Jim Bishop: If ‘Lent’ to you, will you give it up for me?

Jim Bishop

Column by Jim Bishop Submit guest columns: [email protected]    “Oh, Lord, it’s great to be humble, to be perfect in every way,” goes the delightful ditty by Tom T. Hall. Tom probably wasn’t aware when he wrote and performed this homage to false humility that he echoed somewhat Jesus’ warning not to perform perceived acts…

Stop the Presses: Behind the scenes

Chris Graham

Column by Chris Graham [email protected]   Random thoughts on a beautiful Tuesday morning in the Valley, when I’d rather be outside taking an extra-long walk with the dog in the Tree Streets, winding down to Ridgeview Park before trekking back to the home office …    Not ‘free’ anymore We’ve made it past the 50-subscriber…

The new, new conventional wisdom on health care

Chris Graham

Report by Chris Graham [email protected]    Jody Grogan thought, like a lot of hardcore health-care reform advocates, that Congress was thisclose to passing … something. “I’m one of these real cynics about Congress now,” said Grogan, a retired teacher who lives in Staunton, and worked locally last summer as an organizer on the reform effort,…

Austin Gisriel: Par for the worse

Chris Graham

Column by Austin Gisriel Submit guest columns: [email protected]    With our record snow now melting, local golf courses will soon be dotted with duffers everywhere. My only question is: Why? The problem with golf is that the fun is fleeting, but the aggravation is permanent. Golfers talk about the need to work on your game,…

Building a new industrial sector in Waynesboro

Chris Graham

Special Report by Chris Graham [email protected]   Waynesboro was once the envy of Western Virginia for its manufacturing economy. As recently as 1990, almost half of the city’s workforce was employed in manufacturing, whose rate of pay has traditionally been at least 40 percent and some years approaching 50 percent higher than the median income…

Frank Nolen: Let the SCC set rates

AFP

Column by Frank Nolen Submit guest columns: [email protected]   In 2007 the General Assembly passed legislation that greatly reduced the ability of the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to set just and reasonable electric rates. The result has been a 60 percent increase in the electric rates paid by customers of the Appalachian Power Company and…

UVa. hoops: Where do you go from here?

Chris Graham

Report by Chris Graham [email protected] Seven. Straight. Losses. The UVa. fan base didn’t enter the 2009-2010 season with anything in the way of expectations. The Cavs were picked to finish 12th in the 12-team Atlantic Coast Conference, and that seemed about right for a group that stunk up the junk enough in 2008-2009 to get…