The Friday Letter | August 3, 2018

The

Accounting Tip for the week:

Make sure the name on refund forms match the payer.

Nature Preserve & Natural Resources SCNP Forest Assessment Starting in late spring Natural Resources staff conduct a series of plot assessments within several Nature Preserves. These plots represent one-tenth of an acre and there is a plot every acre within the preserve boundary. These plots are marked by a numbered tag, pink flagging, yellow spray paint, and a capped rebar to ensure the exact location can be found in the future. When doing forest assessment, staff estimate invasive cover and take measurements of the mature tree species found in the plot. All the Nature Preserves are on a rotation to ensure that each preserve is assessed in totality; these forest assessment plots are surveyed every 10 years. When looking back on data, staff can see how the forest ecosystem has changed over the past 10 years and look into the reason for any or no change.

Nature Preserve & Natural Resources Latta Plantation Nature Center It may be August but summer camp is still going strong here at Latta! Our campers are more adventurous than ever; we’ve dived into the chilly waters of Carrigan’s Quarry, scrambled up boulders the size of a house, explored the woods on horseback, and have come face to face with modern-day dinosaurs! The kids are having a blast exploring the natural world around them and their counselors are enjoying the chance to play along. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer brings!

If you’d like to learn more about Latta Plantation Summer Camps, call the Nature Center 980-314-1129.

Community & Recreation Centers Tyvola Senior Center: TYSC Candi’s Cooking Corner Participants come together on the first Tuesday of every month to enjoy quick and easy nutritious recipes prepared by staff. This month participants took pleasure in eating the Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint. It was such a delight and refreshing that each participant left with the recipe to make on their own.

For more information about upcoming programs, contact us at 980.314.1320 or TyvolaSeniorCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.

Community & Recreation Centers Wallace Recreation Center: Summer Camp (Biking Week) Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center hosted its first Biking Camp last week. Campers were able to learn all about bike safety and the basics of bike riding. Campers who couldn’t ride, were taught how to during the week. Campers spent their week sharpening their bike riding skills and knowledge by practicing avoidance drills, taking group rides on the greenway, and learning how to change a flat tire. Campers also visited Uptown Cycles where they learned about the newly released E-Bikes that are electrically powered and require very little peddling, and other kinds of bikes that are used for different types of riding.

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

Community & Recreation Centers Albemarle Road Recreation Center: Summer Camp Saturdays!

Summer camp not in the budget this year? If so, Albemarle Road Recreation Center has partnered with St. Paul’s Presbyterian church to host a free camp on Saturdays. The camp runs 10:30am until 2pm. Throughout the camp the participants are engaged in multiple forms of art including but not limited to dancing, arts and crafts. The children learning and participating in not only physical movements but mental activities is what makes this a thriving partnership.

For more information on this program and any other programs at Albemarle Road Recreation Center, please contact us at 980-314-1101

Community & Recreation Centers Ivory/Baker Recreation Center: Summer Camp I.M.P.A.C.T. This past week, campers visited the Mecklenburg County Recycle Center for a tour of the facilities. They watched a couple of videos on what is allowed to be recycled and received first hand tips on how to upcycle discarded materials into new, useful items.

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

Community & Recreation Centers West Charlotte: 2018 Xtreme Camp: Into the Wild West Charlotte Recreation Center continued its summer camp adventures with animal week! This week the campers went to Zootastic, McDowell Nature Center and Lazy 5. We all enjoyed the wagon rides, petting zoos, and the various animal encounters throughout the week. Some of the animals we saw were kangaroos, snakes, lions, giraffes, lemurs and we were even splashed with mud by the water buffaloes! Animal week was a blast and we look forward to splash week next!

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

Community & Recreation Centers Sugaw Creek Recreation Center: Not Your Average Sports Camp Last week 21 campers between the ages of 5 – 12 have gathered at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center to attend the “Not Your Average Sports Camp” hosted by Recreation Specialist Elliott Richardson. “Not Your Average Sports Camp” focuses on learning a different sport each day with the consistent theme of teamwork, accountability and healthy communication. Some of the sports featured are Lacrosse, Disc Golf, Volleyball and Badminton. Campers participate in a variety of drills that focus on skills that translate across all sports, including footwork, balance and hand-eye coordination. “Not Your Average Sports Camp” will culminated with a grand pizza party on Friday.

