The Friday Letter | September 19, 2014

The

Party in the Park Wednesday Nights 5:30-9:00 pm

Music Box Lunch Series Tuesdays & Fridays 12:00-1:30 pm

Saturday, September 20 CajunFest Live music starts at 3:30

Party in the Park Party in the Park was back with beautiful weather and Beach Music. The Swingin’ Medallions had the crowd up and dancing all night. There are just two more weeks left of the 2014 Party in the Park Series with Gal Friday on 9/17 and The Dickens on 9/24. Be sure not to miss out on your last few chances this year! Also, don’t forget the Cajun Festival is Saturday, September 20th at Romare Bearden Park starting with Children’s Activities at 2pm and live music from 2:30-8pm. There will be great music, free dance lessons and tasty food!

Mecklenburg County News RSVP Now for Employee Fest 2014 Mark your calendar and make plans to join your County Manager, department directors, and your co-workers from across Mecklenburg County at Employee Fest 2014 on Thursday, October 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Freedom Park.

Please click here to RSVP for the event to save your spot for great food and to help us plan how to meet your transportation needs. Also, please encourage your co-workers to RSVP and come out to Freedom Park during this event.

Similar to last year's employee celebration event, Employee Fest 2014 will be a celebration of your hard work this year and will include recognition of Customer Service Heroes of the Year, Team of the Year and Employee of the Year. You can submit your nominations for Team of the Year and Employee of the Year now.

Employee Fest 2014 also will feature diverse performances and interactive games throughout the day, and lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Carry-out lunches are not available.) Transportation will be provided from several County facilities.

Finally, make sure to check the Employee Fest 2014 site periodically for updates on the event gets closer.

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, October 2!

Here’s what’s on the menu: Hand Pulled Pork Smoked Sliced Turkey Baked Beans Mac and Cheese Creamy Cole Slaw (vegetarian) Green Beans (vegetarian) Garden Salad (vegetarian and vegan) Original and Wheat Buns Chocolate Chip Cookies Brownies Sweet and Unsweetened Tea Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Carry-out lunches are not available.)

Please click here to RSVPand save your spot for great food at Employee Fest, Thursday, October 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Freedom Park.

Make sure to check the Employee Fest 2014 site periodically for updates on the event as it gets closer.

RSVP for Employee Fest by Friday, Sept. 19

Mecklenburg County News myTIME Update myTIME Training News: Update on Training Modules We hoped to have the myTIME training modules available to you yesterday, but we are temporarily delayed as we wait for some additional information that needs to be included. We will update you as soon as the modules are complete. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Payroll Reminder: No Paycheck This Friday You will not receive a paycheck this Friday, September 19. If you have automatic payments that are deducted from your bank account, please contact your banking institution to make adjustments if needed. You will receive your next paycheck on September 26.

Parking Permits When you check in for your new ID badge, you will receive a new parking permit. You should hold on to your old parking permit until further notice. When we notify you when and where to turn in your old ID badge, you will also turn in your old parking permit.

If you have questions about myTIME, please visit the myTIME page on MeckWeb.

New Suggestion Box Responses Are Up! Check out what your County Manager has to say about some of your ideas here. We have received many great comments and we’re working on getting answers to them all. The completely anonymous suggestion box is located on the County Manager’s page.

Nature Preserves and Natural Resources 2014 Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze The Annual Amazing Maize Maze is here, and will run through Sunday, November 2 nd. Get lost in one of the largest mazes in the Southeast! There’s more than enough fun and confusion for all. In addition to the maze, take a hayride around the farm, play a round of corn-hole, explore our historic site, play in our mini-mazes, have a picnic, hike our trails, pick a pumpkin (in October,) & much more. 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. There will also be music and bonfires (weather permitting).

DAY MAZE DATES & HOURS SEPT. 19 - 21 Friday & Saturday: 10 am - 6:30 pm Sunday: 10 am - 5 pm SEPT. 26 - NOV.2 Fridays & Saturdays: 10 am - 5 pm Sundays: 10 am – 5 pm Open by appointment only all other days - call for details.

Family Friendly Flashlight Maze Dates and Hours DATES AND HOURS Sept. 26 & 27 Oct. 3 & 4, 10 & 11, 17 & 18, 24 & 25, 31 Nov. 1 All Flashlight Mazes open at 6 pm; Ticket sales stop at 9 pm

McDowell Nature Center On Friday, September 12th, twenty volunteers including a group from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services took part in a large-scale project to improve the grounds surrounding the McDowell Nature Center and install an Ozone Garden. The entire project, which has been 3 months in the making, was the result of a collaborative effort between nature center staff, Clean Air Carolina, and horticulture staff. The majority of supplies including ozone garden plants, mulch, topsoil, and rocks were donated

by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Ken Carlson with Horticulture assisted in the procurement of supplies, scouting and leveling the site of the garden, and provided staff and equipment for the entire workday. Mary Stauble and Ernie McLaney with Clean Air Carolina coordinated the entire project with the help of Anthony Shaheen and Melissa O’Lenick from McDowell Nature Center.

Nature Preserves and Natural Resources McDowell Nature Center cont...

