All obstacles in the path of the McGalliard Creek bridge project have been cleared and construction is the next step. From the 2013 Valdese Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Development Plan, the top recreational item requested by survey respondents and public input meeting attendees was a trail from McGalliard Falls Park to the Valdese Wastewater Treatment Plant. Friends of the Valdese Rec has been raising money for the bridge since early 2019 to create a 2-mile Valdese Greenway from McGalliard Falls Park to Valdese Lakeside Park (which is beside the treatment plant). Continue reading “McGalliard Creek Bridge Moving Forward”

For 2021, the volunteer FVR Trail Blazers added 1.5 miles of new trail at Valdese Lakeside Park. With 4 weeks of excavator rental and 746 hours of volunteer labor.

Farris Group of Gaston County and FVR VLP Fund each paid for two $850 rentals sessions.

Thanks to our regular volunteers: Johnny Poteat, Sam Fitzwater, Debbie Montanez, Debbie Thompson, Bogdan Ewendt, Jackie Ewendt, Paul Mears, Tom Troy, Helen Tueffel, Reed Farrar, Spence Borden, Chris Blake, Mark Rostan, Eric, Beth and Zakk Heile Continue reading “1.5-Miles by Volunteers”

For the first time, the New Year’s Day Resolution Runs were held completely at Valdese Lakeside Park. In past years the race started at Draughn High School to have parking and restrooms.

Read more about the 5K and 10K Trail Runs. Here are the courses:

 

Valdese Lakeside Park was the beneficiary of Bimbo Bakeries’ Good Neighbor Program for 2021. Not only did Bimbo Bakeries fund new landscaping at the park, twenty-eight employees spent the day installing the plants around the new parking lot and soon to be dog park. Continue reading “Bimbo Good Neighbor Program”

Lane Lines for the Valdese Pool have been ordered!!

FVR President Beth Heile presented a check to incoming Parks and Recreation Director David Andersen for the project.

FVR awarded the Town of Valdese $1800 for the project if the community would match the amount.

The FVR Volunteer Trail Blazers are on a roll. Trail expert Tim Johnson noted that the current logging road turn trail (called the Red Outer Loop) was not at all sustainable and the trail should be rerouted into the woods. After Tim flagged the new 0.95 mile section, volunteers got to work clearing the corridor.

Once again, Farris Group donated funds for renting an excavator. Eric and Johnny spent the week getting the trail ready for volunteers to do the finishing work. This is a long, rocky section and work continues with the goal of completing the trail by the January 1 New Year’s Resolution Runs.

 

On a blustery, sunny afternoon, over 100 attendees gathered on the shore of Lake Rhodhiss to cut the ribbon and dedicate Phase 1 of Valdese Lakeside Park. NC House Speaker Tim Moore was the honored guest representing state funds that receive allocations from the General Assembly. The NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund (NCLWF) and the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) supplied grant monies to the project, along with funding from the speaker’s office. During the event, Speaker Moore said, “I am pleased we have a signed budget this year that provides generously for PARTF and NCLWF. It gives me great satisfaction to see small towns like Valdese benefiting from these state grant opportunities.” Continue reading “Ribbon Cutting at Valdese Lakeside Park”

The Community Foundation of Burke County has established the Friends of the Valdese Rec Fund to support programs and projects of the Valdese Parks and Recreation Department benefitting Valdese and surrounding areas.

Continue reading “Community Foundation Creates Fund”