Quarterly Neighborhood meeting minutes August 13th

Sedgefield Quarterly Meeting 8-13-19 meeting minutes

Intro and meeting led by Will Johns, President of SNA

Welcome guests: (Held in Sedgefield Church Sanctuary)

·        Jamie McLawhorn: Marsh

·        Eric Nelson: CMPD

·        Sedgefield Middle Fund Raisers: Lindsey Jones & Meredith Murchison

·        Eric Turner: Sedgefield Middle

·        Shannon Reichley: Actors Theatre Charlotte (used to be located caddy corner to the Aquatic center on Stonewall). Now are the resident theatre company at Queens. Starting Season 31! Adult contemporary theatre.

Treasure’s Report: Beth, 40 paid members, $15,000 balance

Biggest fundraiser: Sedgefest; looking for neighborhood input

Newsletter update/website: Attendees of this meeting are the first who are able to view the website. Looking for content, asking the neighborhood for help looking at that. Website is officially live, and very much a work in progress.

Looking for content like the history of Sedgefield, interesting facts, restaurants, etc.

Sedgefieldneighborhood.com

Marsh Project Update: Jamie McLawhorn

Don’t have anything new right now, are building apartments on Haverford, Poindexter, Oakcrest, Berkshire block. Completed April 2020. Will be finished with all construction there in September/October 2020.

Duke Power working on Poindexter—supplying power, should be done in potentially two weeks.

Will Johns has spoken with Jamie about metal covers on sidewalk past Haverford. Charlotte Water brought those in. Calling them weekly, asking for removal. They’ve been there about three months.

New development in progress on the corner of Marsh and South, office building with retail on the bottom. Will be parking, three stories of office, 100,000 sq. ft. after rezoning. 50,000 sq. ft. of retail on street level.

Pre-leasing done prior to breaking ground, anticipating that happening in Spring of 2020.

Retention pond, looking to have fountains in the pond so that there is always moving water. City won’t let them do that work until storm water is covered, likely won’t happen until May or June of next year.

Parcel along Poindexter along the pond and where they’re building updates is likely the next to be developed. Fronting some costs on storm water infrastructure, in the apartment business, so likely going to be for rent. All three parcels they’re looking at are zoned for family residences.

950 multifamily units, plus retail on the front, and office retail that was previously mentioned.

Entire build out isn’t expected to be completed for 8-10 years.

Parking for retail and office will be on Marsh and South Blvd. Earliest anticipation of ground break is Spring of 2020.

Q: Renderings available for these developments?

A: Architects working on it, no renderings yet. Trinity Architects? Built Ballantyne.

Q: Is it anticipated that apartment demand is staying consistent or growing, and that is the direction that the city is going?

A: Developments have slowed down a bit, still a good bit of demand for apartments close to the city. Job growth is driving demand.

Q: Traffic impact on Marsh and South?

A: Traffic study was conducted as part of master plan, their focus was on Park Road and the intersection of South and Poindexter. Unsure of what the impact will be of new apartments coming in.

Q: For the office parcel that they’re anticipating, will parking open to the public, or for office and retail only?

A: Undecided right now. Guess is that it’s for office and retail.

Q: Can other lots owned by the same companies be used for other retail spaces? Office spaces available for retail parking?

A: Unsure, yet to be determined.

Marsh Properties is a family business, a bit conservative as far as developments go. Taco Mama and NY Butcher is part of their shop structure over on Park, as well as Surge fitness. Those redevelopment projects were theirs.

Jamie has been willing to jump up and correct things like repairs on sidewalks, fences, etc. The board works on getting things to him ASAP, communication is key. Bring it up, make it apparent to the board, we will work to solve the problem.

Different things that you can get involved in as part of the neighborhood—reducing traffic speeds, helping traffic, etc. Influence on the long-term impact of what’s being built.

Eric Turner, Principal of Sedgefield Middle School: Programs, classes, traffic flow.

Changes taking place on campus: student assignment boundaries have changed. Take effect for their campus this upcoming year.

Navigator report passed out—demographic breakdown of school. Report is updated daily, allows them to see where they are with attendance, behavior metrics, etc.

One of the draws to Sedgefield Middle is their size. Student population under 800 students is rare, and that is all their campus is able to hold. Unable to put trailers on their campus due to landscape.

