October 2020
Newsletter
NEWS
Reopening Plan
The office at Stearns Gym is open 8:30-5 pm M-F. The gym is open to the public, with times reserved for pickleball, pickup volleyball, and Qi gong. 
This month's schedule is on our homepage.
Program Updates
Homeschool Meetups
We are now meeting outdoors in small groups for an hour, but meetups are still free. All participants over the age of 5 wear a mask. To reserve a time for your child, please contact lbaird@polknc.org.

Afterschool visits
We are visiting one school each week for five weeks. Right now, we are helping Sunny View Elementary plant some yummy strawberries in their garden!
Sports Updates
We would like to invite you to join our weekly sports/exercise challenges!!!! Each Monday a new challenge will be posted to our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCTxNYYuHQ24HLA9mn3_nQ) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/PoCoRec), which will either highlight a sport offered here at the rec department or an exercise that can help with everyday living. As mentioned, the challenge will be posted every Monday; once posted, you will have until Thursday at noon to submit a video of yourself completing the challenge, via email, to Ltwitty@polknc.org. After the deadline, we will review the videos and pick a winner. Depending on the weekly challenge and guidelines for that week, the winner could be selected for a variety of reasons: (1) number of repetitions in a certain amount of time, (2) form, (3) submitting a video, tagging someone, and sharing the challenge, etc. Weekly challenges will always come with guidelines.

Video Submission Rules
  1. Submitted video must be the challenge for the week.
  2. Include: First and last name of Participant.
  3. Everyone is invited to participate. Participants under 18 must have parental approval.
  4. Video must be submitted by Thursday at noon of each week.
  5. By submitting a video, you are giving the recreation department permission to post the video on Facebook, our YouTube channel, and the Polk County Parks & Recreation department page:
Stay Updated about Polk Trails!
Trail Workdays
We will be holding Trail Work Days at the Recreation Complex on two Saturdays in October:
Trail cleanup: October 17, 9-11 am
Trail building: October 24, 9 am-4 pm
Please call Molly if you have any questions or if you would like to help: 828-894-8199. 
If you have your own tools, please bring them so we do not have to share equipment.

Let us know how you are safely staying active on our Trails Facebook page!
September Trails Meeting Notes
  • Rec Complex Trail: We are in the process of mapping the trails that have been cut to date so we can get a feel for the flow. The next workday will be trail cleanup on October 17.
  • Meeting attendees helped brainstorm ways to get the middle school hiking club active again. The most popular option is to have hikes on Saturdays so the parents can drive students individually to the trailheads.
  • The ICC/Tom Raymond Fitness trails need a facelift. We have the labor and are seeking donations for the lumber to rebuild and repair the fitness stations and trail signage.
  • Conserving Carolina's "Conservation Celebration" was a successful fundraiser, and fun for all!
  • Missing 40: Trail is open and cleared for the Fall trim.
  • Saluda Little Park: the large trees that fell are on the trail still but are too heavy to move. The trail cannot have equipment like bulldozers, etc. on it. Contact Chuck Hearon if you have a way to help.
  • Round Mountain: Duke cleared the right-of-way washout.
  • SCLT Hiking challenge: There were 12 people on the last hike. Hikers met at the church and caravanned to the trailhead. Their Sunday hiking series will continue into the fall.
  • Kudzu Warriors meet every Monday at Norman Wilder. Please see our event calendar for more details.
  • The next trails meeting is Monday, October 26 at Saluda Outfitters.
Polk County Parks and Recreation | recreation@polknc.org | 828.894.8199 | Visit our website
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