The Friday Letter | November 16, 2018

The

Accounting Tips for the week:

Ensure staff signatures are legible.

New addition at the Latta Nature Center This week Latta Nature Center celebrated the newest addition to our team, Kristin Rosser. Kristin, who is a North Carolina Certified Environmental Educator, is taking on the role of Outdoor Recreation Specialist after spending two seasons as an Environmental Educator at Reedy Creek Nature Center. At Reedy Creek, she developed new summer camps, facilitated school fieldtrips, and assisted in organizing the annual Hummingbird Festival.

We are over the moon about Kristin joining our team. Her experience and passion for the natural world will certainly help to further our mission to foster awareness and stewardship through outdoor recreation!

Community & Recreation Centers Dinner- “Dead Men Do Tell Tales” Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation Services continued their monthly murder mystery dinners with a pirate theme for the month of November. The dinner took place at the Tyvola Senior Center. During the program, participants are encouraged to come dressed in a costume based off the character description provided or may borrow costumes/props to wear for the evening. The mystery is broken into four different rounds, and clue cards are provided to participants during each round. While remaining in character, participants are encouraged to use effective communication when speaking and listening to others. As more clues unfold, participants use problem solving skills to determine who they believe to be the “killer”. This month there was even a “treasure hunt” where participants used the map and clues provided to determine where Captain Bloodheart buried his treasure.

Stephanie.Myers@mecknc.gov

Community & Recreation Centers Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation Services: Paralympic GoalBall GoalBall is a sport specifically for individuals with visual impairments. Our fall season has been focused on youth ages 6-12 playing! Goalball is 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.

Stacey.Thomas@MeckNC.Gov

Community & Recreation Centers The Nations Ford Site (School Day Out Program): The Nations Ford recreation site offered to the community to provide a fun and safe place to take your children when schools are closed. Our School Day Out program is an Free program that offers arts & crafts, nature programs, gardening, physical activities and more‌ On October 31st program our kids had the opportunity to play nature bingo, make Halloween ghost/Skeletons, and learn about plants in our garden.

For more information, please contact; the Arbor Glen Outreach Center at 980-314-1110 or ArborGlenOutreachCenter@MecklenburgcCuntync.gov

Community & Recreation Centers Nations Ford After-School Program: This week at the Nations Ford Afterschool program, the kids had a visit from the McDowell Nature Preserve. The kids had a chance to play games and do activities, that taught them the difference between reptiles and amphibian. Our After-School program is an Free program, offered all school long. We tutor, mentor, do arts & crafts, nature programs, gardening, physical activities and more‌

For more information, please contact; the Arbor Glen Outreach Center at 980-314-1110 or ArborGlenOutreachCenter@Meckelburgcountync.gov

Community & Recreation Centers Tyvola Senior Center and North Meck Senior Center Join Together to Visit the Apple Orchard As a kickoff to the fall season, there wasn’t a better time to pick apples for the upcoming Holidays. With that in mind, we visited the Apple Orchard in Morganton, NC. It was a perfect overcast day as we toured the Apple Hill Orchard. Participants were educated on bees and honey production, visited the Cider Mill where they could see the process of how the apples were sorted, and completed tasting of the various apples and cider. The picturesque view of the mountains made the trip more memorable.

For more information about upcoming programs, contact us at 980-314-1320 or TyvolaSeniorCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Tom Sykes Recreation Center: Jr. Chefs Tuesday at Tom Sykes means it’s time for our Junior Chefs to put on their gloves and whip up some delicious meals! Our kids had the chance to chop up colorful vegetables and used fresh herbs to create yummy Quesadillas and Pico de Gallo. After all the slicin’, dicin’ and cookin’, we enjoyed our tasty creations. Stay tuned for what our chefs will make next!

For more information about our programs at Tom Sykes, call us at 980-314-1113 or email us at TomSykesRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Elon Recreation Center: Disc Golf It may be cold outside but it’s not stopping things at Elon. Outdoor disc golf is a hot commodity here at our recreation center. Rain or shine, we can count on the community showing up. With all types of terrain, the disc golf course allows for all levels to get a challenging experience when playing. With over 2 miles worth of trails, Elon plays host to tournaments and events for the state.

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

Community & Recreation Centers Naomi Drenan Recreation Center: Midday Mile Program Naomi Drenan’s Midday Mile Program turned into a family affair as the mothers of students in our 4-H Club Class took to the gym for a 30-minute low-impact walk around the newly refinished gym while tracking their steps on pedometers and documenting their laps on lap cards given to all attendees. The Midday Mile Program is held every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30pm – 1:30pm.

