The Friday Letter | November 1, 2013

Volume 2 ISSUE

39

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK AND RECREATION

November 1 2013

DEPARTMENT

FridayLetter THE

this issue In The News:

Park News P.1 Enterprise Services P.2

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation wins 2013 NACPRO Award

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

Park and Recreation— Park News Mecklenburg County Scores Major “Goal” with Opening of Sportsplex

The Recreation Employment Corp received a NACPRO (National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials) Award in Houston, Texas on Wednesday, October 9. The Award recognizes a NACPRO member agency that has provided a unique or exceptional program, activity, or event which provides an outstanding example that other agencies could adopt or emulate.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and the Town of Matthews held a dedication ceremony on Oct. 30, 2013, officially opening Phase I of the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews.

The Sportsplex is located at 1505 Tank Town Road in Matthews. Phase I includes five multi-use lighted synthetic turf fields which will be available for events such as soccer, lacrosse, rugby, football and field hockey. The focus of this facility is to host a variety of weekend tournaments and weekday practices and league play for local teams and organizations. Upon completion of Phase II, the facility will house a total of (Continued on next page) 12 multi-use fields, including a stadium field that will seat up to 2,700 spectators.

Click here to watch the video For more information on the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews, as well as reservation policies, please visit the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex Web page.

Aquatics—Ray’s Splash Planet Ray's Splash Planet Haunted Tour/Carnival Ray's Splash Planet held there annual Haunted Tour/Carnival on Friday October 25th.

Over 200 people where in attendance. Thanks to all the Lifeguards, RA's and full time staff for making the annual event such a great success.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation wins 2013 NACPRO Award (Cont’d) The Recreation Employment Corp (REC) is a workbased learning program employing youth between the ages of 14-17 as Emp l o ye e / M en t e es at neighborhood recreation centers, nature centers and aquatic facilities.

Each employee is paired with a professional recreation staff member who is the Supervisor/Mentor that provides close supervision and guidance during the 40 week program.

Through this structured job experience and training opportunities, youth learn positive work skills and habits which serve them throughout life.

Tournaments & Adult Athletics Highlights from Around the County— Mondays Men’s D I Softball Fall championship game was held on October 28 at Renaissance Softball Complex. The winning team was Jager Bombers. There was a total of 6 teams participating this season.

Scenes for Events: Winning Teams Jager Bombers

Mondays Men’s D II Softball Fall championship game was held on October 28 at Renaissance Softball Complex. The winning team was St. Matthews. There was a total of 6 teams participating this season.

Tuesdays Men’s D II Softball Fall championship game was held on October 29 at Renaissance Softball Complex. The winning team was SJRN. There was a total of 8 teams participating this season. (pictured left)

St. Matthews

Thursdays Men’s C Softball Fall championship game was held on October 30 at Renaissance Softball Complex. The winning team was 300 Plus. There was a total of 6 teams participating this season. (pictured below)

On October 26, there was a Youth Softball Tournament at Nevin Community Park named Halloween Hoot Out. There were a total of 17 teams participating in the tournament, all from North Carolina and South Carolina.

Youth Tournament

On October 26 and 27, there was a Youth Baseball Tournament at Hornet’s Nest Park. Also on October 27 at Nevin Community Park. Both tournaments were named Trick or Treat Champions.

There were a total of 118 teams participating in the tournament, all from North Carolina.

Mecklenburg County Races NCHSAA Cross Country Regional On Saturday, October 26, McAlpine Creek Park hosted the Regional Cross Country Qualifier meets for high schools in the Midwest 3A and West 4A regions. Over 50 schools from all over western North Carolina were represented.

Don’t Forget— 2013 Amazing Maize Maze at Rural Hill Nature Preserve:

In the Midwest 3A Boys race, Weddington took first place followed by North Lincoln and Marvin Ridge. Ryan Shannon from North Lincoln High School finished first with a time of 15:34. In the Girls race, Marvin Ridge claimed the first place spot with North Lincoln again in second followed by Weddington in third. Alexa King led her team to victory with a time of 17:52.

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.

For the Boys West 4A, Lake Norman High School came out on top. In second and third were Providence and T.C. Roberson. Wyatt Maxey represented Providence with an impressive time of 15:39. Also from Providence, Grace Sullivan led the girls to their first place win with a time of 17:40. Myers Park fell right behind them in second and T.C. Roberson claimed another spot in the top three.

