The Friday Letter | October 17, 2014

The

Romare Bearden Park 300 S. Church Street Saturday, October 25

11am-3pm FREE pumpkin carving & face painting (One pumpkin per family or group) Pumpkin Pooch Parade starting at 1:30 (Parade registration starts at 1pm) Crafts for kids & family activities.

The Park and Recreation Dance Team performed Tuesday morning on stage in front of the 7,000 delegates at NRPA Congress opening session! Way to go team!!

Lincoln Heights Park Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Several county officials were present at 10a.m. Thursday morning for the dedication of the Lincoln heights Park in northwest Charlotte. Some of the dignitaries present were county commissioners George Dunlap and Vilma Leake and County Manager Dena Diorio.

Land for the park, at Catherine Simmons Avenue and Madrid Street, was acquired by Mecklenburg County in 2004. The first phase of development in 2011 included a 9.2acre park with a playground, community garden, gravel walking trail, water fountain and picnic tables.

Lincoln Heights Park Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Lincoln Heights Park Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Lincoln Heights Park Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Mecklenburg County News

Make Your Lunch Hour Full of Energy October is National Energy Awareness Month. Register in MyHR to attend a lunch ‘n learn to find out how you can save energy at home, as well as the workplace - which in turn can save money!

Your participation can also earn you credit toward a vacation day. Go to the Work Green Site to learn more.

All sessions are from noon to 1:00 p.m. at Valerie C. Woodard Center, 3205 Freedom Drive, Suite 107 in the Freedom conference room.

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Saving Energy in the Workplace- 10/7

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Recycling 101- 10/14

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Saving Energy in the Home- 10/23

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Partner with Duke Energy to Save Money in Your Home – 10/27

As an added bonus, your attendance earns you credit toward a vacation day as part of the Work Green Program.

Learning and Development Services Launches ‘Supervising 4 Success’ Supervising 4 Success (S4S) is a new, six-day, required training program for all supervisors and managers who have been hired or promoted since July 2012.

Human Resources’ Learning and Development Services launched the first class in September and eight additional sessions are scheduled through March 2015.

The training includes an overview of Mecklenburg County government, DiSC Profile for Leaders, Human Resources Policy, Procedure and Application, Communicating and Coaching for Peak Performance, and Crucial Accountability. In addition, S4S includes seven mini HR modules available online through MeckEDU. These sessions are available for any County employee - just look for the S4S logo.

There are still spots available for the March 9 session and more sessions will be added in spring 2015.

You can sign-up in myHR.

Mecklenburg County News Coming Soon! Open Enrollment for 2015 Benefits This year’s Open Enrollment will be Nov. 10-21. You must enroll or waive coverage in the medical, dental and vision plans and the Flexible Spending Accounts(FSA) or you will not have insurance coverage in 2015.

What’s new this year?

We are excited to add coverage of tobacco cessation prescribed medications and gastro bypass surgery. In addition, the vision plan premium will decrease. These medical plan changes are effective Jan. 1, 2015.

What’s staying the same?

Premiums for medical and dental plans will stay the same and there will be no change in the medical, dental, vision and FSA providers.

During this time, you also have the option of enrolling in voluntary benefits offered by the County through Pierce Group Benefits. These optional, supplementary plans include a Cancer Policy, Accident Policy and Medical Bridge Plan. You can enroll in any of these plans here or with a Pierce Group Enroller.

To find out more (including information about voluntary benefits), clickhere.

Please review the information online and if you still have questions, contact the Employee Services Center (704-432-6947).

Give the Gift of Life: Donate Blood What: Mecklenburg County and City of Charlotte Blood Drive When: Wednesday, Oct. 22 from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Where: Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center Questions? Call Amy Clipston at 704-336-2520 or visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: City of Charlotte

Community and Recreation Center Services Tom Sykes Afterschool Youth Basketball League Tom Sykes Recreation Center just began its 3rd annual afterschool basketball league in partnership with Dilworth Elementary. Eighteen youth, ages 8-11, are participating in this six week program that involves a weekly, 1 hour practice followed by a 30 minute scrimmage. Scholarships are made available by the PTA for families that need assistance.

For more information about Tom Sykes programs, contact TomSykesRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704-432-4803.

