The Friday Letter | February 6th, 2015

The

Love February is Teen Dating Violence (DV) Prevention and Awareness Month!

TeenDVMonth is a national effort to raise awareness about abuse in teen and 20something relationships and promote programs that prevent it during the month of February.

On February 10, join Wear Orange 4 Love, by getting as many people as you can to wear something orange in honor of teen Dating Violence month. Wear orange shirts, nail polish, ribbons, jewelry, shoes or anything else you can think of. Tell people why you are wearing orange and post pictures and updates on Twitter using #Orange4Love #RespectWeek2015 or facebook.com/ loveisrespectpage

Mecklenburg County News

In case of a power outage, please print out this printable emergency contact list.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Emergency Management With predictions of cold, wintry weather right around the corner, Mecklenburg County residents are encouraged to practice the following winter safety tips: At Home  Keep alternative heating sources prepared. If you have a fireplace, store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood. Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure your family knows how to use them.

Make sure to turn off alternative heating sources when leaving the home.  Properly vent kerosene heaters and keep any electric generators OUTSIDE and away from any open windows or doors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, do not burn charcoal indoors.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can result from charcoal fumes indoors.  Keep fresh batteries on hand to use with flashlights and weather radios.  Always keep at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food in your home.  If your pipes are vulnerable to freezing, i.e., they run through an unheated or unprotected space, consider keeping your faucet at a slow drip when extremely cold temperatures are predicted.

Keep a supply of candles available in the event of a power outage. Make sure to keep candles away from flammable objects, such as curtains, and out of the reach of children.

Find more tips and information here.

Helpful links Charlotte area forecast and weather advisories American Red Cross - Charlotte Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Flood safety tips CATS Rider Alerts Mecklenburg County updates Traffic accidents

Mecklenburg County News A Little ‘Healthy’ Competition Helps Lead to a Healthier Lifestyle Almost 500 employees committed to focusing on nutrition, activity, hydration, well-being and sleep as part of the 30 Day Lifestyle Challenge during September. They tracked their habits daily and used healthy recipes and weekly “get fit tips” along with some healthy competition to create a healthier lifestyle.

Congratulations to the grand prize Inspiration Award winner, Savannah Anderson, Health Department nurse case manager. Savannah showed an extraordinary commitment to the Challenge and went above and beyond by encouraging and motivating her team members and serving as an example by preparing a healthy lunch to bring to work every day.

More information about the County’s employee wellness program offerings is available here.

It’s Not Too Late To Vaccinate: Good Reasons to Get a Flu Shot Flu season is in full swing and by now, chances are you’ve been asked “Have you had your flu shot?” countless times. But there’s good reason for the hype. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over the past few years, the influenza vaccine has prevented millions of flu cases and tens of thousands of related hospitalizations.

Flu season generally runs from October through April and getting a flu shot -- along with frequent hand -washing, covering your cough and staying home when you’re sick -- is the best defense against getting the flu. If you’re still not convinced, click here for five reasons why you should get vaccinated.

More information on flu prevention is available here.

Aquatics Two hundred ninety-five (295) high school students participated in their conference championship meet on Friday, January 30th at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center. The top swimmers in each race advanced to the State Championship meet in Cary. Participating High Schools were: Butler, East Mecklenburg, Independence, Myers Park, Porter Ridge, and Rocky River.

The Charlotte Swim Masters hosted the Sunbelt Masters Swimming Championship on Saturday, January 31st and Sunday, February 1. Two hundred ninetyseven (297) swimmers from North and South Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia participated in the meet. U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) is a national organization that provides organized workouts, competitions, clinics and workshops for adults aged 18 and over. Swim Meet ran from 8:45 – 5:00pm on Saturday and from 8:30 – 1pm on Sunday.

Community & Recreation Center Services Seniors on the GO Seniors had the opportunity to attend the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC. We enjoyed viewing the newly renovated Planetarium and watched a 4-D movie entitled “Pole to Pole”. The 4-D movie came to life as fuzzy polar bears crawled and clawed their way through the snow and penguins held their eggs. At their leisure, the seniors were able to stroll down memory lane looking at the history of South Carolina and great inventions that came from the southern region. Along the way we stopped at Cracker Barrel restaurant for a tantalizing breakfast meal before arriving in Columbia.

