Good News
January 15, 2026
Ann & Chuck Dever Regional Park Recreation Center
This week at the Ann & Chuck Dever Regional Park Recreation Center was full of energy! 127 participants stayed active in the fitness center, 180 enjoyed pickleball, and 18 hit the court for basketball. We had 9 creative patrons in arts & crafts making custom soap, while 29 joined Dance 2B Fit and 4 joined line dancing to keep moving. Friendly games brought people together with 27 playing mahjong and 17 taking part in table tennis. Our instructor-led programs have been a hit this week! Our Shine Dance Fitness program brought in 68 dedicated dancers, Tai Chi had 11 happy participants, and Solo Latin Dance Workout had 3 students.
South County Regional Park Recreation Center
South County Regional Park Recreation Center also had a bump in participation this week. 155 Pickleballers and 39 Basketballers relished in pickup games in the gym. 9 plane enthusiasts flew their remote-control planes through the gym. Homeschool PE started off a new session with 20 kids learning field hockey! The fitness center and Pilates both saw 9. Tot's Music and Movement program enjoyed 7 young children who came out to sing and dance with Heather. Aspen's new Sculpting Saturday's program kicked off with beautiful baked clay jewelry holders!
Recreation
South County Regional Park Pool saw some beautiful weather this week and the numbers show it! 497 Patrons enjoyed both recreational and lap swimming. One patron even said "It doesn't get more perfect" after their delightful lap swimming session. Water aerobics saw 73 who came out to exercise with the lifeguards. South County Regional Park Pool
Good news from Ann and Chuck Dever Regional Park Pool we had 349 dedicated lap swimmers, 360 happy rec swimmers, 128 wonderful water aerobic participants, and 60 focused collegiate swimmers. Ann & Chuck Dever Regional Park Pool
Recreation
Tringali Park Recreation Center
Centennial Park Pool
At Centennial Park Pool, the warm water created an inviting and comfortable environment for swimmers of all kinds, drawing strong participation across programs. A total of 174 dedicated lap swimmers took advantage of the soothing warmth to train and stay active, while 111 recreation swimmers enjoyed a relaxed and welcoming swim experience. The pool’s warm temperature was especially
The Rec Center stayed active this week, with Pickleball leading the way at 127 participants, Stride and Stretch close behind with 99 participants, and Boogie Chair keeping the fun going with 45 participants. We also welcomed our newest class, Easy Does It Mat Fitness, which launched strong with 34 participants, proving that sometimes taking it easy is still a great workout. Remember that our Lucky to Love You Big Kahuna Bash is coming up on January 31st at the Tringali Community Center. It’s shaping up to be a fun-filled event, so mark your calendars and join us for a great time with the community. JM Berlin/Rotary Skate Park Thank you to everyone who came out to support the park this week with our skateboarders coming in at 53 and our BMX riders peddling in at 64. Stay warm and keep shredding!
ideal for the 50 water aerobics participants, supporting gentle
movement, flexibility, and joint comfort. Together, these numbers highlight how a warm pool atmosphere encourages both fitness and enjoyment for the entire community. Centennial Park Pool continues to serve as a hub for competitive swimming, hosting 125 college swimmers representing three different collegiate teams who rely on the facility for high-quality training and preparation. Alongside them, 74 Sea Dragon Aquatics swimmers filled the pool with energy and focus, developing their skills in a structured and supportive environment.
Parks & Natural Resources
Land Management
This week staff conducted multiple maintenance operations. Over half a mile of trail vegetation was trimmed at Cedar Point Environmental Park. Most people call the summer our growing season and anyone that mows their yard can attest, it certainly grows in the rainy season, but vegetation grows all year round here and these maintenance operations help with sightlines while visiting our parks. Staff also treated nearly 10 acres of exotic/invasive plants on multiple properties. Multiple species were treated including melaleuca, downy rose myrtle, ear-leaf acacia and various grasses. Staff spent some time in the field mulching vegetation. With the dryness of this season this operation is import for wildfire mitigation. Charlotte County Fire/EMS issued a county wide burn ban as a safety protocol. Our summer was a lot drier than normal and this year has been very dry as well.
Libraries & History
Here’s a quick look at what’s been happening across all our library locations this past week: Library Visitors & New Cards: Charlotte County Libraries welcomed 6,878 visitors and issued 183 brand-new library cards At a Glance: Weekly Roundup for Charlotte County Libraries & History
welcome to our newest members! Curbside & Homebound Services: Convenient services remain popular:
31patrons used curbside pickup 1 received homebound deliveries Reference, Technology, & Research Support:
Our knowledgeable staff answered: 125 general reference questions 250 technology questions 5 local history-specific inquiry
Libraries & History
Punta Gorda Charlotte Library Youth Division
We got our craft on in our first Kid's Craft of 2026! We put out all of our craft supplies and had our kiddos create whatever they wanted in an hour. We had popsicle sticks, pom poms, pipe cleaners, foam, colored duct tape, rhinestones, markers, hot glue guns, and so much more! On Saturday, we had one of our local authors Leilani Williams come in and read her picture book, The Happy Tiki and the Snow Day Adventure to our kids, and then we made a tropical craft.
Adult Division The Punta Gorda Charlotte Library hosted certified sound healer Jess Nagy who introduced the attendees to the healing properties of sound bowls. She focused on the soothing vibrations and gentle mindfulness techniques to help us through our busy lives.
Libraries & History
Port Charlotte Public Library
This week, Preschool Preppers explored the night sky with M is for Moon and N is for Night. We painted beautiful moons and stars, played with moon sand, and constructed counting rockets with blocks. Friday’s Tiny Tots entered a construction zone of fun and learning. We explored different machines during story time, constructed paper cities using our favorite shapes during craft time, built block towers, and dug into kinetic sand.
Teen Craft Club enjoyed smashing last year’s regrets and using the pieces to make beautiful broken mirror mosaics to lend inspiration to coming year!
Over 50 adults enjoyed watching performer Sheryl Faye portray Abigail Adams, America’s second first lady and wife of President John Adams.
Libraries & History
Englewood Charlotte Library
The quilting group had fun experimenting with their new fabric cutter donated by the Friends of the Englewood Charlotte Library. Miss Holly visited the Resource Center at Vineland Elementary with some fun winter bookmarks for the students to color. Our Preschool Prep students came back from break excited and ready to learn.
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