Category Archives: News

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Mid County Park-Kidsburg to re-open in July 2013

. News, Parks

imageThe renovation of Mid County Park, including the Kidsburg playground, is well underway. Significant rains and modifications to the soils have delayed the project; however, much progress has been made.

The old Kidsburg structure was removed, and contractors have prepared the site and installation of the new playground structure has begun. The new Park Office (pictured background) building is near completion and will include improved restroom facilities, a vending area, two staff offices and a fee-based community meeting room.

Both picnic shelters (foreground) received new roofing, and one shelter was enlarged due to the removal of an old concession room.

Improvements to the front parking lot are scheduled to take place in June. The basketball, tennis and volleyball courts as well as the walking trail remain open during daylight hours with parking available in the back parking lot. The park is expected to open in its entirety in mid-July.

During the Kidsburg renovations, please enjoy the playgrounds located within our other County parks and facilities—Chickahominy Riverfront Park, Forest Glen Park, Ironbound Park, Little Creek Reservoir Park, Upper County Park, the James City County Recreation Center, the James River Community Center and the Warhill Sports Complex. In addition to these sites, all Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools playgrounds are open to the community during after school hours.

The old Kidsburg, a community-built playground, opened in 1994 and no longer meets ADA guidelines or current standards for public-use playgrounds. The new playground will be fully ADA and safety compliant, universal and barrier free.

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New JCC Parks and Recreation Spring Summer Guide is out

. Camps, News, Parks

The James City County  Parks and Recreation Spring/Summer 2013 Destination Recreation Activity Brochure is now available online. It highlights a variety of new spring and summer offerings as well as your favorite events and activities occurring through September 2013.

Inside you will find Special Events for Family, Outdoors and Health/Wellness

 
As well as Summer  Camps, Classes & Activities including:

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The brochure is also available at the James City County Recreation Center, the James River Community Center, the Satellite Services Office, the Freedom Park Interpretive Center, the libraries and all public County government offices.

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Destination Recreation Expo at James City County Rec Center 2013

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It’s Expo time! – Come to the FREE Destination Recreation Expo Feb. 23 ,2013, 9 a.m.-noon at the James City County Recreation Center.

Be one of the first to register for the upcoming summer camps, discover your parks and learn about classes and programs.

Interactive demonstrations, hands-on activities and raffles are just a few great features of this event. We’ll keep your children engaged while you gather information about summer camp opportunities, sports, aquatics, special events, parks and facilities, REC Connect and inclusion programs.

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Kidsburg renovations to start

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imageThe renovation of James City County Mid County Park, including the Kidsburg playground, is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Jan. 22. Kidsburg is being replaced; however, its design and theme will be retained in a new playground structure. The new 30,000 square-foot playground includes a general play area, a ship replica, swing area and a separate gated area for children ages 2-5. Along with Kidsburg, a new office/restroom facility is being constructed in the park. See details here

Most of the park will close on Jan. 22 to allow staff to prepare the site for contractors who begin their work at the end of the month. Staff work includes moving and storing items to be retained such as maintenance equipment, picnic tables and trash receptacles, removing the Kidsburg fence pickets and instituting safety measures such as shutting down electricity to the park. During this phase of construction, the existing building and Kidsburg structure will be razed and replaced.

During construction, the Mid County Park walking trail, basketball courts and tennis courts will remain open and accessible from the rear parking lot off Monticello Avenue. For public safety, all electricity to the park will be turned off, outdoor lighting will be unavailable, and the park will close daily at dusk. At all times, please avoid the construction area. The park is scheduled to reopen in its entirety early this summer.

If you previously reserved your Kidsburg fence picket, you’ll be notified of the pick up process. Pickets will be available for pick-up at the Mid County Park Office, 3793 Ironbound Rd., on the following days:

  • Saturday, Jan. 26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Sunday, Jan. 27, noon-6 p.m.
  • Monday, Jan. 28, 3-7 p.m.

If you’re unable to retrieve your pickets on these days, or if you have not reserved your picket, please call 757-592-0495 and leave your name, the name on the fence picket, your phone number and a message. You can also request your picket online at jamescitycountyva.gov/recreation/kidsburg-picket-request.html. A plaque will be installed at the park to honor its history and those individuals and businesses that supported the park through fence picket purchases and as volunteers.  

Kidsburg, a community-built playground, opened in 1994 and no longer meets ADA guidelines or current standards for public-use playgrounds. The new playground will be fully ADA and safety compliant, universal and barrier free. Project funding was appropriated by the James City County Board of Supervisors as part of the Parks and Recreation Capital Improvement Budget.

During the park renovations, please enjoy the playgrounds located within our other County parks and facilities – Chickahominy Riverfront Park, Forest Glen Playground, Ironbound Park, Little Creek Reservoir Park, Upper County Park and the James City County Recreation Center, James River Community Center and the Warhill Sports Complex. In addition to these sites, all Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools playgrounds are open to the community after school hours.

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2nd Annual Wallerpalooza Fall Festival!

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Join us on October 20th for our 2nd Annual Wallerpalooza Fall Festival!
This event features fall themed crafts (Bring an old shirt and turn it into a trick-or-treat bag!), games for kids, and fun activities including an inflatable obstacle course, pumpkin launcher, and clown!
Wallerpalooza is from 10am until 2pm and there will be a $5 vehicle entrance charge during this time.
We hope to see you there! For more information, please call Waller Mill Park at (757) 259-3778.  Visit us on the web at www.williamsburgva.gov/rec.

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HAUNTED TRAIL ZOMBIE OBSTACLE CHALLENGE in Gloucester VA

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imageHAUNTED TRAIL ZOMBIE OBSTACLE CHALLENGE…On Saturday, October 27, 2012-two hundred  people will have the opportunity to outrun the Zombies of Beaverdam Park…for the rest of you…GOOD LUCK!