The Ozone Garden, which was the main focus of the event, is located just off of the parking area near the nature center. This garden features native plants, some of which are sensitive to air pollution, particularly ground-level Ozone. This pollutant affects both human and plant health. In people, ozone pollution causes respiratory problems, decreased lung capacity, and aggravates asthma. This is why it is important to pay attention to the Air Quality Index for the day and limit outdoor activities to the morning on days that are Code Orange or Code Red. In plants, ozone pollution weakens the leaves and makes them more susceptible to diseases and insects. The Ozone Garden helps to create a visual understanding of how invisible ozone impacts people and plants. These sensitive plants act as a bio-indicator, capable of detecting the presence of ozone pollution. Ozone injury can been seen by visitors to the garden directly on the leaves of the plant, which will show an upper leaf surface stippling (or purpling). Students and visitors can monitor the garden, collect data, evaluate trends, and report their findings to a national database. Volunteers spent time building the stone garden bed, spreading soil, planting natives, and mulching the garden.

Another focus of the project was to improve the grounds surrounding the nature center. Mulch was placed in the large play area and garden beds directly outside the center as well as several garden beds in the parking area. Native plants were added as well as a split-rail fence. Within five hours, the entire area was transformed!

The Ozone Garden will official open in early October with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and installation of interpretive signs. Stay tuned for more details on this event. Nature Center staff would like to especially thank Ken and Randall with Horticulture for their hard work in helping this event come together.

Youth & Adult Sports Programming, Revolution & Grady Cole/Memorial Stadium First Responders Boxing Charity Event The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department's boxing program along with the Charlotte Boxing Academy (CBA) held the 2nd Annual First Responders Boxing Charity event. The Fire, Police , Sheriff Departments and Highway Patrol competed for their local charity in honor and memory of 9/11 with over 350 spectators The Fire Department was victorious, winning 1st place for the second year! For more information on this and other boxing programs call Revolution Park Sports Academy at 704 432-4963.

Registration Is Open for the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge Gather your team and sign-up today! Healthy habits can improve your life. For four weeks, Sept. 8 – Oct. 3, you will have the opportunity to focus on nutrition, activity, hydration, wellbeing and sleep. You’ll learn easy and effective ways to develop healthy habits by tracking your commitment, engaging in team competition, reading healthy recipes and weekly tips.

Register your team here.

For additional information click here or contact Christie Dean at mytotalhealth@mecklenburgcountync.gov.

Youth & Adult Sports Programming, Revolution & Grady Cole/Memorial Stadium Co Rec Volleyball Co-Rec AA indoor fall has started on Tuesday, September 16th. Games will be played at Bette Rae Rec Center on Tuesday nights starting at 6:30pm.

The league has a total of 5 teams participating in the league this season.

For more information on adult leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 704-336-7639.

Kickball The first kickball tournament has been moved to this Saturday September 20 th The tournament will take place at Hornets' Nest park starting at 9am. Registration forms are available on the adult athletics park on the park and rec website. For more information on adult leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 704-336-7639.

Men's 30 & Over Basketball Men’s 30 & Over basketball league will be starting this Sunday September 21th at Bette Rae Rec Center. Games will start at 1pm, there will be a total of 10 teams participating this season. For more information on adult leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 704-3367639.

Community & Recreation Center Services Apriendo Espanol at Mallard Creek Recreation Center ‘Learning Spanish’ meets once a week for five weeks and is geared towards children between the ages of 3-5 years. The class had a fantastic time learning about “colores” (colors). The first session consisted of a short welcome song in Spanish, introductions where all participants said “me llamo” and told their first name, and matching colors English to Spanish. The kids went on a scavenger hunt to find colored objects which they then used to create a craft. Each participant was sent home with homework to keep practicing their Spanish colors until the next class. Upcoming themes are shapes, parts of the body, days of the week and numbers. For more information, contact Erica.Espinoza@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or704-548-8234.

NFL Punt Pass and Kick at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center On Saturday, September 13, Sugaw Creek Recreation Center hosted a Local NFL Punt Pass & Kick Competition. Boys and girls from the ages of six to fifteen years old had the opportunity to showcase their talent on the football field. The local winners will advance to the regional round of the competition on Saturday, October 25, at The American Legion Memorial Stadium for an opportunity to qualify for the team championships to be held later this fall at Bank of America Stadium. For more information about other local competitions visit PP&K.com or contact Brett.Krizanik@MecklenburgCountyNC.Gov at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center 704-336-7655.

