Beloved former EMU professor passes

Story by Jim Bishop

“A teacher in whose classroom wit and wisdom vied for supremacy.” That was one of many tributes paid to G. Irvin (“G.I.”) Lehman at a recognition and retirement dinner held in his honor May 1, 1980 at Eastern Mennonite University.
Dr. Lehman died Monday at Oak Lea Nursing Home in Harrisonburg. He was 92.
Lehman, a professor emeritus of Old Testament at EMU, taught at the former Eastern Mennonite School, 1940-1941, and rejoined the EMU Bible and religion department in 1952, teaching Old Testament courses there until 1976. Read more

What he says, and what we hear

Stop the Presses column by Chris Graham

News item: Michael Vick backs out of radio interview, according to the host, because “he was afraid they might take any part of our interview out of context as he talks to black America.”

So …

What was he going to say to black America that was any different than he was going to say to, I don’t know, white America?

And what would white America have heard out of context, as it were, had he gone through with the interview? Read more

Web premiere of ‘Road Trip to History’ series set for this weekend

Story by Chris Graham

A new Shenandoah Valley web portal is debuting a video series highlighting life along the Great Valley Road.
“We had been planning to launch ShenandoahValley.com as a Web site during the summer of 2007 when we got the idea to include Road Trip to History video,” said Hank Zimmerman, the owner and operator of ShenandoahValley.com, which will debut the Internet version of the “Road Trip to History” series featuring the Valley on Saturday. Read more

Time to take a stand

Stop the Presses column by Chris Graham

I think I’ve been too hard on Staunton officials who have dared to suggest that they will take any means necessary to prevent a porn store from setting up shop in town. Read more

Bond to present history of the movement through music

Item by Chris Graham

University of Virginia professor and former national NAACP chairman Julian Bond will present a look at the civil-rights movement through the sounds of music.
“Crossing the Color Line” looks at the movement through a history of American music.
The event is scheduled for Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. at Buford Middle School in Charlottesville.
Admission to the event is free.

Leap of faith

Story by Laura Lehman Amstutz

From July 21-Aug. 11, 27 youth explored their sense of call and God’s work in the world through the Learning, Exploring and Participating (LEAP) program at Eastern Mennonite Seminary.
Now, 10 of these youth will take their exploration farther in a year-long mentoring program called “LEAP 365.”
In the past, LEAP has primarily been a three-week summer program for high-school youth. They come to Eastern Mennonite Seminary for a week of training provided by seminary professors, followed by travel to another country in groups of 9-10. Read more

Artist exhibition at MBC

Item by Chris Graham

An exhibition of paintings by an acclaimed Richmond artist is on view at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton through Sept. 21.
Live Smoke is a collection of works by Virginia Commonwealth University alum Matthew Lively.
The exhibition opened on Monday. Lively will be in Staunton for a formal reception at Hunt Gallery on the campus of MBC on Sept. 3 at 4:30 p.m.
Hunt Gallery is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Church hosting concert, food drive

Item by Chris Graham

A concert at Wayne Hills Baptist Church in Waynesboro this week will benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.
Young Harmony and Ginger Jarrells will perform live at Wayne Hills – with doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert beginning at 7 p.m.
A freewill offering will be taken – and those attending are also asked to bring canned food for a food drive being conducted by the church.
For more information, call 540.943.2237, 540.280.2070 or access www.redwhiteandbluetalentagency.com on the web.