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

DATE: SUNDAY, May 8, 1994                   TAG: 9405100005
SECTION: DISCOVER NRV                    PAGE: 24   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Long

RECREATION

Some localities also offer summer camp programs for youngsters.

Looking ahead: Improvements continue at Floyd County's new park off Virginia 8, while Radford hopes to have its new softball field along the New River ready for next season.

Here's a sampling of what's out there.

BLACKSBURG

Those who love the great outdoors should check out one of the outdoor adventures offered by Blacksburg Parks and Recreation. These include everything from bird watching trips and stargazing to hikes, canoeing and rock climbing. Dean Crane at 961-1133 can tell you more.

Blacksburg Parks and Recreation also has a full schedule of sports activities, including softball, volleyball, basketball and youth football, plus golf and tennis lessons.

The Nature Center at the community center is open weekdays from 8 a.m until 5 p.m.

To find out more, call 961-1135.

Concerts are offered on the lawn of Henderson Hall on the Virginia Tech campus Friday evenings at 6 starting May 27. Admission is free.

Throughout the summer, a variety of day camps for youngsters of all ages is available. These include sports camps of all kinds, plus high adventure, computer, golf, hands-on nature, and gymnastics camps. Camps start June 20 and run through Aug. 19.

The town also has Tot Lots for preschoolers and summer playgrounds for kindergarten through grade 5. Summer playgrounds meet at Gilbert Linkous, Harding Avenue and Margaret Beeks elementary schools. For details, call 961-1135.

You'll also find a choice of aerobics classes, both high-intensity and low-impact; tennis lessons for beginners through advanced beginners at the Municipal Park courts; and golf at the nine-hole Municipal Golf Course at the end of Graves Avenue.

Blacksburg recreation also sponsors fall church league softball programs and sandlot football.

The Aquatic Center, on Patrick Henry Drive next door to the town's Recreation Center and Municipal Park, provides year-round swimming to complement the town's outdoor pool, which is next to the Municipal Golf Course.

The center is open every day and offers everything from swimming lessons to water aerobics and even a program for people who are afraid of the water. Call 961-1852 for details and fee information.

There's competitive swimming with the Blacksburg Sunfish, too. Sign up during May at the center. Call 552-6276 or 953-2987 for details.

The outdoor pool on Graves Avenue is open Tuesday through Sunday, noon-5 p.m., during the summer season. There is a fee schedule. Call 961-1103.

Blacksburg Parks and Recreation also provides a series of parks, hiking and bicycle trails.

The Municipal Park has eight tennis courts, horseshoe pits, picnic shelters, playing fields and a fitness court. The "Hand-in-Hand" castle and playground were built by members of the community. There are restroom facilities.

Caboose Park has been a favorite with kids of all ages. It features an old railroad caboose and lots of playground equipment. Caboose Park adjoins the Municipal Park next to the Recreation Center. Both parks are accessible from Turner Street.

Other parks include Nellies Cave Park on Grissom Lane near Nellies Cave Road. It offers a shelter, playground, athletic fields and horseshoe pits. The Nellies Cave Park Arboretum gives visitors a chance to walk among the trees found in Virginia. Guided tours are available.

Toms Creek Park has a playground, lighted softball field and picnic shelter. Both Nellies Cave and Toms Creek parks have restrooms.

Among the town's neighborhood parks are "tot" parks for toddlers on DeHart Street, McBryde Drive, Owen Street, Sunrise Drive and Crestview/Country Club drives.

Other neighborhood parks are at Westover Hills, Progress Street, Primrose Drive, Seneca Drive and Shenandoah Circle. These feature benches and playground equipment. Seneca Drive also has playing fields. The Price House and Garden Park, at Lee and Wharton streets, features a historic house and gardens.

Blacksburg has fitness trails from the Virginia Tech Duck Pond to the Hethwood subdivision, and at the end of Country Club Drive. The Ellett Valley Nature Trail starts on Jennelle Road. It loops approximately one mile back to the start. There's also Deerfield Trail, a paved one-mile trail along Tom's Creek. Guided tours can be arranged.

