Waynesboro at a crossroads

Chris Graham

We all knew that we were on the verge of an economic downturn. I was selling one approach to dealing with what was to come – redoubling efforts in the economic-development sphere with an eye toward working to attract new industry in recognition of the apparent fact that the plant on the South River overlooking…

What does the Invista news mean to Waynesboro?

Chris Graham

In short, everything. Invista, and its predecessor, DuPont, is the last significant vestige of the city’s once-glittering manufacturing economy. According to figures from the Virginia Employment Commission, Waynesboro began 2008 with around 2,100 manufacturing jobs, with roughly 1,100 of those being at the Invista plant, either directly employed by Invista or by a contractor providing…

Stop the Presses | It ain’t about black and white, it’s about green

Chris Graham

Alright, I’ll bite. And I apologize for calling you a whackjob. So you’re saying that Barack Obama ain’t one of us, and that we ought to do something before he takes the oath of office. Make your case. Um … You’re saying that he hasn’t produced a valid U.S. birth certificate?

Jim Bishop | Spam Alert: Must This Male Go Spew?

Jim Bishop

I walked into the post office to buy stamps to mail my Christmas greetings. “What denomination?” the clerk asks. “Errr, Mennonite,” I replied. Ooooh, no, Mr. Jim! Isn’t it bad enough that only a few days into the Advent season there’s still leftover turkey in the refrigerator and area radio stations have already played “The…

Another bailout? Seriously?

Chris Graham

I’ve been going back and forth on the proposed Big Three bailout, and right now I’m at No, bad idea. And here’s why – and why I think I’m going to stay on No, bad idea, for the duration. They’re not where they are because of bad luck or the more general economic downturn. They’re…