Morning Minute: Friday, October 15, 2021

News About Town: Bloodhounds from all over the US will gather in Matthews this Sunday to begin the National Police Bloodhound Association K-9 training seminar. Up to 50 dogs and their handlers will be in Matthews, learning new methodology for tracking both people and drugs. Training runs through Thursday, October 21 in various locations throughout town.

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News About Town: The Matthews Chamber of Commerce, 210 Matthews Station St, is hosting Fall for Matthews tomorrow, October 16 from 10am to 4pm. Sip and stroll through arts and crafts and local business booths. Enjoy the pumpkin patch and petting zoo in the kids area. Don’t forget to arrive hungry and get a bite to eat from one of the food vendors.

Don’t Forget: This Saturday (October 16) is Kids In Nature Day. Stop by Squirrel Lake Park (1631 Pleasant Plains Road) from 10am-1pm and bring the kids to enjoy a fun fall day. From fishing, nature hikes, scavenger hunts to crafts and games the kids are guaranteed to have a great time.

Morning Minute: Thursday, October 14, 2021

News About Town: Many town documents are not policy documents but serve as idea books for future planning; the Composite Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (CBPP) is one such planning document. The CBPP keeps an inventory of greenways, bike trails, sidewalks, and other paths, while defining future functionality and possible connectivity to increase transportation options. Having a documented plan also makes some projects eligible for funding through transportation grants. The Board of Commissioners approved updates to the CBPP this past Monday to include new items such as the Silverline Rail Trail. See the changes (in red) here.

Thank you, Kathleen Bellavia for the photo! Share your photo with Beacon readers.

News About Town: There’s a new COVID testing facility in Matthews and it’s free. StarMed , the same organization that has served the county at Bojangles Coliseum, has a drive thru testing facility set up in the parking lot of the now-closed Cinemark Movies 10 parking lot (9508 Northeast Ct.) Fill out an online questionnaire, receive a confirmation number, and drive on up. StarMed offers both PCR and rapid tests.

One Good Thing: Congratulations are in order for the Butler High School Marching Band and Color Guard. The Bulldogs won place in music, visual, percussion, and color-guard as well as the Grand Champion title in the silver division at competition in Boiling Springs, SC this past Saturday, October 9.

Morning Minute: Wednesday, October 13, 2021

News About Town: Town Planner Rob Will and Town Transportation Engineer Susan Habina Woolard presented a possible update to the Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) Ordinances for public hearing at the Monday night Board of Commissioners meeting. TIAs are summarized in Staff Reports for some rezonings (an example from a previous, unapproved project is here) and are technical documents that show the vehicular impact of future development. The anticipated ordinances and guidelines for TIAs will involve multi-modal transportation in addition to vehicular capacity and queuing.

Thank you, Molly Hedrick Butts, for sharing Ben Better’s spooky exploits with us! Share your photo with Beacon readers.

News About Town: We posted about Mecklenburg County’s HOMES grant program, a property tax assistance program for qualified residential homeowners, but neglected to provide a link. Find out the important details here.

The county also has a survey open to gather community feedback regarding the disbursement of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Livable Meck and the County’s Public Information Department want to identify Mecklenburg residents’ funding priorities to share the results with the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners to better inform the Commission’s upcoming funding decisions. Participate by completing the online survey at LivableMeck.com by October 20, 2021. 

One Fun Thing: Matthews HELP Center’s favorite seasonal volunteer, Ben Better, is back for the month of October. Stop by and find him then head in the shop to snag a Halloween costume at an amazing price. Ben says their prices are so good, they’re scary!

Morning Minute: Monday, October 11, 2021

News About Town: For the past two years the Police Department has been researching computer simulated training devices, looking for just the right one for the Matthews department. Enter VirTra, which offers the versatility and consistency needed by the department. Training courses include de-escalation, mental illness encounters, and working with special populations such as autistic people. The training courses teach officers to look for both verbal and non-verbal cues in order to gain confidence in de-escalation and using human behavior recognition techniques. The Board of Commissioners will vote whether purchasing the simulator, which will cost the department just under $120,000 in Federal Forfeiture funds, should be approved.

Judging by the pile of garbage bags afterward, the Irvins Creek Clean Up this past Saturday was a success!

News Around Town: Mecklenburg County’s HOMES grant program is accepting applications now through the end of October. This program is designed to assist qualified residential homeowners with low to moderate income within Mecklenburg County to retain their homes by reducing the financial burden resulting from the robust real estate market. Grant recipients will receive up to $340 toward their property tax bill. Families making 80% of the median income are eligible - that’s $43,120/year for a 2 person household or $53,880 for a 4 person household. Click here to apply, applications are due by 10/31. (Thanks, Kerry Fluty, for writing up this big bite of Beacon!)

One Good Thing: Join Matthews Police and Standing Ovation Barber Shop, 167 S. Trade St. H, for the second Clippers and Cops community chat. Head on over to discuss race relations and community concerns in Matthews, starting at 9am.

