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EGACY Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

WEDNESDAYS • March 8, 2017

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INSIDE

Delivery robots will now ‘invade’ Va. - 2 State is front and center on immigration - 8 Fixing Va.’s criminal justice system - 10 Marines terrorize colleagues in explicit posts - 14

Richmond & Hampton Roads

LEGACYNEWSPAPER.COM • FREE

Study: Increasing number of black officers may not reduce police-involved black killings

WIRE REPORT Increasing the number of black police officers may not reduce the number of police-involved killings of black victims, a new study concludes.

An increasing number of policeinvolved homicides of unarmed blacks have spawned nationwide protests and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Recommendations of former President Barack Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing and other human rights groups to

improve police-community relations included increasing the diversity of police forces.

But researchers at Indiana University reported that in most jurisdictions, it would take a significant infusion of black officers to make a difference in the number of black deaths at the hands of law enforcement.

“There may be other good reasons to have a police force that is more representative,” said study co-author Sean Nicholson-Crotty, “but there is little evidence that more black

cops will result in fewer homicides of black citizens.”

“For the vast majority of cities, simply increasing the percentage of black officers is not an effective solution,” he added.

The researchers used data derived from Mapping Police Violence, an advocacy group that developed a database of police homicides in 2014 in the 100 largest American cities; and a Washington Post collection of data on police-involved homicides in 2015.

The data analysis showed that

until the percentage of black officers reached between 35 and 40 percent of the police force, there was no effect on the number of police-involved killings of black persons. Above those percentages the effect ranged from negligible to a reduced number of black deaths at the hands of police.

“At that point [35 to 40 percent] and higher, individual officers may become less likely to discriminate against black citizens and more inclined to assume a minority advocacy role,” co-author Sergio Fernandez said.

The LEGACY

2 • March 8, 2017

News Obama makes a surprise visit to a D.C. high school

Ballou STAY principal Cara Fuller When former first lady Michelle Obama walked into a D.C. high school classroom, the stunned students erupted in tears. One student even darted out of the classroom to regain her composure before she could sit next to her.

Obama, who still lives in Washington, made a surprise visit last week to Ballou STAY High School in D.C. to speak with 14 students for two hours. Upon arriving, she hugged each of them before taking her seat in the circle.

“Once she came in, it was an inspirational feeling,” said Alliyah Williams, 18. “She was so sweet and warm. She was like a mom.”

After visiting the public alternative high school in Southeast Washington, she tweeted “Always love visiting DC schools. Thank you for hosting me today @BallouSTAY. Stories of students #reachinghigher continue to inspire me.” The tweet referenced the White House initiative “Reach Higher” she launched to encourage students to continue their education.

“Mrs. Obama had an emotional and heartfelt discussion with the students,” Caroline Adler Morales, a spokeswoman for the former first lady, wrote in an email. “There were tears, laughs and lots of hugs.”

While the Obamas shared a close rapport with D.C. Public Schools, the relationship with the Trump

Former first lady, Michelle Obama answered the students’ questions and urged them to stick with their education. There were tears, laughs, and lots of hugs, according to a spokesperson. administration has had a rocky start. Protesters greeted Education Secretary Betsy DeVos when she visited a D.C. school last month.

DeVos later criticized teachers, prompting the school to send 11 tweets defending itself.

The previous White House occupants are still D.C. residents, renting a house in the Kalorama neighborhood at least while their youngest daughter finishes high school.

Ballou STAY principal Cara Fuller said she learned of the visit an hour before, although the students didn’t know until Obama walked in. Students had been expecting a discussion with new D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson, so Fuller had selected the students to participate.

Fuller said the students ranged in age from 16 to 23. Four have children, some live in shelters, and others had been expelled from

previous schools.

“I think she really just wanted a school and a group of students who are typically counted out to know that they themselves are amazing and wonderful and have the talents that they need to be successful,” Fuller said.

Fuller said Obama led an informal discussion, with students asking her how she met the former president and how she survived as first lady. In response to one question, Obama said she has no presidential aspirations, saying that she didn’t have the freedom to crack open a window in the White House because of security.

Students also asked for her thoughts on Trump.

“They just asked what her thoughts were on the current president and they were deeply concerned about the rhetoric that has been going around,” she said.

At one point, a student told Obama of her struggles living in a shelter,

and Obama walked the student through steps she could take to achieve her goals. Another student, Williams, told the former first lady she wants to be an anesthesiologist.

“She told me not to let anything get in the way, and she said don’t go back and help everyone until you get where you want to be,” said Williams, who has a two-year-old son.

Fuller said one student, 18-yearold Vonte Walker, had never talked about his ambitions in school. Since Obama’s visit, he’s been telling the staff of his college plans.

“She motivated me,” Walker said.

Fuller recalled Obama calling a young mother in the class a “superstar” and listening to a student who said his biggest fear was making minimum wage at 40.

“These are students, students who no one says positive things to you generally, and it was really just to affirm their journey,” Fuller said.

WaPo

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

March 8, 2017 • 3

Virginia is the first state to legalize delivery robots America is now one step closer to becoming a sci-fi utopia, thanks to a new law passed in Virginia. On Friday Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed a ruling which will allow delivery robots to use its sidewalks and crosswalks from July 1. Advised by Starship Technologies, an Estoninan robotics company that specializes in ground delivery, the legislation states that the bots cannot travel faster than 10 miles per hour, or weigh over 50 pounds.

The new law will allow the little robots to roam the streets completely autonomously. In a bid to reduce collisions, however, Virginia requires them to remain under the watchful eye of the delivery company via remote monitoring.

The new law could be potentially dog-upsetting and can be amended by local councils or even overturned

completely if it becomes too problematic.

Observers note that with Starship widely testing their robots across the U.S in January, it was really only a matter of time before the futuristic concept became reality. The Estoniabased company will be the first to benefit from the new law.

Online delivery businesses like Amazon and Grubhub also sent letters to Virginia’s governor in support of the law, reaffirming their interest in the sector. Companies like Marble and Dispatch have also confirmed that they are working to bring their own autonomous bots to sidewalks.

“With most people still rendered gobsmacked by the convenience of Amazon Prime Now, it’s impressive to think that consumers will soon be able to get a package delivered to their door by an autonomous

Lawyer who defended racial gerrymandering has a top civil rights job John Gore, an attorney who has worked to defend laws that critics say are designed to weaken the voting rights of blacks and other minorities, was selected by President Donald Trump to serve as a senior civil rights official at the Department of Justice.

Gore’s new role as Trump’s choice for deputy assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is notable because he is leading the division that oversees civil rights laws, including voter suppression issues.

Trump and his Justice Department head, Jeff Sessions, are strong supporters of voting restrictions such as voter identification.

The appointment of Gore represents a dramatic break from the the civil rights legacy of the Obama Justice Department, which filed suits against voter restrictions in Wisconsin, Texas, North Carolina, and other states. Under Obama, the civil rights division was restructured to take on more cases, with former

Attorney General Eric Holder describing the team as the agency’s “crown jewel.”

In stark contrast, Gore has worked to defend Republican redistricting laws in Virginia, South Carolina, New York, and Florida — including maps that opponents say were drawn to maximize Republican seats in Congress and frequently employed a strategy of packing African-American voters into a single district to dilute their voting power in neighboring districts.

In Florida and Virginia, Gore also intervened on behalf of Republicans to defend new voter ID laws, rules civil rights group have assailed for reducing participation rates among blacks.

