Morning Minute: Friday, January 31, 2020

News About Town: NCDOT has big plans for Independence Boulevard. Those plans include adding a general purpose lane in each direction (totaling three general purpose lanes) and an express lane in each direction along the median. Those express lanes will be rolled, with rates fluctuating according to demand. Access to 74 will also change. Traditional intersections will become interchanges or bridges without access; all traffic signals on this section of Independence Boulevard will be removed. Several roads in Matthews, such as Northeast Parkway and Independence Pointe Parkway, will be completed, creating parallel alternatives. Public comment closes February 29, 2020. Comments can be submitted by emailing US-74-Independence-Charlotte@publicinput.com or on the NCDOT website.

News Around Town: Stop by the Farmer’s Market this Saturday (8-10 am) to stock up on all the locally grown goodies to meet your Super Bowl party demands. You’ll find eggs for deviling, popcorn, bread, jams, and cheeses. New Town Farms will have bacon, which we expect will be in high demand post-Veganuary.

Don’t Forget: The Matthews TreeStore by Trees Charlotte will be open for business this Saturday, February 1, from 9-11 am at Matthews United Methodists Church. Bring a proof of residency, take two free trees!

Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity will break ground at 10 am this Saturday, February 1st, on Macky & Yvette's home, 3410 Weddington Rd, Matthews.

The Matthews Police and Fire Departments are teaming up for the second annual “Matthews Public Safety Year-In-Review”.  Each meeting will concentrate on one of four town quadrants (referred to as “Beats" 1, 2, 3, & 4) and is a prime opportunity for anyone in Matthews to learn about public safety in 2019. Meeting dates and locations are listed on the Town’s website. 

Morning Minute: Thursday, January 30, 2020

News About Town: It may seem early to be thinking about summer, but a prepared parent is a happy parent. Registration for camps with the Town Park and Rec Department open Saturday, February 1. Camps include half- and full-day options, and cover all sorts of STEAM topics appropriate for kids ages 6 and up.

News Around Town: The bad news first: Saturday, February 8th, Carolina Beer Temple’s lease is up. The good news? They’re shacking up at Temple Mojo (which will be named Carolina Beer Temple). The move will consolidate the best of both businesses under one roof: growler refills, Mojo events, a wine selection, and retail. think of it as a merger made in beer lover’s heaven.

Don’t Forget: The Matthews Police and Fire Departments are teaming up for the second annual “Matthews Public Safety Year-In-Review”.  Each meeting will concentrate on one of four town quadrants (referred to as “Beats" 1, 2, 3, & 4) and is a prime opportunity for anyone in Matthews to learn about public safety in 2019. Meeting dates and locations are listed on the Town’s website. 

Morning Minute: Wednesday, January 29, 2020

News About Town:  Matthews Police and Matthews Fire & EMS Departments paired up last night for the first of four Year-In-Review sessions. Kicking things off in Beat 3 at the Levine Senior Center. This area of Matthews contains the northern-most quadrant of town and includes the big-box retail of Sycamore Commons and Windsor Square, where police are successfully targeting shoplifters through data analysis. Similarly, using data to most effectively enforce traffic laws, accident counts are down.  

News Around Town: If you've been wondering Which Wich? Bad news, the downtown sandwich shop on Park Center Dr. has a closed sign taped in the window. The sign has been in the window for several days and there is no answer or message at their listed phone number.

One Fun Thing:  Renfrow Hardware, Beacon advertiser and Matthews mainstay, just received a truckload of cool weather vegetable transplants. Stop by Wednesday through Saturday to pick up a tray of collards, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, and more.

Don’t Forget: The Matthews Police and Fire Departments are teaming up for the second annual “Matthews Public Safety Year-In-Review”.  Each meeting will concentrate on one of four town quadrants (referred to as “Beats" 1, 2, 3, & 4) and is a prime opportunity for anyone in Matthews to learn about public safety in 2019. Meeting dates and locations are listed on the Town’s website. 

Morning Minute: Tuesday, January 28, 2020

News About Town:  Matthews Fire & EMS had their annual awards banquet this past Saturday evening at the Plantation Estates Clubhouse. The awards presented were decided through a survey of peers. Those honored include Officer of the Year Ryan Hanes, Firefighters of the Year Jodi Aldridge and Harry McLaughlin, EMT of the Year Montana Hudgens, Rookie of the Year Pablo Maldonado, Fire Corps Member of the Year John Wasco, and LH Yandle Distinguished Service recipient Christopher Clark. For a glimpse into the difficult work (with plenty of fun and camaraderie) of being a Matthews Fire Fighter, watch their video review of 2019.

News Around Town: Be on the lookout for scam texts and emails that appear as though they’re from FedEx. The phony message contains a link that will take you to a page requesting credit card information. FedEx will not request information through text or email. If you receive one such message, let FedEx know.

