COMMUNITY
Connection
FALL EDITION 2024
Bedford County Community Connection highlights the latest news from Bedford County, Virginia’s government departments. It is published quarterly online (January, April, July, October).
CONTACT
PHONE 540-586-7601
EMAIL publicinfo@bedfordcountyva.gov
ADDRESS
122 East Main Street Bedford, VA 24523
WEBSITE
www.bedfordcountyva.gov
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: BedfordCountyVAGovernment
Instagram: @bedfordcountyvirginia
LinkedIn: Bedford County, Virginia
X: @BedfordCountyVA
YouTube: @CountyofBedford
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
DISTRICT 1
Mickey Johnson
DISTRICT 2
Edgar Tuck (Chair)
DISTRICT 3
Charla Bansley
DISTRICT 4
John Sharp
DISTRICT 5
Tommy Scott
DISTRICT 6
Bob Davis
DISTRICT 7
Tammy Parker (Vice Chair)
Learn more: www.bedfordcountyva.gov/BOS
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Shelley Basinger, Mike Butler, Ashlee Glen, Woody Watts
ON THE COVER Volunteers at the New London Cannery distribute hot venison stew into cans.
Photo by Ashlee Glen
Bedford County's new "Love Where You Live" initiative makes it easier for residents and groups to clean up their community's roads.
PAGE 5
Community partners are bringing new life to the New London Cannery with a project that fights hunger.
PAGE 6
Find out what's next for Bedford County's parks and facilities in the proposed Parks Master Plan.
PAGE 9
As the Bedford Area Welcome Center turns 20 years old in October, staff worked to give the inside of the building a long-overdue facelift.
PAGE 11
Meetings & Important Dates
OCTOBER
1 – Planning Commission: 6 p.m. at County Administration building.
14 – Columbus Day Holiday: Administrative offices are closed. Waste Management Facility, gated waste collection centers are open.
15 – Board of Supervisors (Tuesday meeting): 7 p.m. at County Administration building. Joint worksession with Economic Development Authority at 5 p.m.
28 – Board of Supervisors: 7 p.m. at County Administration building. Worksession at 5 p.m.
NOVEMBER
5 – Election Day: Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find other dates and information below.
7 – Economic Development Authority: 5:30 p.m. at County Administration Building.
11 – Veterans Day Holiday:
Administrative offices are closed. Waste Management Facility, gated waste collection centers are open.
12 – Planning Commission: 6 p.m. at County Administration building.
18 – Board of Supervisors
7 p.m. at County Administration Building. Worksession at 5 p.m.
27-29 – Thanksgiving Holiday:
Administrative offices will close at 12 p.m. on Nov. 27 and remain closed Nov. 28, 29. Waste Management Facility, gated waste collection centers closed on Nov. 28 only.
DECEMBER
3 – Planning Commission: 6 p.m. at County Administration building.
5 – Economic Development Authority: 5:30 p.m. at County Administration building.
5 – 2024 Personal Property and Real Estate Taxes (2nd Half) Due: Pay online, in person, or drop box. Learn more about expanded hours at the Treasurer/Commissioner offices on page 4.
9 – Board of Supervisors:
7 p.m. at County Administration building. Worksession at 5 p.m.
24-25 – Christmas Holiday:
Administrative offices are closed on Dec. 24, 25. Waste Management Facility, gated waste collection centers will be closed on Dec. 25 only.
31 – Applications for External Agency Funding Requests Due: Must submit to Finance by this date for the July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026 funding year. Learn more at bedfordcountyva.gov/fundingrequest.
2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
IMPORTANT DATES
Oct. 15: Last day to register to vote
Oct. 25: Last day to apply for absentee ballot by mail
Oct. 26: Open Saturday for in-person voting
Nov. 2: Open Saturday for in-person voting
Nov. 5: Election Day
WHERE TO VOTE
Early, in-person voting will be held at the Bedford County Gym (1059 Turning Point Rd., Bedford) Sept. 20 through Nov. 2. Hours are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 26, and Saturday, Nov. 2.
On Election Day, vote at your assigned polling place. Search our Voting Information Look-Up Tool at bedfordcountyva.gov/votingmap.
RETURNING YOUR MARKED BALLOT
Mailed absentee ballots can be returned by mail, in person, or in a drop box. Drop boxes are located at the Registrar's Office (1239 Turning Point Rd., Bedford) and the Bedford County Gym starting Sept. 20. You can also find drop boxes at any voting precinct on Election Day.
