Category — community

The traditional family structure (you know: husband, wife, 2.5 kids) may be more the exception than the rule in today’s diverse society. And right here at Smith Mountain Lake, Trinity Ecumenical Church is offering classroom structure and community support to a local population adjusting to its new reality. Parents Again is a class for Grandparents in the role of primary parents to their grandchildren. According to U.S. Census data, seven percent of children in the United States live in grandparent-headed households; that’s 4.9 million children under the age of 18.

The classes begin this Wednesday, April 25, and will continue every fourth Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:30 pm at Trinity Ecumenical Church on Route 122 in Moneta. Attendees will have the opportunity to network in a structured, supportive environment; as well as participate in workshops addressing relevant issues. Childcare will be provided for infants and toddlers, and school-aged children will participate in Christian education.

If you are a grandparent raising your grandchildren and want to know more about participating in this ministry, call Trinity Ecumenical Parish at 721-4330.

Studies show that engaging only in passive intellectual observation (like watching television) actually leads to cognitive loss. So, if you want to stay sharp, healthy, and well informed, get off the couch and engage that brain!

If you’re in need of a little mid-week intellectual stimulation, head to Roanoke’s Shadowbox Theater and take in a TED Talk. To understand just what a TED Talk is about, just read its mission statement: “We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.”

Basically, TED Talks are positive, intelligent, inspired talks by interesting folks.

The talks are held at noon on Wednesday afternoons. Just bring your lunch and an open mind! Unable to get to the Shadowbox on your lunch hour? Eat at your desk and stream a TED Talk on your own computer from TED’s official Youtube Channel.

While many believe we are in a recovering stage of a suffering economy, there are still quite a few among us who are struggling for any number of reasons. It could be due to unemployment as numerous companies are being forced to downsize. Perhaps the head of household became ill with a long-term ailment and is prevented from continuing to work through the recuperation time. Or maybe an unexpected major financial burden has made it difficult to make ends meet for a period. Whatever the reason, it is a true comfort to encounter treasures like Lake Christian Ministries, Inc. (LCM) who reach out to their surrounding community with a helping hand. 

According to their website, “Lake Christian Ministries provides food, clothing, household items and emergency financial aid to individuals and families living in the Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, area of Bedford, Franklin and Pittsylvania counties. Our mission includes providing these essentials in a loving and Christian atmosphere.” Just being in a position of needing to rely on others for help can be a very humbling experience in and of itself; the attitude of those providing the aid makes a big difference. As indicated by their mission statement, LCM has professed a commitment to not only provide the help, but also show compassion in doing so.

One of the services LCM provides is through mobile food pantries that make deliveries to three different locations on a monthly basis. They deliver these groceries to Three Oaks United Methodist Church in Hardy, Penhook United Methodist Church and also the Moneta Nutrition/Senior Center. The qualifying individuals and families meet them at these locations. Some of these churches provide volunteers who participate in the collaborative effort to support their community by assisting. They help to qualify and register families, and disburse the bagged groceries – one full bag and sometimes two depending on family size. They even serve the families breakfast at some locations.

LCM offers so many services. The assistance they provide would not be even possible without the donations and volunteerism of the people of the community. For further information on LCM , see their website at http://lakechristianministries.wordpress.com/.

Smith Mountain Lake is not only a geographical amazement providing an array of beauty that is absolutely breath-taking, but it is also part of a caring community that pulls together to assist each other in times of need.

Call me, Vicki Millehan. I will be more than happy to give you some housing suggestions. I have over 19 years of experience in selling waterfront homes, and am a long-time resident of Smith Mountain Lake. My web page always has a current list of events that are taking place in Smith Mountain Lake.

Get the whole family involved in a relic from the past by bringing them out to The Sedalia Center’s Sedalia Country Fair! This fun-filled nostalgic country fair event takes place nearby to Smith Mountain Lake at Bedford’s Sedalia Center and includes activities such as food competitions, agricultural displays, tons of animals and other kids’ activities, local vendors and more! Step back in time as you experience an old-fashioned fair atmosphere that’s fun for the entire family.

