Month: October 2011

Westlake Cinema, in partnership with AFI Films, will be offering local screenings from AFI Films award-winning “100 Years…100 Movies” (10th Anniversary Edition) list beginning November 8 every Tuesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

The selected films chosen from AFI Films “100 Years…100 Movies” (10th Anniversary Edition) list and its respective ranking are scheduled through the end of the year as follows:

“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939) (#26)
Tuesday, Nov. 8 and Friday, Nov. 11        1 p.m.

“Casablanca” (1942) (#3)
Tuesday, Nov. 15 and Friday, Nov. 18      1 p.m.

“Singin’ in the Rain” (1952) (#5)
Tuesday, Nov. 22 and Friday, Nov. 25      1 p.m.

“Saving Private Ryan” (1998) (#71)
Tuesday, Nov. 29 and Friday, Dec. 2       1 p.m.

“Forrest Gump” (1994) (#76)
Tuesday, Dec. 6 and Friday, Dec. 9         1 p.m.

“E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) (#24)
Tuesday, Dec. 13 and Friday, Dec. 16     1 p.m.

“A Street Car Named Desire” (1951) (#47)
Tuesday, Dec. 20 and Friday, Dec. 23     1 p.m.

“It’s A Wonderful Life” (1946) (#20)
Tuesday, Dec. 27 and Friday, Dec. 30     1 p.m.

The weekly showings will be offered for a discounted ticket cost of $5.00. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. In addition, Westlake Cinema will be offering a $1.00 discount off individual concessions for these special screenings. Movie times are subject to change. Show times will publish in local media as well as on facebook, online and on the box office recording.

“AFI is a proven leader in film, television and digital media and their “100 Years…100 Movies” (10th Anniversary Edition) list is determined by a jury of 1,500 industry film artists, critics and historians. We are excited to offer Smith Mountain Lake and area residents the chance to walk down memory lane and witness these timeless classics on the big screen,” stated Christopher Finley, Director of Marketing and PR for The Willard Companies, owners of the cinema.

To view a complete film list of AFI’s “100 Years…100 Movies” (10th Anniversary Edition), visit online at WestlakeCinema.com. For additional questions about the Westlake Cinema and AFI Films “100 Years…100 Movies” film program, show times or other inquires, contact Thomas Althoff, General Manager of Westlake Cinema at (540) 721-6314.

About Westlake Cinema

Westlake Cinema is a 13,800-square-foot cinema featuring a four-plex movie theater with stadium seating, concessions and games. In addition, Westlake Cinema offers Dolby® Digital Surround Sound and optional headphones hooked to a USL Infrared Hearing System for those with hearing impairments. Westlake Cinema’s goal is to offer moviegoers an upscale theater with first run movies, state of the art sound system and full service concession area. Additional information about Westlake Cinema is available at WestlakeCinema.com

About the American Film Institute

AFI is America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers. AFI is dedicated to initiatives that engage the past, the present and the future of the moving image arts. Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.

Come to Smith Mountain Lake for the 9th-Annual Smith Mountain Lake Fall Chili and Craft Festival on Saturday, November 9th.  Enjoy a full-day event featuring music, crafts and a spectacular competitive chili cook-off.  Trophies will be awarded for “Best Chili,” “People’s Choice,” and “Showmanship.”  It’ll be a hot time at Smith Mountain Lake.  Held lakeside at Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta, near the Hales Ford Bridge.

There’s an active schedule planned with cooking beginning at 9:00 AM, tasting at noon, judging at 3:00 PM, awards at 4:00 PM and great fun for everyone all day long! The doors are open to the public from 11:00 AM until 4:00PM.  The festival is located next to Halesford Bridge on Route 122 in Moneta. There will be music by the Harmoneers Waterfront 4 Quartet, Gretna Little Theater presents a takeoff on the TV show Hee Haw, Candy Top, the Clown, Kyle Edgell, nationally know caricature artist, and plenty of plaza activity. Come out and visit with Miss Smith Mountain Lake, and Miss SML Outstanding Teen. And, of course, you’ll find lots of chili for every taste as participants compete for the title of Smith Mountain Lake Chili Festival Champion. The size of the trophy says it all! Stop by the Smith Mountain Lake Visitor’s Center to see for yourself. The trophies are already on display. Festival goers will share in the bounty and judging as they determine who wins the coveted ‘People’s Choice Award’. Showmanship and chili excellence go hand in hand at this event to the delight of the crowd.

There’s something for everyone at this lakeside event. Come by car or come by boat, there’s plenty of free parking. Put this festival into your ‘no frills’ entertainment schedule. Gatherings like this are all about enjoyment for everyone and what better place to gather than Smith Mountain Lake?