FYI: County News, Announcements & Reminders
Fall brush collection starts Oct. 15 and continues through Nov. 15. Residential yard waste (limbs, branches, leaves) will be accepted at one of Bedford County's eight full-service waste collection centers. Find a center near you at www.bedfordcountyva.gov/waste.
The Treasurer's Office is eliminating yearly dog tags. All dogs four months and older are eligible for a lifetime dog tag ($10). All dogs must have a valid rabies vaccine for the tag to be valid. Kennel tags are still available.
Parks & Rec basketball registration opened on Sept. 30. Ages 5-18 can play, and registration is $40 per player. You can mail your form/ check to the Parks & Rec office (1257 County Farm Rd., Bedford), drop off your form/check in person, or attend one of their satellite registration events.
Fire Prevention Week is Oct 6-12, and this year's theme is "Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You." Follow along on the Bedford County Fire & Rescue Facebook page to learn more.
With the onset of the 2024 political season, political signs are posted in the area. According to the Bedford County Sheriff's Office, stealing or damaging political signs will not be tolerated and is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Conviction could result in up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine of $2,500.
Early, in-person voting for the Presidential Election started on Sept. 20 and will continue through Saturday, Nov. 2. Early voting is held at the Bedford County Gym (1059 Turning Point Rd., Bedford). Learn more about voting on page 3.
Reminder: To apply for a concealed handgun permit, you must first complete an application from the State Police website. These forms are also available in the Circuit Court Clerk's office. First-time applicants must appear in person with form, fee, & proof of certification. Learn more at bedfordcountyva.gov/clerk.
Festival of Trees begins Nov. 25 at the Bedford Area Welcome Center. Local businesses and organizations will decorate trees and take donations for various causes. Learn more on the Festival of Trees Facebook page.
BROADBAND CORNER
The Bedford County Broadband Initiative recently reached a major milestone. ZiTel has effectively completed its original contract work in the Moneta, Goodview, and Huddleston areas. More than 4,100 Bedford County addresses now have the opportunity to connect to high-speed internet through ZiTel.
ZiTel began working in Bedford County in August 2022. The internet service provider is now working to complete its second project area in Montvale and Thaxton. Those 1,500 addresses will have access to service by spring of 2025.
There will be extended office hours for the Treasurer and Commissioner of Revenue offices on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Dec 2-5 from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Taxes are due Dec. 5. Learn more about ways to pay at www.bedfordcountyva.gov/taxes.
"Reaching this milestone is a testament to ZiTeL’s commitment to bringing reliable, high-speed internet to the communities that need it most," said ZiTel COO Rodney Gray. "We are proud to partner with Bedford County and look forward to continuing our work to connect even more residents in the next phase of the project."
In 2022, Bedford County contracted with ZiTel, Shentel, and Riverstreet Networks to bring high-speed internet to unserved/underserved addresses. The projects were made possible with grants from the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative. See the progress in the other two projects below:
Putting Bedford County on the Map
Developing a better understanding of GIS
In coordination with GIS Day on Nov. 20, 2024, GIS Manager Ashley Thornton answers a few top questions about this important division in our local government operations:
Ashley, first of all, what is GIS?
GIS stands for Geographic Information System. GIS gives us a way to take written data (i.e., spreadsheets) and turn it into something with a location. For example, we take a parcel’s ownership data and attach it to the drawn parcel on the map.
How has GIS changed our society?
GIS enhances our ability to make data-driven decisions in various industries such as planning, environmental conservation, and disaster management and recovery. GIS has also helped community engagement through public-facing tools such as parcel viewers and data hubs.
How do we use GIS in Bedford County government operations?
GIS is used in Bedford County to share information with citizens. For example, we created the Voting Look-up Tool to help citizens locate their polling places. We also publicly share GIS data for users on our Data Hub. The most notable use of GIS is through our Public GIS Viewer. With GIS, we are able to increase transparency, provide better assis-
tance to our citizens, and make better decisions.
What does an average day look like for you and your team?
Since we serve the whole County, no day is ever the same. One day we could be creating maps for the County Fair, and the next day we could be working on creating a new workflow for data collection. The GIS division is always looking for ways to improve our services by keeping up with the latest innovations and collecting/editing our data layers, such as addresses, roads, and parcels.
You all are working to overhaul the Public GIS Viewer. Can you share what kind of improvements we will see?