Alexander Graham is one of their partner schools, have over 1,300 students.

Last year the school was 48% Hispanic, 44% black, 8% white, and less than 1% other.

Demographically they are growing to be 30% black, 30% Hispanic, 30% white, and 10% other. Very rare in Charlotte as well.

The district still has a poverty level that makes this a title 1 school. Will remain that way for two more years. Students will have transportation from other areas to Sedgefield.

AIG—scholars that are academically gifted. Last year, they had the highest number that they’ve had since Mr. Turner has been Principal.

This is typically info that they share internally.

Start time is moving from 9:15 to 7:00, dismissal is moving to 2:30. Moves them to the front of the bus run. They’re now first run in the morning and first run in the afternoon, large improvement.

New Superintendent. Equity issue occurring within the district: different schools have been using different materials, giving students access to different resources depending on where they were.

Making the change in curriculum requirements—all 6th grade students and 8th grade students in certain courses (math and I think he said language arts) are all going to have the same curriculum.

Very active PTO and Booster Club. Bringing theater back to school, as well as 3 math teachers instead of 2 math teachers at every grade level.

Media helpdesk available, new offering available for library sciences.

New clubs—this year offering:

·        Girls Who Code

·        Odyssey of the Mind

·        Field Hockey and Lacrosse

Q: Security and precautions in place for student safety?

A: Our district implemented automatic laws on all the doors, as well as keycard entry. They do lockdown drills twice a year. One is announced, one is not. Drills are approached differently. Submitted their school’s safety plan last Friday.

Active shooters drill on campus will be added. Discomfort in training among students and teachers doesn’t outweigh the potential benefits.

Installed 6 new cameras to cover internal/external monitoring.

44 cameras covering building with the exception of classrooms and restrooms.

Bike rider and walker safety plan. New permission slips applied to middle school, not common outside of elementary schools, but helps in knowing which students are permitted to be in different areas.

Map changes: cars will be entering off of Dorchester. Previous Montessori entrance is now going to be one of the primary entrances for walkers, bikers, and 6th-7th graders. Creating additional bike racks in that area as well.

Baseball field, McDonalds Ave. Not designated car drop off space. Increasing traffic flow on front side of the school. Don’t want Middle Schoolers unsupervised walking through the Greenway.

With the merge of students walking from Dilworth, they’re working to have drop off points supervised and clearly marked to aid in monitoring.

Q: Sidewalk on the end of Sedgefield road: any intention of improving that sidewalk?

A: Working on improving the brush. That was the largest emphasis so that bikers and walkers wouldn’t be forced into the street.

Middle School Fund Raiser, PTO Capital Campaign: Lindsey Jones & Meredith Murchison

PTO President, Lindsey Jones: Parents are really excited with the changes that are taking place. Enrollment for all three grades is looking strong.

Goals and things coming up for the school: Empowering Extraordinary.

Goal of raising $100,000 for the school this year. Started in the Spring, runs through September 30th. Goal is to raise fund to help the school in various areas.

Capital investments: benefitting students for years to come. Supporting Sedgefield teachers and staff with continuing education and training opportunities, as well as enriching students with academic and enrichment programs. School events, school spirit, etc.

Gradual student assignment change, currently 6th grade, will eventually move to 7th and then 8th. Some students are high poverty and have high needs, a large portion of the budget is allocated for those students who need additional support; backpack drives, school supply drives, etc.

Students and neighborhood will benefit from robust PTO and involved student body.

Charlotte has a lot of inequity in education, as well as our stifling poverty levels. Want to even the playing grounds.

Meredith shared her experience going through the changes in the schools. Dilworth was made a neighborhood middle school instead of magnet 10 years ago. Did great things for the neighborhood, anticipate those kinds of changes here as well. Reinvigorated the school community. Sedgefield Middle is the icing on the cake—she has a student that will be a biker to school. Excellent to have a strong elementary and middle school in the neighborhood.

CMS provides a budget to each school for office supplies and materials—doesn’t supply enrichment programs for students.

Hoping to have a novel room at the school accessible to all students.

Provides very basic help for athletic facilities, athletic director pays out of pocket to paint the field. The kind of upkeep that it takes to keep a facility great isn’t covered by CMS.

