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EGACY Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

WEDNESDAYS • Aug. 16, 2017

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INSIDE

The statue behind the Charlottesville chaos - 2 A 21st century plan to secede the union- 4 Affirmative action assault is on civil rights - 6 Holding struggling schools accountable- 12

Richmond & Hampton Roads

LEGACYNEWSPAPER.COM • FREE

Underfunded, overcrowded state prisons struggle with reform

It took a correctional officer’s death for one legislature to address its problem GABY GALVIN Since inmates killed a correctional officer during a riot at Delaware’s largest prison in February, more than 100 guards have quit or retired early, leaving staffing levels at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna dangerously low.

On Feb. 1, a group of inmates took control of a building at Vaughn and held four correctional officers hostage during a standoff that lasted more than 18 hours. Inmates killed Lt. Steven Floyd, the floor’s highest-ranking officer, and injured others before emergency police eventually stormed the prison in the early hours of Feb. 2.

The U.S. prison population spiked between the 1970s and 1990s as the federal government chased the “war on drugs,” leaving states to manage overcrowding with limited funds. The riot at Vaughn is just one of many in prisons across the country in the past few years – a July 11 riot in Louisiana the most recent – as states struggle to reform their corrections systems and reduce their incarceration rates.

The last major hostage situation in Delaware was at Vaughn in 2004, when an inmate took a female counselor hostage, raped her and was eventually shot dead after nearly seven hours of standoff. Critics say state leadership ignored problems at Vaughn that fueled the attack, and subsequently failed to implement changes that could have soothed tensions in the state’s four prisons and prevented February’s riot.

Floyd’s death has forced Delaware's leadership to publicly confront problems in the state’s corrections department that inmate advocates say have been brewing for years, including systemic abuse and practices that hurt inmates’ health.

More than five months after the riot, no charges have been filed in Floyd’s death, but for weeks dozens of inmates remained in solitary confinement, deprived of medical care and contact with their families, said Stephen Hampton, an attorney who has been fighting the state for 15 years on behalf of its prisoners. Hampton says treatment has been inconsistent since then, adding that he has been contacted by about 250 inmates or families with allegations of abuse since

February.

Like prisons in more than a dozen states around the country, Vaughn is severely overcrowded and understaffed, and is manned by officers who often don’t last long at the prison before quitting due to burnout, forced overtime and poor wages, according to an independent report commissioned

by Gov. John Carney after the riot.

“There’s a cultural issue [at Vaughn],” said Geoffrey Klopp, president of the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware and a 29-year veteran of the state’s corrections department.

“We’re losing 57 percent of our hires within three years, so it’s impossible to be effective when the turnover rate is that high.”

High officer turnover rates lead to stress, fatigue and disarray, Klopp and Hampton agree.

Recreation, family visits and training programs are often the first to go when staffing levels dip, and the combination of overworked correctional officers and frustrated inmates can lead to potentially dangerous situations.

“The biggest part of it is how the prison is being run – what the standards are, what the interaction is between the corrections staff and the inmates, what the message is from the top,” said Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project, a criminal justice reform nonprofit. “In poorly run institutions, there’s all sorts of things that can wrong.”

Vaughn has been poorly run and managed for

years, according to the independent report. Major shortcomings include “classification calculations, failures to follow procedures, and/or mistakes made by fatigued and inexperienced staff,” as well as communication and leadership breakdowns.

Unaddressed grievances, overcrowded and dilapidated facilities, and a lack of programming all exacerbated these failures, the report said, leaving correctional officers to their own means much of the time.

Now, with already-low staffing levels and a plummeting number of job applications, a dwindling number of correctional officers are left at Vaughn to manage an environment that Klopp says is “still very tense.” There are currently about 600 correctional officers at Vaughn, Klopp said, and ideally there would be 900.

“Until you get the jails properly manned, inmates aren’t going to get what they need,” said Terry Jelliffe, a retired correctional officer speaking out in a documentary because Delaware’s officers are not allowed to speak with news media.

“Officers don’t have the safety and the security to provide what they need.”

Floyd’s widow and five other correctional officers filed a lawsuit in April against current and former state officials, including former Govs.

Jack Markell and Ruth Ann Minner, claiming leadership put money before workplace safety for

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The LEGACY

2 • Aug. 16, 2017

News

Anthem to stop selling individual plans in Va. WIRE REPORTS A third insurance company said Friday that it will stop offering individual health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act next year in Virginia, citing in part the uncertainty in Washington as lawmakers debate the future of the health care law.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that the decision was based on the shrinking individual market and "continual changes and uncertainty" in the operation, rules and guidance of the law.

