery is held at Barefoot Archery on Tuesdays in October.

For more information on Paralympic sports contact Jana.McMullen@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities Revolution Park Sports Academy What’s Happening: Track and Field: Charlotte Flights Off-Season fall training has started for ages 7 and up.  Strength and Core - Monday and Wednesday nights at Revolution Park Sports Academy; 6:00pm -7:30pm. 

Water Running - Monday nights at Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center; 7:30pm 8:30pm.



Endurance, Conditioning & Biomechanics Drills - Tuesday and Thursday nights at Johnson C. Smith Irwin Belk Complex; 6:00pm - 7:30pm.

For more information on Off-Season Track & Field training call Anthony James at 980722-2303 or email anthony.james@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Therapeutic Recreation Weekday Programs for Adults Are Going Strong: There’s always something remarkable going on for adults with disabilities! Ongoing weekday programs continue in their success: Creative Arts, Gifted Gardeners, Adult Cooking and Dance & Fitness are always offering new activities along with long-time favorites. For example: on October 1, the Gifted Gardeners took a field trip to the McGill Rose Garden and to Latta Plantation Nature Center, taking in two very different gardens in one exciting day! More extended class days and trips are being planned for the future…new experiences keep these long-time programs fresh and fascinating!

For more information about daytime TR programs for adults, contact n.Howard@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704-432-4325.

Therapeutic Recreation Wilderness Bunch The TR Wilderness Bunch traveled to McDowell Nature Preserve for a weekend of camping & fun in the outdoors! Participants learned how to pitch a tent, build a campfire, prepare meals, play boccia and demonstrated basic outdoor safety skills. On Saturday participants enjoyed arts & crafts, hiking the Pine Hollow Trail & kayaking on Lake Wylie!

If you have any interest or would like more information about the Wilderness Bunch program please contact: Abigail.Wilkerson@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

NEW and Improved TR Dance a Big Success!

The first-ever TR Section Block Party, held outdoors at the Marion Diehl Recreation Center on Friday, September 27, was a huge hit! Everyone who came enjoyed Papa John’s pizza, and played volleyball, cornhole, ladderball, kanjam and more! DJ “Snazzy Shannon” Maxwell spun rockin’ tunes for our 100+ dancers…and because a Block Party is all about the community, some of our neighbors provided awesome giveaways!

For information about October’s “Monster Mash” and other upcoming events, contact the TR Section at 704-432 -0237 or

Volunteer Services Cajun Festival Romare Bearden Park hosted its first Cajun Festival. Around 3,000 people visited the park to listen to excellent Cajun and Zydeco music, participate in dance lessons, taste delicious food and children could enjoy crafts and games.

The next event at Romare Bearden Park will be the Pumpkin Patch Party on Saturday, October 19th.

Families are invited to come listen to music, carve pumpkins and participate in other fallthemed activities.

The Music Box Lunch Series is still going strong on Tuesdays and Fridays. This series has provided a nice break in the day for uptown professionals, school groups and families. Music Box Lunch will continue through October and start back up in the springof 2014 with new performers.

Volunteer Services also sends a special thanks to all of volunteers from this week and every week.

With youth sports alone, hundreds of new and returning volunteers are enrolling to coach teams of all ages. This week Reedy Creek Nature Preserve and Little Sugar Creek Greenway also welcomed many hardworking volunteers from Bank of America and Carolina’s Healthcare System. All of our volunteers are greatly appreciated for all of their support and willingness to help the community!

Park and Recreation News: 5841 Brookshire Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 336-8840

Submissions for the Newsletter

Recreate All Year!

Subscribe to the Park and Recreation E-Newsletter to learn of new and exciting way sto continue recreating during the spring and summer months. Subscribe to the Park and Recreation E-Newsletter 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 36• October 11, 2013

Visit A Park Day (Cont’d) Park and recreation agencies can leverage Visit a Park Day as way to engage the community in their local parks and foster future enjoyment, visitation and advocacy support. Not only that, the beauty behind this initiative is that it provides the opportunity for parks and recreation professionals, along with community advocates to educate the public on the benefits of parks and open space in an unlimited capacity.

Visit a Park Day is pretty easy to celebrate too! Visit a Park Day has included events such as nature hikes, grand openings for new trail segments, athletic field days and fitness in the parks. Here are some other ways you can celebrate:

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

   

Work in partnership with a local teacher, school or preschool and host a tour of one of your parks Hold an open Zumba class or other popular fitness program and encourage your community to come out Invite local college students or high school seniors to shadow your staff for the day to learn more about careers in parks and recreation Or simply support the initiative on social media and encourage your community to “visit” with you in any capacity on October 4; have them submit photos on social media of themselves out in your parks and facilities. Use the hashtag #VisitaParkDay.

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