Update from Park & Rec

COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTER SERVICES

 Southview Recreation Center – Girls Teen Club: Southview Recreation Center has started a girl’s teen club called "Give It 2 Me Str8" as a forum for them to discuss issues, ask questions and find solutions to everyday life situations. The weekly program is a great avenue for the teens to interact, develop self esteem and provide positive social activities.

 Teen Expo 2009: Teen Expo 2009 was held this past Saturday at the Stratford Richardson YMCA. Over 80 Teenagers attended and enjoyed socializing, music, dancing and refreshments as well as receiving teen program information offered at recreation centers in the West Boulevard Corridor. Each month there is a special weekend teen program to provide a safe and fun gathering place for the teens to socialize.

 Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center – Go Girls: On January 13 Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center kicked off a new female mentoring program called “Go Girls”. This program outlines career and college exploration, community service, conflict resolution, health and wellness activities, arts and crafts, fashion, personal hygiene instructions and field trips. The group will meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 5 – 6 p.m.

 Albemarle Road Recreation Center – Sr. Citizen Program: Albemarle Road Recreation Center's Life Choices Program for Senior Citizens began this week with 15 seniors from the community enjoying lunch at Sunrise Senior Living Center. Life Choices Program is a partnership with businesses within the community to unite, educate and provide opportunities to explore and interact with the options available for advancement of life. Next month's event includes an outing to Willow Grove Senior Living for lunch and a special day of horse racing.

 Albemarle Road Recreation Center: Neighborhood Partnership with the Easthaven Home Owners Association and Albemarle Road Recreation Center held its first annual Charlotte East Buy, Sell, Trade and Trunk Treasures event Saturday, January 10. The neighbors and staff worked hard to make this event a success and the Charlotte Observer came out to take pictures and interview participants.

 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebrations: The Special Event Services team is heavily involved with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebrations in Charlotte. On Thursday, January 15 there was a wreath laying ceremony in Marshall Park (featured on the front of 1/16/09 local section of the Charlotte Observer). On Saturday, January 17 the annual Martin Luther King Day Parade kicks off at 11 a.m. at Hal Marshall and continues to 3rd and Davidson.

ENTERPRISE SERVICES

 Ray’s Splash Planet: Ray’s Splash Planet (RSP) Cheerleaders will be participating in the Annual Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade on Saturday January 17. This will be the second year that RSP Cheerleaders have participated in this parade. RSP has 30 cheerleaders ranging in ages 5-12 year olds. The youth squad was formed in partnership with Right Moves for Youth at Irwin Elementary School and coached by long time Recreation Assistant Mrs. Alfreda Perdue and Mrs. Cassandra Black, a 4th Grade teacher at Irwin Elementary School.
 Grady Cole Center: On Saturday January 10, 2009 staff hosted a very successful AAU wrestling tournament at the Grady Cole Center that was sponsored by the Police Athletic League Pit Bulls Wrestling Club. Wrestlers who participated ranged from ages of 4 to 17 years old. More than 525 wrestlers competed from both North and South Carolina.
 Golf: Staff met with Champ Detamore, owner and operator of Total Golf Adventures, on January 16, to discuss the establishment of a youth learn to golf program designed to be taught in recreation centers. Students are introduced to the game indoors using a five level interactive teaching aid that prepares them for play on a golf course. Information about the program will be presented to the Consolidated Golf Advisory Council on February 11 at its regular meeting.
 Aquatics: The Aquatic Team of Mecklenburg (ATOM) will hold its Annual Frosty Invitational Swim Meet at the MCAC January 17-18, 2009. Swimmers ages 17 and under from the Blue Ridge Conference will compete for various awards. More than four hundred swimmers are expected to participate.

GREENWAY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

 Progress on McDowell Creek Greenway: Construction on McDowell Creek Greenway from Birkdale Village to Cornelius (Westmoreland Road) is progressing and is on schedule. Over the next couple of months the trail base will be installed for the entire 1.5 miles. The project is about 50% complete and should open this summer.

