Thursday, May 29, 2008

Public invited to attend beginner bike ride on June 2nd


This coming Monday, June 2nd, the "Divas" will host a beginner ride at the Patriot Centre Industrial Complex. Instead of meeting at Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) we will meet at the Patriot Centre at Beaver Creek at 6pm. Turn off of Kings Mountain Road into the Patriot Centre onto Beaver Creek Drive (next to Arrington Motorsports). Go past Hanes Brand and turn right into the gravel parking lot directly across the street from Bassett Plant 11 just before you get to Nautica Way. We will ride around on the nice smooth paved roads in the industrial complex. It will be relatively flat, little traffic at that time of day, and no dogs. More experienced riders may join us and ride to PHCC, the Martinsville Reservoir and/or do the Terry's Mountain Loop if desired. Contact susanperkins@iglide.net for more information.

Public invited to attend beginner bike ride on June 2nd


This coming Monday, June 2nd, the "Divas" will host a beginner ride at the Patriot Centre Industrial Complex. Instead of meeting at Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) we will meet at the Patriot Centre at Beaver Creek at 6pm. Turn off of Kings Mountain Road into the Patriot Centre onto Beaver Creek Drive (next to Arrington Motorsports). Go past Hanes Brand and turn right into the gravel parking lot directly across the street from Bassett Plant 11 just before you get to Nautica Way. We will ride around on the nice smooth paved roads in the industrial complex. It will be relatively flat, little traffic at that time of day, and no dogs. More experienced riders may join us and ride to PHCC, the Martinsville Reservoir and/or do the Terry's Mountain Loop if desired. Contact susanperkins@iglide.net for more information.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

DRBA in the Media

Check out DRBA's latest coveage in the Martinsville Bulletin...

DRBA in the Media

Check out DRBA's latest coveage in the Martinsville Bulletin...

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

DRBA to Present Program on Local History

Ridgeway, VA—Can you imagine having to go outside to get a glass of water, or only eating foods that you grew? We often take our modern conveniences for granted.

On Saturday, May 24th, take a walk back in time as the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) presents “Life on the Burgess Plantation.” The free program will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve on Eggleston Falls Road in Ridgeway.

John Burgess 7th, great-grandson of former plantation owner John Henry Burgess, will share stories about his family’s history and explain what life was like on their Henry County plantation in the 1800’s. All ages are invited to attend the program.

Following Mr. Burgess’ presentation, a guided walking tour of the nature preserve, including the Burgess family cemetery, will be given by Jennifer Doss of the Dan River Basin Association. For more information on the program, please contact Jennifer Doss, DRBA’s Rivers & Trails Project Manager, at 276-634-2545 or jdoss@danriver.org.

DRBA to Present Program on Local History

Ridgeway, VA—Can you imagine having to go outside to get a glass of water, or only eating foods that you grew? We often take our modern conveniences for granted.

On Saturday, May 24th, take a walk back in time as the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) presents “Life on the Burgess Plantation.” The free program will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve on Eggleston Falls Road in Ridgeway.

John Burgess 7th, great-grandson of former plantation owner John Henry Burgess, will share stories about his family’s history and explain what life was like on their Henry County plantation in the 1800’s. All ages are invited to attend the program.

Following Mr. Burgess’ presentation, a guided walking tour of the nature preserve, including the Burgess family cemetery, will be given by Jennifer Doss of the Dan River Basin Association. For more information on the program, please contact Jennifer Doss, DRBA’s Rivers & Trails Project Manager, at 276-634-2545 or jdoss@danriver.org.

Trout in the Classroom Trout Release 2008

Dates: May and June
Time: 9:30 am till 1 pm
Location: Smith River at Bassett Historic Center, Bassett, VA

Come join local students as they release brown trout fingerlings into the Smith River. Students involved in the Trout in the Classroom Program raised these trout from eggs to fingerlings in classroom tanks. These exciting events are the culmination of 6 months of caring for over 100 trout in each tank located in over 22 school classroom throughout a 4 county area of Southwest , VA. Releases will be held on the following dates between 9:30 and 1:00 pm. The public is invited to attend.