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!

High School Lacrosse Fall Classic

Visit www.ruralhill.net for more information.

Everyone who qualified Saturday will be moving on to the State Championships in Kernersville, North Carolina, this Saturday, November 2. We wish all runners the best of luck!

For more information on upcoming running events contact Preston.Buckman@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

The Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews hosted its very first tournament this past Saturday, October 26! Teams from all over the country as well as Canada travelled all the way to Charlotte to participate in the High School Lacrosse Fall Classic Tournament. College Lacrosse scouts were spotted on site checking out all the talented athletes that came to play.

Teams with ages 9-11 were guaranteed 4 games for the weekend or 5 if they made it to the championship. Older teams (ages 13 and up) were guaranteed 5 games for the weekend – 3 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday – but would play 6 if they made it to the championship. Teams that played in championship games include Myers Park, the South Carolina Cyclones, the Atlanta Rage, the TL Loggerheads, and more. Games were 10 versus 10 full-field with four 12-minute quarters and 5 minute halftime. Players and their families had a great time enjoying the beautiful weather and impressive facility.

For more information on the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews contact Preston.Buckman@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Creepy Crawly Critter-Ween at Reedy Creek Nature Center Last Friday over 300 visitors came out to Reedy Creek Nature Center for our annual "Creepy Crawly Critter-Ween" event. Snakes, spiders, tarantulas and insects were on display for visitors to look up close, we had hayrides, night hikes, hot chocolate, marshmallow roasting, crafts and a costume contest. Participants had a great time as we had Master Naturalists assisting with animals and Discovery Place brought some of their live creatures.

Check It Out! Read more about what is taking place in the Natural Resources Division— Master Naturalist program in the Master Naturalist September newsletter.

Click on the image above to read the full version. ______________________

In The News—

Go Horseback Riding in a Nature Preserve this Fall –Horse Provided!

Latta Plantation Nature Preserve is a great place to go horseback riding and now is a perfect time, as Fall foliage will be at its peak in the over the next couple of weeks. The Latta Equestrian Center offers guided trail rides for ages 12 and up. Rides last 45 – 50 minutes. Cost is $30.00 per person. Call 704-992-1550 to make some great fall memories for you and your family!

This week Natural Resources staff hosted Jed Aplaca, Natural Resources Manager for the City of Houston. Jed is building a NR Division from scratch and came to Mecklenburg County seeking ideas for organizational structure, project priorities, and long term natural resource management goals.

See back page for picture.

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities Pumpkin Painting at "The View"

2014 Senior Games Effective in the 2014 Games there will be a new 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!

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

The preschoolers in Southview's Young Energetic Scholars Program kicked off the fall season by decorating pumpkins! The youth channeled their creative juices as they painted pumpkins in an assortment of fall colors. After the painting was done, the kids eagerly listened to staff member Mary Sampson, as she read a special book about the fall season.

Southview Recreation Center For more information about this or other preschool programs contact SouthviewRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Making Reading Fun at "The View": The Urban Book Club is in its third year running at Southview Recreation Center and the youth are doing a phenomenal job! This session the book of choice is Double Fudge by Judy Blume. Each Wednesday the group gets together to read and discuss a chapter of the book. After the discussion, staff member Stephanie Brace-Sanders, staff gives the kids a quiz. The goal of this program is to get youth excited about reading and to improve their reading comprehension skills.

For more information this or other youth programs contact SouthviewRecreationCen-

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities

Scenes from Events: Sugaw Creek Annual Fall Festival

Family Fun Nights Are Back at "The View": One of the most popular programs at Southview Recreation Center is our series of Family Fun Nights! Once a month the participants in our programs invite their families out for an evening of crafts, games, competitions and more! This month's theme was "Fall Festival". The youth, alongside their parents, decorated caramel apples and made spooky spiders out of pretzels, raisins and marshmallows. They also participated in some friendly, yet competitive gym games including an all-time favorite, the 3-legged race. The evening wasn't complete until the Annual Pie Eating Contest took place, pitting the youth against their parents! The youth prevailed but everyone had a great time!

