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 todd wetherington | daily herald The Roanoke Canal Trail got a facelift Tuesday as workers from Dominion North Carolina Power took a day to lend a hand with trail improvements. |
Instead of going about their normal workday, more than 30 employees grabbed shovels, rakes and an auger and headed to the Canal Museum and Trail to make improvements during Dominion's Environmental Day. More than a thousand employees volunteered to work on 20 projects in 13 states this week.
The canal is a special project for the company, which once owned the Canal Museum building. About 100 years ago, the company used the waterway to move rum and cigarettes before progressing to generating electricity.
”This is a fantastic partnership with Dominion to have them bring in 30-plus volunteers,“ said Roanoke Rapids Parks and Recreation Director Chris Wicker. ”They've done in a single day what would take several weeks.“
The company spent $3,500 on improving the trail. After a donated breakfast from Starbucks in the museum, employees headed out to the trail and tackled erosion, created small rock screenings, cleared overgrown areas, installed split rail fencing and gates and more.
”We've had a great morning. We've had a lot of fun,“ said Bob Foster, manager of operations and construction who works out of the company's three offices in Roanoke Rapids, Ahoskie and South Hill, Va.
One of the highlights of the day was a visit from Dominion's President and CEO Thom Capps, a Wilmington native who works from the corporate office in Richmond, Va. Capps flew in and spoke to the workers during a lunch break, saying it was good to be back in Roanoke Rapids.
”It is important to give back to the community where we make our money,“ he told the crowd. ”Thank you for your dedication.“
Capps said he chose to visit the canal project Tuesday after talking with his friend Jim Frazier, a retired Dominion executive and co-chair of the museum project who ”raised him from a puppy.“
Frazier also spoke to the employees as they came off the trail for lunch and thanked them for their hard work. ”From here to the dam it's pretty rough, and you all have changed that,“ he said.
Later, Capps toured the museum, and said he was impressed with the history of the site. The company wants to be a good steward of the environment and leave it in good shape. ”We're all citizens of this small planet,“ he said.
Cindy Balderson, volunteer program coordinator, said the Dominion Environmental Day is an annual event. The company has a good core of volunteers in Roanoke Rapids who know the community and the needs, she added, and the canal is a part of the company's history. ”This is one of the precursors of our company,“ she said.
Foster said almost all of the company's employees are involved in community organizations and the company has active foundation. The Environmental Day is just the most visible.
Bryant Brooks, Dominion North Carolina spokesman, said it was great to work with the city and the museum. ”It looks great. If the community's happy and the tourism authority is happy, we're happy,“ he said. ”It really is a team effort. There are so many entities that must come together.“
After 32 years with the company, he said he knows of no better people to work with. ”This is such a unique situation, being near the North Carolina-Virginia border, the history of the area, and the previous generation that took place here ... it quite frankly just gets everybody's attention.“
Brooks said folks are from different areas of the company and it is a chance for them as a company to get together and focus on a project.
”I jog on the trail. It needs some work,“ said employee Bruce Klass.
”I like the canal trail. It's a very nice trail,“ said employee Jody Williams. He was also impressed with the recently completed museum. ”I'd like to come back and look at it closer.“
The museum will officially open with a daylong celebration on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is at 15 Jackson St. Extension. The museum may be reached at 537-2769.
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