The release area is a large grassy bank behind the Bassett Area Historical Center in Basset Virginia, across from the Blue Ridge Regional Library. Please park in the Library parking lot and walk across to the release site.


Trout Release Schedule 2008

May 15: Trinity- Patrick County
May 16: Axton- Henry County, Carver-Henry County, Carlisle-Henry County
May 21: Irisburg- Henry County, Martinsville Middle
May 23: Mt Olivet- Henry County
May 29: Laurel Park- Henry County, Rich Acres- Henry County
May 30: Fieldale / Collins- Henry County, Tunstall- Pittsylvania County
June 5: Albert Harris- Martinsville City School
June 6: Henry School- Franklin County

Release Site: Smith River at Bassett Historical Center River Front, Bassett, VA

Dan River Float from Milton to Paces

TRIP TRACKS UNION OFFICER’S 1864 ESCAPE FROM REBELS

The Dan River Basin Association’s June 7 outing is a 13-mile float on the Dan from Milton, North Carolina to Paces, Virginia, with a lunch stop at the site of historic Barksdale Depot. Participants are asked to meet at 10:00 a.m. at Milton Wildlife Access at the Route 62 Bridge.
This “First Saturday Outing,” an easy flat-water float taking advantage of the summer’s long daylight, should be interesting to railroad buffs, students of navigation, and African-American historians as well as boating enthusiasts.
Trip coordinator Paul Johnson, Outings Chair of the Association and former director of the Halifax County Library, has arranged a journey through some remarkable river history.
Eight miles downstream from Milton, at the invitation of Mr. Jack Butler of Danville, paddlers will stop for lunch at the site of Barksdale Depot on the now abandoned Richmond & Danville Railroad. It was here in October, 1864 that Henry L. Estabrooks, a captured Union officer, escaped from a train carrying Union prisoners from Staunton to the Confederate prison in Danville.

Lt. Estabrooks spent 40 days as a fugitive before rejoining Grant’s army at the siege of Richmond. During his flight he was fed, led and hidden by an unofficial Underground Railway of slaves and freedmen.

Arriving back home in Massachusetts, he wrote an account of his ordeal. That account, Adrift in Dixie: A Yankee Officer among the Rebels, was reprinted in 2007 for the South Boston-Halifax County Museum of Fine Arts and History.

Much of Estabrooks’ odyssey took place in a leaky dugout canoe that he appropriated in Milton, with the help of African American boatman John Randolph. A novice canoeist, Estabrooks taught himself to handle the dugout and managed to float past the point of his earlier escape before leaving the river and heading northward.

According to The Dan River Book, by Forrest Altman, the Richmond & Danville Railroad was in operation in 1858, “in time to be of vast strategic and tactical importance in the Civil War.” Besides transporting soldiers and prisoners, it handled tons of freight for the Confederacy.
Paddlers will launch at Milton (mill-town), established in 1796 after a batteau voyage opened the river to commercial traffic, and pass immediately into Virginia near the confluence of Country Line Creek, so named because it joined the Dan where the two “countries” of Virginia and North Carolina met.

For the next three miles the river bends around the Virginia International Raceway, located in Virginia but accessible only via Milton, NC. Boaters will then see three impressive stone piers that supported the trestle of the Milton & Sutherlin Narrow Gauge Railroad as it crossed the Dan.

US 58/360 passes over the Dan at the site of Sutherlin’s Ferry, about two miles above Barksdale Depot. From the site of the depot, the abandoned Richmond & Danville Railroad bed may be seen on the north side as it parallels the river to the take-out at Paces (Route 658).

Participants in the outing should supply boat, paddles, life jackets, drinks and lunch, wearing water-shedding artificial fabric or wool (not cotton, and certainly not blue jeans) and providing a back-up change of clothing. All participants will be asked to sign a waiver form.

