“We have a great treasure in the Canal Trail and I appreciate everyone working together to foster this great treasure,” Roanoke Rapids Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon told those gathered outside the museum.
(The museum will host an Arbor Day trail hike Friday beginning at 5 p.m. Halifax County rangers from the state Forest Service will join the hike to identify trees and provide other information. Drinks and snacks will be provided and Subway has donated platters. Plan on an hour hike. A flyer on the event is included as an attachment at the end of this story)
Simeon introduced Worrell, a native of Hillsville, Virginia, who graduated from Ferrum College with a degree in recreation leadership and a minor in business.
Worrell began an internship with the city's recreation department last January and then began working part-time until he was hired full-time at the Canal Museum, Simeon said.
A member of the United States Army Reserve since 2010, Worrell completed a tour in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2013-2014. “Koy is passionate about his new position giving others the opportunity to enjoy this great treasure we have.”
Worrell said this afternoon he is planning on more evening events at the museum “to get more of the local people out to the museum and the trail. We definitely get a lot of traffic coming from I-95 and all over the East Coast. We've had a group from Northern Canada come visit.”
Worrell said he plans to continue all the programs which have been in place, including the second Saturday hikes. “We're going to pick the lecture series back up.”
Meanwhile, Mike Green, chair of the Roanoke Canal Commission, said the introduction of the loaner program was a cooperative effort been several groups.
“Without K.B. Reynolds we wouldn't be at this point,” he said.
He also recognized the Halifax County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Roanoke Valley Community Health Initiative, the town of Weldon, Riverside Mill, Roanoke Valley Energy, Rightmyer Machine Rentals, Vulcan Materials, Walmart, Chris Wicker, the canal commission and Justin Fender. “All worked together to make this a reality. The bikes are geared to ride easy. You'll have a good time.”
Bike barns are located at the museum and Riverside Mill in Weldon.