In Virginia, for example, Gore was one of the main attorneys working to defend a 2011 Republican map that moved black voters from four different districts into Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District, a majority black district held by a Democrat that encompasses the

robot,” noted an observer. “We’re just months away from robo-postmen, it

looks like 2017 might not be so bad after all.”

areas around Richmond, Hampton Roads, and Newport News. The strategy appeared designed to weaken Democratic chances in the four neighboring districts, all held

by Republicans, by lowering the number of blacks, who tend to vote for Democratic candidates.

A brief filed by the local NAACP argued that the map’s “high concentration of African-American voters” represented a “racial gerrymander” that violated voters’ due process rights. The GOP legislature argued that politics, not race, was the motivating factor in drawing the boundaries.

Federal courts overturned the GOP map, creating new borders that added black voters to the 4th Congressional district, which was previously represented by a white Republican. In 2016 the district for the first time elected a black Democrat.

In 2015, a resident of Virginia challenged the state’s newly passed law requiring a photo identification to vote, arguing that because minority groups were less likely to have a photo ID, the law “disproportionately suppresses the vote of African-Americans and Latinos in Virginia.”

A legal team from the law firm

Jones Day, including Gore, filed an amicus brief in support of the voter ID law. The brief claimed that although the voter ID law might lead to a “relative shortfall in minority participation,” the true difference was attributable to “different levels of electoral interest or underlying socio-economic disparities,” and therefore the state’s actions were legal.

In December 2016, a federal appeals court upheld the photo ID law, ruling that “there was no evidence to suggest racially discriminatory intent in the law’s enactment.”

Hours after Jones Day announced that Gore would be leaving for the administration position, the Justice Department moved to delay a hearing sought by the Obama administration to challenge the Texas voter ID law, one of the strictest in the country. The Justice Department noted that it sought a delay “because of the federal government’s change in administration, which took place on Jan. 20, 2017.”

Trump has reiterated the false claim that millions of undocumented people voted in the last election, costing him the popular vote.

The LEGACY

4 • March 8, 2017

VA-ACME evolves for the sake of military education Last year, 2016, marked the · VA-ACME The symposium provides a forum diamond anniversary of the Virginia Training for the discussion of current issues Advisory Council on Military Symposium: in military education and planning Education (VA-ACME). The ACME Wednesdayfor future programming. Military community celebrated in grand Thursday, students have unique circumstances fashion last March at the annual March 29-30, that require educators to possess symposium at the Westin Virginia from 7 a.m. to knowledge of Department of Defense Beach Town Center. The board 5 p.m.

Voluntary Education regulations, and planning committee hosted a Michael combat related influences in symposium that was informative, Camden, MBA, the classroom such at PTSD, educational, entertaining, and president of deployments, and more. memorable. The feedback was VA-ACME State ACMEs were created to Michael Camden overwhelmingly two thumbs up. and enrollment promote, support, and deliver So, how does an organization top coordinator meaningful education to all branches such a performance? By returning to at the Troy University – Hampton of the Armed Services by encouraging the Westin this month, on the 28-30, Roads Student Support & Testing colleges to be flexible and innovative with the theme: “The State of Play: Center will be on hand for the events. in meeting educational needs of the Military Education in Virginia”.

“State of Play is a British phrase military audience. VA-ACME is 409 E. Main St. #4 (mailing) • 105 1/2 E. Clay St. (office) Planned events include: meaning present situation, where one of the older, larger, and more Richmond, VA 23219 · VA-ACME Military Job Fair & we will explore the ever-changing successful of all of the ACMEs. 804-644-1550 (office) • 1-800-783-8062 (fax) Education Expo on Tuesday, March present situation of military Accomplishments include: raising ads@legacynewspaper.com 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., which is education in Virginia,” noted funds for the Virginia Wounded free and open to the public Camden.

Warrior Program by organizing charity golf tournaments, supporting the transition of military personnel Hampton Sheriff’s Office to the civilian sector through military Committed to Excellence job fairs, awarding thousands of

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dollars in college scholarships to the military community, and providing intriguing and relevant speakers at the annual symposium, such as Virginia first lady, Dorothy McAuliffe; Jason Redmond, retired Navy Seal and founder of Wounded Wear; and Secretary John Harvey, Virginia Department of Veterans Services. VA-ACME will be recognized at the annual Council of College and Military Educators (CCME) conference with the inaugural CCME ACME award for significant contributions and support of military education.

“Meanwhile, the VA-ACME Board, its members, and its volunteers are dedicated to the mission of VA-ACME and to the military community which we serve, support, and educate,” noted the organization.

“We look forward to continuing to support the professional development, education and training needs of the military community in Virginia for many years to come.”

March 8, 2017 • 5

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Opposing rallies tackle sanctuary city issues

Protesters outnumbered supporters (like the man pictured above) at GOP candidate Corey Stewart’s anti-immigrant rally at Capitol Square.

The fight over designating Richmond a sactuary city came to a head this past weekend as Republican candidate for governor, Corey Stewart, and advocacy group, ICE out of RVA, coverged at the Richmond Capitol in opposing rallies.

ICE out of RVA, in coalition with Latinx, Black, Muslim, LGBTQ+ individuals, and allies, were at the Bell Tower in what they described as ongoing efforts to “demonstrate to local, state, and federal governments that diverse communities will continue to stand together in solidarity and expect elected leaders to craft and support meaningful and comprehensive policies that create true sanctuary cities for all” Stewart and his supporters, said they were “tired” of “Democrats and spineless Republicans ... turning Richmond into a sanctuary city.”

“The ICE Out of RVA coalition is continuing to organize and send the clear, strong message to Corey Stewart, and those that support his ideologies, that individuals and organizations in Richmond [and all over Virginia] will not stand for hate speech and violence.” said Carolina Bautista Velez, ICE OUT of RVA Coalition member. “Corey Stewart

is an anti-immigrant politician who made his name on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors where he took advantage of local racist sentiment to force the adoption of 287(g) measures that obligated local law enforcement to target and arrest immigrants and people of color. Stewart has demonstrated consistently that he will not hesitate to tear apart families and violate human rights. Stewart’s policies are not simply an attack on immigrant families, the measures passed in his county cost taxpayers millions, destroyed trust between Latinx communities and law enforcement, hurt the local economy, and had no effect on crime in Prince William County. “ Stewart says that undocumented immigrants, who are protected from deportation in santuary cities, “are killing Virginians.” It is unclear how many Virginians have been victimized by undocumented immigrants, but santuary city supporters, have said that Republicans have made the issue hyperbolic.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney recently issued a directive to “ensure that Richmond is an inclusive city, open to everyone”.

6 • March 8, 2017

Op/Ed & Letters

The LEGACY

It’s way past time to fix the system TOM PERRIELLO Every Virginian deserves to feel safe in their community, and every Virginian deserves equal rights under the law.

Our criminal justice system is not currently delivering on these ideals. Instead, we’re wasting money, reinforcing racially discriminatory outcomes, and falling behind as reformers in other states move forward. The United States imprisons a higher share of our population than any industrialized country, and Virginia has one of the largest prison populations in the country. Virginia still has some of the harshest laws on the books for non-violent offenders, drug addicts, and juveniles. As more people of all political views grow to understand the human and financial costs of mass incarceration, it is past time for serious, wide-ranging reform of our policing and criminal justice system.

