The Friday Letter | February 27, 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.

This Week in Black History:

Hearts February is American Heart Month and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are encouraging Americans to know their blood pressure, and if it’s high, to make control their goal.

Muhammad Ali— defeats Sonny Liston for the heavyweight boxing championship (1948) Theodore “Georgia Deacon” Flowers— becomes first Black middle-weight boxing champion (1926)

Debi Thomas— (figure skater) becomes first Black American to win a medal at the Winter Olympics (1988)

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

Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center hosted a swim meet Friday, February 20. The swim meet included the Aquatic Center’s Mecklenburg Makos and the Fort Mill Sharks. 159 total athletes competed in the dual meet. The meet ran from 6:30 – 9:30pm.

173 swimmers participated in the MCAC Quad Meet on Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22. Meet was held from 7:30am – 10:30am each morning. MCAC provided the swim meet to give the age group swimmers one last chance to qualify for the State Championship in Raleigh. Meet was open to MCAC’s year round swim programs – Team Charlotte Swimming, New South Swimming, Queen City Dolphins, and the Aquatic Team of Mecklenburg.

Community & Recreation Center Services Wallace Pruitt's Celebration of African American Achievers: Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center conducted our annual Black History Exhibit celebrating the achievements, inventions and contributions of African Americans. The exhibit was opened to the public from February 19-21, 2015. The program was well attended. Participants were taken on an educational journey of several pivotal events that helped shape history. This year we highlighted the "Greensboro Four" who “ sat down� to protest the laws of segregation. We also paid homage to Rosa Parks and her fight for equality. Mr. Johnson, a member of the 102nd United States Colored Troops, contributed to the event by providing a historical account of African American contributions to the United States Armed Forces. The Bruns Academy band lead by their director, Andrew Lovett, entertained the crowds each day with live music.

I would like to thank the Wallace Pruitt staff, volunteers, and vendors who donated their time and resources. The program would not have been as successful as it was without your support.

Craig Louallen, Facility Manager.

For more information about our programs and events, contact WallacePruittRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 704-432-6775.

Community & Recreation Center Services Senior Mardi Gras - 2015 Arbor Glen held its 5th Annual Senior Mardi Gras Party on Tuesday, February 24, 2015. Despite the wintery weather, 170 seniors came and participated in activities that included: Mardi Gras Bingo, a Mardi Gras fun fact trivia game, and a Senior Dance Off competition. Prizes were given to the winners and also awarded to the most “Seasoned Senior” (oldest) in attendance at the young age of 94. Lunch was provided through sponsorship by: Atria Senior Living, BG Grace Financial Group, Hawkins & Whittington Funeral Home, Holiday Retirement, and Western & Southern Life. The highlight of the event was the wonderful line dance performance by the North Mecklenburg Senior Center’s “Lucky Stars” senior dance group. They wowed the crowd with their dance moves and energetic spirits.

For more information, please contact ArborGlenOutreachCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704-432-1531.

Community & Recreation Center Services MeckTeen Ski Trip Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation and F3 Foundation partnered up to offer a MeckTeen Venture to our teenage participants from the MeckTeen Greenforce program and the Urban Outdoor Connection program. These teens were given the opportunity to visit several recreation centers and nature preserves within Mecklenburg County and volunteer their time cleaning parks, maintaining trails, and beautifying these areas. These volunteer hours were exchanged in lieu of payment for a MeckTeen activity. On Friday, February 13, twenty-eight teens traveled to Flat Top, WV and Winterplace Ski Resort for a day of skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing. This one day trip would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of the F3 Foundation.

The F3 Foundation is based on Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith. Their mission is to plant, grow, and serve small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership. This not-for-profit organization contributed a signature sponsorship of $1000 towards our event. This covered the cost of the charter bus rental for the group. We also had some of their members come along as volunteer chaperones.

The MeckTeen Greenforce Program will be offering some new volunteer opportunities March 7, April 4, and May 16 for ages 11-17 from 9-5pm at McDowell Nature Preserve. These hours earned will go toward new MeckTeen Ventures to be announced at a later date. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Anthony Shaheen and Ryan Moore at McDowell Nature Preserve, Abby Fowler at Southview Recreation Center, Olema Edwards at Arbor Glen Outreach Center, Donnie Shell at Elon Recreation Center, Nikole Rampersad at Bette Rae Recreation Center, or Kelly Hawkins at Methodist Home Recreation Center. We hope to see all your teens out there!!

Community & Recreation Center Services Southview Recreation Center “Jammin @ “The View” Jammin’ @ The View is a brand new program at Southview Recreation Center run by Recreation Specialist, Abby Fowler, on Thursdays from 4:00-5:00. She will be teaching youth ages 10-12 basic guitar skills like chords, scales, strumming, picking, and eventually songwriting! This is a free program with guitars on site for practice, making the program an extremely rare opportunity for young people to learn an instrument at no cost. For more information on programs at Southview, contact SouthviewRecreationCenter@mecklenburgcountync.gov or call 704-392-7452.

Marion Diehl “The Charlotte Woodcarvers Club” The Charlotte Woodcarvers Club – Marion Diehl Recreation Center hosted the 32nd, Annual "Showcase of Woodcarvings 2015" on February 21st & 23rd. Over 800 carvings were in competition and on display. These wonderful creations bought in woodcarving enthusiast from “far and near” and also in attendance were Jim Garges, Terri Stowers, Mario Chang, Joey Grahl and Heidi Kitterman. Vendors, Miniseminars, raffles and exhibits were all part of the day. This free admission and family friendly event is the largest woodcarving show in the Southeast.