To learn more, call 961-1135.

CHRISTIANSBURG

"Building a Place to Play" is the motto of Christiansburg's Department of Parks and Recreation. Not only are there plenty of places, there are plenty of programs for toddlers through seniors.

The town has six parks, all perfect for family outings and equipped for picnics:

Recreation Center Park on College Street also has playground equipment, horseshoe pits and basketball courts.

Town and Country Park on Summit Ridge Road has playground equipment and benches for just watching the world go by.

Circle Park on Ellett Drive has playground equipment, horseshoe pits and a basketball court.

Kiwanis Park on Roanoke Street has two multipurpose athletic fields and horseshoe pits. The park and the Kiwanis Community Picnic Shelter are Kiwanis Club projects.

Depot Park on Depot Street has playground equipment, basketball courts and a jogging or walking path.

Wayside Park at the top of Christiansburg Mountain off U.S. 460 is a pleasant place for a picnic.

Some rec programs also make use of public school facilities.

Most indoor recreation activities happen at the Recreation Center on College Street and the National Guard Armory on College and Depot streets. An exercise room is available at the rec center during the week from 1 until 4 :30 p.m. You can also rent equipment.

Ongoing athletic programs include youth baseball and softball, tennis, track and field, and even bowling.

During the summer, Christiansburg offers camps in most major sports, including baseball, basketball, football, golf and wrestling.

Community recreation programs include programs for preschoolers and moms, crafts and aerobics for kids. There are youth classes in art, gymnastics, martial arts, cheerleading, dancing and cooking, among other things.

Adult offerings include such things as country line dancing to classes in how to manage your money.

Boat owners can learn boating safety, while dog owners can take dog obedience.

Seniors will find social activities, health programs, aerobics, arts and crafts classes, dancing, bowling and Bible study, among other things. The Legacy Quilt Show is September 17 and the Senior Craft Fair is October 21-22.

Seniors also can take advantage of trips to various locations throughout Virginia. Call the Senior Center at 382-8173 for details on programs for seniors.

For additional information on Christiansburg recreation programs, call 382-2349.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

The Montgomery County Swimming Pool and Recreation Park are just off U.S. 460 between Blacksburg and Christiansburg on County Road. To get there, turn onto County Drive from U.S. 460 right across from the Corning plant.

The park and the adjacent office open every day at 8:30 a.m. The office closes at 5:30 p.m., but the park stays open until dark.

A junior Olympic-sized pool offers recreational swimming, swim lessons, water aerobics, and other aquatic activities. The pool also is available for rental. You can get a season pass, and the pool is accessible to people with disabilities.

Play camp for youngsters 6-12 years old runs from mid-June through late August. It offers nature activities, sports, arts and crafts, games and, of course, swimming. Advance registration is required, and there's a maximum of 100 children.

Recreation activities include outdoor adventure activities, trips and special events. There also are organized sports and activities geared to youth.

To stay fit, the Recreation Department holds aerobics and exercise classes. You can also learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid in the fall.

The recreation park has playgrounds, plus three open-air picnic pavilions with cooking grills. The shelters seat 100 people and may be reserved for groups.

The park also offers nature trails and a fitness trail for hikers. There's an amphitheater, too.

The department sponsors youth leagues in most major sports.

In addition, there are basketball courts, softball fields and equipment for rent, including canoes and trailers, camping gear, volleyball equipment and caving and rock-climbing equipment.

The Recreation Department also offers various programs and trips for seniors. Call Kemvia Adams at 382-6979 to find out more.

For more information on park and recreation programs, call 382-6975.

PULASKI, PULASKI COUNTY

Gatewood Park, eight miles west of Pulaski at Gatewood Reservoir, is a great getaway spot. Follow the signs from town. It's worth the drive, and because of the ice storms, many of the trees have been trimmed back on the entrance road. The park is open through the end of October.