All the fun takes place on September 10th beginning at 10:00 a.m. and keeps going until 6:00 that evening. Some of the highlights of the event include the Coon Mule Jump and the food competitions, with categories ranging from best homegrown produce, home canned vegetables, meats and fruits to baked goods. No pre-registration is necessary to enter the competition, and for more contest guidelines visit http://www.sedaliacenter.org/?q=/events/Country_fair_2011

As the main event of the fair, a very famous visitor will be present to entertain and delight the audience: Amazing Grace, trick mule will be performing live! This is no ordinary trick mule; Amazing Grace has earned renowned fame and has co-starred in movies with the likes of Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray and Lucas Black. Grace is the star of the movie Get Low and can perform tricks such as dunking a basketball, playing the piano, painting on canvas, getting the mail and doing basic multiplication! Read more about her and watch a video of her featured on the Today Show here and don’t miss out on your chance to see this unique movie star in our own backyard! The kids will love Amazing Grace the mule and adults will be delighted and awed by her talents as well.

Admission to the fair for adults is just $5 and children 12 and under are admitted for free. This event is a great opportunity to mimic the fair atmosphere and community gatherings of the not-too-distant past and to come together as a community in the beautiful, agriculturally rich setting of Bedford and Smith Mountain Lake. Don’t miss your chance for exciting family fun in the sun this September!

For more information visit the event site or call (434) 299-5080. The Sedalia Center is located at 1108 Sedalia School Road in Bedford and is conveniently located to the Smith Mountain Lake area.

We hope to see you there!

A few nights of classical music are in store this Labor Day weekend for those of us who are lovers of music here at beautiful Smith Mountain Lake. Partake in a few evenings of musical enlightenment as you listen to the beautiful sounds of master musicians such as Maestro David Stewart Wiley, Tracy Cowden, Philip & Tara Bouknight and Leah Marer Wiley during the 2 days of exciting musical events and local concerts.

• On Friday, September 2 at 7:00 p.m. Tracy Cowden and David Stewart Wiley will grace the Trinity Ecumenical Parish stage in Moneta on duo pianos, providing the lake crowd with the privilege of enjoying their program entitled “Duo Piano Fireworks: From Sea to Shining C”. Throughout this program you will hear 176 keys dueling in harmony, with favorites such as Rachmaninoff Romance, Grieg Norwegian Dance, selections from Petrouchka, a Hungarian Dance and the Haydn Variations by Brahms, and a Gershwin Porgy and Bess Fantasy. There will also be a sampling of piano music from Maestro Wiley’s score to the locally filmed “Lake Effects” movie starring Jane Seymour. For a sneak peak at the scoring and to enjoy all the classics, get your tickets early for the program because they are sure to sell out!

• In addition, there will be a program on Sunday, September 4 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. entitled “Labors of Love: from Boheme to Bernstein” in which the Bouknights and the Wileys will perform classic “Labors of Love” from beloved hit musicals and the silver screen as well as popular arias, duets and trios. The program is built for the three shining vocalists and the accompanying piano in order to share with us the musical expressions of love and love’s labor’s lost. Bring a date or your spouse to this night of musical enchantment conveniently located near the lake, and hear classics including duets from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Mozart’s Don Giovanni & Marriage of Figaro, Bizet’s Carmen, Copland’s The Tender Land, Bernstein’s Candide & West Side Story, and Puccini’s La Boheme as well as themes from theater classics including Gone With the Wind, Rent, My Fair Lady, and many other romance favorites.

Tickets for these events cost $20 each or $35 per ticket for both performances and they are available by mail when addressed to SMAC, P.O. Box 70 in Moneta, VA (24121) (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope) and they will also be available at the SML Visitors Center, Print-n-Paper, and the General Store. Come get swept away with us while enjoying a few nights of entertainment and refined romance on this very special Labor Day weekend!

Both concerts will be held at Trinity Ecumenical Parish in Moneta, VA on Route 122 at Lakemount, Moneta. For tickets or information contact (540) 297-0965 or (540) 309-1676.

The Smith Mountain Striper Club brought smiles to the faces of children who are patients at the Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital. What put a smile on the faces of these children? Fishing!

