The Friday Letter | March 4, 2016

The

Hats Off to Dr. Seuss's Birthday!

March 2nd is Dr. Seuss’s birthday—what better way to celebrate than to read? Did you know Dr. Seuss would be 112 this year? While he is no longer with us, his legacy lives on in the pages of his books. He forever changed the way children’s books were written and continues to inspire generations. So this month, why not host a fun, whimsical party?

Read Dr. Seuss books, use your imagination, and be silly!

Nature Preserves and Natural Resources U.S. Marine Corps Recognizes Support of Park and Recreation Staff: A certificate of appreciation was presented to the Operations staff at McDowell Nature Preserve for their support in arranging a USMC Special Ops Command training exercise. The recognition was presented by Marine Regiment 3X. We are proud to support the men and women serving in the United States Military.

Nature Preserves and Natural Resources Beavers in the Nature Preserves Often when beavers show up on someone’s property, they are unwelcome and major efforts to remove them are taken. Beavers by nature cut down trees which they use for food and shelter. They also build substantial dams to back water up on the property. Depending on where you live, this may not be desirable activity, even though they are fascinating creatures to observe.

At the Cowan’s Ford Wildlife Refuge there is a colony of beavers living in the viewing ponds. Cowan’s Ford is closed to the public with the exception of a parking lot and a viewing deck where people can observe wildlife. The ponds are visible from the viewing deck, however beavers are usually active at night when the refuge is closed.

Community & Recreation Centers 33rd Wood Carvers Showcase: The Charlotte Wood Carvers had the 33rd Annual Showcase of Woodcarvings at Marion Diehl Recreation Center this past weekend. Over 500 in attendance with over 100 carvers present from multiple states. Demonstrations, displays, and vendors kept all entertained. Internationally known wood carving legend, Tom Wolfe lead carving competitions both Saturday and Sunday. Marion Diehl own Lifeguard, Garilyn Callicott placed in multiple categories, even earning 1st place in three specific.

More can be found at http://charlottewoodcarvers.com/

Community & Recreation Centers Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center: Bid Whist On Tuesday, February 23the seniors from Bette Rae Thomas held their Bid Whist Card Tournament. Seniors from North Carolina and South Carolina came together for some friendly trash talking competition and fun. 32 people were in attendance. The winners were Mr. James Sturdivant. Bid Whist Tournaments are held every 3 months.

For more information on programs, call 980-314-1111 or email BetteRaeThomasRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

Community & Recreation Centers Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center: Seniors Got Game On Thursday February 25, seniors came out to participate in the Seniors Got Game “ Name That Tune� Competition. The seniors went through a variety of 53 songs from the 60's to the 80's, naming the artist as well as the title. 22 seniors were in attendance. Seniors Got Game is a program that takes place every other Thursday from 10:30 - 11:30am.

The program is free. For more information on programs, call 980-314-1111 or email BetteRaeThomasRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

Community & Recreation Centers Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center-Hip Hop Youth: On Thursday, February 25, 5pm- 8pm our “Hip Hop” youth program from Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center took a field trip to Imaginon. Our students were able to see and hear different speakers talking about the education of Hip Hop and the culture, including an observation of different artists that displayed their artwork and skills of what Hip Hop meant to our youth. Hip Hop is an urban youth culture originating in the 1980's in New York City, involving such forms of expression as hip-hop music, b-boying, and graffiti art. It is a style of music, usually based on rap, which often includes elements of other styles such as funk or rhythm and blues. We would like to thank Imaginon for hosting such an amazing program that touched the personal lives of our youths and we look forward to continuing to educate today’s children on the various contents which make up our fast growing and diverse society.

For more information about our programs and events, contact WallacePruittRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 980-314-1114

Community & Recreation Centers Naomi Drenan Recreation Center: GSP Skate Photography and Filming Class The first of three sessions for the GSP Skate Photography and Filming Class was held this past Saturday, February 27th from 11am to 3pm for youth ages 10-17.

The group of young skateboarders showed up to the park ready to not just to skate, but capture the moments that keep skaters coming back for more despite all the scabs and hard knocks that come with the sport. The photos turned out awesome and the skaters in them were beyond stoked to see their experiences captured in a way that showed off the height and style of their tricks.

For more information about our programs, events and outreach opportunities, contact NaomiDrenanRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 980-314-1100.

