CategoriesPress Release by

Williams Resigns as Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation Executive Director

MARTINSBURG, WV [September11th, 2023] – Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation (MBCPR) announced today that Bob Williams has resigned his position as Executive Director. A search for a new Executive Director will begin immediately. The public will continue to be updated throughout each phase of the search process.

MBCPR

About Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation: MBCPR is dedicated to providing a variety of recreational activities and events for the community of Martinsburg-Berkeley County. We aim to enhance the quality of life through recreational opportunities, services, and facilities.

CategoriesPress Release by

Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation Announces Program Updates

MARTINSBURG, WV [August 29, 2023] – Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation (MBCPR) is thrilled to share details about our revamped Summer and Fall Programs. These offerings showcase our continuing commitment to provide our community members with diverse recreational opportunities.

Summer 2023 Programming Highlights:

  1. Extended Summer Adventure Day Camp: MBCPR is proud to announce that our Summer Adventure Day Camp was extended from 8 to 10 weeks, inclusive of Before/After care at no extra fee. Camps were available at both recreation centers, offering up to 10 hours of daily activity.
  2. Girls Volleyball Clinic Success: After our Girls Volleyball Clinic spots were filled in record time, MBCPR responded by offering an additional session at Randy Smith Center, ensuring more of our community members had an opportunity to participate.
  3. Basketball Camp Expansion: Building on the success of 2022’s basketball camps, two additional Basketball Camps were introduced – one at Berkeley 2000 and another at Randy Smith Center.
  4. Enhanced Tennis Camps: Due to their growing popularity, we added more sessions to our Tennis Camp at PO Faulkner that gave more campers the chance to hone their tennis skills.

In total, these enhancements made room for an impressive 439 additional participants to enjoy our summer programs.

Youth League Scheduling Update:

  1. Basketball: The Athletics Division has streamlined our basketball program to three seasons (fall, winter, and spring). Randy Smith Recreation Center will host fall and winter seasons, while Berkeley 2000 Recreation Center will offer winter and spring leagues.
  2. Volleyball Growth: Reflecting the nationwide trend, MBCPR is boosting our youth volleyball activities, offering a fall session at Berkeley 2000 Recreation Center and a spring session at Randy Smith Recreation Center.
  3. Soccer and Futsal: Soccer continues with sessions in both fall and spring at DuPont Soccer Complex. To accommodate more of our athletes and families, we’ve invested in better soccer goals, improved field conditions, and enhanced parking areas. For the winter months, Futsal will be available at Randy Smith Center.
  4. Inline Hockey: Players can look forward to inline hockey twice a year (fall and spring) at Oatesdale Park.

The revisions to our schedule optimize the use of our facilities and evenly distribute activity offerings throughout the county.

“We’re committed to the evolving needs of our community and are excited about these changes,” comments Bob Williams, Executive Director.

Recreations Services Coordinator, Jennifer Justice is excited to continue serving the Berkeley County community stating,

“As our community continues to grow, our department will evaluate and revise our offerings to match the demand and help ensure equal services.”

To learn more about our events and programs, or to register, visit Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation (mbcparks-rec.org) or call the Park office, (304) 264-4842.

MBCPR

About Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation: MBCPR is dedicated to providing a variety of recreational activities and events for the community of Martinsburg-Berkeley County. We aim to enhance the quality of life through recreational opportunities, services, and facilities.

CategoriesPark Updates by

June Updates

  • Poor House Farm Park / Nature-Based Playground:  A site-prep meeting was held at Poor House Farm Park on Wednesday, June 14th.  Signs notifying the public of construction work will be posted for caution and work is expected to begin in about 4 weeks.  This will include creating a level 42′ x 42′ pad for the Jungle Dome feature (20′ climbing dome structure), the 3′ rise for the zip line feature (two side-by-side seated parallel zip lines for safe and fun play) and surface prep for the parkour play elements.  The installation of these features is scheduled for August.  We will provide status update posts as things progress.
  • Rooney Park:  1). The playground surface is currently being prepared as well as the creation of a retaining wall at the site.  Installation is expected on or after Labor Day.  2). Nature walking trails are being cut-in at the hillside behind the pavilion.  There are two trails: one is on move level ground at the lower area and a more challenging course that goes up the hillside. We hope to have those ready in the next 4-5 weeks. Entrances will be marked.  More details and updates to be provided as the projects progress.  Use caution in the area at this time as there may be equipment on-site at any given time while these improvements are underway.

All work is estimated and could be affected by inclement weather conditions.

CategoriesEvent by

The 35th June Jubilee

🎈The 35TH JUNE JUBILEE was held this past Sunday (June 11th) and it was a great crowd and perfect weather! Hundreds and hundreds (and hundreds!) of people, came to War Memorial Park throughout the day to take part in the different activities, vendors and fun. The Big K’s Car Show (hosted by the Hopper’s Auto Club) had a record number of participants with just under 190 car entries! We want to thank everyone for bringing their family and friends making the event such a success. We also want to thank staff, the many vendors and participants. 📸 Here are some photos from the day.

Once again, a round of applause and thank you to our June Jubilee sponsors!

👏 Big K’s Towing, Body Shop & Hauling

👏 Parsons Ford

👏 CMA Toyota of Martinsburg

👏 CMA Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Martinsburg

👏 All-State, Gary Kelley Insurance

👏 Roach Energy/ROCS Local Market

👏 Farmers & Mechanics Insurance

👏 Keller Williams Premier Realty – The Larimore Team

👏 Eric Gates, State Farm Insurance

👏 Dawn Newland, State Farm Insurance

👏 Kay Lewis, State Farm Insurance

👏 PCT (Patient Care Transportation)

👏 AbbaCare Pregnancy Resource Center

👏 WV Army National Guard

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CategoriesPress Release by

Outdoor Movie Nights Are Back!

