Thursday, May 7, 2009

Families share chair, histories...

Thursday, April 30, 2009
By GINNY WRAY - Martinsville Bulletin Staff Writer

A simple brown ladderback chair has reconnected two families’ histories. The chair was passed Tuesday from the descendants of a plantation owner to the descendants of a slave who worked for him. For now, it remains on display at the Bassett Historical Center for the community to appreciate.

“It’s a connection to the past. You hear a lot of stories, but when you get a material object, it brings it closer,” said Sam Hairston of Eden, N.C., the great-grandson of Uncle John Burgess and the recipient of the chair.

This story actually began in 1790, according to an account by John Burgess of Vienna. He explained that John Henry Burgess, his great-grandfather, was born in Ridgeway near the Smith River on land his great-grandfather settled. Uncle John Burgess was one of John Henry Burgess’ slaves. John Henry Burgess was a captain in the Confederate Army in the Civil War. He took Uncle John Burgess and other slaves off to war with him, and after the conflict ended, he gave each of them an acre. John Henry Burgess also knew that a North Carolina woman, Jane, had caught the eye of Uncle John Burgess, so he brought her to Henry County to work for him. She and Uncle John Burgess married and raised a family. “Uncle John was employed on the farm as long as John Henry Burgess lived,” Burgess said, adding that John Henry Burgess died in 1914 and Uncle John Burgess died in 1936. “He was integral to the family.”
No one is quite sure who made the ladderback chair with a cane seat, when it was made although it dates back to the 1800s, or what kind of wood it is made of. But they do know it was passed from generation to generation, ending with Burgess’ father, John Bradshaw Burgess, and his wife. She refinished it and had the seat recaned, and it was a prized possession in the Burgess home, he added. It also helped generations of children learn to walk, Burgess said. He turned the chair upside down and showed how the toddlers pushed it on the floor as they got their bearings, leaving the posts on the back and legs worn to an angle.
Burgess said after both his parents died, the four siblings took all their possessions and searched for appropriate homes for them. “Because of the history of the chair and the great work Jennifer (Doss of the Dan River Basin Association) had done, there is no more appropriate place for the chair than with Uncle John’s family,” Burgess said. In the meantime, Hairston started researching his mother’s side of the family — the Burgesses — and was steered to a Web site started by John Burgess. They realized their families were connected and they exchanged information and photographs, but that fell off after a while. Then Doss, project director for the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA), began researching the Burgess family after finding an old cemetery on the Gravely land where the association has created a nature preserve. John Henry Burgess is buried there. Uncle John Burgess is buried in a cemetery on Old Mill Road in Ridgeway that has been cleaned, documented and listed with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to be preserved. During her research, Doss reconnected John Burgess and Hairston, added some information from Pat Ross of the Bassett Historical Center and “put all the pieces together,” Doss said. Almost all the pieces, that is. Hairston said they still do not know who Uncle John Burgess’ parents were, and they do not know much about the chair. But that does not lessen its impact. Doss said she got chills when she read the e-mails about the chair that connected the two families. Never a fan of history classes, this has made history come to life, she said. Her research and restoring the cemeteries fit DRBA’s mission of historic preservation, Doss said, adding that DRBA will compile the history into a book for the families.
After the chair is displayed at the historical center for a while, Sam Hairston will place it in his home, maybe with a picture hanging over it. John Burgess added that passing the chair on to the Hairston family also helps him reconcile some of that history. “It bothered me that my ancestors enslaved his ancestors,” he said, nodding at Hairston. “You can never do enough to make up for that. This is a little something. Martin Luther King’s dream tells all of us that we have a responsibility to make equality real.”

Boy Scout Troop 326 Needs Fly Fishermen Volunteers

The Boy Scouts of troop 326 in Martinsville are going for a Fly Fishing merit badge and need your help. The troop will be staying at the Bassett cabin on the Smith River, June 12-13.

The troop will need to cover most of the practical requirements of the merit badge at this location; knots, casting, fishing, flies, insects, etc. For the activities at the cabin, several experienced fly fisherman are needed who can come and guide a small team of scouts on the river to fish. The guides will need to bring gear for this part as well. Leaky bootfoot waders and old Fenwicks would be fine for the scouts.