Sugaw Creek Host Annual Fall Festivals Sugaw Creek Ray Fit Play, After School and community participants were excited to be attending their Annual Fall Festivals. The events were on Thursday, October 24 and Tuesday, October 29 with ball toss, face painting, putt putt golf, spin the wheel, potato sack racing, ring toss, basketball shoot, costume contest, group games, pumpkin bowling, witch hand and pumpkin crafts. There was something to keep everyone entertained. A special thanks to all partnering sponsors which included Sugaw Creek Young at Heart Senior Club, YWCA After School Program, Cub Pack 67 (Ebenezer Church) and several local Charlotte Daycares.

Teen Night at Albemarle Road Recreation Center: To provide a positive outlet for teenagers in East Charlotte, Albemarle Road Recreation Center is now offering teen night on the 2nd Friday on each month. This past Friday, Rhonda Patterson, a local author and corporate lawyer, was the special guest speaker. Patterson stressed the importance of maintaining healthy relationships to a group of twelve teenagers. Also, she provided each teen with a signed copy of her book. Program participants also enjoyed other activities such as basketball and board games.

For more information about this or other teen programming at Albemarle Road Recreation Center, contact Ivan Jones at 704.567.1941 or AlbemarleRoadRecreationCenter@ mecklenburgcountync.gov.

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities Albemarle Road’s MeckSeniors Card Tournament: On October 19th, Albemarle Road Recreation Center hosted another MeckSeniors Card Tournament. The tournament consisted of Spades, Bid Whist and Pinochle, over 20 players participated. In addition to the card games, the participants experienced a day of music, laughter, and light refreshments, sponsored by Chili’s and Chick-fil-A. The MeckSeniors card tournament is a program that is hosted at Albemarle Road Recreation Center two times a year.

Albemarle Road Recreation Center For more information about this or other senior programs, contact Tiffany Peterson or Ivan Jones at 704-567-1941 or AlbemarleRoadRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Berewick Dance Academy is Back!: Dance classes have resumed for the fall after our summer break. Thirty-nine students have been working hard in dance classes on Thursday nights to learn and perfect their technique and movements in the styles of Ballet, Tap and Jazz. Each week children learn new moves along with the terminology, refine feet and arm positions, enhance muscle control and flexibility and increase their self-esteem! For more information regarding dance or cultural arts programs, please contract BerewickRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 704.432.4934

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities

Senior Nutrition Site at Mallard Creek Recreation Center

Fall Festival at Naomi Drenan Recreation Center: On Friday, October 25th, Naomi Drenan Recreation Center hosted its Fall Festival with over 250 in attendance! Participants enjoyed the treats, magic by Houdini, the zombie step team, festival games, face painting, and more! Staff partnered with various organizations to bring this event to the community, and are grateful for sponsors and volunteers for making the Fall Festival a huge success!

Naomi Drenan Recreation Center For more information about our programs or events, contact NaomiDrenanRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 704.432.5231.

Revolution Park Sports Academy OctoberFest at Revolution Park Sports Academy: The Revolution Park Sports Academy hosted its annual OctoberFest, this past Saturday, October 26. The community and patrons were invited to come participate in a day filled with fun! This event is hosted annually to bring awareness to the great programs and opportunities available at Revolution Park Sports Academy. The contractors that run programs for golf, boxing, karate, personal training, job training, afterschool, and more were onsite to share information with families of our community. Youth of all ages were treated to basketball, football, baseball, ring toss, an inflatable obstacle course, face painting, and many more games. For more information on programs offered at Revolution Park Sports Academy, please contact us at

The seniors had a frightfully fun costume party. The seniors enjoyed Healthy Halloween Goodies and Halloween music videos. Pictured are Stephanie Frisbee, the Facility Manager I at Mallard Creek Recreation Center, Stephanie Belton, the Site Supervisor for the Senior Nutrition Site and Sandra Faison, the winner of the Best Homemade Costume Award. Her costume was made almost entirely out of an orange tablecloth.

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

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities The Therapeutic Recreation Section Tiny Tumblers program crawled, jumped, hopped & tumbled into our fall session which began on October 14th. The children have enjoyed obstacles courses, balance beams, scooters, relays & more. The Tiny Tumblers program is for children ages 3-8 and focuses on gross motor skills, strength, balance, and coordination & social skills.

If you would like more information about Tiny Tumblers please contact: Abigail.Wilkerson@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or Stacey.Thomas@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

TR Section Monster Mash The TR Section hosted their annual Monster Mash Dance on Friday Oct 18, 2013! Over 125 people danced, took photos in the photo booth, and traveled through our spooky Haunted House (haunted by zombie chefs)! There was a great turnout of volunteers who helped the event run smoothly. There were multiple prizes awarded for costumes including Best Costume going to “Spaghetti and Meatballs�.

