The Friday Letter | March 2, 2018

The

Accounting Tips for the week:

Immediately forward invoices to your manager or accounting, if you’re not paying with your P-card

Nature Preserves & Natural Resources Girls with Grit All three nature centers have banded together to cultivate a new program catered towards middle school age girls. The first gathering occurred recently at Latta Plantation Nature Center. Staff, Taylor Besu, Corinne Rizzo, and Kerri Hable, along with participants from all three centers came together to participate in all day event full of fun, new friends, and learning. The girls learned the science behind staying warm. They learned how birds stay warm at the Raptor Center, built and tested their own nests made out of natural materials, and learned the basics of fire building. Each event is different, so check E-Parks for the next occurrence.

Nature Preserves & Natural Resources Latta Plantation Nature Preserve recently received a shiny new plaque to recognize The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for its part in purchasing what is now the County’s largest nature preserve. Latta Plantation was originally purchased in 1975 with the help of TNC. In the past, Mecklenburg County was often the recipient of donations and/or funding from conservation groups or other government agencies, not only to help preserve the County’s natural heritage, but also to help protect a forested buffer of the Catawba River, from which Charlotte residents draw their water. The new plaque acknowledging TNC’s role in land protection in the County is located on Buzzard Rock Trail.

Community & Recreation Centers Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation Services: Paralympic GoalBall Clinic On Saturday, February 24, 2018, TIRS and Paralympic Sport Club Metrolina hosted our first Goalball Clinic in over 10 years. There was a great turnout with 8 youth and teens registering and 5 of them were brand new to both TIRS and Park & Recreation. GoalBall is a sport specifically for individuals with visual impairments. It’s played on a volleyball court, with tactile lines taped down so that players can find their positions on the court. There are 3 players on each team, with specific attack and defense strategies and maneuvers. Players and parents were very excited for the clinic, and we plan on turning it into a full 6-8 week session this spring!

Stacey.Thomas@MeckNC.Gov

Community & Recreation Centers Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation Services: Teen Challenger Basketball On Monday, February 26th, the Teen Challenger Basketball program of TIRS wrapped up its winter season. The basketball program is open to teenager with disabilities and works on typical basketball skills such as shooting, defense, and sportsmanship. Teens also work on social and communication skills through the teamwork involved in basketball.

Danielle.Dobbs@MeckNC.Gov

Community & Recreation Centers Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation Services: Sensory Friendly Tiny House On Saturday February 24th, TIRS kicked off the grand opening of The Tiny Playhouse – a Sensory Friendly Tiny House. MCPRD and TIRS received a $25,000 grant through the Walt Disney Company and the National Recreation and Parks Association’s Meet Me at the Park initiative, to build and outfit the tiny house.

The Tiny Playhouse will travel to various parks throughout Mecklenburg County, especially those parks in underserved areas. The Tiny Playhouse is a sensory friendly pace that is open to all children, and was built and designed for kids ages 10 and under.

TRInfo@MeckNC.Gov

Community & Recreation Centers Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center: Auction Fun!!

On Thursday, February 22 Bette Rae Thomas hosted its 2nd Annual Senior Auction. About 30 people participated in the auctioning off of donated items with fake money while enjoying refreshments. Some of the items auctioned off included a Carolina Panthers prize pack, a comforter, and a mini grill. More programs for youth, adults, and seniors are on the way!

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

Community & Recreation Centers Revolution Park Sports Academy: The Charlotte Boxing Academy The Charlotte Boxing Academy (CBA) will be featuring a Healthy Teen Summit.

Community Support Services and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will speak on healthy teen relationships to address violence in Teen dating and other information. Games, prizes, and activities will be used to help youth understand the importance of healthy relationships. The Charlotte Boxing Academy, Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation, and other local organizations are collaborating to encourage positive solutions. The Healthy Teen Summit will take place Saturday, March 10th, 11am to 1pm, at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center. So, if you have any Youth or Teen within your programs please send them to this event.

For additional information about this and other programs please contact RevolutionParkSportsAcademy@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 980-314-1110.

