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MCPRD Friday Letter
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Please us for a special Staff Appreciation All‐Staff Meeting at Mallard Creek Recreation
Center, Tuesday, October 30, 2012. Remarks will begin at 10:30 am.
In The News: County Vol-Ops
DIG IT! It’s Time for Creak
ReLeaf
Our annual Creek ReLeaf
Tree Planting Event is taking
place Saturday, Nov. 17,
2012. Come out with your
friends and family for a fun
day of digging in the dirt to
plant much‐needed trees in
Mecklenburg County. Lunch
is provided along with door
prizes for every age group!
Registration is limited and is
easily completed by visiting
MeckWeb.
Check back each week for
more Park specific volunteer
opportunities or contact Lori
Saylor or Margaret Brown.
Best in the Nation: Mecklenburg County Claims National Gold Medal Award—
Mecklenburg County Department of Park and Recreation has
been selected as the 2012 National Recreation and Park Associa‐
tion (NRPA) Gold Medal Award winner.
"I'm very proud of the work and professional dedication of our
staff and volunteers to earn this recognition," said Jim Garges,
director of the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Depart‐
ment.
Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the col‐
lective energies of citizens, staff and elected officials. Four finalists in each class are chosen to
compete for grand honors each year.
Park and Recreation was selected the winner in the Class I category (population 250,000 and
over) competing against:
City of Henderson (NV) Parks and Recreation Department
Maryland‐National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Riverdale, MD
Plano (TX) Parks and Recreation
this issue Park News P.1
Enterprise Services P.3
Community & Recreation Center Services P.6
I S S U E
O c t o b e r 2 5 2 0 1 2
56 WEEKLY
NEWSLETTER OF THE
PARK AND RECREATION
DEPARTMENT FridayFridayLetterLetter THE
Reminder Regarding Portable Heaters It has been the policy of Meck‐
lenburg County since 1996
that the use of portable space
heaters is forbidden in County
buildings. This policy was
implemented after it was
determined that a major fire
in a County building was
caused by a portable space
heater left unattended.
There are no exceptions to
this policy.
For assistance with heating
related issues, please contact
Peter Cook or a member of his
team so that a solution may
be found for your temperature
situations.
All portable heaters in use
should be removed and no
longer used, in accordance
with County policy.
Thank you,
Park Operations & Facility
Management Team
2012 NRPA Congress & Exposition NRPA understands that innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity. Congress 2012 provided an venue for park and recreation professionals from across the nation to gather and learn from one another. Attendees received powerful training on topics such as: innovative business practices, how to navigate politics in local government and how to create programs and services that serve a di‐verse population. This year, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation were represented by department dele‐gates: Jim Garges (Director), Michael Kirschman (Deputy Director), Division Directors James Alsop, Lee Jones and Lola Massad, park department employees Chris Matthews and Jay Tryon, as well as Doug Youngblood with Partners for Parks.
Mecklenburg County, through it’s qualification as a National Gold medal Finalist, ultimately brought home the Gold. This years con‐vention was held in Anaheim, California at the Anaheim Conven‐tion Center. Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Award honors U.S. communities that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long‐range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environ‐mental stewardship, program development, professional develop‐ment and agency recognition. Applications are separated into five classes based on population.
Scenes from events: Members of the MCPRD NRPA Congress Delegate Team ‐ Anaheim, CA
Did You Know ~ Softball
Softball is a variant of base‐ball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an in‐door game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' baseball. The name softball was given to the game in 1926. The name "softball" dates back to 1926. The name was coined by Walter Hakanson of the YMCA at a meeting of the National Recreation Congress. (In addition to "indoor baseball", "kitten ball", and "diamond ball", names for the game in‐cluded "mush ball", and "pumpkin ball". The name softball had spread across the United States by 1930.By the 1930s, similar sports with different rules and names were being played all over the United States and Canada. The for‐mation of the Joint Rules Committee on Softball in 1934 standardized the rules and naming throughout the United States.
Adult Athletics News On Sunday October 28th at 4:00pm the Women’s League Championship Game will be played at The Grady Cole Center. Additionally, the Men’s 30 & Over Fall Basketball League plays at the Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center. A Men’s 40 & Over Basketball League will start play in De‐cember. Men’s Basketball B‐League games are played each Thursday at the Grady Cole Center and playoffs are set to start. Fall volleyball leagues are currently being played at the Tom Sykes, Bette Rae Thomas, Wallace Pruitt, and West Charlotte Recreation Centers and playoffs have be‐gun at Tom Sykes, Wallace Pruitt and West Charlotte. The Flag Football League will complete its season at Nevin Park on Tuesday October 30th. In addition to the basketball leagues, volleyball, and flag football leagues, fall softball games are being played at Renaissance Park and Nevin Park each Monday through Thursday and playoffs for softball leagues began on October 22. Playoffs for the Fall Softball Leagues will began October 17th with double elimination brackets.
Ray’s Splash Plant Turns 10! Ray’s Splash Planet celebrated its 10 Year Anniversary on Sunday Oct. 21, 2012. Approximately 300 people came out to the event that included a bounce house, inflatable side, carnival games, face painting, and free food. See next page for event photos.