The volunteers will be well fed and accommodated in the cabin if they would like to stay and camp with the leaders. The scouts will be camping outside. The volunteers will be provided with a guide and a hand copy of the merit badge requirements that can be carried with them to know what to cover.

If you are interested in volunteering for this fun-filled adventure, contact Shane Pinkston by phone at 276-732-5090 or by email at shane@southprintinc.com today!

Article provided by Shane Pinkston
Edited/Posted by Vicky Thomas

Uptown Pot Planting

Gateway Streetscape Foundation invites all interested citizens and groups to participate in the annual planting of the Uptown pots on Church, Main, and Fayette Streets. All volunteers are asked to meet in the Broad Street parking lot on Saturday, May 16, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. to receive instructions and assignments. Volunteers will then fan out to plant the 60 pots located on the streets. Volunteers are requested to bring gloves and hand trowels if they have them. All planting material will be provided by Gateway and some hand trowels will be available on a first come basis. Volunteers assisting with the planting will receive a gift from Gateway as well as drinks. Call Gateway office at 634-4674 or 634-4622 for more details.

Bug Walk


Parks are a great place to view and understand the life of bugs. Learn about these six legged creatures and take home your own decorated bug box.

Virginia Museum of Natural History is offering this program. After the program, drop by the Virginia Natural History Museum for “BUG DAZE,” a family festival full of information on bugs.

DATE/TIME: May 30 at 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
LOCATION: J. Frank Wilson Park
FEE: $5
AGES: 3 & up
DEADLINE: May 15

For more information or to register for this event, contact Tena Bullins at 276-634-4185.

Article contributed by Gary Cody
Edited/Posted by Vicky Thomas

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Walkers Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

A little rain didn't dampen the spirits of walkers participating in this month's Tuesday Morning Stroll. Several participants joined Jeannie Frisco of Activate M-HC as she led them on an informative walk down the Uptown Spur Tail and spoke about the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo, which means "fifth of May" in Spanish.
While on the walk the participants were challenged to trivia questions and also suprised with festive balloons in the colors of the Mexican Flag so that they could celebrate.

DRBA Visits "The Cove"


On Monday of this week, Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) staff had the opportunity to speak to 7th graders from Halifax County as part of 'Field Days at The Cove', a program sponsored by the Ward Burton Foundation. During the day, 100 youth visited Ward Burton's 2,000 acre property known as The Cove and were able to meet environmental professionals from DRBA, Va Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries, Va Dept. of Forestry, Ferrum College, and Va Natural Resources Commission.

Ward Burton greeting the students

DRBA's station focused on stewardship of rivers and water quality monitoring. The students learned to read pH levels, test for turbidity, and disolved oxygen.
They also learned about the macroinvertebrates that live in streams such as crayfish. The photo below shows a female crayfish carrying eggs.

Bike Basics 101


Pull out your bikes and have fun as you learn the rules of the road & bike basics. Open to adults & children 16 years & older.

What: Bike Basics 101
When: May 16th at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Jack Dalton Park
Cost: FREE

Have fun with other cyclists as we celebrate May is “National Bike Month”. After completing the instruction, participants will enjoy a leisurely bike ride at Jack Dalton Park. Bring your own bicycle and helmet. If you do not have a bike or helmet contact Activate MHC at 403-5087 or 403-5031. Sponsored by: Activate and Henry County Parks and Recreation

If you would like to volunteer for this event, please contact Kyle Dowley, Recreation Programmer, Henry County Parks & Recreation at 276-634-4645.

Article contributed by Kyle Dowley
Edited/Posted by Vicky Thomas

Bicycle Safety Rodeo.....Returns!