Community & Recreation Centers Tyvola and North Meck Senior Centers: The Diary of Anne Frank Senior Dress Rehearsal Participants were able to revisit the story of Anne Frank in a new contemporary form. Despite the constant fear, Anne found reasons to celebrate, learn and love in the increasingly tense living situation in an annex in Amsterdam during 1942.

As we attended the play on Valentine’s Day, it reminded everyone of the valuable lesson to not take things for granted and pursue life to the fullest. It was a nice evening for participants to spend time together on love day.

For more information about upcoming programs at Tyvola Senior Center contact us at 980.314.1320 or TyvolaSeniorCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.Gov or North Meck Senior Center at NorthMeckSeniorCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers 2018 Bluegrass Mountain Conference Swimming Championships The Bluegrass Mountain Conference Swimming Championships took place at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center February 14 - 17. The championship included the following teams: Barton College, Carson Newman University, Catawba College, Chowan, Converse, Kings College, Limestone College, Lenoir Rhyne, Mars Hill, Queens University, Salem, SCAD, and Wingate University. 332 college kids participated to win both a conference championship and qualify to compete at the Division II National Championship in Greensboro, NC. 961 kids ages 14 and under competed at the North Carolina Short Course Age Group Championship February 22 – 25 at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center. Kids competed for state championship and a chance to qualify for southern regionals held in Atlanta.

Community & Recreation Centers Shamrock Senior Center: Multicultural Group Celebrating Chinese New Year One of Shamrock Senior Center’s hidden gems is our multicultural program. Our multicultural program teaches non-American seniors English as a second language in hopes to obtain American citizenship. A vital part of the multicultural program is that we share the opportunity for our participants to learn, explore, and to get involved in as many American holidays, and traditions as possible.

Occasionally, we are able to expose the students to holidays that are not directly related to American culture. This year Chinese New Year began on February 16th and marks the beginning of the Year of the Dog. Traditionally, the holiday honored household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. It was also a time for family to come together for feasting. Last week our students were able to make traditional Chinese tangrams which were most likely invented in China between 960-1279 AD. These tangrams were popular because of their portability and good entertainment value. Tangram patterns are called “Chin-Chiao Pan” in China, meaning intriguing seven-piece puzzle. Early Chinese mathematicians used these geometric shapes in problem solving, which is a technique that is still applied in classrooms around the world today. It was a great learning lesson about another culture as well as a way for students to use their artwork to practice colors, numbers, and shapes.

For more information about upcoming programs and events contact us at 704.531.9101 or ShamrockSeniorCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Tom Sykes Recreation Center: Natural Explorers Education Last week, our Tom Sykes crew learned about all the different varieties of clouds in our Natural Explorers program. We did this by creating our very own weather window, where each description of the cloud is listed alongside a picture of the cloud. We then took our windows to the outdoors to test our projects! Looking though our window, we noticed that on that particular day we had a majority of Cumulus Clouds in the air!

For more information about our programs here at Tom Sykes, call us at 980-3141113 or email us at TomSykesRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Berewick Recreation Center: Art Adventures The children that attended our Afterschool Art Adventures program for the month of February created a wide variety of art & craft projects to take home.

During this past month, the children painted a special picture of apples, a bird house, a canvas painting, made an art sculpture of clay and made ocean picture frames, among other art projects.

For more information about our preschool programs at Berewick, call us at 980314-1102 or email at BerewickRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Methodist Home Recreation Center: After School Program Even with the cloudy weather last week, we still managed to have a blast once we finished our school work. The kids were rewarded for great behavior by having a day with the Xbox! Unfortunately for our participants, they couldn’t keep up with Mr. Donald on the sticks. We are look forward to the warm weather and games outside in the coming weeks!

For more information about our programs, events and outreach opportunities, contact MethodistHomeRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 980-314-1123.

Community & Recreation Centers Berewick Recreation Center: Cheerleading Banquet Last Saturday, the Berewick Queen Bees Cheerleading group held their end of the season banquet. The girls and their families came to share one last time to spend time together as a group to eat and receive their pictures and trophies.

Our volunteer coaches were amazing this year and they received plaques for their hard work and dedication this season. Many girls said they were coming back next year as they want to learn more cheers and attend more cheer clinics.