There are several improvements with the new ArcGIS Public Viewer! From a user’s perspective, the ArcGIS Public Viewer will look and feel like a modern web application that can adapt to different screen sizes such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. With the new viewer, the goal is to have data and content displayed in a more usable format and updated regularly. The ArcGIS Public Viewer will also be a secure and cloud-hosted application on the County’s ArcGIS Online System.
Photos top to bottom: GIS Manager Ashley Thornton, GIS Specialist Tovah Baer, GIS Technician Chris Wozniak
Love Where You Live
New initiative offers litter clean-up kits to community groups
In September 2024, Bedford County Waste Management kicked off the "Love Where You Live" initiative, an effort to make it easier and more empowering for residents and community groups to pick up litter in their neighborhoods.
Groups can now check out a stocked clean-up kit from Waste Management. Each kit includes four pickers, four yellow safety vests, disposable gloves, orange trash bags and hand sanitizer. Multiple kits can be reserved for larger groups.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Contact Bedford County Waste Management by email (solidwastemgmt@bedfordcountyva.gov) or phone (540-586-7656) to reserve a kit(s) for your group.
Step 2: Pick up your kit from the Waste Management Facility’s offices (1060 Recycle Rd., Bedford). Upon arrival, you will be asked to fill out a form with your name and area of Bedford County in which you plan to pick up trash.
Step 3: Join with others in your community and “love where you live” by picking up litter. Be sure to snap some photos of you and your group in action, and post them on social media with the hashtag #cleanupbedco.
Step 4: Return your kit to the Waste Management Facility and report how many bags of trash you accumulated.
BONUS: Each person in your group will take home a bag of gifts made from recyclable materials!
The clean-up kits were made possible with funding from a grant from the Department of Environmental Quality.
Learn more at www.bedfordcountyva.gov/ cleanup.
The Cannery's Comeback
Community project fights food insecurity, revives facility
By Shelley Basinger
If you happen to stop by the New London Cannery on a “stew project” day, you better be prepared to wash your hands, roll up your sleeves, and get to work. The building is so full of people, there almost isn’t enough room for onlookers.
There is a fast-moving assembly line underway, and no minute can be wasted as a hearty beef stew is quickly moved from cauldron to cans.
It’s encouraging to see the historic facility bustling with such life once again.
IN THE BEGINNING
When the New London Cannery opened its doors for the first time in 1942, the U.S. was in the early stages of World War II. Rations of certain foods were enforced starting in May 1942.
It’s safe to say organizers likely underestimated the popularity of the Cannery in the community. According to a January 1947 article in the Bedford Bulletin, the facility had outgrown its space in the basement of New London Academy. More than 60,000 cans were processed during the 1946 season, and organizers were looking for funds to expand to a
stand-alone building.
Decades of success followed the move to the current New London Cannery building behind the school, with residents from Bedford and Campbell counties using the facility regularly.
A FAMILY TRADITION
In 1980, Bedford County assumed operation responsibilities for the New London Cannery.
Sharon Johnson’s grandfather, A.D. Yates, played a major role in making that a smooth transition. He was a cannery instructor for over 40 years. (See photos of Johnson and Yates on page 7.)
“My grandfather always used to say, if you can put it in a can, we can fill it up and process it,” Johnson recalls.
She remembers spending her childhood years at the Cannery alongside her grandfather. She also worked at the Cannery in the early ’80s as a teenager.
“We stayed busy. I was at the Cannery recently, and my assigned number for my cans was #7. This same time of year back in the day, we would be in the #50s for the numbers,” she said.
In July, August and early September, she recalls processing garden veggies
such as tomatoes and green beans. By fall, the Cannery stayed full of folks bringing in apples for apple butter and apple sauce or making stews and sauces.
“It was a big social event back then too because everybody knew everybody. They would sit outside and talk and wait and just spend time together” she said.
THROUGH THE YEARS
The New London Cannery has opened every season since those early days.
Brian Martin, Parks Manager for Bedford County Parks & Rec, oversees operations at the Cannery, serving a similar role as Johnson and her grandfather.
“I love the process of canning and helping others with it,” he says.
During the 2023 season, Martin estimates that approximately 1,200 cans were produced at the facility, a noticeable decline from the heyday of the Cannery’s founding. He says it’s been exciting—and almost nostalgic—to see the Cannery return to its busier days.
“I have always said that walking into the Cannery is like stepping back in time,” he said. “This year’s stew project is the first time I have seen the Cannery
have as many people working inside as some of the old photos we have."