🎞️ We are excited to offer OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHTS back at Poor House Farm Park. These are FREE to attend and open to all. Bring some chairs or a blanket and claim your spot on the grass with family and friends!

📽️ Friday, June 30th: Despicable Me

📽️ Friday, July 21st: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

📽️ Friday, August 11th: The Super Mario Brothers Movie

📍 Poor House Farm Park (233 Almshouse Rd., Martinsburg)

⏰Movies will begin at 8:45pm

🍿 We will have concessions available for purchase (cash only, please) or you can bring your own snacks or even a picnic dinner.

CategoriesPark Updates by

Gateway Children’s Garden – Now Open!

🌼🦋🐛 Exciting news! The Gateway Children’s Garden at Ambrose Park will reopen starting MONDAY, JUNE 12TH! There is NO FEE to explore this amazing outdoor facility. The Children’s Garden will be open from June 12 – August 11, 2023 on the schedule below. ⬇️
📅 Monday-Friday, 9:00am-1:00pm
📅 Monday & Wednesday, 5:00pm-8:00pm
📅 Fridays, 5:00pm-8:00pm ONLY ON THESE DATES: June 23, July 7, July 21 & August 4
📅 Saturdays, 9:00am-1:00pm ONLY ON THESE DATES: June 17, July 1, July 15 & July 29
📍Ambrose Park off Mall Drive in Martinsburg, WV
ℹ️ Free

🌻 The Potomac Audubon Society will host their Nature in the Neighborhood program held during open hours at the Children’s Garden on Tuesday, August 8th & Wednesday, August 9th. More details on this coming soon.

CategoriesPark Updates by

New War Memorial Park Mini-Golf Course

‼️🙌The new greens at the War Memorial Park mini-golf course have been installed today, so the course will reopen tomorrow at 11:00am. It’s a great weather week for a round or two of putt-putt with family or friends. ⛳️
CategoriesPress Release by

Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation Announces New Nature Trails

Martinsburg, WV (May 26, 2023 The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation (MBCPR) department brings new trails to Poor House Farm Park.

The MBCPR has been working diligently to grow and develop the programs and parks in the Berkeley County area. Most recently, they have completed the addition of new trails at Poor House Farm Park. There are two new trails, one close to the lake and the other near the football field, both are marked with orange paint for easy identification. The first trail spans .75 miles, while the second boasts two loops and 1.25 miles of walkable space. With views of North Mountain, Tuscarora Creek, forest areas, and meadows, the new trails provide areas with sun and shade and are a direct response to community surveys that concluded citizens wanted more walking/running trails.

Executive Director, Bob Williams says, “It goes back to our community survey. One of the top 5 things people wanted to see in our community was more nature trails.”

“We’re really excited to provide what people are seeking,” Williams continues.

Poor House Farm Park is located on Poor House Rd, Martinsburg, WV 25403.

See MBCPR’s Master Plan for More Information on Upcoming Development

To see all the plans for MBCPR visit, MBCPR-1.3.2022_FINAL_19DEC2022_Single-Page-Layout.pdf (mbcparks-rec.org).

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Media Contact:                                   

Moises Mendoza          

(304) 283-1774

Moises@scmarketingwv.com

CategoriesPark Updates, Press Release by

War Memorial Park (New Playground Update)

War Memorial Park became a public space in 1947 in remembrance of those who served in World War II. Since its inception, many updates and changes have been made to make the space one of the most visited in the county. Over the course of many years, community members have donated and worked to maintain the park. The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation (MBCPR) department is dedicated to continuing the long legacy of improvements as the area continues to grow in population so that the diverse members of the Berkeley County community can enjoy all the beauty and amenities that the park has to offer.

On May 3rd, 2023, a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony took place to commemorate the newest enhancement to the park, a playground with new equipment, including hangers, rope climbers, slides, benches, fresh mulching, and canopy-style shades-a perfect addition as we propel into the summer months.

Bob Williams, MBCPR Executive Director shares, “It’s really exciting to have a new playground, the community hasn’t had one in quite a while.”

Williams is anticipating a great turnout for the weekend, “We can’t wait to see how many people come out this weekend, on one of the warmer, drier weekends we’ve had in a couple of weeks.”

The MBCPR is grateful for the Berkeley County Development Authority, the City of Martinsburg, and the MBCPR Board for their major contributions to see the project to completion.

CategoriesPark Updates by

Rooney Park Update

The Berkeley County Parks and Recreation Department is excited to share the enhancements and additions that are coming to Rooney Park, located on Back Creek Valley Road in Hedgesville. The 17 acres at Rooney Park currently boast one large baseball field, one youth-sized field and a pavilion.

First, a new playground is being built below the already existing gazebo. This will be a great addition for Berkeley County residents with children. Also, the creation of new trails will give community members a new place to exercise and enjoy the beautiful scenery the park offers.

Improvements that have already been completed include two brand new dugouts and updates to the infields and some of the turf areas.

MBCPR Executive Director, Bob Williams is grateful to the community members who helped make the renovations stating,

            “Thanks to the volunteers who helped build the brand new dugouts.”

Williams is excited that the MBCPR can afford residents these new opportunities expressing,

            “We hope you (the Berkeley County community) will get to enjoy them soon.”

The MBCPR remains committed to improving the local parks and public spaces in the city and county to provide its citizens ample options for outdoor leisure and activities.