In his calls to repeal the law, President Donald Trump has threatened to cut funding to insurance companies that helps them subsidize plans for low-income people.

The news prompted Democrats on Friday to blame Trump for “deliberate sabotage” of the ACA, while Republicans cited it as more proof that the law should be “repealed and replaced.”

Anthem’s departure — along with Aetna and UnitedHealthcare — means only one insurer will offer individual plans in more than half of Virginia’s counties and independent cities next year, according to Katha Treanor, a spokeswoman for Virginia’s Bureau of Insurance.

The departure of the insurers means that many could find their doctors are out of network, with only one insurance company to turn to for an individual plan.

At total of 360,000 Virginians bought health insurance this year through individual plans, Treanor said. The majority were through

Anthem. About 160,000 people purchased individual plans under the ACA. Another 46,000 bought plans outside of the federal marketplace.

Anthem said it will only sell individual plans that are unaffiliated with the ACA in two counties and one city in southwestern Virginia.

Jill A. Hanken, an attorney with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, stressed that five insurance companies will still offer individual plans and that Virginians will still have at least one option for buying coverage under the ACA. “I hope the remaining companies will stay in place and give Congress a chance to stabilize the market,” she said.

Hanken said about 700,000 people lack health insurance in the state.

In the wake of Anthem’s announcement, Gov. Terry

McAuliffe lambasted the Trump administration, saying it needed "to stop playing politics with people's lives and come together in a bipartisan way" to provide certainty to the insurance industry.

In a joint statement, Virginia’s two Democratic U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, accused the president of sabotage. But they said Republicans and Democrats in the Senate are working on a bipartisan plan to address the issue.

Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell, a Republican, said the Anthem decision illustrates the urgent need for a new law.

“Obamacare is hurting more people than it is helping, forcing Americans to buy insurance they don’t like, don’t need, and cannot afford,” he said in a statement.

in bloodshed. This time arrests were made and people either were injured or lost their life.

Nexus Services, Inc., a company that is united by the quest for justice and desire to spark change in the world, is freeing all pro-civil rights counter-protestors by paying for all bonds stemming from arrests for those that stood against the “neoConfederates”.

“We respect the constitutional rights of the citizens’ of

Charlottesville, particularly the young people rallying against hate who attend the University of Virginia,” said CEO Mike Donovan.

“We know that many young people lact the money to secuyre and post bond. Nexus Services will help those counter protesting the neo-Confederate rally, particularly students and help get them out of jail and home as soon as possible.”

The bail-assistance hotline is 434688-0036 and collect calls are accepted.

The KKK not afraid to show its face in Charlottesville STAFF The possible removal of the pictured statue of Robert E. Lee is a huge part of the reason three people lost their lives in Charlottesville this past weekend. Nineteen people remain on the injured list at press time.

Complete pandemonium and riots erupted during the Unite the Right rally. Members of the rally included people from several white supremacist groups poised to protest the removal of Confederate monuments.

The chaos that exploded over a two-day period has been described as not only utterly disgusting but disgraceful. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe spoke powerfully telling the numerous hate groups to “go home” because they were not “wanted in this great commonwealth.”

While McAuliffe and other politicians, both democrat and

republican, spoke out against the events of this past weekend, the leading figure of the United States has been pretty mute.

Donald Trump was reported as saying he needed to study the occurrence, but state leaders question what needs to be examined.

McAuliffe called on Trump to condemn the bigotry and violence that happened in Charlottesville and claimed the lives of an innocent paralegal and two state troopers.

McAuliffe called Trump out on his silence and said he needs to come out stronger against the actions of these white supremacists that spew hate and seem to be raging out of control.

“They are Nazis and they are here to hurt American citizens and [Trump] needs to call them out for what they are,” McAuliffe said.

Once discussion began about moving the statue, several rallies occurred before this one that ended

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Aug. 16, 2017 • 3

(from page 1) 16 years, particularly under Minner, whose eight-year tenure ended in January. State leadership argues it had no constitutional duty to protect employees from safety risks in the workplace, and wants a judge to dismiss the lawsuit.

Vaughn’s new warden, Air Force Lt. Col. Dana Metzger, started working at the prison in July.

(Former Warden David Pierce was placed on paid administrative leave three weeks after the riot and was reassigned to the Bureau of Community Corrections in May. He retains his salary of about $110,000.)

Metzger said he knows some officers are not “in it for the right reasons,” but that he plans on identifying and rewarding those who are – and eliminating those who are not.

The state prison population spiked between the 1970s and 1990s as the federal government chased the “war on drugs.”