Because the numerous benefits of reform are so clear, this should be an issue that brings people together across party lines. We should be adopting evidence-based programs that keep our communities safe, reduce repeat offenses, save the state money, and help thousands of Virginians lead happier, fuller lives.

Instead of a school to prison pipeline, we should be investing in a school to workforce pipeline that fosters growth and dignity. Even more conservative states like Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma are pursuing more progressive approaches to criminal justice reform and alternatives to incarceration.

The LEGACY NEWSPAPER Vol. 3 No. 10 Mailing Address 409 E. Main Street 4 Office Address 105 1/2 E. Clay St. Richmond, VA 23219 Call 804-644-1550 Online www.legacynewspaper.com

Virginia has made progress in recent years toward a more effective and fair approach to criminal justice. Gov. Terry McAuliffe has shown strong leadership in restoring the voting rights of those who’ve served their sentences and reforming our juvenile justice system, and bipartisan groups of legislators have taken important steps towards more sensible drug policies. Police departments, including Richmond and Newport News, have implemented community policing strategies, strengthening the trust between citizens and law enforcement. Norfolk’s new mayor is pursuing policies of engagement and de-escalation. In the interest of safety, justice and fiscal responsibility, we can unite all Virginians around building on these successes to put our commonwealth at the forefront of reform.

We have to stop criminalizing poverty. Our criminal code today disproportionately impacts the poor and creates nearly insurmountable barriers for advancement. It is all too common for fines for minor infractions like traffic violations, trespassing, and disorderly conduct — which disproportionately impact communities of color — to accumulate, generating penalty fees and resulting in garnished wages or a suspended drivers’ license.

This makes it harder for people to seek and maintain legitimate employment. We should end the practice of suspending licenses for non-driving offenses, and ensure that quality-of-life laws are not enforced in a discriminatory way.

The LEGACY welcomes all signed letters and all respectful opinions.

Letter writers and columnists opinions are their own and endorsements of their views by The LEGACY should be inferred. The LEGACY assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.

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We should also address needlessly harsh sentencing laws that result in taxpayers spending money to incarcerate without any evidence that such punishment changes behavior or improves community safety. For example, Virginia has one of the lowest thresholds for felony larceny in the country, at just $200. So if you steal something like an iPad or a pair of designer jeans from the mall, instead of facing misdemeanor charges or hefty fines, you’re a serious felon. This makes it all too easy for a person who made a mistake to become trapped in a cycle of incarceration, joblessness, and reoffense.

Additionally, for a $200 theft, the state will spend 125 times that amount, or $25,000, for each year that person is incarcerated. When a long prison sentence is not effective at addressing someone’s behavior, we would be better off reallocating the dollars we are spending on their incarceration to other public safety pursuits.

Another key to addressing inequities in the justice system is to ensure that every Virginian has access to justice. This means we must provide for credible public defense for those accused of crimes.

Virginia has one of the lowest provisions for indigent defense in the nation, even worse than Mississippi.

Currently the state caps the costs for court-appointed attorneys at a total of $445, or just $158 for some misdemeanors involving jail time.

I question what kind of justice that

will buy a poor person in this state.

Beyond raising the caps on courtappointed counsel fees, we should also make a reasonable provision for costs like expert witnesses and translators. Every Virginian deserves a fair day in court, regardless of their station in life.

We need to turn the school-toprison pipeline into a school-toworkforce pipeline.

Virginia refers more of its students to the police than any state in the country, leading to a juvenile incarceration rate 75 percent higher than the national average. This is bad for children in any community, but the pain has been felt most acutely by African-American families, whose children represent only 20 percent of youth in the state but 70 percent of those in detention.

If the goal is truly public safety, data shows that this system of ever greater punishments for youth is counterproductive: almost 75 percent of youth offenders are re-arrested within three years, and research by the state Department of Juvenile Justice has found that the longer a child is incarcerated, the higher the likelihood that they will end up back in the system. All of this comes at a cost to the commonwealth of close to $200 million, including $150,000 per year to keep a child incarcerated.

There are proven alternatives that would benefit children, public safety, and our public finances.

To turn this around we must

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March 8, 2017 • 7

P.T. Hoffsteader, Esq.

Oh ok...

Ex-president Obama is creating what will effectively be a shadow government to sabotage the incoming administration with an army of activists numbering more than 30,000. Obama will command them from his house less than two miles from the White House. He’s doing it through a network of leftist nonprofits led by Organizing for Action which recently opened more than 250 offices around the country.

OFA activists helped organize antiTrump marches across US cities, some of which turned into riots.

Obama is encouraging and funding the riots with the help of his henchmen led by Eric Holder, Valerie Jarret, his “wife” and of course racist extraordinaire and funded by George “the communist” Soros.

Pay attention America this is going to get bad. I think the Republicans should start collecting intel on Obama as this should be heading to treason.

Brad Kearney

Looking The GOP plan to repeal Obamacare is hidden under lock and key somewhere in the U.S. Capitol.

Yes, really.

Congressional Republicans are putting together the plan that will affect millions of Americans’ health insurance in secret, and they aren’t even letting some members of their own party see it.

We’ve expected the Obamacare repeal bill to be bad, but we need to be prepared for the worst. And we have to be ready to fight back.

The effects of repealing Obamacare could be felt for years.

Despite the GOP’s secrecy, here’s what we’ve heard about their plan: #1 It would end the Medicaid expansion that’s covering millions of women and families across the country; #2 It would allow providers to charge the elderly up to five times more than younger people for treatment; #3 And it would defund Planned Parenthood, ending access to safe abortions as well as basic health care for millions.

For years, Republicans have been fighting to defund Planned Parenthood at the state level. Each time they try, progressive women in state legislatures have taken a stand.

Congressional Republicans have voted repeatedly to defund Planned Parenthood and repeal Obamacare at the federal level. And so far, these women have successfully fought it every time.

But when Republicans control the House, the Senate, the presidency, and many state legislatures across the country, even our most vocal elected officials can’t stop it.

That’s why we need to keep electing as many pro-choice Democratic women as possible.

Kate Black

(from page 6) first look to our schools, where a “zero tolerance” approach to school discipline has resulted in our state having the highest rate of student referrals to law enforcement in the country in 2015 — nearly three times the national average. Turning students over to police, rather than dealing with disciplinary issues administratively within the school system, fails to address the causes of misbehavior and often becomes the first step on a path into the juvenile justice system. Recent efforts at reform in Virginia, such as the use of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, are a right step forward, and as Governor, I will support the State Board of Education and local school systems in developing better approaches to school discipline.

For youth offenders, I would shift our emphasis from punishment to personal accountability to victims and the community, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, mental health counseling, and education. In cases where jailing may be necessary, we should look to replace incarceration in large juvenile facilities with smaller, regional facilities where youth can be closer to their families, support networks, and services that can help them make positive changes.

The state should also ramp up efforts to help localities reduce the use of pretrial detention in Virginia counties and cities and keep young people out of “juvenile jails” whenever possible. Evidence shows that these approaches reduce recidivism — and come with a much lower price tag. Some of the successful real-world examples of

these ideas come from solidly red states like Texas and Georgia, the former of which saw the numbers of incarcerated youth fall 75 percent while juvenile crime also decreased.

We have to make prison and policing more effective.

Virginia imprisons too many people for too long, with high costs for the public and the health of our communities. We spend more than $1.5 billion per year on prisons and jails and have produced a system in which nearly one in fifty adults is incarcerated or under correctional supervision. This is a waste of our state’s money and of its people, and it is ultimately counterproductive to public safety.