Tremendous amount of volunteer opportunities.

smspto.org—lists all volunteer opportunities/categories

Church: Other programs we would like from church

This summer we had a movie night hosted on the front lawn here at the church.

Sedgefest: Review, likes and dislikes… planning meeting in late September and invite new team members for planning and execution so lots of planning needed, possible move to late April.

Moving this meeting to a separate meeting at Triple C. Overviewing pros and cons of Sedgefest.

Police: Officer Eric Nelson

Eric is Officer Montgomery’s new partner.

Brought stats from the last 3-4 months. Biggest concern and update right now is car break-ins and car theft in the neighborhood. 2 main individuals who are responsible for 50% of the break-ins in Sedgefield and Myer’s Park. One of the men has multiple outstanding warrants; they’re working on tracking him down. Specifically targets this neighborhood.

Speeding through the neighborhood and cut through: traffic officer comes through to enforce speed and traffic violations as needed. Parking complaints and vehicles on the wrong side of the street, facing the wrong way, etc., due to construction.

CDOT—parking your car on the street slows people down.

Tree Banding up-dates and changes for this year: cut off is August 25th, vine removal. City program, info will come in on Nextdoor and Facebook.

Volunteer program is being extended, can use some of that time to clean up the neighborhood, etc.

Larken Eggleston: City Council

Primary Election is coming up: get out and vote. September 10th.

Mayoral election. Turnout will be 10-15%, vote SERIOUSLY counts.

New neighborhood traffic cone policy has been implemented. Speed bumps and speed cushions. Proactively signing neighborhood streets as 25mph. Bring them the problems, they will take it to CDOT.

Q: Cars and trash cans on the sidewalks?

A: Thinks there was an ordinance passed to keep sidewalks cleared after little boy was killed on his way to school and forced to walk in the street.

Call 311 to enforce.

Q: 2 officers assigned to this area, not able to do patrols in our area due to inadequate staff?

A: We are severely understaffed. Made attempts to address this as best they can, getting our police officers up to the national average. We have historically underpaid our police officers, now we are doing better with comparably paying our officers to what peer cities are making.

Trying to get sidewalks implemented throughout the city—prioritizing as best they can. Improvements versus adding them to completely undeveloped areas.

Social: Sedgetoberfest, Neighborhood Movie Night, Fall Neighborhood Yard Sale, Garden Club, SNAP (Sedgefield Neighborhood “Something “and Parents), others

Sedgefield Butterfly Park Update: County normally spends $45K on parks of our size. Our budget was close to $98K.

Board Elections, Nominations: (election in November?) Paid member=vote

As always, looking for new members who can attend all our meetings and try it out

Board meeting September 10th

Park update on playground

Here are some photos taken on Sunday Aug 18th in case you have not been by recently.

Second side will begin once the first half is complete.

We will start to see a lot more activity on site and the shade requested will be added soon.

Once complete we will host an onsite meeting with park staff to talk about community joint efforts to add trees for shade and upgrade water fountain and other possible needs.

Sedgefield Park Update

We are very excited to share the news that the Neighbor association has been working closely with the Charlotte Parks department on an upgrade of the Sedgefield “Butterfly” Park children’s playgtound area. Work could start as early as early May.

This update and upgrade will involve replacing both areas of existing playground equipment, climbing structures and swing sets.

The parks Department will need to close down those sections to demo and install the new structures. The SNA Board requested that the work be done in stages so families could still have access to portions of play ground equipment instead of have it all closed for several weeks. The Parks Department agreed to do so.

On site meetings were held to review the design and representatives from the Parks Department visited the February Neighborhood Meeting.

Major requests were for more shade for climbing areas and for more age specific areas for younger children. Both of these were taken into account and the areas were redesigned to add shade and add more activity zones for younger kids.

