There is A LOT going on in prep for Spring

COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTER SERVICES

Summer Day Camp Featured on Fox News Rising: On Monday, February 15, our new Recreation Coordinator for Youth Programming, Joyce Tompkins, was featured on Fox News Rising to discuss the Summer Day Camp options available through Park and Recreation. Joyce highlighted activities that would be featured within the Department operated camps as well as referring viewers to the newest edition of our Get Going Guide where they could find a full listing of all summer day camp options. The conversation also addressed why families need to begin exploring and making their summer day camp choices early so that children will not miss out on the opportunity to attend. Joyce also shared information on how parents can prepare their children for their summer experience.

Therapeutic Recreation Awards: The Therapeutic Recreation Section was awarded the 2010 Distinguished Therapeutic Recreation Department Award by NCRPA. This award looks at TR Departments around the state and celebrates the department that NCRPA identifies as having the most significant impact on their community and the people within the disability communities who are served by this program.

Jana McMullen received the 2010 New and Innovative Therapeutic Recreation Program Award. This award is directly related to the youth at risk mentoring / apprenticeship program she developed and implemented. A primary focus of this program was to increase self esteem, team skills and communication skills for youth who were identified as being at risk and attend schools identified as low performing. Jana used the self esteem index (part of the TR balanced Scorecard) to track improvements in perceived self esteem. This program took a unique approach to addressing issues we know impact the future success of our children.

Career Fair: Albemarle Road Middle School held a career fair for eighth grade students on Wednesday, February 24. Representing Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department were Hellen Tolber, Recreation Coordinator for Senior Programming and Kobeyeh Riley, Recreation Specialist at Albemarle Road Recreation Center. The students were informed about the recreation profession, career opportunities, academic requirements and college degree programs. The staff also discussed MCPRD locations and recreational opportunities.

Active Adults Yoga Class Get’s Some Professional Help: On Monday, February 22 at 521 Recreation Center, the Active Adults Yoga Class was delighted to welcome guest instructor Renee Alsop to conduct a “Healthy Backs” Yoga class. Renee is a Physical Therapist and Registered Yoga Trainer. The class learned a variety of techniques and strategies that help stretch, strengthen and maintain healthy back muscles. Needless to say the class will be “back” next week. For more information contact Bryan Joyner at 521 Recreation Center @ Bryan.Joyner@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704-540-2426.

Elon Park Elementary Family Fitness Night, Part II: On Thursday, February 25, Elon Park Elementary School will host the second part of its annual Family Fitness Night. This portion of the event will be dedicated to the families of the kindergarten, first grade and second grade students. The event will showcase many of the special projects that students were involved with in their physical education class this year including dance and choreographed fitness routines. Family Fitness Night is celebrated annually to promote exercise, physical activity and overall healthy life choices for Elon Park Elementary students and their families. Staff from 521 Recreation Center will attend the event and promote the various parks, facilities, programs, activities and events offered through Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department. Amanda Sheppard of Pre-Ballet will accompany Bryan Joyner, Recreation Specialist, to promote the healthy and fun opportunities available to the students. For more information contact Bryan Joyner at Bryan.Joyner@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704-540-2426.

NCAA/NBA iHoops Skills Challenge: On Saturday, February 27 at 10 a.m., 521 Recreation Center will host the iHoops Skills Challenge for girls and boys ages 9-14. Participants will navigate a timed obstacle course, while exhibiting basic fundamental basketball skills at designated points within the course. A combination of shooting, passing and dribbling skills will be needed to rank among the top times and scores. Participants with the best overall times and scores will be invited to compete in a regional challenge with a chance to compete in the National Finals in Orlando, Florida. The program is free to participants and is endorsed by the NCAA and NBA. For more information contact Bryan Joyner at Bryan.Joyner@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov or 704-540-2426.

4-H Plant Sale a Success: The Spring 4-H Plant Sale ended this week marking another successful effort. Seventy-two orders for berry plants, fruit trees, flowering trees, shade trees and flowering shrubs were processed. As a result, the proceeds from the 4-H plant sale will provide up to 15 scholarships for young people to attend 4-H summer camps and teen leadership conferences in 2010.

4-H Supports New Physical Activity Standards for Afterschool: Mecklenburg 4-H staff trained 20 after school program providers on games and activities that support the new North Carolina physical activity standards for after school at the Regional Reachout training conference. Participants experienced a variety of cooperative and competitive games and activities that provide moderate-to-intense physical activity for young people.

New Master Gardener Interns Prepare to Answer Citizen Calls: The 16 new Mecklenburg County Master Gardener Interns worked this week in preparation for the March 1 start date of the Master Gardener Hotline for 2010. These new interns recently completed 40 hours of intense training on horticulture topics such as lawns; ornamental trees and shrubs; insect, disease, and weed management; soils and plant nutrition; vegetable gardening; home fruit production; garden flowers; and water conservation. After graduating from the training, these interns must provide 20 hours of volunteer support to the Master Gardener Hotline, answering citizen calls on a variety of home horticulture topics. The Master Gardener Hotline is manned by volunteers Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until noon. Call your Master Gardener today at 704-336-4011.

Summer Camp 2010: Summer is fast approaching and Summer Ray Camp – 360° of PLAY, is guaranteed to get children outdoors and engaged in all aspects of play. The Summer Camp Project Team has worked to develop themes (i.e. Great Outdoors, Going Green, North Carolina Adventures, Sports Extravaganza, etc.) to ensure that campers are moving; exercising; participating in hands-on activities, arts and crafts; field trips; and most importantly - outdoor activity. 360° of PLAY will focus on a return to the era of spontaneous play while introducing campers to new and innovative ways of recreating outdoors with their family and peers. Field trips this summer will all relate back to the theme of the week and offer learning opportunities for the children. To improve consistency throughout camp locations, there will be a common curriculum used at each site that was created by the Summer Camp Project Team. Look out for all of the exciting activities due to occur at Mallard Creek, Ivory Baker, Wallace Pruitt Recreation Centers and Thomasboro School Recreation Site. Hickory Grove Recreation Center will continue with Camp Charity this summer with an emphasis on service learning opportunities and a culture of philanthropy. If you would like any additional information on any of these camps, contact Joyce Tompkins at 704-264-4476.

Bully-Free Charlotte: Park and Recreation has partnered with Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice in their Bully-Free Charlotte community-wide collaborative initiative. The goals are to increase awareness and understanding on how bullying impacts our community and our children, promote anti-bullying resources and access to services and programs for young people and/or adults and to create a network of businesses and community organizations that are willing to promote their space as a Bully Free Zone. Results shows 40% of students in High School and 53% in Middle School strongly agree that bullying and harassment by other students is a growing problem. Statistics also reveal an alarming number of attempted suicides by students being bullied. Look for more information as this exciting collaborative begins to develop programs, events and promotional opportunities to help make our community aware that they are not alone.

Keeping Kids in Motion: Week one of Keeping Kids in Motion (KKIM) was a great success and fun for the whole family. We were excited to have KKIM featured on Fox News Rising, Friday, February 19, with our own Recreation/Fitness Coordinator, Brooke Adams. Participating in Zumba, Yoga and Tora Ha Kempo, children learned new and “unique” ways to get active and logged almost 30 thousand steps collectively. Children also learned several great nutrition tips and made their own breakfast sundaes. Parents tried their hand at breakfast burritos and fruit sundaes with our guest chef, Chef Phil. Week two will take place this Saturday, February 27, at 9:30 a.m. at Naomi Drenan Recreation Center. This week will engage children in skills, drills and games of team sports; basketball, flag football and soccer. Our guest dietician will be on hand to teach the children about healthy eating on the go. Parents can participate in a nutrition lesson on choosing healthy menu items at restaurants and have a cholesterol health and blood pressure screening. This FREE event is intended for 6 to 12 year old children and their parents/guardians. Limited to the first 75 participants. Registration will be onsite. For more information visit www.parkandrec.com or www.cokecharlotte.com or contact Brooke at brooke.adams@mecklenburgcountync.gov or 704-336-3805.

ENTERPRISE SERVICES
Memorial Stadium: Staff will be meeting with City Storm Water Services, Real Estate Services, Blythe Development and USI on March 3 at 1:30 p.m. to conduct a walk-through of the bowl area. Blythe has substantially completed repairs to the tunnel and demobilization is planned by March 5, 2010.
Historic St. Mary’s Chapel: Staff has partnered with the Thompson Orphanage Alumni Association (TOAA) to make some minor improvements at the Chapel. Staff is in the process of obtaining quotes to improve exterior lighting, refinish floors and replace seat cushions. Donations from the TOAA and St. Mary’s Chapel capital reserve funds will be used to fund the improvements.




GREENWAY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Little Sugar Creek Greenway
· The Metropolitan: Staff met with Duke Power, Pappas Development, Real Estate Services and City staff to go over items related to Little Sugar Creek Greenway and the Metropolitan. The Metropolitan will be hosting the Symphony Guild Designer House beginning on April 16. The group identified punch list items to be completed and will collectively be working to increase the curb appeal of the site between Pearl Park Way and the Metropolitan along both King’s Drive and Kenilworth Road.
· Elizabeth Ave. to Charlottetowne Ave.: Real Estate Services and Greenway staff hosted a pre-bid meeting on site. The meeting was well attended. The project is out to bid and bid opening is scheduled for March 18.

West Branch Rocky River and Toby Creek Greenways: Pre-construction meetings were held on Friday to discuss the project specifics for the stimulus-funded West Branch Rocky River and Toby Creek Greenways. NCDOT staff met with Park and Recreation, consultants and contractors to go over the expectations and requirements of construction process and reporting for the federally-funded projects. Survey work will begin in March on both greenways with construction anticipated to begin in April once weather improves.

Steele Creek Residents Association Annual Meeting: Greenway Planning staff presented at the Steele Creek Residents Association and provided an update for both park and greenway initiatives in southwest Charlotte. Greenway Planning staff also met separately with Steele Creek resident and advocate Karl Froelich to continue working on land acquisition along the Steele Creek and Walker Branch corridors. The majority of land acquired along the corridor has been dedicated at no cost to the County largely due to Mr. Froelich’s efforts.

Mint Street Pedestrian Improvements: Staff attended a planning meeting for the proposed improvements along Mint Street. This is an important corridor for the greenway program and was identified as an overland connector for Irwin Creek Greenway.

Stewart Creek Greenway Workshop: West Trade Street to Rozzelle’s Ferry Road: Staff conducted the first workshop for Stewart Creek Greenway on Monday at the Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Development Corporation (CMDC) also attended to answer any questions about the Greenway Business Center development. The proposed trail will be located within the limits of the Greenway Business Park between West Trade Street and Rozzelle’s Ferry Road with funding provided by the CMDC. Feedback at the workshop was mostly positive. Staff will move forward with the second workshop on Wednesday, March 10, at 6 p.m. at the Mahlon Adams Pavilion as part of the monthly Greenway Advisory Council agenda.

Carolina Thread Trail: Staff presented the Thread Trail plan to the Huntersville Planning Board on Tuesday. The Planning Board will take action on whether or not to endorse the plan at their next meeting. The presentation will go before the Town Board on March 15. Both boards are set to take action in late March or early April.

Cullman Avenue Project on Little Sugar Creek: Park and Greenway Planning staff met with Storm Water Services and members of the NODA community about the plans for the Cullman Avenue properties and the recent master plan developed by Storm Water Services. Discussion included moving forward with the community garden element as shown on the plan, timeline for the rest of the project and acquisition elements regarding which properties and property owners are willing to sell.

