Farewell 2009

Take a walk through memory lane with us as we look back at some of the Rivers & Trails Journal's top stories of 2009. Click on each title to see the entire story.

January: Bicycling: For Fun, Fuel Efficiency and Family

Article by: Jennifer Doss

February: Did you get outside today?

Article by: Brian Williams

March: Historic cemetery restored, dedicated

Article by: Kim Barto

April: Martinsville Showcased as Active Living Community

Article by: Jeannie Frisco

May: If you build it they will come!

Article by: Jennifer Doss

June: City Announces New Clearview Bike Lane

Article by: Jeannie Frisco

July: Busy Weekend in the Dan River Basin

Article by: Jennifer Doss

August: Trail System to Get Funds

Article by: Debbie Hall

September: Epiphany on the Smith River

Article by: Martha Smith

October: Work Has Begun!

Article by: Jennifer Doss

November: TU Names Brian Williams Conservation Educator of the Year for Virginia

Article by: Jennifer Doss & Dr. David Jones

December: New River Access Opens

Article by: Jennifer Doss & Brian Williams

As we bring 2009 to a close this evening, the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) and their Martinsville Henry County Rivers & Trails Group would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the members, volunteers, donors, paddlers, walkers, cyclists and friends who have contributed to our projects throughout the past year.  It has been an amazing year and so many activites were made possible thanks to your support. 

The stories featured here in the Rivers & Trails Journal are typically specific to Martinsville and Henry County, VA but there's so much more. In 2009, DRBA:

--Successfully worked to acquire land for a new state park on the Mayo River in North Carolina

--Opened a Stokes County, NC office; improved access to the Dan River

--Planted trees and monitored streams to protect water quality and wildlife habitat

--Operated the largest Trout in the Classroom Program in Virginia

--Co-sponsored the first Patrick County, VA Farm Tour to promote locally and sustainably grown products

--Launched Caswell, NC Heritage Trails; built first trail for seniors; opened new trails and access points for fishing and boating along the Smith River in VA.

--Preserved a section of the historic Fieldale, VA iron bridge for the Fieldale Community

--Initiated an online registery of African American cemeteries

--Promoted nature-based tourism with new "insiders' Guides" to the Dan and Smith rivers

Thank you for a great year; we look forward to seeing you out on the rivers and trails in 2010!

Happy New Year From Team DRBA

DRBA to Hike Richmond & Danville Rail-Trail

Returning to a popular hike in Pittsylvania County, at 10:00 on January 2, 2010, DRBA will hike four miles on the Richmond & Danville Rail-Trail, beginning at Hackberry Road near Sutherlin, VA. Starting near wetlands where wildlife, especially water birds, may be visible, the hike on the smooth, five-foot-wide, crushed-stone surface passes farms, homesteads, fields, and forests. Three miles into the trip, hikers will stop for lunch at the five-arch stone trestle over Sandy Creek, a stunning, well-preserved structure. The hike will end at the Shawnee Road parking area one mile beyond the trestle.

Chartered in 1835, the Richmond & Danville Railroad ran its first train in 1856. During the Civil War it was the busiest link between Southside Virginia and the Confederate capital at Richmond. Jefferson Davis and the entire Confederate cabinet retreated from Richmond to Danville along this line in 1865, probably carrying the Confederate treasury with them before it mysteriously disappeared.

Preserved by the Dan River Trail Association for hikers, bikers, and equestrians, the R&D rail-trail is projected to be part of the Beaches to Bluegrass trail system that will cross southern Virginia.

Hikers should meet at 10:00 a.m. at the eastern terminus of the trail, located on Hackberry Road (GPS coordinates: North 36°37'28.37" West 79°11'58.44"). Trip coordinator Paul Johnson advises, "Wear stout shoes, dress in layers and bring lunch, water, a camera and a good hiking stick." All participants will be asked to sign a waiver form.

Directions:

From South Boston, travel west on U.S. 58 about 3 miles past the intersection of Highway 119 to Hackberry Road. Turn right. Travel 3.2 miles to the trailhead on the left, just past a large body of open water.

