Surplus campaign funds at issue for councilman

Chris Graham

It was reported in the local media in June that Jeff Freeman had donated a total of $600 in surplus City Council campaign funds to the Waynesboro Senior Center and to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge. The campaign-finance report on file with the city voter registrar’s office that gave us that…

The World According to ChrisGraham.com: Special tax district-Yeah, a good idea, that one

Contributors

Q: Why haven’t you weighed in on the idea to set up a special tax district in Downtown Waynesboro to provide a stable source of funding for downtown-redevelopment efforts generally and specifically for Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc.? A: Um, well, actually, I did so back in March. Link to Special Report on AugustaFreePress.com: Moving Downtown…

City looks to boost tourism sector with new marketing, website efforts

Chris Graham

Good news: The Waynesboro tourism sector brought in $27 million to the local economy in 2009 and contributed $4 million in taxes to the city. Sobering news: We’ll have to wonder how we would have done if we’d been trying. The city, for instance, doesn’t even have a tourism website, the tourism department’s presence on…

Free business seminar, assessment will tell it like it is

Chris Graham

Marc Wilson isn’t in the business of sugarcoating. “I’m not related to you, and I’m not necessarily your friend. So when I leave, you’re going to get the truth, but you might not like hearing it,” said Wilson, a retail industry consultant at the Virginia Small Business Development Corp. and 35-year veteran of the retail…

Back to school: Adults hitting the books in search of new opportunity

Contributors

For Sabrina Almarode, who was, admittedly, “scared” after learning that she was being laid off from Invista in 2009, the chance to go back to school under a federal education program was a lifeline. And the Fishersville woman is taking full advantage, working toward a degree in business at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers…

Local private schools faring well in tough economy

Contributors

You might think at first glance that private schools like Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro and Stuart Hall in Staunton would be struggling through this still-cool economy, but they’re not. Fishburne is expecting to start the 2010-2011 school year around 155 students, about 35 more than began the 2009-2010 school year there, and Stuart Hall…