Morning Minute: Tuesday, February 9, 2022

News About Town: Early last year the Board of Commissioners approved a staff request to apply for a grant that would cover the cost of an automatic gate at Squirrel Lake Park, eliminating the need for police to unlock and lock the gate daily. The automatic gate was installed in the latter half of 2021 but has been without a power source. This Thursday, February 10, Squirrel Lake Park will close temporarily while Duke Energy installs the power line; the greenway will remain open to the public during the installation.

Black History in Matthews: Dr. Selma Burke, a Mooresville native, found her love of art by modeling NC clay into figures. Even after moving out of state, Dr. Burke remained active in the arts in NC throughout her career. Her work is held in the collections of the Smithsonian, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. According to one account, “she credits the ‘good Matthews mud’ as the beginning of her artistic endeavors.” Selma Burke Ln was added to the town street system in 1992; as a thank you, Dr. Burke gave the Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity Family, a bronze sculpture that resides in Town Hall.  

One Fun Thing: February 1st was National Unclaimed Property Day, an initiative to reunite Americans with their missing dollars from overpayments and uncashed checks. One in ten Americans has unclaimed cash sitting and waiting to be found by its rightful owner. Find out more here.

Morning Minute: Monday, February 7, 2022

News About Town: The Fire Department has been testing and flushing fire hydrants throughout the town and will continue to do so into the spring. Flushing hydrants verifies proper operation and adequate flow should they need to be used for firefighting. Flushing also removes sediment that naturally accumulates in water pipes. Such tremendous water flow may cause the sedimentation to be stirred up, possibly causing slight water discoloration in homes immediately after the hydrant flushing. This discoloration is cleared by opening several faucets and running the water until it runs clear. If the household water pressure is low, check the faucet and washer screens for trapped debris.

Thanks to Barbara Myers for the beautiful snowscape!

News Around Town: The Matthews Heritage Museum’s current exhibit, It’s About Time: An exhibit of Clocks and Watches, has been extended to February 19, 2022. Travel through time at the museum and learn about the history of keeping time while viewing a variety of watches and clocks, no DeLorean necessary. Don’t miss the Goofy watch and the Seth Thomas clocks. The Museum is located at 232 N. Trade Street, Matthews. Hours of operation are Thursday to Saturday from 10 to 4:30 p.m. Admission is charged, except for the first Saturday of every month.

One Good Thing: The American Red Cross recently announced a blood supply shortage. Help alleviate the demand on supply by donating to the Red Cross at Town Hall, 232 Matthews Station St, on Thursday, February 17. Sign up here and get a $10 credit to Amazon from the Red Cross as a thank you for your donation.

Morning Minute: Friday, February 4, 2022

News About Town: Several advisory board meetings are coming up. The Committee on Education will meet on Tuesday, February 8, at 6:45pm via Zoom. At 7pm on the 8th, the Environmental Advisory Committee will also hold a remote meeting. The Parks, Rec, and Cultural Advisory Committee will meet on the 9th at 6:30pm. The Transportation Advisory Committee meets at 7 pm on Wednesday, February 17, via Zoom. The Appearance and Tree Committee will meet on Monday, the 21st, at 7 pm. Tuesday, February 22, both the Planning Board, and the Cultural Diversity Committee have 7pm meetings scheduled. View the full town calendar here.

Let us show off your photos of Matthews! Send in your submissions and we’ll feature your talent!

Black History in Matthews: Twenty-year-old Matthews resident Harvey Boyd worked for the Art Department of the Charlotte Observer in the 1960s when the Chamber of Commerce announced a contest to design a seal representing Mecklenburg. Boyd designed the seal in 1963 by combining elements of urban growth, farmland, the Mecklenburg Declaration, and a hornet’s nest in reference to community rebellion during the Revolutionary War. To explain the symbolism and design process, Boyd has published a book, which you can purchase here.

One Fun Thing: Support the Matthews Farmer’s Market by freshening up your wardrobe with a 30th-anniversary tee! Available at the Market, the shirts were designed and printed locally, with proceeds benefitting the market.

Morning Minute: Thursday, February 3, 2022

News About Town: Construction has started on the first section of Irvins Creek Greenway in north Matthews. At approximately one and a half miles long, the greenway trail will connect Idlewild Road Park and Crown Point Elementary School, where it will eventually connect to the Sam Newell Multi-Use Path. When fully built, Irvins Creek Greenway will extend from Lawyers Road in Mint Hill to McAlpine Creek Greenway in Charlotte. This project is a partnership between Mecklenburg County and the Town of Matthews.

Thanks to Barbara Myers for the beautiful snowscape!

News Around Town:  eSports (aka electronic sports) is a competitive, video game-based sport that Matthews-native Casey Kirwan knows well. Earlier this week Kirwan eRaced to victory in a virtual Chevy emblazoned with the number 95 (complete with splashes of red—a big ol’ nod to Lightning McQueen). The race, Clash at the Coliseum, was the unofficial season opener at the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. Beyond bragging rights, Kirwan received four tickets to the real-life Clash and a $250 prize. 

One Fun Thing:  Family Fun Night at Crews Recreation Center returns this Friday, February 4, at 6pm. Join “Magic Barry” (no relation to the decidedly not family-friendly Mike) for a #FunfortheWholeFamily magic show and balloon-twisting workshop. Light refreshments will be provided. The number of participants is limited and advanced registration is required. COVID-19 safety precautions are in place (i.e. face coverings/masks).  

Morning Minute: Tuesday, February 1, 2022

News About Town: In 2021, two developers expressed interested in purchasing the last empty lot of the Matthews Station development (122 Matthews Station St) near town hall. The site appraised for $250,000 and both developers created a proposal for the property.

On January 24, the Board received a final presentation from Developer A (Brahm Investments, LLC). Developer B (Adam Shapiro and Frank Scibelli) withdrew interest. After the presentation, the board authorized staff to begin working on the development standards and conditions. As part of Matthews Station, the property has to meet certain requirements which were created during the original development. Staff will work with both the developer and the Town Attorney to create a development agreement.

In March or April (date TBD), the town will hold a Public Hearing to announce the sale of the property. Following the hearing, the council then votes on approval of the development agreement including elevations, site plan and conditions.

(Documents including the appraisal can be found in this packet, pages 166 through 242.)

Proposed Market Hall for Matthews Station Street in downtown Matthews.

News About Town continued: Brahm Investments presented a Market Hall mixed-use concept, featuring micro-retail with a green co-working rooftop and public use and events. The developer described the possible uses to include start-ups, incubators, culinary talents, artists, and antique shops with Instagrammable murals and design.

One Fun Thing: Reaching retirement age has its perks (sayonara 9-to-five) and senior shopping days is definitely one of them. Every Tuesday, Backporch Treasures at the HELP Center, 119 N. Ames St, shows some senior love by offering 10% off purchases by the more mature shopping set. Over 60? Bag it up!