News About Town: Hey you homeschoolers! The Matthews Park and Rec department has classes for you, including today at 1 pm. Bring your kid out to the McDowell Arts Center to play with clay and make a functional piece of pottery today. Bring them back next week (the 26th) to glaze their piece for firing. On Tuesday, the 24th, bring your kid(s) ages 7+ to use graphic design, software, and hardware to turn their artwork into a keepsake. If you’re looking for something a little more active, try PE for homeschoolers on Tuesday and Thursday at 11 am.

News Around Town: Firefighter Spencer Willis, with Idlewild Fire Department, was severely injured in a car accident last week and taken to CMC Main. He has been in the trauma ICU since. Idlewild, a volunteer department, serves both Matthews and Mint Hill. Spencer, according to his Go Fund Me, is a day laborer as well as a volunteer firefighter. The family has set up the fundraiser to assist in bills while he is on the long journey back to health.

One Good Thing: Next time you’re on a walk on the greenway, look up, down, and all around. Native fruits are coming into ripeness, including American persimmons, pawpaws, and maypops. Not comfortable foraging for wild foods? Wild foods expert Alexander Meander (see some of his beautiful finds above) is holding a plant walk in Matthews this Sunday, September 22. You’ll learn identification factors, the window for harvest, and the usable parts of some of the wild plants found on the walk. More information available here.