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities The VIP Travel Club Takes In the Lazy 5 Ranch: There’s always something exciting going on with the VIP Travel Club! This active group of adults and seniors with visual impairments takes on any challenge‌and group participants suggested a trip to the Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville. On October 23, we had a fantastic time on a sunny fall day: hanging out with all of the exotic animals, trading squawks with the macaws, feeding the giraffes and much more! For more information about the VIP Travel Club or other TR programs for adults, contact Karen.Howard@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704-4324325.

Stay tuned for more exciting information about Fall opportunities to recreate in and enjoy Romare Bearden Park.

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. All of our volunteers are greatly appreciated for all of their support and willingness to help the community!

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities

Visit the TR section webpage to learn more about exciting opportunities to recreate in your community.

Find us, and like us, on Facebook!

We are located here and look forward to hearing from you!

On Saturday October 26, 2013 Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s Therapeutic Recreation Section, in partnership with the Carolina Panthers, hosted the Inaugural Challenger Flag Football Jamboree. Five different cities/counties were represented at the Jamboree including Durham Park and Recreation, Richland County Recreation Commission, Columbia City Park and Recreation, Cornelius Park and Recreation, and Mecklenburg Park and Recreation. 12 teams participated, consisting of over 125 challenger players, 40 coaches and buddies, and 30 Spirit Squad Cheerleaders. All together there were over 400 people in attendance at the Jamboree. Players, coaches and their families spent the morning at Ray’s Splash Planet enjoying the festivities including a DJ, lunch, and inflatables. After lunch, everyone moved over to the Panthers’ Practice Field, where teams were properly introduced over the loudspeakers as they ran through same the inflatable Panther head that the NFL team uses for their games. Teams played in a round robin style tournament with games lasting 30 minutes. Players and cheerleaders were thoroughly entertained as Sir Purr made a grand entrance on his 4-wheeler, and spent time mingling and taking photos with the crowd. Overall, it was a very successful day thanks to the hard work of the TR Section Staff, Panthers’ Staff, and our great group of volunteer coaches!

Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities

Stay tuned for more exciting information about Fall opportunities to recreate in and enjoy Romare Bearden Park.

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. All of our volunteers are greatly appreciated for all of their support and willingness to help the community!

Volunteer Services & Special Events On Saturday, Ricoh- Carolinas- Sales and Service, along with 2 guest participated in the beautification project of McKee Park. Majority of Serviceand Sales worked in mulching around 30 plus trees, trimming sidewalks, mulching around perimeter of park, and cutting down dead trees.

Stay tuned for more exciting information about Fall opportunities to recreate in and enjoy Romare Bearden Park.

Volunteer Services would also like to thank all of our High School groups for their continued hard work and support. Schools such as West Charlotte, Garinger, Vance and Providence come out each week to help keep our parks and facilities in tip top shape.

Volunteer Services also sends a special thanks to October may have winded things down at Romare Bearden Park with the Pumpkin all of volunteers from this Patch Party and the Music Box Lunch Series, but that has not stopped Special Events week and every week.

Services.

With youth sports alone, hundreds of new and returning volunteers are enrolling to coach teams of all ages. All of our volunteers are greatly appreciated for all of their support and willingness to help the community!

On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and the Town of Matthews had lots to celebrate at the Phase One of the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews.

On Saturday, November 9th, there will be a special sneak peek of the new First Ward Park at the UNCC Center City Building from 10-11:30am. This event will provide the community with a free preview of what’s to come by presenting music, story time, children’s activities and various programs that will happen in the park.

Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews, Phase 1 Dedication Ceremony October 30, 2013

Coming to Romare Bearden Park...

On Saturday, December 7th, Santa will make a special trip to Romare Bearden Park! Families are invited to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas while visiting with Santa, creating crafts and participating in children’s activities.

Santa’s Workshop will also feature various holiday-themed music performances and a Toy Collection Drive to benefit local families in need.

Bring your family and friends to create cherished holiday memories while supporting our community!

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 39• November 1, 2013

See Story from Page 5. Park and Recreation welcomed Jed Aplaca as he learned more about our Nature Preserves and Natural Resources Division.

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