Pre-schoolers visit Albemarle Road Recreation Center Students from Smart Kids Daycare participated in a Kick, Catch, and Shoot session at the Albemarle Road Recreation Center this past week. The session included basic basketball passing, shooting, and dribbling drills, as well as putting those skills into action with an informal scrimmage. Program Participants also played a crowd favorite “duck duck goose�. Kick, Catch, and Shoot is a monthly program, offered to area preschool students that covers the fundamentals of a variety of indoor and outdoor sports offered by Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department. For more information on preschool programming at Albemarle Road Recreation Center, contact Ivan Jones or Tiffany Peterson at 704-567-1941.

Community and Recreation Center Services Methodist Home Recreation Center Thursday October 30

6-8pm FALL FEST: We will have games, prizes, crafts, music and more!!! Please come and bring the entire family. Feel free to dress up and the entire program is FREE!!!!

Thursday October 30

7pm, 7:20pm, 7:45pm

Pumpkin Walk: We will be hosting three pumpkin walks during our Fall Festival. It is $1 per person per walk and the winner will get a basket of prizes each walk. Come out and try your luck. Sign up beforehand or the day of the walk. Space is limited to 25 people per walk so first come first served.

Friday October 31 8am-6pm Halloween School Day Out Methodist Home will have a school day out for ages 8-12. It is $10 for the day and that includes a ticket to the Checkers game that afternoon and a snack back at the center. Please send money with your child for lunch at the game. The earliest you can drop off is 8am and pick up is no later than 6pm. The center closes at 6pm. Space is limited to 12 kids so sign up now!!!!

Community and Recreation Center Services Methodist Home Recreation Center: Senior Sittercase Methodist Home Recreation Center offers the seniors at Shamrock Senior Center a weekly exercise program on Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00am. Various chair aerobics mixed with stretching, weights, and static movement help the participants loosen tight muscles, get their heart rate up and learn new ways to stay active. No registration is needed. To participate, call the Shamrock Senior Center at 704-531-6900 or stop by 3925 Willard Farrow Road Charlotte, NC 28215. For more information, contact Kelly.Hawkins@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

Community and Recreation Center Services SNAG Golf for Adults SNAG Golf teed off this past week at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center. Starting “New At Golf� is a program driven by the First Tee Organization for beginner golfers of all ages. The program includes learning about the rules and etiquette of golf, as well as the fundamentals of putting, chipping and driving a golf ball. The program runs on Thursdays at 1:00pm. For more information, contact Brett.Krizanik@MecklenburgCountyNC.Gov or call 704-336-7655.

Nature Preserves and Natural Resources Rural Hill Nature Preserve - Stumptown Tractor Show Historic Rural Hill, which is part of Rural Hill Nature Preserve at 4431 Neck Road in Huntersville, will host the Stumptown Tractor Show this Saturday, October 18 and Sunday October 19, 8 am - 3 pm. Bring the family and see some great old tractors at beautiful Rural Hill. Admission is free. There will even be a drawing to win a tractor (donated by the Stumptown Tractor Club)! The Amazing Maize Maze is also open this weekend at the same location.

Nature Preserves Host NRPA Delegates Park and Recreation’s Nature Preserves served as host sites for four of the ten National Park and Recreation annual conference tours. These included the “Best of the Best” tour by Deputy Director Michael Kirschman, “Partnerships – Opportunities and Challenges” by Park Manager Kevin Metcalf, “Unique Playgrounds” by Chris Matthews, and “Natural Communities” by Natural Resources Manager Christa Rogers. Feedback on these tours has been fantastic and they included some of the most well attended of all the tours!

Aquatics Five hundred seventy-six (576) kids are competing in the Cullen Jones Diversity Invitational swim meet October 18 - 19 at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center. Teams from across the state of North Carolina and two teams from Georgia will participate in this special event. Cullen Jones a 3 time Olympic Medalist and Speedo are co-sponsoring the event. Swim Meet starts Saturday's at 7:30am and will conclude around 5pm. Swim Meet will run the same times on Sunday.

Youth & Adult Sports Programming, Revolution & Grady Cole/Memorial Stadium Grady Cole Civic Center On Friday, October 10th and Saturday, October 11th, the Grady Cole Civic Center will host the final two evenings of the 2014 Hindu Festival, known as “Sharad Purnima�. The event is organized by the Hindu Center of Charlotte.