Volunteers from the Smith Mountain Striper Club taught the children the joy of fishing. For many of the children, it was the first time they had ever fished. They had so much fun experiencing the joy of catching that first fish.

By sharing a sport that they love, the Smith Mountain Striper Club provided these children with an experience that let them forget about their illness, for a brief period, and enjoy the pleasures of the great outdoors.

Fishing was a big part of the three-day event, organized by Carilion that was held at the Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Center, but the children and their parents participated in many fun activities.

The staff of 4-H and Carilion nurses supervised the children as they canoed, swam, built campfires and practiced archery.

A wonderful thing about this event is that Carilion also provided the parents with fun and relaxing activities. So, for a brief period, they could focus on something other than their child’s illness. The parents were treated to long, relaxing massages. They also attended cooking, exercise and team-building classes.

The Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital is fortunate to be a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. As a Miracle Network Hospital, no child is turned away regardless of their parents’ ability to pay. In order to continue to provide excellent medical service and run events for children, fund raising is a big part of the hospital’s success. All funds raised locally, remain local.

A fund raiser scheduled for August 15-17 is the Anthem Lemon Aid Stand. Your children can set up a lemon aid stand, or they can sell via the Internet. This will not only be fun for your children, but will provide a valuable lesson in the sense of accomplishment that is achieved by helping others. Children helping children!

One of the easiest ways to support our local Roanoke Children’s Miracle Network Hospital is to purchase their Miracle Balloons. The Carilion Event webpage has a list of stores where the balloons may be purchased as well as many exciting upcoming fund raiser events.

I love helping out my community and keeping them informed on local events. I am also passionate about assisting those who want to buy lakefront property, so call me, Vicki Millehan. I have over 19 years of experience in selling waterfront homes, and am a long-time resident of Smith Mountain Lake.

Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or want to broaden your tastes, the Sedalia Center’s 4th Annual Jazz & Wine Festival has something to offer everyone. Come out for a classic evening of wine tasting and jazz music featuring talented artists and a rare chance to sample the tastes of some of the region’s best vintners. The smooth voices and musicianship of Jane L. Powell, Nat Reeves, and the Vince Lewis Trio will provide the perfect backdrop to your wine-tasting experience while you sample wines from Blue Ridge Vineyard, Century Beverage Distributor, Chateau Z Vineyard, and Fincastle Winery, among many others.

The event takes place in the Sedalia Center’s shaded, atmospheric open-air pavilion. The artists are local legends, with Jane Powell beginning her singing career in Roanoke, Virginia and Nat Reeves being born in nearby Lynchburg. Powell has been described as having a soulful style and a five-octave range, performing throughout the US, Canada and the Caribbean and has been featured in a national McDonalds commercial, a Dino DeLaurentis film Marie and in the 1999 New Line comedy, The Bachelor. Nat Reeves and The Vince Lewis Trio have also received national acclaim and airplay. These artists are divine jazz musicians who will put on a performance you won’t want to miss out on at the Sedalia Center!

Bring your friends and family out for a night of refined relaxation and all sorts of live entertainment with music, dancing, and drinks from 4:00-10:00 pm on August 27th at the Sedalia Center located at 1108 Sedalia School Road in Bedford, VA. It is convenient to Smith Mountain Lake and only costs $15 for an advance ticket and $20 at the gate for a night of music, wine, vendors, festival food and beverages. Advance tickets may be purchased here.

For more information, call (434) 299-5080 or visit www.sedaliacenter.org

If you’re interested in the hunting and archery amenities in the Smith Mountain Lake and Franklin County areas, this event may be for you! Blackwater Bowhunters is hosting a 3-D Archery Tournament on August 20th & August 21st. With 14 paper spot and 25 +1 3D targets, the building is well-equipped for the tournament and can cater to all participants. If you’ve never tried your hand at archery, the 3D targets are the perfect, safe way to get started, and for old pros you can come join this competitive event and enjoy a special breakfast and lunch provided on site by “By George” restaurant.

Blackwater Bowhunters is located at 1084 Wirtz Road in Wirtz, VA and is convenient to Smith Mountain Lake and Westlake.