 Briar Creek Greenway: Staff hosted a stakeholder group meeting for this section of greenway, between Randolph Rd. at Eastover Park and Meadowbrook Rd. The stakeholder group is comprised of Greenway Advisory Council members, local neighborhood representatives, and other City and County staff with an interest in the project. The group was presented a conceptual greenway plan and asked to brainstorm opportunities and concerns that should be considered during the design process. A public workshop, open to all citizens, will be held at the Mint Museum of Art on February 2.

 Lynx Blue Line Extension: Staff reviewed the 15% plans for CATS northeast light rail extension to the University area. The light rail project crosses several greenway corridors and staff is advocating for integration of the transit and greenway systems to improve pedestrian and bicycle environment in this area of the City. Staff also attended the Blue Line Extension public workshop on Tuesday.

 Trail of History: Staff met with Partners for Parks Director Sally Billington and Tony Zeiss, President of CPCC, concerning the formation of a Trail of History Committee. Members will be invited to their first meeting in early February. The goal of the group is to plan and realize the completion of up to 20 statues of individuals that tell the history of Mecklenburg County along the urban sections of Little Sugar Creek Greenway.

 Little Sugar Creek Greenway (Cordelia Park): Park and Recreation staff met with neighborhood citizens to discuss future plans for Cordelia Park. Options for connecting Little Sugar Creek Greenway to (and through) Cordelia Park were discussed. Greenway staff will continue to work with Park and Recreation, other agencies, and the public to leverage the ability of greenway to activate and enliven this space.

NATURE PRESERVES AND NATURAL RESOURCES

 Wild Wings Winter Festival: The Wild Wings Winter Festival will be at the Carolina Raptor Center on Saturday, January 17, noon - 4 p.m. Live bird presentations address how the changing seasons affect raptors, and arts and crafts activities make it fun for kids of all ages. Activities include storytelling, face painting, cookie decorating, trail tours, live bird presentations, having your photo taken with a live raptor, making bird feeders, learning how to feed birds for winter, and more.

 Fit-in-Nature Series: On January 23 you can try Tai Chi for free at Reedy Creek Nature Center. The class is part of its Fit-in-Nature series. Tai Chi, known as moving meditation, promotes relaxation and improved health. For more information on this and other Fit-in –Nature classes please call 704-598-8857.

 State Nature Preserve Dedication: On January 6, McDowell Nature Preserve became the first Mecklenburg County owned and operated nature preserve to be dedicated as a state nature preserve by NC. The dedication and state conservation easement will help to ensure its continued protection in perpetuity. Latta Plantation Nature Preserve is scheduled to be dedicated sometime this spring.

PARK OPERATIONS AND ATHLETIC SERVICES

 Volunteer Services: The Department hosted seven groups from CMS high schools this past week. We have also partnered with Hands on Charlotte to host the 2009 Martin Luther King Day volunteer effort on Saturday, January 17 at the Thomasboro facilities. Volunteer Services welcomed nine new volunteers into the VIP (Volunteers in Parks) program and through our partnerships with Goodwill Industries and Arbor Education and Training we placed five new Workfirst volunteers. These volunteers will give us 107 hours of volunteer service in our centers each week. This is like adding 5.3 new part time staff to the department.

 Park Operations Reorganization: The park operations reorganization took a big step forward this week, promoting Neil Carroll to the Park Superintendent position. Neil brings over 30 years experience to the position and a wealth of knowledge on managing and improving park maintenance. The five regional manager positions have been solidified as follows:
Alan Beaver, North Park Region
Patricia Poteat, West Park Region
John McClelland, South Park Region
James Worsley, East Park Region
Greg Clemmer, Central Park Region

 Karla Thornhill will become the manager over Revolution Sports and Learning Academy and will work closely with the Charlotte Flight, Police Athletic League, the Charlotte Boxing Academy and First Tee. She will also be instrumental in working to develop these programs and expand them out into the community.

 Andra Eaves will be the manager over school site facilities and Stephanie Frisbee will be the manager over cultural arts and senior programming. They will both be missed in the park operations and athletic services division but we know that their expertise and talents will be well served in their new roles.

