Local Libertarians talk up Barr as presidential nominee

AFP

Item by Chris Graham [email protected] Former Republican congressman Bob Barr is the Libertarian Party’s nominee to run for president. Charlottesville-area Libertarians are excited with the choice. “Unlike the Democrats and Republicans, whose conventions are nothing more than coronations, our convention was full of suspense and drama. No one knew who was going to win going…

A long way from that grainy tape to the NFL

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Branden Albert was barely on Al Groh’s radar screen – and he wasn’t on many other ones. Now a projected top-five NFL draft pick, Albert didn’t even play high-school football until he transferred from his native Rochester, N.Y., to Baltimore, and went out for football as a junior at the…

Economic immunity: Are the Valley and Central Virginia recession-proof?

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The Shenandoah Valley is recession-proof. Charlottesville is recession-proof. I’ve heard people say this for years. As the argument goes, the local economies have two big things going for them – major universities and agriculture. Kids still go to school in recessions. And kids and everybody else still eat in recessions….

baseball

Field of Dreams: But will economic realities nip proposed $20M stadium in the bud?

Chris Graham

Yeah, I know, invoking “Field of Dreams” in a piece examining the economic aspects of a proposed $20 million baseball stadium is beyond cheesy. But I do it to try to make you consider something that you might not otherwise. Namely, that the whole idea rests on the notion that a Downtown Waynesboro baseball stadium…

Is minor-league baseball good economic development?

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] I wanted to learn more about what Waynesboro could be facing if it follows through the very, very preliminary plans that have been put forth regarding the possible location of a minor-league baseball team in the River City. That’s how I came across Gary Hodge and his 20-year effort to…