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The Official Newsletter of the City of Memphis Division of Parks and Neighborhoods

Winter Edition 2015

and Neighborhoods

Explore Many of us made New Year’s resolutions striving for positive changes in our lives. Our optimism resonates within speaking loudly as we entertain the “what if I ….” as a first step in this journey to improvement.

For many of us, the “what if I ….” intends to be transformative. We promise to replace “bad” habits with good ones. We seek to exercise more, lose weight, eat healthier, take more time for ourselves, spend more time with our loved ones, scratch something off our bucket list and help those who are less fortunate.

The Division of Parks and Neighborhoods offers a variety of programs to assist you in attaining your goals. Our 4,000 acres of park land, indoor pools, a skate park, disc golf, walking trails and bike lanes are merely a few examples of opportunities available challenging you to realize your true potential.

The City of Memphis’ Division of Parks and Neighborhoods is working hard strategically planning for the future with dynamic pro-gramming. Enroll in our Training Camp for Dads, the Certified Neighborhood Leadership Training Program or start your very own Neighborhood Association.

Because we believe the journey matters, Parks and Neighborhoods seeks to provide safe, affordable and quality programming easily accessible for our citizens. We understand the challenges of sustainability and carefully move forward in ways, both indoors and outdoors, that do no permanent damage to our green environment.

We are all on this journey together...and we believe the journey matters!

It is our privilege to serve the citizens of this wonderful community. Stop by, say hello, bring me your concerns or offer your suggestions for improvement. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.cityofmemphis.org/Government/ParksNeighborhoods.aspx or call us at (901) 636-4200.

Yours in Service,

Janet P. Hooks

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

THE DIVISION OF PARKS AND NEIGHBORHOODS

DIRECTORJanet P. Hooks

DEPUTY DIRECTORSDr. LaSonya Hall

Larry Smith Joseph Lee

PRODUCED BY THEOFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Erica P. Dallas EDITOR IN CHIEF - CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CONTRIBUTORS Marcey Wright

Karlescia Perkins

PHOTO CREDITS Toni Holmon-Turner

Erica P. Dallas Brandon McCord

STAY CONNECTED

ATHLETICS

SPECIAL EVENTS

Bowl-a-Thon March 7City of Memphis Employees Bowl for Junior Achievement fundraiser

Explore

MEMPARKS

2599 Avery Avenue Memphis, TN 38112

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Emissaries of Memphis Music March 12The Emissaries of Memphis Music program honors the female ambassadors of the Memphis’ creative culture and spotlights their career achievements

Youth City Basketball Tournament starts March 16

Memphis Skate Open Challenge April 25Come out and show your skills at our Skate Park

Early Summer Camp Registration April 25Get a head start on signing up for summer camp!

Neighborhood Watch Grant Application March 24Deadline

Training Camp for Dads June 20

H O L I D A Y K I N D N E S S

* **

For over 20 years, City of Memphis employees have demonstrated their compassion for those in need through their participation in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program.

City of Memphis employees adopted 270 Angels providing gifts from bicycles to clothing to special needs items.

The Hall of Mayors was filled with gifts, goodies, and holiday cheer! Many of Santa’s helpers were students from our adopted school, Bethel Grove Elementary.

The finale was uplifting and entertaining featuring music from the Elite Chamber Singers, a talented ‘A Capella’ group and expression of thanks from the Mayor for the generosity of the City employees.

CITY OF MEMPHIS EMPLOYEES PARTNER WITH SALVATION ARMY TO BRIGHTEN THE HOLIDAYS FOR FAMILIES WITH ANGEL TREE

**

Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway played Santa and contributed $10,000 to the Lester Community Center for the holidays. Kids in the commu-nity were treated to bikes, tech gadgets, dolls,

clothing, and more!

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AT A GLANCE

Citizens in the Ed Rice community were treated to Thanksgiving baskets

by Memphis Grizzlies players.

