--- Published  September 22, 2005

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department dedicates the Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center at 6pm, October 13, at 2921 Tuckaseegee Road. This $4-million facility was financed by Certificates of Participation and underscores Mecklenburg County's commitment to help revitalize the fragile Westside neighborhood called Enderly Park.    

The center is named for Bette Rae Thomas, an esteemed resident of Enderly Park affectionately known to neighbors as "Miss Bette" (pronounced "Betty").  She is the longtime Coordinator of the Enderly Park Neighborhood Association who often counseled residents of this working class neighborhood on then edge of uptown to cut their grass, pick up trash, or remove old cars from yards.  Miss Bette lobbied Charlotte City Council and the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners for neighborhood improvements and better recreation programs.  She ceremonially summoned the wrecking ball to begin demolition of the old Enderly Park Elementary School which stood on part of the property of the new recreation center.  Neighbors petitioned the parks department to name the center in her honor. 

An estimated 2400 children live within a mile of the new recreation center. Miss Bette donated $10-thousand from her own savings, the proceeds to go to Partners for Parks, for youth programs there.

The dedication ceremony will include the unveiling of a portrait of Miss Bette to hang in the lobby. Featured speakers include Parks Helms, Chairman of Mecklenburg's Board of County Commissioners, William Chandler of the Park and Recreation Commission, and Miss Bette Rae Thomas herself.

This new recreation center is 24,000 square feet, three times as big as the old one it replaces, built in 1948, which was recently demolished.  The new center stands on Tuckaseegee Road, the main thoroughfare in the community, easily visible to all and advertising itself to the community.  The recreation center includes a gymnasium, computer lab, youth activity room, well equipped fitness room, and after school room. It also features a large multipurpose room that will house neighborhood and community meetings, family events, etc. 

The center has a senior room with easy chairs and fireplace, this room named for the late R. Lee Bass, a neighbor who often donated sports tickets to neighborhood children. There is also a meeting room named in honor of Herbert Weathers, President of the Enderly Park Neighborhood Association.

The parks department has already partnered with the Del Curry Charity 4 Youth to establish an after school program for latchkey children at the recreation center.  Registration is underway for Bobcats Youth Basketball.  Other activities include pre-school gymnastics, a variety of peewee sports, Karate instruction, ballet and jazz classes, Latin Express Dance, fitness assessments, senior Tai Chi, cardio dance, computing classes, and active adult and senior activities. 

For further information, contact Verdell Sanders, Recreation Center Director, at 704 393-7333.