Another tournament event, the Tough Man Tournament event will be hosted on August 27th. For both events registration begins at 8:00 am and ends at 2:00 pm each day. The cost is $10 for the First Round and $5 for each additional round, but only the first round counts for tournament scoring.

Blackwater Bowhunters has a charter from the Virginia Bowhunters Association and participates in many community outreach events. Please come out on August 20th, 21st and 27th for some 3D and recreational fun with your family and friends and to support our local businesses!

In a recent article in the Smith Mountain Eagle, our local American Red Cross was reaching out to blood donors. The article pointed out that its blood supply remains at a critically low level, even though hundreds of local residents donated blood after a national campaign reached out to them.

As a long-time resident and top Realtor of Smith Mountain Lake, I wanted to do my part in assisting Virginia’s American Red Cross by reaching out not only to Smith Mountain Lake residents, but all Virginia residents to donate blood.

The recent heat may be part of the reason why blood supplies are so low. Many don’t want to venture out into the heat, while those who do may have elevated temperatures that disqualify them from donating. On a daily basis 38,000 blood donations are required to meet the demand. In order to meet this demand, someone must donate blood every two seconds. On average three pints of blood are required for one transfusion. Only 38% of the population is eligible to give blood.

There are many benefits to donating blood. By donating just one pint of blood, you may be helping as many as three people! We all know how good it feels to help others…and all it takes is just one hour of your time!

Donated blood helps many Americans. Much of the donated blood is used for accident victims and cancer patients.

We know that blood transfusions are often required by accident victims. But I was surprised to learn that 100 pints of blood may be needed by a single victim of a car crash.

Almost all of us have friends or family who have been stricken by cancer, especially since over one million people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many cancer victims require daily blood transfusions while they are undergoing chemotherapy.

The American Red Cross website is wonderful. It will answer all of your questions on donating blood.

The Appalachian Blood Services website has the contact information for the Roanoke Blood Donor Center as well as other Virginia blood donor centers.

I urge everyone in Smith Mountain Lake and in all of Virginia to donate blood. The American Red Cross states: “The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.™”

If you are one of the 38% that can’t donate blood, but want to lend a helping hand, you can always host a blood drive or volunteer your time.

I love helping out my community, and I love assisting those who want to buy lakefront property, so call me, Vicki Millehan. I have over 19 years of experience in selling waterfront homes, and am a long-time resident of Smith Mountain Lake.

Smith Mountain Lake has a fine array of cultural events for anyone with a creative spark to enjoy and participate in. For those interested, The Little Gallery serves the community with a wide collection of fine art. They not only sell handmade pottery, jewelry, stained glass, blown glass and prints from impressionist to wildlife and oil to watercolor, but they offer lake residents a chance to become immersed in local art and culture and dive into their creative side with demonstrations and other events featuring some of the lake area’s premiere artists and artisans.

Sky, Sea, and Isle by Greg Osterhaus shown above

During July, The Little Gallery has a full schedule of demonstrations. The events are as follows:

• July 14 & 15th-Greg Cartmell painting demonstration and display of new work (from 1:00-3:00 pm)
• July 16th-Gary Dulac Jewelry Trunk Show
• July 23rd-Carrie Mcnutt artist demonstration
• July 30 & 31-Ruth Cline (the “Bead Baker”) jewelry-making demonstration and trunk show

Each month, The Little Gallery also has a feature artist on display. The featured artist for August is Greg Osterhaus, who will be visiting The Little Gallery on August 6th from 1:00-3:00 p.m. To see Greg’s works for sale at the shop, visit their site at Greg Osterhaus at The Little Gallery.

The Little Gallery is conveniently located on the lower level of Bridgewater Plaza, just south of Halesford Bridge at 16430 Booker T. Washington Hwy. in Moneta, VA. Click for directions, and for more information on these events send an email to Carol Swain and Kay King or call at 540-721-1596.

Whether you are an amateur just getting started or an experience creative genius, we could all use a little more art, culture, and community in our lives. Come out to The Little Gallery to enrich your mind and delight in the diverse art scene that beautiful Smith Mountain Lake has to offer!