MEMPHIS AREA NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH AWARDS FIRST ROUND OF NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME PREVENTION GRANTS

MANW plans to begin accepting applications for the next round of grants on March 24, 2015.

Throughout the years, Neighborhood Watch has grown from an “extra eyes and ears” approach to crime prevention, to a proactive, community-oriented endeavor. Today’s Neighborhood Watch programs are an effective means of crime prevention and neighbor-hood cohesiveness. Neighborhood Watch is homeland security at the most basic level.

The Memphis Area Neighborhood Watch program completed its inaugural launch of the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Grant. The Neighborhood Crime Prevention Grant (commonly referred to as NCPG) provides grant funds to assist Neighborhood Watch Groups to make their neighborhoods safer and improve the quality of life in their community. Neighborhood Watch Groups typically focus on observation and awareness as a means of preventing crime and employ strategies that range from simply promoting social interaction and “watching out for each other” to active patrols by groups of citizens.

In 2013, the Memphis City Council passed an ordinance designating a revenue stream from the Red Light Camera funds to be distributed in the form of a grant to neighborhoods.

Memphis Area Neighborhood Watch Crime Prevention Grant Program recent-ly concluded its first issuance of grant funds to 23 recipients. Over 120 citizens attended a holiday ceremony where Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. provided “mock” checks to the awardees. Councilman Collins and Director Hooks commended the citizens for their involvement and commitment to improving their neighbor-hoods through safety initiatives.

By: Karlescia Perkins

GROUND

BREAKING

DENVER PARK GROUNDBREAKINGA neighborhood park that was once laden with criminal activity and gang disturbances will soon be revitalized, thanks to the partnership between the City of Memphis, the Denver Park Neighborhood Association, and the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

A groundbreaking ceremony was held to celebrate the Frayser neighborhoods activism resulting in a new, improved, safe park for the citizens. CAO George Little and Councilman Harris were on hand applauding the efforts of the neighborhood while noting this project as representative of the commitment of Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. to create strong and vibrant neighborhoods.

Deborah Lovelace, President of the Denver Park Neighborhood Association, was overcome with emotion as she thanked everyone involved particularly noting the police department for their diligent efforts to rid the park of unwanted and illegal activity.

When completed, Denver Park will feature a pavilion a half-mile walking trail, stationary bar-becue grills, a refurbished basketball court sponsored by the Memphis Grizzlies, a playground, adult fitness equipment and plenty of space for free play and multi-purpose use. The city hopes to have the park completely refurbished by spring of 2015. This year promises to be one of fun fit transformations for families in the Frayser area.

A SUSTAINABLE, THRIVING CITY IS BUILT ONE CHOICE AT A

TIME

Photo Source: squarespace.com

Sustainability encompasses all of these matters and more.

Sustainability could be defined as the capacity of something to sustain itself for a long period of time. The concept is simple and will take commitment and solidarity to achieve. Living sustainably is about living within the scope of our natural systems (environment and resources) and ensuring that our lifestyle doesn’t harm other people (society and culture). It is about being considerate of those in the future who will need fresh air, clean water, healthy plants, and energy to survive.

We must make the conscious decision to think about where our food, clothing, and energy come from, distinguish needs from wants, and make wise decisions on what to buy and consume. The concept of sustainability suggests that we are all inter-connected in a social, economic, and environmental cycle that depends on each link to flourish.

SELF Sustainable: Runs on its own with¬out assistance.

SOCIALLY Sustainable: Living life with integrity and respecting others in day to day interactions.

FINANCIALLY Sustainable: Built on a model of ongoing sound business practices to ensure long term achievement.

ECOLOGICALLY Sustainable: Achieving a system of balance to keep the planet in a healthy state. The resources that are used is balanced with what you have given back through eco-friendly efforts.

Sustainable ENERGY: Sources of power that are renewable and do not leave as much damage to the earth.

Under Mayor Wharton’s leadership, citizens are encouraged to consider sustainable choices by utilizing city parks for recreation, choosing bike lanes and mass transit as transportation alternatives and implementing eco-friendly ways to discard trash. It is our responsibility to be good stewards of mother earth.