Community & Recreation Center Services Programs and Classes at Methodist Home Recreation Center CURRENT PROGRAMS: Kids In Motion- Tuesdays and Thursdays 11-12:30pm Preschool age kids and under Gym time and games , FREE Lunchtime Shootaround- Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 11-1pm Adults ages 18 and up Come exercise and shoot around on your lunch break or day off , $2

Open Gym for Adults- Mondays and Wednesdays 3-5pm Ages 18 and up, $2 Open Gym for Teens- Tuesdays and Thursdays 3-5pm Ages 13-17, FREE Open Gym for Kids- Fridays 3-5pm Ages 12 and under , FREE Skills and Drills-Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm Ages 8-13 Group basketball instruction from coaches on how to improve your game , $10/month

UPCOMING PROGRAMS: Youth Basketball-Sign ups start October 1st 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 15U Co-ed teams 6U-$55

8U and up, $65

Youth Cheerleading-Sign ups start October 1st Ages 5-11 limited space so first come first served , $65 Start Smart Basketball-Sign ups start October 1st Ages 3-5 Start your child off with a one practice a week program to learn the fundamentals of the game, $45 Art Adventures-Sign ups are now and classes start Tuesday, October 7th 6-7pm Ages 6-12 Learn the various forms of art and work on projects to take home and display , $2 per child per class Earn-A-Bike-Sign ups are now - classes are October 8 6-8pm, Oct 12 10-12pm, and Oct 13 1-3pm Ages 8-12 Children learn responsibility and how to take care of a bike Must attend all 3 classes but they get to keep the bike after the program is over . Limited space so first come first served, $5

Community & Recreation Center Services Ivory/Baker Recreation Center: Crafty Seniors Seniors from the Anita Stroud Senior Center participated in a monthly Crafty Seniors class, where they learned about the artist Piet Mondrian and his use of geometric designs in his artwork. The class then drew and painted their own Mondrian style art pieces.

For more information about Crafty Seniors classes or other senior programs, please contact, IvoryBakerRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.Gov or call (704) 432-4580.

Albemarle Road Recreation Center’s “Shining Stars” On September 16th, the Shining Stars of Albemarle Road Recreation Center visited Ten Park Lanes. Program Participants had an opportunity to fellowship and be physically active while bowling for two hours. The next bowling outing has already been requested by the lively group of seniors. For more information on senior programming at Albemarle Road Recreation Center contact Ivan or Tiffany at 704567-1941 or ivan.jones@mecklenburgcountync.gov .

Community & Recreation Center Services Marion Diehl “35th Annual PDA Gathering” On Saturday September 13th, Marion Diehl hosted an event for more than 300 participants to come together and fellowship through good food and fun family entertainment. Various agencies that provide services for those who have special needs were on hand to inform participants about community resources that are available to them. Master of Ceremonies, Larry Sprinkle from WCNC News Channel 36 awarded door prizes and lead a thrilling game of BINGO for prizes. For more information about this or other programs, contact Marion Diehl Recreation Center at 704-432-0237.

Elon Recreation Center Celebrates Nature Everyone had a blast learning about pond life at Ray’s Nature Education. Children caught fish last Friday with friends, ages ranging from 2-5 years old. Join us at Elon Recreation Center the first Friday of every month at 10:00 am as we learn more about the nature around us. For more information, please contact us at 704-540-2426 or ElonRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

HELP BUILD THE NEWTOWN PLAYGROUND ON OCTOBER 27-OCTOBER 31 As you may know, Park and Recreation is building a playground in memory of the lives lost in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012.

Many volunteers are essential for building the playground.

We have opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers to participate in constructing this “stickbuilt� (on-site, piece-by-piece) playground. A very worthy undertaking, this project is also a wonderful team-building experience.

Please consider putting together a team from your department and signing the group up for one or more volunteer shifts.

The 5-day construction will begin on Monday, October 27, and end at noon on Friday, October 31.

At least two hundred (>200) volunteers are needed for each shift: >Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. until noon >Monday-Thursday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. >Friday from 8 a.m. until noon Lunch will be provided between the morning and afternoon shifts.

To volunteer, or for more information, contact Lori Saylor at lori.saylor@mecklenburgcountync.gov or 980-314-1045. Please commit by Tuesday, September 30, so shift assignments can be made and teams can be notified well in advance of the week of the project.

The playground is a gift to our community and a tribute to the fortitude and spirit of the Newtown community. We hope we can count on your help to make the Newtown Playground at Park Road Park .

5841 Brookshire Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 336-8840

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 The Friday Letter Team at Kier. Harrison @MecklenburgCountyNC.gov for publication assistance.

The Friday Letter Volume 3 • Issue 37 • September 19, 2014

Clothing Donations Needed The Substance Abuse Services Center is a 24-hour, 365-days-a-year program of the County’s Provided Services Organization. The facility, located at the Sam Billings Center at 429 Billingsley Rd., provides services to men and women 18 years of age and older. Most of the center’s consumers are homeless, and have lost everything when they come to us for services.

The Substance Abuse Services Center would like to enlist your assistance with donations of clothing items. Part of the recovery process is restoring self-esteem, instilling hope, and being able to meet the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. You can help make those needs a reality.

As colder weather nears, the Substance Abuse Services Center needs donations of new underwear, bras and socks, as well as gently used casual pants, shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and shoes. These items will be very helpful to their consumers as we head into fall and winter. There is a need for a range of sizes; however, there is often a particular need for XL, 2XL, and 3XL sizes.

Donations can be dropped off at the back dock of 429 Billingsley Rd. Charlotte, NC 28211.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Angel Green, director for the center, at 704-336-5651 or at angel.green@mecklenburgcountync.gov.

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 Chris Matthews, Nature Preserves and Natural Resources