CANNING FOR THE COMMUNITY
The stew project all started with a grant from the Bedford Community Health Foundation (BCHF) to the local Hunters for the Hungry group. BCHF Executive Director Denny Huff had approached the group about the idea of canning venison and providing it to area food banks and pantries. At the same time, he was talking with the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Susan Prillaman about the idea.
“At some point, the idea of making a stew was suggested to provide a complete nutritious meal. Susan began working to get a large volume recipe for a test run,” said Huff.
Planning and preparation are paramount when you are preparing food for mass distribution. Huff brought in other community partners including the Virginia Department of Health, the Town of Bedford, and Bedford Urban Garden.
It took a couple of test batches to get it right—but the group finally succeeded. Together this year, they have canned just under 1,000 quarts of venison stew that will be distributed to food banks and pantries in Bedford County and the Town of Bedford.
“Food banks/pantries are telling us they are seeing more people show up for food and other services,” said Huff. “We decided on the venison stew because we were also hearing that lean protein is difficult to find and is also expensive.”
NEW MOMENTUM
The group’s next goal is to use the Cannery to can other products for food pantries. They are planning to make a big batch of applesauce in November.
“If we can do this annually, we believe we can make a difference in food insecurity in our area,” said Huff.
Martin is excited that the Cannery is making headlines again, just like it did in the ’40s when it opened its doors.
“With the help of Denny and this stew project, not only are locals learning more about what the Cannery offers, but we have also received calls from groups outside the area, even in other states, wanting to know if they could do similar projects,” he said. “We’re excited to see where the Cannery goes from here."
The New London Cannery is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 a.m. to noon, from July through December. Learn more at www.bedfordcountyva.gov/cannery.
CANNERY THROUGH THE YEARS
EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER
ADOPT A SHELTER PET Keith St. Clair
Meet Odie!
Odie is a six-year-old Alaskan Malamute mix. Bedford County Animal Shelter employees say he has had positive interactions with small children, cats, and other dogs.
Aside from his gorgeous white fluffy coat, Odie is also checking a lot of boxes for his down-to-earth personality. According to shelter staff, he is a very "chill" dog with a docile demeanor. He would make a good coach potato!
If you are interested in meeting Odie, contact the Bedford County Animal Shelter at 540586-7690. You can also email Friends of Bedford County Animal Shelter at fobcasfriends@ gmail.com.
The Bedford County Animal Shelter is located at 1307 Falling Creek Rd., Bedford. It is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 1-6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Title: Chief Building Inspector Nominated By: Building Official Will Goodwin, who says Keith has shown exceptional job performance in going above and beyond his normal workload by focusing on efforts to improve dock safety around Smith Mountain Lake.
Keith, how long have you worked for Bedford County Community Development?
Most recently, since August 2019 but on and off since 1995. Our family lived in Jamaica for three years and Mexico for five years doing mission work. We always returned to Bedford County!
What do you do in your role as Chief Building Inspector?
I am certified to perform residential, commercial, and amusement device inspections, but primarily I review commercial plans and perform commercial inspections.
Following the tragic electrocution of a teenager at Smith Mountain Lake this summer, you took the initiative to improve dock safety in multiple localities. What types of things did you do?
Working with the building official, we organized meetings with the building department staffs of Franklin and Pittsylvania counties along with electricians that primarily work at Smith Mountain Lake. Together we developed uniform inspection processes across the three localities in regard to residential docks and listened to feedback from the local electricians. A digital presentation was developed and has been made available to those interested.
This wasn’t a requirement of your job but something you stepped up to lead. Why was this important to you?
A human life was lost. It was a tragedy that no one should ever have to endure. As the local building department, we had an
opportunity to speak up and help educate/encourage property owners to have their docks’ electrical systems evaluated to help reduce the chance of this happening again.
What are the biggest challenges in your job on a day-to-day basis?
To communicate with our stakeholders that the codes we enforce are to help ensure safety and are not just burdensome regulations.
What do you enjoy the most about working for Bedford County?
The small, family-like atmosphere of our department. I also live in Bedford County so there is “buyin” for me. I know I'm helping to make our county a safe and desirable place to live and visit.
How do you stay busy when you aren’t working?
My wife and I teach a marriage Sunday school class in our church, maintain our family cattle farm, and enjoy our two grandchildren.
A Strong Partnership
Maps show how Fire & Rescue volunteers, career staff work together
Fire & Rescue services are delivered by both career and volunteer personnel from numerous locations across Bedford County.