When seeking solutions to overcome the harmful effects of pollution, climate change and living stan-dards, catchwords like “green” and “sustainable” have become interchangeable buzzwords. But what does a sustainable city really entail? Is it about city/country landscape or the lifestyle behaviors of society? Is it about our environment, money, or business? Is it an issue of concern to us as inhabitants of this earth?

P YALMAKE TIME

FOR

Division of Parks and Neighborhoods Director Janet Hooks, Deputy Director LaSonya Hall, Grants Specialist Stephanie Gailes, and President/CEO of Healthy Kids and Teens, Inc. Clintonia Simmons traveled to Chicago to attend the KaBOOM! Playful City USA Leaders Summit. This was a two-day, intensive conference that included valuable information, creativity and innovation, and lots of inspiration. Memphis was among 12 cities participating in the summit. Everyone’s overarching aim revolved around leadership and finding ways to make their city playable, family friendly, and safe.

Each team was asked to develop a Bold Goal and Big Idea. The Big Idea KaBOOM had in mind is a “play-specific solution and idea that has the potential to be transformative and impactful when implemented at scale.” The Bold Goal required cities to think about the quantitative measure when defining their objectives. Additionally, each team was asked to create a three- minute pitch describing what makes the city stand apart, what challenges were identified and how the goals will address it, and how the Bold Goal and Big Idea will directly impact people that need it most. The teams were challenged to make a video and presentation to illustrate how they plan to achieve their goals. The summit’s core focus was on sharing how to ensure access to safe play spaces and experiences for low-income kids and families. The summit was made possible by the Humana Foundation, an organization that strives to address some of the challenges that communities face such as obesity, poverty, crime, and toxic stress.

One of the strategies that KaBOOM emphasizes is collaboration. Why? Because it takes a village to build playgrounds, operate recreational programs, and foster healthy lives. Therefore, teams were encouraged to return home and partner with community groups and nonprofit organizations, seek support from the private sector, and bring back elements like fine arts and physical education into the neighborhoods.

To see how the Memphis team fared at the KaBOOM Playful City USA Leaders Summit, visit KaBOOM’s YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/kaboomplay/videos.

MEMPARKS STAFF ATTEND THE KaBOOM PLAYFUL CITY LEADERS SUMMIT

Everyone has a story to tell – stories of love, survival, or even hope for a better future. Award-winning author and Ethiopian immigrant Dinaw Mengestu recently visited the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library (3030 Poplar Avenue) to share his story of becoming an American citizen, along with other fiction and nonfiction accounts reflected in his book The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears.

The event resulted from a partnership between The Memphis Public Library & Information Center, Christian Brothers Uni-versity, and Rhodes College, in cooperation with the Memphis Mayor’s Office. It was a part of the larger Memphis Reads proj-ect, a month-long celebration of literacy in which a book was chosen for the Greater Memphis community to read. Mengestu’s 2007 The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears was selected, and the author’s visit served as the program’s culminating event.

Library customers of all ethnicities gathered to meet Mengestu, ask questions, and get autographs. Following his presentation at Central Library, a panel of local immigrants shared their stories with a captivated audience.

The panel included Morris M. Gbee, survivor of the Liberian Civil War, two-tour Iraqi War veteran, and author of War Face; Della Adams, a native of China, granddaughter of a Chinese warlord, and writer of An American Dream; and Dr. Clark Blat-teis, a Holocaust survivor and passenger of the St. Louis – the famous ship that carried refugees from Nazi Germany in May 1939. Jonathan Judaken, Spence L. Wilson Chair of Humanities at Rhodes College, served as panel moderator. Each panelist shared their gripping stories of survival, their will to live, and the struggles that accompanied leaving one world behind to pursue a new one.

