Author: Shannon Calabro

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July 6, 2018 1:26 pm

We’re sure we’re not the first to tell you that exercise is important. After all, it can improve your overall wellbeing. Plus it reduces your risk for many chronic diseases. But despite knowing the benefits that physical activity can bring, people often find themselves going days, weeks, or even months without getting the exercise they need. Sound like something you’ve experienced before?

One of the first steps to meeting your health and fitness goals is to know where you can go to exercise. Lucky for you, we have several fitness facilities and tons of programs that can help you on your fitness journey. Here are a few of our favorites.

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Recreation

4 Low-Cost Places to Cool Down This Summer

Shannon Calabro

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June 22, 2018 6:23 pm

We know…it’s HOT out there! While the change from cold to warm weather is typically welcomed, we could all still use a spot to cool down when temperatures get too high. Where’s your favorite place to go?

For our residents and visitors, we have several low-cost (some are even FREE!) facilities to help beat the heat. Here are some great spots for you to check out.

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Animals and Wildlife

Give Snakes a Break

Shannon Calabro

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June 13, 2018 3:08 pm

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word snake? Scary? Slimy? Spooky? Sure, snakes don’t always look as friendly as other wildlife, and certainly there are some species that you don’t want to get close to, but the truth is, snakes really aren’t all that bad once you get to know them!

If you’ve seen more snakes than usual lately, it’s because they are most active during the spring and summer. We know snake sightings can cause some fear and concern though, so we spoke with Park and Rec’s Kristen Haas to learn more about the snakes that call Mecklenburg County home. Today, we explain what you need to know.

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Environment

Pro Tips for Planting Pollinator Gardens

Shannon Calabro

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June 7, 2018 4:41 pm

Flower gardens, rock gardens, vegetable gardens, roof gardens – there are SO MANY kinds of gardens that you can plant. And if those weren’t enough options, here’s another one for you: pollinator gardens.

Pollinator gardens are a great choice for a couple of reasons: 1) we benefit from the beautiful flowers they produce, 2) pollinators benefit from the food that the plants provide, and 3) the environment benefits because pesticides are not recommended (you don’t want to put the wildlife the plants attract at risk!).

If you’ve got space in your yard and are thinking that a garden is the best way to fill it, here are some pro tips from our horticulturists about how to be successful with a pollinator garden.

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Environment

7 Lessons Learned from Our Horticulturists

Shannon Calabro

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May 18, 2018 6:53 pm

For many of our residents and visitors, our parks are a place to take a stroll, exercise, and/or enjoy the nature that surrounds us. But for others (like some of our staff) our parks are their office five days a week.

While nature does its thing and helps define the way our parks look, did you know that there’s a team of people who spend nearly every minute of their work week making sure that the parks are as beautiful as can be? We wanted to investigate a little bit more about what it’s like to be a horticulturist, so we recently sat down with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s own Kris DeBerry. Here’s what we learned. Continue Reading

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Resources

Know When You Need a Permit to Nail Your Next Home Project

Shannon Calabro

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May 9, 2018 6:02 pm

NOTE: Some information in this post is outdated. Read the updated version from 6/17/22.

The increasing popularity of home improvement shows has many homeowners inspired to take on new projects around the house. Are you one of them?

Before you start knocking down walls, consider whether or not your project requires a permit (and get one if it does). Residential permits are needed for many home improvement projects, even if homeowners are planning to do the work themselves – it’s not just to add another task to your to-do list. When a permit is required for residential work, it’s usually because the work has a direct impact on life safety. Not to mention, unpermitted work can negatively impact you down the road if you wish to sell your home or do additional work.

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Animals and Wildlife

4 Things to Know if You See a Stray

Shannon Calabro

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March 13, 2018 1:30 pm

Pet owner or not, seeing a stray animal can tug at the heart strings. We wouldn’t be surprised to hear if most of you reading this have tried to help a stray animal before or are trying to right now! (Did you know that Animal Care & Control received 33,781 calls for service in 2017?) But since it’s important to make sure that both you and the animal stay safe in your attempts, we talked with our friends over at CMPD Animal Care & Control to find out what you should do if you come across a stray. Here’s what we learned.

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Recreation

5 Great Reasons Why Everyone Should Know How to Swim

Shannon Calabro

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January 11, 2018 5:40 pm

There are a few core skills that most people would likely agree everyone should have – how to walk, talk, read and write, for example. But aside from the typical gross and fine motor skills that we learn growing up, there are a few others that are just as important to master. We’ll give you one – how to swim.

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Around Town

One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure

Shannon Calabro

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November 14, 2017 9:15 pm

Huntersville Police Department Finds New Use for County Landfill

If you live near, or have ever passed by, Holbrooks Road in Huntersville, then you may be familiar with the plot of land that was once home to one of the County’s Municipal Solid Waste Landfills. But, what you may not be as familiar with is how that land is being used now. Want to take a guess? Go ahead, we’ll give you a minute to think about it.

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