One Fun Thing:  Need a hobby? Revisit yoga? Pickle ball? If you’re looking for something fun to do check out the Park and Rec newsletter for February.

Double Life

Double Life

End of the day
Leaving the park
Little girl sees a
Frog on a lily pad
Mommy if I kiss
Him will he turn
Into a prince just
Like the story you
Read to me
My pretty little
One if that was
True, I’d kiss him
Myself

By Lorraine Stark

Image via Unsplash

Morning Minute: Monday, January 27, 2020

News About Town:  The Town Transportation Department will present a mobility study update to the Board prior to the regular Board of Commissioners meeting tonight. The mobility study began in April 2019, and has concentrated on transportation and parking throughout downtown Matthews.Following open meeting laws, the public is welcome to attend. The presentation will begin at 5:30 in the Jordan Room of Town Hall

News Around Town: Matthews-based stayAPT Suites unveiled a new approach for extended stay hotels. Each suite contains three distinct living areas (kitchen, living room, bedroom) recalling a home away from home residential design. The rooms surround common courtyard that includes a grilling area and fire pit. The brand is launching 12 hotels to be built this year and an additional 30 in 2021. Don’t start planning an extended staycation, the closest stayAPT Suites will be in Charlotte.

One Good Thing: Mamma Mia! takes over Fullwood Stage this weekend, bringing ABBA’s greatest hits to Matthews. Matthews Playhouse has nine performances of the hit production between January 3 and February 9.
ASC Connect with Culture members: use your card to BOGO tickets for this event.

Morning Minute: Friday, January 24, 2020

News About Town: The agenda for Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting is online. During the meeting, new members of the Police Department will be introduced, there is a moment to acknowledge the Finance Department’s receipt of a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.The Board will also consider an administrative amendment to the Harmony Hills Townhome design.

News Around Town: Moving into the weekend, as temps climb slightly upward, thoughts turn to gardening. If you’re thinking it’s too cold to plant, think again. According to phenological signs, when daffodils are in bloom, it’s time to plant garden and sugar peas, beets, carrots, and chard.

One Good Thing: Nothing in life is free, except for trees at the Trees Charlotte giveaway…and opinions, advice, kittens, and (to the philosophically inclined) will. Of all of those, free trees are the best deal, and Matthews residents should reserve their trees for the February 1 Matthews TreeStore. The more people who reserve trees, the more stock Trees Charlotte will bring. RSVPs are encouraged, but registration closes January 28. Make sure to tell your tree hugging friends.

Morning Minute: Thursday, January 23, 2020

News About Town: A handful of times we’ve mentioned when town advisory boards have openings. If you’re unsure what they do, or if you’d be interested in joining, you can sit in on a meeting to see firsthand what the board does. Next week, the Transportation Advisory Committee has a meeting on Monday, the 27th, at 5:30 pm. The Cultural Diversity Committee (CDC) and Planning Board both have scheduled meetings on Tuesday, the 28th, at 7 pm. The following week, the Veteran’s Advisory Committee and Board of Adjustment have meetings. Check out the Town’s calendar for other meetings throughout the month.

News Around Town: CMS has a teacher workday tomorrow (Friday, January 24). With no public school buses on the road, enjoy the easy commute.

One Good Thing: It’s safe to say no other event name has our interest piqued more than Carolina Carnage Armwrestling Tournament II. Biceps, deltoids, and pectorals will take center stage this Saturday, January, 25 at the Levine Senior Center. The event has several classes of participants, from amateurs to pros, and is open to the public to watch.

Morning Minute: Wednesday, January 22, 2020

News About Town:  If you’ve driven down Charles Street lately you may have noticed a new wooden fence. That fence is the first stage of construction for the Crestdale Heritage Trail. The trail, running parallel to the trail tracks, will eventually be a walkable tour with signs denoting historic significance. Ultimately, the path will connect the Crestdale neighborhood to downtown and to the Sportsplex.

News Around Town: Join Mecklenburg County Master Gardener Hallie Walker at the Matthews Library at 11 am on February 8 to learn the pruning basics of your favorite shrubs. Firstly, you must find... another shrubbery! Then, after all Monty Python quotes have been exhausted, you’ll learn to improve the health of your shrubs while saving time and money for future care. (Pro tip: We’re coming up close on the right time for blueberry pruning.)

One Good Thing: Want to learn more about local government? Are you a graduate of Matthews 101 and hungry to learn more? Civics 101, organized by the League of Women Voters, is a five-week course that covers a brief overview of the City of Charlotte budgeting (similar to Matthews, but on a much larger scale) and then dives into county-operated courts, education, and government. In the final week, you’ll have a chance to meet media experts and ask questions about current events and local journalism. The course is in-depth enough to give you a better understanding of the processes and responsibilities of various county agencies. Classes are February 24, March, 3, 10, 17, and 24. The link to register: https://my.lwv.org/north-carolina/charlotte-mecklenburg/civics-101-program .