Morning Minute: Friday, October 8, 2021

News About Town: The Board of Commissioners meeting agenda for Monday, October 11, is available online. The meeting is remote via Zoom (link here) or listen by calling toll free 888-788-0099 and entering the meeting ID 817 5441 3662. A livestream of the meeting will also be available via the Town of Matthews YouTube Channel. For more information, including the process for public comment, visit the town website.

Some items of note for the 7pm meeting include, but are not limited to:

• A proclamation declaring October as National Arts and Humanities Month in Matthews;

• A public hearing for the Eastern Gateway Small Area Plan;

• A proposal to complete sidewalk gaps on Moore Road and Marglyn Drive;

• Consideration of updates to the Composite Bike/Pedestrian Plan.

Photo kindly submitted by reader Barbara Myers.

News Around Town: With COVID precautions in place many of the usual forums aren't happening. If you missed the Matthews Mint Hill Weekly Candidate Forum, you can watch it online. ASC published responses to their candidate survey recently. The League of Women Voters also sent out a candidate survey but has not published the responses yet. 

One Good Thing: Healthy streams clean the groundwater supply and provide filtration of pollution. They also provide good habitat for fish and other water-loving creatures. Join Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services tomorrow, October 9 from 9 am to noon, at 9614 Independence Pointe Parkway to clean up Irvins Creek Tributary. Register here.

High Notes, a cinquain by Lorraine Stark

High Notes

Upon
wires magpies
stand ready looking just
like musical notes on a score
balanced

balanced
these musicians
dressed in black attire
begin in unison their song
cawing

By Lorraine Stark

Image via Unsplash @jdsmacinnes

Morning Minute: Wednesday, October 6, 2021

News About Town: During the morning commute yesterday (October 5 around 7:03am), Matthews Police patrol officers were called to I-485 near Idlewild Road after a man reported being shot at while driving. The victim did not recognize the shooter and described the car as a grey sedan. Shattered glass caused minor injury to the victim, who was otherwise unharmed. If you have any information regarding this crime, contact Detective Lori Valdes at lvaldes@matthewsnc.gov or 704-841-6717.

Malachite butterfly in the butterfly tent at Matthews Alive! several years ago. Photo kindly submitted by reader Mary Magee.

News Around Town: Fall into Nature on Saturday, 10/16 at Kids In Nature Day. The return of this annual Fall family event is located at Squirrel Lake Park (1631 Pleasant Plains Road) in Matthews from 10am-1pm. Come join Habitat and Wildlife Keepers, NCWF’s Great Outdoors University, and the Town of Matthews and bring the kids to enjoy a fun fall day at the park. From fishing, nature hikes, scavenger hunts to crafts and games the kids are guaranteed to have a great time. Also, new this year is a special area devoted to showing parents how to turn their own backyards into a Certified Wildlife Habitat. A Certified Wildlife Habitat not only benefits local wildlife, it provides teaching moments for kids and is pure family entertainment right in your own backyard. (h/t to HAWK for the info!)

One Good Thing: Flex your mental muscles when you WFH with the Backyard Naturalists podcast. You’ll hear the familiar voices of Debbie LeBlanc Foster and Laurie Horne as they explore nature in the Charlotte area. Episodes have already included popular topics like creating a wildlife habitat, how to spot a copperhead (FYI according to NextDoor there is no shortage of copperheads in the area), and how to incorporate water into your landscape. With a wealth of knowledge, the Naturalists are sure to educate and entertain.

Morning Minute: Tuesday, October 5, 2021

News About Town: Several advisory board meetings are coming up: The Veterans Advisory Committee meets this Wednesday, October 6, at 7 pm. Monday, October 11, the Board of Commissioners will hold a regular meeting at 7pm (the second one in October is on the 25th). On Tuesday, October 12, the Matthews Committee on Education will hold a remote meeting at 6:45pm; at 7pm that same night the Environmental Advisory Committee will hold their monthly meeting. At 6:30pm, Wednesday, October 13, the Parks, Rec, and Cultural Advisory Committee will meet. The Appearance/Tree Committee meets on Monday, October 18 at 7pm and the Transportation Advisory Committee meets Thursday, October 21 at 7pm. The Planning Board and the Cultural Diversity Committee both have meetings on Tuesday, October 26 at 7pm. Check out the town calendar for more happenings.

Malachite butterfly in the butterfly tent at Matthews Alive! several years ago. Photo kindly submitted by reader Mary Magee.

News Around Town: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a month to focus on connecting nonprofits and initiatives working with domestic violence issues, as well as a time to bring awareness to domestic violence. Search social media with #WeAreResilient this month. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime, and women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the Greater Charlotte Hope Line (980-771-4673) is a local, 24-hour hotline for domestic violence or sexual assault support. They also offer parenting support and can connect survivors with domestic violence shelters.

One Good Thing: With campaigning in full swing it's time to learn about the candidates and where they stand on the issues. There's no better opportunity than the Matthews Mint Hill Weekly's Candidate Forum this Wednesday, October 6, at 6pm at the Levine Senior Center (1050 Devore Ln). Laura Budd from Weaver, Budd Law will facilitate the forum and questions will be collected beforehand and from attendees.