Morning Minute: Friday, February 28, 2020

News About Town: It’s Day 2 of the Board of Commissioners annual planning conference. Today’s meeting starts at 7:30 am with a quick breakfast and will run until 1:45 pm. Then the Board will travel to Blowing Rock and work again from 5 to 6:30 pm. Topics will include both town and NCDOT road improvements, sidewalks, the 27 acres at the corner of McKee and Pleasant Plains Roads, and funding options for capital improvements.

News Around Town: The Farmer’s Market is saying we’re going to have an early spring. (Pro Tip: Trust the farmers.) This weekend head on by and pick up elderberry products to boost immune systems from Double Up Farm, pasture-raised pork, chicken, beef, and lamb from a variety of farms, an assortment of salad greens and cold hardy crops, and an abundance of spring plants. Stop by the market this Saturday, 8 am til 10 am, at 188 North Trade St.

One Fun Thing: This Thursday, March 15, the Matthews Concert Band will take you to “A Night at the Movies.” Surround yourself in the sounds of your favorite movie score starting at 7:30 pm at Fullwood Theater in the Community Center, 100 McDowell St. for the very low price of free!

Morning Minute: Thursday, February 27, 2020

News About Town: The Board of Commissioners annual planning conference will begin at 5:30 pm at Town Hall. Over the course of just under three days, the Council will discuss 26 strategic items of importance that will come up during the 2020/21 term. During the portion tonight, the focus will be emergency services, specifically improving emergency response time, Idlewild VFD and its role in Matthews, and future construction of Matthews Fire Station 3.

News Around Town: The North Carolina Education Lottery's NC School Heroes contest is live for voting. Celebrate our public school teachers by voting for them (once per day). The 10 educators with the most votes will win $10,000 each, as well as $10,000 for their school. The person who nominated them will win $1,000.  The contest runs through March 15, and heroes will be announced May 6, 2020. Several Matthews schools don’t have nominees yet, so get some recognition for your own fave. Vote here.

One Good Thing: Area creatives and cultural organizations have a couple ASC grant deadlines coming up.

The Cultural Vision Grants (up to $10,000) initial application deadline is Monday, March 2, 2020 at noon. Learn More and Apply.

Culture Blocks Program Investments, funded in partnership between ASC, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, increase access to creative programming for residents living in one of the Culture Blocks program areas. Applications are due Friday, March 6, 2020 at noon. Learn more.  

Morning Minute: Wednesday, February 26, 2020

News About Town: The tornado took a toll on Matthews-Sardis Park, but the town has been working to get everything back in order. The playground has been refreshed with new surfacing and is ready for enjoyment. Park and Rec: 1; Tornado: 0.

News Around Town: Matthews residents and businesses are still spinning from the recent tornado, and the Kiwanis Club of Matthews is ready to help. Buy an “I survived the Matthews tornado” tee for $15 and over $7 from each shirt sold will be donated to fix facility damage at area youth organizations. Go to www.MatthewsTornadoTees.com to order.

One Good Thing: Tonight’s the night. The Mecklenburg County Budget Workshop is from 6 to 8 pm at the Sportsplex here in Matthews. Registration is required, and this is a great opportunity to learn about the county budget process, priorities, and to let both the County Manager and County Budget Director know what you want to see in the upcoming budget.

Snowfall----Rictameter

Snowfall----Rictameter

Snowfall
 Silent wrath of
Winter’s loneliness her
Flakes covering barren branches
Glisten in sunlight like shattered prisms
 Icicles make strong fortresses
 Guarding the buds of spring
 Floating magic
 Snowfall 

By Lorraine Stark

Image via Unsplash

Morning Minute: Tuesday, February 25, 2020

News About Town: In a surprising turn of events during last night’s Board of Commissioners meeting, the Board appointed Ken McCool to fill the vacant seat. Ken finished the November 2019 election in seventh place, 13 votes behind Commissioner John Urban.
"I'm excited to serve the Town of Matthews and to work towards building a brighter future for generations to come,” said Commissioner McCool. “I'm also looking forward to working collaboratively with the Board, and I thank them for their support. I would like to thank Ms. Dement for her service to the Town."

One Fun Thing: Don your favorite feather boa, shiny beaded necklaces, and gather your krewe, it’s Fat Tuesday. Several area restaurants are putting the Mardi in the Gras with drink and food specials. I’m the downtown area? Check out Mac’s Speedshop, Seaboard, and Temple Mojo.

Morning Minute: Monday, February 24, 2020

News About Town: Last Thursday, Commissioner Barbara Dement resigned from her seat on the Board of Commissioners. Citing professional reasons, the resignation was effective immediately. Ms. Dement was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2017 and previously served on the Town of Matthews Planning Board. 

News Around Town: According to the Mecklenburg Board of Elections website, as of close of polls on Saturday,1,665 people have voted early at the Matthews Library. Early voting continues for the 2020 primaries through February 29. All regular polling locations will be open March 3 from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm.