Three Rivers Outfitters of Eden, NC will rent boats and provide shuttle for a limited number of participants. For information, call 336-627-6215 or email info@3-R-O.com.

To reach Milton Wildlife Access from the north, take US 58 to NC 62, about five miles east of Danville. Take NC 62 South to the Wildlife Access. Turn right into the Wildlife Access parking lot just before crossing the Dan River.

From the south, follow NC 62 North. Alternatively, take NC 57 to Milton where it intersects NC 62. Cross the bridge over the Dan and turn left into the Milton Wildlife Access parking lot.
Meetings and outings of the Dan River Basin Association are free and open to the public. For information about the outings program, contact Paul Johnson, Outings Chair, at 434-579-7599 or kpauljohnson@yahoo.com. For information about the Dan River, communicate with Forrest Altman at 336-234-8556; forrestaltman@mebtel.net.

Membership information, and more details about Lt. Estabrooks’ escape, are available at http://www.danriver.org/.

Dan River Float from Milton to Paces

TRIP TRACKS UNION OFFICER’S 1864 ESCAPE FROM REBELS

The Dan River Basin Association’s June 7 outing is a 13-mile float on the Dan from Milton, North Carolina to Paces, Virginia, with a lunch stop at the site of historic Barksdale Depot. Participants are asked to meet at 10:00 a.m. at Milton Wildlife Access at the Route 62 Bridge.
This “First Saturday Outing,” an easy flat-water float taking advantage of the summer’s long daylight, should be interesting to railroad buffs, students of navigation, and African-American historians as well as boating enthusiasts.
Trip coordinator Paul Johnson, Outings Chair of the Association and former director of the Halifax County Library, has arranged a journey through some remarkable river history.
Eight miles downstream from Milton, at the invitation of Mr. Jack Butler of Danville, paddlers will stop for lunch at the site of Barksdale Depot on the now abandoned Richmond & Danville Railroad. It was here in October, 1864 that Henry L. Estabrooks, a captured Union officer, escaped from a train carrying Union prisoners from Staunton to the Confederate prison in Danville.

Lt. Estabrooks spent 40 days as a fugitive before rejoining Grant’s army at the siege of Richmond. During his flight he was fed, led and hidden by an unofficial Underground Railway of slaves and freedmen.

Arriving back home in Massachusetts, he wrote an account of his ordeal. That account, Adrift in Dixie: A Yankee Officer among the Rebels, was reprinted in 2007 for the South Boston-Halifax County Museum of Fine Arts and History.

Much of Estabrooks’ odyssey took place in a leaky dugout canoe that he appropriated in Milton, with the help of African American boatman John Randolph. A novice canoeist, Estabrooks taught himself to handle the dugout and managed to float past the point of his earlier escape before leaving the river and heading northward.

According to The Dan River Book, by Forrest Altman, the Richmond & Danville Railroad was in operation in 1858, “in time to be of vast strategic and tactical importance in the Civil War.” Besides transporting soldiers and prisoners, it handled tons of freight for the Confederacy.
Paddlers will launch at Milton (mill-town), established in 1796 after a batteau voyage opened the river to commercial traffic, and pass immediately into Virginia near the confluence of Country Line Creek, so named because it joined the Dan where the two “countries” of Virginia and North Carolina met.

For the next three miles the river bends around the Virginia International Raceway, located in Virginia but accessible only via Milton, NC. Boaters will then see three impressive stone piers that supported the trestle of the Milton & Sutherlin Narrow Gauge Railroad as it crossed the Dan.

US 58/360 passes over the Dan at the site of Sutherlin’s Ferry, about two miles above Barksdale Depot. From the site of the depot, the abandoned Richmond & Danville Railroad bed may be seen on the north side as it parallels the river to the take-out at Paces (Route 658).

