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Residents Learn about Community Activities at Annual Meeting
Through programs managed in partnership with houses of faith and non-profit organizations, the Steele Creek Youth network has built trust and encouraged youth to get out of gangs, continue education, get involved with religious activities, and become leaders rather than followers in school. A major annual activity of the Steele Creek Youth Network is Survivor Copperhead Island, a week-long wilderness adventure for at-risk youth held in the summer at Mecklenburg County's McDowell Nature Preserve and Copperhead Island. This year, all membership dues collected by the Residents Association will be donated to the Steele Creek Youth Network. (Find out how to join here: About the Association.) Officer Speas is always on the lookout for new sponsors and volunteers. You may contact her at 704-336-8360 or lspeas@cmpd.org.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe said that the department has adopted seven strategic goals, and one of these is youth crime prevention and enforcement. He plans to devote special attention to youth programs. See News 14 Carolina's report Monroe to Revamp Youth Crime Prevention. He said that statistics show that crime is down in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, but there are still too many victims. He has requested that the Charlotte City Council provide funding for 125 new officers this year and 125 new officers next year. The Steele Creek Division is large and rapidly growing and is among the areas needing additional officers. Chief Monroe said that the department is planning to create two new divisions, which will result in revising boundaries for existing divisions. When that occurs, the Steele Creek Division will decrease in area. Gray Little talked about sports programs offered by the Steele Creek Athletic Association. He said that the Association has sponsored youth baseball in Steele Creek since 1958 when several church teams were organized into a league. The Association now offers baseball, girls’ softball, soccer, basketball, cheerleading, and football to any child interested in participating. Volunteers coach and manage all sports programs as well as manage and maintain their sports complex on Choate Circle. Gray and Association President Dewey Rhinehart answered questions about the Association. Chris Hummer, Administrator of Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) in Pineville, said that the new CMC-Steele Creek facility will be open in August and will have a full-service emergency room as well as several doctors' offices. They are hoping to add a helicopter pad, which would be available for transporting serious cases to other facilities. Eric White of the Steele Creek YMCA discussed programs offered at the Steele Creek Express Center. He said that they are progressing on their search for a site to build a full service facility in Lower Steele Creek. Kimberly Mitchell-Walker, who was recently appointed to represent District 2 on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board, discussed programs offered by area schools. Also representing community organizations were Erica Geppi of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundartion, Jim Goda of Troop 80 Boy Scouts (Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church), Falon Nye of Presbyterian Medical Plaza Steelecroft, and Nate Siemon of LifePointe Church. The Residents Association would like to express appreciation to LifePointe Church for providing the sound system for the meeting. Representatives of city and county government attending were Cam Coley of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities, who provided information about the new Southwest Water Main Project, Derrel Poole of Charlotte Engineering and Property Management, who is project manager for the Dixie River Road Realignment project, and Susan McDonald, Manager of the Steele Creek Library. However, one of the best things about the meeting may have been just seeing people talk to each other, to talk to those who came to provide information about their programs, to talk to the elected officials who attended, or just to chat with other people about what's happening in Steele Creek. People seemed to linger long after the program ended. They took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about their neighbors and community.
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