Virginia Museum of Transportation begins restoring tracks in Wasena Park
ROANOKE, Va. – The Virginia Museum of Transportation started reviving a piece of Roanoke’s rail history Sunday afternoon. Volunteers began clearing a stretch of track in Wasena Park, known as the beltline, of plants and debris. It’s so important to keep the knowledge passed down from one generation to another.”Volunteers begin clearing an abandoned rail track at Wasena Park in Roanoke. The beltline is owned by the museum and is where the museum first started in 1963. This is the first step in a long journey.”AdThe museum plans to return to Wasena Park at least once a month to work on the track.
Prayer vigil held in Roanoke for lynching victims in push to abolish death penalty
ROANOKE, Va. – More than a dozen people gathered in Roanoke on Friday, pushing to end the death penalty in the Commonwealth. Five prayer vigils were held in different locations across Virginia, including one in Roanoke’s Wasena Park. Organizers said that the death penalty has deep roots in racism and lynchings, two of which happened in Roanoke in the 1800s. Speakers and attendees at the Roanoke vigil read the names of 47 lynching victims in Southwest Virginia and placed paper boats in the river in their honor. One speaker said she hopes that a proposed bill to get rid of the death penalty passes the General Assembly.
Roanoke Greenway repairs expected to take months
ROANOKE, Va. – Damage to the Roanoke River Greenway could take months to repair. The damage near Wasena Park and at 9th Street happened after severe flooding in May and June, which washed out sections of the greenway. A section of the Roanoke River Greenway near Wasena Park is severely damaged after two major flooding events hit the area in May and June. The Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department said the repairs could take a few more months because of delays due to weather and COVID-19. It’s a very popular area of the greenway,” said Renee Powers, the trails and greenways coordinator for Roanoke Parks and Recreation.
Section of Roanoke River Greenway closed due to rain damage
ROANOKE, Va. – Due to heavy, soaking rain that led to flooding last week and this weekend, a major portion of the Roanoke River Greenway stretching from Wasena Park to Bennington Park is closed. More rain is on the way and conditions don’t look like they’ll be improving over the next few days, so it’s not clear when this section of the greenway will reopen. Crews won’t be able to clear the mud and debris until the rain lets up and water levels go back down. So where can you go in the meantime? PLAY Roanoke suggests checking out the Mill Mountain Greenway, Lick Run Greenway, the open sections of Roanoke River Greenway (Bridge Street to Wasena or Aerial Way/Blue Ridge Drive), or the trails at Countryside Park.