ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 4, 1996 TAG: 9612040060
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
ARTHUR WOHLFORD designed and built the school's trail for his Eagle Scout service project.
When the children at Grandin Court Elementary go outside for recess now, they don't have to search for something to do.
They can crawl through a tunnel, run through tires, swing across bars and run sprints.
If that's not enough, they can do push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups on a newly completed fitness trail at the Roanoke school.
The children say the trail has made exercise fun.
"I like running around it," said fifth-grader Randy Graybill. "We come out here every day."
Alex Via said the children enjoy it.
"It's fun," said Alex, a fifth-grader. "You can do a lot of things."
The trail is helping to improve the physical fitness of the 240 children in the school - and turning some into athletes.
Pupils earning the most points in various activities and exercises each day are presented with an athlete-of-the-nine-weeks award.
Principal Phyllis Cundiff and the school's teachers like the trail for another reason, too.
"Now we don't have as many discipline problems at recess," Cundiff said. "They can compete against each other, and classes can compete against other classes."
The trail has created more excitement than any event at the school in recent years, she said.
"The children kept asking about it this fall - about when it would be finished and when they could use it," Cundiff said.
On Tuesday, the children thanked Arthur Wohlford for the gift.
Wohlford, a senior at Cave Spring High School, is almost single-handedly responsible for the trail.
He designed it, solicited donations of material from businesses, and then directed and participated in the construction.
Wohlford, 18, seemed a little uncomfortable at a ceremony to dedicate the trail and unveil a sign that will honor him. His father, Mike, and his mother, Trudy, a Grandin Court teacher, were there along with other relatives.
Arthur planned and completed the course as his community service project as an Eagle Scout candidate. He belongs to a troop at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He was quick to credit others for helping with the project: friends, family and Scouts. Several businesses donated materials.
Wohlford said he "kind of winged it" in designing the fitness trail. He incorporated several pieces of equipment that were already in the playground, such as monkey bars, into the trail, which has 10 stations.
Wohlford has an interest in physical fitness. He lifts weights and has played baseball and football for Cave Spring in the past, but he didn't play this past season because of a schedule conflict.
"He's a hard worker who has been involved in a variety of projects," said Sonny Morris, his Scoutmaster.
Wohlford estimates that the trail cost about $1,000, which includes the value of the donated materials. It was built during three weekends in October.
Wohlford said Jeff Hollandsworth, a fifth-grade teacher at Grandin Court, was an adviser on the project. "He told me what type of exercises the kids needed."
The Cave Spring senior said his experience with the fitness trail has made him think about becoming a builder when he gets out of school.
"I don't want to be in an office. I want a hands-on type of job," he said. "I've thought of the military or maybe getting into building."
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: NHAT MEYER Staff. Arthur Wohlford (right), a senior atby CNBCave Springs High School, watches and accepts thanks from students
at Grandin Court Elementary School as they make their initial lap
around the course Tuesday. color.