CAPITAL PLANNING AND ALLIANCE DEVELOPMENT

Alzheimer’s Association Memorial Walkway Proposal: Park Planning and Operations staff met with the Charlotte Alzheimer’s Association this week and gave tentative approval for a memorial brick walkway to be constructed at Freedom Park. The proposal is simple in nature and will be modeled after the Frazier Park Our Children’s Memorial Walkway concept. An area near the Princeton Avenue pedestrian entrance has been identified as the preferred location. The next step is to further refine the proposal from a landscape and construction design perspective and develop a cost estimate. The project will be funded solely by this group. The Central Park District III Advisory Council is set to review the proposal at an upcoming meeting.

PARK OPERATIONS AND ATHLETIC SERVICES

Registration for Youth Baseball and Track and Field Ends Sunday: Registration for the Department’s two spring youth sports programs, baseball and track and field, continues through February 28. Cost of the program is $55 per child which includes a competition and practices, a uniform and a season-ending trophy. For more information or to register, visit the recreation center nearest you, call 311 or go to www.parkandrec.com.

Youth Registration Day for USTA Jr. Team Tennis: Registration for Park and Recreation’s first USTA-sanctioned Jr. Team Tennis program continues through March 12. On Sunday, February 28, Park and Recreation will host a youth registration event for those interested in the program. On-court demonstrations will take place at Jeff Adams Tennis Center from 1 – 3 p.m. and program staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions. The Jr. Team Tennis program follows the Quick Start format for children ages 10 and under and tennis league play is offered for those ages 18 and under. Practices will be held on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at Jeff Adams Tennis Center, Mason Wallace Park and Veterans Park. Matches will be played on Sunday afternoons at Jeff Adams Tennis Center. Cost is $48. For more information or to register, visit www.parkandrec.com/tennis . Park and Recreation is pleased to become a part of this popular national program through its partnership with the Charlotte Tennis Association.

First Softball Tournament of the Season: On Saturday, February 27, the Department’s weekend softball and baseball tournament season officially begins with the 4th Annual Men’s Softball Bash hosted by InterLink Sports and Entertainment. This one-day tournament will be held at Renaissance Park. Games will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude by 10:30 p.m. A home run derby and a raffle will comprise a portion of the day’s events. All tournament sites will be in use the following weekend (March 6-7) for softball and baseball events. The season will continue through mid-October.

Tennis Winter Challenge Ladder Event: The playoff event for the Winter Challenge Ladder for tennis; which includes singles, doubles, and mixed doubles play, will be held at Park Road Park, February 26 through 28. Over 120 players will participate in the event to determine the winners of ten weeks of play over the winter. The spring season of the Challenge Ladder will begin March 15. For more information, visit www.parkandrec.com/tennis.

Collegiate Lacrosse Comes to Mallard Creek: On Saturday, February 27, Pfeiffer University’s men’s lacrosse team will play a match at Mallard Creek High School’s stadium. Teams will match off at 7 p.m. This will be among the first collegiate events to be held at the venue. Park and Recreation manages external (i.e., non-school) use of the athletic amenities at Mallard Creek High School through a joint use agreement with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Cross Country Opportunities to Expand: Athletic Services staff met with Reggie McAfee, Executive Director of Charlotte-based Cross Country for Youth, earlier this week to discuss potential expansion of the popular character-building cross country program for middle school youth into additional park venues. Sugaw Creek Recreation Center has offered the program for the past three seasons and the Department is considering other locations where the program could be successful.

Parks Update

COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTER SERVICES

 Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center School Supply Drive: Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center will begin collecting school supply donations on July 27, for Enderly Park community families that are economically challenged. School supplies needed include: notebook filler paper, spiral notebooks, 3-ring binders (of any size) crayons, scissors, markers, colored pencils, rulers, etc. Donations will be accepted through August 21. Call Ariel Henderson at 704-393-0044 for more information.

 Girl Spirit Foundation Day Camp at Albemarle Road Recreation Center: Girls ages 5-15 meet each Saturday from 9 a.m. – 12 noon in July and August. This special week-end camp offers workshops on self awareness, career goals and fitness. A camp celebration and Princess Gala is scheduled for August 22. For more information about the Girl Spirit Foundation Day Camp, contact Michelle.Hitselberger@mecklenburgcountync.gov or 704-567-1941.

 Senior Adult Day Camp: "Leisure and Learn" for active seniors is being sponsored by Albemarle Road Recreation Center. Ninety-one seniors from Mecklenburg County participated this week. The Senior Day Camp meets every Tuesday in July from 9:30 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. Each weekly camp includes a day of fun and learning with key note speakers, interactive fun and breakout sessions including: Chef Jason Wolf - cooking demonstration, Moses Blue from Best Buy of Independence - Tech 101; Art Instructor, Tina Farney; Organic Garden expert, Don Rosenberg and Jewelry making with Verlean Campbell. Generous partnerships from local businesses and organizations made this program possible and affordable for participants. The venue was held at William Davie Park Conference Center. For more information about the Leisure and Learn Program, contact Michelle.Hitselberger@mecklenburgcountync.gov or 704-567-1941.

 Senior Adult LIFEchoices: Active Seniors ventured to Carmel Place Senior Living for lunch and a tour on Wednesday, July 15. LIFEchoices is a program designed to educate seniors of leisure and lifestyle opportunities available within Mecklenburg County. Any empty nester, retiree, or boomer is welcome to participate the third Wednesday of each month. The next adventure is Summit Place of SouthPark on August 19. Departure is from Albemarle Road Recreation Center. To participate, contact Michelle Hitselberger at Michelle.Hitselberger@mecklenburgcountync.gov or call 704-567-1941.

 Duke University Interns Help Youth Make Wise Choices: Interns from Duke University are conducting money management sessions for youth in Summer Camp at Albemarle Road Recreation Center. Information on making money, saving and budgeting are discussed and taught with interactive projects. Thus far each Camper has made a coin bank and budget sheet.

 RAY Shines Brightly: Ray, the mascot, visited children at Albemarle Road Recreation Center summer camps and passed out coloring sheets and gave many hugs last Friday to end another great week of Summer Camp.

 Best Buy of Independence Blvd. Treats Children: Staff members of Best Buy visited Albemarle Road Recreation Center Thursday to pass out fruit and snacks to all the children in camp and the Senior Adults participating in Oil Painting at the time of their visit. Best Buy is in partnership with the Recreation Center providing support for the Summer Leisure and Learn Senior Day Camp and Children's programs for the future.

 Martin Luther King School Recreation Site’s Mecklenburg All*Stars: The 10 and under RedSoxx baseball team reinvented themselves as the Mecklenburg All*Stars in the Statewide Athletics Committee Tournament held in Moore County July 16 - 18. They rallied hard through three rounds of the tournament with true grit. They vowed to clinch the championship next year. Way to go MLK.

 Winget School Recreation Site: On July 18, Winget held it first of four open houses to showcase a buffet of activities to the community. An all out promotional blitz brought many newcomers to the facility. Parents were excited about having an opportunity to sign up for a flag football team closer to home and look forward to upcoming fall programs at Winget. The open house series is a great way to get the community into the facility and see all the programs we have to offer and meet new neighbors.




NATURE PRESERVES AND NATURAL RESOURCES

 New Partnership with Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation: Latta Plantation Nature Preserve is now serving as a base of program operations for Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, Inc. (CRF). CRF was formed in 1997 and is an award winning 501(c) (3) non-profit operating in the fourteen counties of the Catawba River watershed. CRF trains and leads five locally based Covekeeper Programs on Lake Hickory, Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake, Lake Wylie and Lake Wateree. CRF will be offering kayak programs for youth on Mountain Island Lake and will be storing kayaks and equipment at Latta Plantation Nature Preserve's kayak-canoe compound.
 Parents Guide to Natural Wonders Workshop: Want to learn how to help your children appreciate nature? If so, join staff at Reedy Creek nature center for our Parent’s Guide to Natural Wonders workshop. This 2 hour workshop will show you how to make the most of time you and your children spend outdoors. Saturday, July 25, 9:30 – 11 a.m. Registration required. For more information call 704-598-8857.

 Certification: Michael Campbell, Southwest Nature Preserves Manager, recently obtained his professional certification and is now a Certified Park & Recreation Professional by the National Recreation and Park Association.

PARK OPERATIONS AND ATHLETIC SERVICES

 Park and Recreation Youth Flag Football and Soccer Registration Offered: Registration continues through next Thursday, July 31, for youth ages 5 through 12 interested in participating on a recreational flag football or soccer team this fall. Teams will form soon after registration closes and games will begin after Labor Day. To register, contact your local recreation center, visit parkandrec.com or call 311 for information. Cost of the program is $55 per child, which covers the cost of a uniform and trophy.

 Southern Slam Tennis Tournament Held at Jeff Adams Tennis Center: The annual Southern Slam Tennis Tournament was held at Jeff Adams Tennis Center from Monday, July 20 through Wednesday, July 23. Nearly 100 youth, ages 8 to 18, participated in this USTA-sanctioned tournament this year, and enjoyed great weather while at the complex.

 Mecklenburg County Selected as Site of 2010 Softball World Series Event: The National Softball Association has announced plans to bring the 2010 Girls Fast Pitch “A” World Series back to the Charlotte region next year and anticipates that over 300 teams will participate in the weeklong event. The dates of the event will be finalized in November at the NSA~BPA Annual Convention in Panama City Beach, Florida. Athletic Services looks forward to hosting this large scale event, which features top caliber national competition, at its facilities next year.

CAPITAL PLANNING AND ALLIANCE DEVELOPMENT

 Elizabeth Small Area Planning: Planning staff attended a meeting this week with City of Charlotte Planning Dept. staff regarding comprehensive planning efforts for the Elizabeth Area Small Area Plan. Included in this effort is a look at park and open space needs. Independence Park is the focal park for this neighborhood along with the Grady Cole Center/Memorial Stadium complex.

 Morningside Development (Veteran's Park): Staff met with County officials regarding unfinished work in Veterans Park that was to be incorporated as part of the 32 acre mixed-use redevelopment in the Morningside Neighborhood. This project unfortunately, has felt the impact of the recent economic downturn and its future is in jeopardy. The department's interest is in seeing that the terms of the contract are met regarding improvements to the park and greenway (some of which have already been initiated but not completed).

 First Ward Park: Planning staff continues to stay actively involved in this new park's design and development. Focus this week has been on the final design for the Dixie's Tavern area of the park. This structure is privately owned and will have an impact on the functionality and uses that occur in the adjacent park.

GREENWAY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

 New Greenway Surface Experiment: Staff is experimenting with a new resin bound aggregate surface type on an entrance to McAlpine Creek Greenway. This surface is highly pervious and requires a much shallower base than the current standard asphalt or pit gravel trail. A private company installed a 10 ft. x 10 ft. plot in an area of this greenway that is repeatedly washed out from flooding. Staff is interested to see how the surface will hold up in this location to determine if the surface could work on a larger scale.

 Four Mile Creek Greenway Article: Look for a front page article on this greenway in this week's issue of the South Charlotte Weekly newspaper. The article focused on the upcoming signage installation and also discussed the popularity of the greenway and the many community benefits of this and other greenways. Although a complete signage program is being designed for McMullen Creek, McAlpine Creek, and Four Mile Creek Greenways, only a portion of the program will be implemented at this time due to budget cuts.