February Community Meeting held February 19, 2019

Sedgefield 2-19 Agenda

Welcome guests:

Valerie Preston: Dilworth President

Glenn Thompson and Graham Morgan of Hamilton Stephens & Steele

Mark Jerrell: Meck. County

Treasure’s Report: Beth, $ 9,450.00 account balance

Newsletter update Now being replaced with Webpage, The design team has put around 100 hours of work and have a draft webpage that is being tweaked and tested now. We plan to publish and go live the end of March. It will contain a calendar of event, contact information, community activities, records of past news stories, budget updates, news on Sedgefest, and other social activities, ads from community businesses, ability to pay dues and even Sedgefield branded merchandise

Special Speaker: Police officer Matt Montgomery was unable to attend due to extra shift duty because of NBA Allstar Game, so Michael Seaton reviewed his report. This is the same weekly report he publishes on Nextdoor

Church Updates: Nothing to report currently

Sedgefest: Date April 27 Lots of work to do, and we will need lots of volunteers this year. Plan to grow the festival again this year by adding more food trucks, growing the beer garden and adding a Cider beverage option, larger kids area, adding time to the event so everyone can enjoy for a long time (now 11-4pm), more vendors, artisans and we hope to feature Sedgefield neighbors with hobbies and skills.

The Next meeting 2-26 at Triple C: …planning meeting and invite new team members for planning and execution, anyone interested in being part of the is strongly encouraged to attend or reach out to team members. Working on all sorts of programs and features for Sedgefest such as: Shirts, vendors, food, artist,

Grant up-dates Neighborhood Grant project: Shared details, Paint the streets, narrowed down to finalist and city likes us. Next we will go after street sign toppers, after 2019 we wont be eligible due to real estate revaluation

Land Use Committee: Valerie Preston: Dilworth President spoke how Dilworth and its team is now working with Sedgefield and others to address large area concerns:

Representative of the Sedgefield Neighborhood were invited to meet this month with Dilworth leadership Valerie Preston on Schools and land use. This group has grown to include Southend, Wilmore, Collingwood, Colonial Village as well. Topics such as area growth, traffic, safety and schools are all shared concerns and are open for discussion and group focus.

School Updates: Adrianne Chillemi shared the current volunteer programs and focus on the Middle school and how things are looking much more positive. The elementary school has made great strides and now is having great parent and community participation now that it has combined with Dilworth.

Social:

Yard Sale voted to be held in Spring, B Watson will be sending information out on FB and Nextdoor via a pole to select a weekend Saturday. This spring it will be help at homeowners’ homes with a shared map of participating homes and shared publicity. Colonial Village has shown interested in joining with us to host same date and get more visitors

Garden Club upcoming meeting and programs, a Soup focused meeting was planned for late February and open to club members and those interested

Sedgefield Movie night in the planning stages for the spring

Property Taxes:

Glenn Thompson and Graham Morgan of Hamilton Stephens & Steele discussed a private plan to assist homeowners to evaluate their recent tax valuation from the county and help decide if it was worth fighting. There is a fee for this service and more information can be had by contacting them directly

Mark Jerrell: Meck County spot to open questions from the attendees about the state of the county and items of interest by neighbors. He did stress that until the county sets the tax rate, the home valuation should not be taken as a mark of expected taxes you will pay.

Board Members:

Will Johns President: Soyouwanttoemailwill@gmail.com

Adrianne Chillemi Vice President

Beth Johns Treasurer

Lisa Dickson Secretary: lisee.dickson@gmail.com

Michael Seaton: Michael.m.seaton@gmail.com

Lane Cloninger

Nicole Frambach

Julian Rogers

Doug Morris

Scott Willis

Jenny Hoffman

Dave Dalessandro

Dominic Chillemi

YWCA is on a Mission

Did you know the YWCA is located only a few minutes from the Sedgefield neighborhood? Located off of Park Road, minutes from Park Road Shopping Center, our gym offers a wide variety of amenities to help you reach your goals. YWCA excited to share a multitude of upgrades over the past few months including fully renovated locker rooms, new equipment, and additional classes! Participate in one of our 63 exercise classes ranging from yoga, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Pilates, cardio strength, spin (on new Keiser bikes), water aerobics, and more! Check out one or all of our Quick Classes which maximize your time by providing 15-minute intentionally focused workout to sculpt, tone, stretch, crunch, or meditate. Tack it onto your personal workout, tack it onto one of your other classes, or simply dip your toe into exercise with these classes worth every minute of your time. Utilize child care during morning or evening classes, and/or take advantage of lunch time classes offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. They offer indoor group and private swim lessons for adults and children, seasonal boot camps and fitness challenges, all levels of triathlon training, scuba certification opportunities, and family fun including movies in the pool (Flick and Floats) and Underwater

Easter Egg Hunts! http://www.ywcacentralcarolinas.org/fitness/special-programs/

Visit the front desk and start a FREE 4-day visit pass to check us out! Spread your visits over a 2-month period and experience all the YWCA has to offer!