Community & Recreation Centers Tom Sykes Recreation Center: Afterschool Programs Tom Sykes Recreation Center just finished its second cycle of "Lights-CameraAction!" Theatre Arts Afterschool Program. The kids enjoyed creating their own puppet stages using cardboard boxes and a variety of art supplies and a selection of farm animal hand puppets and props using cloth and paper bags. They also teamed up to write their own scripts to explore their creativity to perform their own puppet shows.

For more information about Tom Sykes Afterschool programs email TomSykesRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or contact 980-314-1113.

Community & Recreation Centers Berewick Recreation Center: Play House Parties/Rentals The Ray Playhouse at Berewick Recreation Center was in full swing this past weekend with three birthday parties. The theme of one of these parties was touchdowns and tutus. Patrons can rent RAY’s Play House during operating hours for $31.00 per hour at a minimum of 2 hours.

For more information on upcoming programs and party rentals, contact staff at BerewickRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 980.314.1102.

Community & Recreation Centers Tom Sykes Recreation Center: Start Smart Basketball We just finished our last week of Start smart basketball here at Tom Sykes Recreation Center. During this 5 week program, our little 3 & 4 year old stars learned basic techniques and practices of the game of basketball. We worked on dribbling, conditioning, shooting and passing as the kids learned how to play the game. This program was such a success, that both the parents and their kids asked to have an additional session which is underway right now!

For more information on additional programs we offer email us at TomSykesRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call us at 980-314-1113.

Community & Recreation Centers Naomi Drenan Recreation Center: Youth Basketball Playoff Games Naomi Drenan hosted several first round playoff games for youth basketball. We had a packed house, as family and friends filled in the stands. The games played on Tuesday were thrillers! One of the games was decided by a single point, and the fans and players were ecstatic the whole time. The NDRC Storm settled the game with some clutch free throws in the second half and will move on to play again Thursday evening. Naomi Drenan Recreation Center is excited to host the next round of games and to get started with the older age groups as well.

For more information about our programs, events and outreach opportunities, contact NaomiDrenanRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 980.314.1100.

Community & Recreation Centers Revolution Park Sports Academy - Boxing Fitness Classes: Al Simpson, Recreation Specialist, is providing a Park and Recreation Boxing Program for Seniors. Boxing Fitness Classes are held at Revolution Park Sports Academy (1225 Remount Road, Charlotte, NC 28208) Mondays and Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 a.m. Classes teach the basics of No Contact boxing, moving around and hitting the bag, the fundamental punches of boxing, along with conditioning, cardio, team games, circuit training and more. So come on out and join the fun! Classes are for ages 50+ Active Older Adults and is FREE. For information on this and other boxing program classes, contact RevolutionParkSportsAcademy@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 980-314-1116.

Community & Recreation Centers Albemarle Road Recreation Center: Youth 'N' Motion Albemarle Road will now be incorporating a new program just for kids! Youth 'N' Motion focuses on keeping kids active and moving. Through various activities and sports, kids will use both their mental and motor skills to keep them healthy. This past week, the kids participated in various team building activities as well as "competition-like" drills. Youth 'N' Motion is open to any child in the community free of charge and class meets every Wednesday from 4:00pm4:30pm.

For more information about this program or any other program here at Albemarle Road, contact us at 980-314-1101, or send an email to Albemarleroadrecreationcenter@mecklenburgcountync.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Hickory Grove Recreation Center: We Cheer We Perform We love HGRC Hickory Grove Recreation Center has developed a great community partnership with Young Champions Cheer Leading program. The cheer leaders meet once a week to learn cheers, competition routines, jumps and other forms of cheering.

The girls are very energetic and enthusiastic to come every week. Young Champions has provided an affordable activity for young girls and Hickory Grove Recreation has provided a safe place for them to come show their spirit. They are also preparing to participate in Mecklenburg County’s Cheer exhibition at Tom Sykes Recreation March 12,2016 from 2:30pm-4:30pm. Hickory Grove Recreation Center will be adding a new cheerleading program coming next fall for basketball season and added cheer clinics of their own. With this great partnership who can say Hickory Grove Recreation center does not have spirit. We have spirit yes we DO! For more information regarding programing and youth activities call 980-3144-1122 or email us at HickoryGroveRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Ivory/Baker Recreation Center: Leap Year Frogs To celebrate Leap Year the children in the Anita Stroud After School program at Ivory/Baker learned all the facts and science behind why we need an extra day in February every 4 years. Then we got to the fun stuff and made frogs with blow horn tongues. Each child enjoyed personalizing there frogs and blowing out their “tongues�.