 Torrence Creek Greenway: County Stormwater has received federal economic stimulus funds to begin Stream Restoration at Torrence Creek. Due to delays in obtaining a right-of-way (ROW) encroachment agreement at Gilead Road, the greenway project will not be able to bid concurrently with the stormwater project, however, grading and clearing for the trail may be able to proceed to simplify trail construction. In order to leverage NCDOT grant funds for the greenway project, a phasing approach will be adopted that will build as much of the greenway and provide as much connectivity as possible in lieu of obtaining a ROW encroachment agreement. The Gilead section would be constructed once a ROW encroachment agreement is obtained.

 Long Creek Greenway: Staff met with CDOT bike/pedestrian coordinators to discuss the possibility of building a pedestrian bridge alongside Beatties Ford Road at Long Creek Village, which is located near Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road. The bridge will have bike lanes in the future, but pedestrians could be accommodated with a pedestrian bridge; this bridge would also provide connection to Long Creek Greenway. Staff will continue to work with CDOT to determine an ideal solution for bike/pedestrian connections at this site.

 Toby Creek Greenway: Plans and specifications have been approved by NCDOT. We hope to advertise for bids very soon.

 Little Sugar Creek Greenway – Baxter to Morehead: The central fountain is being poured. The pedestrian bridge veneer has started and the informal steps to the lower plaza have been poured.

ENTERPRISE SERVICES

 Memorial Stadium: CST Environmental installed construction fencing on July 20 - 21 and a portion of Armory Drive adjacent to Charlottetown Avenue has been closed for placement of a crank to begin excavation of the affected seating area in the closed end of the Stadium. Work is set to start on Monday, July 27 and last 45-60 days. Staff also informed the Livingstone University and Johnson C. Smith that the stadium is not available for their football games October 3 and October 17. Staff has been informed that the October 3 game will be played at Livingstone University. The CMS Athletic Director, promoters for the fall Oktoberfest, North Carolina Tech Football, Band Beat, Shrine Bowl and the Carolina Panthers have also been informed that the stadium and field is unavailable for their events. A total of eighteen (18) dates have been affected.
 Renaissance Park Golf Course: City Engineering will be upgrading the methane detection system at the Renaissance Park golf course clubhouse, maintenance shed and concession stand at Renaissance Park. A pre-bid conference is scheduled on Tuesday, July 28 at 9 a.m. at the clubhouse to provide an opportunity for prospective bidders to present questions and familiarize them with the project. Bids will be accepted until August 4, 2009. The estimated cost of the project is $65,000.

 West Charlotte and Providence High School Swimming Pools: Staff has presented an agreement to CMS to open the West Charlotte and Providence pools from August 1-21, 2009 for open swim, groups, camp participants and casual swim lessons. Staff has also reserved the option to open the West Charlotte swimming pool on Saturday mornings when school is in session to conduct organized swim lessons. Staff will hand carry the agreement through the proper channels to expedite full execution once CMS finalizes and signs off on the agreement.

 Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center: The North Carolina Swimming Senior Long Course Meet will be held at the MCAC through Sunday, July 26, 2009. More than 500 swimmers will participate in the event. The event will feature Tucker Dupree, the world’s 4th ranked swimmer who is preparing to compete in Edmonton, Alberta for the Speedo Cam-Am Paralympic Swimming Championships, where he hopes to earn a place on the U.S. Paralympic World Championship team. For more information visit www.teamunity.com

 Revolution Park Golf Course: Clearing and rough grading continues on new holes #7 and #8 (pictures attached). Work is projected to begin on new hold number #2 during the week of July 27, 2009 weather permitting. Work continues on construction of the water reuse pond.

PARTNERS FOR PARKS

 Charter Properties Inc. Check Presentation: Please mark your calendars to attend a check presentation from Charter Properties Inc. to Partners for Parks on Thursday, July 30 at 12 noon at 8700 Long Creek Club Drive. Please see the attached invitation for details and RSVP instructions for this luncheon event

May First Park Update

 Department Program Review: The results of this year's program review have been provided and the Fiscal Administration Service was rated exemplary with a score of 87%. This score reflects a six percentage point improvement over the FY-06 program review. Park and Recreation's newest service, CountyCare Fitness, got it's first ever program evaluation as a part of the Department and scored well with a 55%; moderately successful. Every service evaluated but one in the last three years has been assessed as either successful or exemplary. This continuing trend of improvements demonstrate that all the staff understands the Department's mission, the Key Ingredients for Success, the goals in the Master Plan, and simply are doing their best each day.
SPECIALIZED PARK SERVICES
 Master Gardners Plant Sale: Don’t miss the Master Gardners Spring Plant Sale this Saturday at the Yorkmont Farmer’s Market. The sale will start at 8 a.m. Master Garderners contribute plants for sale so there will be a terrific assortment including many unusual items. Master Garderners will also be available to answer questions. Typically the proceeds from the sale help with a scholarship program as well as various projects that the Master Gardener Volunteers are involved with in the County.
GREENWAY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
 Greenway Planners – Field Trip: Staff visited York and Lancaster County late last week. In Lancaster County staff met with a local historian to discuss the historical significance and the opportunity for a future greenway corridor along Clems Branch, which would connect between Mecklenburg and Lancaster County. In York County, staff walked sections of the Nations Ford and Anne Springs Close Greenways.

 Briar Creek Greenway Stakeholder Meeting: Staff hosted a meeting of community leaders and representatives of organizations with particular interest in this new greenway section planned to be developed between Randolph Rd. and Meadowbrook Rd. A revised concept plan was presented and additional comments were received to inform the planning and design of the greenway.

 Four Mile Creek Greenway, Matthews: Staff continues to explore funding options with the Town of Matthews to construct this new 2 mile greenway section that will connect neighborhoods to Squirrel Lake Park and the Town's community center.

 Partnership with CMS: Staff coordinated with NCASLA (North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects) and CMS (North Mecklenburg High School) to present the profession of landscape architecture to horticulture students. Staff discussed the benefits of landscape architecture, the landscape architect's range of typical projects, the steps to becoming a landscape architect, and (of course) information on the County greenways.

 Little Sugar Creek Greenway - Charlottetowne Avenue to Pearle Park Way: The contractor is continuing to pour the concrete pavement. CDOT's paint contractor has applied color to the Pearle Park Way Bridge which is scheduled to open on May 21.

 Pearle Park Way to Morehead Street: Walls continue to develop and plans are being made to place the first public art, carved stone benches, in the lower plaza in 2-3 weeks. The clock tower and the kiosk building are being priced.

 Toby Creek Greenway: Final federal stimulus requirements are ready to send to NCDOT for final review. We plan to begin construction in June.

 McAlpine Creek Greenway – Sardis to Providence: 75% plans and specifications are ready for review.

 Carolina Thread Trail: The first meeting of the Technical Advisory Team (TAT) was held on Wednesday to discuss the thread trail routes in Mecklenburg County. Much of the discussion focused on a prioritization of major destinations to include to help in determining corridor prioritization. The TAT will break up into a north and south group later this month to further prioritize trail segments and destinations before the next steering committee meeting.
COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTER SERVICES
 Thomasboro Youth Keeping in Motion: The Thomasboro School Recreation Site journeyed to the Keeping Kids in Motion program at Freedom Park on Saturday. The youth who attended had a wonderful time and are eager to return this week.

 Faithful to the Call: Andra’ Eaves was recently recognized at the Faithful To The Call Banquet on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University. She received an inscribed cherry wood desk clock for helping make the vision of the Faithful to the Call Walk come true.

 Albemarle Road and Mallard Creek Seniors Hit the Lake: Albemarle Road and Mallard Creek Recreation Centers adventured to Lake Norman for a journey on the lake. 52 seniors enjoyed a luncheon cruise on Wednesday, April 29. In addition to a perfect day on the lake, the group detoured to Northlake Mall for ice cream and shopping.

 Wii Senior Olympics: Wii Senior "Olympics" continued at Albemarle Road Recreation Center in partnership with area retirement communities. Twelve seniors competed in team bowling with lots of laughter and a complimentary lunch at Willow Grove Retirement Community.

 Albemarle Seniors Medal: Senior Adults from Albemarle Road Recreation Center attended ceremonies of Charlotte Mecklenburg Senior Games Saturday, April 18 at Ray's Splash Planet. Clarence Whitcomb earned a well deserved medal in Spin Casting and Garland Thomas earned a medal for his skill at the Basketball Hoops.

 Friend’s and Family Day: West Charlotte Recreation Center participated in a community event with the House of Prayer on Saturday, April 25. Staff provided arts and crafts and conducted games with the children. The weather made for a great opportunity to meet and visit with the community.

 Flow and Grove Hip-Hop Dance: West Charlotte Recreation Center is offering hip-hop dance classes on Mondays from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. for ages 6-12 and for ages 13-17 from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. Classes will begin May 4. The cost is $25.00 for the month.

 African Dance Classes: African Dance classes will be offered at West Charlotte Recreation Center. The classes will be held on Saturdays and will be instructed by Oneaka Dail. Ms. Dail has volunteered her time to instruct this program as a way to give back to the community. Youth will be taught both African dance and drumming.

 Peggy Walker – Individual Therapeutic Recreation Service Award: Peggy Walker, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, was recognized by the Therapeutic Recreation Division of the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Association at their annual meeting held in March 2009. She received the Individual TR Service award in recognition of her commitment, dedication and love for the Therapeutic Recreation profession and for her dedication to those members of the community who are served through the programs she presents. Peggy joined our team almost 1 year ago after having spent over 9 years with Rowan County Park and Recreation in their TR Section. Peggy is active in the community both professionally and personally. She is currently on the Board of The ARC of Rowan, serving as the president. She has been an active member of the community and has been an advocate for people with disabilities for a number of years. NCRPA applauded Peggy for the drive she had to return to college as an adult to obtain her degree in Therapeutic Recreation while working full time and taking care of her family. We want to take this time to also applaud Peggy for her willingness to take on challenges and her drive to make the community more inclusive for our community members who have disabilities.

 Säjai Wise Kids: The Säjai (SÄ-JAY) Wise Kids program starts at Greenville Recreation Center on May 5. This program focuses on helping children learn about the balance of body, nutrition and exercise. This 9 week program uses games and activities to help reach weekly goals of health and fitness.

 Teambuilding Apprenticeship: Thursday, April 30 concluded the fourth Teambuilding Apprenticeship in connection with Citizen Schools. 12 students participated in the 10 week apprenticeship at Albemarle Road Middle School. The program focuses on developing leadership skills, increasing self-confidence, learning goal-setting and decision making skills, improving communication and developing positive peer relationships while participating in fun challenges. On Monday, May 4 apprentices will perform a presentation for family, friends, and peers to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skills gained during the apprenticeship. To date, 52 students have been a part of this amazing program.

 Earth Day at Bette Rae: Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center recently held a fun and successful Earth Day celebration. The center's Earth Day exhibit was displayed in the front lobby and included information on local recycling centers, the importance of recycling, “going Green,” energy saving tips and information on proper waste disposal. Additionally, 12 of the after school participants helped to make Bette Rae greener by planting an Earth Day tree in front of the Center.

 Pittsburgh Steelers at Southview: Former Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker Richard Koonce stopped by Southview Recreation Center to talk with the Teen Club about achieving their goals and dreams through hard work and determination. He discussed the importance of taking their education seriously, staying focused, making good decisions, and being a positive influence in society. He took the time to participate in Teen Game Night and played ping-pong with the teens. The Southview teens and staff are thankful and would like to wish him good luck as he participates in the Carolina Panther's training camp.