From fire boats on Smith Mountain Lake to fire engines in your neighborhood, volunteer fire departments respond to your calls 365 days a year. Common fire department responses include fires, vehicle accidents, gas leaks, and more. Volunteer fire departments even assist on medical calls when needed.
Emergency Medical Services
Blue map (left) shows where EMS services are located. Red icons show career ambulances. Blue icons show volunteer ambulances.
Brown map (right) shows where volunteer fire resources are located. Red icons identify station locations.
(EMS) is provided by both career and volunteer members positioned throughout Bedford County as well. Career ambulances provide service from stations in Bedford, Big Island, Forest, Goode, Moneta, and Stewartsville. Some of those personnel are also trained and equipped to assist on fire incidents. Bedford County volunteer rescue squads respond to EMS calls for service from nine different locations.
"Commitment, strong partnership, and great people are key to answering when our community calls," said Ab -
bey Johnston, Deputy Chief of Operations for Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue. "If you have ever considered volunteering in your local community, there are many ways that you can get involved!"
To learn more or start the process to become a volunteer, contact the fire department or rescue squad in your area. You can find contact information at firerescue.bedfordcountyva.gov.
You can also call the Bedford County Fire & Rescue Administrative office at 540-587-0700.
104
$1.5M
6
#1
The annual ranking measures all 50 states on 128 different metrics in 10 categories. BUSINESS
Received from Gov. Youngkin's Virginia Business Ready Sites Program to further develop the New London Business & Technology Center. This is known as Phase 2 of the industrial park's master plan.
Bedford Offering New Experiences (ONE) industry tours scheduled in 2024-2025 for local high school students.
Bedford County Economic Development organizes this program as a way to educate teenagers about local career opportunities.
Virginia's rank in CNBC's 2024 analysis of "America's Top States for Business."
Jobs created when Solarix starts production in the former Teva building in Forest next year.
The solar energy startup will invest $63 million in the facility.
Improvements on the horizon for Bedford County's parks and facilities
Changes are coming to Bedford County’s parks and facilities as the Bedford County Board of Supervisors prepares to review and approve the 2024 Parks Master Plan. Supervisors plan to vote on the plan later this year.
“The purpose of this master plan is to outline Bedford County’s recreational growth needs and opportunities for the system through 2035 and outline a process for moving forward into the future,” said Parks & Rec Director Chris Higgins.
Over the course of the last year, Supervisors engaged with staff and the design consultant to provide feedback on draft plan contents and priorities as they were being developed. In those discussions, there was a general consensus among the group to focus first on improving and enhancing existing parks facilities and amenities, before looking to pursue new facility expansions around the County.
One example of this is the tennis court at the County Rec property off Bedford Avenue. Plans are in the works to remove the current deteriorated court and replace it with a series of pickleball courts.
This capital improvement project was slated to be paid for over two fiscal years (FY25 and FY26). However, during a work session in late August, supervisors expressed interest in fast-tracking the project so that the courts can be used as an amenity much sooner.
“We hear regularly from citizens about pickleball and the desire for courts they
can play on,” said Higgins.
With this improve-what-you-have focus, residents will likely see more projects such as the recent paving at Moneta Park and the new trail that connects Forest Rec Center to the Forest Library.
The consultant noted that Bedford County’s smaller sites (County Rec Fields, Forest Recreation Center, Bellevue Community Center, and Huddleston Community Center) are much older and have features that need to be removed or replaced. The plan also said most of
the county’s diamonds and sports fields would benefit greatly from renovations and the addition of lighting for night games/practices to build field capacity to support the growing use.
The plan summarizes that Bedford County’s regional parks are relatively new and thoroughly utilized, and that niches such as disc golf and biking are well represented for those enthusiasts.
Learn more about the Parks Master Plan at parks.bedfordcountyva.gov.
Bedford Area Welcome Center celebrates 20th anniversary
In 2001, alongside the opening of the National D-Day Memorial, a trailer housing a brand-new Bedford County/thenCity of Bedford Tourism department sat on a vacant piece of land off Route 460. The first director, Nanci Drake, had a vision for the property—build a facility to showcase the Bedford area.
“At the time, there wasn’t a place to do that… to welcome visitors, show them where to go, highlight big attractions,” said Director of Tourism Nicole Johnson.
After years of planning between the county and city, on Oct. 29, 2004, the Bedford Area Welcome Center opened its doors. The architecture was intentional to reflect the tone of lodges found along the Blue Ridge Parkway and also give a nod to the area’s iconic farmhouses and barns with the addition of clapboard siding and a cupola.