It is time for us to reform our sentencing laws and prison system to apply criminal justice in a way that is fair to all Virginians, effective at providing public safety, and efficient in our use of taxpayer dollars. We can begin by focusing imprisonment on those who present a real threat to the public, while seeking alternatives for minor and victimless crimes, and promoting rehabilitation and education so that fewer crimes are committed in the first place. We should reverse the decisions made in recent years to eliminate parole for people who pose no threat to public safety, including elderly prisoners, which have resulted in spiraling costs for the medical care of people too ill or infirm to present a threat.

And we should implement the recommendations of the Commission on Parole review that brought law enforcement, corrections experts and legislators together to identify ways to reduce the number of people incarcerated in Virginia and reallocate resources to more effective

8 • March 8, 2017

Faith & Religion

The LEGACY

Targeting a sanctuary INTERCEPT - Two dozen homeless men and women filed out of Rising Hope United Methodist Church, where they had found sanctuary the night before from the wind and brutal cold.

Each winter for more than 15 years, the church has acted as an overnight homeless shelter along the decaying Route 1 corridor in Alexandria, Northern Virginia. Volunteers serve the visitors a hot meal and unroll sleeping bags for them on the church floor. The visitors have to leave the next morning by 7 o’clock, when the church starts its daytime operations.

That morning in early February, as the men and women gathered in the church parking lot, a few of them noticed three unmarked cars parked across the street. Then a group of seven or eight Latino men split off from the group and headed for the shopping center across the street.

As soon as the men stepped onto the opposite sidewalk, a dozen federal agents burst out of the cars, forced them up against a wall, handcuffed them, and interrogated them for at least half an hour.

Multiple witnesses described the events . “They just jumped out,” said Ralph, one of the men who had spent the night in the church. “Then [the men] were lined up on the wall.”

“They just looked like regular cars,” said Ashley, who witnessed the raid from across the street. “Then the agents just jumped out. It looked like regular police, but the vests said ICE.” Ashley and Ralph both said they were afraid to give their last names.

Oscar Ramirez, one of the men who was interrogated, was released after he convinced agents he had a green card. He told the community newspaper that the agents used portable fingerprint scanners on his hands, then let him go.

Witnesses said the other six or seven Latino men were taken away and shoved into in a van, already half full with other arrestees.

A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said

that the ICE agents had “conducted consensual interviews” and “identified two criminal aliens.” She refused to say how many people were arrested, or explain why agents were waiting across the street from a church.

But to the longtime pastor of Rising Hope, the message was chilling: His church is now a target.

“They were not here because they were doing a routine community sweep. They were clearly targeting,” said Rev. Keary Kincannon. “They were waiting until the Hispanic men came out of the church. And they rounded them all up. They didn’t question the blacks. They didn’t question the whites. They were clearly going after folks that were Latino.”

“I don’t know their names. I don’t know where they’re being held. I don’t even know how many there are,” said immigration attorney Nick Marritz. “That does make it very hard for us to put a case together.”

Marritz works for the Legal Aid Justice Center, which serves lowincome communities in Northern Virginia. Two weeks after the church stakeout, Marritz was still working with witnesses to figure out who was taken and where they are — information he needs to legally challenge the arrests.

To members of the church community, the men have effectively been disappeared, and ICE officials are still refusing to provide them with any answers.

ICE maintains a public database online that allows anyone to search detainees by name, date of birth, and an alien — or “A” — number.

But the database is often crippled by processing delays and clerical errors and is useless to searchers who don’t know exactly who they are looking for.

It can also be difficult for homeless and low-income people to contact someone on the outside. “In the case of people who are experiencing homelessness like this, it’s hard for us to say how big the support

Pastor Keary Kincannon delivers a sermon at Rising Hope Mission Church in Alexandria. PHOTO: Greg Kahn network is,” said Marritz. “Who do they know to contact? Whoever might know about [them], they haven’t let me know.”

Marritz, Kincannon, and other United Methodist Church leaders walked into ICE’s regional office in Fairfax on Feb. 17 and demanded the names and whereabouts of the people arrested. “We went to have a vigil and to try with talk with them to find who did they ask, who did they take, what were their charges.

Not only would they not meet with us, they wouldn’t tell us the names of anybody,” said Kincannon.

“They just said: ‘We’re not going to meet with you, we’re not going to give you the names. Please leave,’” said Marritz.

It is not uncommon for homeless and low-income immigrants to virtually disappear into the U.S. immigration detention system.

Prisoners are frequently shuffled around between more than 200 detention facilities. Most of them are held in prisons run by private companies.

Lawyers and families members often face obstacles in reaching detainees. Audits by the Government Accountability Office have found

that officers in immigration prisons frequently deny detainees phone calls, or prevent them from making phone calls during business hours.

Some detainees have reported that prison phones drop calls before they can leave voicemails. In many Customs and Border Protection facilities, prisoners have to purchase calling cards to use the phone — which puts a call beyond the financial means of many.

A week after the arrests, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., both sent letters to ICE inquiring about the raid and their enforcement policies near churches.

ICE has not publicly responded to either one.

Rising Hope was chartered in 1996 as a mission church to serve homeless people, and to this day between 70 and 80 percent of its congregation is homeless. It occupies a modest, two-story building right off the Route 1 corridor, an impoverished area just south of a wealthy D.C.-area suburb. There’s a tattoo parlor around the corner, and a Goodwill and payday loan agency a

(continued on page 9)

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(from page 8) few blocks away.

According to Rev. Jeff Mickle, the Alexandria district superintendent for the United Methodist Church, ICE hasn’t targeted any other churches in his district. There are 54 — all far more affluent than Rising Hope.

Kincannon founded Rising Hope out of his car more than 20 years ago, and since then the church has grown into one of Northern Virginia’s most effective charities. Last year, the church’s pantry gave out $1.2 million worth of food, and its soup kitchen served 16,000 hot meals. Its winter shelter program opens every night from December to March.

“Think about it: They’re coming here to keep from freezing to death.

They’re coming here to find support and help. By sweeping them up after they left here, [ICE is] putting fear into other people. There may be folks now that may be afraid to come in out of the cold,” Kincannon told me in his office. “It’s real cruelty.”

Parishioners at Rising Hope are afraid the church will be targeted again. Bulletin boards advertised free “know your rights” trainings in English and Spanish. Volunteers have noticed a marked decrease in the number of Latino men and women coming to the winter shelter.

During a Sunday sermon 11 days after the raid, Kincannon told the congregation about a Latino woman and U.S. citizen who frequents the church food pantry. “She is so

March 8, 2017 • 9 frightened she will be picked up and deported before she can prove her citizenship,” he said, “she has started carrying her birth certificate with her.”

In 2011, ICE adopted a “sensitive locations” policy meant to prevent agents from terrorizing important community sites. It prevents ICE agents from making arrests “focused on” schools, churches, or hospitals without an emergency or prior approval from a high-level department official.

ICE released a statement following the Rising Hope arrests saying it complied with the policy. “The Department of Homeland Security is committed to ensuring that people seeking to … utilize services provided at any sensitive location are free to do so without fear or hesitation,” it read.

But the raid not only impacted the church’s mission, it sent shockwaves throughout the area.

After Mickle sent a letter notifying local clergy about the raid, many have reported back about seeing fear in their own communities. “I have already received phone calls from people who are very upset about the situation,” said Rev. Ileana Rosario, a United Methodist pastor who works with Hispanic and immigrant communities. “We have no guarantees that this will not happen again.”

