Smith Mountain Lake Community Park Beach Opens May 24

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Dianne

frnklincommunitybeach2The beach area at Smith Mountain Lake Community Park will open on weekends, beginning Friday, May 24. The beach will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends only through June 9.

The cost of using the beach and swimming area is $2 per adult. Children 3 and under are admitted free. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Beach users will need to enter the center gate to receive a wristband for the day from the lifeguard, according to the Franklin County Parks and Recreation Department.

This beach is open only when lifeguards are on duty, and swimming is only permitted in the designated swimming area.

Lifeguards for this year are Kayla Anderson, Sarah Bidwell, Ashley Dillon, Taylor Greenway, Megan Henderson, Nick Montgomery, Stephanie Perdue, Nick Weir, Jessica Whitlow and Hannah Wood.

Beginning June 13, the beach will open every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Aug. 12 when the beach will again close on weekdays. The beach area will close on Sept. 3.

Smith Mountain Lake Community Park is open seven days a week from dawn to dusk. Features of the park include a playground, picnic facilities, 1.5-mile hiking and walking trail and a fully accessible fishing pier.

The park is located at the end of Park Place Boulevard. Motorists should take 122 toward Westlake, taking a right on Scruggs Road. Then follow the park signs to the park.

For more detailed directions or more information, visit www.franklincountyva.gov/parks or call FranklinCounty Parks & Recreation at 540-483-9293.

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Have You Voted for Franklin County’s Friendliest Staff?

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Dianne

imagesCATG3M9KJonathan’s Restaurant at Westlake is the leader going into the second half of the Friendliest Staff in Franklin County 2013 contest. The staff at the Franklin County Circuit Court Clerk’s office is a strong second. Several other restaurants, including Ruth’s Place, Franklin Restaurant and the Hub, are also doing well.

The contest, sponsored by the Retail Merchants Association, is a way to have fun as well as raise money for the RMA and Helping Hands. Residents “vote” for the friendliest staff by placing money in a container at each participating business.

A quarter represents one vote.

At the end of the contest period, votes will be tallied and the winner will be announced. Proceeds will be split between the RMA and Helping Hands.

These are the participants: Applebee’s, Arby’s, Check into Cash, Paul Crawford Insurance Agency, Dairy Queen-Penhook, Daniel’s Place-Henry, Dr. Charles Burt, FC Clerk of Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Franklin Restaurant, Glade Hill Minute Market, Hub Restaurant, Jonathan’s Restaurant-Westlake, M T Mitchell Store-Sontag, Papa John’s Pizza, Pit Stop Market and Deli – 220S Sydnorsville, Pizza King, Ruth’s Place Restaurant – 220N, Sally’s – 220S, Henry, Seventy Seven Restaurant- Ferrum, Smith Mountain Lake Family Practice – Westlake, Subway – Boones Mill, Virginia Office Supply, Whistle Stop – Union Hall

For more information, call Tom Gourley at 540-483-9211, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. or leave a message at 540-576-3602.

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Bower Center 5th Annual Cajun Crawfish Boil – May 25th

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Dianne

Mark your calendar for Wharton Memorial’s Fifth Annual Crawfish Dinner, generously sponsored by Dr. John Bower and Edna Curry. Join the crowd for live Zydeco (cajun-style) music and the party of the year in Bedford!

fifth-crawfish-boil-table-300x240The food is fabulous and a rare treat in these parts. Large freshwater crawfish are brought to Bedford live and boiled on the spot. Chicken gumbo and red beans & rice are made from old Louisiana recipes. Crawfish étouffée, a dish found in both Cajun and Creole cuisine, is most popular in New Orleans and in the bayou country of the southernmost half of Louisiana. The base of an étouffée is a dark roux. As in many Louisiana dishes, onions, green peppers and celery (a combination often referred to as the holy trinity) are added to the roux. The étouffée is usually seasoned with cayenne pepper, white pepper, fresh garlic, fresh parsley, salt, sometimes paprika, and, depending on the chef, a host of other seasonings! Last but not least, save room for corn on the cob!

Location & Date The festival will be held on Saturday evening, May 25th in the beautiful Wharton Garden – starting at 5pm.

