The 12 Days of Christmas … Day 8: Celebration of Holiday Lights in Staunton’s Gypsy Hill Park

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Everyone loves the lights of the season so pile the kids in the car and head to Staunton’s Gypsy Hill Park “Celebration of Holiday Lights.” Drive around the two-mile loop and gaze, ooh, and ahh over the dozens of Christmas displays set up by area organizations. Each year tens of thousands of vehicles take part in this holiday treat. Open daily now through the New Year, the lights will be on from 5-11 p.m. offering a delightful treat for young and old.... (continue reading here)

Merry Christmas, Stacy ... wherever you are

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Christmas ornament hand-painted by 10-year-old Stacy in 1975.

 

As I was growing up, a tradition in our family was for my parents to give us ornaments each year from places they had traveled. My husband and I continued the tradition with our children … so we have a number of “special” ornaments that are placed on the tree year after year.

 

This year was no different. As I carefully unwrapped the tissue paper from around one particular ornament, memories flooded back as I saw the hand-painted ceramic decoration for the tree. It was a jack-in-the-box painted in 1975 by a 10-year-old boy named Stacy. I held the ornament in my hand and remembered back to the days when I worked at Children’s Hospital in Richmond.

Stacy touched my heart more than any other child I came in contact with because of his devilish sincerity. I loved that child. He was from southwestern Virginia, one of many children from a large, down-on-their-luck Appalachian family. As best I can remember, the accident that changed his life occurred when he was playing with his siblings and they tied him to a tree, piled leaves at the base of the tree, and set the leaves on fire. Stacy was horribly burned, so much so that much of both legs and part of one arm had to be amputated. He came to Children’s Hospital for rehabilitation.

The patients at the hospital lived in dorms and received daily treatment as well as schooling. Far.... (continue reading here)

The 12 Days of Christmas … Day 7: Holiday offerings at the Augusta County Library

Churchville Branch of the Augusta County Library.

There’s Kindles and laptops and video games and smart phones and every other device available out there but the wonderful thing is that libraries are still as popular as ever. With a wide selection of seasonal reading selections, a trip to the library provides hours of entertainment for kids and parents during school vacation over the holidays. (continue reading here)

Special Forces soldier dies in Afghanistan

Staff Sgt. Matthew Ammerman, a native of Noblesville, Ind., was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) when he died Dec. 3, 2014, as a result of wounds received in combat. (continue reading here)

Let’s raise the level of debate and the integrity of our cause

By Benjamin Dessart

While I normally do not give such articles much consideration, the editorial written by the Daily Caller and promoted by Tom White is the most appalling editorial I have read in my time engaged in conservative politics.

Not only are the accusations implied here heinous and logically flawed, they are written (and promoted) in the name of journalism. This article is not news. This article is not journalism. (continue reading here)

‘Daily Caller’ and Virginia blogger stoop to new low regarding UVa ‘Rolling Stone’ article

By Daniel Cortez

In my 45 years as a writer-broadcaster and political media operative, this remains the worst breach of journalistic ethics I have ever seen. I find the author and editors of the Daily Caller reprehensible to suggest, by inference through association, that the son of former Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor had anything to do with the alleged gang rape reportedly occurring at the University of Virginia in 2012 during a fraternity party.

In the past such acts of desperate yellow journalism were frowned upon.... (continue reading here)

They did it to Bill Bolling, now they’re doing it to Jeb Bush

Jeb Bush. Not conservative enough. Try as I might, it remains impossible to see these two concepts as even remotely related. John Ellis Bush, the second son of George Herbert Walker Bush and Barbara Bush, who during his first run for Florida governor in 1994 cheerfully called himself a head-banging conservative, a hang-’em-by-the-neck conservative … who during his second run for Florida governor in 1998 had to craft for himself a more compassionate persona so as not to scare off independent voters … that Jeb Bush has come to be viewed with suspicion by the uber-conservative, Tea Party wing of his Republican Party?

They did it to former Virginia Republican Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling.... (continue reading here)

24th State Senate race candidate to announce

State Senator Emmett Hanger has not announced if he intends to seek reelection for the 24th Senate District seat that he has held since 1996 but one challenger has already announced and a second is set to make his announcement today. (continue reading here)

Jeb: GOP needs to show it can lead

Jeb Bush came out again on the side of common sense and pragmatic leadership when he addressed The Wall Street Journal CEO Council annual meeting.... (continue reading here)