Rosario founded a predominantly Hispanic church in Arlington in 2001, and later that year, President Bush invited her to the White House

and recognized her for her ministry.

In 2007, she became the United Methodists’ director of Hispanic and Latino ministries for Virginia.

“What is so troubling for them is that it can happen at any time and at any moment,” said Rosario. “Church for them was the sanctuary. It was the safe place. For them, in their culture, church is the place that no one can touch. Where are we going to go if we cannot go to the House of the Lord?”

Curches are playing a big role in resisting emboldened immigration enforcement across the country.

Church leaders have trained volunteers, led demonstrations, and even offered sanctuary to people with outstanding deportation orders.

Their resolve could signal a coming showdown with a president who already has the tools to dramatically accelerate deportations.

Trump inherited a deportation machine of enormous power: President Obama pumped billions of additional dollars into immigration enforcement and deported more people than any of his predecessors.

During the final months of Obama’s presidency, administration lawyers argued before the Supreme Court that the federal agents should be able to imprison immigrants for years on

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This program is not intended to be used to report police emergencies.

end without a bond hearing.

In his first weeks in office, Trump has begun to unleash the full force of that deportation system. The Department of Homeland Security released memos on February 18 that outline Trump’s vision: They call for hiring thousands of agents, building new detention facilities, deputizing state and local law enforcement, and expanding the categories of people who are “priorities for removal” to possibly include millions of immigrants.

While ICE’s “sensitive locations” policy on targeting churches technically remains in place, it could be modified or revoked. In his letter to district clergy, Mickle asked them to “keep this matter in your prayers” and “be prepared to stand up when the time comes.”

Paraphrasing the remarks of a United Methodist theologian, Mickle wrote: “If the choice is between honoring a president’s campaign promise, or honoring the commands of Jesus, the Church has no choice but to follow Jesus, even if it leads us to stand up against the actions of the government.”

“They’re not coming in unless they have a warrant,” Kincannon said.

“If they try and come in without a warrant, I’ll stand in the way.”

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Festival promises cultural diversity in dance Dogtown Dance Theatre will host the 4th annual Richmond Dance Festival, April 21 through May 6, organizers recently announced.

The three-weekend festival will feature both local and national dance artists as well as international dance film artists in the heart of the historic district of Manchester in Richmond. The festival will consist of live performances as well as dance for camera film screenings.

This year’s performances include choreographers that excel in modern dance, hip hop, contemporary ballet, and traditional African influenced dance styles, solidifying Richmond

Dance Festival’s commitment to create a common ground for diverse audiences to come together and enjoy dance art.

The festival will show works by familiar local dance artists including Victoria Fink, a Richmond choreographer and Old Dominion University and William and Mary dance faculty, whose new work “Displaced”, set on RVA Dance Collective, premiered during the 2016 In Light Richmond Festival presented. The work is a multimedia dance piece made in collaboration with Richmond film artist Torian Ugworji and explores how elements of culture, class, and history can

affect a person’s home physically and psychologically. Two recent VCU Dance graduates, Johnnie Mercer (Johnnie Cruise Mercer/ TheREDprojectNYC) and Chloe Bowman (ChloeIsaBow + Co, Brooklyn) are returning to Richmond to present work in the festival. These VCU dance alum are successfully creating and presenting work in New York after their graduation, and Dogtown is excited to bring their work home for Richmond Dance Festival.

Nationally acclaimed dance artist Winifred Haun will be presented the second weekend of the festival.

Winifred Haun & Dancers is a professional contemporary dance company led by award winning choreographer, Winifred Haun.

Founded in Chicago in the 1990’s, the company has produced over 125 original dance works, including one full length ballet, and participated in over 300 public performances and events.

Donation based community dance workshops will be offered by the festival artists and all proceeds will help support Dogtown’s mission to enlighten the Richmond community through creative expression and education across diverse populations.

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SCOTUS blocks Va. districts over use of race The Supreme Court dealt another blow last week against the use of race in drawing election districts, demanding further review of 11 state legislative districts that Virginia Republicans designed to ensure that 55 percent of eligible voters were black.

The 7-1 ruling was at least a temporary victory for Democrats who challenged 12 districts drawn after the 2010 Census by the GOP-led state Legislature. They argued that the maps were drawn to pack more blacks than necessary into those districts, in order to give Republicans the advantage in many more surrounding districts.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his opinion that districts can be held unconstitutional “if race for its own sake is the overriding reason for choosing one map over others” — even if the districts meet traditional redistricting criteria, such public safety approaches.

For criminal justice reform to be both just and effective, we must also work toward a more positive relationship between police and the public they protect. I have tremendous respect for the men and women who serve the commonwealth as law enforcement officers. I have lived and worked in countries where basic policing is absent, and I know from experience that physical security is the basic condition for a functioning society. But that experience is why I also believe that real security is achieved when all citizens feel that law enforcement is on their side, and that they can work together as partners in the effort to keep communities safe.

As governor, I will work closely with local police and sheriff’s departments to support training on community policing, de-escalation, and non-lethal tactics, including identifying funding and incentives for departments that want to take this approach. I will promote improved data and transparency on arrests and shootings, so that we can all ground our discussions on policing effectiveness in good information. I will encourage consistent use of body cameras by law enforcement, as well as ensuring access to other important equipment such as body armor and tactical first aid kits. And with our jails frequently serving as the biggest mental health facilities in the state, I

as compactness. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented in part.

But the high court did not settle the issue. The justices sent the case back to a three-judge trial court with instructions to use different criteria in determining whether the Legislature violated the Constitution by setting racial targets. And they upheld a 12th district as having a 55 percent black voting-age population for legitimate reasons.

The justices did not rule on a similar case from North Carolina heard the same day in December, in which Democratic challengers said two congressional districts were drawn with the same intent — to pack African Americans into some districts so that others would be safer for Republicans.

That decision could come soon.

Race, politics divide Supreme Court justices in redistricting cases Democratic Party attorney Marc

Tom Perriello is a Democratic Party candidate for governor of Virginia. will work with law enforcement and local government to support systems that divert people whose principal problem is a mental health need into appropriate treatment as early as possible, allowing our police to focus on more pressing public safety challenges.

We must treat addiction as a health issue. The opioid epidemic now tearing so cruelly at communities across our state highlights the failures of our decades old war on drugs. Now is the time to recognize that addiction is a sickness that punishment does nothing to heal. It makes no sense to me that we can find the resources to lock an addict up for possession, but have put so little into rehabilitation that the same person has to get on a long

Elias heralded the Virginia ruling as a “major victory.” In a briefing a day earlier, he said the two cases "could further the trend of courts cracking down on racial gerrymandering."

But the justices did not go that far. They sent the case back so that a trial court panel can decide if race was the predominant motive for the design of the 11 districts.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires states to draw districts that enable African Americans to elect their chosen representatives, lest blacks not form a majority anywhere.

Two decades ago, Democrats used the law to demand “majority-minority” districts. But after Republicans took over many state legislatures in 2010, they began drawing districts with what critics claim are more African Americans than necessary, in order to protect surrounding districts.

The Virginia case involves 12

House of Delegates districts in the central and southern part of the state that were drawn to include a minimum of 55 percent black voters.

A federal district court panel upheld the lines, which Paul Clement, representing the Legislature, said were used to protect black voters and lawmakers from a potentially low African American turnout.