In case of rain: the festival will be held in the old Murray Bolling building at 317 Jackson Street–just across the street from Bower Center and behind Dave’s Auto.

Don’t know where to find the party? View the location here.

Tickets $30 in advance online, $35 at the gate. $10 dollars for kids 12 and under. Kids 5 and under get in free!

Included in ticket price: “all you can eat” (on site… no carry-out), tea/lemonade, and great music!

Beer/wine available for purchase.

Note: No coolers allowed

Interested in volunteering? The festival requires much more help than the Board and committee members who normally support our operations can accomplish alone. Tasks we could use help with: setting up tables and chairs in the garden, collecting tickets, selling wine and beer and removing tables/chairs at the end.

We need volunteers both on Friday, May 24 for early preparations and on Saturday, May 25, the day of the Crawfish Festival. Please contact the Bower Center to discuss what time you would be available and the duties you might like to do. Some tasks require strong arms, but there are many that are not strenuous! If you’re interested, please call 540-586-4235 or email us. Thank you!

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Reynolds Wins Bass Fishing League Tournament at Smith Mountain Lake

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Dianne

med_gallery_39405_749_585562According to Bass Resource, Benjamin Reynolds, Callands, Va., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division tournament on Smith Mountain Lake. For his victory, Reynolds earned $4,315 plus $2,000 Ranger Cup bonus.

“It’s pretty special,” said Reynolds about his second BFL victory. “I had a pretty good practice on Friday and felt like I had found some fish that could win the tournament for me. I was feeling pretty good.

“Then Saturday came, I went to my first bed fish and I couldn’t get her to bite. I fooled with her for about an hour and finally decided to move to my next bed and the fish on that bed was gone. I then decided that it was time to chalk my game plan from Friday and try something different.”

Reynolds attributed part of his success to his knowledge of the lake. After working a couple of beds without reward and pulling up on a couple of beds that were empty he decided to fish areas where he knew good fish lived and that he had success on in the past.

“Three of my fish came on crankbaits and drop-shotting around shallow boat docks,” Reynolds continued. “I was able to get two off their beds, a 3- and 7-pounder using shaky head worms on a spinning rod. I just let the fish tell me what I needed to do.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros were:

2nd:   Bobby Rakes, Max Meadows, Va., five bass, 16-0, $2,157
3rd:   John Hutchins, Warrenton, Va., five bass, 15-3, $1,439
4th:   Gregg Basham, Salem, Va., five bass, 14-5, $1,007
5th:   Tommy Little, Chester, Va., five bass, 14-2, $863
6th:   Rick McFaul, Phoenix, Md., five bass, 14-1, $791
7th:   Mike Altizer, Vinton, Va., five bass, 13-15, $719
8th:   Moe Bae, West Friendship, Md., five bass, 13-13, $647
9th:   James Cassaday, Wirtz, Va., five bass, 13-11, $575
10th:   Thomas Wooten, Huddleston, Va., five bass, 13-3, $503

Mark Garraway of Fredericksburg, Va., weighed four bass totaling 12 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the co-angler division. Garraway earned $2,157 for his victory.  Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:

2nd:  Larry McCausland, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 12-13, $1,079
3rd:   Dennis Burdette, Lindside, W. Va., five bass, 11-5, $717
4th:   Chris Cundiff, Wirtz, Va., five bass, 11-4, $503
5th:   Junior Roberts, Ringgold, Va., four bass, 9-13, $431
6th:   Mike Morris, Dover, Del., five bass, 9-8, $396
7th:   Edward Louthen, Princeton, W. Va., five bass, 9-4, $360
8th:   Robert Coyner, Stuarts Draft, Va., four bass, 8-15, $324
9th:   Keith Goldberg, Eagle Rock, Va., five bass, 8-12, $288
10th: Tim Goff, Forest, Va., five bass, 8-3, $239
10th: Bill Naron, Beaverdam, Va., five bass, 8-3, $239

The next BFL Shenandoah Division tournament is scheduled for June 15 on the Potomac River in Marbury, Md. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

 

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FloydFest 2013 – July 25 – 28

