news from Roanoke & the New River Valley

ideapark.org news for June 15, 2007

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“Appalachian shamisen” music at the Jefferson Center on Tuesday

On Tuesday, June 19, the Jefferson Center in Roanoke will host a Japanese Bluegrass performance by Takeharu Kunimoto and the Last Frontier. Banjo, guitar, bass, and mandolin music will accompany Kunimoto as he tells stories and plays the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument from Japan.

This event begins at 7:30. To find out more, please call 345-2550 or visit jeffcenter.org.

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Plans afoot to build a New River Heritage Park in Radford

Plans for a 268-acre heritage park on the New River are in the beginning stages, according to a June 14 article in the New River Valley Current. A draft plan for the New River Heritage Park, presented during the 2007 New River Symposium at Radford University, states that the park would "feature the unique historical, archaeological, geological, biological and botanical heritage of the New River".

The site of the proposed park is a parcel of land located North of the Claytor Lake dam off exit 105 on Interstate 81. Representatives of the New River Heritage Park project have emphasized the fact that the park would be designed to preserve the land's natural resources and to connect with walking and biking paths that already exist in the area.

Things to see at the proposed New River Heritage Park would include a river museum, a welcome center, and villages which replicate early American Indian and Colonial life. A blacksmith shop, community meeting hall, a tavern and the Ingles ferry crossing are all part of the proposed village complex, which would be similar to Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts.

The Radford Heritage Foundation appointed Bob Nicholson and Dick Harshberger to develop a conceptual plan for the park, which has already gotten approval from New River Community Partners. A tourism mission statement regarding this project has been in the works since last November with the help of civic and business leaders in the area and representatives from Radford University.

To read the June 14 article in the New River Current, please follow this link.

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“Treasure the New” project aims to improve water quality awareness

Treasure the New, a grassroots initiative to promote the health and cultural vitality of the New River watershed, is currently leading a community-inspired effort to deliver free water quality education materials to the public this summer.

Volunteers for this project currently working to collect resources for a series of fun and informative children’s activity pages meant to inspire compassionate curiosity and foster enthusiasm toward caring for New River ecosystems. Organizers hope to publish these activity pages in August with the help of area sponsors.

For more information on Treasure the New, or to learn how you can get involved, please visit treasurethenew.org.
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Juneteenth celebration on Monday at Smithfield Plantation

On Monday, June 18, there will be a Juneteenth celebration at the Historic Smithfield Plantation in Blacksburg. This event will feature stories and spirituals which remember and honor the lives of enslaved African Americans at Smithfield. A dinner will follow the celebration. This is a free event, and all are welcome. For details, please call 540-231-3947 or visit smithfieldplantation.org.

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