Gobble, Gobble, Strut!

Turkey day is coming and after you stuff yourself full of grandma's good cooking you're going to need to strut some of it off! Hit the trails and enjoy a nice fall day in Southern Virginia. There's plenty of opportunities for walking, bicycling, paddling and geocaching.

Fieldale Trail- 3521 S. River Road, Fieldale
Two and a half miles of trails follow along the Smith River passing sites of historic Native American culture and remnants of Fieldale and Kohler’s industrial past.

Jack Dalton Park- 3300 Kings Mountain Road, Collinsville

This 0.6 mile paved trail is lit for both day and night walking and biking.

Doe Run Park- 270 Dupont Road, Martinsville

One mile of wooded paths lead guests along hillsides covered in Rhododendron.

Uptown Spur Trail- Franklin Street to Pine Street, Martinsville

This 0.6 mile paved trail connects neighboring residential areas and businesses to Uptown Martinsville.

Wilson Park Trails-1600 E. Church Street Extension, Martinsville

A 0.8 mile wooded loop trail connects the park’s picnic area and playground to a  disc golf course.

Smith River Sports Complex- 625 Sportsplex Way, Axton

In addition to world class soccer fields, check out the walking trails, river access and amazing playground.

Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve- 2525 Eggleston Falls Road, Ridgeway

This interpretive park features two miles of wooded walking trails with a self-guided tour of natural and historic points of interest.

Spencer Penn Centre Trails- 30 George Taylor Road, Spencer

A 0.25 mile walking path provides fitness opportunities at this community center.

Smith River Greenway- 301 S. Kennedy Street, Eden, NC

A 1.7 mile wooded trail following the Smith River.

Share your adventures with us! Snap a photo of your friends and family enjoying the trails and send it to drba.va@danriver.org.

Looking for even more fun? Get out and volunteer! "Friends of the Fieldale Trail", a volunteer Adopt-a-Trail group, will be at the Fieldale Trail on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Come join us as we work together to spruce up the trail for everyone to enjoy. Contact pwyatt1@embarqmail.com for more details.

Nature Trail Ribbon Cutting

Would you like to enjoy the health benefits of an easy-paced walk in the cool crisp fall air while meeting new friends?

Martinsville Leisure Services will have a short ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday, November 24, 7:15 a.m., for a new Nature Trail in J. Frank Wilson Park off of Church Street Extention.

The trail consists of 0.3 mile of natural surface trail with a 45 foot bridge crossing the creek in the bottom (south end) of the Park. The trail has 15 tree identification signs and two benches donated by Boy Scout Troop #63, headed up by Scout Masters - Ed Scaffidi, and Kenneth Draper.  Mayor Lawson and City Manager Mr. Monday will be on hand to cut the ribbon and officially open the Trail.

See you there!

91% of Fundraising Goal Met!

A conceptual drawing of how the trusses and
walking trail will be placed in Fieldale Park.

The Holidays are just around the corner and so is the lighting of the Historic Fieldale Iron Bridge. After two of the trusses survived their original fate of being demolished, work is underway to prepare the 54-foot long trusses from the bridge so that they can once again be enjoyed by residents of and visitors to Fieldale. The Dan River Basin Association, with support from their Martinsville-Henry County River & Trails Group, the Fieldale Heritage Festival and Henry County Parks & Recreation, has been busily coordinating efforts so that the trusses can be placed on either side of a new section of the Fieldale Walking Trail that will pass through Fieldale Park. The installation of these trusses as trail art will allow visitors to walk "across" the bridge while learning about the history of the 71-year old structure and of the community of Fieldale.

