Greetings again from Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.  Have a great summer with the many offerings at our parks, recreation centers, nature preserves, pools, and greenways. If you are looking for maximum recreation opportunities at minimum price, often for FREE, check out these listings and visit www.parkandrec.com for many more.

JAZZ FESTS IN MARSHALL PARK UPTOWN, SUNDAYS IN JUNE!  A WARM-UP FOR MANY UPTOWN EVENTS COMING TO PLANNED ROMARE BEARDEN PARK

Jazz Music Fests are planned Sunday afternoons in June, June 7-28 at Marshall Park, presented by Lockhart Entertainment in partnership with Park and Rec.  Each fest runs 1pm-6pm, and each will feature four live bands!  Admission is FREE with food and a wine/beer garden onsite. Park and Rec has taken over management of Marshall Park from the City of Charlotte, and we are now actively programming. Marshall Park is on South McDowell Street

Marshall Park offers a dramatic skyline view of uptown Charlotte!

between East Third St. and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.  It is named for James B. Marshall, City Manager of Charlotte 1935-1940, whose  office in City Hall overlooked the property, and he dreamed it would someday be a park. The property was cleared by urban renewal before the park opened in 1973. Radio 107.9 The Link sponsors a big yard sale in Marshall Park on Sat. Jun 20, 8am-11am.  Park and Rec's Brown Bag Wednesdays Music Series is June 17, 24, July 1, and 8, 11am-1pm. 

PARK AND REC OUTDOOR POOLS AND SPRAYGROUND NOW OPEN; FREE SWIM LESSONS AGAIN THIS YEAR!

Park and Rec's outdoor pools are open for the summer season! ALL pool admissions remain at only $1 for all day, to help families cope with a rough economy! Pools will be open weekends only until school closes, June 11, then they will be open every day. Our outdoor pools are Cordelia Pool, 2100 N. Davidson St. and Double Oaks Pool, 1200 Newland Rd.  Regular hours for swimming will be Saturdays 11-5pm, Sundays 1-5pm, Monday–Friday 12noon-6pm.  Last year, these pools had 25,049 paid admissions. The pools offer FREE swim lessons for youngsters again this year. Park and Rec's five "spraygrounds" are also open for the summer, seven days a week, 10am-8pm. Spraygrounds are FREE an have water sprays, nozzles, streams and spouts for children (and sometimes adults) to frolic under. Sprayground are in Nevin Park, Cordelia Park, Latta Park, Veterans Park, and  West Charlotte Recreation Center Park.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Karen Bentley throws out the first pitch on a new ball field at Bradford Park.

BRADFORD PARK NOW OPEN WITH MANY NEW ATHLETIC FIELDS TO SERVE NORTH MECKLENBURG'S GROWING SUBURBS

Mecklenburg County, Huntersville and Davidson celebrated the grand opening May 30 a major new park to serve north Mecklenburg towns and suburbs. It's Robert Caldwell Bradford Park, 17005 Davidson-Concord Rd, in Huntersville. The park covers more than 210 acres, and Phase I, now open, cost more than $5.2 million. It represents a unique partnership. Mecklenburg County contributed $4.2 million toward land acquisition and construction, from park bonds. Huntersville contributed more than a million dollars, and will run the park in collaboration with 

Davidson. Phase I includes three soccer fields, four lighted softball fields, a lighted baseball field, picnic shelter and restrooms. Additional phases will be built as funds become available. The park is named for Robert Caldwell Bradford, lifetime resident of Huntersville, whose family lived on this land for more than a century. They ran Hiwassee and Hunter Dairies.

TEENS DIALOGUE SET FOR JUNE 13, AS TEEN SUMMIT SERIES CONTINUES ON GANGS, VIOLENCE AND OTHER CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

Park and Rec invites teens and parents to another in the series of Teen Summits Saturday, June 13, 10am-1pm, at Hickory Grove Recreation Center. The summit focuses on issues facing teens such as gangs, dating violence, substance abuse, and provides teens a chance to articulate their views on these important community issues. Teen Summits are sponsored by a partnership that includes Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department, Parent University of Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, and WPEG-FM, Power 98.  Radio personalities from WPEG-FM, Power 98 will moderate the dialogue.  For more information contact 311 or Marilyn Rainey, Park and Recreation's Coordinator/Supervisor for Teen Programming: (704) 432-1341 (Office) or  (980) 722-2181 (Cell).

NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO TAKE PIX FOR THE 2008-09 "NATURE OF MECKLENBURG" PHOTO CONTEST AND EXHIBITION, BEFORE THE JULY 15 DEADLINE

Partners for Parks and the Carolina Nature Photographers Association invite photographers to enter the 2008-2009 "The Nature of Mecklenburg" Photography Contest and "juried photography exhibition" to benefit Park and Recreation and the Partners for Parks, the non-profit organization which promotes parks, greenways and open space in Mecklenburg. Photographs may be taken, by amateurs or professionals, in any of Park and Rec parks, nature preserves, playgrounds or greenways. Photos must be taken Sep. 15, 2008 - July

Think you can take a great photo?  Enter your work in this photo contest!

15, 2009 in the following categories: Plant Life, Landscapes/Scenic, People in Parks, and Wildlife.  Cash and prize awards. Submit three photos for $15 entry fee. Deadline: July 15, 2009. A panel of jurors chooses winners for exhibition. For rules and details, click here or call 311.

E-PARKS ONLINE REGISTRATION SYSTEM TO SHUT DOWN JUNE 26-30 FOR INSTALLATION OF NEW SYSTEM;  ALL USERS MUST THEN RE-ENTER THEIR ACCOUNT INFORMATION!

To improve customer service and efficiency, Mecklenburg County will install a new database in Eparks, the computerized registration system for events and activities at our website, www.parkandrec.com, during the last week in June. This means all clients with existing accounts in Eparks will have to recreate their accounts and re-enter their account information. You may do this online at www.parkandrec.com, by clicking on Eparks or by calling 311.  For installation of the new database, we will have to close down Eparks June 26-June 30. During this time, no one will be able to register for programs, reserve facilities or sign up for memberships. We expect the system to be available again at 8am on July 1. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Memorial Stadium is a family-friendly place to view the color and excitement of fireworks on the 4th of July.

PLAN NOW FOR 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS IN UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, VIEW FROM MEMORIAL STADIUM!

Red, White, and Boom! on Saturday the 4th of July at Memorial Stadium is a great event for families. Co-sponsored with Charlotte Center City Partners, it will offer old-time games and activities in the late afternoon. Enjoy live music, with fireworks starting around 9:30. The event is  FREE, but parking and food available for charge. Bring a blanket or chair, but no coolers will be allowed. Details will be posted at www.parkandrec.com later this month.

E-PLANT TIPS FOR SUMMER FROM THE NC COOPERATVE EXTENSION SERVICE

In Mecklenburg County the Cooperative Extension Service is part of Park and Recreation and offers the tips for gardeners as we enter the summer growing season:

• Be sure an adequate mulch layer (2 to 3 inches) is maintained around trees and shrubs planted last fall and this past spring.
• Lacebugs are active on azaleas from late spring through summer. Treat with acephate in June if you see blanched or stippled appearance on the upper surface of the leaves.  You will also see black "tar" spots on the underside of leaves.
• Limit pruning during the summer on most all plants.  If you must prune, don't remove more than 1/3^rd of a plant's overall foliage.

The Cooperative Extension Service offers FREE "Home Lawn & Landscape Workshops" for the public:

• June 10, 2009, 6:30pm-8:30pm at Jetton Park's Waterfront Hall, 1900 Jetton Road, Cornelius
• June 17, 2009, 6:30pm-8:30pm at William R. Davie Park's Conference Center, 4635 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte

Please register for workshops in advance by contacting Scott Ewers, Consumer Horticulture Agent, 704 336-4008 or scott_ewers@ncsu.edu.  Deadline to register is June 9.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT PARK AND RECREATION; COME HELP US WITH MANY EVENTS

Mecklenburg Park and Recreation has many opportunities for adults to help with facilities, programs, athletic events and coaching. We also need responsible citizens to volunteer to be Park Ambassadors at parks and greenways, to greet citizens, hand out information and provide direxctions. See list of volunteer opportunities.  For information on volunteering for any programs contact: Lori Saylor at 704 336-5478 or Lori.Saylor@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov. NOTE: Volunteers younger than age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers for Therapeutic Recreation (TR) must be at least 18. Join the fun. Volunteer for Park and Rec!

Thousands of volunteers help Park and Rec.  We have many projects for them to work on.

US National Whitewater Center, a private facility on County property, offers a lot more outdoor  fun activities than rafting and  kayaking.  Check them out!

US NATIONAL WHITEWATER CENTER OFFERS SPECIAL DEAL PASS AND GIRLS DAY!