Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce and Retail Alliance are offering a FREE Customer Service Seminar on Friday, July 14th, 2009.

Superior customer service is an organization’s or individuals ability to consistently and constantly exceed customer expectations.  The reward for your efforts is a loyal customer who returns again and again to purchase your product or visit your destination.  To earn your customers’ repeat business you need to focus on Attitude, Consistency, Service and Teamwork.  Attitude is EVERYTHING.

• Program Objectives:
  Identify why customer service is beneficial to your business and your community
• Identify and practice positive behaviors that enhance customer service skills
• Learn to treat your co-workers as your INTERNAL customers
• Give front-line employees the confidence and support they need to shine as hosts
• Lead by example

SML Chamber of Commerce members will be able to attend for FREE, non-members $10.

The speaker is Bobbie Walker, Partnership Marketing Education Director for Virginia Tourism Corporation.

The annual Smith Mountain Lake Fireworks and Fire Company Fundraiser will take place at Parkway Marina in Huddleston on Saturday, July 4.  These fireworks are usually some of the best in on the East Coast. 

But the 4th of July is not just about fireworks. There will be an entire weekend of fun activities, including live music with “The Worx” and much more to follow. There will be a Custom Bike Show, Antique and Custom Car Show, rides for the kids, good food and drinks and of course spectacular fireworks.

There is no admission fee, however parking is $10 per car load (based on number of spaces used). Parking is limited, please consider car pooling. No Pets Allowed – No Coolers or Picnic Baskets. Bring Lawn Chairs & Blankets. Rain Date is July 5th, 2009 (Fireworks Only). For more specific details or to make a donation for the festivities visit www.SMLFireworks.org. Or call 540-297-4412 with questions regarding the 4th celebrations.

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Do you know someone at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia who is thinking of building a new home? Or maybe you are considering a lovely piece of Smith Mountain Lake real estate and will be looking for a builder yourself.

Southern Heritage Homes’  in Franklin Co. Virginia offers excellent quality workmanship on their home building, as well as a “Share with a Friend Program”.  Refer anyone you know who is in the market to buy a new home.  If the referral results in a signed contract we will give you $1200 that you keep or share with the purchaser.  Call 540-489-7700 or e-mail dparrington@shhomes.net for guidelines.

Those of us who live in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia know what a ‘lake lover’ is. But what is a ‘lake lubber’? Apparently they reside all over the world and are defined as folks who simply can’t get enough of beautiful lakes.

There is even a pretty neat site for you if you happen to be a ‘lake lubber’, called Lake Lubbers.com. You can go to this site and find out all kinds of cool information about gorgeous lakes all around the United States and all over the world.

If you love to set out for an adventure and travel cross country, you just choose the state you want to visit and it pulls up a list of lakes in that region. If you prefer to stay within a days radius of home, you can simply visit their page on Lakes in Virginia.

Once you choose a lake you are interested in visiting you can find out what the weather is there and what sort of amenities it might offer as a vacation spot, pictures of the area and much more. I even learned things about our own Smith Mountain Lake that I was not aware of. I also found out that if you have a business at SML and you post a paid listing to “Smith Mountain Lake” on http://www.Lakelubbers.com during June, they will add 6 months to your listing free.  Call 540-721-3327 to claim your bonus!

One thing I don’t think I will ever tire of, are the fun and fantastic offerings of musical talent at Smith Mountain Lake. I love the great diversity of style and presentation and the beauty of each unique artist and their songs. Over the years I have learned to appreciate many types or genres of music and I hope you will find some on the calendar of events that will bring you enjoyment as well.

Life at Smith Mountain Lake is full of opportunities to be part of improving both ourselves and our community. Below you will find two such opportunities to make a difference in peoples lives.

Smith Mountain Lake real estate is some of the loveliest in the state and is thought of by many to be the perfect location for a home. Especially for those with families or who are thinking of retiring, Smith Mountain Lake is ideal.

But with the economy being a bit on the down side right now, many people cannot afford to buy an established home with high dollar value. That would make a lot on Smith Mountain Lake the perfect option for some of us. You can take a beautiful lot like this one in Hardy, Va. for $99,000 and then invest what you can afford in creating your dream home.

This particular lot on Lakeshore Terrace Road in Hardy is very convenient to Roanoke & only 5 minutes to Bay Roc Marina. It shares a charming cove on a quiet part of the lake. It has been recently cleared & is ready to be built on.

There is a rough driveway already cut into this nicely level lot and a possible home site just past driveway. This lot (#79) is in a great neighborhood and if you need more space you may even be able to purchase lots #77 & #78 as well.

You can find out more details, and get honest, caring and professional service by visiting the Smith Mountain Homes website or by contacting Paul Moore and his team at Smith Mountain Homes at (866) 879-0211. You can also email Paul today.

I am not a big golfer, but I know beauty when I see it and Smith Mountain Lake’s Mariner’s Landing is a gorgeous golf course.

Listed as one of the “Best Places To Play” in the 2008/2009 Golf Digest, this 18 hole championship golf course is a must for those who appreciate the sport. Mariners Landing offers several possibilities as far as membership options and is open to the public as well. Also their membership rates and other fees seem reasonable compared to other top of the line courses in the region.

There are a number of special golfing activities at Mariners Landing throughout the year. Two of the most popular events each year are tje Four-Ball Open, where local professionals and low handicap amateurs can show their stuff, and the Andrew Haley / SML Lions Memorial Junior Tournament. Other fun events are the Monday Night 9 hole captain’s choice and covered dish dinner, Wednesday evening captain’s choice, known as Boy’s Night Out, and Senior Men’s Golf Association (Greybeards) play each Tuesday and Thursday morning.

Any way you play it, if you love golf, you will love the Mariner’s Landing Golf Course!

The 21st is officially the first day of summertime, and at Smith Mountain Lake that means good food. Cook-outs, campfires with hot-dogs and smores, family reunions, ice-cream, grilling in the back yard, and much more.

Wonderful stuff that…but if you are trying to be weight conscious, summertime can be a challenge. Well I found a fabulous website with 10 great summertime recipes on it that are both healthy for those keeping tabs, and delicious to boot.

I was going to share just a couple of Janice Taylors delightful recipes with you, but then I decided it was too hard to choose between them. How could I pick salmon teriyaki over watermelon soup or Mediterranean pasta salad? So I will let you choose which of these tasty dishes you would like to try for yourself.

You can visit 10 Healthy Summer Recipes by clicking this link http://www.beliefnet.com/Love-Family/Recipes/10-Healthy-Summer-Recipes.aspx.

If you have not visited Mariner’s Landing at beautiful Smith Mountain Lake, you are missing a treat. It is a fantastic place to go for a special occasion. You can eat top of the line cuisine at their famous restaurant with stunning views or stay the weekend at the gorgeous lake resort, or play golf with the best. There are so many choices of wonderful things to enjoy that it would take too much space to list them all here.

But speaking of missing a treat, somehow I had missed seeing the Mariner’s Landing website. If I had run onto it just surfing the web, or searching out Smith Mountain Lake vacation spots, I would think it one of the most lovely and impressive areas in the Eastern United States.

If you have not visited the Mariner’s Landing website, take a look. I think you will like what you see. It does Smith Mountain Lake proud.