The “Bicycle Safety Rodeo and Child Safety Seat Inspection” returns as part of “May is National Bike Month.” The first rodeo was held in 1995 through the collaboration of the Martinsville Police Department and Chip Wyatt, State Farm Insurance Company. This year, Activate Martinsville Henry County (Activate), Henry County Parks and Recreation, Martinsville Leisure Services, Martinsville Police Department, and several State Farm Insurance Companies (Chip Wyatt, Jason Dove, and Kelly Witt) will host the event. “Over the years the rodeo has turned into an event that kids love to participate in. In past years, there have been over 150 kids participating in the event and many look forward to returning to see how they have improved over the year.” said Chip Wyatt, with State Farm Insurance.


The rodeo will be held Saturday, May 9th at Liberty Fair Mall Parking Lot on Commonwealth Blvd. There will be two sessions, 9:00-10:30 a.m. and 11:00-12:30 p.m. The rodeo consists of eight courses starting with a bike inspection station; mounting and dismounting; circling and changing direction; straight line control; weaving and maneuvering; stopping ability; short radius turning; and slow speed control. “Data has shown that many local children are not wearing helmets so our focus this year is helmet safety. Children will receive literature on helmet safety and local trainers certified in Bike Smart Basics, a curriculum created by the Virginia Department of Education, Health, Motor Vehicles and BikeWalk Virginia, will teach children how to properly fit their helmets,” according to Jeannie Frisco, Program Manager for Activate.

After kids complete the eight-course rodeo they can enjoy decorating and personalizing their helmet at the “sticker art” table. Kids will then have a chance to proudly display their helmet while they ride their bike and practice their new skills in the rodeo’s riding rink. Registered participants will also receive a goodie bag, a free meal coupon to Chick-Fil-A, a bicycle license with their picture and a certificate. Registered participants will also take part in a drawing where they could win a Nintendo Wii game system or a bike. Two bikes and a Wii will be raffled off at each session.

Through a Virginia Department of Health Grant, Activate was able to provide bicycle safety helmets for bike rodeo participants. According to Melissa Gravely, Education/Outreach Coordinator for Activate, “We want all children to have and wear their safety helmets. We are asking those children that have helmets to bring them to the rodeo. If their helmet is safe, in good shape and fits properly they will receive a free skating pass to the Roll-A-Bout Skating Center instead of receiving a new helmet. If a child’s helmet is unsafe, in bad shape, does not fit or if a child does not have a helmet, they will receive a new one while supplies last.”

To help parents better protect their children, State Farm is sponsoring a Child Safety Seat Inspection. While kids are busy with the rodeo, parents will be able to get a free car seat inspection from a certified seat inspector. With the new booster seat laws in effect, this is a good opportunity for parents.

Activate, which is funded through The Harvest Foundation, has a mission to make Martinsville and Henry County a more fun, healthy and desirable place to live by promoting walking, biking and increased physical activity as a part of everyday life. For more information on biking activities, contact Activate at 638-2523 x204 or 331.

For more information or if you would like to volunteer for this event, please contact Tara Martin at 276-638-2523 x314 or email at tmartin@healthycommunitymhc.org.

Article contributed by Jeannie Frisco
Edited/Posted by Vicky Thomas

Adopt-A-Trail Volunteers Enhance Area Trails

Take a walk along one of our area trails and you just might see a group volunteers working to improve recreational opportunities along the Smith River- and having fun while at it! Tommy Wyatt and Tracy Kennett are shown above installing the new permanent sign for the Fieldale Trail. This is just one of the many tasks that their trail team "Friends of the Fieldale Trail" is doing to help support the trail system.

The Adopt-A-Trail program, which kicked off this month is quickly becoming a success. More than ten volunteers have signed up so far to care for three sections of the Smith River Trail System. The program is a partnership between the Dan River Basin Assocaiton, Henry County Parks & Recreation, and the City of Eden. To learn more about the Adopt-A-Trail Program see this previous post.

To adpot a section of trail, please contact the Adopt-A-Trail Coordinator, Jennifer Doss at 276-634-2545 or jdoss@danriver.org.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Beginner Kayak Lessons Held


Shown above (L-R) are: (front row) Brian Purdy, Debbie Taylor, Mary Kay Washington, Susan Cart, Pam Pruitt, (back row) Eric Juday, Susan Grogan, Richard Margrave, Cliff Taylor, Jamie Minish, and Donnie Meadows. Not pictured: Zachary Margrave.

