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'Mama' raises $10,000 for pool
MONTEREY - Highland Recreation Commission fund-raiser, the Mountain Mama Bike Challenge, garnered more than $10,000 for the new swimming pool from this year's ride, reported race director Kirk Billingsley at Monday's recrecation commission meeting.
In all, 366 riders registered for the race (341 rode), netting more than $15,500 and currently the balance is $12,039 with some bills yet to be final.
Billingsley reported the food amounts at rest stops were figured pretty closely and little was left over. He also praised the increase in SAG support as a great benefit. Support vehicles kept a close eye on the riders and made them feel at ease during the ride on Aug. 4.
Pat Boger of Blue Grass won the bike raffle and will receive a new bicycle courtesy of the commission.
Billingsley also said other than the few incidents previously reported in West Virginia, the ride was quite a success but took little credit saying, "If Mother Nature is good to us, I do a great job. If she's not, then..."
The money earmarked for the pool will push the fund close to $250,000. Pool committee chair Maggie Cavell requested tabling the report until September's meeting. Additionally, Cavell said the fund received four checks from Mountain Mama bikers totalling $360.
Bid documents for the project are finished and have been sent to the Virginia Outdoors Fund for approval, Cavell said. Final documents include a zero-entry junior Olympic size pool, with swimming lanes painted on the bottom. It will range in depth from three feet to eight and one-half feet deep and includes a diving board.
After the two steps currently in the works are finalized, the pool will be bid out, a contractor will be hired, and construction will begin.
New Highland athletic/recreation director Brian Parker was introduced to the commission and creating a separate phone line for him, league soccer duties, and field conditions were discussed. Currently, Parker can be reached by calling the high school.
Parker will get his feet wet with the youth soccer program that begins next week.
Summer programs drew solid numbers of participants and the efforts of summer event director LeLe Shumate were lauded. In youth basketball, 17 to 30-plus kids attended and the pool trips to were taken by a low of 17 and a high of 35.
The softball tournament postponed from earlier this summer has been finished and earned $600 for the pool fund.
On Saturday, Sept. 29, the commission is organizing a trip to the Blackfriar's Playhouse Shakespeare theatre in Staunton. The show will be "Loves Labors Lost" at 7:30 p.m. Anyone interested in joining the group attending should call Theresa Wagner at 474-2850 for information.
The seniors are also planning trips this fall, said member Sharon Doyle. She said decreased fuel funding has reduced the amount of trips the seniors had taken this year. The most recent trip was of 32 bowlers to Franklin, W.Va. She reported that next month they will go to the Safari Park near Natural Bridge.
The commission provides money for the senior center in its budget, and Doyle asked the members for assistance with money for a trip to Amish Country in Pennsylvania.
Doyle said she had contacted local civic groups and was hoping to find the $4,000 needed for the 15 seniors to go. She said many of them are on limited income and the trip is "wonderful." The group responded by offering her the rest of this year's budget but took no action. Doyle can be contacted through the senior center.
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