Category: Press Release

Happy New Year Friends,

I hope that the start of your year is off to a good start.  The turn of the calendar often signifies new changes and new opportunities.  Those can be exciting, challenging, or maybe even scary.  I hope that you have the support and strength to tackle something new this year.  At MBCPR, we are no different, as we look forward to new opportunities that we want to bring to the community.

We are working on a few projects over the next couple of months that I hope you will get excited about as much as we are.  This includes new trails, a new playground, and a new park.  Let me share some details.

At Poor House Farm Park, the staff is currently working to establish about 2 miles of new nature trails.  These will get us into the newly added 70-acres that was purchased by the County last fall.  There will be a trail around the meadows on each side of the Tuscarora Creek.  In the future, we will have a bridge over the creek to connect the two sides.  We will be having a ribbon cutting once they are ready. 

At War Memorial Park, we have just received full funding and have ordered a new playground that will be installed this spring.  This will be a large-size playground that will have lots of climbing elements, slides, and other fun pieces.  It will be located along Tennessee Avenue near the Norwalk Pavilion.  Look for a banner at the location soon that will have a picture of the playground and a thank you to our sponsors. 

Also, this spring we will be breaking ground on a new park just west of the Spring Mills I-81 interchange.  The new park will have 2 pavilions, a playground, a walking trail, and restroom.  This project is currently out for bid, and we will have a ribbon cutting celebration once it is completed.

Each of these projects will have opportunities for volunteers and sponsors to enhance each of the sites.  This will include the purchasing and installation of benches, playground elements such as swings and a merry-go-round, and the planting of trees and other landscape material.  If you or your group is interested in volunteering or supporting a project, please contact us at the email or phone number listed at the bottom of this webpage. 

New years can be full of resolutions that we work on throughout the year.  We hope that one of your resolutions will be to visit a park or program in this coming year.  We are looking forward to seeing you soon.

Bob Williams, CPRP

Executive Director

Martinsburg, WV (January 20th, 2023 The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation (MBCPR) department has released its Master Plan that will work in conjunction with its Strategic Business Plan, created in 2021, to address the emerging needs of the Martinsburg-Berkeley County community.

Local leaders have coordinated to design a comprehensive plan that focuses on adjustments, additions, and enhancements to local parks, recreational facilities, and programs through 2032. The Berkeley County population has increased by 17% since the last census. With the population growth expected to continue, collaborating with local agencies to identify areas that are most in need of these planning efforts has been a top priority for city/county officials.

The strategic business plan is the first step of the Master Plan, it aims to address budgetary requirements and create policies and procedures that will establish a basis for the implementation of the Master Plan. The objective of the Master Plan is to determine the needs of the community and create meaningful changes to the parks and recreational facilities to better serve the diverse and growing population of Berkeley County.

MBCPR Executive Director, Bob Williams is excited for the future of Parks and Recreation stating, “We seek to continue to build upon the great foundation and continue the legacy for our great and growing community.”

About MBCPR Master Plan

To see the Master Plan visit, MBCPR-1.3.2022_FINAL_19DEC2022_Single-Page-Layout.pdf (mbcparks-rec.org).

Welcome back Friends,

It’s hard to believe that we are closing in on the end of another year.  We are excited that you have been able to make this journey with us this year.  We’ve had some great programs as well as challenges, and we are happy that we can continue to serve our community.

Recently, Operation North Pole was a huge success.  Our first winter event was held on December 10^th at the Berkeley 2000 Recreation Center, and we had over 150 people celebrate with us.  We played reindeer games, had fun making holiday crafts, had selfies with Santa, and enjoyed a snack and hot chocolate at Mrs. Claus’ Café.  Due to the overwhelming excitement around Operation North Pole, we will be holding this as an annual event.

I am happy to announce that the MBCPR Board adopted the Master Plan at the December meeting.  We have been working on this all year, engaging with stakeholders to look into the future to prepare for the program needs that our growing community will need.  There is information on our website about the plan.  I am also available to make presentations to your group or organization so that you can learn more about it and how you can become involved in its success.

Some of you have been asking how you can contribute or volunteer.  Both of these are great ways to get involved, and help us provide more for the people we serve.  If you or your group is interested in volunteering, please contact us at the email or phone number listed at the bottom of this webpage.  If you would like to contribute but don’t know how, I would be happy to connect with you about a contribution to the Friends of Parks and Recreation group, support for some new playground equipment that we would like to install this spring, or perhaps you can sponsor a bench or table.  Specific info on this and more is coming in the next couple of months. 

There are many programs in the new year.  Our regular sports programs at both recreation centers are posted in our online catalog on our website.  Pavilion rentals start the first business day of the year, which will be January 3.  Pool information should be out in March.  And details about favorite programs such as June Jubilee, the Summer Concert Series, and more will be made available as we move through our planning.  It should be another great year.

From all of us at MBCPR, we wish you and your family a healthy and happy holiday season, and many new adventures in the new year.  We are looking forward to going there with you.

Bob Williams, CPRP

Executive Director

We have exciting news.  You may have seen that there have been a lot of new projects getting started at MBCPR, and we want to share what is happening over the next several months.

But first, we have an improved website.  We wanted to make it easier to connect with us, and to be able to get the information you need more easily.  We will also be sharing information and updates on projects and programs here, as well as on social media.  Take a look around and let us know if you don’t see something that you need.  We want to make sure that you find it useful.

There have been several projects that have been announced in recent weeks.

• Poor House Farm Park land expansion – The County Council purchased 70 acres to add to the north side of the park.  This will bring the total acreage to over 200 acres.  We are currently working on possibilities for this new area, including more trails, pavilions, opportunities along Tuscarora Creek, and more.
• Spring Mills Park development – The County Council approved $350,000 for the creation of a 10-acre park just west of the Spring Mills/Rt 901 exit of I-81.  There will be a walking trail, playground, pavilion, restroom, and parking lot.
• Nature Based Playground at Poor House – An area across from the lake and Tuscarora Creek has been cleared for the development of a play space that will have natural play elements, chainsaw carvings of woodland critters, and elements for kids to explore.

Lastly, we are close to sharing the MBPR Master Plan with the community.  The stakeholder group has been looking into the next 5-10 years, and how we prepare to meet the demands of our growing community.  They have based this on feedback from many of our park users and supporters.  We are looking forward to sharing this plan with you soon.

We will now be putting out these updates on these and other programs and projects regularly.  We will also be sharing news on social media and through the new blog post feature on the new website.  Let us know what you think about the changes.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Bob Williams, CPRP

Executive Director