 “Little Saturday” for Senior Games: “Little Saturday” is this Saturday at Nevin Park, with events starting at 8:30 a.m. Little Saturday will feature bocce, horse shoes and shuffleboard. The Performing Arts show will be May 7 at 7 p.m. at the Levine Senior Center.

 4-H YWCA Group Completes Bike Program: 4-H’ers from the Sunridge YWCA 4-H club is the third group to graduate from the 4-H bike program through Trips for Kids. This 4-H group has participated in four weeks of bicycle education program using 4-H bicycle curriculum and Trips for Kids staff. As a result, the participants each received a refurbished bicycle, complete with a bike light and helmet
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 Sugaw Creek 4-H: 25 4-H members from Sugaw Creek Recreation Center are currently participating in an 8-week photography program. Through a partnership with the Mecklenburg County Libraries Outreach staff, 4-H photography curriculum is used to teach the students basic fundamentals such as film, lighting, and composition. An exhibition to display the students’ photographs is planned for May 19.

 4-H Trains Providers on Workforce Readiness and Financial Literacy: Mecklenburg County 4-H staff trained eleven summer day camp and after school providers on the 4-H workforce readiness and financial literacy curriculum this week. In the two-hour session, through hands-on activities, the participants learned about ethics in the workplace, choosing the right job, writing checks and balancing statements and choosing the right financial institution.

 4-H Home School Club Learns Parliamentary Procedure: Parliamentary procedure is key to running any meeting effectively and smoothly. A newly formed 4-H home school club in Huntersville participated in an interactive 4-H Parliamentary Procedure workshop conduced by 4-H Agent Robbie Furr this week. These 4-H youth learned Parliamentary Procedure basics of making motions, voting, calling a meeting to order, committees, and the use of the gavel.

 Keeping Kids in Motion: Over 50 children turned out on Saturday for our first-ever Keeping Kids in Motion program. Park and Recreation was well represented as fitness staff tag teamed the obstacle course activity, McDowell Nature Preserve and 4-H staff led the children in the nature scavenger hunt along the greenway, and Reedy Creek Nature Preserve staff taught the kids how to navigate their way through an orienteering relay with compasses. Our next program on May 2 will introduce children to unique motion as they try out Zumba, Yoga and Capoeira. This week's event starts at 9 a.m. at the entrance of Little Sugar Creek Greenway at the corner of Brandywine and Westfield.

 Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies: Several members of Park and Recreation attended the Opening Ceremonies of Spring Games for Special Olympics of Mecklenburg County. Members of the community, family members, school officials and honored guests were on site at Bojangles Coliseum to welcome 1,000 Special Olympic athletes and join them in celebration of the opening of Spring games.
NATURE PRESERVES AND NATURAL RESOURCES

 Civil War Soldiers Demonstration: A civil war soldiers demonstration will be held at Historic Latta Plantation on Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 3, 1 - 4 p.m. Visit the 49th North Carolina Troops as they demonstrate drills, camp life, firing demos and more. Free with regular admission ($6 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, ages 5 and under are free).
 Becoming and Outdoors Women (BOW) 2009: Hosted by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission BOW is a workshop focused on learning outdoor skill usually associated with hunting and fishing but useful for many outdoor pursuits. Designed especially for women, BOW welcomes participants 18 years of age or older. Outdoor Recreation Specialist, Jason Hurley will participate as an activity instructor for this weekend’s event.

 Kayak Polo Tournament on Lake Wylie: The Carolina Kayak Polo Club hosts the 4th annual Carolina Spring Regional Tournament at McDowell Nature Preserve this Saturday and Sunday. The event is presented on Lake Wylie in partnership with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department.
PARK OPERATIONS AND ATHLETIC SERVICES

 East Park Region Events: It will be a busy weekend in the East Park Region. Midwood Park will be the location of the annual Midwood Mania event May 2, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Also on Saturday will be the Must Love Dogs Remix Edition event with Lite 102, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at McAlpine Creek Park.

On Sunday, don’t miss the Fanta Festival at McAlpine Creek Park from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. This extremely popular event attracted over 8,000 visitors in 2008. Don’t miss out on the great food and music.

 Dads and Kids Kickball Program Begins Tomorrow: The Department’s inaugural Dads and Kids Kickball Program, offered in conjunction with Coca-Cola and Red Moon Marketing, will begin this weekend. A free “kick-off” for the program will be held on Saturday, May 2, at Park Road Park fields 5 and 6, from 2 to 6 p.m. This free festival will include kickball-related contests for children and adults. Park and Recreation affiliates are encouraged to come out and join Team Park and Recreation for the six week kickball league which follows this event. No pre-registration is required and the program is open to everyone.

 Charlotte Flights Developmental Track and Field Meet: Over 1100 youth from North Carolina and South Carolina are expected to participate in this weekend’s Developmental Track and Field Meet, hosted by the Charlotte Flights and Park and Recreation. The competition will be held at the Irwin Belk Track Complex at Johnson C. Smith University. Events will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

 Flat Branch Update: The South Park District Advisory Council hosted a meeting Wednesday night with the main topic of discussion being Flat Branch Park. At the meeting, Charles Jones from CDOT provided an update on traffic in the Tom Short Road area. Brad Wylde, Executive Director of South Charlotte Soccer (SCSA) explained the clubs plans for the park as well as how they will use it. He explained that SCSA would like to light as many fields as possible and potentially add an additional soccer field or two instead of the planned baseball fields. He clearly spelled out that SCSA plans on ending practices at 9 p.m. because they are a youth club. The fields will be used for practices, games and tournaments. Even during games and tournaments, there would rarely be more than several hundred fans and participants on the site at any one time.

Staff met with the lighting contractor last week to aim the lights. There are 6 banks of lights on the fields; 4 on one field and 2 lighting half of another field. Our understanding of the lighting ordinance is that the light level at the property line needs to be below .49 foot candles. With all 6 banks of lights on, the foot candles at the property line are .27. With the 4 banks of lights on the one field, the foot candles are .15 at the property line. With all the lights OFF, it is .08.

Moving forward, the Department will manage this park like every other community park and will allow SCSA and the lighting contractor to continue aiming the lights and work on improving the uniformity of the lighting on the fields. Once that is complete, SCSA will be required to hire a third party engineering firm to validate that the lighting is in compliance with the zoning ordinance. SCSA will not be allowed to use the lights for practices or games until we receive this certification. Park and Recreation will not allow SCSA to light any additional fields until we can evaluate the usage and demand for field space. In an effort to be good neighbors, the Department planted 21 giant arborvitaes along the property line to augment the existing 60 plant buffer. Staff is looking into the possibility of additional tree plantings that will have a more immediate impact.
CAPITAL PLANNING AND ALLIANCE DEVELOPMENT

 Park Road Park: Bids for the Lake Environs and Water Quality Improvements project were received on Thursday, April 30. Bids are encouraging and planning staff are reviewing options.

 Winget Park: Fine grading of the entrance drive and parking lot occurred this week and paving should proceed next week. Phase 2 should reach substantial completion within the next month.

 Mint Hill Dog Park Planning Assistance: Planning staff met with town officials on Friday, May 1 to begin planning for the town's first municipal dog park. A target site was identified at the town's Park on Fairview site and it could be as large as 5 acres. Planning staff provided guidance and design standards and will work toward refining the final site plan, project details and cost estimating. The town is very willing to make this project a reality.

 Latta Park Pedestrian Bride: A new pedestrian bridge has been installed at Latta Park this week. The new bridge reconnects Waverly Avenue to Latta Park and replaces a bridge removed nearly fifteen years ago. A partnership between Park and Recreation and The Charlotte Department of Transportation, the project includes two tenths of a mile of new walking trail, six new accessible sidewalk ramps, an accessible entrance to the St. Patrick’s School playground and four new park benches.

 Bike to Work with Mayor McCrory: Greenway and Park Planning staff participated in the annual bike to work with the mayor ride. Attended by several hundred cyclists, the event officially kicks off Bike Charlotte. The ten day long event hosts a variety of bicycle-related activities to encourage families, friends and colleagues to break out the bike and integrate it into their daily routine.
ENTERPRISE SERVICES

 Revolution Park Golf Course: A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for The First Tee of Charlotte Learning Academy was held on Tuesday, April 28 from 10 to 11 a.m. Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., son of the late Heavyweight Boxing Champion was the keynote speaker. Finishing touches are being made to the driving range and practice area for use starting in June.

 Grady Cole Center:
o Kick Cystic Fibrosis: On Saturday, April 25 the Grady Cole Center teamed up with Jordan Gross of the Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The event was the 2nd Annual Kick CF with Jordan Gross Joes vs. Pros Celebrity Kickball Tournament. Several local companies sponsored teams to play and a great time was had by all. Steve Smith, Jonathan Stewart, Matt Moore, and Jeff King were among the professional who were included in this event. More than $55,000 was raised towards the quest for a cure. To learn more about the event and to see photos please visit www.kickcf.com .

o Concert: National gospel recording artist and Pastor, John P. Kee will be in concert at the Grady Cole Center on Saturday, May 2 starting at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. Ticket prices range from $25.00-$35.00. Mr. Dramatic, Serenity and Dwayne Woods will also perform. Visit www.praise1009fm.com, www.tickets.com or www.JirehPromotions.Homestead.com for more information.

UPDATE From PARKS!

NATURE PRESERVES AND NATURAL RESOURCES

 National Turn Off TV Week: April 20-26 is National Turn off TV week and staff at all three nature centers have scheduled a full week of free family programs. Families can enjoy night hikes, family game nights, fishing, and family campfire programs. Turn it off and get outside! Contact any nature center for more information.

 The 16th Annual Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games: The games return this weekend to Rural Hill Nature Preserve. Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19, the gates will open at 8 a.m. New for 2009 will be a Celtic Music Concert and Jam beginning at 6:30 p.m. For the complete, fun-filled schedule of events for the whole family, visit: www.ruralhill.net or www.ruralhillscottishfestivals.net.

COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTER SERVICES

 Earth Day at Bette Rae Thomas: BRT Recreation Center will be holding an Earth Day Awareness Exhibit on April 22 from 12 – 7 p.m. The exhibit will provide information on recycling, going green, saving energy, organic vs. regular foods, plastic vs. paper, proper waste disposal and environmental saving tips, as well as learning about the history of Earth Day. Patrons can watch or participate in the planting of BRT's Earth Day tree.

 Arbor Glen Outreach Center Indoor FUN Soccer League: Arbor Glen Outreach Center is beginning its second annual Indoor FUN Soccer League this weekend. Arbor Glen and Southview have 40 kids participating in this 4-9 year old league. The goal for this league is instruction and having fun. Games will run through June 6.

 Family Fun Day at Southview Recreation Center: New Birth Church and City Dive, Inc. hosted a FAMILY FUN DAY, Saturday, April 11 at Southview Recreation Center. Over 500 community residents attended. There was music, games, manicures, haircuts, food and fun for all ages. Clothes, furniture, and appliances were given away.

 521 Power Girls: The 521 Power Girls attended their first 45th Annual Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Cotillion on Saturday, April 11 at UNC Charlotte. They looked beautiful in their exquisite gowns and formal dresses. They had the opportunity to see what "debuting" in style is really like. The event had 44 young women that had to present their ball dance with escorts, a father/daughter dance and special presentations. The teens said they looked forward to participating when they become high school seniors. A mother/daughter brunch is scheduled for Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and the next field trip will be white water rafting. Please join us at 521 if you are a young woman age 11 to 16, every 2nd and 4th Saturday. For more information, call the 521 Recreation Center at 704-540-2426.