CAPITAL PLANNING

 Sycamore: Staff attended the Central Park District II Advisory Council Meeting to discuss the proposed mixed use development near Ray's Splash Planet. Sycamore LLC has entered into a partnership with CMS for the project on this site. Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation (MCPR) has a Joint Use Agreement with CMS for the use of land and other shared amenities. The presentation was also given to the Aquatic Advisory Council.

 Natural Play Area: Staff attended a meeting to discuss the planning, design and construction of a natural play area on an existing park site. The meeting included attendees from various divisions within the department.

 YMCA: Staff met with Eric White of the YMCA to discuss potential future joint planning opportunities within Mecklenburg County.

 Mallard Creek: Staff met with design and construction representatives from CMS to discuss the joint planning of an elementary school and additional park amenities at Mallard Creek Park. The meeting included discussions on Berewick and Palisades.

 Marion Diehl: Staff met with a preliminary stakeholder group to discuss the planning process for renovation and expansion of the Marion Diehl Center. Pre-planning for this project and final stakeholder selection is now underway.

 Center City Park & Recreation Vision Plan: Staff met with Center City Partners to discuss the final components for the completion of the plan. Pros Consulting will have a draft of the plan submitted for review by the end of the month.

 Land Verification: As a part of the greenprinting process, staff visited several potential sites to verify and determine their viability as potential park property.

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January 2009 Update on Park Matters

COMMUNITY AND RECREATION CENTER SERVICES

 First Night: After a twelve year hiatus First Night is once again alive and well in uptown Charlotte. MCPRD was a member of the steering committee with Center City Partners to make this wonderful family event a reality. Our role was to provide the children's activities which included a duel giant slide, a bounce house and the wheel of fortune where “everyone's a winner”. Glow in the dark sticks and RAY stress balls were among the prizes. The children's events ended with RAY leading the First Night People’s Parade as the Grand Marshall. With over 25,000 people at First Night this promises to be another annual event for our Department.

 Women in Sports: First Ward Recreation Center hosted “We Girls Can Do Anything” on January 2. The program was designed to celebrate women in the sports industry while stressing the importance of education, networking, positive self esteem and hard work among young girls. Women from the Carolina Panthers, ESPN, CMS, YMCA and Park and Recreation spoke to a crowd of 50 girls. The girls received giveaways from the above organizations.

 Boys Club: Merry Oaks School Recreation Center Boys Club attended the Davidson Wildcats basketball game on January 3 courtesy of the Davidson Athletic Department. The 10 boys experienced their first live college basketball game.
 Buy, Sell, Trade and Trunk Treasures: East Haven Neighborhood Association is partnering with Albemarle Road Recreation Center for the first annual Buy, Sell, Trade and Trunk Treasures taking place this Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Individuals and groups are welcome to rent a space to set up and sell items. Breakfast, Lunch and Bake Sale will also be part of the event to feed the hungry treasure and bargain hunters.
 Bojangles Basketball Tournament: Merry Oaks youth basketball teams (15 children and 2 coaches) attended the annual Bojangles Basketball Tournament at Marvin Ridge High School on December 29. Tickets were received through the Summer Hoops Foundation. The players were amazed at the level of excitement at the games.
 Meck Teens Team Bring in the New Year: On Friday, January 2, a group of Meck Teens from the Leafcrest Apartments spent an exciting day of skating, bowling and laser tag. It was a great opportunity for them to bring in the New Year on a positive note and to share stories about their Christmas holiday. Throughout the day the teens expressed ways that they would like to help their peers who are less fortunate. It was a great experience for all who attended.

 Meck Teens Bake-off: Meck Teens Youth at Risk were featured in a Charlotte Observer article for their recent “Teen Bake-off”. This intergenerational program focused on the art of baking as a community service project. The teens were taught how to bake cookies and then took them to a Christmas Party at Southview Recreation Center where the cookies were decorated. This program was a way for teens to impact their community in a positive way and demonstrate their way of giving back during the holiday season.

