Christopher G. Miller: Choosing clean water in Virginia

Chris Graham

Column by Christopher G. Miller Submit guest columns: [email protected]   Over the past 50 years, the cities, towns, and suburban neighborhoods of Virginia have grown dramatically, adding millions of new people, new shopping malls, and the roads and parking lots that go with them. The storm sewers and other facilities we have were not built…

CSAs: Get your taste on

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Story by Chris Graham [email protected]   You might find out what a tomato is actually supposed to taste like. That’s one advantage to community supported agriculture. “It’s picked fresh that day, so you end up with an incredibly fresh selection of vegetables that have not been treated with Clorox to preserve them,” said David Beebe,…

Local student runs marathon in honor of late brother

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Submitted Item News tips: [email protected] Thomas Sheffer, a Mount Sidney resident and graduate student at Virginia Tech, will run in the National Marathon in Washington, D.C., March 20, to raise money for the nonprofit organization Active Minds Inc. His run will be made in honor of his brother, Daniel, who passed away in December 2008….

Letters to the Editor

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– K. Rashid Nuri: Making the case for urban agriculture – Hunter Mabry: Tell McDonnell to commute Paul Powell’s death sentence – Haresh Daswani: Of walks and meditation    K. Rashid Nuri: Making the case for urban agriculture In his State of the Union address, President Obama enumerated ongoing problems requiring his attention: health care,…

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…

Two approaches to Moving Waynesboro Forward

Chris Graham

Report by Chris Graham [email protected]    “The budget for each department would have a starting point of zero, and then you start with your essential needs, paper, electricity, water, labor, as an example.” That was Ward D candidate Mike Harris, as quoted in a NewsVirginian.com story reporting on Harris’ proposal on Wednesday to have the…

Frank Nolen: Let the SCC set rates

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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…

Some weight to sustainability

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Author overcomes skepticism, builds net-zero residential development    Story by Chris Graham [email protected]    Stu Rose has an interesting authenticity to his musings on sustainability. The author of a recent book on sustainable living admits to being “a little jaundiced” when it comes to the buzz words that people throw around. “I’m a little jaundiced…

Rise ‘n shine

Chris Graham

SMAC coach burns both ends of the candle Story by Chris Graham www.waynesboroymca.com People can’t believe that Doug Wharam is at the YMCA by 5:15 every morning, but to Wharam, his daily routine is nothing extraordinary. “The kids are here, and they work hard, and I love what I do. That makes it easy,” said…