A sweet start
Story by Theresa Curry
AGratefulSeason.com
Every year about this time, the men and women of the Waynesboro Church of the Brethren fire up their ovens and disappear into a whirlwind of flour and sugar. They’re getting ready for the Church’s annual Craft and Cookie Bazaar Saturday, now in its fourteenth year. The event has become so popular that crowds shiver outside in the early dawn, lining up in the lower parking lot with bags and boxes, and advancing on the fellowship hall as the clock strikes eight. Read more
Community group wants county, state to improve safety on Nelson highway
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
An accident that killed a mother and her two young daughters in Nelson County this summer happened 75 yards from the front door of Tommy Stafford’s office.
“We knew we needed to do something,” said Stafford, the founder of Project151.org, a web portal that is serving as a launching pad for a community effort to get Nelson County and the Commonwealth Transportation Board to take needed steps to improve traffic safety on the congested Va. 151. Read more
Numbers don’t add up
Stop the Presses column by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
I read somewhere once that the average blog has one – yes, one – reader.
This, of course, makes absolutely no sense.
Consider, for example, that this blog – and I hesitate to call it a blog, because it also happens to be the web portal for a legitimate newsgathering operation; but let’s go with the terminology for a sec, if only because we get accused often of being bloggers, mainly by self-styled detractors – can get in the order of 10,000 unique visitors in a single day.
Also consider that this is not at all a remarkable number – not when you consider the kind of traffic that, say, The New York Times or newsmax.com or HuffingtonPost or insert-name-of-favorite-blog here gets. Read more
Ryan ready for Tech challenge
Story by Chris Graham
sportsdom@ntelos.net
Matt Ryan at least knows what Virginia Tech did to stop his Boston College offense for 56 minutes the first time the two teams played.
“I’m not sure if it’s an advantage or disadvantage. You’ve just got to play with the cards that you’re dealt,” the BC quarterback said of the ACC Championship Game rematch of the Eagles’ 14-10 win in Blacksburg on Oct. 25. Read more
Lucente ‘leaning’ in direction of voting to approve bond issues
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
A series of legal snafus that arose during the process of confirmation following the bond referenda in Waynesboro that were on the Nov. 6 ballot could soon be resolved without a new election or a court order.
“I think the people made an error in putting in the fire station, but I work for the people, so I have to abide by what the people want. So I’m in all likelihood going to go with what the people want, and I’m going to vote for the referendums that they passed. … I’m not 100 percent sure, but I’m leaning in the direction of – I think I work for the people, and I have to do what they want me to do,” Waynesboro City Councilman Frank Lucente told The Augusta Free Press this afternoon. Read more
Sweet music to this holiday message
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Tim Spears saw two needy children one Christmas 27 years ago.
From a humble effort to help those two enjoy a decent Christmas, an effort that has brought Yuletide cheer to more than 7,000 youngsters since was born.
“I went to my band – we were playing on the road – and I asked them, Would it be OK if we just took the money from just one job and gave it to these two children and bought them shoes and toys and coats. Because they just weren’t going to have a Christmas. The following year, we started doing a couple of shows – and then after that it really escalated into raising some big money for these children,” said Spears, the owner of Tim Spears Music City in Downtown Waynesboro and a country-music musician and singer. Read more
Tech’s two-headed monster
Story by Chris Graham
sportsdom@ntelos.net
Al Groh was getting ready for what turned out to be a nailbiter with Connecticut when he saw something on the TV that worried him about another game that his Virginia team had on the schedule.
“We had a later game the day that Virginia Tech was playing Duke – and when Tyrod (Taylor) got hurt, and Sean (Glennon) went into the game, I thought to myself, This is going to be trouble,” Groh said after Virginia Tech’s two-quarterback monster put up 33 points on his defense in a win last weekend in Charlottesville that sent the Hokies to the ACC Championship Game. Read more
County decals, swastika guy, Ray Robertson
Winners and Losers column by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
BIG WINNERS: Augusta County considering dropping vehicle decals
Even bigger winners would be Waynesboro if they decided to do this.
You know, since I live there now.
LOSER: Suspect in Greater Augusta-area swastika case apprehended
Did you catch the details in the local media as to where they caught this obvious brainiac?
He was just leaving the Dairy Queen in Verona after leaving another mark at around one or two in the morning.
For those who don’t know the lay of the land, the Dairy Queen is three doors down from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office.
WINNER: Ray Robertson
I’ve criticized the hell out of the guy for his work on the Staunton porn-store case, but to his credit, he sat down with me for a lengthy interview for a story on the obscenity issue that will appear in our upcoming New Dominion magazine.
Chris Graham is the executive editor of The Augusta Free Press.
New book chronicles educators, church leaders from WWII generation
Story by Jim Bishop
They were born in the Depression, grew up during World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War and Vietnam. All moved from more rural to professional settings and made major impacts on the Mennonite Church, its institutions and the larger society.
Reflections and stories from these 16 educators and church leaders form the basis of Making Sense of the Journey: The Geography of Our Faith, a 350-page paperback. The volume, with a foreward by EMU president Loren Swartzendruber, is edited by Mennonite educators and church leaders Robert and Nancy V. Lee. Read more
‘Skins Nation, Al Groh, Frank Beamer, Mickey Matthews
Winners and Losers column by Chris Graham
sportsdom@ntelos.net
LOSERS: ‘Skins Nation
Sean Taylor – Rest In Peace.
WINNER: Al Groh named ACC coach of the year
How funny things turn out sometimes – ‘Hoo Nation wanted him canned after the Wyoming debacle, now he’s the conference coach of the year and the recipient of a contract extension.
WINNER: Frank Beamer gets the other prize
Ask Groh which he would take – the coach of the year award or the invite to Jacksonville.
LOSER: Mickey Matthews takes the heat for JMU loss
Fourth-and-one from your own 30, first-and-goal from the nine – either decision works out, and JMU upsets mighty App State.
And now Matthews has all winter and spring and summer to think about it.
Wouldn’t want to be him.
Groh gets another reward
Story by Chris Graham
sportsdom@ntelos.net
Two ACC coaches have already gotten the axe this week.
Former hot-seat sitter Al Groh got something else.
The Virginia coach had a year added to his contract on Tuesday – hours after learning that he had been named the ACC coach of the year.
Groh’s contract now runs through the 2011 season. Read more
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Wake me when something important … zzz …
Posted November 30, 2007
Stop the Presses column by Chris Graham
newdominion@ntelos.net
I didn’t watch the YouTube debate.
I don’t make it a point of watching any of those debate things.
I think they’re beyond pointless.
I mean, seriously, a bunch of suits lined up giving us 45-second answers to all of our problems.
My attention span runs out at 15 seconds anymore.
What – you’re still on that topic? Read more
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