“This event – starting with Memphis Reads, Dinaw Mengustu’s visit, and then the fascinating panel of local immigrants – epit-omizes the Library’s role as a supporter of literacy, reading, and lifelong learning. It also reinforced the Library’s positive posi-tion on diversity and inclusion,” said event organizer and Adult Services Coordinator Wang-Ying Glasgow. “Each branch of the Memphis Public Library System is a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can gather to connect, learn, and grow. This event is a prime example!”

“It was great to partner with such reputable agen-cies,” added Director of Libraries Keenon Mc-Cloy. “I loved that Dinaw Mengestu came and shared his compelling story. And, the local im-migrants’ panel made up the fabric of Memphis. This type of civic engagement and diversity are a part of the Library’s Strategic Plan and an exam-ple of the type of service that we aim to provide for all customers.”

For more information about programs and events at Memphis Public Libraries, visit www.mem-phislibrary.org or call (901) 415-2700.

Award-winning Author Takes Library Customers Captive with Awe-inspiring

Story

By: Marcey Wright

On November 5, 2014, Mayor A C Wharton, Jr., Councilwoman Wanda Halbert, Coun-cilman Myron Lowery, and Parks and Neighborhoods Director Janet P. Hooks recog-nized the students of Bethel Grove Elementary School for their Principal’s List achieve-ment with a special awards luncheon.

Wide eyed with enthusiasm, students from Bethel Grove Elementary were all smiles as they made their way into the front doors of City Hall. Parks and Neighborhoods staff was on hand to greet the 17 honorees and Deputy Dr. LaSonya Hall engaged the stu-dents with a brief overview of government, emphasizing the importance of knowing city leaders and their roles in the community.

Bethel Grove students sat up excitedly in their seats as Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. entered the room. 5th grader Johnna Burns took the liberty of introducing the Mayor to the school’s Principal Audrean Bond-Jones and school Counselor Pearl Bradley. The Mayor gave students the opportunity to share with him their favorite subjects.

The students listened attentively as Mayor Wharton shared his own journey growing up and the path that led him into politics. The Mayor ended by explaining to the students that whatever career they decide to pursue, to always remember the 5 D’s on their path to success – drive, desire, determination, dedication and discipline.

The Mayor presented the students with signed certificates while he congratulated and encouraged them to continue to excel.

MAYOR A C WHARTON, JR. RECOGNIZES PRINCIPAL’S LIST STUDENTS FROM BETHEL GROVE ELEMENTARY

First Grade Alexia Moore, Janiya Trotter, Kyliegh Thomas, Caden Page, Joshuwa Crayton, Christian WallsJamie Ellis

Second Grade Brianna Wise, Kendall Ambrose, Bless Mickens

Third Grade Trevor Kirkwood, Irvin Jackson, Jasmine Sanders

Fourth Grade Jaylon Jones, Cam’ron Thomas, Christopher Walls

Fifth Grade Johnna Burns

CONGRATS!

MEMPHIS ANIMAL SERVICES PARTNER WITH ASPCA TO HOST A MEGA MATCH-A-THON

Meeting a four-legged match is easier than we think!

Memphis Animal Services (MAS) received grant funding to participate in the 2014 ASPCA Mega Match-a-thon event, presented by Subaru. The ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) championed large-scale adoption events held simultaneously nationwide in an effort to ensure more shelter animals are adopted. Pre-spayed or neutered pets, vaccinated and chipped were available at a discounted adoption fee. A total of 84 animals found loving homes as a result of Memphis Animal Services outreach and partnership with the ASPCA for the Mega Match-a-thon event.

Modern basketball courts, trendy remodeling and beaming faces are what visitors of the Memphis Lester Community Center were greeted with on October 25th as the Memphis Grizzlies players took time out of their busy schedule to show that they care. The “Grizzlies Cares Day” is a project that is close to the heart of the organization with a commitment to ensure that children have access to clean spaces, parks, programs and mentors.

Grizzlies, whether players, management/support staff or enthusiastic fans, were on hand to paint and landscape the area around the Lester Community and Howze Park. There were estimates that as many as 4000 citizens turned out for the event lending a hand furthering Mayor Wharton’s priority to create safe and vibrant neighborhoods.