 January Fitness Center Promotion: Park and Recreation is offering a January promotion on fitness center memberships at the following fitness centers: Bette Rae Thomas, First Ward, Mallard Creek, Ray's Splash Planet, Southview, Tuckaseegee and West Charlotte. The Promotion offers 1 free month on a 6 month membership and 3 free months on an annual adult, senior or family membership. Patrons, friends and family are encouraged to take advantage of this great offer as it provides an affordable option for our citizens to improve their health, get into shape and keep those New Year's resolutions.
 Keeping Kids in Motion Update: A meeting was held on Monday, January 5 with representatives from Red Moon Marketing, Presbyterian Hospital and Park and Recreation to begin securing programming for the Keeping Kids in Motion, a four week program scheduled for the spring of 2009. Physical activity and healthy lifestyles will be the overarching themes of this program and should provide great exposure for many of the programs offered through Park and Recreation. Stay tuned for information on how you can get involved.
 NEW Beginner Running Group: The County employee fitness program is offering a beginner running group which started Monday, January 5. This group is open to all employees who are members of the Hal Marshall Fitness Center. The group leaves Hal Marshall at 6 a.m. on Mondays and runs in the uptown area. They are generally finished 6:45 a.m.

 Zumba: Zumba classes for county employee fitness center members will be held each Thursday at 12:30 and 6:00 p.m. at the Hal Marshal Fitness Center. Zumba is a 45 minute Latin-inspired dance fitness class that works almost every muscle in the body. Be adventurous and try this fun workout.



ENTERPRISE SERVICES

 Historic St. Mary’s Chapel: Staff met with Al Queen, a former resident of the Thompson Children’s Home on January 7 and discussed the possibility of conducting “living history” sessions of life at the home and the history of St. Mary’s Chapel. The Thompson Children’s Home was located on approximately 110 acres in the uptown area that included the existing Chapel. Mr. Queen has agreed to provide information on his stay at the Thompson Home to the after school students of Rama Road Elementary School on January 23 at the Chapel from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Staff is pursuing plans to conduct future public sessions that will include other information about the Home and the Chapel with a question and answer period.
 Revolution Park Golf Course: Staff met with Clyde Johnston, Professional Golf Course Architect and former President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects on January 7 to finalize plans to start Phase I renovation of the Revolution Park Golf Course. An erosion control permit has been approved and Mecklenburg County Flood Mitigation Department has reviewed and approved the proposed changes. Site prep work is projected to start as soon as possible. Staff is finalizing discussions with City Storm Water Services concerning an irrigation source for the golf course. The First Tee of Charlotte has started renovation of the existing clubhouse and plans to start site work on the practice facilities by January 31, 2009.


GREENWAY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

 Wayfinding Signage: Installation of the new signage package began this week on Mallard and Clark’s Creek Greenway. A press event was held on Thursday as the Greenway Maintenance Team was working on the installation at the Kirk Farm Fields entrance.

 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Grant Applications: Staff submitted applications for two CMAQ grants totaling $500,000 ($250K per project). The first is a pedestrian connection from Lower McAlpine Creek Greenway to the Ballantyne Corporate Park. The second is a pedestrian connection from Mallard Creek Greenway to a CATS park and ride lot on Mallard Creek Road. Matching funds would be applied from 2008 bonds, which included both of these projects.

 Irwin Creek Greenway at Revolution Golf Course: Greenway, Enterprise Services, and Maintenance and Operations staff met to discuss the use of maintenance vehicles on parts of the planned greenway through renovated Revolution Golf Course. Part of the greenway is being designed to follow the existing golf course maintenance path and will continue to be used by maintenance staff after the trail is open to the public. Appropriate signage will be posted warning greenway users of periodic maintenance traffic.

 McDowell Creek Greenway: Cornelius: Mecklenburg County citizens love their greenways so much that they often walk on them before construction is finished. In order to protect the public and the incomplete greenway surface, the Greenway Maintenance and Operations Team installed signs at McDowell Creek Greenway indicating that the Greenway is under construction and not yet open to the public.

 Little Sugar Creek Greenway: Midtown Section: T.K. Browne became active on site at Little Sugar Creek, Midtown/Metropolitan section. This section will most likely be the first urban section of Little Sugar Creek Greenway to be completed. Grading and stream restoration were completed under a previous contract with United Construction.

