Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 24, 1993                   TAG: 9306240160
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LAKE REOPENING WILL WAIT A YEAR BEDFORD PARK MIRED IN LEGAL PROBLEMS

But it may be another summer before the historic lake and recreation park reopens to the public.

The lake park, located off Virginia 639 in the Coltons Mill section of Bedford County, was for decades a welcome recreation spot for people trying to beat the summer heat - long before Smith Mountain Lake came along.

The 500-acre park once was owned by Bedford County, but was sold to private owners in 1963. It remained open until 1988.

Lou and Cathy Goodwin bought the property in 1989 and reopened the park for the 1991 summer season.

Hopes were high. The Goodwins offered paddleboat rides, concession food and live music and dancing on weekends. A month after opening, they added weekday hours because attendance was so good.

Then they ran into legal problems.

The Goodwins were sued last year by the lake's former owners, James and Katherine Burks, angry at the way the Goodwins were developing the lake park. They asked for a court injunction to prevent the Goodwins from cutting timber and removing sand from the property.

The Burks still had a financial stake in the land as part of a deed of trust, and they claimed that the Goodwins were lowering the land's value.

But the Goodwins contended they were removing trees and sand only to upgrade the recreation site, and had spent more than $50,000 in improvements.

The court sided with the Goodwins.

Soon after, a second dispute arose, between the Goodwins and Frank Bramlett, a partner in the lake operation, over how Bramlett was supposed to invest his $200,000 in the park.

Bedford Circuit Judge William Sweeney ordered the park closed last summer until their legal differences could be resolved.

Finally, after the two sides couldn't reach agreement, a receiver was appointed this month to oversee the recreation site.

The receiver, Roanoke businessman Jim Evans, was given the authority to reopen the park, continue timbering and sand removal, or pursue other means to make the property economically viable.

After evaluating the park, Evans said Wednesday that it looked doubtful the lake would open this season. Next year "is maybe a more realistic thing," he said.

Evans cited some needed cleanup and a lack of start-up money as the primary reasons for delaying the opening.