Category — real estate

There have been some great improvements made at the Smith Mountain Lake Visitor Center. Near the beginning of this month the renovations began on the Center and have progressed until the present. The changes are ones worth seeing.

It’s amazing how a fresh coat of paint, some wall space highlighting and other improvements can go a long way towards a new and fabulous looking place.  In addition to maximizing the wall space, there is now a “Visitor Center Video Wall”  incorporating a High Definition Flat Screen LCD TV and DVD player.  This “Video Wall” will showcase local businesses and SML Chamber members with video billboards and videos highlighting the Smith Mountain Lake area and events. Come by the Smith Mountain Lake Visitor Center and check out their new look.

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The street this home is on says it all, Fantasy Point. This may well be your fantasy home come true at Smith Mountain Lake. This gorgeous piece of real estate encapsulates much of what makes Smith Mountain Lake, Va. such a popular place to live.

Located at 41 Fantasy Point Rd. Union Hall, Va. Asking price $898,950 down $200,000! Part of the Contentment Island sub-division, the setting of this lovely and peaceful home, offers glorious views of the mountains as well as some of the prettiest panoramas of the lake. There are also big glass windows everywhere for unbelievable sunsets and sunrise views.

The home and deck are maintenance free and there are beautiful glass railings inside and out. There is a wonderful tower room on the 3rd floor and all the fabulous furniture is included in the asking price!

To make an offer on this amazing home, to learn more or to visit in person call 1-877-SML-HOME or visit www.smithmountainhomes.com.

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There is a great deal of Christmas poetry posted here and there this time of year. We liked this one well enough to share it with our readers at Smith Mountain Lake. We would like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas from Smith Mountain Lake News!

Heaven’s Gift
by Sandra A. Popp

Heaven’s gift has come to man.
Mortal fate rests
In tiny hallowed hands.
Shepherds singing, a shining star,
Angels proclaiming,
Kings bearing gifts from afar.
A scene of serene glory,
The weight of a holy hush,
The meaning of heaven’s story,
God’s first CHRISTmas gift to us.

Who would recall the power of that day,
At the time when He was led away,
Bearing a crown, a robe, and fateful wounds?
Heaven’s gift laid in a tomb.

Shall we turn from that holy day
And walk away unchanged?
Will we allow it to envelope our souls
Or let it slip slowly away?

Through plastic, tinsel, parties and gifts,
Shopping, planning, and Christmas lights lit,
Can the Lord’s simple gift be heard or seen,
Or is it lost beneath the holiday sheen?

Let us not forget that He loves us so.
He loved us too much to let us go.
He sent a plan with His sacrifice
To forgive and cleanse and give us life.

Embrace the greatest gift of all;
Don’t let your sense of true meaning wane.
The gift of heaven is yours to receive.
It was the only reason He came.

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Any time is a good time to think of those at Smith Mountain Lake who may not be as fortunate as you have been in life. But with Christmas right around the corner, it is especially relevant to consider if there may be young people in need of a mentor, a friend and a connection to family.

Southwest Virginia Big Brothers Big Sisters has been reaching out to kids in the community for over 40yrs.  Their intention is to provide good role models to kids who are lacking healthy adult interaction. They hope to give the kids a bigger perspective on what life can offer and improve their self confidence.

If you would be willing to help guide, encourage and spend time with a young person in your community, you could be a huge blessing as a mentor in Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

You can contact Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virginia in the Moneta office at 540-345-9604 or visit them on the web at www.bigslittles.org.

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Our lovely Smith Mountain Lake community is all ablaze with the glitter and charm that tells us Christmas is here. Most of us love this time of year for so many reasons, it’s hard to list them all.

We love the presents and the lights and the anticipation. We love the good food and the family visits and the parties. And all of those are enjoyable and pleasant and should be things we look forward to.

But we should not bury our heads in the sand. Christmas may also be one of the few remaining nationally celebrated symbols of the Christian faith. Who would have ever dreamed that a simple day set aside to honor God’s coming to give this world hope,  would one day be a focal point of political strife.

I do not like the commercial end of Christmas and our family does not make a big deal of anything except spending time with people we love. But as someone who believes in the birth of God in human form, I will make it a point to say “Merry Christmas” and thus make my position clear.

