ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 18, 1997 TAG: 9704180069
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY THE ROANOKE TIMES
Organizers hope the Saturday morning event will become annual, covering a different greenway site each time.
Coastal cities like Charleston, S.C., San Francisco and Annapolis, Md., have been doing it for years: closing down major bridges for a day so people can walk across wide waterways.
It's a fun way of taking in sweet air, peaceful scenery and sounds of nature that normally whiz past car windows too fast to be appreciated.
Roanoke gets into the act Saturday as part of its annual Earth Day celebration. The city has no bay or wide river to cross, of course, but it does have a mountain to climb.
Hundreds of people, perhaps even thousands, are expected to turn out for a mass walk up Mill Mountain. Organizers hope the event becomes an annual demonstration in support of greenway development in the Roanoke Valley.
Rain or shine, walkers and bicyclists will gather by 9:45 a.m. at Victory Stadium. About 10 a.m., they'll embark on a three-mile trek along city streets that cover a portion of a greenway the city is designing.
Much of the march will be uphill along Prospect Road, the winding, rock-walled old route up Mill Mountain that is closed to traffic. On the mountain at noon, the top elected officials from Roanoke, Roanoke County, Salem and Vinton will sign a regional compact establishing a valley Greenways Commission.
"I think greenways are important for the Roanoke Valley, and we're pleased that the first greenway is going to go from downtown Roanoke to the top of Mill Mountain," said Mayor David Bowers, who will represent Roanoke at the signing.
Liz Belcher, Roanoke Valley greenways coordinator, says the purpose of the event is four-fold. First, it'll give people a peek at part of the city's first greenways project, which will stretch from the City Market to Mill Mountain.
Second, organizers hope a big turnout will show valley politicians that there's widespread public desire for greenways. Third, it's a way for citizens to show those officials their appreciation for the valleywide Greenways Commission, which has been months in the making.
Finally, she says, it's just good clean family fun to get out there in the fresh air.
"We hope this will build into a big annual walk. You have to start out small," Belcher said. "Charleston [S.C.] has been doing this for 20 years. This year, on April 5, 27,000 people turned out down there. We would like to have a greenway walk every year. We're hoping that every year we can have one in a different place so people can see a different greenway."
Up on the mountain, greenways will be only one of the items on the agenda:
Mill Mountain Zoo is putting on its annual Zoobilation! festival, featuring music, puppet shows, storytelling and live cartoon characters. Admission is $4 for adults, $3.60 for seniors and $2.75 for children ages 2-12. Children under 2 are admitted free. Rides on the Zoo Choo are $1. Zoobilation! events will continue Sunday.
On Saturday, there will be free events at the mountain's picnic grounds. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a stage there will feature music acts and theater.
Environmental organizations will set up informational booths and give away pine seedlings.
Other activities include face-painting and building bird feeders.
Food and drinks will be available from concessionaires.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. ERIC BRADY THE ROANOKE TIMES. Much of Saturday'sby CNBmarch will be uphill along Prospect Road, the winding, rock-walled
old route up Mill Mountain. 2. KELLY HAHN JOHNSON THE ROANOKE TIMES.
The three-mile trek from downtown up Mill Mountain will cover part
of Roanoke's first greenways project. color. Graphic: Map by RT.