Morning Minute: Tuesday, January 21, 2020

News About Town:  The Board of Commissioners will hold three special meetings to begin the 2019-2021 term. The first meeting, tonight at Town Hall from 6:00 to 9:00 pm, the Board of Commissioners will learn about the basics of a Council-Manager form of government, as well as receive brief overviews of various town departments. The second and third meetings, January 29 and February 12, will cover topics including current projects and initiatives as well as capital improvement needs and prioritization. Read the agenda here.

Matthews resident Freddie Baylor speaking before a crowd at Town Hall during the Fourth Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peaceful March.

News Around Town: Last year, the Mecklenburg Board of Elections approved new voting machines manufactured by Election Systems and Software, or ES&S.  The machines were approved after the General Assembly passed a law requiring voter machines to produce a paper ballot. The ES&S machines will produce a summary showing the voter’s choices, which will be fed into another machine for tabulation. The paper ballot is a precautionary measure against hacking. Want to see how these new machines work? They'll be at the Matthews library on Tuesday, January 28 from 2:30 - 6:30 pm.

One Good Thing: The 2020 Point-in-Time Count is coming up on January 29. The event takes place on one night to survey each person experiencing sheltered or unsheltered homelessness. The results also detail temporary and permanent housing capacity and inventory throughout Mecklenburg County. The data accumulated is required for the county to receive federal homelessness funding assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). Read the 2019 report here.

Editorial: Continuing Greater Matthews Habitat’s Success

We love to hear from our readers, and editorials are a welcome way to do so. Have something to share? Email Renee (renee@matthewsbeacon.com) and we’ll get it posted.

Submitted by Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity

MATTHEWS, N.C. (January 1st, 2020) – Many of you may have heard that Charlotte Habitat and Our Towns Habitat made the decision to merge and become one affiliate. What exciting news for them! Their service area will run from Pineville to Statesville.

We have had several questions about how this may affect Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity. The answer is that it doesn’t.

Habitat for Humanity affiliates are independent local non-profit organizations that act in furtherance of the Habitat for Humanity mission. Each Habitat affiliate coordinates all aspects of Habitat home building in its local area. Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity provides programs aimed at homeownership and critical home repair for residents of Matthews, Mint Hill, and Stallings.

A Message From Our President & CEO, Natisha Rivera-Patrick

Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity has served as the premier provider of affordable housing solutions in the Matthews area for the last thirty years.

Thirty years of operating in a sector such as ours that is constantly and rapidly evolving is an achievement that I am particularly proud of – we are honored to be here, and even more so to have done it in partnership with community volunteers and sponsors. I am proud that we operate with consistent, strong values reinforced by faith. Thank you to everyone who has donated, swung a hammer, volunteered in the ReStore, donated products and shared the message of the value of affordable housing. We are embarking on our strategic plan which will provide us direction in how we tackle the issue of affordable housing. We are evolving and working to meet needs beyond providing homeownership. With our critical repair program, we are working to keep individuals and families in their current homes making them safer, dryer, warmer and accessible – allowing our seniors to age in place.

We are in an affordable housing crisis in our country. Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity is the only organization building affordable housing in our community. One in six Americans are spending more than half of their income on housing. The need for housing that is attainable continues to increase and there are less options available to individuals and families with limited income. There are more than 3,000 residents living in Matthews that are living in poverty, near poverty or considered house poor. Seniors with limited incomes can’t afford critical home repairs or modifications that allow them to stay in their homes.

Through your efforts and continued support, I am confident that in the coming year we will write one of our best chapters yet adding to the long story of Greater Matthews Habitat’s success. We need you to help us meet the needs of others. By working together—and only together—do we succeed. Everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

About Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity

Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity is funded through donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, grants, sponsorships and through sales from our ReStore. There are several ways for you to get involved. You can donate, volunteer on one of our builds (must be 16 or older), volunteer in the ReStore, donate gently used furniture, appliances, housewares, etc. to the ReStore.

Participants selected for our programs must meet residency, program, and income guidelines. Applying for any program does not guarantee you will be accepted. Homeowners selected for our program must complete financial literacy training and 400 hours of sweat equity towards the construction of their home. In return, Greater Matthews Habitat provides them with a 0% interest mortgage. Critical Home Repair funds are aimed at helping make homes safer, dryer and warmer and allowing for modifications to help individuals and families age in place. We are currently accepting applications for the critical repair program.