Gym Link: http://www.ywcacentralcarolinas.org/fitness/

Classes Link: http://www.ywcacentralcarolinas.org/fitness/fitness-classes/

School News & Updates

The excitement is building for the new Dilworth Elementary: Sedgefield Campus/Latta Campus with the upcoming combination of Sedgefield Elementary and Dilworth Elementary and there are new opportunities to support the school:

First, the Dilworth PTA has reached out to the neighborhood association, seeking support of the “Tip the Scales” annual campaign. The Dilworth PTA’s Tip the Scales campaign has been a great success in past years, and is now broadening its reach to support both the Latta and Sedgefield campuses of Dilworth Elementary. Funds raised by the Dilworth PTA through the Tip the Scales campaign will be provided to Principal Hall to be used in her discretion to support the needs of both campuses.

The existing Sedgefield Elementary PTA will continue to support needs at Sedgefield Elementary through the end of this school year, with funds gathered by the Dilworth PTA through the Tip the Scales campaign being used to support both campuses of the new Dilworth Elementary as the transition occurs later this year.

We trust that Sedgefield neighbors will generously support the Tip the Scales Campaign now and as the transition moves forward. More information regarding the Campaign and how you can support the new Dilworth Elementary is included in this newsletter.

Second, Proud Dilworth Supporter yard signs are available for purchase ($10) via the Sign Up Genius link that was shared on the neighborhood FB page or in cash in the in the Dilworth Elementary School office (Latta Campus) and Sedgefield Elementary School office (Sedgefield Campus) from 11 am - 1 pm every day. Feel free to purchase one for your family or many more to share with your friends and neighbors as a tangible expression of your support of the elementary school.

Speaking of support, current Sedgefield Elementary PTA president and neighbor Tony Murray has extended his most sincere thanks and appreciation to neighbors for their generous gifts of time and money in support of recent efforts of the Sedgefield Elementary PTA, including holiday parties and neighbors’ ongoing contributions to funding for the 5th grade field trip to Washington, D.C.

Turning to the Middle School, the Sedgefield Middle School transition team is continuing its work with CMS administration and Principal Turner in an effort to ensure that the goals set forth in the Target State Document are addressed in a timely and appropriate manner, so that the school is ready for the transition in the 2019-20 school years.

The transition team is also working with the current Sedgefield Middle School PTA and with community partners to ensure that the transition is a smooth one and anticipates fundraising efforts and community building events to be scheduled in the coming months.

Also in the works are a bell schedule survey for affected families and consideration of changes to existing car pool locations.

Upcoming events include a March 6 CMS/SMS Transition Community meeting (location and time TBD) that is intended for ALL families, friends and neighbors of SMS. Please mark your calendar so that you can come show your support and have your questions answered. In addition, spring sports will be underway at Sedgefield Middle School in the very near future, so be on the lookout for Facebook posts from Will Rice about snack sponsorships and opportunities to cheer on the Spartans!

Stay tuned to the neighborhood and “Sedgefield Supports” Facebook pages for current information and upcoming events relating to the neighborhood schools, as well as more ways that you can get involved during this exciting time!

Family Safety Tips for Large Scale Incidents

Unfortunately we live in a world which requires us to constantly think about our loved ones’ safety, and measures we can take to minimize our chances of becoming victims. With another shooting or attack running the headlines seemingly every week, it’s important to have a plan in place or at the very least a discussion with your family about what to do in the event they’re somehow involved. If your children are of a mature enough age, involve them as well.

First, and most importantly, try and avoid the event all together. Notify someone in authority of suspicious activity or odd behavior. This can be someone in law enforcement, the fire department, EMS, a teacher, or a principal. This will be difficult for children, but impress upon them how important it is to let someone know so it can be investigated.