 Albermarle Road Recreation Center’s Easter Egg Hunt: The Easter bunny surprised over 60 children with Easter Baskets filled to the brim at the Albemarle Road Recreation Center's Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 11. Each child had their picture taken with the Easter Bunny, who happened to be a volunteer from the senior’s Club at Albemarle Road Recreation Center (ARRC), and participated in making colorful hand prints to take home. Volunteers assisted with the hanging of a handmade piñata made by the After School Academy of ARRC lead by Roger Davis. Youth enjoyed bursting open the piñata with goodies flying everywhere. The preschoolers found their eggs hiding throughout the playground area whereas the children ages 6 and above adventured into the newly formed nature trail of ARRC to seek their eggs. We want to thank our 14 volunteers who assisted along with dedicated staff to make this Easter Celebration a huge success.

 Trip to Reid’s Gold Mine: Albemarle Road Recreation Center and Mallard Creek Recreation Center enjoyed a day trip to Reid's Gold Mine on Wednesday, April 15. The seniors enjoyed the museum and learned about the history of gold and the mint within the Charlotte area. Lunch was enjoyed on the grounds at the Café and one couple even panned for precious stones. For more information about upcoming senior programs please contact the Albemarle Road Recreation Center at 704-567-1941.

 “Spring Fling” Supper Club and Dance: Each month we dance the night away at the Marion Diehl Recreation Center, and this month we welcome Spring on Friday, April 17. Teens and adults with disabilities flock to this social occasion, with many also enjoying a healthy meal before the dance by attending the Supper Club. Thanks to the Subway on Tyvola Road, we will savor light and tasty party tray sandwiches this Friday, highlighting the importance of making healthy food choices.

 The “Winner’s Circle” Sensory Garden: Imagine a garden where all of your senses are energized: colors and shapes for your eyes, tantalizing scents for your nose, rustling grasses and tinkling wind chimes for your ears, interesting textures for your fingers, and even a variety of flavors to taste. Now imagine that garden right here, accessible to anyone. And, imagine that in this garden you are encouraged to “Please Touch the Plants”. That garden is the “Winner’s Circle” Sensory Garden, with “Phase 2” now installed at Nevin Community Park. The installation took place from Tuesday, March 31 through Friday, April 3, and even though rain dampened a couple of the days, many plants were placed and the gardens are taking shape. The “master gardeners” during the sensory garden installation have been members of the “Gifted Gardeners” horticulture program, offered for adults with disabilities through the Therapeutic Recreation Section. Many thanks also go to the Horticulture Section, whose abundant assistance has been essential to the “Winner’s Circle” becoming a reality. Thanks also for their generosity: Sally Jones of Mayflower Design Studio for all of our plans; Kings Greenhouse in Stallings, NC for donation of plants; Sunbelt Rentals for donation of tools; Tony’s Pizza and Bojangle’s for lunches; Lance Foods, Inc. for snacks; and Queens University for an awesome volunteer crew.

 Teen Spring Break: The Spring Break Camp for teens who have disabilities was in full bloom this past week. Each day had a different theme to help bring in the spring season, "Up in the Air" celebrated everything from kite making and flying at Park Road Park to "all egg” activities for "Eggsalent" Times Together. Participants danced, played games, made spring crowns, dyed eggs for their hunt, and made bird feeders for their feathered friends at Marion Diehl Recreation Center. The greatest response from the teens and their parents was the kite making and flying activity. The weather was perfect for kites and the smiles on the participant’s faces were picture perfect.

 Get Cooking Teens: St Paul “Ray of Hope” kicked off its Get Cooking Teens, cooking classes on Thursday April 16. Teens will learn the basics of cooking without having a traditional kitchen at their disposal. This class will give them healthy and tasty tips on ways to tame those hunger pains, when mom has not cooked. The first class will feature the simple but very tasty, “Waffle Pizza”. Classes are only $2 and space is limited.

 Amay James Recreation Centers' Little Tigers Golf: The recreation center will host a series of golf clinics for youth. Each participant will learn the basics of golf with modified equipment geared for youth. Tuesdays, thru May 19, 6:00-7:00pm, cost is $10.00.



 Faithful To The Call Walk: The Faithful To The Call Walk, a partnership with Mecklenburg County Health Department, Park and Recreation, Johnson C. Smith University, Kidney Foundation, American Cancer Association, FitCity and Novant Health, will take place on April 18 from 8 – 11 a.m. at the Irwin Belk Track at JCSU. Fifteen faith communities have pledged to have a healthier lifestyle and will participate in a walk and interactive recreational activities. Booths and screenings will surround the concourse of the complex.

 Senior Games Opening Ceremonies: The opening Ceremony for the Senior Games will be Saturday, April 18 at Ray’s Splash Planet, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Events that will take place are the basketball shoot, football throw, spin casting, softball throw and SilverStriders Fun Walk. The official opening ceremony will begin at 12:30.

 TEENY TEES: Twenty-one 6 and 7 yrs. old from the Hall House participated in First Tee of Charlotte golf clinic during their spring break. These children enjoyed the entertaining instructional golf activities from professional golfers. This free golf clinic provided the participants exposure to the game of golf as well as depositing into them positive life-skill nuggets.

 Duke Energy Health Fair: Park and Recreation staff, Kobeyeh Riley, attended the annual Duke Energy Health Fair, April 14. Over 400 Duke Energy employees came through the health fair, many stopping by the Park and Recreation table to get information about our parks, programs, greenways and much more. We highlighted our Spring and Summer Get Going Guide with a focus on the many fitness related programs and activities we offer.

 Fitness Program for Simon Kidgits Club: Fitness staff, Erica Espinoza and Brooke Adams led a group of approximately 30 children in an hour long fitness program at Concord Mills on April 15. Kids showed off their strong muscles and favorite dance moves in this high energy program involving fitness relays, dancing and exercises and stretches.

 Nutrition 101 for Weigh Less with Ray participants: Carol Goodwin, with Total Nutrition Technology, held a lecture on the basics of nutrition at the AOB on April 15. She gave a great overview of nutrition and metabolism and gave the group easy daily tips to help encourage us to eat healthy on a regular basis. Carol will join us again in two weeks to do a talk on food labels.

 Kayaking for Weigh Less with RAY: The first session of the kayaking series for the Weigh Less with Ray participants was led by Jason Hurley at the McDowell Nature Preserve on April 15. Participants not only got in their exercise, they learned the basics of flat-water kayaking while watching the sun set over Lake Wylie. The next kayak session is April 29 at 6:30 p.m.




ENTERPRISE SERVICES

 Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center: The 12th Annual Rodney’s Great Kids Triathlon (RGKT) will be held on Saturday, April 18 starting at 8 a.m. at the Aquatic Center for youth 17 years old and younger. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. Five age groups have been set for the participants to swim, bike and run. Contact Rodney Sellars or Matt Jakubowski at 704-336-3483 for more information.

 Grady Cole Roller Derby: The Grady Cole Center is happy to welcome back the Charlotte Roller Derby team for its second home game this Saturday, April 18 at 7 p.m. The girls will take on the River City Roller Girls of Richmond VA. At the opening match of the season the Charlotte Roller Derby played in front of a sold out crowd and came out with a victory. Come out and cheer on your local roller girls with doors opening at 6:15 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door; $4.00 for children and $10.00 for adults.

 Memorial Stadium – Men’s Lacrosse: Memorial Stadium is proud to be hosting Conference Carolinas Men’s Lacrosse Semifinals and Championship games this weekend. The first game will kick off on Friday, April 17 at 5 p.m. placing Belmont Abbey vs. Limestone following that game will be Lees McRae vs. Queens University at 8 p.m. The Championship game will be played on Sunday April 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available at the gate and will be $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for students and children.

SPECIALIZED PARK SERVICES

 Cooperative Extension Master Gardener: Cooperative Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers will staff a booth on Earth Day in Charlotte. The event, "Clean and Green: An Earth Day Celebration" is being sponsored by ESPN. They also presented "Drought Tolerant Plants for Mecklenburg" at Jetton Park on May 7 and have answered over 50 citizens questions about home horticulture this week.

PARK OPERATIONS AND ATHLETIC SERVICES

 Volunteer Services: Volunteer Services welcomed 31 new volunteers this past week. In partnership with Arbor Education and Training we were assigned three new volunteers who will volunteer 20 hours per week; the equivalent of four part time staff to the department. We also welcomed groups from West Charlotte, Waddell, Hopewell, Garinger and Vance high schools this past week. These groups helped clean and landscape recreation centers.

Through a partnership with the Urban League we have requested 40 interns who will work for us 20 hours a week throughout the summer months. These interns will be placed at our Recreation Centers and with other staff throughout the department to assist with operations and maintenance.

On April 11 we hosted the monthly RibbonWalk project supported by volunteers from Hands on Charlotte and the community.

 Horticulture: Working with neighborhood leader and park activist Roy Alexander, the Horticulture Team rescued several plants from houses slated for demolition due to Greenway construction. Plants were used to create landscapes at Shamrock Park, Roy's home park, and which Roy has committed to watering this summer.

James Collins, horticulture technician and certified arborist, gave an Earth Week Greenovation power point presentation to Bank of America employees on Thursday. Bank of America is a long- time core volunteer group for the horticulture team at Liz Hair Nature Walk and Freedom Park. Subject is "The Big Green Machine"--aka Trees. The presentation will also briefly discuss invasive plants.

 Youth Baseball Season Begins: Seventy-four (74) teams will compete in this spring’s youth baseball program. Practices began earlier this month and the season openers will be played this Saturday. Nine (9) Park and Recreation venues will be used as game sites this year: Mason Wallace, Grayson, Revolution, Veterans, Tuckaseegee, 521, Greenville, Sugaw Creek, and the newly opened Briarwood Park.

 Park and Recreation Sites Host Julian Brown Memorial Soccer Tournament: Charlotte United Futbol Club’s annual Julian Brown Memorial Soccer Tournament will be held this weekend at the soccer complexes at Colonel Beatty Park, McKee Road Park, 521 District Park, and Winget Park. Over 330 teams will participate in this year’s event. Games will begin at 8 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. This event represents one of the largest amateur youth sports tourism draws in the state.

 Charlotte RaceFest to Take Place on Saturday: Over 2,500 runners will participate in the 5K, half marathon, and marathon events associated with the annual Charlotte RaceFest on Saturday, April 18. The events will begin and end at the Doubletree Hotel at South Park Mall. Event start is 9 a.m. Through the efforts of Park and Recreation’s athletic services section and the board of directors of Partners for Parks, Partners for Parks will again be the recipient of the event’s major charitable contribution.

 Track and Field Invitational Meets Held: The Mallard Creek High School Invitational Track and Field Meet will be held on Saturday at Mallard Creek High School from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Over 600 participants representing 42 teams from across North Carolina are expected to participate. Also this weekend, masters’ participants from the southeastern region will gather at UNC-Charlotte to compete in the county’s Masters’ Invitational Track and Field Meet. Events will begin at 9 a.m.

 Flat Branch Park Update: Based upon citizen comments, staff are evaluating the park master plan to determine if it is consistent with community park development guidelines as well as evaluating the parking standards. Staff has meet with South Charlotte Soccer Association (SCSA) and CDOT representatives and both will be presenting at the April 29 South Park District Advisory Council to respond to citizen questions. At the April 29 meeting, staff will be prepared to finalize our recommendation on the status of the master plan and share those plans with neighbors.