For more information about our upcoming programs, contact the staff at IvoryBakerRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 980.314.1112.

Community & Recreation Centers Mallard Creek Recreation Center: Forcing Paper whites to Bloom The Little Tykes Nature Program and the Senior Nutrition Program have been learning about plants that come from bulbs. In an ongoing program that forces Paper white Narcissuses to bloom in the indoors during the winter. They placed stones in a cup and just covered them with water, then they placed the bulb on top. The plant was kept out of the sun until roots formed then moved into the sun and allowed to bloom.

Sports & Fitness and GC/ALMS Adult Softball: The last day for Softball registration for the spring 2016 league is this Monday March 7th. Registration forms are available on the website at http:// charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Athletics/Adult_Athletics/ Pages/Softball.aspx The new season for softball will be starting on March 14th.

For more information on adult leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 704-432-3095 or 980-314-1355

Sports & Fitness and GC/ALMS

Sports & Fitness and GC/ALMS Adult Basketball: The Men’s A league basketball finished their regular season games on Thursday March 3rd. The playoff games will start this coming Tuesday March 8th. Games are played at the Ivory Baker Recreation Center starting at 7pm on Tuesdays and the Tuckaseegee Recreation Center starting at 8pm on Thursdays. There are a total of seven teams participating for the championship this season.

For more information on adult leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 704432-3095 or 980-314-1355.

Sports & Fitness and GC/ALMS Adult Volleyball: The Co-Rec B volleyball playoffs will started this Monday, February 29th. Games are played at the Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center starting at 6:30pm. There are a total of five teams participating for the championship this season.

For more information on adult volleyball leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 980-314-1356.

Sports & Fitness and GC/ALMS Adult Volleyball: Co-Rec B volleyball finished their regular season games on Monday February 22nd. The playoff games will start this coming Monday February 29th. Games are being played at Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center starting at 6:30pm. There are a total of five teams participating for the championship this season.

For more information on adult volleyball leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 980-314-1356.

Sports & Fitness and GC/ALMS Adult Volleyball: Co-Rec BB volleyball started their spring season on Wednesday February 24th.

Games will be played at Tom Sykes rec center starting at 6:30pm. There are a total of seven teams participating in the league this season.

For more information on adult volleyball leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 980-314-1356.

Sports & Fitness and GC/ALMS Adult Softball: Softball registration for the spring 2016 league is still open for returning teams and new teams. Registration forms are available on the website at http:// charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Athletics/Adult_Athletics/ Pages/Softball.aspx until March 7th. The new season for softball will be starting on March 14th.

For more information on adult leagues please visit our website at www.parkandrec.com, or call us at 704-432-3095 or 980-314-1355.

Sports & Fitness and GC/ALMS

Roller Derby hosted by the Charlotte Roller Girls Saturday, March 5th Doors and box office open at 4:30pm http://charlotterollergirls.com/

Around Park and Rec Congratulations to Staff members Chris Hunter and Malcom Sanders. Their daughter’s and Sugaw Creek Mentee Chantel Williams completed an outstanding H.S. basketball season with a record of 26-2. They also won there conference championship and there conference tournament way to go Lady Mavericks.

It should be noted that Coach “CJ” Johnson has done an outstanding job with the program at MCHS for many years now! Not only does he teach skills on the court, but he also places an emphasis on being a good student and citizen. I am very happy and proud that my girls are at MCHS and look forward to 3 more years of working with CJ! We will get a RING!!!

Around Park and Rec

Here is a pic of Andreal Shelton, Genni Reel, and Michael Kirschman accepting a $8400 donation from the Rotary Club of North Meck for the Ramsey Swim Beach.

The donation is for lifeguard chairs and umbrellas at the beach. Big thanks to the Rotary for thinking of P&R!

5841 Brookshire Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28216 (980) 314-1000

Recreate All Year!

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Park Partners may contact The Friday Letter Team at Richard . McNeill @MecklenburgCountyNC.gov for publication assistance.

The Friday Letter Volume 6 • Issue 07 • March 4, 2016

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 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