Gateway to offer group-dance lessons

Chris Graham

Steve Shergold of Shergold Studio in Charlottesville will begin dance lessons at the Gateway on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. Shergold taught salsa lessons before the Gateway performance by the Afro-Caribbean band, Orquesta Tropikiimba in August and found the Gateway a perfect venue for teaching dance. “I am looking forward to teaching four-week sessions…

Festival to mark neighborhood improvement

AFP

Join residents of Commerce Avenue in Waynesboro as they celebrate positive choices and the revitalization of their community. The Fall Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 22 from noon-3 p.m. at 280 N. Commerce Ave. in Waynesboro.  Commerce Avenue residents are celebrating the opening of a new Resource Center on the property, sharing multicultural food,…

JMU students honing skills as TEACH ambassadors

AFP

On their way to developing into full-fledged teachers, 14 James Madison University students are already honing their teaching talents as TEACH Ambassadors in the university’s wide-ranging teacher education program. Not only are they serving younger students in the program, but also they are learning important leadership skills. “In the teacher education program, we value the…

Ken Plum: Devolution all over again

Ken Plum

In this column I made the assertion a couple of months ago that the Commonwealth of Virginia was shirking its responsibility in funding its share of public school K-12 budgets.  I wrote that the state has a responsibility under the constitution to fund 55 percent of the cost of public schools but is providing only…

Wilson Library hires local educator to head up museum program

Chris Graham

Tracey Michael joins the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum as the new museum educator. Michael will be responsible for developing and presenting programs for students, expanding outreach to schools, and coordinating general public programming. She will continue and expand the work of recent staff retirees, Karen Church and Ellen Abernethy. Don Wilson, President and…

Aspiring doctors boosted by new MA in biomedicine

AFP

Gaining admittance into medical school can be a challenge for college graduates. Eastern Mennonite University now offers a way to make that challenge less daunting. Starting in the 2012-13 academic year EMU will be offering an MA in Biomedicine. The two-year program is designed to prepare students for entrance into medical, dental, physical therapy, physician…

Relief effort generates more than $300K

Jim Bishop

Brisk temperatures and sunny skies seemed to contribute to the “great community building experience” that epitomized the 45th annual Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale held Friday evening and Saturday, Sept. 30- Oct. 1, at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds. This year’s sale raised approximately $301,477 for the worldwide relief and service program of Mennonite Central Committee, up…

Augusta Health breaks ground on new heart and vascular center

Chris Graham

Augusta Health broke ground today for its new Heart and Vascular Center, a four-story, 67,500 square foot addition.  The construction project will also include renovations to 19,000 square feet in the existing hospital.  The project budget of $30.6 million will be funded through reserves; no money will be borrowed to finance the project. “This is…