Cooperative Living January 2020 - 33

MAJOR APPEAL
Speaking of making good use of one's
time, catching a Bucks game passes the
test. Since the team was created in
1954, it has won 18 championships,
including one in 2019.
" There's a sense of history and
The Clover Hill Volunteer
Fire Company Fleet
modern-day necessity, be it in the
neighboring small town of
Bridgewater or a few miles east
in Harrisonburg.
While people might venture out
of Clover Hill for the essentials,
others flock to it for entertainment.
For starters, there are the
aforementioned Bucks of the
Rockingham County Baseball League
(RCBL), America's second-oldest
continuous summer baseball circuit
behind only Major League Baseball. The
RCBL began in 1924.
Clover Hill's proximity to the George
Washington National Forest also draws
plenty of people looking for an outdoor
adventure. Among its call volume, the
Clover Hill Volunteer Fire Company
frequently assists lost hikers and three
or four times a year carries out injured
mountain bikers, says Bob Shiflet, its
treasurer, who like Martin has volunteered
since the company began in 1981.
The company's response area covers
about 185 square miles, including some
within the national forest. This creates
the challenges that few other first
responders have.
For example, volunteers emphasize
being able to combat brush fires, so
they have a compressed air foam system
on many vehicles to shoot water longer
distances. They also have a Hummer in
their fleet for off-road search and rescue
missions.
" I hate to use the term, but we're
'cutting edge' on a lot of equipment, "
Martin says.
The fire company includes a
volunteer rescue squad, making it the
only combined volunteer force in
Rockingham County. It runs more than
700 calls a year with about 30 active
volunteers, who are assisted during
weekdays by two paid staffers from
the Rockingham County Fire and
co-opliving.com
From left, Chris Cofer, manager, and
Fred Hill, assistant coach, of the
Clover Hill Bucks
Martin adds: " It takes a special
person to wake up at 2, 3 in the
morning and go fight a fire or go up
to a car wreck in the mountains. You
feel like you're actually doing
something worthwhile. "
The general age range for RCBL
players is 17 to 38. Hill equates the
quality of play to at least lower-level
college baseball. It has rising talent by
way of local high schools and an
inventory of former stars, one of whom
January 2020 | Cooperative Living | 31
From left, Kenny Martin and Bob Shiflet
Rescue Department.
" I like to feel like I'm doing
something that amounts to something, "
Shiflet says. " This is a hobby, kind of.
I don't play golf every weekend. This
takes the place of getting hooked on golf. "
prestige to winning the championship
and having the team's name on the
trophy, " Cofer says.
At Buck Bowman Park, also known
as the " Clover Dome, " fans claim their
spots along the foul lines, in the
outfield or in stands close enough to
practically breath on the umpire's neck.
Talk about home-field advantage.
If the Bucks reach the RCBL playoffs,
which they do quite often thanks to their
prowess at home, attendance can swell
to over 1,000 on a given night, says
Fred Hill, the team's assistant coach.
" The community takes great pride in
its baseball club. It matters to them, " he
says. " If we're not doing well, we have
to answer some tough questions.
Expectations are always high. "
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Cooperative Living January 2020

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