Although unlikely, if the worst does occur, obviously try to escape safely, but keep in mind sheltering in place may be the best option. Call 911 immediately. Know the escape routes, but move safely because those exits are likely entrances for the bad guys also. If you do barricade yourself in a room, turn off the lights, lock and barricade the door, find cover or concealment, and silence your phone. If running, do so with your hands up as law enforcement will be entering looking for threats. Avoid the shooter at all costs and don’t try to reason with them. DON’T TRY TO FILM IT! Your focus should be on escaping and getting away from the situation as quickly as possible, don’t delay by taking pictures. Once in a safe location text your family or friends to let them know you’re ok. Sometimes in these events phone circuits become overwhelmed with the amount of calls being transmitted, but texts will generally go through.

These are just several recommended tips to consider as every situation is different and these incidents are fluid. It’s important to keep your plans simple and not rigid because if things go sideways, and they will, you need to adapt to the situation at hand. As I always mention in my meetings and Nextdoor.com posts, folks, PLEASE call 911 if you see anything suspicious, and stay safe!

Real Estate Info

Information Provided by Michael Miles Seaton of RE/MAX Executive

Active

3133 Sunset Dr | 4br/4.5ba | $1,240,000 | 4,579 sf

3156 Sunset Dr | 4br/4.5ba | $1,225,000 | 4,461 sf

423 Greystone Rd | 4br/3.5ba | $789,900 | 3,301 sf

1047 Sedgefield Rd | 5br/3ba | $699,900 | 2,654 sf

1120 Guilford Rd | 3br/2ba | $440,000 | 1235 sf

2820 Park Rd | 3br/2.5ba | $429,000 | 2,235 sf

Under Contract

315 Hartford Ave | 5br/4ba | $875,000 | 3,710 sf

509 Melbourne Ct | 5br/3ba/2 half | $787,000 | 3,412 sf

936 Sedgefield Rd | 5br/3.5ba | $749,500 | 3,067 sf

1001 Sedgefield Rd | 3br/2.5ba $625,000 2,424sf

1064 Sedgefield Rd | 4br/2ba | $595,000 | 2,198 sf

946 Sedgefield Rd | 4br/2ba | $525,000 1,824 sf

332 Marsh Rd | 3br/2ba | $495,000 | 1,759 sf

537 Greystone Rd | 3br/2ba | $479,900 | 1,370 sf

1014 Habersham Dr | 3br/2ba | $434,888 | 1,380sf

Sold

1114 Guilford Rd | 4br/3.5ba | $849,900 | 3,286 sf

2810 Dorchester Pl | 4br/4.5ba | $827,500 | 3,286 sf

401 Melbourne Ct | 4br/4.5ba | $804,000 | 3,498 sf

415 Greystone Rd | 5br/3.5ba | $728,925 | 3,056 sf

2916 Sunset Dr | 4br/3ba | $720,000 | 2,863 sf

3306 Anson St | 4br/3.5ba | $652,371 | 2,941 sf

816 Sedgefield Rd | 3br/2ba | $479,400 | 1,676 sf

747 Poindexter Dr | 3br/2ba | $412,250 | 1,372 sf

319 Hartford Ave | 3br/1ba | $323,000 | 1,000 sf

423 Hartford Ave | 3br/1.5ba | $275,000 | 1,230 sf

5 hikes for Charlotteans obsessed with the outdoors.

These earlier months don’t mean that Charlotte outdoor lovers need to stay in.

From sunny January days spent scrambling down the boulders of Crowders Mountain, to gushing waterfalls at South Mountain State Park, to watching snowflakes melt mid-air at Stone Mountain — the Charlotte area gives winter a good name. Here’s a Charlotte hiking starter kit for giving cabin fever the boot this winter.

(1) South Mountain State Park

Best for: Celebrating the end of a rain spell, getting a booty workout on Nature’s Stairmaster, enjoying serene trails all to yourself.

Approach: It’s a 90-minute drive from Charlotte to the park entrance (2001 S Mountain Park Ave, in Connellys Spring NC). After reaching the park gate, drive another 2.4 miles to reach the picnic and parking area. The trailhead has maps to take along with you.