During oral argument, Elias said the lower court allowed legislators to “corral” black voters “because we think they all vote alike, and we don’t want them infecting the neighborhood.”

In his dissent, Thomas — the court’s lone black justice — sympathized with the legislature’s plight in trying to satisfy the Voting Rights Act without going too far.

But he said, “I cannot ignore the Constitution’s clear prohibition on state-sponsored race discrimination.”

waiting list for a treatment facility when they’re ready to get clean.

The hardest part of recovery is the decision to stop using; once a person gets there, we should make it easy for them to take the next step by entering treatment.

As governor, I would focus our law enforcement resources on drug traffickers and distributors, while emphasizing rehabilitation rather than punishment for non-violent users. I would encourage adoption of the principles underlying the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) approach, through which law enforcement officials work with health authorities and social workers to divert low-level offenders into treatment, counselling, and social services. Not only does this approach address the real causes of addiction, it frees up higher-cost law police resources to focus on real threats to public safety. Similarly, I would work to end the counter-productive practice of cutting anyone with a drug arrest off of many forms of social services and public assistance.

Poverty and instability are known risk factors for drug abuse, and it seems to me that throwing someone off of public housing or food stamps for good can only make it harder for them to turn their life around.

These are not partisan issues.

They’re right for our communities.

So-called “tough on crime” policies have long been used to manipulate

fear and get politicians elected, but thirty years into the era of mass incarceration, we now understand that these policies have hurt all of us. Certainly they hurt people of color, who the statistics show are disproportionately likely to be arrested for minor infractions, convicted on arrest, and given longer sentences for similar violations. But they hurt communities everywhere, when children are turned into hardened criminals, when addicts get jail time rather than treatment, and when the breakdown of trust makes it harder for police to do their jobs.

I recognize that there are legislators in both parties who have attempted to advance a reform agenda in the General Assembly, only to meet opposition on even modest ideas.

To break through that stalemate, I will examine options for building consensus among all stakeholders, including following the path of other Southern governors by appointing a bipartisan commission of experts to make recommendations. We have the opportunity to put in place policies that improve public safety, restore communities, and reduce the financial burden on the commonwealth. I am certain that if our state’s leaders look into the evidence on what works and listen to the stories of what is broken, we will be able to come together to do what is right.

14 • March 8, 2017

The LEGACY

Hundreds of Marines investigated for sharing unauthorized photos of naked colleagues THOMAS JAMES BRENNAN The U.S. Department of Defense is investigating hundreds of Marines who used social media to solicit and share hundreds — possibly thousands — of naked photographs of women service members and veterans.

Since Jan. 30, more than two dozen women – many on active duty, including officers and enlisted service members – have been identified by their rank, full name and military duty station in photographs posted and linked to from a private Facebook page.

In one instance, a woman corporal in uniform was followed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina by a fellow Marine, who surreptitiously photographed her as she picked up her gear. Those photographs were posted online in the Facebook group “Marines United,” which has nearly 30,000 followers, drawing dozens of obscene comments.

One member of the Facebook group suggested the service member sneaking the photos should “take her out back and pound her out.”

Others suggested more than vaginal intercourse: “And butthole. And throat. And ears. Both of them. Video it though… for science.”

Senior officials with Headquarters Marine Corps have verified that incident as well as the distribution of photographs of other active duty and veteran women through the page and links out to a Google Drive.

The photo sharing began less than a month after the first Marine infantry unit was assigned women on Jan. 5. It underscores ongoing problems of sexual harassment within the military ranks and could hurt recruitment of women. Officials within the Defense Department confirmed it also puts service members at risk for blackmail and jeopardizes national security.

The activity on the Marines United page was uncovered by The War Horse, a nonprofit news

“I am extremely disappointed to hear about reports of active members and veterans of the Marine Corps sharing nude photos of their female fellow service members. Persons who have dedicated their lives in service of our country should not be victims of this heinous action, especially by their fellow service members. There must be zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the armed services.

“I applaud the individual who brought this information forward. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am calling for a full investigation and a promise that victims receive the resources they need. I trust that the Marine Corps Commandant, General Neller, will right this wrong and will make it clear that all service members must be treated with respect and that harassment will not be tolerated.”

- Congressman A. Donald McEachin D- Virginia, 4th District organization run by this reporter, a Marine veteran. Within a day of this reporter contacting the Marine Corps headquarters on Jan. 30, social media accounts behind the sharing had been deleted by Facebook and Google at the Corps’ request and a formal investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service has been launched.

However, it is clear that the actions taken so far have not fully stopped the activity. Photos of the woman followed at Camp Lejeune were posted on Marines United on Feb. 16, more than two weeks after the linking accounts had been shut down. The Marine who shot those photos has been discharged from active duty, Marine Corps officials confirmed.

“We need to be brutally honest with ourselves and each other: This behavior hurts fellow Marines, family members, and civilians. It is a direct attack on our ethos and legacy,” Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Green, the most senior enlisted Marine on active duty, wrote in an email response. “It is inconsistent with our core values, and it impedes our ability to perform our mission.

The service is deeply concerned about the damage the incident could do to the Marines, according

to a document provided to generals warning them of the upcoming story.

The 10-page “Office of Marine Corps Communications Public Affairs Guidance” lists resources for victims, including a website to report crimes, and provides talking points for other media and members of Congress – who, it suggested, will want answers.

It also outlines another possible blow to come - inappropriate responses from Marines.

“The story will likely spark shares and discussions across social media, offering venues for Marines and former Marines who may victim blame, i.e., ‘they shouldn’t have taken the photos in the first place,’ or bemoan that they believe the Corps is becoming soft or politically correct,” it said.

Facebook messages seeking comment sent to Marines United’s current administrators were not returned. At least three of those listed on the page were aware of the activity, two participated in comment strings about the photos and another “liked” one of them.

More than 2,500 comments about the photos were left by group members, many of whom used their personal Facebook accounts that include their names, ranks and duty stations. Some invited others to

collect, identify and share photos of naked or scantily clad servicewomen.

Based on their profiles, service members who participated in the photo sharing are stationed across the world — from Japan to North Carolina — and across military branches, from air wing to infantry.

Dozens of now-deleted Google Drive folders linked to from the Facebook page included dossiers of women containing their names, military branches, nude photographs, screenshots of their social media accounts, and images of sexual acts.

Dozens of other subfolders included unidentifiable women in various stages of undress. Many images appear to have originated from the consensual, but private, exchange of racy images, some clearly taken by the women themselves.

After the accounts were deleted, the Marine Corps contacted the employer of the Marine veteran who initially posted the Google Drive link on Marines United. He was fired from his position as a government subcontractor in the United States, according to Maj. Clark Carpenter, a Marine Corps spokesman.

The War Horse reported speaking with five of the women in the photographs. Two of them said they believe former partners may have leaked images. Some said they worry their own accounts might have been hacked or poached. One said a coworker, a male Marine, alerted her to the fact that the photographs had been posted.

The corporal photographed at Camp Lejeune learned she had been stalked only after The War Horse sought comment from military officials. But she thinks she remembers the man.

She spoke on condition of anonymity, nervous about reprisal and becoming more of a target.

“He was standing close enough to smell my perfume,” she said. “This is going to follow me – just like he did.”