Participants in the outing should supply boat, paddles, life jackets, drinks and lunch, wearing water-shedding artificial fabric or wool (not cotton, and certainly not blue jeans) and providing a back-up change of clothing. All participants will be asked to sign a waiver form.

Three Rivers Outfitters of Eden, NC will rent boats and provide shuttle for a limited number of participants. For information, call 336-627-6215 or email info@3-R-O.com.

To reach Milton Wildlife Access from the north, take US 58 to NC 62, about five miles east of Danville. Take NC 62 South to the Wildlife Access. Turn right into the Wildlife Access parking lot just before crossing the Dan River.

From the south, follow NC 62 North. Alternatively, take NC 57 to Milton where it intersects NC 62. Cross the bridge over the Dan and turn left into the Milton Wildlife Access parking lot.
Meetings and outings of the Dan River Basin Association are free and open to the public. For information about the outings program, contact Paul Johnson, Outings Chair, at 434-579-7599 or kpauljohnson@yahoo.com. For information about the Dan River, communicate with Forrest Altman at 336-234-8556; forrestaltman@mebtel.net.

Membership information, and more details about Lt. Estabrooks’ escape, are available at http://www.danriver.org/.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Planting for the Future


A senior year project turned into a hands-on learning experience for Jack Johnston, A.J. Hice and Chris Taylor. The Carlisle School students recently spent their mornings planting streamside tree buffers along Jordan Creek. A total of 28 trees and shrubs were planted along an impaired section of the creek to help stop pollutant run-off from entering the stream and the nearby Smith River.

The three students approached Brian Williams of the Dan River Basin Association to inquire about a possible senior project. They wanted to do something positive for the environment with a meaningful project that would satisfy the 40 hours of work required. Williams quickly suggested streamside buffer planting.

First the seniors had to learn what buffer areas are all about and why they are important to water quality along the Smith River. Williams gave them a presentation on buffer planting and how it helps to prevent erosion and reduce water contamination by trapping excess pollutants, including nitrogen and phosphorous from fertilizer, as well as storm-water run-off, sediments and other pollutants.

The Dan River Basin Association recently received a grant from the Department of Conservation and Recreation to plant 10 acres along impaired waterways in the Dan River Basin watershed. This includes the Smith River and its tributaries that feed the river. Williams provided trees and other vegetation through funding from DCR, as well as selection of an appropriate site for planting and supervision on the project. The students had to be willing to provide the labor and sweat needed to get the job accomplished.

“I didn’t realize that planting trees involved this much planning and hard work,” said A.J. Hice. “We really learned a lot of buffer plants and how they help the environment,” added Jack Johnston.

Fieldale Park was chosen as one of the sites in need of streamside vegetation. Although erosion had been controlled by large rock piles known as “rip-rap,” the plants would further help stabilize the bank and add a root system to filter run-off from adjacent ball fields and roads above the site.

Henry County Parks and Recreation Director Roger Adams agreed to the project, and the seniors began laying out the site on Thursday. By Friday they had 2300 square feet of pollution control in the ground.

Tress and shrubs were provided at a discount and delivered by C.D. Prilliman of Prilliman’s Landscape Dimensions of Ridgeway. The three students moved rocks and dug holes in the rip-rap area to plant dogwoods, jasmine and willows. Sycamore, alders and willow were also planted along the stream in the bare dirt areas for stabilization.

The water quality improvement grant from DCR is provided to help implement pollution projects such as this one. The goal is to increase the water quality of the basin’s rivers by filtering run-off before it makes it to the streams.

The students will make follow-up visits throughout the summer to water the plants and check for damage, making sure each tree gets a good start. An education initiative by the Dan River Basin Association is using these demonstration areas to help educate the public on the importance of streamside buffers.