This week, lights were installed and a 24 hour burn in was completed. Staff will be meeting with the lighting contractor, General Electric representative (the lighting manufacturer) and SCSA representatives on Monday night at 8:30 p.m. to evaluate if the lights can be aimed to be in compliance with the zoning requirements for outdoor lighting.

GREENWAY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

 Little Sugar Creek Greenway – CSX Underpass: The handrails and roof structure are being installed this week at the CSX underpass. Staff is also working with CDOT on the mid-block crossing of Belmont Avenue.

 McDowell Creek Greenway – Westmoreland Rd. to Sam Furr Rd.: McDowell Creek Greenway has been paved from Westmoreland Road to the Greens at Birkdale pond (3/4 mile). The contractor will be adding additional stone on the rest of the greenway, coordinating to install a ramp entrance at Townley Road, and working on bridge abutments at the pond spillway crossing over the next month.

 Carolina Thread Trail: Staff met with Carolina Thread Trail staff and the Trust for Public Land this week to discuss scope and schedule for the Mecklenburg County Planning Process. Staff will be applying for a planning assistance grant for mapping and coordination support from TPL. Staff also attended an inter-jurisdictional meeting in Cabarrus County to discuss the Cabarrus County proposed thread trail alignments and possible connections between Mecklenburg and Iredell Counties.

 Clark's Creek Tributary Greenway: Staff met with representatives of NC EEP (North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program) and the County's Nature Preserves and Natural Resources Division to discuss coordinating the plans for a stream restoration and the future greenway at Hucks Road Nature Preserve.

 Public Outreach: Staff provided greenway information at a public event for Team Bank of America's Earth Day "Greenovation" events. Staff described how to commute to work on the greenways, answered questions about the greenway master plan, and promoted the Park and Recreation Department.

 Stream Buffer Plantings: After receiving inquiries from greenway neighbors regarding the best plants to locate in their backyards, staff initiated an effort to educate homeowners. Members of the greenway planning, horticulture, and cooperative extension staffs met this week to discuss a proposed brochure that will inform homeowners of what trees and plants do best in the wet areas that often abut greenways throughout the County.

 Briar Creek Acquisition: Staff met with the owner of properties along Briar Creek immediately upstream and downstream of Independence Blvd. These properties would create a very important greenway connection between the Commonwealth and Chantilly neighborhoods and allow for an underpass beneath Independence. Although funds are not currently available to purchase the properties, Real Estate Services plans to have the property appraised so that the County will be prepared to negotiate a purchase once funds can be accessed.

 Little Sugar Creek Greenway: Staff organized and lead a group from the Little Sugar Creek Action Committee and the Trail of History Committee on a tour to see the construction status of the greenway.

 McAlpine Creek Greenway: The consultant plans to reach 75% construction documents next week.

 Toby Creek Greenway: Staff is working with UNCC and NCDOT to complete the last few federal stimulus requirements so bidding can begin as soon as possible and construction start in June.

CAPITAL PLANNING AND ALLIANCE DEVELOPMENT

 Team Church: Planning and Park Operations staff met this week with representatives of Team Church regarding plans for developing part of their campus into a park. This church is located near Hwy 74 and I-485 in the Town of Matthews. The church is exploring ideas on park needs, opportunities and partnerships. They will continue to identify opportunities and the department will assist as needed.

 Equestrian Center Master Plan Update: Planning and Enterprise Services staff met with the project's consultant regarding the proposed site master plan update for this facility at Latta Plantation Nature Preserve. The consultant has been working with staff and others to update the site plan to make it more user friendly and functional. The consultant will take final comments and a meeting will be scheduled with show directors in the near future to solicit their input before the final version is recommended.

Park Update

PARK OPERATIONS AND ATHLETIC SERVICES

 Baseball Tournaments This Weekend: Renaissance Park and Nevin Park will host youth baseball tournaments this weekend. The 11-12 age division will play on Saturday and Sunday at Renaissance, and the 9-10 division will play at Nevin. Over 35 teams are expected to play across the two sites. Both tournaments are directed by Crystal Carolina Sports.

 Park and Recreation Hosts State Youth Basketball Finals: Park and Recreation is proud to be a host site for four Statewide Athletic Committee championship tournaments this weekend. Host sites include Sugaw Creek Recreation Center, First Ward Recreation Center, Hickory Grove Recreation Center, and Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center. Bette Rae Thomas Center’s 10 and under boys, Bette Rae Thomas Center’s 12 and under boys, Greenville Center’s 12 and under boys, Tom Sykes Center’s 14 and under boys, and Amay James Center’s 16 and under boys will compete for their respective titles in Charlotte. Sugaw Creek Center’s 12 and under boys recreation team will compete in Selma, NC. We wish good luck to all teams competing on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!





 PS&I: The department was promoted at the Business Showcase last week at The Park (formerly The Merchandise Mart). The show attracted 1,500 attendees and was sponsored by The Charlotte Chamber and the Hospitality and Tourism Alliance. Guests received answers to their park questions and staff, working the information booth, received great comments about Mecklenburg County’s Park and Recreation system. Questions about our greenways and dog parks were the most often asked.

 Ray’s Busy Schedule: Ray had a busy week. Ray attended the Fire and Safety Bowl, will march in the rescheduled Saint Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday and will drop by Spring Fling at Freedom Park in the afternoon. Luckily, Ray is in great shape and loves to encourage folks to “Recreate All Year!” Have you friended Ray on Facebook yet?

 Volunteer Services: Volunteer Services received 56 new volunteer applications this past week. These volunteers will support special events, recreation programs and serve at our nature and recreation centers. The department welcomed groups from Vance, Hopewell and Garringer High Schools. The department also gave 26 community members the opportunity to complete community service at our recreation centers.

GREENWAY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

 Carolina Thread Trail
o Finalizing Trail Segments in Mecklenburg County: Staff participated in the first steering committee meeting for the Carolina Thread Trail in Mecklenburg County. The steering committee is composed of both citizen leaders as well as staff from throughout the County. Three Thread Trail segments were identified in the County’s master plan update; Little Sugar Creek Greenway, Mallard Creek Greenway and Long Creek Greenway. The committee, with input from the greater community, will help finalize the remaining Thread Trail segments in Mecklenburg County.

o Wayfinding and Signage: Staff met with representatives from the Carolina Thread Trail to discuss the incorporation of the Thread Trail identity within the new Mecklenburg County greenway signage system.

 Briar Creek Quick Buy Program: August and September of 2008 brought significant flooding to many properties along Briar Creek, particularly in the areas between The Plaza and Central Avenue. In an effort to remove damaged buildings from the floodplain and create more open space, County Storm water Services, Park and Recreation, and Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities partnered to buy a significant number of properties in the Briar Creek corridor. In all Park and Recreation was able to purchase 12 properties as part of the Quick Buy program. The purchase of these properties sets the stage for the development of future Briar Creek Greenway and possibly neighborhood park amenities, while allowing the majority of the floodplain to return to its natural state.




COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTER SERVICES

 Amay James Recreation Center 16 and under youth basketball team competed in and won the State Wide Regional competition held in New Bern, North Carolina. The team went undefeated during the regular season and will now represent the County in the state finals to be held at Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center this Saturday.

 Amay James Recreation Center’s participant, Timmy Lee Green, competed in the 10 and under division at the 2009 Charlotte Bobcat Jr. NBA / Jr. WNBA regional competition at the Time Warner Cable Arena. Timmy came in third place against many competitors and had a great time at the Bobcats Game and evening activities.

 Southview Recreation Center staff met with a group of teens from area neighborhoods and developed a series of on-going teen programs that began last week. The six programs that take place weekly at the center include "Give it to Me Straight" Teen Club, Teen Volleyball Night, So You Think You Can Act?, Teen Game Night and two Teen Fitness Sessions. These programs were designed with the assistance of the teens with the intention of getting them more active in positive, structured activities. In the first week, over 35 teens (mainly from Little Rock Apartments, Boulevard Homes, and the Wingate Community) participated in the various programs. Staff is excited about the level of participation and received positive feedback from the teens.

 Give a Little Day: On Saturday, March 21, Therapeutic Recreation participants will participate in the spring Give a Little Day volunteer projects. This program gives teens and young adults the opportunity to give back to their community and help others in need. The group will spend their morning at the Crisis Assistance Ministry free store warehouse. After a picnic lunch they will enjoy the fresh air while gardening at McGill Rose Garden.

 Teen Summit: On Thursday, March 12, 175 teens, parents and siblings packed Albemarle Recreation Center for the 2nd series of Teen Summits. Teens competed for prizes in a "new school" dance called "stinky leg" and "old school" hula -hoop contests. Pastry Artist Extraordinaire, entrepreneur Daijua Corin, age 12, inspired the audience with her vision of starting her business "Vela Delights", a year ago. She came prepared making 300 plus cup cakes for all who desired to partake. Entertainment was provided by a teen group called C-4 from West Charlotte Recreation Center and CBS Radio Station Power 98 provided music entertainment with special guest "Rich Girls." Keeping It Real topic, Dating Violence empowered teens to express themselves in open dialogue with Morning Mad House Radio Personalities, giving teens solutions and positive alternatives.

 Weigh Less with Ray: 30 Park and Recreation employees have registered for Weigh Less with Ray. Registration and initial weigh-ins will be March 18 - April 1.


 4-H Trains Providers on Citizenship and Service Learning: Mecklenburg County 4-H trained eleven out-of-school time programs on the 4-H Public Adventures service learning curriculum. This curriculum leads middle-school youth through the process of developing and implementing a service learning project through a variety of hands-on activities and experiences.

 51 Trained on 4-H Horticulture / Gardening Curriculum: In an effort to expose Mecklenburg County school-age youth to the wonder of outdoor education and science based experiences, Mecklenburg County 4-H has partnered with P.O.S.T. (Partners in Out of School Time) to offer ten curriculum training sessions this spring. Fifty-one out-of-school time providers were trained on the North Carolina developed "Down to Earth" horticulture and gardening curriculum. These providers will expose over 500 Mecklenburg County youth to hands-on horticulture and gardening based experiences, using science as inquiry.

 Fire and Life Safety Bowl: Mecklenburg County 4-H is a partner in planning and implementing the Mecklenburg County Fire and Life Safety Bowl. The 31st annual event was held on Thursday, March 19 at the Oasis Shiners’ Temple. Thirty-one elementary schools competed in the quiz bowl competition after three months of studying Fire and Life Safety education curriculum.

 Sr. Games Promotional Video: Mecklenburg County PS&I is producing the first Charlotte Mecklenburg Senior Games local promotional video with footage being shot on Thursday, March 19. Several participants in the local games met at the Marion Diehl Recreation Center for action footage of events. Marty Garges, Director of the Tyvola Senior Center, was interviewed for the video to highlight the Silver Arts element. Local participants were also interviewed and given an opportunity to explain what Senior Games means to them. This video will be utilized as a promotional tool for the games and be aired on media outlets such as the Government Channel, the Park and Recreation website and the Sr. Games website as well as being used by the Senior Games Ambassadors at speaking engagements.

 Albemarle Road Recreation Center and Girl Spirit Foundation hosted its first Real Beauty Workshop by Dove on Saturday, March 14. Over 50 girls participated from Greenville Recreation Center, Merry Oaks Recreation Site, Albemarle Road Recreation Center and surrounding girl groups from the Eastside Community. Special guest included Chelsea Gulden, Metrolina Aids Project and Donna Dukes, Author/ Domestic Violence Advocate who gave an excellent presentation that provoked thought and provided education and resources to the girls and parents. The girls enjoyed music, food and activities that focused on topics such as Self Esteem, What Makes Me Special, My Community Garden and The Role of Media and You.