Ray’s Splash Planet Ray's Splash Planet is a
joint venture between the
Mecklenburg County Park
and Recreation Depart‐
ment and Charlotte‐
Mecklenburg Schools built
on the campus of Irwin
Academic Center.
This unique partnership
allows the students at Irwin
Academic Center access to
the splash park and other
amenities during the school
day for specific programs
while Park and Recreation
utilizes the school's gymna‐
sium in the evening and on
the weekends.
Ray's Splash Planet opened
it's doors on October 15,
2002 and has been a desti‐
nation for area residents
ever since. It's been voted
"Best place to Get Wet
2003" (Charlotte Observer),
"Best Recreation Facility"
2003 & 2004 (Creative
Loafing), "Best Place to
Have a Birthday Party
2005" (Charlotte City
Magazine), "Best Place to
Swim 2008" (Charlotte Par‐
ent Magazine), and "Best
Pool/Spray Park
2009" (Charlotte Parent
Magazine). Ray’s Splash
planet offers Year ‐Round
fun the entire family.
Ray’s Splash Plant Turns 10! Scenes from the Event... Ray’s Splash Planet celebrated its 10 Year Anniversary on Sunday Oct. 21, 2012. Approximately 300 people came out to the event that included a bounce house, inflatable side, carnival games, face painting, and free food.
Happy Birthday RAY!
Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities
Naomi Drenan’s NCDT Reach 2012! Naomi Drenan Recreation Center is proud to welcome back the North Carolina Dance Thea‐tre. Program has more than 30 dancers, parents are excited, kids are eager and we are ecstatic to see what they will learn and perform for us this year. These young performers are fun to watch as the develop skills they did not know they had.
2 Piece & A Biscuit Skate Tour at Grayson: On October 20th, skaters of all ages, from Mecklenburg County and beyond, came to Grayson SkatePark for the 2nd Annual Skate Tour hosted by Joe Fox and Dirtball Fashion. The event comprised of different competitions such as the Bowl competition, Jam sessions, and Individual Tricks competition. Over 50 skaters participated, but fun was had by all. There was raffle give‐aways, food, and music by a live DJ. Trophies and awards were given to these spectacular rid‐ers who placed in the competitions and continue to place throughout all five cities where the tour takes place.
Naomi Drenan Recreation Center For more information about this or other programs or events, contact NaomiDrenanRecrea‐[email protected] or 704.432.5231
Did You Know ~ The North Carolina Dance The North Carolina Dance TheatreTheatre North Carolina Dance Theatre’s Education and Outreach Program serves more than 50,000 students annually and is recognized as one of the leading programs in the United States. Extensive curriculum‐based education programs and spe‐cial performances for schools supplement residencies, workshops and other out‐reach programs. The program supports class‐room teachers by developing curriculum resources, educa‐tor guides, and by offering professional support. The program collaborates with UNC Charlotte, the Mecklen‐burg County Park and Recrea‐tion Department, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), and other non‐profit arts or‐ganizations and community organizations.
BioMed TechXcite at Naomi Drenan:
October 23rd marked the first class of the BioMed Tech program held at Naomi Drenan Recreation Cen‐ter. This class is held each Tuesday from 7:00pm to 8:00pm for six weeks. Stu‐dents will take part in ses‐sions in which they will build their very own “Bionic Arm” out of every day household items. The students learned the difference between hy‐draulic and pneumatic, put together a circuit system, and experimented with a small tube and two syringes to learn about compres‐sion. The next session will be “Imaging the Human Body”. There are limited spaces for both sessions, for more in‐formation, contact Nao‐miDrenanRecreationCenter@MecklenburgCoun‐tyNC.gov or call 704.432.5231.
MeckTeens Voyagers and Natural Resources/Nature Preserves: On Friday October 5th MeckTeens Voyagers and Natural Resources/Nature Preserves enjoyed an evening with friends on a sunset kayaking tour around Mountain Island Lake. They kicked back and enjoyed the sunset and dinner on the water and identified the constellations in the sky. They had a blast and are looking forward to the experience again.
MeckTeen Programs For more information about this or other MeckTeen programs, contact [email protected] or 704.432.0261.
Albemarle Road Recreation Center MufukaWorks Presents “Afro Russ Eve‐rybody Dance Class”:
MufukaWorks Afro Russ Everybody Dance Class is a new up and coming program held at Albemarle Road Recreation Center that embodies the culture of Afri‐can, Ballet, and Contemporary dance. The students are educated on the proper techniques and move‐ment of different positions. Program for children 8 & older meets weekly; they receive a newsletter along with technical terms to learn dance terminology.
Albemarle Road Recreation Center For more information on this and other programs, contact AlbemarleRoadRecreationCen‐[email protected] or call 704.567.1941.
Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities
Senior Card Tournament at Albemarle Road Recreation Center: On October 20th, Albe‐marle Road Recreation Center held its 2nd Annual MeckSeniors Card Tourna‐ment. 32 Seniors came from all over the county to take part in the event. Featured games were Spades, Bid Whist, Bridge, and Pokeno. The seniors were provided with light refreshments, along with trophies and certificates for the winners. This event was sponsored by Harris Teeter and Atomic Awards. For more information about this and other pro‐grams, please contact Albe‐[email protected] or call 704.567.1941.