Eleven adventurous people tried out a new hobby this weekend and had a great time! This was all part of an ACA Beginner Kayak Class sponsored by the Dan River Basin Association, Henry County Parks & Recreation, and Martinsville Leisure Services.

The paddlers, most of whom had never been in a kayak before, tried out various styles of kayaks as instructor Eric Juday taught them basic paddling skills in Martinsville's Beaver Creek Reservoir.

Check out the slideshow below to see more photos from the event.

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Monday, May 4, 2009

Trout Release Schedule for 2009

It's that time again! The fourth season of Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is drawing to a close as students and teachers prepare to release their fingerlings into the Smith River.

The season begins in late fall, with eggs hatching in mid December and the TIC students and teachers spending the next 6 months making sure the trout in their care grow to healthy fingerlings ready to be released into the wild.

The Smith River in Basset, VA, is the site of all trout releases for the Southern VA TIC Program as the students and teachers bid goodbye to their trout during a series of releases in May and June. Thousands of trout have been released into the river as a result of this program with area students participating in the school wide programs that were responsible for the care of the trout from eggs to fingerlings.

This program, developed by Trout Unlimited over 25 years ago, is a one of a kind hands on teaching experience. Creating excitement in the classroom while teaching the relevance of our watersheds, students learn environmental responsibility and the importance of good stewardship of our natural resources. The initiation of this project and its continuing financial support are due to the dedication and efforts of Dr. David Jones, Martinsville Orthodontist. Dr Jones began the first TIC program in Virginia in 2005. Today there are currently 26 tanks in this Southern VA program while TIC has grown statewide to 65 tanks. Utilizing a grant from the Harvest Foundation, the Dan River Basin Association provides support for this Southern Virginia program.

We appreciate the cooperation of the good folks at the Bassett Historical Center. Trout releases are held on the Smith River here in Bassett, VA.
http://www.bassetthistoricalcenter.com/
If attending a release, please park across the street in the lot of the Blue Ridge Regional Library. Students and teachers that are with the TIC program should come dressed in comfortable clothing with shoes that can get wet. We ask that other students, teachers or parents attending please allow the students and TIC volunteers direct access to the river. We will call each class or school to the river's edge when it is time to release their trout.

Trout Release Schedule 2009: Releases will occur between 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

May 7, 2009:
Bassett High (3 groups), 200 students- 9:30, 10:30, 11:30 a.m.

May 8, 2009:
Campbell Court - 10:00 a.m.
Drewery Mason

May 14, 2009:
Stuart Elementary - 50 students- 9:30 am

May 15, 2009:
Axton Middle - 20 students - 10:00 a.m.
Mt Olivet - 40 students, time - 11:30 a.m.

May 18, 2009:
Woolwine Elementray - 80 students - 9:15 a.m.
Meadows of Dan - 20 students - 9:15 a.m.

May 21, 2009:
Open

May 22, 2009:
Carlisle - 10:00 a.m.

May 28, 2009:
Irisburg - 10:00 am
Rich Acres - 30 students - 11:00 a.m.

May 29, 2009
Sanville 9:30
Tunstall


June 1, 2009:
Laurel Park
Patrick Henry - 9:00
Martinsville Middle - 80 students, time - 10:00 a.m.
Fieldale Collinsville - (3 groups), 100 students

June 4, 2009:
Albert Harris 9:15

June 5, 2009: RESCHEDULED DUE TO WEATHER to June 8th
Henry - 210 students 9:15
Snow Creek - 100 students 10:30



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

Trout Release Coverage media links:

6/8/07 - Governor Tim Kaine attends Trout in the Classroom release:

http://martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=9381&back=archives

5/22/08 - Former Governor Mark Warner attends Trout in the Classroom release:

http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=13947&back=archives

5/18/08 - Congressman Virgil Goode attends Trout in the Classroom release:

http://martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=13876&back=archives

For information or comments contact:
Brian Williams, Education Outreach and Conservation Coordinator
Dan River Basin Association
276-634-2592