 Pre-School Gym Time: Pre-School physical fitness and recreation prove to be fun with the new Pre-School Gym Time held at Albemarle Road Recreation Center. This new program, held every Wednesday from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m., allows children ages 2-5 to participate in running, jumping, throwing and relays to engage and improve coordination and an early start in healthy living. Local day cares in the area and stay at home parents requested this program.

 Chef Kidz: Chef Kidz began Monday, March 16 at Albemarle Road Recreation Center. This cooking class for ages 8-12 learned how to make edible play dough and hot diggity dogs. Class included safety in the kitchen, hand washing and hygiene. The children chose recipes to make for the next class.

 Life Choices Senior Program visited Wilora Lake Lodge Senior Living and enjoyed lunch Monday, March 16. Albemarle Road Recreation Club provides this program for any Senior Adult interested in learning more about resources available for seniors in the Charlotte Metro area. Senior volunteers provide ideas and assistance in planning and implementing the monthly program.


CAPITAL PLANNING

 Mecklenburg County Regional Sports Complex: Planning and Real Estate Services staff meet with our design consultants and Town of Matthews officials on Thursday, March 20 to review progress on this new site. Construction documents are approximately 50% complete. Due to the County's debt diet, this project will be placed on hold pending future bond sales once the construction documents are completed. Phase I will consist of two synthetic and three natural turf multi-purpose fields, roadways/parking, restroom and playground. The department also received its first viewing of the proposed public art for this complex this week and will review it in more detail prior to its formal approval by the Arts Commission.

 Proposed Bryton Development: Staff met with officials from RheinMedall who are developing a mixed used community near North Mecklenburg High School called Bryton. The focus of the meeting was park and greenway needs for this very large development. A transit stop for the new North Commuter Rail-line is proposed as well as a possible greenway stretch and neighborhood park.

 Proposed United Faith Development: Staff met with officials from United Faith Church regarding a proposal to build a ball field on adjacent, undeveloped county land at Providence Road and Providence Plantation Road. This property was purchased initially for future greenway development and is located with the floodplain of Four-Mile Creek. Consultants and church officials will continue their due diligence work and reconvene with planning staff in the near future.

 Park Road Park Lake Environs Project: A pre-bid construction conference was held on Wednesday, March 18 at Park Road Park for interested contractors regarding improvements and repairs to the lake and dam at this site. Bid opening is set for March 31.

 N.C. Sailing Center: Planning and park operations staff met with the project's design consultant on Wednesday, March 18 to review the final site concept plan. The project will be divided in to three phases with Phase I occurring this spring/summer. It will include improvements to the office/meeting space building, property fencing and accessible pathways. A formal project kickoff event is being planned for May, 2009.

 Proposed Solar Array: Planning and Stewardship services staff met with a vendor who specializes in photovoltaic panel design and applications which generate electricity via solar energy. This would greatly assist in the departments sustainable, green design initiatives for energy efficiency and environmental sensitivity.

 Park Road Park Tennis Complex Expansion: Planning, Park Operations/Athletic and Real Estate Services staff met with representatives of the Charlotte Tennis Association on Wednesday at the Park Road Park Tennis Complex to discuss expansion opportunities. The association has a desire for a large 30+ court complex for Charlotte and Mecklenburg County and is exploring various park sites to investigation potential expansion and/or construction opportunities. The group will continue to discuss options and meet again in a few weeks after further research is completed.

 Berewick Park/CMS Elementary School Progress: Planning, CMS, CMU staff and others met Thursday to finalize plans for the sewer line connections for the school, park, and other users. This issue was complicated by the fact that the sewer line must cross a dedicated conservation easement along Beaver Creek. The State Environmental Program was also involved in the discussion and a workable solution has been achieved. Other easements requests were also identified and agreed to. These will serve the adjacent Charlotte Housing Partnership and Pappas Properties developments and allow CMU to serve these projects with both water and sewer utilities.

 Harrisburg Park Soccer Complex: Final construction work is progressing on the park entrance with access lanes and an entrance island. This new multi-field complex is adjacent to the C.T. Myers Golf Course and is expected to open this spring as soon as this work is completed and a certificate of occupancy has been secured.

 Veterans Park/Morningside Development Progress Update: Planning and operations staff met with the development construction team to coordinate installation of a new sidewalk along McClintock Road, resolution of drainage issues and the cleaning up of overgrown areas of Veterans Park.

 Boulevard Homes/CMS/Southwest Park Joint Use Project: Staff met with CHA, Charlotte Flights, CMS, and CATS to discuss planning and development options for this project. The key is to provide the required program elements without a high level of redundancy within the confines of the master plan.


ENTERPRISE SERVICES
 Grady Cole Center:
o Charlotte Roller Girls: More than 2,000 attended the Charlotte Roller Girls roller derby match with Classic City on March 7. A capacity crowd saw the local team defeat Classic City by more than 40 points. The family friendly event was the first of three home matches at the Grady Cole Center. The next match is scheduled on April 18.

o Carolina Panthers/USA Football Coaching School: On Saturday March 14 the Grady Cole Center opened its doors to over 100 football coaches from across the Southeast United States for the annual Carolina Panthers/USA Football coaching school. Throughout the day coaches attended several sessions which included a presentation by keynote speaker Kenneth Moore of the Carolina Panthers. The event was sponsored by USA football and the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department Youth Football Program.

Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center:

o Swimming Championships: Eight hundred sixty five (865) kids under the age of 14 competed in the Southern Zone Eastern Section Age Group Swimming Championships March 12 – 15 at the MCAC. Swimmers from Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Southeastern, and West Virginia competed. Swimmers who made the final cut have an opportunity to compete in the Charlotte Ultra Swim featuring Olympians Michael Phelps, Cullen Jones and Mark Gangloff.

o Charlotte Ultra Swim: Staff met with representatives of CATS, Charlotte Sports Commission, Swim MAC, Charlotte Fire Department, and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority on March 19 to finalize operational, security and site plans for the 2009 Charlotte Ultra Swim.

Ray’s Splash Planet:

o Mom and Tot Meet and Greet: Ray’s Splash Planet hosted its monthly Mom and Tot Meet and Greet on Monday March 9 with a record breaking 202 participants. This once a month program allows for toddlers to splash and play in the water park from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at a discounted rate while parents participate in a meet and greet.

o Mother and Son Outing: Ray's Splash Planet hosted a Mother and Son Outing from JC Washington Elementary School on Sunday March 15 from 1 -3 p.m. Three hundred (300) participants used the splash park and participated in structured games in the RSP classroom and gymnasium at the Irwin Elementary School.

o Birthday Coloring Contest: Ray’s Splash Planet and My School Rocks magazine have partnered to host a Birthday Coloring Contest. Color Ray and enter to win a free birthday party at Ray's Splash Planet. Coloring sheets must be mailed to My School Rocks, Attn: RSP, PO Box 78734, Charlotte, NC 28271-7040 not later than April 6, 2009. Visit WWW.RAYSSPLASHPLANET.COM for more information.

Park and Recreation Update

DIRECTOR

 Accreditation: The department did an outstanding job this week hosting and responding to the Agency Accreditation Visitor Team. Three park and recreation professionals from across the country arrived on Monday and left Friday morning after reviewing stacks of materials, policies and procedures and all the compliance evidence supplied by the department. In all only three standards out of 155 were not met!!! We expect final approval of accreditation in March or October.

PARK OPERATIONS AND ATHLETIC SERVICES

 Midcourt Cup Junior Tennis Tournament: This weekend, the Charlotte Tennis Association will host over 275 participants at the Midcourt Cup Junior Tournament. This is a USTA Southern and NC Level 3 event, which equates to high point value for matches won, and draws the top 10&U - 18&U junior tennis players from Charlotte, NC and other states in the Southern Section. Jeff Adams Tennis Center will serve as the tournament headquarters, but great match play will also be taking place on the courts at Park Road Park, Freedom Park and South Mecklenburg High School. Close to 40 courts will be used throughout the weekend to accommodate about 500 matches. The Charlotte Tennis Association is a non-profit organization, affiliated with the USTA, whose mission is to promote the growth and development of tennis in the community.

 Softball Tournaments Begin: Due to inclement weather last weekend, the tournaments that were scheduled to kickoff the 2009 softball/baseball tournament season could not be held. This weekend, Renaissance Park will host the Wofford girl’s fast pitch tournament on both Saturday and Sunday. Play will begin at 9 a.m. With warm weather expected, it will be a great weekend to get out and enjoy the parks.

 North Carolina Golden Gloves Tournament: Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department hosts the North Carolina Golden Gloves Tournament, March 6 and 7 at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center, 939 Sugar Creek Road. This tournament features 15-20 bouts each evening with the best amateur boxers from across North Carolina, ages 17-34. Bouts begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday and run well into each night. Boxers represent 10 clubs from across the state: Charlotte, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Asheville, Hendersonville, Wilson, Rocky Mount, Ft. Bragg and Camp Lejeune. Matches will be held for novice and open categories each night in up to11 weight classes. The card will also include at least one women’s exhibition bout.

At least eight boxers from Charlotte-Mecklenburg are expected to compete.

Tickets are sold at the door. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for youth, ages11-17, and free to 10 and younger. This event sold out in recent years, so come early.

GREENWAY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

 Freedom Greene Development on Paw Creek: Staff has been working this week with the developer of the Freedom Greene Development located off of Freedom Drive and adjacent to Paw Creek. The developer will be constructing approximately a half mile of greenway trail and providing Park and Recreation a cash donation to extend the greenway up to Freedom Drive in the future, contingent upon future acquisitions.

 Long Creek Greenway: Staff met with the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) Midblock Crossing Committee to discuss a midblock crossing over Reames Road. Staff presented the Committee with several proposed alternatives for the design of the crossing. The Committee is generally supportive of the midblock crossing for the greenway and will continue to work with staff to explore the alternatives.

 Briar Creek Greenway – 70% Review: Staff met consultants and Storm Water Services this week to discuss the Briar Creek Greenway and stream restoration plans from Randolph Road to Meadowbrook through Eastover Park. Main discussions centered on work to uncap the Museum tributary that runs through the park, and that a pedestrian bridge would eventually be needed in the park so that it is not segmented by the creek.

 Southwest Park District Meeting: Staff met with the Southwest Park District Council to discuss plans for Sugar Creek, Steele Creek, and Walker Branch, and discuss the latest on the budget situation as it affects future bond sales.

 Carolina Thread Trail: The County has taken major steps this week towards identifying future thread trail corridors. The first steering committee meeting will be held on Wednesday March 18 at the Clanton Indoor Pavilion. Before this meeting all municipalities will have passed the Carolina Thread Trail resolution of support. The County will be applying for a planning grant from the Carolina Thread Trail for mapping and administrative support.

 Creek Coordination Committee Meeting: Staff from City and County Storm Water Services and Park and Recreation met last Friday to discuss project coordination and partnerships on various projects. Little Sugar Creek, Briar Creek, McAlpine Creek, Torrence Creek, McDowell Creek, and Long Creek were discussed.

COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTER SERVICES

 More Alive at 55: More Alive at 55 is showing a new life! The seniors have been faithfully attending the Yoga classes at 521, provided by Ann Mason, a volunteer instructor. The seniors have been working out, socializing and meeting new friends. In addition, they are gearing up for their first field trip on Thursday, March 26 to "Classic Cars & NASCAR" plus they will attend a Live WELL health seminar. The club will begin meeting additional times per month for other activities, including bridge, arts and crafts, floral arranging, and bingo.

