EMU honors athletes

Item by Mike Zucconi Eastern Mennonite University recognized the achievements of student athletes during the 2007-08 school year during its annual athletic awards banquet on April 15. “Rookie of the Year” honors went to Kacie Ruark (Baltimore, Md./Western) of women’s soccer and George Johnson (Richmond, Va./Miller School) of men’s basketball. Ruark is an Old Dominion…

Queen of the Queen City: Rita Wilson retiring after 16-plus years on Staunton City Council

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] She wasn’t trying to be Rosa Parks. “We were just tired of the separate-but-equal thing. Because it certainly wasn’t separate-but-equal,” said Rita Wilson, who is retiring from Staunton City Council on June 30 after 16-plus years on the job, and who a generation ago made her first foray into public…

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…

It’s next year at UVa., Tech

Chris Graham

Best Seat in the House column by Chris Graham [email protected] Was it really so bad that Virginia and Virginia Tech both lost Wednesday night? Um … Well, consider UVa. coach Dave Leitao’s response to comments from Bradley guard Jeremy Crouch, who suggested that the Braves were able to confuse the Cavs defense in their 96-85…

Uphill battle: What Jim Gilmore needs to do to have a shot at upsetting Mark Warner

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] So you’re Jim Gilmore, and you’re running for the United States Senate. You’ve served as a state attorney general, running the biggest law firm in the state for four pretty solid years. You’re a former governor who won election by a comfortable margin over a two-term Democratic lieutenant governor in…

Bolling pulls out of governor’s race

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Bill Bolling will not be in the running for the Republican Party gubernatorial nomination in 2009. “While I deeply appreciate the encouragement I have received from countless people all across our state, I have decided that I will not be a candidate for governor in 2009. While it would be…

Spring practice a chance to clear the air at UVa.

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Listen to today’s “SportsDominion Show” to hear Virginia football coach Al Groh talk about his team as it begins spring practice. Show Length: 11:59. Al Groh would have reason to be frustrated. He lost his starting quarterback, Jameel Sewell, to grades. He lost a starting defensive end, Jeffrey Fitzgerald, to…

The legislative district that ties UVa., Virginia Tech, as a reason for nonpartisan redistricting

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Creigh Deeds lives 85 miles from Charlottesville. That’s how far I am from Richmond, give or take a mile or two. Can you imagine a legislative district that would somehow link Waynesboro and Richmond? Yeah. Not much of a community of interest there. Right? But Deeds represents Charlottesville in the…