Morning Minute: November 27, 2018

News About Town: ast night, during the Board of Commissioners meeting, the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resource Advisory Committee made its second recommendation for tourism grants within the Town of Matthews. Originally the committee made recommendations to allot $63,000.00 (an arbitrary dollar amount typical of years past) in grants dispersed between six organizations (Charlotte City Ballet, Matthews Athletic & Recreation Association, Matthews Chamber of Commerce, Matthews Kiwanis Club, NC Youth Rugby Union, and Matthews Playhouse). Town Commissioners considered the budget and conceded that a percentage of tourism revenue would make more sense in the grant process. For 2019 onward the finance department estimate 5% of the end of year tourism revenue to calculate the tourism grant budget. Using 5% of the estimated revenue for next year allotted the committee an additional $19,400 for a total budget of $82,400.

Good Things Around Town: It’s #GivingTuesday and Matthews has an abundance of worthy nonprofits to support. Here are five of our favorites (there are so many more):

• Bright Blessings is a volunteer-led organization that will impact more than 10,000 homeless and impoverished children this year through its core programs, Bless-A-Birthday, Bless-A-Baby, Gift of Literacy and Gift of Care. 

• Habitat and Wildlife Keepers (HAWK), founded in 2006, as the first chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF), is a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental education and conservation.

• MANA doesn’t go for all of the complicated “vision-mission-values” exercises. Their purpose is simple: to end malnutrition. They do it, they do it ingeniously, and they do it from right here in Matthews.

• The Matthews Library is easy to forget in terms of being nonprofit, but they are. Their mission is to improve lives and build a stronger community, which is exactly what they do for Matthews.  

• Matthews Playhouse is a 501(c)3 non-profit, community-based, theater organization committed to enriching the lives of children and adults through the world of performing arts.

Morning Minute: October 24, 2018

News About Town:  During last night’s council meeting the Board looked at and discussed the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resource Advisory Committee’s recommended annual tourism grants. Recipients are Charlotte City Ballet, Matthews Athletic & Recreation Association, the Matthews Chamber, Matthews Kiwanis Club,  NC Youth Rugby, and Matthews Playhouse.  With half of the Chamber’s request granted, the committee spokesman explained the requested amount for the organization was not granted because the Chamber received funds from the town as a Departmental Operation line item in the fiscal year ‘19 budget. The Board requested reconsideration by the committee on their decision.

News Around Town: Love it or leave it, Nextdoor is tuned into the community at large. They’ve just opened the 2018 Neighborhood Favorites Survey and want to know what members think of area businesses. Categories include, but are not limited to restaurants, nail salons, florists, and auto mechanics, most of which have several Matthews options. Too bad there’s no option for “Matthews-centric Online Newspaper”.

One Fun Thing: Get those obliques working by belly dancing with Nayna tonight and every Wednesday at Rhythm Dance, 120 W Matthews Street in downtown Matthews. Nayna teaches the essentials (including footwork, figure 8s, shimmies, arm and hand movement) in this basics course that’s suitable for all levels.  7:30-8:30 PM, $20 per class or $60 for a four week session.