The Marines United Facebook page has been around since 2015 and

(continued on page 17)

March 8, 2017 • 15

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Virginia State University’s (VSU) accounting majors are working in cooperation with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to provide income tax preparation and filing assistance for 2016 tax returns to individual or joint filers in the Tri-Cities area with income below $58,000.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site has been established on VSU’s campus in Singleton Hall, Room 333, and is being staffed two days a week, Tuesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through April 11. The service will be closed during the university’s Spring Break, March 12 - March 19.

Those desiring help in preparing and filing their tax returns should bring with them all essential records – W2 forms, SSA – 1099, if appropriate, etc. Free electronic filing will be done for individuals who are required to use IRS forms 1040A or 1040EZ only. IRS E-File for individuals is the easy alternative to filing paper returns.

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(from page 14) limits membership to male Marines, Navy Corpsman and British Royal Marines. The group has a code of conduct pinned to the top of its page: No discussing Marines United; no threats, harm, or harassment; and no racist and illegal posts.

The thousands of images gathered by some group members reveal information about hundreds of women veterans and service members, including social media handles and where they are stationed. These acts not only violate the group’s code of conduct but also Facebook’s terms of use.

The initial link on the page to the image collection read: “Here you go, you thirsty f*** …this is just the tip of the iceberg. There is more coming.”

Within one minute, commenters began posting: “Holy f***, there is a god.”

The federal employee – the one who has since been fired – posted a response: “Anyone can contribute. They just have to (private message) me for their own personal upload link.”

Some Marines promised free beer to contributors. Many tagged friends.

One seemed to be tracking the number of photos submitted, writing, “Over 400 more pictures added,” to which he received the response, “Well Done Marine!”

“I know one of these chicks, her name is…” read another of the hundreds of comments. “Check her out boys.”

This distribution of photographs without the women’s consent can threaten their mental health, according to Dr. Frank Ochberg, a psychiatrist, founding board member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and former associate director of the National Institute for Mental Health.

“It impairs the ideal of a brotherhood and sisterhood, being able to count on somebody,” said Ochberg, who pioneered the Post Traumatic Stress diagnosis in 1980. “Within the military, this is a violation of family. …There are few organizations held to such esteem as the Marine Corps. They stand for honor, courage, and commitment.

Dr. Frank Ochberg “This destroys honor. …This is sadistic. …This is disloyalty.”

In recent years, the Armed Forces have implemented programs and protocols to respond to reports of sexual harassment, assault and equal opportunity violations. But Marine Corps officials confirmed that none include procedures for dealing with sexual exploitation of this nature.

In 2013, Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, brought a similar problem to the Marines’ attention, an incident noted in the public affairs document sent to generals on March 3. In that case, comments denigrating women were posted on a Facebook page. Gen. James Amos, then Commandant of the Marine Corps, responded by citing the difficulties in monitoring and tracking social media to investigate offensive content as well as inadequate funding.

Speier would have none of it, saying his response was “frankly unacceptable.”

Subsequently, the Marines posted an article defining Marine social media misconduct and mined Facebook, identifying “12 additional Marines allegedly linked to racist, sexist, and/or otherwise inappropriate social media misconduct,” the public affairs document says. “Information about these incidents were provided to unit

commanders for appropriate action.”

The Marine Corps and the Department of Defense aren’t the only federal agencies battling sexual exploitation.

Julia Pierson was the first woman to be appointed as director of the U.S. Secret Service, in 2013.

During her tenure, Pierson faced Congressional criticism for a security breach at the White House in 2014, and she worked to improve the agency’s image following a prostitution scandal involving 11 agents.

Pierson told The War Horse that her experiences with civilian law enforcement and the Secret Service have proven that “there’s always a double standard.” These images, she said, “aren’t going away and (next time) they’re going to have an entry fee.

“This is way beyond stupidity and boys being boys,” she said.

The Marine Corps needs to take steps to restore the credibility of their organization, Pierson said.

“They need to realize that this is an entirely new threat,” she said.

“This is a coordinated attack on the organization. …This is a hunting club.”

This reporter submitted multiple requests for additional comment to the Secretary of Defense and commandant of the Marine Corps.

Both declined to comment on specifics of the situation, citing the ongoing investigation.

However, in his email, Green added additional perspective, repeatedly denouncing the “degrading and demeaning behavior” of Marines United members and encouraging Marines — and all service members — to be “a voice of change” for the better.

“As Marines, as human beings, you should be angry by the actions of a few,” Green wrote. “Ultimately we must take a look in the mirror and decide whether we are part of the problem or the solution.

“We need to realize that silence is consent — do not be silent.”

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Classifieds 156-303 HAMPTON SOLICITATION The Director of Finance or his designated representative will accept written responses in the Procurement Office 1 Franklin Street, 3rd floor, suite 345 Hampton, VA on behalf of the Entity (ies) listed below until the date(s) and local time(s) specified.

HAMPTON CITY Tuesday, March 21, 2017 2:30 p.m. EST – ITB 17-75/E Annual needs for Reflectorized Thermoplastic Pavement Marking Materials.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017 3:00 p.m. EST – ITB 17-70/E Annual Overhead and ADA Doors Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair Services.

Thursday, March 23, 2017 4:00 p.m. EST – RFP 17-76/LDW Concessions at City Buildings Tuesday, March 28, 2017 2:00 p.m. EST – ITB 17-73/CLP Mercury Blvd Streetscape Improvements-Segment I. City Project No: 12-029. VDOT Project No: 0258-114-R37, P101, R201, M501 (UPC 102971). This is a State funded project with an MBE goal of 4.34% and WBE goal of 3.82%. A Mandatory Pre-bid Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. local time in the Public Works Conference Room, 22 Lincoln Street, 4th Floor, Hampton, VA 23669.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017 4:00 p.m. EST – RFP 17-77/LDW Buckroe Beach Concessions and Pop-up Retail

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Approved for military benefits. Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 877204-4130 EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Machine Shop and Blacksmith Shop Liquidation Sale – Lathe, Mills, Grinders, Saws, Power Hammers, Tooling. Onemo & Richmond March 17th and March 24th. Details Contact: 804-355-1619 or website www.dempseyandco.com HELP WANTED/TRUCK DRIVERS CDL TRAINING FOR LOCAL/OTR DRIVERS! $40,000-$50,000 1ST Year!

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Richmond/Fredericksburg 800-243-1600; Lynchburg/ Roanoke 800-614-6500; Front Royal/Winchester 800454-1400 SERVICES DIVORCE – Uncontested, $395 + $86 court cost. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Telephone inquiries welcome - no obligation.

Hilton Oliver, Attorney. 757490-0126. Se Habla Español.

STEEL BUILDINGS STEEL BUILDINGS! Huge discounts, Financing & Low monthly payments available!

Don’t miss out! Perfect for Garages, Workshops & More! Call 757-301-8885 or visit SteelBuildingPros.com Coupon: FREESKYLIGHTS

Serving Richmond & Hampton Roads PUBLIC AUCTION of 409 E. Main St. #4 (mailing)Unclaimed • 105 1/2Vehicles E. Clay St. (office) Richmond, 150+/VA 23219 IMPOUNDED 804-644-1550 (office) • 800-783-8062 AUTOS, LIGHT TRUCKS &(fax) Drivers MOTORCYCLES Getting Home is Easier. Nice Pay Package. ads@legacynewspaper.com BCBS SOUTHSIDE PLAZA DRIVE-IN + Other Benefits. Monthly Bonuses. No-Touch.

