ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, April 10, 1997               TAG: 9704100081
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                PAGE: N-7  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ANDREA GIBSON THE ROANOKE TIMES 

MAKING A PITCH - SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY SHOULD BENEFIT FROM SOFTBALL QUAD IMPROVEMENTS

SAM BIAS HAS A THEORY: If you build it, they will donate.

Bias, an active member of the North Roanoke Recreation Club, is spearheading an effort to make $50,000 worth of improvements to the softball quadraplex at Northside High School.

With help from a $10,000 matching grant from Roanoke County, work is starting this week at the fields, which are shared by teams from the county's Parks and Recreation Department and the high school.

``We want to get something into place so people can see the improvements for themselves,'' Bias said. ``If we can get things started, then we can build on a continuous basis and people can see where their money is going.''

The grant, part of the Capital Incentive Improvement Fund, is earmarked specifically to replace the dirt and grass interior of the complex with a concrete surface. Jeff Balon, a parks supervisor with Roanoke County, said the concrete will make the complex safer for patrons and easier for the parks staff to maintain - two factors the county takes into account when deciding which projects should be awarded grant money.

Balon said the county also tries to target projects involving parks with high usage.

``We felt like [the Northside] project would have a big impact on the community,'' Balon said. ``We also felt like the school population would benefit as well.''

The concrete project, which Bias estimated will cost about $24,000, should be completed by the middle of the month. Twenty-five percent of the funds are coming from donated labor and materials, which Bias said enabled the process to get started sooner.

Money for the concrete materials was raised through private donations and rec club funds, Bias said. He is now moving on to soliciting companies - specifically in the North Roanoke corridor - for donations to make additional improvements. As part of his pitch, Bias is showing potential contributors an artist's rendition of the complex after the project is completed.

The rec club's vision includes adding a press box/snack bar and a safety net for the seating area and interior of the complex. The club would also like to enhance the overall beauty of the quadraplex by mulching walkways and creating a welcome area just off the parking lot. The total bill could reach $45,000 to $50,000.

For information on donating to the project, call Sam Bias, 224-0697.

LENGTH: Medium:   57 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  JANEL RHODA/THE ROANOKE TIMES. 1. Leann Rahmond, a 
          member of the Orioles, a North Roanoke softball team for girls 6-8, 
          works on her swing during a Saturday morning practice. color. 2. Sam
          Bias is leading fund-raising efforts to improve the softball 
          quadraplex at Northside High School. Graphic: Artist's rendering of 
          the future improvements to the softball complex at Northside High 
          School.