 Greenway Stakeholder Meetings and Public Workshops: Staff is working to identify stakeholders for Briar and McAlpine Creek Greenway and stream restoration projects, and to schedule the first public workshop for each project. Stakeholders will include a PRC member, GAC member, local residents, adjoining business owners, and other key individuals. The first stakeholder meeting for Briar Creek Greenway will be on Monday January 12, 2009 at 6:00 PM at the Mint Museum, and the first public workshop will be on Monday February 2, 2009 at 6:45 PM. The stakeholder meeting and public workshop for McAlpine Creek Greenway will be in late January or early February.

NATURE PRESERVES AND NATURAL RESOURCES

 Wildlife Sightings: A Common Raven was sighted and photographed during the Southern Lake Norman Christmas Bird Count on December 21. This never before documented species has now been added to the official Mecklenburg County bird list and is the 300th bird species to be documented in Mecklenburg County. Another rare wildlife sighting occurred at McDowell Nature Preserve in December, when two bobcats were photographed together.

 Historic Latta Plantation Civil War Winter Quarters and Homefront: Learn about how families survived while soldiers were away at war, the impact of the home guard on local communities and how soldiers spent their time during brutal winters encamped with the armies. Demonstrations of weaving, cooking, and more are free with regular admission. Don’t miss this event on Saturday 10-4 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m. ($6 for adults, $5 for seniors 62+ and students, ages 5 and under are free).

 Professional Development: Staci Clark, Environmental Educator at Reedy Creek Nature Center, is now a certified Environmental Educator by the State of North Carolina. In order to achieve this goal Staci completed 200 hours of professional development. She is also a Certified Interpretative Guide. Both certifications, held by many of our educators, help to ensure county staff are providing high quality public programming.

 Hike for Habitats: This event was held last Saturday at Ribbon Walk Nature Preserve and was featured on News 14. Participants who attended enjoyed a staff led walk through the preserve. Regular visitors say it is great to see more events like this being held in the preserves.

 K-8 Science Conference: Next week Reedy Creek Nature Center staff will present at the 4th annual K-8 Science Conference sponsored by Southwest Education Alliance held at UNC Charlotte. This annual event focuses on improving science education and provides outreach resources to teachers. 170 teachers are registered for this event.

 Carolina Raptor Center Reducing Hours: Carolina Raptor Center is a private non-profit organization located within Latta Plantation Nature Preserve and has announced that it is reducing its public hours. It will be closed on Mondays through mid-March.


PARK OPERATIONS AND ATHLETIC SERVICES

 Youth Indoor Football League: Athletic Services has teamed up with the Carolina Speed professional arena football program to offer Charlotte's first youth indoor football league involving children ages 9-12. All games will be played at the Bojangles Coliseum (formerly Cricket Arena) on Independence Boulevard on Saturdays beginning in April. Eight teams will compete in the league, which is endorsed by the Speed and the American Indoor Football Association. Park and Recreation's youth football coordinator Derichard McCoy will lead the program and registration is currently being accepted.

 Volunteer Services: Volunteer Services had a lot to be thankful for in 2008. Over one hundred coaches volunteered at our centers this past fall. CMS high schools have volunteered at the parks over 130 times since September and over 60 times in 2008 various companies and organizations have had groups volunteer in a park.

CAPITAL PLANNING

 Sycamore Commons Project at Ray's Splash Planet: Planning staff met Friday, January 9 with design consultants and CMS staff to review progress on plans for this new mixed use residential/office complex adjacent to Ray's Splash Planet. This is a public private partnership venture primarily with CMS who is the land owner for this parcel.

 Evergreen Nature Preserve Master Plan: Planning and Natural Resources staff met on Tuesday, January 6 to finalize design elements for this property's site master plan. Two community workshops have been conducted previously and input has been received. A final site master plan will be presented at a joint meeting of the Stewardship and East Park District Advisory Councils in late February to be followed by a presentation to the Park and Recreation Commission and ultimately to the BOCC for approval.

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