Along with the DCR grant funding, CONTECH Storm Water Solutions of Portland, Oregon has funded the development of signs to accompany the projects. These will be installed in areas frequented by the public. Brochures are also being used teach the benefits of a healthy streamside buffer and the importance of trees and vegetation in pollution control along our local waterways.
Articles and photos by Brian Williams

Planting for the Future


A senior year project turned into a hands-on learning experience for Jack Johnston, A.J. Hice and Chris Taylor. The Carlisle School students recently spent their mornings planting streamside tree buffers along Jordan Creek. A total of 28 trees and shrubs were planted along an impaired section of the creek to help stop pollutant run-off from entering the stream and the nearby Smith River.

The three students approached Brian Williams of the Dan River Basin Association to inquire about a possible senior project. They wanted to do something positive for the environment with a meaningful project that would satisfy the 40 hours of work required. Williams quickly suggested streamside buffer planting.

First the seniors had to learn what buffer areas are all about and why they are important to water quality along the Smith River. Williams gave them a presentation on buffer planting and how it helps to prevent erosion and reduce water contamination by trapping excess pollutants, including nitrogen and phosphorous from fertilizer, as well as storm-water run-off, sediments and other pollutants.

The Dan River Basin Association recently received a grant from the Department of Conservation and Recreation to plant 10 acres along impaired waterways in the Dan River Basin watershed. This includes the Smith River and its tributaries that feed the river. Williams provided trees and other vegetation through funding from DCR, as well as selection of an appropriate site for planting and supervision on the project. The students had to be willing to provide the labor and sweat needed to get the job accomplished.

“I didn’t realize that planting trees involved this much planning and hard work,” said A.J. Hice. “We really learned a lot of buffer plants and how they help the environment,” added Jack Johnston.

Fieldale Park was chosen as one of the sites in need of streamside vegetation. Although erosion had been controlled by large rock piles known as “rip-rap,” the plants would further help stabilize the bank and add a root system to filter run-off from adjacent ball fields and roads above the site.

Henry County Parks and Recreation Director Roger Adams agreed to the project, and the seniors began laying out the site on Thursday. By Friday they had 2300 square feet of pollution control in the ground.

Tress and shrubs were provided at a discount and delivered by C.D. Prilliman of Prilliman’s Landscape Dimensions of Ridgeway. The three students moved rocks and dug holes in the rip-rap area to plant dogwoods, jasmine and willows. Sycamore, alders and willow were also planted along the stream in the bare dirt areas for stabilization.

The water quality improvement grant from DCR is provided to help implement pollution projects such as this one. The goal is to increase the water quality of the basin’s rivers by filtering run-off before it makes it to the streams.

The students will make follow-up visits throughout the summer to water the plants and check for damage, making sure each tree gets a good start. An education initiative by the Dan River Basin Association is using these demonstration areas to help educate the public on the importance of streamside buffers.

Along with the DCR grant funding, CONTECH Storm Water Solutions of Portland, Oregon has funded the development of signs to accompany the projects. These will be installed in areas frequented by the public. Brochures are also being used teach the benefits of a healthy streamside buffer and the importance of trees and vegetation in pollution control along our local waterways.
Articles and photos by Brian Williams

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Mayo Boat Day


Come out to Mayo Park on Saturday, May 10th at 10am for Mayo Boat Day!
  • enjoy the sunshine,
  • see some great boats
  • eat some great food
  • learn tips on boater safety
  • Cool T-Shirts are available.

Hope to see you at the lake!

For more information contact John Hill, Mayo Park Supervisor

(office) 336-597-7806 (fax) 336-597-3682 (e-mail) johnhill@personcounty.net

Mayo Boat Day


Come out to Mayo Park on Saturday, May 10th at 10am for Mayo Boat Day!
  • enjoy the sunshine,
  • see some great boats
  • eat some great food
  • learn tips on boater safety
  • Cool T-Shirts are available.

Hope to see you at the lake!

For more information contact John Hill, Mayo Park Supervisor

(office) 336-597-7806 (fax) 336-597-3682 (e-mail) johnhill@personcounty.net


www.DanRiver.org