One Fun Thing: We May have missed National Margarita Day and National Dog Biscuit Day, but we won’t miss celebrating National Tortilla Chip Day. Venture over to El Valle (a Matthews staple for more than two decades!) and enjoy the fried, salty, corn-based perfection that is the tortilla chip. Maybe celebrate a belated National Margarita Day if the mood fits.

Morning Minute: Friday, February 21, 2020

News About Town: At the Monday (February 24) meeting the Board of Commissioners and attendees will hear a presentation on the Stevens Creek Subarea Study. Stevens Creek Nature Preserve is a 270+ acre park and preserve located east of Matthews, in Mint Hill. The Subarea Study first examined existing modes of transportation in the area, then looked for areas of improvement with safety, connectivity, and other Town visions (see page 7 of the presentation document). Paid for by the town and a matching planning grant provided by the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO), the study also provides suggestions for funding the implementation of the results.

Image via Unsplash

News Around Town: Anybody else spend the evening hitting refresh, waiting on news from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for an inclement weather update? With rain, sleet, snow, and temperatures that hovered around freezing, black ice is a concern. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are closed. If you’re planning on voting, make sure to check the Mecklenburg Board of Elections website for closures of early voting sites.

One Good Thing: Love cheese? Join the club. Literally. The Loyalist Market recently unveiled their brand new cheese club and you have until the end of this month to sign up. Available on March 25th, subscribers can stop by the Loyalist to pick up a custom gift box that includes a tasting book for notes and commentary, cheese information, and three all-new kinds of cheese to chomp. Visit www.theloyalistmarket.com and click on Cheese Club to start your subscription!

Morning Minute: Thursday, February 20, 2020

News About Town: The February 24, 2020 Board of Commissioners’ agenda is available online. The meeting should be relatively short since not many planning items are included. The discussion surrounding the rezoning of the Brace YMCA will likely be the lengthiest discussion. With the Weddington/485 ramp construction taking the current soccer fields, the Board must decide if rezoning for a condition change is appropriate. The meeting will begin at 7 pm in the Hood Room of Town Hall. Public comment is accepted towards the beginning of the meeting. Sign-up to speak before the meeting begins on the form outside the doors to the Hood Room.

Image via Unsplash

News Around Town: Following the winter storm, today’s forecast looks like a mix of sleet and rain throughout the day. Warm surface temps will probably prevent accumulation, but overnight temps Thursday night will dip well below freezing, causing black ice Friday morning. Have kids in school and unsure about closures? Follow CMS on Facebook for updated info.

One Good Thing: Have a habit of sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong? You’ve got nothing on Pinocchio. The puppet-turned-boy is performing at the Matthews Playhouse this weekend and next and we’ve got a pair of tickets. Want a chance to win? Answer our Facebook poll. (Not on Facebook? High fives to you! Send us your opinion: SnOMG or SnoWay?)

Morning Minute: Wednesday, February 19, 2020

News About Town: NCDOT began work clearing storm debris from the right-of-way along John Street and Highway 51 yesterday. Along town roads, property owners are responsible for storm clean up. There are many piles that need to be picked up. Please remember the rules for yard waste:

• Branches and limbs must be cut in lengths of four feet or less and can be no larger than five inches in diameter.

• Debris must be stacked in small enough piles that an individual is able to pick up with a pitchfork at the curb.

• Smaller yard waste including; brush, tree & shrub trimmings, and leaves need to be bagged in clear bags, or other bags left open so the driver can see the contents.

• Do not leave bagged yard waste or limbs and branches blocking the sidewalk or in the street.

News Around Town: Orange tubes have been popping up all over Matthews for many months now in what looks like utilities are stitching the ground throughout Matthew. Those orange tubes are conduits for fiber internet being installed by various utilities. Fiber uses tiny strands of plastic or glass to transmit data, creating a much faster internet that metal or copper-based cables provide.

One Good Thing: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) provides 23 pathways that help foster students’ finding their passion before high school graduation. Those pathways can be career or technical training, as well as preparation for post-secondary education. This Saturday, February 22, CMS is hosting a Career & Technical Education Fair in Uptown Charlotte. Open to all students (and their families), the CTE Fair is free and will be open from 11 am to 3 pm at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S College St, Charlotte.

Morning Minute: Tuesday, February 18, 2020

News About Town: Charlotte Water has one lane closed at 1401 South Trade Street, near Chaphyn Lane. Expect the closure to remain until late afternoon on Thursday, February 20.

News Around Town: Matthews sang its heart out last Friday with Weaver, Bennett, & Bland at Stumptown Station. The two local businesses partnered to raise money for the HELP Center. All in all, the Sing Your Heart Out - Karaoke for Charity event raised $461 for Matthews Help Center. 

One Good Thing: Know an exceptional teacher in Matthews who has demonstrated creative infusion of the Arts, Sciences or History into core curriculum? Want to recognize a dedicated teacher for their hard work? The Arts and Science Council is taking nominations for the Cato Lifetime Achievement in Teaching Awards to recognize creative teachers with more than 15 years of experience teaching the arts, sciences or history. If that person is a Pre-K through 12th grade teacher working for (or retired within the last 2 years from) a public or independent school in Mecklenburg (ahem, let’s focus on Matthews), then send in a nomination. Let’s get them recognized!