There's no swimming, but Gatewood offers a perfect, quiet spot for a picnic or hiking the nature trail. There's also camping, fishing, bath houses and rowboat and trolling-motor rentals. You can rent a canoe or a paddle boat. There are even three camping sites accessible only by boat.

The park also has an amphitheater for live musical performances during the summer. Call 980-2561 for information.

For more active endeavors, Loving Field Complex on Old Airport Road sports eight softball/youth baseball fields, a youth soccer field and two practice fields. Two of the fields are lighted. Call 980-1000, extension 47 or 49, for details.

Calfee Park, once the home of the minor-league Pulaski Braves, remains the home of Pulaski County High School's baseball and sandlot football teams and the Dixie Youth baseball teams. Pulaski will be the host for the Dixie PreMajors Southwestern District Baseball Tournament July 9-13. Calfee Park is at Pierce Avenue and Fifth Street.

The town offers several neighborhood recreation facilities, including McGill Village, which has equipped playgrounds, two tennis courts and a practice field. Sixth Street Park, at Sixth and Washington Avenue Northwest also has playground equipment and tennis courts.

Dora Highway Park and Valley Road Park each have playground equipment and picnic areas, and Cool Springs Park has practice fields. Pulaski will sponsor organized summer playgrounds for youngsters at Sixth Street Park, McGill Village and the T.G. Howard Recreation Center on Altoona Street.

The Pulaski National Guard Armory offers basketball for men, boys and girls. Pulaski Middle School gym has men's and youth basketball for boys and girls. To find out more about Recreation Department offerings, call 980-1000, extension 49.

For adults, the town is sponsoring an outdoor volleyball league at Jackson Park on First Street across from the Municipal Building. Matches will be held weekday evenings at the west end of the park.

The town will offer a youth tennis program during the day, with several levels of instruction, at both Sixth Street and McGill parks and at Pulaski County High School. The high school also is the home of the Hershey's Youth Track and Field program. Pulaski will host the Southwestern District Hershey's Youth Track and Field meet June 11 at the high school.

Other adult recreation activities include basketball, softball and aerobics. Special events include trips. Call 980-1000, extension 47.

The Senior Citizens Center, 106 N. Washington Ave., provides a place for seniors to gather and participate in recreational activities. The center also sponsors trips to surrounding areas for sightseeing, shopping and entertainment. Call 980-1000, extension 60, for more information on programs for seniors.

Pulaski, Pulaski County and Dublin also sponsor countywide recreation leagues. Youth sports include soccer, baseball, basketball, softball, football, wrestling and cheerleading. Towns and communities throughout the county also offer individual programs through volunteer recreation departments in Dublin, Draper, Riverlawn, Hiwassee-Snowville and Belspring-Parrott.

The countywide program will sponsor a spring soccer league for boys and girls aged 5-13. It also offers Dixie League baseball, softball, and T-ball for boys and girls aged 5-18 in various categories. A soccer camp is planned for early August.

Events take place at various school and community facilities. To find out more, call John Myers, 674-0107.

The Hensel-Eckman YMCA, Oakhurst Avenue, Pulaski, offers a variety of recreation programs for young and old. The YMCA has a swimming pool, racquetball courts, gymnasium and workout rooms. Call 980-3671.

Floyd County

The Floyd-Floyd County Public Recreation Authority has opened a new park on Virginia 8 one-half mile west of town. Floyd's recreation programs also use school facilities throughout the county. The new park now has bathroom facilities and will be wired for electricity by this summer. Also, look for the entrance road to be paved by then.

The new 40-acre park features two softball fields and picnic shelters. Playground equipment is pending as funds become available, but hiking and walking trails are open. The park is open until nightfall.

The Recreation Authority sponsors programs in volleyball, softball, basketball and aerobics for adults, and basketball, football, and baseball, softball and T-ball for youngsters. Also, there's country line dancing for all ages.

The authority also sponsors occasional activities for senior citizens as well as hunter-related events at various times of the year. The authority also sponsors a hunter safety course.

Floyd County High School sports a baseball field, tennis courts and a football field with a running track. Floyd Elementary offers tennis courts, playground equipment, a basketball court and the only lighted softball field in the county.