From Danville, travel east on U.S. 58. About 3.9 miles past the traffic signal at the intersection of state Highway 62 turn left on Hackberry Road. Travel 3.2 miles to the trailhead on the left, just past a large body of open water.

Further information: Paul Johnson, 434-579-7599 or kpauljohnson@yahoo.com

Nearing the Finish Line...

More than six months in the making, the Historic Fieldale Iron Bridge Preservation Project is almost complete! As of today the most labor intensive process of the project, lead abatement, has been completed. We are now watching the weather and waiting to mount the trusses at their new location along the Fieldale Trail.

A lot of activity has gone on during the past several months. After seeking quotes from service providers in June our committee determined that the project would cost approximately $12,000. Thanks to support from history buffs and Fieldale fans like you, more than $12,600 was raised through the sale of memorial plaques! Many businesses and community partners have contributed to the project by donating services or providing them at reduced costs. These donations have exceeded the project cash outlay by more than 120%!

During Thanksgiving Week, staff from Boxley Materials of Fieldale poured and formed concrete footers to mount the trusses to. The footers were designed by Rayford Smith, a structural engineer from Martinsville. The quick work of Boxley's qualified staff allowed them to complete this portion of the project prior to Huricaine Ida coming into town. During the storm, the waters rose in the Smith River and Jordan Creek began coming out of its banks but the bridge site remained dry!

Since then, staff from Dishman Environmental of Danville have been busily working on removing 71-years worth of paint from the structure. This firm was chosen for the job because of their enviromentally friendly removal methods that produce no dust. As each section of truss was cleaned, crews from Reliable Welding of Bassett moved in to weld and modify the trusses.  The entire time that this work has been going on, Northpoint Trading, an import/export firm located at the former Fieldcrest Mill, has been our gracious host allowing the trusses to be stored on their property. 

 

In early December, I finally got the call that I had been waiting on...the crews were ready to flip the trusses! Hall's Mechanical Services of Fieldale brought in a crane and rigged up each truss to it so that they could be turned over, allowing the workers to clean/modify the opposite side. In addition to the welding, Reliable has also been preparing small keepsake pieces of the bridge for donors who purchased plaques at the $250 level. (If you purchased one of these plaques, your keepsake will arrive via mail in 1-2 weeks.)

Now that the end of December is upon us, the cleaning and welding is complete. Yay! Now what? We wait...and wonder...will it snow again this weekend?  This uncertainty in the weather (and 12" of snow)caused us to miss our first deadline of having the trusses installed by Christmas.

I am by no means an expert in construction and have learned so much during this process, thanks to the friendly contractors who have taken the time to educate me as they worked. One lesson that I have learned is that cranes are incredibly heavy and soil conditions have to be just right before setting them up to work. Corky Hall, owner of Hall's Mechanical, is presently checking the site each day to evaluate the conditions. We either need a day where the sun has dried up the soil well from all the rain/snow/ice or we need a day when the ground is frozen solid. Which ever day comes first- we'll be ready!

Watch for the action to happen soon as Hall's Mechanical loads the trusses onto a tractor trailer provided by Craddock Logging Supply and Repair of Ridgeway. Staff from the Virginia Department of Transportation will provide a safety escort for the oversize load and Reliable Welding will secure the trusses to their new foundation along the Fieldale Trail.  After that monumentous day, touch up painting of the truss will be performed by Stefan Moore, a painter from Myrtle Beach with Fieldale roots and a love for the Iron Bridge. (I've got to give a shout out to the staff at Martinsville's Sherwin Williams store who have been incredibly helpful in suggesting paint products that are both durable and environmentally friendly.)

Frith Construction will then roll out gravel along Phase III of the Fieldale Trail. Plaques, printed by Martinsville Engraving, will be mounted to the trusses and landscaping that serves as a rain garden will be added to the site by Prillaman Landscape Dimensions of Ridgeway. A comfortable bench and educational signage will top it all off.

Once these details are complete a dedication ceremoney will be held at the site to honor all who have participated in the project and to remember Bobby Craddock, a generous sponsor who passed away prior to the project being completed.