Groups of evacuees will depart every 5 minutes.  Evacuees will face 15 to 20 obstacles, including mud and water, over 1-1/4 miles while Zombies try to capture their flags and turn tum into the LIVING DEAD!

CAN YOU SURVIVE??? A mile and a quarter of Obstacles, Zombies, Water, Mud???

You can find out at the HTZOC! Take the challenge.

Check in begins at 1 pm at the Whitcomb Lodge at Beaverdam Park

For ages 12 and older

Registration is $25 and is limited to the first 200 Evacuees

 

The challenge fee includes: Official Race T-shirt, flags, souvenir, surprises and water station.

The evacuation route winds through Nature Trail, Multi-Use Trail, Exercise Trail and the Parking Lot.

The HTZOC is a Park Partners, Inc fundraiser to raise money for Gloucester County Parks. Please visit the Park Partners, Inc website to print a registration form and sign up today to TAKE THE CHALLENGE!

Registration info here: http://gloucesterparks.org/haunted-trail-zombie-obstacle-challenge

 

map location for Beaverdam Park.

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September Outdoors Skill Sampler at York River State Park

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Have you ever wanted to cast a fly right in front of a fish and entice it to bite?  How about taking aim at a still or moving target with a bow and arrow?There are so many ways to enjoy the outdoors, but not many opportunities to learn the skills to enhance the enjoyment. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Amber Nease Outdoor Education Foundation, and York River State Park will host an event where anyone 7 years old and up can get the "know-how" they have always wanted.

Register now for this event. The cost is $10 per person before 8/31/2012 and $15 after 9/1/2012.  For more information and registration, contact Karen Holson by phone at 804-367-6355 or e-mail Karen.holson@dgif.virginia.gov.

The September Outdoors Skill Sampler will be held at the park on Saturday, September 22nd from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A wide variety of activities will be covered such as air rifle shooting, animal identification, archery, fishing, fly casting, geocaching, hiking, outdoor cooking, and kayaking. The exhibits in the visitor’s center will be open as well. Skills will be taught by VDGIF instructors. Park rangers and volunteers will also be on hand to enhance the experience.

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Free Day for Waller Mill Park’s 40th Anniversary

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Kayaks at Waller Mill ParkThe City of Williamsburg invites everyone to Waller Mill Park’s 40th Anniversary celebration on Saturday, July 21, 2012, from 7am – 8pm. Entrance is free all day, and boat rentals are 50% off. Come enjoy this City treasure!

There will be free guided canoe trips at 10am and 12pm and free Guided Nature Walks at 10am and 11am. Visitors will also receive free oval location stickers for the park as long as supplies last.
Did you know that the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries ranks Waller Mill Park best in the Tidewater region for Largemouth Bass fishing? (VDGIF website) Check us out this Saturday — or any day.

Waller Mill Park, located on Airport Road (Rt. 645) between I-64 and Rt. 60 West, is the City of Williamsburg’s 2705-acre park situated around its reservoir. In addition to opportunities for hiking, the park’s centerpiece is a 286-acre lake open for fishing, boating, pedal boating, canoeing and kayaking with a tunnel connecting the upper and lower sections of the lake.
For more information, visit williamsburgva.gov/parks or call 757-259-3778.

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Kidsburg/ Mid County Park Updates March 2012

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mid county parkSeveral renovation and construction projects are underway at Kidsburg/ Mid County Park in James City County. These projects are consistent with the Board of Supervisors approved Mid County Park Master Plan to shift activities from organized team sports to more community recreation, such as use of the walking trails, basketball and tennis courts. The park, which opened in 1985, is also in much need of repair—aging equipment, safety and parking are all critical issues.

kidsburg1

Improvement projects include:

● Removal of lighting and fencing from the baseball fields has been completed. The demolition of press boxes and dugouts is scheduled next. Lighting, including fixtures from the park, are currently being installed at the Warhill Sports Complex and at the Jamestown High School baseball and softball fields to compensate for lighting lost at Mid County Park.
● Grading of the field area. The field will be designed with large open space and landscaping to provide patrons opportunities for more self paced activities such as picnics, ball play, kite-flying and other such
activities.
● A new Kidsburg. As the planning and design continues, the focus is on replacing the wooden playground structures. The new playground will be more modern, but many of the current Kidsburg themes will remain. One new element being considered as an addition to the new playground is a “spray pad.” A spray pad is not a water park, but one small area for water play that has no standing water. Typically there are ground nozzles that spray water upwards out of the splash pad’s rain deck.

imageIn most cases, the water is either freshwater, or recycled and treated water which is typically treated to at least the same level of quality as swimming pool water standards. Some elements of a spray pad can be used year round as additional playground features. These  photo are of examples of typical splash pads. All new park features, including the spray pad, will be considered as park improvement funding permits

● Replacement of the park building. A new park building will feature larger restroom facilities, meeting
space, vending areas and an office. Renovation will be completed in stages and should be finished by
spring 2013.
● Many park amenities will remain including the basketball, tennis and volleyball courts and the walking trail.

 

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Did You Purchase A Fence Picket?

If you purchased a fence picket at Kidsburg, and would like it back, please call (757) 592-0495 and leave your name, the name on the picket, your phone number and a message.

The pickets will be available for pick up in fall 2013 when playground renovations are scheduled to begin. A plaque will also be installed at the park to honor its history and those individuals and businesses who supported the park through fence picket purchases and as volunteers.

Throughout the renovations, we’ll keep you informed of our progress. Subsequent updates will detail the proposed new park layout and design concepts for the new Kidsburg. For more information, call (757) 259-5360 or visit www.jamescitycountyva.gov/recreation

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