The schools in Willis and Indian Valley have tennis courts; football, softball and baseball fields; and some playground equipment. Check Elementary School has football-baseball fields, tennis courts and playground equipment.

For more information, call 745-9363.

Giles County

Castle Rock Recreation Center, just outside Pembroke, is the county's primary recreation facility. It not only offers an 18-hole golf course but a Junior Olympic size swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, picnic areas and nature trails. Playground equipment is available for youngsters, and there's a volleyball net. Call 626-7276 for details.

Each community offers its own parks and recreation programs. Pearisburg Park features a swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, softball fields, basketball courts and a picnic area.

Pearisburg also sponsors several programs in the school gymnasium, including basketball and volleyball, plus softball leagues. Call 921-3527 for more information.

Wolf Creek Park in Narrows is open during the summer for public swimming in the creek, tennis, basketball shooting, volleyball or horseshoes. The park also has a playground and a concession stand.

The park will offer a summer art series this year.

Narrows also has sand volleyball, youth baseball and high school summer basketball leagues. Call 726-2423.

The town park in Pembroke, next to the American Legion picnic area, has playground equipment and playing fields. The town also sponsors baseball and softball leagues. Call 626-7191.

Woodland Park in Rich Creek has tennis courts and a picnic shelter. The local Lion's Club sponsors recreational sports leagues, too. Call 726-3260.

Glen Lyn's town park has ball fields and camping facilities. The town operates softball leagues. Call 726-7075 to learn more.

Radford

Bisset Park on First Street - with its 50-meter swimming pool - is the focal point of many warm-weather activities. Admission to the pool, open to all from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, is $1.25 for adults and $1 for children during the day; evening rates are 75 cents for adults and 50 cents for youngsters.

This year, the Red Cross "Swim and Stay Fit" program is offered to encourage people to swim regularly. This is not a class, and swimmers may participate at any time during program hours. You'll also find swimming lessons, team competition and water aerobics.

The pool will be the site of the United States Swimmers B/C Championships July 22-24.

You can reserve the pool for private parties Friday nights from 6:30 until 11. The reservation fee is $20, plus the cost of lifeguards.

The park also has a paved jogging track, lighted tennis courts, picnic shelters, a fitness court, lighted soccer/football fields and three playgrounds. The tennis courts have been newly resurfaced. And there's an old-fashioned gazebo where musical groups perform every Tuesday evening at 7 during July and August. Picnic shelters may be reserved for half days or full days. The rates are $10 and $20 for residents and $20 and $40 for non-residents.

Riverview Park on River Street has picnic facilities, playground equipment, a basketball court and playing fields.

Sunset Park at Eighth and Preston streets offers a basketball half-court, playground equipment, and playing fields.

Haven Heights in the city's East End has playground equipment and a basketball goal.

James Oakley Fields Park on 17th Street has lighted softball fields, basketball courts and a picnic shelter.

If you like to hike, Wildwood Park off First Street has five miles of nature trails. Improvement work is still going on, and crews have had to clear debris from the ice storms this year.

Sisson Park on Preston and Pendleton streets incorporates Joe Hodge Little League Field. The Joe Hodge Invitational Baseball Tournament is set for Aug. 4-7 this year. The park also has a basketball/volleyball court, open fields and playground equipment.

Construction soon will be under way another park on the New River, just downstream from Bisset Park. It's scheduled to be ready for use by next summer.

This year, the Recreation Department will offer tennis lessons for ages 4 through adult. Baseball and T-ball leagues also are open to city residents 5 through 16.

To shape up, aerobics classes for all ages and abilities are available at various times through the week at the Radford Recreation Department building on First Street.

Half-day summer camp sessions will be offered for ages 4-10, featuring arts and crafts, special events and games, recreational play. All supplies and snacks are provided.

Crafts for young and old also are available throughout the summer.

Many programs have fees. Call the Recreation Department for details at 731-3633, or visit the rec center at 29 First St., right across from the Public Library.