The trusses are now being cleaned by Dishman Environmental of Danville. This firm has made a generous donation of time and labor to remove years of old paint from the structure at a reduced rate. As sections of the trusses are cleaned, Reliable Welding & Fabricators of Bassett steps in to modify the shortened trusses so that they will have a symmetrical shape, reminiscent of the bridge as it once was. This service is also being provided to the community at a reduced rate. According to C.D. Stapleton, president of Reliable, [we] “feel privileged to be part of the Fieldale Iron Bridge Preservation project. As a small company founded in Henry County 30 years ago, we understand the importance of community and proudly celebrate the heritage of our area. While our company focuses on the needs of local manufacturers and business organizations; this project is allowing us to contribute to our friends and neighbors by preserving a portion of an iconic landmark that served our area.” Throughout the process of cleaning and welding, nearly 30,000 pounds of metal are being moved and lifted with cranes, thanks to Hall’s Mechanical. Owner Corky Hall, a Fieldale native, is providing the service at a reduced cost.

Presently, work to prepare the trusses is taking place behind the gates of Northpoint Trading. The firm allowed the trusses to be stored at their site for the past several months, but soon passersby in Fieldale will see changes progress occurring out in public. Boxley Materials of Fieldale is set to begin pouring concrete footers on which the trusses will rest in Fieldale Park. Boxley is pouring and forming the concrete for no charge as a service to the community. Once the concrete is dry, Hall’s Mechanical will load the trusses onto a tractor trailer, generously provided by Craddock Logging Supply & Repair of Ridgeway, so that they may be transported to their new home and set on the concrete footers.

Many others have also contributed support to this project including Henry County, the Virginia Department of Transportation, DLB Construction, The Fieldale Community Center, Mr. Joey Arrington, Mr. Shane Pinkston and Mr. Rayford Smith. Thanks to the support of numerous individual donors, more than 90% of funds to complete the project have been raised through the sales of memorial plaques that will be placed along the trusses once they are painted. Plaques to honor or remember the people special to you are still available and they make a great holiday gift. Elva Adkins of Fieldale purchased a plaque to remember her late father H.O. “Hub” Adkins, who in the 1940’s drove across “the old bridge many times each day in his long truck.” She challenges others “to make a donation for each time you side swiped the old bridge” coming across it, as many have.

A dedication ceremony to celebrate the historic Fieldale Iron Bridge is being planned, and information regarding this event will be released in the near future. To purchase a plaque or for more information on the project, please contact Jennifer Doss at 276-634-2545 or drba.va@danriver.org.

Free Online Water Sports Directory Now Available

WaterplayUSA.com has created an online directory that offers viewers the most complete, comprehensive listing of businesses that provide water sports & water-related activities throughout the USA. Access to WaterplayUSA.com’s online directory is free-of-charge.
The current list of water sports & water-related activities includes:
Kayaking                Wakeboarding
Kitebording             Windsurfing
Paddleboarding       Waterskiing
Surfing                    Kneeboarding
Parasailing              Whitewater Rafting
Tubing                    Scuba Diving & Snorkeling
Fly Fishing              Charters Boat Tours & Cruises  
Rentals

The Water Sports listings are categorized by City and State, in addition to the individual Activity.
This easy to use site accommodates both enthusiasts and tourists that enjoy water sports and water-related activities. It is designed for anyone planning to visit a body of water ( river, lake, or ocean ) for a day, a weekend, or an entire vacation. By providing this wealth of information, WaterplayUSA helps promote local businesses on a national level.

WaterplayUSA.com can help make your next adventure more exciting by finding your desired activity, where it is available, and who offers these services. Please visit our site and PLAN YOUR FUN !!!

For further information about WaterplayUSA.com, please contact:
Walt Smith, Co-Founder & Marketing Director – 910-256-2842 – walt@waterplayusa.com
http://www.waterplayusa.com/

Hike the Fiedale Trail with Friends

Or Canoe to Collect Mistletoe

DRBA will conclude the year's First Saturday Outings with a December 5 hike on the Fieldale Trail in Fieldale, VA, led by members of Friends of the Fieldale Trail. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Fieldale Park, the out-and-back hike can total 6 miles, but hikers may choose to walk shorter distances. The entire trail is flat and easy to walk.
Boaters may wish instead to join other paddle clubs in the 27th annual Sprig Outing to collect holiday greenery in the swamp of the Upper Little River near Lillington, NC. Details are at http://www.danriver.org/ .