For more information about upcoming youth sports at Berewick, call us at 980314-1102 or email at BerewickRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Winget Recreation Center: Winget Awards and Crowned Countywide Champions of 10U Basketball The Winget Recreation Site made history last week hosting its first ever Award Ceremony to celebrate this seasons 8 basketball team turnout. This past Friday night was nothing short of amazing as over 80 plus families showed up in support of this first time event. The Winget Family gathered together for lots of food and fun as awards were presented to each participant. In addition to the team trophies, our volunteer coaches were presented with a token of our appreciation for an amazing season.

All the love and support given on Friday night carried over into the following morning as the Winget Wolverines were able to conquer a difficult victory crowning them the Countywide Champions of their 10u division. Winget Elementary School Principal Rick Mohrien was also in attendance after learning that several students were representing Winget Recreation Center this season.

A special thank you to Principal Mohrien for showing his dedication and support to the children and their athletic endeavors as they represent Winget.

For more information regarding Winget program registration, contact Winget Recreation Center at 980-314-1106 or email WingetRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Elon Recreation Center: Youth Volleyball Youth Volleyball is back and is excelling with new players. Coach Amanda is teaching the young athletes the basic skills and knowledge needed to be great.

Athletes listen intently as they learn several different drills for setting and passing. To help complete their skill they play games against one another on the court involving the new skills they have learned. This fast paced program last six weeks in an effort to push the kids to excellence. There is also a volleyball Spring Break Camp coming up April 2nd-6th, 2018 here partnered with Tom Sykes Recreation Center.

For more information regarding youth athletics and programming, contact Elon Recreation Center 980-314-1103 or email ElonRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Elon Recreation Center: Start Smart Flag Football Team work makes the dream work! Elon Recreation Center held its annual Start Smart Flag Football program this winter session. Kids had an opportunity to learn the basic fundamentals of flag football along with different plays for both offense and defense. To conclude this 6-week program, young athletes were provided with a ceremony where they were awarded footballs and medals. The children and the parents alike enjoyed watching their miniature size football athletes in the making.

For more information regarding youth programming, contact Elon Recreation Center 980-314-1103 or email at ElonRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Sugaw Creek Recreation Center: Hip-Hop Social Club The Hip-Hop Social Club is an innovative way for students to stay engaged, express their creativity and learn about the history of hip-hop. The inaugural HipHop Social Club session involved students learning and participating in each of the 5 elements of hip-hop: B’boy/break dancing, graffiti, MC’ing, DJ’ing and Beatboxing. The afterschool session of the Hip-Hop Social Club takes place every Tuesday from 4:30pm – 5:30pm. The community session for the Hip-Hop Social Club is available every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month in which all ages are welcome to attend.

For more information about our programs, events and outreach opportunities please contact SugawCreekRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or

Community & Recreation Centers Albemarle Road Recreation Center: Achieve 225 Every Tuesday & Thursday Recreation Specialists from Albemarle Road Recreation Center visit Hickory Grove Elementary School to facilitate fun filled activities for students. The goal of Achieve 225 is to improve health and learning by ensuring students get adequate physical activity throughout the school week.

The Recreation Specialist on site provide a safe and inclusive environment for the students of Hickory Grove Elementary School to "Achieve" their 225.

For more information about programs at Albemarle Road Recreation Center Contact 980-314-1101 or email AlbermarleRoadRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

Community & Recreation Centers Hickory Grove Recreation Center: ALL About Being Active This past Thursday, Hickory Grove had their All About Being Active program and we created some early spring crafts. Each person created a beautiful flower painting with some water paint. This was a craft that they could spend some time on and be creative with. After finishing that craft, we let their paintings dry and did wood paintings of things we tend to see in the spring time. They had a choice of a lady bug, a flower or butterfly. So please be on the look out to see what new activities these teens will be doing throughout the course of the year each month.

For more information, please contact the Hickory Grove Recreation Center at 980-314-1122 or send us a email at HickoryGroveRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.Gov And don’t forget to check out www.ParkAndRec.com for other more fun activities

Community & Recreation Centers West Charlotte Mardi Gras Senior Choir The West Charlotte Seniors recently performed the Mardi Gras celebration at Arbor Glen Rec center! After practicing their craft for weeks, they turned in a glowing performance as they sang 3 hymnals. The audience sang along in unison to songs that they grew up listening to. We are extremely proud of our seniors for their hard work and thank them for representing West Charlotte rec center!