Community & Recreation Center Services Albemarle Road Recreation Center “ Black History Quiz Bowl” On Sunday, February 22nd, the staff at Albemarle Road Recreation Center hosted a Black History Program entitled “Living the Dream”. It included a Black History Bowl contest, singing, and African dancing provided by Mufuka Works youth dancers. The cost of admission were two can goods. For more information on special events at Albemarle Road Recreation Center, contact 704-567-1941.

Community & Recreation Center Services

Spill Your Beans: Spill Your Beans is a group for young women with disabilities ages 16 and up. In February, the group met Monday, February 23rd 2015 at McAlister’s Deli on Park Road. We had a guest speaker who discussed the importance of healthy routines, and enjoyed group games. The next Spill Your Beans program will meet on Monday, March 16th 2015 and we are looking for someone who can provide information to our young ladies on how to increase their independence skills in relation to money management, budgeting, interacting with financial institutions, setting up checking accounts, etc. If you would like more information, or to register for the program please contact Ariel.Kliem@MecklenburgCountyNc.gov.

Pep Squad: The Pep Squad is a cheerleading program for individuals with disabilities ages 13-25. The program will begin March 18th! If you are interested in joining the pep squad, or would like additional information please contact Ariel.Kliem@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

Community & Recreation Center Services

School’s Out Club Youth The Therapeutic Recreation section had two full days of School’s Day Out Club on Friday February 13 and Monday February 16. On Friday, our group had a great time watching Frozen at Hickory Grove Library and then bowling at Park Lanes. We also braved the cold and played on the playground in the afternoon!

On Monday, we went to Beattie’s Ford Library for sensory story time, where we sang songs, read a story and did a fun craft. After lunch we came back for swimming at Marion Diehl! For more information about School’s Out Club for Youth, contact Stacey Thomas at Stacey.Thomas@mecklenburgcountync.gov or Melissa Johnson at Melissa.Johnson@mecklenburgcountync.gov.

Community & Recreation Center Services Challenger Basketball The Therapeutic Recreation Section just finished up the 2015 season of Challenger Basketball! This program is for youth and teens aged 6-21, and is an introduction to basic basketball skills. Nine enthusiastic players practiced dribbling, passing, and shooting with the assistance of TR Section staff, and volunteer coaches. At the end of practice, youth and teens engage in 3-on-3 scrimmages, showing off the skills they have been practicing!

GC/MS, Youth & Adult Athletics, RPSA

Arbor Glen 16 & Under Basketball Team The Arbor Glen 16U Hawks basketball team, coached by Fred Breeden, finished as the Youth Sports regular season champions and runner-up in the countywide tournament. The staff at Arbor Glen are extremely proud of the team for their efforts, dedication, and sportsmanship on and off the court! Congratulations! For more information, contact ArborGlenOutreachCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704.432.1531.

Cooperative Extension Extension Master Gardener Display Garden Mecklenburg Extension Master Gardener Volunteers have constructed a display Garden for the Southern Spring Home and Garden Show at the Park Expo and Conference Center. The garden, “Carolina Calling: A Winter Feast�, features native and non-invasive ornamental plants combined with hardy cool season edibles to provide a winter feast for gardeners and their wildlife neighbors.

Ed Davis, Horticultural Specialist with the UNCC Botanical Gardens, designed the garden which features raised bed plantings of vegetables and a paver walkway.

The Garden is designed to educate the public about native plants that can be used in their own gardens. The vegetables and ornamentals are all species and varieties that grow well in Mecklenburg County. The Extension Master Gardeners also prepared a handout that interested observers can take home that will help them use these and similar plants in their own gardens and landscapes. In addition, Extension Master Gardeners from Mecklenburg and surrounding counties are staffing the Garden while the Show is open so they can answer questions about the Garden and about other gardening topics.

Extension Master Gardeners built raised beds, laid the pavers, and installed the plants in the Garden. They planted the cool season vegetables and, with the help of the staff and greenhouses at the UNCC Botanical Gardens, grew them to display size well ahead of their normal growing season. The Garden was designed to showcase plants that do well in this area and to show techniques for pavers and raised beds that a gardener can do themselves.

Extension Master Gardeners are volunteers for the Mecklenburg Cooperative Extension Service within the Park and Recreation Department that help to educate the public about gardening topics. They conduct educational programs, demonstrations, and talks throughout the year at workshops and public events.

They also maintain demonstration gardens at Independence Park and Freedom Park year-round.

The Southern Spring Home and Garden Show is open 10am-8pm on Friday, February 27, 10am-7pm on Saturday, February 28, and 10am-5pm on Sunday, March 1. Come check out the Garden in space G-10 in Freedom Hall!

Danielle Maddox has been employed with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation for 2 years. She studied Recreation and Park Management at East Carolina University (Go Pirates).

Danielle is a Recreation Specialist with Volunteer Services and Special Events.

In January of 2014 she received her Certification as a Festival and Events Associate (CFEA) and in November she also completed her Certification as a Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP).

Ms. Maddox is passionate about recreation and began her career as a Camp Counselor working with children with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

Danielle is a huge Carolina Panthers fan, she enjoys being outdoors with her dogs (Max and Zuzu) and she spends her free time on Pinterest.

American Heart Month

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 Richard . McNeill @MecklenburgCountyNC.gov for publication assistance.

The Friday Letter Volume 3 • Issue 57 • February 27, 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