Childhood Sweethearts

Childhood Sweethearts

I remember in a red and pink box
tiny Valentine candies shaped in
hearts.
They came in shades of yellow,
pink and lavender too, each one had a
different message printed on its top
perfectly written for you.
The excitement would build til
it was Valentine's Day at last and
in school that morning hidden inside
your desk the anticipation would
build and you couldn't wait to pass
to the love of your life then, your
sentiments and when he smiled
in return you knew you'd love him
forever because that box of sweet
hearts could never be wrong when
you were young.

By Lorraine Stark

Morning Minute: Monday, February 17, 2020

News About Town: Last week we wrote about the Planning Conference for the new Board of Commissioners. The conference agenda is now online. Items include big items such as NCDOT road improvements and fire department needs, and smaller items such as addressing sidewalk gaps.

News Around Town: At the beginning of the year the CMS calendar showed today, President’s Day, as an official school holiday. After tornado damage caused a missed day of school earlier this month, today will be a make up day for students.

One Fun Thing: Today is the last day to enter data for the Great Backyard Bird Count. If you signed up, get your info in. So far the data shows 289 checklists and 91 species for Mecklenburg County, but none specific to Matthews.

Morning Minute: Friday, February 14, 2020

News About Town: At Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, two Town of Matthews employees were named Employees of the Year. From Public Works, Supervisor Bobby Hoxit was given the award for his integrity, positive attitude, and outstanding leadership. From the Matthews Police Department Officer Marlon Cockerham received the award. Marlon was recognized for kindness and willingness to go the extra mile. Both men were recognized for their good character and excellent examples for town staff and the community beyond.

News Around Town: Mark it on your calendar, the Mecklenburg County Budget Workshop for the southeastern part of Mecklenburg will be February 26 from 6 to 8 pm at the Sportsplex here in Matthews. Registration is required, but this is a great opportunity to learn and ask questions about the county budget.

One Good Thing: Tonight, February 14, at Stumptown Station, 107A N Trade St, join Weaver, Bennett & Bland to Sing Your Heart Out. No, we aren’t capitalizing letters willy nilly, this is a special night of karaoke for charity. Warm-up your vocal cords, the singing starts at 9 pm (til close), with all proceeds benefiting Matthews Help Center Even if you can carry a tune, you have to pay to sing—a buck lands you on the list to sing. Bring more bills for the VIP treatment. Proceeds will go to the Matthews Help Center’s services for those experiencing financial crisis.

Morning Minute: Thursday, February 13, 2020

News About Town: The Board of Commissioners is preparing for the annual planning conference, with a lengthy to-do list at hand. The conference will start in Matthews on Thursday, February 27, before moving to the Chetola Lodge in Blowing Rock for two days. The Board will use conference time to prioritize goals which, when those goals become actionable, will likely become part of regular Board of Commissioners meetings.

News Around Town: Natisha Rivera-Patrick, President & CEO of Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity, has been working with local agencies for the past eight months to form the Matthews Affordable Housing Alliance. This partnership connects community groups and nonprofits to identify and tackle issues surrounding affordable housing opportunities in Matthews. With a goal of ensuring everyone has access to housing, the Alliance seeks to change the conversation about what affordable housing is and who it serves, while working to dispel misconceptions.

One Good Thing: On February 6, Governer Roy Cooper proclaimed this week (February 10-14) as School Bus Driver Appreciation Week in North Carolina. The proclamation is an extension of North Carolina’s Love the Bus program, an initiative is a way to raise appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of school bus drivers nationwide, and provide an opportunity for parents and children to learn more about the safety and environmental benefits of school bus transportation. School. How so, you ask? School buses reduce traffic by keeping more than 17 million cars off roads each year, the American School Bus Council says, while also saving approximately 2.6 billion gallons of fuel.

Morning Minute: Wednesday, February 12, 2020

News About Town: Just one day after the Town of Matthews unanimously voted support for a resolution not to follow through with municipal charter schools (HB514), the Board of Education responded with a reciprocal measure. During the regular Board of Education meeting on Tuesday evening, the BOE unanimously voted to, once again, prioritize capital spending in Matthews alongside Charlotte, Davidson, and Pineville.

News Around Town: Last week Matthews-based Southern Deli Holdings (SD Holdings LLC) Filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. The filing came in the heels of SD Holdings closing three franchise locations of Fuzzy’s Tacos (including the Sycamore Common’s location). SD Holdings owns more than 100 restaurants within multiple brands such as Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, McAlister’s Deli, MOD Pizza, and Sonic Drive-In.

One Good Thing: The 3rd annual "Welcome to Matthews" print and online community guide is on its way to the printers. This magazine-style resource enables local leaders to promote your business, engage support and cultivate a sense of community.  Purchase an ad spot before March 27 by contacting Sandy Barnett (sandyb@gobizwell.com or 704-491-9897).