Described by its Friends as "a golden opportunity to see Mother Nature up close and personal right in our own backyard," the Fieldale Trail hugs the bank of the Smith River. The graveled upper section winds through woods and open fields to the trailhead at the Fieldale Canoe Access, where a restroom is available. From there, the natural-surface lower section enters the riverside forest and skirts rhododendron bluffs alongside the river to its downstream terminus. Towering sycamore trees shelter the trail, and gravel bars and rock formations in the streambed give voice to the river.

Envisioned at a 2005 planning retreat of DRBA's affiliate, the Rivers & Trails Group, the Fieldale Trail is the ongoing project of DRBA and many partners. A special feature of the trail is a 54-foot section salvaged from the landmark 1931 Fieldale Iron Bridge and being installed as trail art, thanks to dozens of donors and generous corporate gifts of time and materials. Paula Wyatt, trip coordinator, and Jennifer Doss, DRBA's Rivers & Trails Project Manager, will bring hikers up to date on plans for the bridge section and future plans for the trail.

Please meet at 10:00 a.m. at Fieldale Park, 188 Field Avenue, at the intersection of Field Avenue and South River Road (GPS coordinates: North 36.42, 076 West 56.021, 079). Bring lunch and water, wear comfortable shoes or hiking boots, dress in layers of water-shedding artificial fabric or wool, and be prepared for rain or wind. All participants will be asked to sign a waiver form.

Directions: From US 220 take the VA 609 exit towards Fieldale. Turn right at Dillon's Fork Road, continue on Virginia Avenue, continue on Patrick Avenue, turn right at Field Avenue. Turn right at South River Road, and immediately turn right into the parking lot of the Fieldale Park.

More information: Paula Wyatt, 276-647-3274 or pwyatt1@embarqmail.com.

Film Festival Replay Held at Philpott Lake

Several audience members pose for a photo
overlooking Philpott Dam after the show.

Saturday was a beautiful day and more than a dozen people gathered at the Philpott Lake Visitor's Center to see a second showing of the Smith River Film Festival. This series of short films was originally played at the Rives Theater in Uptown Martinsville during Labor Day Weekend.  Watching the films enticed several audience members to learn to paddle and showed others the rich beauty found within the Smith River Valley. Everyone agreed that the films were great and the scenic view of Philpott Lake was well worth the drive!

The Second Annual Smith River Film Festival will be held on September 3rd, 2010. Mark your calendars and start filming your outdoor adventures today. Your short film just might be the next winner! 

The Perfect Holiday Gift Idea

The holidays are just around the corner and if you are searching for the perfect gift, consider giving the person you love a plaque to be placed on the Historic Fieldale Iron Bridge. Plaques start at just $100 each, and will be prominately displayed along the trusses in Fieldale Park. The donation is tax-deductible and your gift will help protect a piece of local history.  To learn more about purchasing a plaque, contact jdoss@danriver.org.  As of today we are at 87% of our fundraising goal; only $1,500 is needed to complete the project.

Purchase a plaque for someone special in your life like these individuals did...

In Honor of

Noel & Dovie Adams
by Barbara Purcell

In Honor of

Fieldale Baptist Church, Est. 1919
by the congregation

In Honor of my Mommy and Daddy

"We fished the Smith River in 2009."

by Jeremiah Keith Bullard

In Loving Memory of Jean Clarke Fuller
Fieldale High School Teacher & Friend
by Elva Adkins Adams

“Mrs. Fuller taught for many years at Fieldale High School.
She had no children of her own and I think we were her adopted
family. She coached the girls basketball team with great enthusiasm.
She was a great friend and she also knew how to pose for a great picture!”