New Family Entertainment Center Open in Madison Heights

After having rented inflatable bouncers and slides to the public since 2015, Amherst residents Brooke and James Griffin decided to open a family entertainment center.

Located in the old Blockbuster building at 4846 S. Amherst Hwy., Jump-N-Fun offers inflatable fun for children and games for adults to play, along with a snack bar.

Parties to celebrate any occasion are welcome, and they still rent inflatables along with popular food machines. For more information, see their ad on page 42.

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Sprouse and Matthews Insurance Merge

Tracy Sprouse of Sprouse Insurance and Andy Mathews of the Andy Mathews Agency recently announced the merger of the Sprouse Insurance Agency with Andy Mathews Agency. With this merger they will be able to provide more insurance options to meet their clients’ needs.

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New Florist at Ambriar Plaza

Ellen Wailes had an idea in 2015 that she would open a new business. It has taken her to the shopping center her grand-father, Paul Wailes, had developed back in the 1970’s.

Wailes Florist and Gifts was established in Nov. of 2015, and is a full-service FTD florist that is located in the same place where Claudia operated for many years.

“We’re happy about how well we’ve been received in the community, and are looking forward to serving more folks, especially from Sweet Briar and the new Centra medical facility,” Ellen said.

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Amherst County Recreation

Who Says There is Nothing to Do? County Recreational Opportunities Abound!

Anyone living in Amherst County who says “there’s nothing to do” isn’t fully informed… there are plenty of options, all year ‘round. The following is a summary of Amherst County sponsored activities and outdoor natural resources available to everyone.

For more day and time specific information, watch for the semi-annual recreational guide in the new Amherst New-Era Progress, or contact the Amherst County Recreation and Parks Department at 434-946-9371 or e-mail slchristian@countyofamherst.com.

Amherst County Parks

Amherst County is widely known and popular for its scenic beauty and natural settings. There are a variety of parks and trails within the county offering healthy “back-to-nature” experiences. The county maintains several parks in very attractive settings throughout the county. There are two on the historic James River and three are at the foot of the fabulous Blue Ridge Mountains. *County park hours are sunrise and one hour after sunset. [Please note that county code stipulates that consumption of alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited on all county property.]

COOLWELL PARK
Located on Coolwell Road, south of the Town of Amherst, this recreational park has a picnic area with grills, a picnic shelter, a play area for children, restrooms, lighted all-purpose fields (soccer, football, and softball), outdoor basketball courts, a nature trail and an outdoor amphitheater.

MONACAN PARK
This park is located on the scenic and historic James River. The park offers a boat ramp and boat dock for access to the river, fishing benches, a covered picnic pavilion and picnic area, a play area for children and restroom facilities. It is located in the Elon area of the county. Directions: take Rt. 130 W. to Elon. Turn left on Monacan Park Rd. The park is located at the end of the Monacan Park Road.

RIVEREDGE PARK
River Edge Park AmherstAn exciting development for the county has been the enhancement and expansion of Riveredge Park, on the Madison Heights side of the James River directly across from Downtown Lynchburg. The newest addtion to the park is the “BLUESTONE OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATER” located along the Riveredge Park Trail. The boat ramp at this park is used each year to launch the batteaux for the annual James River Batteau Festival. This park offers fishing access, along with comfort stations, picnic tables and a community center. This park is accessible by taking the first two left-hand turns at the bottom of the hill of Rt. 163 (old Rt. 29 bus., now called Old Town Connector) just before the bridge crossing into Downtown Lynchburg.

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