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

Community & Recreation Centers Naomi Drenan Recreation Center: Senior Learn Series The “Senior Learn Series� began a new season of free informative workshops for adults in the Charlotte community. The 2018-2019 series is held on the second Thursday of the month from October through March. The series is a partnership with Charlotte Club of NANBPWC. ttendees at the October series received information on Disaster Prepareness from Woody Williams, Amreican Red Cross Emergencey Volunteer.

Attendees at the November series receivd informaiton on Health & SelfManagement Programs from Margaret White, Wellness and Volunteer Coordinator for Centralina Area Agency On Aging.

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

Community & Recreation Centers Berewick Recreation Center: A Private Paint N Sip with MDRC Staff Aquatics Staff from Marion Diehl Recreation Center took a moment for a team building exercise at the Berewick Recreation Center for a Paint N Sip class.

Though none of these participants claim they have any artistic talent, Recreation Specialist, Cara Helfer, who teaches the class, begs to differ. They painted their interpretation of the Autumn themed painting seen in one of the pictures below. Unlike other Paint N Sip classes around Charlotte, these classes are nonalcoholic, and yet these participants enjoyed themselves immensely.

For more information about our upcoming December Paint N Sip class on Monday, Dec. 17th, contact staff at BerewickRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 980.314.1102.

Community & Recreation Centers Wallace Pruitt: Party at the Polls In efforts to bring awareness to the importance of voting, Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center hosted a Party at the Polls event on election day. This program was geared towards getting local college students of Johnson C. Smith University to vote during this past election. Students gathered on campus and marched as a unit to Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center to exercise their voting rights. Recreation Specialist Akwari Roberson teamed up with non-profit Black Alliance to provide music, food, and recreation games and activities for the students. City of Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, made an appearance to show her support of the student’s efforts in making their voices heard through voting.

The center’s namesake Mr. Wallace Pruitt was also on site to welcome the student as their march ended at the front door of the recreation center. This first -time event was a sure success and looks to be a reoccurring event on election days.

For more information about our programs please contact Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center at 980-314-1114 or email at WallacePruittRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center: Fall Sports Awards The Bette Rae Thomas 8U Panthers Soccer team and the Lil Ray Warriors basketball team both recently completed their fall seasons and celebrated with food, fun, and awards!! Each player received a participation trophy while coaches reminisced about their outstanding performances. All players improved greatly over the season and we look forward to them taking what they learned into future seasons with Park and Recreation and beyond! Special thanks to Coach Henry and Coach Martin!

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

Community & Recreation Centers Mallard Creek Recreation Center Presents… Farm City Week!

Mallard Creek Hosted Mecklenburg County’s Farm City Week Celebration on Nov 8th. This event highlighted the agriculture programs that Mallard Creek Recreation Center offers. The event was sponsored by Mecklenburg County Farm Bureau and attended by community members and politicians.

To celebrate Farm City Week the event included, a presentation about the programs and initiatives that Mallard Creek Recreation Center offers and lots of fun activities including tractors for people to sit and take pictures on, tours of facility and garden areas as well as a test your Meck AG IQ interactive walking activity. Those in attendance also had the opportunity to participate in a program that has been offered to preschoolers at the center. The activity involved all things pumpkin, from counting the number of ribs, measuring circumference, guessing the number of seeds and even testing the theory of “Do pumpkins really float?” The activity also included information about how a pumpkin starts as a seed on the farm and ends up on your table, including fun information about NC pumpkin production.

For more information about our programs please contact the Mallard Creek Recreation Center at 980-314-1121 or email Mallard CreekRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.Gov and don’t forget to check out www.ParkandRec.com for other more fun activities department wide.

Community & Recreation Centers Arbor Glen Outreach Center: Fall Festival On Saturday October 27th, The Arbor Glen Outreach Center partnered with the parents of Michael Johnson, and the Mecklenburg County fire department to host their annual Fall Festival. Activities included Face Painting, Arts & Crafts, Pop Up Tent Maze, Bounce House, Corn Hole Toss, Giant Connect Four, Basketball, concluded with a Costume Contest. Participants also had the opportunity to play in a state of the art video game truck and enjoy free festive food. A special thanks to DJ Vendetta for providing festive music for the event and to “Sparky� (Fire Department Mascot) for making an appearance.