Chromed out Trucks w/APU'S. CDL-A. 855-200-4631

INVITATION FOR BIDS #17-6780-3

Ad Size: 6.8 inches (1 2 Issues (3/1 & 3/8) -

Rate: $11 pe

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

Includes Inter

Monday, March 13, 2017

review the bus proof, makeContent any nee GRTC will hold Public MeetingsPlease to present the new network. of these meetings is identical,If your but will be customized each City response is not for received by d Gates open at 9:00 AM District’s routes. The presentation begins at the meeting start time, unless Auction begins 10:00 Adat Size: 5.0AM inches (2otherwise column(s)noted.

X 2.5Please inches) plan to attend the most convenient for Okmeeting X__________________ your schedule.

Auction will include the vehicles listed below plus many others: Wednesday, Community Service Center, 2000 HONDA CIVIC 1HGEJ6679YL028823 1 Issue (Feb. 22) - $45March 8th, 6-8pm, Southside Ok with changes X ______ 4100 Hull Street Rd. (8th District) 1993 TOYOTA COROLLA 2T1AE00E6PC004555

Rate: $9 per column inch 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY JT2BG12K4T0349961 1986 JAGUAR XJS SAJNV5848GC134213 Thursday, March 9th, 6-7:30PM, Goodwill, 6301 Midlothian Turnpike.

2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 1G1JF12F747241621 Includes Internet placement (9th District) 2001 DODGE CARAVAN 1B4GP25351B273799 REMINDER: Deadlin 1995 HONDA CBR900RR JH2SC2801SM303503 1997 HONDA CIVIC JHMEJ6520VS018606 Friday, Marchand10th, (presentation at 11AM), Senior make any needed changes return10AM-2PM by fax or e-mail.

1999Please ACURA review 3.0 CL the proof, 19UYA2256XL004200 Informational Theatre, 2603 Q Street. (7th District) 2001IfCHRYSLER SEBRING is 1C3EL46X51N557004 your response not received by deadline, yourFair, ad Robinson may not be inserted.

1998 MERCURY VILLAGER 4M2ZV1111WDJ00500 2001 FORD CROWN VICTORIA 2FAFP73W61X124796 Saturday, March 11th, Noon-2PM, Main Library, 101 E Franklin St. (6th 2012 TAOTAO SCOOTER L9NTELKB1C1001639 Ok X_________________________________________ District) 2010 QINGQI SCOOTER LV7ABZ408EA000324 2000 TOYOTA COROLLA 1NXBR12E3YZ415102 2005 FORD EXPEDITION 1FMFU16525LA13714 Wednesday, March 15th, 6-8PM, Byrd Park Round House. (5th District) 2005 SATURN VUE 5GZCZ33D55S830664 Ok with changes X _____________________________ 2000 FORD FOCUS 1FAFP3437YW415326 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2G1WF55EX29379584 Thursday, March 16th, 6-8PM, Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM 1G2NW12E44M631212 in “The Commons Room,” 3700 Midlothian Turnpike. (5th District) 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA KMHWF35V5YA296519 2003 CHEVROLETCAVALIER 1G1JC52F937136724 REMINDER: Deadline is Fridays @ 5 p.m.

Ad 1FMZU71X0YZB97335 Size 13.8 inches (1Saturday, column(s) X 6.9 inches) 2000 FORD EXPLORER March 18th, Noon-2PM, Bellemeade Community Center, 1800 2000 CHRYSLER 300 2C3HE66G7YH127528 Lynhaven Ave. (6th District) 2006 HONDA CIVIC 1HGFA16806L016816

The School Board of the City of Richmond, Virginia is seeking sealed bids from qualified bidders to provide Richmond Public Schools requirements for Produce (in refrigerated trucks, to each Cafeteria).

Serving Richmond & Hampton Roads To obtain a copy of the Invitation for Bid: 409 E. Main St. #4 (mailing) • 105 1/2 E. Clay St. (office) Visit our website at www.richmond.k12.va.us/purchasing_new Bids will be received until, but not later than 11:00 a.m. Wednesday March 22, 2017. Any bids received late will be returned unopened, to the sender.

The City of Richmond is seeking to fill the following position(s): Administrative Project Analyst – Multicultural Outreach Specialist 14M00000033 Department of Human Services Apply by 03/19/17 Capital Project Manager 29M00001050 Department of Public Works Apply by 03/19/17 Chief of Fire & Emergency Services 42M00000423 Richmond Fire Department Open Until Filled City Auditor 09M00000003 Auditor Apply by 03/19/17

Family Manager I – Healthy Families 27M00001000 Department of Social Services Apply by 03/19/17 Human Services Coordinator I – Language Access Coordinator 14M00000034 Department of Human Services Apply by 03/19/17 Librarian II – Emerging Technologies Librarian 03M00000102 Richmond Public Libraries Apply by 03/19/17 Pretrial Probation Officer – Supervision 15Grant0027 Department of Justice Services Apply by 03/19/17

Construction Inspector III 35M00000220 Department of Public Utilities Apply by 03/26/17

Systems Developer Lead 20M00000038 Department of Information Technology Apply by 03/19/17

Deputy Director II 30M00000017 Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Open Until Filled

Water Utility Specialist – Distribution (Day/Night Shift) – Multiple Positions 35M00000330 Department of Public Utilities Apply by 03/26/17

********************************* For an exciting career with the City of Richmond, visit our website for additional information and apply today!

www.richmondgov.com EOE M/F/D/V

Richmond, VA 23219 804-644-1550 (office) • 800-783-8062 (fax) ads@legacynewspaper.com

Monday, March 20th, 6-8PM, Huguenot High Community Center, 7945 1 Issue (March 8) - $151.80 SEIBERT’S is now accepting Forest Hill inch Ave. (4th District) Rate: $11 per column vehicles on consignment!

Reasonable Seller’s Fees.

Tuesday, March 21st, 6-7:30PM, Creighton Court Recreation Center, Includes Internet placement 2101 Creighton Road. (7th District)

Please review the proof, make any needed changesMarch and return by fax or e-mail. United Methodist Family Wednesday, 22nd, 5:30PM-7PM, Services Meeting 3900beWinserted.

Broad Street. (1st & 2nd Districts) If your response is not received by deadline, your adRoom, may not Thursday, March 23rd, 6-8PM, Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Ok X_________________________________________ Center, 4901 Old Brook Rd. (3rd District)

642 W. Southside Plaza Dr. Tuesday, March 28th, 6-8PM, Hotchkiss Richmond Ok with changes X _____________________________ Brookland Park Boulevard. (6th District) (804) 233-5757

Community Center, 701 E.

WWW.SEIBERTSTOWING.COM Wednesday, March 29th, 6-7:30PM, Fairfield Court Recreation Center, 2506 Street.

VA AL # 2908-000766 REMINDER: Deadline is Phaup Fridays @ 5 (7th p.m.District) Thursday, March 30th, 6-8PM, Powhatan Community Center, 5051 Northampton St. (7th District) Meeting locations are accessible to persons with disabilities. GRTC strives to provide reasonable accommodations and services for persons who require assistance to participate. For special assistance, call Carrie Rose Pace at 804-474-9354 or email crosepace@ridegrtc.com at least 72 hours prior to the public meeting. Si usted necesita servicios de tradución para participar, por favor mande un correo electrónico a: crosepace@ridegrtc.com.

GRTC Transit System’s CARE and CARE Plus services provide originto-destination Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit services to residents of the Richmond Region. To schedule a reservation, please call (804) 782-CARE (2273), email grtc.cvan@mvtransit.com, or fax (804) 474-9993.

Call us: 804 644 1550 for details

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