If those who care about religious freedom do not intentionally choose to stand up and stand out in the little things that denote faith, we will wake up one day and wonder what happened to this nation that used to be Christian.

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Many of us at Smith Mountain Lake have done the majority of our Christmas shopping. But if you are anything like us, you will remember last minute, someone you forgot to buy for. Or maybe you just need to get a few more little things for visitors over the holidays. Whatever your need here are a few ideas you can consider from some of our local businesses as possible gift ideas.

This holiday season why not give your friends and family a unique gift, a spectacular audio/visual display of the lake and surrounding area on DVD only $7(shipping included) online or $5 at the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center. For more information, or to order online click here.

Now available from PRATT PHOTOGRAPHY - Scenes of Smith Mountain Lake 2010 Calendar – 7th annual collection of beautiful lake area scenes. Makes a great holiday gift!  Limited quantity available. Contact Ted Pratt at ted.pratt@yahoo.com or 540-880-4848.

Christmas is coming and your elderly family and friends deserve unique and helpful gifts found at Lake Home Medical- heat transfer sleepwear, bath safety items and scrubs for professionals to name a few.  Visit us at 45 Westlake Rd in the Four Square Building, Hardy, VA.

For murals and hand painted art and other items visit a local artisan at ArtFromTheHeartBySue.etsy.com. Call for Susan Thompson (540) 489-4284.

Give the gift of health this Christmas Season! Through 12/24, The Bedford and Moneta Area Family YMCAs are waiving the joiner fee! Save up to $150!  We have gift certificates so that you can give health to your friends, family members or co-workers!  Call 540-296-1059 for more information.

Jan’s Indian Jewelry & Trading Post featuring Authentic Native American
Sterling Silver Jewelry.  90-day layaway, gift cards, 10% discounts.
Variety of holiday gift ideals. Located in Downtown Moneta,
Celebration Ave., Suite 105, 540-297-6216.

Looking for a great Christmas present for the family? How about a membership in Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club? We offer Skeet, Trap and Sporting Clays as well as our rifle and pistol ranges, fifteen minutes from Westlake.  Visit www.roanokerifle.com or contact Jake Aaron at 540-721-1148.

 Join Hickory Hill Vineyards & Winery for a Holiday Open House the first three Saturdays of December! Sip hot mulled wine and taste seasonal snacks while browsing the gift shop for wine and wine related gifts for the wine lovers on you list! 11am-5pm. (540) 296-1393 or www.hickoryhillvineyards.com

Upper End Again Consignment is the best treasure and gift hunt on the Bedford side of the bridge. We  are still in Halesford Ctr, but a larger location. Also great way to sell your unneeded home accessories and furniture. Or decorate your home at fashionable prices. Call 540-297-5814.

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Smith Mountain Lake Television? Yes, but it may not be exactly what you think. SML TV, powered by a company called Sellavision Media, now has it’s first 2 host display screens in place for public viewing so you can see for yourself what it’s all about.

The first screen is located at Solid Ground Coffee and Tea. It was up and running on November  21st. The second screen, hosted at VitaZen’s new location was online December 1st.

Stop by and see this exciting new advertising and information network or you can contact Sellavision Media at (540) 721-3602 or Fax: (540) 721-3502 for more information.

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It seems to have all started when a daughter of some Smith Mountain Lake residents came home to visit and fell in love with the lake all over again. This particular woman also happens to work for a production studio which decided to make a movie depicting the peace she found at the lake.

The production studio is Life Out Loud. The name of the movie is “Lake Effects” and it’s storyline is simple but interesting. Two sisters lose their father and re-evaluate the choices of their varied lives (one has gone to the big city, the other stayed at the lake).

In addition to the “Lake Effects” feature, Life Out Loud Films LLC also plans to expand the development of a separate documentary centered on Smith Mountain Lake and Southwest Virginia.

You can read the complete story about the movie’s origins as well as the press release at lifeoutloudfilms.com.

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All the folks in Smith Mountain Lake, Va. and all over the world, have been given a marvelous gift called “choice”.

If you have ever made a bad decision or had regrets for things you have done then you will understand the next couple of stories.

I have a friend who called me up and told me he had found the woman of his dreams. The next thing you know they are eloping after knowing each other less than 2 months.

