Shenandoah Valley Art Center plans busy December

Contributors

Leslie Banta, award-winning artist from Staunton, will be the featured artist in the Invitational Gallery at the Art Center during the month of December. Banta feels that her paintings explore landscape as an archetypal image. The goal of this exploration is not to render a photorealistic replica of a Shenandoah Valley vista, but rather to…

Eugene T. Lee: Winning the Heisman does not guarantee NFL success

Contributors

With the Heisman Trophy being awarded this weekend, another college football season slowly comes to a close. The Heisman Trophy, awarded to the best college football player in a given season, has always received a great deal of fanfare, but has the “professional” significance of this award lost some of its luster? Allow me to…

McCormick: Time for a ‘new generation of leaders’

Contributors

David McCormick worked his way up the ladder at UPS, started law school in his 30s and his own law firm at 38. He knows uphill battles. Competing against former governor and U.S. senator George Allen for the Republican Senate nomination is just another one. “Both parties are to blame. We’re at the very brink…

AFP puts on successful Fashion Showcase

Crystal Graham

More than 100 shoppers were on hand for the 2012 Holiday Fashion Showcase sponsored by Augusta Free Press on Dec. 5. Local vendors for direct-sales companies including Cookie Lee, Mary Kay, Jockey P2P, thirty-one, BeautiControl and Initial Outfitters joined local businesses Radiance Tanning and Hair Salon and Fordell Farm at the Showcase, a feature of…

Final Virginia National Guard convoy ships out of Iraq

Contributors

With Operation New Dawn close to end of mission, the Virginia Army National Guard is exiting Iraq in its final convoy out of Contingency Operating Base Adder on Dec. 2. “We were a convoy escort team,” said Staff Sgt. Raymond Bunch, convoy commander, Able Troop, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, Virginia Army National Guard, from…

JMU falls at Towson in women’s CAA opener

Chris Graham

For only the third time in 31 meetings, Towson defeated James Madison as the Tigers posted a 65-58 win in the Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball opener for both teams Sunday afternoon at the Towson Center. The Dukes, who lost for the first time this season, have a 5-1 record.  Towson, whose only losses have…

Dem leader jumps on Cuccinelli gubernatorial run

Chris Graham

The prospect that Ken Cuccinelli will be making official his plans to run for the 2013 Republican nomination for governor has Democrats salivating. “Ken Cuccinelli’s impending gubernatorial announcement is further proof that his political career is about one thing and one thing only: Ken Cuccinelli. Instead of fighting everyday for Virginia families, he has used…

Carly at the Movies: My Week with Marilyn

Carl Larsen

As Sir Laurence Olivier famously shouted, “Teaching acting to Marilyn Monroe is like teaching Urdu to a badger!” And while that may have been true for Marilyn, no acting lessons are needed for Michelle Williams who portrays her perfectly in “My Week with Marilyn.” What a fabulous pre-Christmas gift is this film, based Colin Clark’s…