Highlights: If you select the High Shoals Falls Loop your steep 3-mile climb will include witnessing an 80-foot waterfall. The trails, covered in glistening moss and home to green-blue pools, couldn’t feel more vibrant. This is also the park’s most popular trail, but we only crossed paths with one group during our visit. One of the great appeals of winter hiking is the chance to get these spots all to yourself.

(2) The U.S. National Whitewater Center

Best for: Trying out a new activity, access to an extensive trail system close to home, joining an awesome community.

Approach: The USNWC is only 30 minutes from most areas in Charlotte. Check the website to ensure that trails are open and park at the USNWC (note the parking fee). The trail center on the map can get you set up with the info you need and gear rentals if you elect to bike the trails.

Highlights: Comradery is a big pull. You can access their 35-mile, 1,300-acre trail system in what is really Charlotte’s backyard, and find trail run and other groups to do it with. It’s an equally good place to get out there and try something new, like mountain biking. Getting acquainted with these activities in winter means having the trails to yourself while you get comfortable and enjoying a peaceful side of the USNWC — entirely the opposite of the buzz of the summer months.

“I think a common misconception is that we hibernate during the colder months of the year, and that’s definitely not the case,” says USNWC communications and brand manager Eric Osterhus. “You have just as much, if not more, accessibility during the winter months as any other time of the year.”

(3) Crowders Mountain

Best for: Quick trips, playing on boulders, celebrating how accessible nature is in the Charlotte area.

Approach: The beauty of Crowders Mountain is how accessible it is. Just 45 minutes from Charlotte, you can park at the base (522 Park Office Lane, Gastonia) and take a look at the trailhead map for your route options. We elected to start at the Linwood Access Area and take the Towers Trail, which led us to the Crowders Mountain summit and plenty of fun boulders to play on.

(4) Badin Lake and Uwharrie National Forest

Best for: Bonding with your fellow hikers, dogs, participants young and old.

Approach: The Uwharrie National Forest is quite big, so access points vary depending on where you want to explore. For accessing Badin Lake, 90 minutes from Charlotte, park at the Badin Lake Group Campground. You can access the trail behind the campsites.

Highlights: The flat, 6-mile Badin Lake loop takes you along the lake for nearly your entire hike. Being a flat trail,

it’s perfect for bringing dogs and hikers and of all ages and abilities — and it’s far from boring. The scenery is different from any other hiking in the area, and there’s a peacefulness and cheerfulness to the area that lends itself to skipping rocks and bonding with your fellow hikers.

(5) Stone Mountain State Park

Best for: Picturesque streams, striking scenery, plenty of smaller trails that can be easily strung together for a larger exploration of the park.

Approach: The park is about 90 minutes from Charlotte (3042 Frank Parkway; Roaring Gap, NC). Once you enter the park, keep driving and you’ll come to both an upper and a lower parking lot. Both work fine, and you can strategically select where you want to start — but be mindful, as this can get a bit confusing. Check the website for updates pre-departure to see the status of trails, some of which are currently closed due to storm damage.

Highlights: We strung together parts of the middle falls, lower falls, and Stone Mountain loop trails, allowing us to experience a variety of what that park has to offer. Waterfalls, gurgling streams, and of course the striking façade of Stone Mountain all left an impression on us. Snowflakes were falling and melting mid-air, as though their presence was only an illusion, making the whole setting a bit magical. It was one of those moments you try to capture on your phone only to find that its camera can’t capture it, forcing you to sit back and enjoy the moment for what it is.

Restaurant Openings

Recently we have seen an explosion of new restaurants and bars in Sedgefield and surrounding neighborhoods, many of which are worth a visit:

Dilworth Tasting Room: Located in the former Dilworth Billiards on Tremont Avenue, Dilworth Tasting Room (DTR) is a destination that has something for everyone. In addition to a carefully selected, unique wine selection, there are multiple beers and an excellent cocktail list including the aviation: gin, crème de violette, maraschino and lemon, and classics such as the gimlet, high ball or martini. There is even a “break-even” section of special and rare spirits such as Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky offered at cost for a 2 ounce pour. The interior is sophisticated and comfortable, although it does get loud when full, and the patio with koi pond is a lovely spot during warmer months. DTR also has well-made cheese and charcuterie plates, flatbreads, paninis, small and large plates and desserts. A morning coffee and pastry service is offered, too. Weekly specials include half off select Cabernet Sauvignons on Thursdays. Website: dilworthtr.com