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

Community & Recreation Centers Arbor Glen Outreach Center: Nations Ford Aster School Program This week at the Nations Ford Afterschool program, the kids had a visit from the McDowell Nature Preserve. The kids had a chance to play games and do activities, that taught them the difference between reptiles and amphibian. Our After -School program is an Free program, offered all school long. We tutor, mentor, do arts & crafts, nature programs, gardening, physical activities and more.

For more information, please contact; the Arbor Glen Outreach Center at 980-314-1110 or ArborGlenOutreachCenter@Meckelburgcountync.gov

Community & Recreation Centers West Charlotte Recreation Center: Nature Tots West Charlotte Recreation Center has officially started its nature program with Environmental Educator, Shelby Harris! Nature Tots is a nature-based program for children ages 3-4 years old. We are currently exploring everything surrounding trees such as, leaves, seeds, bark, birds, etc. The children love listening to Mrs. Shelby read the book “Leaf Man� because it allows them to see a variety of animals made from leaves and use their imagination. We also enjoy the opportunity to go outside and collect an assortment of leaves, seeds, acorns and pine cones! We look forward to seeing this program continue to grow!

For more information about our programs here at West Charlotte Recreation Center, call us at 980-314-1120 or email us at WestCharlotteRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

Sports & Fitness and GCC/ALMS Revolution Park Sports Academy: Basketball Ball Handling Clinic Youth basketball season is right around the corner and coaches at Revolution Park Sports Academy will fine tune your ball handling skills! The clinics take place Friday evenings from 6:00 pm to 7:15pm and runs through December 14th (no class November 23rd). The Individual class rate is $5.00.

To register or for more information, please contact Revolution Park Sports Academy at 980-314-1116 or visit www.parkandrec.com.

Volunteer Services/Commemorative Events Dedication of the Howard Levine Tennis Center @ Queens University A unique public-private partnership between Queens University of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation is making it so that more people will have access to tennis. The Queens Tennis Complex at Marion Diehl Park is the newest addition to the 65-acre sports facility located on Tyvola Road. The tennis complex has 13 lighted tennis courts, including a championship court that includes bleacher seating for up to 200 people. The new 6,200 sq. ft. Tennis Center includes a 500 sq. ft. community room with a catering kitchen making it perfect for meetings and social gatherings. Queens University will have access to the Complex 40% of the time for their student athletes to train and play. The remaining 60% of time the facility will be open to the public for recreation and league play. ADA accessibility throughout the complex allows Marion Diehl to serve as an excellent venue for Mecklenburg County Therapeutic Recreation programming.

photos courtesy of Tricia Coyne

Volunteer Services/Commemorative Events Volunteer Projects in the Parks are wrapping up for the year…

Park & Recreation offers group Volunteer projects from March through midNovember…and the time has come to finish Park projects for the winter! We are THANKFUL for all of the HUNDREDS of Volunteers who have come out, on weekdays and on Saturdays, to help keep our Parks, Nature Preserves and Greenways clean, maintained and beautiful! The final projects for this year include: • Saturday projects at Latta Plantation Nature Center gardens, Stewart Creek Greenway and McAlpine Creek Greenway • Tree planting and invasive plant removal at Latta Park – Big Thanks to the Neighborhood Association!

• Bank of America removing HUGE invasive bamboo at Park Road Park

Volunteer Services/Commemorative Events

Volunteer Services/Commemorative Events Volunteers make Park & Recreation events AWESOME! We couldn’t put on the BEST events without our great Volunteers! We had a SPOOK-tacular time at Creepy Crawly Critter-Ween at Reedy Creek Nature Center; Ray’s Haunted Tour and Halloween Carnival – at Ray’s Splash Planet, of course; and during Halloween Havoc at Bette Rae Thomas Center. Volunteers helped out with face painting, games, crafts and other FUN activities!

WATCH FOR MORE HOLIDAY EVENTS COMING SOON!

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 FridayLetterTeam@MecklenburgCountyN C.gov for publication assistance.

The Friday Letter Volume 8 • Issue 44• November 16, 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 Lee Jones, Director Peter Cook, Deputy Director Renea Barber, Human Resources Liz Morrell, Strategic Planning and Evaluation Lorraine Bias, Budget Administration Vacant, Capital Planning Terri Stowers, Community and Recreation Center Services Vacant, Park Operations Chris Matthews, Nature Preserves and Natural Resources