“TAPP” at Elon Recreation Center Elon Recreation Center’s “TAPP” pro‐gram, which stands for Toddler And Parent Playtime, is a great way for tod‐dlers to spend time with their parents through fun arts & crafts activities or tumbling exercises. TAPP meets every Tuesday for one hour.
Elon Recreation Center For more information about our TAPP program contact ElonRecreationCen‐[email protected] or call 704.540.2426.
Recreational News from Mecklenburg Communities
Sugaw Creek Recreation Center ‐ 4‐H Bio Med Tech Bionic Arm Children of the YWCA after school program completed the activity on Tuesday, October 9. The basis of the activity was to learn about Assistive Technology and how it can help someone with a disability. The children experienced what it would be like to have a disability themselves. They took on various tasks such as tying a shoe or putting on a coat with a simulated disabled hand using a sock and rub‐ber band. The “mini‐engineers” learned to use hydraulic and pneumatic pressure to move an object. They used those types of pressure to mobilize a bionic arm they assembled themselves. The Bio Med Tech 4‐H program is a grant based program and is offered on Tuesday afternoons .
For more information, contact [email protected]
From Last Week: Lynden Miller & The Conservatory Garden, NYC The Conservatory Garden is the only formal garden in Central Park, New York City. Comprising 6 acres, it takes its name from a conservatory that stood on the site from 1898 to 1934. The Garden is composed of three distinct parts, skillfully restored since the 1980s,.. Some large shrubs, like tree lilac, magnolias, buddleias and Cornus alba 'elegantissima' provide verti‐cal structure and offer light shade to offset the sunny locations, planted by Lynden Miller with a wide range of hardy perennials and decora‐tive grasses, intermixed with annuals planted to seem naturalized. This garden has seasonal fea‐tures to draw visitors from April through October. Lynden Miller held a sympo‐sium on Thursday, October 24, 2012 for Park and Rec.
Youth Sports and Revolution Park Sports Academy
The NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Sectional Competitions
Mecklenburg County Park
and Recreation Department
will host the Sectional com‐
petition of the NFL Punt,
Pass & Kick event on Satur‐
day, October 27th starting
at 9am at Memorial Sta‐
dium (310 N Kings Drive,
Charlotte NC 28204) .
This event is free and open to the public to come out and watch the future high school, college
and professional football players. Boys and girls will compete in the age groups: 6/7, 8/9,
10/11, 12/13 and 14/15. They will vie for the best scores in the skills of punting, passing and
kicking a football. The top four first place finishers in each age group, per the boys and girls
categories will have their scores compared with the top finishers from other Sectionals being
held nationwide, to see if they qualify to advance to the Team Championship competition.
For more information, contact For more information about our this program or any of our other youth sports programs, call
704‐432‐4963, visit www.parkandrec.com or email [email protected]
Revolution Park Sports Academy Youth Sports Lacrosse Clinics The Revolution Park Sports Academy is partnering with the Char‐
lotte Copperheads and Charlotte Concords Lacrosse program to
offer Lacrosse clinics for children ages 9‐14. There will be a se‐
ries of six clinics spread out over the next four months on Char‐
lotte Mecklenburg School’s Out of School Days. The clinics are
open to players of all levels, they will focus on the basic skills
and rules of the game. The first clinic will be held Monday, October 29, 2012 with the girls go‐
ing from 9am to12 noon and the boys clinics from 1pm to 4pm. The fee is $5 per clinic and reg‐
istration can be done by calling 311, going to www.parkandrec.com, or visiting your nearest
recreation center.
Revolution Park Sports Academy For more information about Revolution Park Sports Academy programs or the Youth Sports
Lacrosse Clinics, please contact Revolution Park Sports Academy (1225 Remount Road) at (704)
432‐4963.
Park and Recreation News:
Submissions for the Newsletter
Please submit all news for the
Friday Letter to your Division
Director for review and routing.
Park Partners may contact
Kesha Meads at
for publication assistance.
The Friday Letter Issue 56 October 25, 2012
Mecklenburg County
Park and Recreation
Senior Leadership Team
Jim Garges, Director
Michael Kirschman, Deputy Director
James Alsop, Enterprise Services
Renea Barber, Human Resources
Mario Chang, Budget Administration
Lee Jones, Capital Planning
Lola Massad, Community Services and
Recreation Centers
Jeff Robinson, Park Operations
5841 Brookshire Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 336-8840
Recreate All Year! As the weather changes, look forward to new and exciting way to continue recreat‐ing during the fall and winter months. Subscribe to the Park and Recreation E‐Newsletter to stay up to date on activities that may be available to you.
www.parkandrec.com
A reminder that the Memorial Program is a wonderful way to honor a loved one, commemorate an event, or celebrate an organization. Park and Recreation offers Trees, Benches and Bricks. Please access information on www.parkandrec.com, QuikLinks‐ Memorial Trees and Benches. Or contact Tim Turton at [email protected]