Three-quarters of the way there!

Thanks to generous donors, we have now reached 75% of our fundraising goals for the Fieldale Iron Bridge Preservation Project!  More fundraising still needs to be done, as we will need $3,000 more to complete the project. It's not too late to purchase a plaque for yourself or a loved one to be placed on the bridge. Plaques start at just $100 and also include a memorial space on DRBA's website.

To purchase a plaque or for more information, contact DRBA at 276-634-2545 or jdoss@danriver.org. Here is a sample of some of the plaques and memorial spaces that have been purchased so far.

Donated by

The Family of Ashby Pritchett
Martinsville, Virginia

In Memory of

Grace, Fred & Carlos Flick
by Carl Flick

In Memory of
Cornel John & Clara Pruitt Kasey

by Kitty, Rita, and Naomi

In Memory of Chipper, our beagle
who loved to fish at the bridge.
by David & Debbie Sharp

In Memory of

John W. & Gladys Martin, 1919

by Bea Bullard & family

John & Gladys Martin moved to Fieldale in 1919 where John was one of the first employees to work in the weave room of Fieldcrest Cannon mills. They were the parents of Beatrice Bullard. Shown in the photo is her older brother Robert Randolph as an infant.

A Beary Interesting Sight

Several residents of Henry County got a rare chance to see some of mother nature's amazing creature's today. A mother bear and three cubs made an appearance as they crossed highway 57 at the 220 bypass in Fieldale this morning.

According to the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries, "black bears are becoming an increasingly common sight in Virginia — bears now live in almost every county! We are fortunate to have a healthy and sustainable population of these animals in the Commonwealth. But even as our black bear population grows and expands, at the same time, residential areas are encroaching into the forested lands and habitats used by bears and other wildlife, thus increasing the chances for bear/human interaction or conflicts."

To learn more about black bears in Virginia, watch this informative video:
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/video/living-with-black-bears/

Volunteers Adopt Area Trails

Members of the Smith River Trail System's Adopt-a-Trail Program met this past week for a pizza dinner and to learn more about how they can help the area trails.  About 6 miles of the Smith River Trail System has been adopted so far and more sections are available. At the meeting the new teams and ones with more experience were able to trade stories and learn from one another.

Teams Represented included:

"Friends of the Fieldale Trail"- 2.5 miles of Fieldale Trail
The Gardner Family- 1 mile of Rhododendron Trail
Girl Scout Troop 691- 0.5 mile of Doe Run Wildlife Trail
Martinsville Uptown Revitalization Association/Boys & Girls Club- 0.6 mile of Uptown Spur Trail
The Tatum & Foley Families- 1 mile of Jones Cliff Trail
The Pitzer Family 0.5 mile of River View and Burgess Loop Trails

If you are interested in becoming an Adopt-a-Trail volunteer there are many ways you can help. You can adopt a section of trail with your business, club, church, or family or you can join up with one of the existing teams. For more information on the program, contact DRBA at 276-634-2545.

Front (l-r) Jenniffer Jamison, Katie Jamison, Campbell Pitzer

Sitting (l-r) Pat Dameron, Paula Wyatt, Nancy Kennett with Hunter Doss, Lee Probst with Henry Probst
Back (l-r): Charles Dameron, Benny Setliff, Tracy Kennett, Martin Gardner, Louis Pitzer, Neil Tatum

Not pictured: Brian Williams, Jennifer Doss, Hayden Probst

Come Walk with Us!

The Dan River Basin Association, Henry County Parks & Recreation, and Activate M-HC would like to invite you to join us on a Tuesday Morning Stroll! We will meet at the Fieldale Trail on South River Road in Fieldale, Tuesaday at 9 a.m. to take a leisurely paced three mile walk down Phase II of the trail that will last approximately one hour. Door prizes will be given away to lucky participants!

In September we took a walk down Phase I of the trail as we learned about National Public Lands Day and ways that the public can help protect the public parks, trails and waterways that we all love so much! Many thank to all the walkers that came out  According to Linda Drage who participated in the walk, "the stroll was very nice; I enjoyed meeting new people and learning interesting facts along the way". Since she has been suffering with minor back problems, the walk was a perfect way to unwind and get some excersize. Linda also "appreciated that the group took their time so that slower walkers could keep up." Come join the fun, take a guided walk and get active! To register for the walk, call 634-2545.

Think it's too cold to paddle? No way!

I absolutely love paddling in the fall when the air is crisp and bright yellow, red and brown leaves dot the trees.  Taking a leisurely paddle to enjoy the scenery is a perfect way to unwind and experience nature. For beginner paddlers though, this extra chill can be daunting. To help novice paddlers get into the sport so they will be ready to go in spring, Smith River Adventure Outfitters is now offering beginner kayak classes indoors at the Martinsville YMCA!

Classes are offered the third Friday of each month (October 16, November 20, December 18) from 6-8PM.

Drop your boat in the heated pool to learn entry and exit skills, paddle strokes, river running techniques and introduction to the kayak (eskimo) roll. Classes are $35 each and boat rentals are available for $10 extra.

Contact Smith River Adventure Outfitters - 252-0701 or the YMCA - 632-6427 to register or for more information.

BEGINNERS BIKE RIDE - UPTOWN SPUR TRAIL

When: Monday October 5, 2009

Where: Uptown Spur Trail

What: Beginners Bike Ride

Time: Begins at 5:30 PM

Join members of the Henry County Bike Club each Monday as they host the Beginners' Bike Ride on the Uptown Spur Trail off Depot Street. The ride begins at 5:30 PM. Cyclists should meet at the Gazebo.

Enjoy the fresh air and take in the beautiful sites of the magnificent gardens and artwork along the trail. Meet new friends and have fun while you learn bike riding techniques and get your activity in for the day! For more information please visit: http://www.henrycountybikerclub.org/

Activate joins forces the first Monday of each month to provide bikes and helmets for those that want to participate in the activity but may not have the equipment needed.

Participants are asked to contact Barbara Thompson, Activate Bike Instructor at 276-638-2592 by the Friday before the event to request a bike or helmet.

Outdoor Fun Festival

Martinsville - Henry County Community Nature Initiative
Virginia Museum of Natural History

Presents Outdoor Fun Festival

When: Saturday, October 10
Time: 10am to 5pm
Where: J. Frank Wilson Park

Join CNI for this free outdoor experience with organizations from the area featuring fun activities, programs, a rock climbing wall, moon bounces, and horseback riding!

Prizes to be given away every hour on the hour this day!

FREE festival admission sponsored by The Harvest Foundation of the Piedmont.

276-634-4141

Visit http://www.vmnh.net/ for more information.

Visitors to the Outdoor Family Fun Festival receive $1.00 off admission to VMNH on October 10.