Everyone gave them good advice about taking it slow and being sure of their compatability and most of all whether they were walking in God’s will.  But their feelings of being in love won out.

A year later they were divorced. Today both their lives are broken and troubled. They neither one fully recovered from their devastated marriage and sought quick fixes to salve the pain (which led to worse problems in the long run.)

A neighbor lives on 8 acres or so and raises a variety of domestic animals. She takes great care of her animals and sees to their upkeep diligently. But none of us are perfect. She told me that she had recently noticed one of her chickens was sick, but with her busy schedule that week, she had put off treating her. A few days later she died due to lack of response from her owner.

No doubt you see the thread in these 2 tales. In each situation the results could have been different if the choices involved had been different.

God has given us the miraculous gift of choice. It can be both wonderful and disastrous in the resulting consequences. Most of the horrible things that happen in this life are due to some human choice. Many decisions also lead to beautiful outcomes.

It’s simple really, life is made up of opportunities to choose. Even our smallest choices have a consequence for good or evil, much farther reaching than we realize.

Galatians 6:7 says “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”

Too often we trick ourselves into thinking that little choices we make do not really matter. We rationalize decisions to make them acceptable to our minds and deceive ourselves into thinking there will be no consequences.

But we will all reap what we sow! So take advantage of the power God has given you to choose right and to choose life over death. .

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The Willard Companies is excited to announce Smith Mountain Lake’s Third Annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony in conjunction with a “Holiday Open House” and  U.S. Marines Toys for Tots drive at Westlake Towne Center. New this year is that the three day event will begin on Thursday, December 3, 2009 from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. and will continue through Saturday, December 5, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. All events will take place in front of Westlake Library and the Retail Shops.

The Blue Spruce holiday tree selected for the event will stand approximately 22’ tall and was picked from Joe’s Tree Farm in Craig County, Virginia. The tree will be centrally located at the retail shopping center and stand in front of Westlake Library at Westlake Towne Center.

In addition to the holiday tree lighting ceremony, the U.S. Marines will be coordinating a flag lowering ceremony in support of Toys for Tots drive. Flag presentation recipients will be Bill King, Former National Commander of the 29^th Division Association along with wife, Juanita King, Current Women’s National Commander of the 29^th Division Association. Toys for Tots collection boxes will be located inside each of the participating businesses including Inside Out by Kris, Haywood’s Jewelers, Westlake Salon & Spa, Cottage Gate, The Little Gallery II, Smith Mountain Lake Retirement Village (Runk & Pratt), Westlake Library, Kroger, Carilion Clinic and Westlake Cinema. The first 150 individuals who donate a new, unwrapped toy will be given a complimentary ticket to a special showing of “Polar Express” at Westlake Cinema, which is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. immediately following the event. The movie voucher can be picked up at any participating retail store during the night of the event once a toy is donated. Tickets are not available for purchase.

During Thursday evening’s festivities, participating Towne Center businesses will also be offering previews to exclusive holiday gifts while serving refreshments. In addition, a live concert featuring the Smith Mountain Lake Harmeneers, Philip and Tara Bouknight, and Dudley Elementary is scheduled throughout the evening. Holiday photos opportunities with Santa Claus will be available. A breakdown of the three-day event is as follows:

Thursday, December 3, 2009

4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
“Holiday Open House”
Santa Claus Visit
Children and Family Holiday Photo Opportunities

5:30 
US Marines Flag Ceremony and Presentation
Toys for Tots drive

6:00
Smith Mountain Lake Harmeneers

6:45
Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
Philip and Tara Bouknight
Dudley Elementary Children Choir

8:00
“Polar Express” movie

Friday, December 4, 2009 and Saturday, December 5, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.    Retail Businesses “Holiday Open House”

During the “Holiday Open House,” shoppers can also register at each participating store for a Gift Pack drawing along with enjoying complimentary refreshments. Each store will have entry forms and a list of gifts. One person will win a complete gift pack at the conclusion of Saturday’s event.

According to Christopher Finley, Director of Marketing and Communications for The Willard Companies, “With a number of other regional events scheduled this time of year, we moved the Holiday Open House and Tree lighting ceremony to Thursday night to allow more lake-area families to come out and enjoy a great kickoff to the holiday season. We are really excited to offer a forum for the community to come together, support local businesses, and collect toy donations for a worthy cause.”

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