 Black History Month Talent Show: Albemarle Road Recreation Center hosted its first Black History Month Talent Show on Saturday, February 28. The showcase featured pianist Corey Shipp, who played a piece from Mozart and Beethoven; Artellia Burch, author/poet; and Anointed Flow and Dance praise team, just to name a few. Pastor James Belk of New Change Church International gave opening remarks as Pastor Tony Thomas (Motivational Speaker) spoke words of encouragement to the crowd. Over 50 spectators enjoyed the event and all agreed this program was the start of many cultural talents shows to come.

 Arbor Glen Outreach Center Basketball & Cheerleading Sports Banquet: On Saturday, March 7, Arbor Glen will be hosting its Youth Basketball and Cheerleading Sports Banquet to wrap up another successful basketball/cheerleading season of nearly 200 children. All players and cheerleaders will be recognized and receive their trophy. Over 500 participants, parents, and relatives are expected.

 Tuckaseegee Recreation Center Basketball Banquet: Tuckaseegee Recreation Center will hold its annual end of season basketball banquet on Saturday, March 7 at 1 p.m. Participants and their families from our 13 basketball teams and one cheerleading squad will socialize, eat, and receive their trophies. The banquet is a great opportunity to let our customers know about upcoming programs and to make sure they know how much we appreciate them.

 The Justice Project and Reid Park Celebration at Amay James Recreation Center will be held on Saturday March 7 from 6 – 6 p.m. All ages are welcome to attend this free event and learn about programs offered at Amay James Recreation Center

 Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center's 4H Kick-Off: Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center will be kicking off its 4H club on Monday, March 9 from 4 – 5 p.m. for ages 5-18. Nicole Sanders from the NC Cooperative Extension will join us to kick off this exciting program.

 Gang Awareness Walk: A gang awareness presentation and community walk, coordinated by Gang of One (CMPD) and the Charlotte Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, in partnership with Park and Recreation, will be held in the Hidden Valley neighborhood on Saturday, March 7 at 10 a.m. Hidden Valley has been a target of much activity by domestic and international gangs. . This event is aimed at middle and high school students and community residents to reduce gang violence by awareness and community involvement in positive activities. Saturday’s program will begin at the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School Recreation Site.

 New 4-H Volunteer Orientation: Mecklenburg County 4-H offers new 4-H volunteer orientation the last Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. for new and prospective 4-H volunteers. Participants will learn how to manage a 4-H club and receive an overview of available 4-H curriculum. Seven new 4-H volunteers completed the orientation last week.

 STEM and Outdoor Education Workshop: Mecklenburg County 4-H is a partner in the new POST Leaf and STEM initiative. This initiative will increase opportunities for youth in after school and summer programs to use the outdoors to explore science, technology, engineering and math. Robert Furr and Michael Kirschman led an interactive workshop on Friday, March 6 with over 30 participants from local after school and summer programs.

 4-H’ers Earn-A-Bike: 4-H has partnered with Trips for Kids Charlotte to provide lessons in bike safety, bike repair, and bike maintenance to kids in after school. This week seven 4-H’ers from the Belmont YWCA 4-H club participated in the Earn-A-Bike program at the Trips for Kids Re-Cyclery. A bike and helmet is the reward for completing this 3-week course.

 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Games: Registration for the 2009 Senior Games is going strong. Opportunities still exist for participants and volunteers. Opening Ceremonies will be April 18 at Ray’s Splash Planet beginning at 9 a.m.

 Gifted Gardeners Program Grows: Due to high demand, a third “Gifted Gardeners” horticulture class has been added. This new offering of Therapeutic Recreation horticulture program for individuals with disabilities began on Tuesday, March 3 and will continue for 12 weeks.

 New Therapeutic Recreation Specialist: On Wednesday, February 25 the Therapeutic Recreation Division welcomed Alaina Baylor as their newest Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. Alaina graduated from East Carolina University with her B.S. in Recreational Therapy and comes to MCPRD from the Presbyterian Hospital Adult Behavioral Health Unit.

CAPITAL PLANNING

 Palisades Neighborhood School/Park: Staff met with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and their design consultant on Wednesday, March 4 to complete design elements for the neighborhood park component of this joint use project. The school's site plan identifies an elementary and a high school on property off Hwy 49 across from the entrance to McDowell Nature Preserve. The park will be built in conjunction with the elementary school which is scheduled to be under construction later this year. Design elements include a play field, playground, shelter and picnic sites and a 1 mile loop walking trail that will connect all portions of the school's site plus provide two (2) pedestrian accesses to a future residential community not yet built. Funds for this park were approved in the 2008 Park Bond.

 Latta Park Pedestrian Bridge and Access Improvements: Footings and foundations for the bridge abutments are currently being formed and poured. Sidewalk improvements are already in place. Substantial completion of this project is expected sometime in April, 2009.

 Winget Park Construction: Work continues to progress on Phase II of this site which includes a softball/baseball field, parking, access road and restroom. The restroom building roof has been finished and work on the interior is set to begin in the next few weeks. Substantial completion is expected by June, 2009.

 Monthly Joint Use Task Force: Park Planning staff attended this monthly meeting of local city-county-school planning departments. Items discussed included plans for the former Statesville Road Landfill (future greenway trail will run thru the property) and the purchase, renovation and re-sale of an historic house off Tuckaseegee Road by the Historic Landmarks Commission.

 Website Training: Planning staff attended a training session on the County's new website upgrade program. Divisions will now be responsible for keeping their web information current and presented. The overall appearance of the Park and Recreation website will also change once this upgrade becomes effective later this spring.

 Revolution Golf Course & Sports Learning Academy Projects: Planning, Enterprise Services and Park Services staff met onsite Friday, March 6 to review construction progress on the golf course. Specifically, concerns had been identified regarding erosion control. Corrections have been addressed and the project is moving forward. The Sports and Learning Academy construction is also going on simultaneously and is approximately 35% complete and on schedule.

 Latta Nature Center Planning: Internal departmental planning work continues on preliminary program design and scope for this proposed project at Latta Plantation Nature Preserve. Desired program elements, square footage needed and exhibit space needs are some of the discussion items moving forward.

 Synthetic Turf Field Products: Planning staff meet with a local vendor for synthetic turf athletic fields on Wednesday, March 4 to review industry products and features for new sports fields. The department has plans for at least five (5) new multi-purpose fields as part of the 2008 Park Bond.

 Berewick Park Design Development Planning: Capital Planning is in the process of coordinating sewer alignment with CMS and CMUD. CMS will be installing this line in the coming months to serve Berewick Elementary School, which will be opening this fall. This coordination will ensure easy Park and Recreation access to the sewer line for the planned first phase of this park.

 Park Road Park Lake Environs Project: The construction bid package and design drawings are almost complete for this long awaited park lake improvement project. A pre-bid meeting for dam repairs has been set for March 17. Bid opening has been scheduled for March 31.

 Southwest Park and Boulevard Homes Development: Park and Recreation Planning staff is teaming with the Charlotte Housing Authority and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools on what is shaping up to be an exciting project in southwest Charlotte. CHA is preparing a Hope VI grant application that could turn the old Boulevard Homes into a new diverse neighborhood. Based on the concept of an education and recreation campus, the new site would be anchored on either end by a new CMS K-12 magnet school and an enhanced Southview Recreation Center. Tree lined sidewalks and a greenway will wind through the new neighborhood connecting the two facilities. The education and recreation campus will also utilize athletic field amenities now under design at Southwest Park. Redevelopment funding and timeline are contingent upon a successful Hope VI grant award.

ENTERPRISE SERVICES
Grady Cole Center:
 Charlotte Roller Girls: The Charlotte Roller Girls will open their 2009 Roller Derby home season at the Grady Cole Center on Saturday, March 7 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Roller Derby, which was popular from 1940 – 1960, is a sport where two teams skate around an oval track, jockeying for position with a series of blocks and tactics, to become the first to cross the finish line.

On Wednesday March 4, Fox News Rising spotlighted the local team with a live broadcast from the Grady Cole Center. The segments included a lesson in what Roller Derby is and held several interviews with players, fans, and kids. Fox News is also planning on providing coverage of the bout on March 7.

Tickets are available at www.charlotterollergirls.com or at The Common Market, 2007 Commonwealth Ave. Bouts are also scheduled on April 18 and May 17.

 Homeless Veterans Stand Down: The Mecklenburg County Community Support Services Veteran's Service Office will hold a Homeless Veterans Stand Down on Friday, March 13 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Grady Cole Center. A "Stand Down" is a military term which describes a method of removing soldiers from combat and providing them rest and recovery time before returning to the battlefield. This inaugural Charlotte event will provide an opportunity for homeless veterans from Mecklenburg and neighboring counties to spend the day at the Grady Cole Center to receive food, clothing, benefit information, health screenings, and personal hygiene activities along with a chance to bond with other veterans. The goal is to provide these veterans with the resources they need to address their problems and assist in rebuilding their lives.

Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center:
 Hornets Nest Swim League Championship: Five hundred eighty (580) local youth from the Hornets Nest Swim League will descend on the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center to compete in the Hornets Nest Championship on Saturday, March 7 from 4:30 – 8 p.m. The Championship consists of ten (10) teams from Mecklenburg County including The Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center, Marion Diehl Recreation Center Pool, Charlotte Christian School, YWCA, Leroy Springs Recreation Center and five (5) local YMCA’s. The league consists of children 18 and under who are not registered with US Swimming. The Hornets Nest League is a winter swim league that promotes a less competitive swim league in which children may compete, learn, and improve without pressure or controversy. The championship meet is the final event of the winter season.

Ray’s Splash Planet:
 Free Learn to Swim Program: Ray's Splash Planet has distributed flyers to ten (10) area schools to expand its free learn to swim lesson program. Scholarships are available for students receiving free or reduced lunch. More than seventy (70) inquires have been received in one week and ten (10) students have been awarded scholarships and placed in the program.

SPECIALIZED PARK SERVICES

Community Garden Activities
 Community Garden/Fred Alexander Park: Specialized Park Services Division and NC Cooperative Extension (NCCES) have been approached by Mecklenburg Health Department to assist them in planning a community garden at Fred Alexander Park. The garden will be maintained by “The Males Place” program at the health department. One objective of the garden will be to educate the male youth group (12-18 years old) in the areas of good nutrition, entrepreneurship, life skills and basic gardening. The crops grown in the garden will be sold at a local farmers market, as well as distributed through the immediate community around the park.

 Community Gardens/Villa Heights and Revolution Park: Specialized Parks Division along with NCCES are also advising two other civic groups who have expressed interest in building community gardens in the Villa Heights and Revolution Park areas. Site assessments, soil testing and soil modification recommendations are some of the preliminary tasks that have been accomplished.

 Master Gardener Horticulture Hotline: NCCES Master Gardener horticulture hotline is open for business again this spring. The hotline is staffed Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – noon from March through October. Trained Master Gardeners are available to answer plant selection, pest management, fertilization, lawn maintenance, and other general gardening types of questions.

NATURE PRESERVES AND NATURAL RESOURCES

 Habitat Steward Training: Reedy Creek will be hosting NC Wildlife Federation OWLS Chapter’s Habitat Steward Training starting March 6. The Habitat Steward Certification program, a 3 day training course, will provide volunteers with the credibility and confidence to be a force in their communities for conservation and restoration of our wild places, using as the foundation the 4 principles of the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program: food, water, shelter and places to raise young.