Every year, approximately 30,000 people visit the Welcome Center; that figure used to be almost double when the National D-Day Memorial used to sell its admission tickets inside.
With the help of generous volunteers (20 currently), the facility is open seven days a week most days of the year.
“Thousands of hours have been donated by volunteers through the years,” said Johnson. “We couldn’t provide the service we do without them.”
In the past year leading up to the 20th anniversary, Tourism staff planned for some long-overdue aesthetic upgrades.
“There had been no big updates to
the photography or graphics inside the building since 2004,” said Administrative Manager Michelle Crumpacker.
Improvements include a large photo wall that can be changed seasonally (top right), a visitor courtesy desk, a Blue Ridge Parkway sitting nook, kiosk to navigate the Destination Bedford website (bottom left), and other large graphic and photography displays.
The Welcome Center is constantly evolving. Other additions through the years include the LOVE sign (2017), rollout of Destination Bedford branding
(2019), Pitch N’ Putt Disc Golf Course (2023), and new entrance sign (2023).
Staff are now preparing for a 20th anniversary open house on Oct. 29, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include light refreshments, entertainment, and door prizes.
“When the doors opened at the Welcome Center 20 years ago, it was a moment of great pride for our community,” said Johnson. “We remain dedicated to preserving that sense of pride and are excited about the future.”
Community Events
OCTOBER
4 – First Fridays at Falling Creek
6 p.m., Falling Creek Park Free admission. Featuring Tory Bailey & Tradition. Food trucks. Kids entertainment.
12 – Big Otter Mill Harvest Festival
10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Big Otter Mill Free admission. Brunswick stew, silent auction, vendors, demos, tours of mill, music.
19 – Gross Orchard Apple Harvest Festival
8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Gross Orchard Free admission. Live music, vendors, apple picking.
26 – Buzzy Coleman Chili Cookoff
11 a.m . - 5 p.m., Sedalia Center Teams compete for your voting ticket as you sample their chili.
26 – Halloween Spooktacular
4 p.m., Falling Creek Park Free admission. Trick or treat from various community vendors.
29 – Welcome Center 20th Anniversary Open House
11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Bedford Area Welcome Center Food truck, light refreshments, entertainment, door prizes.
NOVEMBER
9 – Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival
11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Poplar Forest Tastings from regional wineries.
9 – Veterans Breakfast
8:30 a.m., Bedford Moose Lodge Free for veterans and spouses.
11 – Veterans Day Ceremony
11 a.m., National D-Day Memorial Ceremony and music to honor all veterans. Free admission until noon.
25 – Festival of Trees Begins Bedford Area Welcome Center Creative tree displays by area businesses/organizations for charities.
28 – SML Turkey Trot
9 a.m., Smith Mountain Lake State Park Learn more on RunSignUp.com.
DECEMBER
7 – Christmas Classic 5K 8:30 a.m., Start & Finish at Bedford Baptist Learn more on Facebook.
7 – Bedford Christmas Parade 11 a.m., Town of Bedford Local organizations, businesses and schools show their holiday spirit.
14 – Breakfast with Santa 9-11 a.m., Spring Oak (Elk's Home) Free. Organized by Parks & Rec.
RESOURCE LINK: HELP FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The spirit of giving is always alive and well in Bedford County during the holiday season. Here are a few ways you can give to others this year:
Christmas
Station
The Bedford Community Christmas Station provides Christmas gifts, food, toys, and other items to low-income Bedford County families during Christmastime. The organization accepts monetary donations yearround at P.O. Box 1353 Bedford, VA 24523. For more information, email info@bedfordchristmasstation.org.
Holiday Food Boxes
Food donations are accepted at the Bedford Department of Social Services (119 E. Main St., Bedford) through the New Year. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Toys for Kids
The Bedford County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) coordinates with Bedford County Public Schools for the Toys for Kids program. Citizens can drop off new toys in the lobby of the BCSO (1345 Falling Creek Rd., Bedford). You can also make a monetary donation by contacting the BCSO at 540-586-4800.
Shop with a Cop
Shop with a Cop is also active in Bedford. If you wish to donate, contact Bedford County Department of Social Services at 540-586-7750 ext. 2266 or mail donations to Bedford County Department of Social Services, Attn. Denise Kennedy - Shop with a Cop, P.O. Box 1187 Bedford, VA 24523.