For more information about our programs here at West Charlotte rec center, call us at 980-314-1120 or email us at WestCharlotterecreationcenter@mecklenburgcountync.gov

Community & Recreation Centers Ivory/Baker Recreation Center: Drop-In Gardening Have you stopped by to see our garden lately? If you haven’t, it’s a must that you do! With the help of our neighborhood teens, our garden has been beautified. Before going into the gym to sharpen their basketball skills, they worked up a decent sweat by pulling weeds, harvesting broccoli that managed to survive through the frigid night temperatures, and cleaning the walk-ways. With the weather feeling more like summer than winter this past week, we all are excited for more gardening activities in the future!

For more information about our programs please call 980-314-1112 or email: IvoryBakerRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.Gov.

Sports & Fitness and GCC/ALMS Flag Football Are you ready for some football! We got you covered with two programs. Signup today for the 1st Annual Metrolina Madness 4-on-4 Adult Flag Football Tournament on March 10th at Friendship SportsPlex. This Men’s Tournament features a fun and fast style of play for all skill levels. Want more action? Sign up for our 7-on-7 Co-Rec League starting March 7th at Freedom Park. Registration deadline for 7-on-7 Co-Rec and the deadline for the 4-on-4 Tournament is Monday, March 5th.

For More information on our Adult leagues and tournaments, visit www.parkandrec.com or connect with us by email at AdultSports@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or by phone at (980) 314-1117.

Sports & Fitness and GCC/ALMS 3-on-3 Adult Basketball It’s time to hoop-it-up Charlotte. This Spring, 3-on-3 Adult Basketball becomes the 6th league to join the Park and Recreation hoops lineup. There are four divisions to choose from‌ Open, 40 & Over, Co-Rec and Womens. It all gets underway March 26th at Tuckaseegee Recreation Center. Get off the couch and get in the game! Registration deadline is Monday, March 19th.

For More information on our Adult leagues, visit www.parkandrec.com or connect with us by email at AdultSports@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or by phone at (980) 314-1117.

Sports & Fitness and GCC/ALMS Pickleball Road Show The fastest growing Adult Sport in the country hit the road again in the second of four clinics around Charlotte. Last Thursday at Mallard Creek, USA Pickleball Ambassadors taught the basics of the game and shared tips & tricks to newcomers and veteran players in attendance. Next stop: Hickory Grove on Mar. 5th between 5-7pm. The Pickleball Road Show makes its last stop at Tom Sykes (Mar. 29).

For more information on our Pickleball Clinics or Tournaments, visit www.parkandrec.com or connect with us by email at AdultSports@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or phone at 980-314-1117.

Sports & Fitness and GCC/ALMS Grady Cole Center: CIAA Celebrity Basketball Game On Saturday, March 3rd, the CIAA celebrity basketball game will be back at the Grady Cole Center! The Official 2018 tournament weekend, "Celebrity Basketball Takeover”! Music by Dj Ngenius, Dj Ace and Dj Shyy. Hosted by Chewy, Mugsy, Moneyman Jones and Mario the mic man.

The event will be "Rookies vs. Vets", as the top Mecklenburg high school players and celebrity rookies go head to head with celebrity veterans. Comedian Fatboy SSE will be the referee alongside Brinca from “Love and Hip Hop New York”.

Come join YFN Lucci and other celebrities shoot it out at halftime with a three point contest.

5841 Brookshire Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28216 (980) 314-1000

Recreate All Year!

Subscribe to the Park and Recreation E-Newsletter to learn of new and exciting way stop 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 8 • Issue 08 • March 2 2018

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 Leslie Johnson, Interim Director Michael Kirschman, Deputy Director Renea Barber, Human Resources Mario Chang, Budget Administration Lee Jones, Capital Planning Terri Stowers, Community and Recreation Center Services Peter Cook, Park Operations Chris Matthews, Nature Preserves and Natural Resources