For more information regarding programs, events and outreach opportunities contact us at 980.314.1124 or email SugawCreekRecreationCenter@MeckNC.gov

Community & Recreation Centers Tom Sykes Recreation Center: Summer Camp Music Week This week at Tom Sykes Rec. Center, we experienced music in a big way! Each day we listened to and learned a different type of music, ranging from Jazz to Country, and learned about famous artist from each genre. In the afternoons, we learned how to dance Bachata, square dancing, and broke it down with the Cha-Cha Slide and Cupid Shuffle on several occasions. The kids enjoyed learning how to dance as a group and traded partners during different dances to spin and dip their friends. After learning about so many artist, we took a trip to the Charlotte Music Hall of fame, where kids got to explore local musicians from the past and show off the knowledge and skills they had learned this week. The highlight of camp was having Houdini the magician come in and blow the kids minds with doves appearing from thin air, mind reading, and tons of tricks! Campers can’t wait to see what’s in store for next week.

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

Community & Recreation Centers Shamrock Senior Center: Celebrating National Watermelon Month In celebration of National Watermelon Month, SCNP and Shamrock Senior Center invited our participants to enjoy the juicy summer staple, watermelon. To enhance the delicious fruit, we decided to put together a watermelon bar, where participants were able to add different flavors and see how it changed the watermelons flavor. The point of the program was to show partakers that even if they pick a fruit that is not very sweet, or tasty, you can improve it with different things found around the kitchen. On the watermelon bar we provided enhancers such as mint and basil, which gave the watermelon a different taste all together. This was a great healthy and fun treat for our seniors to explore with their taste buds.

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

Community & Recreation Centers Berewick Recreation Center: Berewick’s Camp Adventure Week 6 The sixth week of Camp Adventure’s theme was Science Week. Campers spent the week making slime, how to examine their fingerprints, and made their own ice cream. Yummy! Houdini stopped by on Monday for a magic show for Berewick, Winget and Elon Summer Camps. The children were captivated with the different tricks he performed. Friday’s field trip was fun and educational as they went swimming at Lingerberger Park Pool in the morning and after lunch the campers went to the Schiele Museum for a visit and take in a talk about some of the animals they have there.

For more information about our youth programs, contact BerewickRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or call 980.314.1102.

Community & Recreation Centers Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation Services: Northern Adventures - Teens The Teens are rocking in Huntersville! Each week we engage in sports, crafts, puzzles and games to develop social skills, and to encourage making independent choices and having creative thoughts. Our current favorites are Human Hungry Hippos, Minute to Win It Challenges and everything involving music! We make each therapeutic moment feel like play!

Danielle.Dobbs@MeckNC.gov

Sports & Fitness and GCC/ALMS Adult Kickball The first Kickball Tournament of Champions competition took place at Friendship SportsPlex on Saturday, July 28. In a tough defensive match, “No Fly Zone” of the MARS Kickball League defeated “Charlotte’s Finest” of the Goombay Kickball League, 1-0, to win the crown as the Top Kickball League in Mecklenburg County. It’s a redemptive victory for No Fly Zone as they lost to Charlotte’s Finest, 1-0, in the Metrolina Kickball Classic on June 2.

For more information on our Adult tournaments and 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 Adult Volleyball For the second time in the last three seasons, Team Grind wins the Co-Rec B Volleyball League title at Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center. Overall, it’s their third championship dating back to the Spring of 2017. Monday, Team Grind’s quest for back-to-back begins as the Fall League resumes at Wallace Pruitt.

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

Volunteer Services/Commemorative Events The VOLUNTEER Numbers Are In For Fiscal Year 2017-2018 Do you know how valuable our Volunteers’ hours are? From July 2017 through June 2018, here’s how the numbers stack up: • According to www.independentsector.org, the national average value of Volunteer time is $24.69 per hour!

• 7,920 Volunteers gave 53,871 HOURS of their time in FY 2017-2018 for Park & Recreation programs, sports, events and projects • These hours added $1,330,070 in value to YOUR Park & Recreation Department!!

At Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation, VOLUNTEERS play a HUGE role in making our Parks, Nature Preserves, Recreation Centers and Facilities our community’s FAVORITE places to Play, Relax, Rejuvenate and Recreate! THANK YOU to ALL OF OUR AWESOME VOLUNTEERS! For more information on Volunteering for any of our programs or projects, or about any upcoming Commemorative Events, please contact: - Karen Howard at 980-314-1046 or Karen.Howard@MeckNC.gov - Pamela Thomas at 980-314-1059 or Pamela.Thomas@MeckNC.gov

Volunteer Services/Commemorative Events Meet The Surfriders This energetic group from the Charlotte Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation came out on Saturday, July 21 at McDowell Nature Preserve on the shores of Lake Wylie…and made a HUGE impact! They gave their Saturday morning to clean up the shoreline area. “The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network.” THANK YOU to the Surfriders for helping to keep our shoreline clean and healthy!

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 29 • August 3, 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, Sr. Fiscal Administrator Vacant, Capital Planning Terri Stowers, Community and Recreation Center Services Vacant, Park Operations Chris Matthews, Nature Preserves and Natural Resources