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Dianne

FloydFest 2013

JUL 25– JUL 28, 2013

FLOYD, VIRGINIA (BLUE COW PAVILION)

floydfestFloydFest is a world music and arts festival held annually near Floyd, Virginia, situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It began in 2002 and has received excellent reviews ever since, earning a name for itself in 2005 when it played host to well-known folk singer Ani DiFranco. It lasts for four days with on-site camping and has over seven stages featuring Rock, Bluegrass, Reggae, Folk, Cajun or Zydeco, African, World and Appalachian performers and showcases local Arts and Crafts, in addition to scheduling music and dance workshops and other small events, such as morning yoga lessons, story telling, and poetry readings, and a Children’s Universe tent.

Buy tickets!

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Armed Forces Day – May 18, 2013

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Dianne

Armed_Forces_Day

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Smith Mountain Lake International Cooking School

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Dianne

There was an article in the May/June 2013 Issue of Lynchburg Living about the Smith Mountain Lake International Cooking School.  The article was written by Tiffany Lyttle, creator of LynchburgEats.com.  I tried to share the news about unique cooking venture but could not find a share button.

thaiBasically the article talked about Chef Mantana Heim who teaches classes through the Bower Center and at her home overlooking Smith Mountain Lake.  The students choose from culinary topics such as “Chicken Masman Curry and Fresh Spring Rolls” to healthy dining and artisan bread-making.

Classes are timed so that students my eat their own creations on the deck of Heim’s home while watching the sun set over the beautiful lake.  Heim uses the thai2best and freshest local ingredients whenever possible and supports local markets, including the one in her own backyard.

The cost of the private classes is $45 per person.  Email Heim at Smlthaichef@aol.com for more information.  Learning from local culinary creators can certainly make every day dishes more delicious! Doesn’t this sound like a fun and yummy thing to do?

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Moneta Farm & Home Center 3rd Annual Pink Day – May 18th

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Dianne

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11th Annual Pigg River Ramble May 18 – 20

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Dianne

Ramble_2011
The 11th annual Pigg River Ramble will be held the weekend of May 18-20.

Franklin County Parks and Recreation is heading up the weekend events, starting with the 7th annual Blackwater Blackout. Registration will start at 5 p.m. Friday evening with entertainment and food at 6 p.m. County Bound is providing the music.

A 2.5-mile float down the Blackwater River will follow after dark. The Blackout is held at the old Cooper Lumber Co. Bridge. Shuttles will be provided and proceeds benefit the Antioch Community Park.

Saturday’s events at Waid Park include an 8-mile float down the “Mighty Pigg” and the legendary “Ledge.” A mandatory race meeting will take place at 10 a.m.

Ramble Racers begin at 10:30 a.m. and floaters at 11:20 a.m. This year, the Great Duck Race will be at Waid Park at 5 p.m. Bobby “Bobby Q” Ammerson will prepare BBQ for the participants after their journey.

There will be cash prizes for theme boat winners, so dress your boat and yourself up to win. The awards presentation is set from 4 to 6 p.m.

Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital sponsors kids activities and post-race festivities, so bring chairs or blankets. Starting at the old Cooper Lumber Co. Bridge on Sunday morning, the annual Breakfast on the Blackwater will get under way with registration from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. with the 2.5-mile float beginning at 10 a.m.

The Hub Restaurant will again provide breakfast and there will be a morning worship service as well. Final shuttle for the event will be at noon.

To register ,call the rec dept. at 483-9293 or contact debraweir@franklincountyva.org.

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Have You Met Zoe?

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Dianne

shared from WSET:

22261919_BG2Visitors to The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford are being greeted by a four-legged volunteer.

Zoe, a 1-year-old Shetland sheepdog, belongs to Site Operations Manager Jim McCann.

McCann has been bringing Zoe to work since she was a puppy. Zoe, a certified therapy dog, meets visitors at the door of the memorial gift shop.

“The first time we knew Zoe was going to be alright with veterans, we had a veteran come and he was in a wheelchair and someone said, ‘Can he hold your dog?’,” said McCann. “I just put her on his lap and he was just happy as can be.”

Zoe is at the memorial every Wednesday and on other days occasionally.

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