Youth & Adult Sports Programming, Revolution & Grady Cole/Memorial Stadium American Legion Memorial Stadium On Saturday, October 11th, American Legion Memorial Stadium will host its first collegiate football game of the season as the Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls take on the Winston Salem State University Rams. Kickoff is set for 2:00pm. For more information about past or upcoming events, email GradyCole-MemorialStadium@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Revolution Park Sports Academy: Homeschool P.E. Revolution Park Sports Academy is now offering Homeschool P.E. for children K-5th grade. Classes are held on Wednesdays from 1pm to 2:30pm. Participants learn the basics of several sports, improve their motor skills and develop social skills through various games/ activities. For more information on this program and others contact Revolution Park Sports Academy at 704-432-4963.

Adult Softball The Wells Fargo Thursday night Co-Rec team finished their last regular season game on Thursday, October 9th. Starting next week October 16th the league will go into their playoff games for the season. There is a total of 8 teams playing in the league this season. Games will be played at Renaissance Park starting at 7pm. For more information on adult leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 704-336-7639.

Youth & Adult Sports Programming, Revolution & Grady Cole/Memorial Stadium Men’s Basketball Men’s 40 and Over fall league will be starting next Wednesday, October 15th. There will be six teams playing in the league this season. Games will be played at Ray’s Splash Planet starting at 6pm. For more information on adult leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 704-3367639.

Adult Volleyball Co-Rec BB fall league ended their season on October 1st. Games were played at Tom Sykes Rec Center on Wednesday nights. There was a total of 5 teams that participated in the league. Team “Comeback Kidz” became the champions of 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.

Youth & Adult Sports Programming, Revolution & Grady Cole/Memorial Stadium Adult Pickleball Tournament This past Saturday, October 4th Mecklenburg County Park and Rec Adult Athletics held their fall Pickleball tournament at Jeff Adams Tennis Center. The tournament was split into Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles Divisions. There was a total of 10 teams that participated in the tournament. The Men’s Double Champions were Bill Sabo and Roger Littell, the Mixed Doubles Champions were Peter and Virginia Popovich. For more information on adult leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 704-336-7639.

Volunteer Services Charlotte Country Day School at Carmel Road Park A group of 120 volunteers from Charlotte Country Day School worked for 2 ½ hours on Wednesday, October 8, to do some clean up at Carmel Road Park. The group also presented Partners for Parks with a check for $125.00 to help with the Newtown Memorial Playground Build that takes place in Park Road Park at the end of October. A big thank you to Charlotte Country Day School!

Volunteer Services

Best Of Charlotte Readers of Creative Loafing newspaper showed Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation some love when they voted for CL’s Best of Charlotte. The winners were announced in the October 2-October 8 issue of the newspaper. Here were the readers’ picks:

Best Place to Get Back to Nature: US National Whitewater Center Best Place to Take Visitors: US National Whitewater Center

What a great week we've had!! The national conference set a six year high for attendance at over 7,000, all the tours and events set records as well. The opening of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Park was a wonderful community event that we shared with fellow professionals from around the country. Restaurants and hotels were full and the economic impact of our conference will be in the millions.

Every person I met during the conference remarked on how helpful our staff was and how sharp they looked!! I know how hard you all worked to make the conference a success and it showed every day!!! Our facilities looked amazing and everyone has left our community with an impression that the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department is the BEST IN THE NATION!

The 2014 NRPA Best of the Best Ceremony recognizes the people and programs that remind us of the phenomenal work being done in the field.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation is very proud of our achievement to be reaccredited by CAPRA. We are fully supportive of the outstanding process that has led us to be a better department. The true value has been in our ability to provide better service to our citizens by meeting the standards of professional excellence.

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 40 • October 17, 2014

Welcome New Employees James Williams, Planner Capital Planning Korey Townsend, Recreation Specialist Southview Nikole Rampersad, Recreation Specialist Bette Rae Thomas Harold Rayford, Recreation Specialist Mallard Creek Christine Flessland Therapeutic Rec Melissa Johnson Therapeutic Rec Tasha Owens, Recreation Specialist Tom Sykes

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Senior Leadership Team Jim Garges, Director Michael Kirschman, Deputy Director James Alsop, Enterprise Services

Welcome!!

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