Our ReStore is open to the public. Moving, downsizing, renovating – submit a donation pick up request online at https://www.greatermatthewshabitat.org/restoredonate. Remodeling your kitchen? We can send a crew out to deconstruct your cabinets which we will then sell in our ReStore with proceeds going into our affordable housing program.

We are currently seeking sponsors for our home build located on Weddington Road. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Sarah Galligan at sarah@habitatmatthews.org.

Choreographed--Italian Octave

Choreographed--Italian Octave

Life is so much like the steps of ballet
one minute you’re flying above cloud nine;
or alone you'll sit and wait for a sign
hoping that it shows you a bright new way
So you pick yourself up, balance the sway;
decide everything's going to be fine
from now on you follow no crooked line
and dance to your own tune without delay

By Lorraine Stark

Morning Minute: Friday, January 17, 2020

News About Town: The Matthews Police and Fire Departments are teaming up for the second annual “Matthews Public Safety Year-In-Review”.  This year both Chief Clark Pennington of the Matthews Police Department and Chief Rob Kinniburgh of the Matthews Fire Department will examine Matthews emergency response in four town hall style meetings. Each meeting will concentrate on one of four town quadrants (referred to as “Beats" 1, 2, 3, & 4) and is a prime opportunity for anyone in Matthews to learn about public safety in 2019 as well as what to expect from the departments in 2020. Meeting dates and locations are listed on the Town’s website. 

News Around Town: The daffodils are popping up, which means the garden bug will start biting green thumbs everywhere (not literally). Matthews, gardening zone 7b, is a prime location for growing many popular vegetables. If you’re new to gardening, or simply like to have some instruction as you go, Renfrow Farms’ Pressly Williams wrote the workbook on it.  Covering site selection, sunlight requirements, soil health, seed & plant selection, watering and fertilizer needs, and some spacing guidelines, it also includes a month-by-month planting calendar. Purchase the downloadable copy of the 20-page workbook from the SkillPop website here.

One Fun Thing: This Sunday, join the Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail for a stroll down Four-Mile Creek Greenway. The walk will include stops to examine flora and fauna,the local ecology. Meet at Matthews Elementary (200 W. McDowell St.) at 2:30 pm, Sunday, January 19. Bring a water bottle and wear comfortable shoes, the walk is approximately three relatively flat miles. RSVP required.

Don’t Forget: Community members are invited to the Fourth Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, a collaborative event organized by Matthews United Methodist and Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist churches. The film and walk to Town Hall will start at 2:00 pm on January 19, at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist (381 Crestdale Road).

Morning Minute: Thursday, January 16, 2020

News About Town: The lobby and Records Division of the Matthews Police Station will undergo renovations starting next week. The location of the renovations means the front door to the station will not be open to the public. The department has installed a call box by the door, simply press the button and a department representative will assist you. The renovations are expected to take six to eight weeks. If you need to dispose of medicine, the drop box will be unavailable during this time. Instead, The CVS Pharmacy at 1305 Matthews Township Parkway is an authorized DEA Take-Back location.

News Around Town: This Saturday, head over to the bowling alley for the grand opening of Bowlero, 11210 Brigmans Rd. Embracing all the fun of bowling with just the right amount of throwback style, Bowlero isn’t the old smoke-filled bowling alley of by-gone decades. For the grand opening, there are drink specials and free bowling, but you have to RSVP. Judging by their website, The Dude abides.

Don’t Forget: Community members are invited to the Fourth Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, a collaborative event organized by Matthews United Methodist and Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist churches. The film and walk to Town Hall will start at 2:00 pm on January 19, at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist (381 Crestdale Road).

Morning Minute: Wednesday, January 15, 2020

News About Town: The Matthews Police Department recently swore in two new members of the Patrol Division. Officer Tai Pham, a Charlotte native, recently completed Basic Law Enforcement Training at South Piedmont Community College. Officer Mark Wilson moves to the area from South Florida. He recently completed Basic Law Enforcement Training at Central Piedmont Community College.

News Around Town: It’s National Pizza Week. If you’re a fan of the cheesy, carby goodness pizza has to offer, pick up a pie, park yourself somewhere comfy, and celebrate. Rest assured, in the depths of the Matthews stormwater drains, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be celebrating with you.

One Good Thing: If you have a teen who needs a boost of self confidence before tackling real world challenges like job interviews, the Matthews Library (230 Matthews Station St.) has the program for your teen. This Saturday, January 18, at 2 pm, Kamella Emmanuel will lead a workshop on “Loving Yourself from the Inside Out.” The program will use affirmation and self-reflection techniques to build self-confidence for many everyday applications. This program is designed for teenagers and young adults, up to age 21. Register online.

Don’t Forget: Community members are invited to the Fourth Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, a collaborative event organized by Matthews United Methodist and Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist churches. The film and walk to Town Hall will start at 2:00 pm on January 19, at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist (381 Crestdale Road).