A working partnership with Peer Power, a nationally renowned mentor program, enabled the Grizzlies to create a state-of-the-art Blended Learning Lab inside Lester. With this addition, elementary students in the neighborhood will have access to educational tools to improve their reading skills.

The Grizzlies continue to invest in the Binghampton community through mentoring programs, technological improvements, and community engagement.

After the Memphis Cares project was concluded, the courts were officially unveiled along with a Pop-Up Party at Howze Park.

The Grizzlies Host “Grizzlies Cares Day” at Howze Park on the Lester Community Center Grounds

DON’T BE A SPECTATOR! BE A PARTICIPATOR WITH DIVISION OF

PARKS AND NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

At the Division of Parks and Neighborhoods, our focus is centered on community, personal health and well-being, family and friends, nature and fresh food, improving spaces and places, and uplifting lifestyle choices for citizens. We boast offering activities and programs at 24 community centers, 5 senior centers, and 7 golf courses. What a wonderful way to have fun while getting fit! Our department offers a variety of recreational and community oriented activities for children and adults that are free of charge.

Check out our listings to contact a local center to see which activities interest you. You will be enriched by the educa-tional components, social interactions, and wellness programs.

SENIORS ATHLETICS

COMMUNITY CENTERSBert Ferguson 8505 Trinity, 38108 901-309-1761*Bickford 233 Henry, 38108 901-527-8752 *Charles Powell 810 Western Park 38109 901-785-5975Cunningham 3772 Old Allen, 38128 901-377-3037Dave Wells 915 Chelsea 38107 901-526-7193Davis 3371 Spottswood, 38111 901-323-8015*Douglass 1616 Ash, 38108, 901-327-6131*Ed Rice 2907 N. Watkins, 38127 901-357-6919*Gaisman 4221 Macon, 38122 901-682-6161Gaston 1048 S. Third, 38106 901-774-4156Glenview 1141 S. Barksdale, 38114 901-576-7080*Hickory Hill 3910 Ridgeway Rd., 38115 901-566-9685Hollywood 1560 N. Hollywood, 38108 901-458-4084*Katie H. Sexton 1235 Brown, 38107 901-576-7070*Lester 317 Tillman, 38112 901-324-2639*Marion Hale 4791 Willow, 38117 901-685-8120McFarland 4955 Cottonwood, 38118 901-362-8350Mitchell 602 West Mitchell, 38109 901-789-2927North Frayser 2555 St. Elmo, 38127 901-353-9419*Orange Mound 2572 Park, 38111 901-576-6878*Pine Hill 973 Alice, 38106 901-774-7950*Raleigh 3678 Powers, 38128 901-372-2085*Riverview 1891 Kansas, 38109 901-744-3041Whitehaven 4318 Graceland, 38116 901-332-0783*adjacent or nearby swimming pool

SPECIAL CENTERSFrayser/Raleigh, Sr. 3985 Egypt Central, 38128 901-393-9101J.K. Lewis, Sr. 1188 N. Parkway, 38105 901-576-4255McWherter, Sr. 1355 Estate, 38119 901-761-2462Orange Mound, Sr. 2590 Park, 38114 901-576-6622Raymond Skinner 714 Tanglewood, 38104 901-272-2528Ruth Tate, Sr. 1620 Marjorie, 38106 901-948-7502

GOLFAudubon* 4160 Park Ave 901-683-6941Crockett* 4382 Range Line Rd. 901-358-3375Fox Meadows* 3064 Clarke, Rd. 901-362-0232Galloway* 3815 Walnut Grove Rd. 901-685-7805Overton 2085 Poplar Ave. 901725-9905Pine Hill* 1005 Alice Ave. 901-775-9434Riverside 465S. Parkway West 901-576-4296Whitehaven 750 S. Holmes Rd. 901-396-1608*18 hole golf courses

LOCATIONS CITYWIDE!

**City of Memphis Employees will bowl on March 7, 2015 at 8AM and 11AM.