Cornelius PARC offers day camps
As parents begin to plan for summer camps for their kids, they will have a new option to consider in the Lake Norman area. In addition to its diverse menu of half-day camps, the Town of Cornelius PARC Department will offer eight weeks of full-day camps at the Bailey Road Recreation Center at Bailey Middle School.
"We will have a full buffet of what other full day camps offer including field trips, arts and crafts, an education component, a swimming trip and a field trip," says Recreation Superintendent Ryan Hager. "Each week will have its own special theme and the field trip will coincide with that theme."
The partnership between the Town of Cornelius and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools that incorporates facilities at Bailey Middle School into the town's recreation facilities inventory allows the town to utilize the gym, some classroom space, an auxiliary gym and outdoor facilities, according to Hager. And it's proximity to Bailey Road Park next door will allow the campers to use those facilities as well.
"Between all of our half-day camps we had close to 3,000 kids participating," says Hager. "Folks have said they love it, but if there is ever a full-day camp option they would like to take advantage of it. So, we decided to bring them back this year."
The eight individual weeks of camp will begin the week of June 18, with no camp offered the week of July 4. Capacity is 50 children per week and is open to boys and girls ages 6-13. Camp hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with extended care between 8 and 9 a.m. and 5 and 6 p.m.
Campers will provide their own lunch. Cost is $90 per week for Cornelius residents, $115 for all others. Extended care will cost an additional $15 each option per week. Financial assistance is available for Cornelius residents who qualify. Each camper will receive a T-shirt each week.
Registration will begin March 1 and a full schedule will be released in mid-February and will be available at www.cornelius.org/parc or at Cornelius Town Hall.
Tillis hangs out with Republican women
North Carolina Speaker of the House Thom Tillis of Cornelius will be the keynote speaker at the North Mecklenburg Republican Women's dinner meeting on Monday, Feb. 13, at NorthStone Country Club in Huntersville. All men and women are invited.
Tillis will give an update on legislation impacting North Carolinians such as voter identification, redistricting, the Racial Justice Act, the Defense of Marriage Amendment, vetoes, overrides and more. Tillis has been a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives since 2006.
Admission to the dinner meeting costs $20 cash or check, payable at the door. For reservations, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Registration begins at 6 p.m., buffet dinner at 6:30. Visit NMRW on facebook for more information about the club and upcoming events.
Cornelius asks county for reval appeal pause
Dissatisfied with the process, the inadequacy of information distribution and the apparent inconsistency in rulings, the Town of Cornelius has asked Mecklenburg County to place a moratorium on property revaluation appeals.
A Jan. 31 letter from Mayor Jeff Tarte, written "at the direction and on behalf of the Cornelius Town Board," requests that all processing of revaluation appeals be stopped until changes are made in the procedures. Tarte addressed the letter to Harold Cogdell, chairman of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, and James Barnett, chairman of the Mecklenburg Board of Equalization and Review (BER).
The letter expresses the Cornelius board's opinion that some Cornelius residents, especially those who own property around or near Lake Norman, have been getting the "short end of the stick" on a variety of issues connected to the current appeals process.
Tarte's letter states that the Cornelius board has received numerous complaints from citizens in recent months about the appeals process and the lack of information, or in some cases basic misinformation, related to the requirements and criteria for appeals.
The letter also lists seven specific complaints forwarded from citizens about the overall revaluation procedure and their experiences in submitting appeals.
The letter also asked that the county commissioners and county BER provide a response to the letter by Monday, Feb. 6, the date of the next scheduled Cornelius Town Board meeting.
The entire letter is available on the Lake Norman Citizen Web site, www.lakenormancitizen.com.