Official rules and contestant application forms are available on line at www.visitsmithmountainlake.com or at the SMLRCC Visitor Center at Bridgewater Plaza. The cost for chili contestants is only $25.00 for a 9 x 10 ft space.   Addtional spaces available at $75.00 each. All entries must be received no later than 5:00 PM, Friday, October 28th. This event features cooking, tasting, music, craft vendors…judges, prizes and much more. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place in Chili Cooking, 1st place Showmanship and the People’s Choice award. Join in on the fun as a spectator or a contestant. It’s going to be a “hot time” at Smith Mountain Lake. For more information, contact the SML Visitor’s Center at: 540.721.1203 or check out the website.

At Smith Mountain Lake you’ll find wonderful places and people. Our area’s great natural beauty–from the waters and woods to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia–is the perfect destination for your very own style of fun, whether you seek days full of activities or just plain relaxing.  Smith Mountain Lake – it’s closer than you think!

A stressful part of putting your Smith Mountain Lake home on the market is trying to figure out what to fix and upgrade to get the very best price. An experienced Prudential Waterfront Properties REALTOR will recommend projects to consider and ones to avoid. After all, just because you put money into a renovation project doesn’t mean you will recoup the money in a sale.

You may also want to consult Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report for a breakdown of typical returns on renovation projects large and small. The  24^th annual edition published earlier this year contains input from some of the country’s top remodeling professionals and ranked 35 remodeling projects for highest returns.

In many cases, smaller-scale renovation projects recoup more of their initial cost than larger, pricier ones, according to the report. For example, a minor $20,000 kitchen upgrade returns 72.8% of renovation costs, but a more expensive $58,000 kitchen remodel only retains 68.7% of its value on resale.

Surprisingly, the report noted that exterior upgrades recoup more of their costs than interior renovations — a trend that’s been building for the past five years. What’s the hottest exterior upgrade according to this year’s report? Replacing the front door with a steel entry door, which typically returns more than 100% of its cost.

The report also lists garage doors as a wise investment, returning up to 83% of their original cost when the home sells.  Other prudent outdoor renovations include siding and window replacement, returning 80% and 72.4 %, respectively.

Interior improvements retaining the most value include attic renovations and basement remodels, recouping 72.2% and 70%.

“Just like an addition to the home, an unfinished space—such as the attic or basement—will instantly add value and livability to your home, as it increases the square footage and changes the way your family lives in it,” said Will Tomlinson, owner of North Carolina-based greyHouse Inc. Renovation and Remodeling. “You will be transforming a space that likely gets very little use into a fully functional area for your family to enjoy.”

The report also notes that non-essential features have less resale value. Sunroom additions recoup only 48.6% of renovation costs; home office remodels, 45.8%; and backup power generators, 48.5%.

Of course, homeowners’ needs and budgets dictate their choice of home-improvement projects. Still, it helps to know projects’ cost vs. return ratio when making the final decisions.

A Fun Day for the Family
Fall Festival Supporting the United Way

Fall is officially here and there is no better way to enjoy the season than with your family. Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital is teaming up with the United Way for a festival including carnival games, prizes, food, health screenings, hospital tours and most importantly, fun!

Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Place: Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital

Free stroke screenings begin at 8 a.m.
To register, please call 540-266-6000.

180 Floyd Ave., Rocky Mount, VA 24523
540-483-5277
www.CarilionClinic.org

This fall, in the shadow of the incomparable Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, along the shores of beautiful Smith Mountain Lake, eight lovely, elegant homes with unique architectural designs, creative interior decorating, spectacular scenic views, unusual collections and antiques, and finely manicured landscaping, will open their doors for you and other visitors to enjoy this weekend on October 7, 8, 9.

The tour may be taken by either (private or rented) car or (private or rented) boat.  By land or by water, your day will be memorable.  Directions are provided on the following links:

• Click here for Directions to the Homes by Land
• Click here for Directions to the Homes by Water

Or you may enjoy some of the Tour during a Special Home Tour Luncheon Cruise aboard SML’s Virginia Dare sightseeing ‘Paddle-Wheeler’ on Sunday, 2-4 P.M. — Hear Home Tour background presentation and view several homes from the water. $37 for Tour ticket holders. Please click here to visit their website and for more details.

Learn more about the Tour in the following guide, video and TV News Special:

• Please click here to view the Home Tour Guide, which also provides directions to each home by land and water .
• Please click here to view a video about the SML Charity Home Tour
• Please note that Fox 21/27 news at 10 PM on Wed., Oct. 5 will show Becky Freemal’s Out and About segment, filmed at the Trotter home with the Homeonwers, Bill Piatt and SML Good Neighbors interviewed.

TOUR DATES 2011

Operates Rain or Shine
Friday	October 7, 2011	10 AM to 5 PM
Saturday	October 8, 2011	10 AM to 5 PM
Sunday	October 9, 2011	1PM to 5 PM

Homes are not handicap accessible. No children under 12 years of age, no babies in arms or carriers. The Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) all volunteer organization with funds distributed to selected local charities.

Please visit the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce Web Site (http://www.visitsmithmountainlake.com/) for more information on SML.  They also offer a free SML Guide.