Seoul Poke Bowl: The poke craze has now officially taken Charlotte by storm and one of the first poke restaurants to open was Seoul Poke Bowl on located at 3609 South Boulevard near the Scaleybark rail station. Poke is a raw fish salad traditionally served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. At Seoul Poke Bowl, customers order at the counter and watch as their poke masterpiece, either a “Build Your Own” bowl or a “Signature” bowl is created. Protein options include several varieties of raw sushi-grade fish and cooked crab meat, shrimp and Bulgogi Korean beef. Customers also choose their base such as rice or salad and toppings like pickled radish, pineapple, kimchi, wonton crisps and even crushed spicy Cheetos! Top it off with one of the housemade sauces. Prices range from $10.95 for a two protein build your own bowl to $15.95 for the Seoul Poke Special which includes raw salmon, tuna and yellowtail as well as scallions, seaweed salad, cucumber, masago, edamame, mango, and avocado served with a homemade citrus ponzu sauce. Website: seoulpokebowl.com

OTHER RECENT AND NOTABLE OPENINGS

Nekter juice bar at the new Harris Teeter shopping center

Hyde Brewing and Suffolk Punch, a brewery and culinary lab located on the Lynx light rail line at the New Bern station Not Just Coffee Dilworth in the Food Lion Shopping Center, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner with signature cocktails, wines by the glass and of course, coffee.

Flourshop, a new concept from the owners of Customshop in Elizabeth, serving house-made pasta and other Italian specialties with an open kitchen in the backlot of Park Road Shopping Center.

LOOKING AHEAD

Holler & Dash gourmet biscuit house is scheduled to open at the Harris Teeter strip on March 13.

The Waterman, a pub and oyster bar from the owners of Sea Level uptown, also scheduled to open at the new Harris Teeter strip with rooftop bar and patio at the end of summer 2018.

Shake Shack, a fast-food concept originally from New York with burgers, crinkle-cut fries and frozen custard milkshakes, is scheduled to open next to Burton’s at Park Road Shopping Center by the fall of 2018.

Did you know this about the Hood?

There’s a Sedgefield Garden Club! It has about 25 members with most living in Sedgefield. There are both men and women members and a lot of age diversity. The club hosts several educational sessions and field trips during the year mixed with a lot of fun!

Five things you may not know about the club:

1. It has a long history that began in 1949. In fact, it was the first garden club in Mecklenburg County.

2. The club today shares the same goal as the original club in 1949: To learn good approaches to home landscaping and gardening and to practice environmental conservation.

3. The Garden Club supports:

• The scholarship fund in horticulture at Central Piedmont Community College

• “Tomorrow’s Legacy,” which funds projects like the Elizabethan Gardens,

• Daniel Boone Native Gardens and the N.C. Nature Conservancy scholarships at state universities for students majoring in studies related to gardening and landscaping.

• Charlotte Green Community Garden Project – a private nonprofit group of religious organizations, businesses and city agencies that help community groups beautify their neighborhoods.

4. Need plants in the spring? Don’t forget the club’s annual plant sale at Sedgefest. You’ll find a variety of plants, many of which are grown by club members. And the prices are rock-bottom! Proceeds support many of the projects listed above.

5. New in 2017, the club spearheaded Yard Art Day in Sedgefield. About 17 residents joined the fun with creative, unique art in their yards. The garden club also sponsored a yard art project at the Sedgefield Totem. Come join us!

The club meets the fourth Monday of the month at 1870 E. 7th St.; the program starts at 7 p.m. Topics this year include: Orchids 911; Trees Charlotte – protecting our trees; Cooking with Herbs; Tips for Planting Herbs and Gardens.

Meeting details are posted on Sedgefield’s Facebook page and Next Door. Hope you’ll join us!

Committed to Our Neighborhood

In 1952, members planted trees and shrubs in the open area at Poindexter Circle.

In 2009, the club partnered with Sedgefield Elementary to provide hands-on gardening.

More recently, it has partnered with Sedgefield Neighborhood Association on Totem.

You can’t beat the club’s plant sale during Sedgefest! There’s a variety of plants at rock-bottom prices.