The next senior day trip will be to the Dinner Barn Theater in Greensboro, NC to see the comedy “The Odd Couple”. For more information on senior day trips and registration please call 980-314-1320 Tyvola Senior Center or email kiri.soprano@mecklenburgcountync.gov.

Community & Recreation Center Services Seniors Arts & Crafts This week at Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center we completed Seniors Arts & Crafts. We made footprints in the Sand with the seniors letting them exhibit their creativity while socializing with others. The seniors were encouraged to read the poem with their friend and discuss times in their lives when they needed assistance and how they overcame their trials.

For more information please contact us at BetteRaeThomasRecreationCenter@mecklenburgcountync.gov or call us at 704-432-3048.

Community & Recreation Center Services Celebrating Groundhogs Day at Tuckaseegee Recreation Did the groundhog see his shadow? Or will spring come soon? Tuckaseegee’s Creative Hands learned all about groundhogs and made some fun crafts centered on groundhogs! They even practice their penmanship. You can join Creative Hands on Mondays from 10am-11am.

For more information or to learn about other programs offered at Tuckaseegee please email at TuckaseegeeRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Center Services

A Night to Remember!: On January 30th, families from across Mecklenburg County gathered at Albemarle Road Recreation Center for the first annual Mother-Son/Father-Daughter Dance.

The evening included food, fun, and plenty of dancing! All of the little ones proudly showed off their best dance moves, with the festivities ending in a soul train line. We would like to thank all of our partners & volunteers for their assistance with this event. It was truly a night to remember for these families. For more information about our programs and events contact AlbemarleRoadRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 704-567-1941.

Community & Recreation Center Services

NDRC “Rising Above” Male Mentoring: Every Thursday evening, 10 young men gather to explore what it means to be a young man in the world today, discover their worth, and experience an environment outside of their own. Led by Elbert “Coach” Whitehead, these young men engage in group forums, teambuilding activities, speakers, workshops, and field trips to broaden their horizons and learn how to become effective and substantial leaders in their communities. For more information about our programs and events, contact NaomiDrenanRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 704-432-5231.

GC/MS, Youth & Adult Athletics, RPSA Spring Youth Sports Registering Now: Mecklenburg County spring youth sports leagues are now registering for baseball, softball, and track & field. Registration is open from February 2nd– February 28th for children aged 3-14 for baseball, 7-13 for softball, and 4-18 for track & field. Parents interested in registering children are encouraged to contact their local recreation center before registration ends February 28th.

Registration for disc golf will begin March 1st. For more information about Youth Sports, email YouthSports@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call (704) 432-4963.

GC/MS, Youth & Adult Athletics, RPSA Adult Basketball: Men B basketball winter league started this past Monday February 2nd.

Games are being played at Bette Rae Recreation Center on Monday evenings and Rays Splash Planet on Thursday evenings starting at 7pm on Mondays and 8pm on Thursdays. There is a total of 8 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 704-432-3095 or 704-3367639

Adult 40 & Over Basketball: Men’s 40 & Over winter league will be starting this Sunday February 8th. Games will be played at Tuckaseegee Recreation Center starting at 2pm. There will be a total of 7 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 704-432-3095 or 704-3367639

GC/MS, Youth & Adult Athletics, RPSA Adult Women's Volleyball: The woman volleyball league started their winter season this past Monday January 26th. Games are being played on Monday evenings starting at 6:30pm. There is a total of 4 teams in the league this season, games are played at Southview Rec Center. For more information on adult leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 704-432-3095 or 704-336-7639

National Wear Red Day for Women’s Heart Disease Awareness

National Wear Red Day

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

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 54 • February 6, 2015

CHARMECK ALERTS The CharMeck Alerts Notification System relays accurate and timely emergency notifications. You control how you’re contacted— whether it’s on your cell, work or home phone, via text, email or voice message. You can receive up-to-the-minute notifications about events and emergencies that may affect your home, workplace or other points of interest—anywhere in Mecklenburg County. Sign up here or call CharMeck 311. To receive CDOT-specific alerts, you must sign up for that item in the list.

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 Terri Stowers, Community and Recreation Center Services Jeff Robinson, Park Operations Chris Matthews, Nature Preserves and Natural Resources