We're almost to the finish line! Soon visitors to Fieldale will be able to stop by the Fieldale Trail and Iron Bridge to learn about the rich heritage of this community while enjoying the recreational opportunites provided there.  Residents will be able to take their children and grandchildren to the site to share stories and tidbits of nostalgia. Much history has been centered around the old iron bridge- from the big dance in 1932 and the great flood of 1937 to the inventive decorations displayed by Halloween pumpkin thieves back in the day (we know who you are!) and the more recent Christmas lights provided by the Fieldale Heritage Committe. Thanks to the support of all the project sponsors, these amazing stories will continue to live on.

Special thanks to all the sponsors, Henry County, and the Iron Bridge Committee members. Your support, guidance, and advice throughout this project have been tremendous!
-Jennifer Doss, Rivers & Trails Project Manager
(soon to be Volunteer Iron Bridge Coordinator)

New Year's Resolutions

As the end of another decade draws near, I along with others all over the world are thinking about New Year resolutions for 2010.  Some common resolutions that I have heard in the past include:

-- increase activity level to lose weight or become more healthy
--save money
--reduce stress
--make new friends
--find a meaningful activity to contribute time to

--spend more time together as a family

--become more green and help the environment

--give back to the community

We make resolutions each year and often have a difficult time following through. The fact is that there is a cause right here in our own backyard that will enable a person to EASILY accomplish ALL those resolutions and more. (Psst...It's more fun than a gym membership too!)

The Adopt-a-Trail program was established by the Dan River Basin Association in May 2009 in partnership with Henry County Parks and Recreation, Martinsvillle Parks & Recreation and the City of Eden. Since the program's development, four teams have been established with more than fourty volunteers and similar programs are being created in the North Carolina Counties of Stokes and Caswell.  The first official AAT team in Henry County was "Friends of the Fieldale Trail". This group of friends and neighbors is led by team captain Paula Wyatt and maintains three miles of shared-use trail in Fieldale, Virginia. Members include: Charles & Pat Dameron, Nancy & Tracy Kennett, Glenda Scott, Benny & Pam Setliff, Ronny Tranthum, Tommy, Chris, Beth Wyatt and Joan Ragland.

“We fell in love with the Fieldale Trail the first time we walked the trail. The river is such an asset—it is so stress relieving to sit on the benches and listen to the water. We also like the flowers and trees on the trail. It’s a wonderful experience for families, whether walking, biking, jogging or bicycling.” – Pat Dameron

"Friends of the Gravely Nature Preserve" is led by Martin Gardner (shown above with his wife Ginger and sons Will & Jackson) and helps to maintain two and a half miles of hiking trails in Henry County's first interpretive park. Team members also include: Doug Foley, Neil Tatum, and Louis & Campbell Pitzer.

The trails at Doe Run Park are adopted by scouts from Girl Scout Troop 691 and their families. The group is led by team captain Jenniffer Jamison. Youth also help maintain the Uptown Spur Trail as it is adopted by the Boys & Girls Club of the Blue Ridge (shown at right) and members of the Martinsville Uptown Revitalization Association (MURA).

All of these volunteers make a commitment of visiting their adopted trail a minimum of eight times per year. They pick up trash, remove debris from the trail, interact with trail users and work on elective special projects chosen by the team captains. "Friends of the Gravely Nature Preserve" have spent the fall working on a half mile extension of the Rhododendron Trail to create more hiking opportunities and "Friends of the Fieldale Trail" have helped Henry County Parks & Recreation to acquire a dispenser for doggie bags so that walkers can clean up after their canine friends.

“I love to give back to the community and volunteering is one way to do that. The trail is a good way to meet people, get exercise and see nature.” –Paula Wyatt

The program is fun, easy and a good way to accomplish all of your new year's resolutions. As I make my departure from being a DRBA staff member in the new year. I am renewing my dues as a member of DRBA and signing up to join an Adopt-a-Trail team at the trail closest to my home. This is an incredibly worthwhile program and proves that many hands working together can accomplish great things!

I challenge you to give it a try and Adopt-a-Trail in 2010. You won't be disapointed! To learn more about the program, join us at an informative meeting on Thursday, January 7th, 6pm at the Henry County Administration Building (3300 Kings Mountain Road Collinsville).