Vaughn holds almost half of Delaware’s 5,539 prisoners. Despite the overall small prison population compared with other states, Delaware’s incarceration rate was 15 percent higher than the national average in 2015, imprisoning 441 per every 100,000 people, according to the National Institute of Corrections.

The state’s crime rates aren’t lower, either: Delaware places 40th in U.S. News’ Best States for public safety rankings.

The vast majority of U.S. prisoners are incarcerated in state and local facilities: Fewer than 200,000 of the 1.5 million total inmates were in federal prisons at the end of 2015, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics data. That's a more than 2 percent decrease from the previous year and the smallest prison population since 2005. Another 730,000 people were in local jails at the end of 2015, bringing the total incarcerated population to about 2.2 million.

The slow downward trend in mass incarceration could change under President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The harsher federal policies and rhetoric introduced by the new administration – such as pushing for mandatory minimum sentences, recommitting to private prisons and cracking down on immigration – will likely raise the federal prison population, Mauer said. States that prioritize prison reform will likely continue decreasing their prison populations.

States that challenge Trump and Sessions’ agenda could face consequences, though. While state corrections only receive a small

portion of their funding from the federal government, the Justice Department does give billions of dollars in grants for local and state law enforcement, and can withhold that money if agencies don’t meet the expectations of the federal government. Sessions has threatened that sanctuary cities will not receive federal funding if they don’t fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities, for example, and states that have legalized marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law, could also face problems.

“The federal government provides a good amount of resources for training and technical assistance for state and local corrections,” Mauer said.

“We don’t really know what that’s going to look like yet, either which parts of the system will be targeted for support, or what the goals of that will be. … We don’t know how much it will trickle up and down to the states.”

As states implement various criminal justice reforms in recent years, corrections budgets have increased marginally, accounting for an estimated average of 3.1 percent of state spending in 2015.

Corrections spending has grown at a much slower rate than spending for most other programs, though, including spending for Medicaid, which increased from 20.5 percent in 2008 to an estimated 29 percent in 2016, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers.

Faced with a nearly $400 million budget shortfall this year, the Delaware General Assembly remained gridlocked for five months while legislators tried to work out the budget for the 2018 fiscal year, which began July 1. Carney eventually signed the budget into law July 3, ending one of the longest legislative sessions in the state’s history, Delaware State News reported.

The budget allocates $23 million for Delaware’s corrections department to increase hazard pay, provide more training and equipment, increase correctional officer starting pay and

fill 75 officer positions (50 at Vaughn and 25 at the women’s prison). There were about 110 correctional officer vacancies at Vaughn at the time of the riot, Klopp said.

A few times a week, 80 percent of correctional officers on duty are working overtime, Klopp says, with some regularly working 16 hour shifts. With the nearly $22 million the Department of Corrections spent on overtime pay in 2016 (about one-third of that to staff at Vaughn), the state could properly train correctional officers and raise salaries to a competitive level in order to attract qualified applicants, Klopp said. Right now, he added, salaries at the “bottom of the barrel,” and officers can expect to see increases of less than $10,000 after 20 years in the department.

In June, Delaware Gov. John Carney approved a plan to raise starting salaries for the state's correctional officers to $43,000 by 2019.

Before the riot, Delaware’s correctional officers started at $35,179, earning less than their counterparts in any other MidAtlantic state. In New Jersey, for example, correctional officer recruits make $40,000 annually, and pay rises significantly over time. The median annual salary of officers in the state was $75,300 in 2016, compared with $47,420 in 2000, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. (The median pay for correctional officers in New Jersey was second only to those in California, who were paid a median of $76,480 in 2016.) While New Jersey has a ways to go in fixing the racial disparity in its prisons, the state’s prison population plummeted 31 percent between 1999 and 2014, with no harmful effect on public safety, according to The Sentencing Project.

In June, Carney announced a plan to increase Delaware’s correctional officer starting salary to $43,000 by 2019, which is a nearly 22 percent increase over current salary levels

and included in the 2018 corrections budget. It’s a good start, Klopp says, but not quite enough to entice potential employees to the risky work environment of Delaware’s prisons. He said it will take time to know whether the state’s reforms are making a significant difference.

“It took longer than four months to create this problem,” Klopp said. “It’s going to take longer than that to get out of it, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

Metzger agrees it will take time to change the culture of the prison, but that he feels he has the full support of Carney and his administration, including Correction Commissioner Perry Phelps and the newlyappointed special assistant to the governor, Claire DeMatteis, who will spearhead the state’s prison reform plan and publicly report on its progress every six months. Phelps is among the officials being sued by Floyd’s widow and the other officers.

Metzger and a few correctional officers who were on duty during February’s riot recently gave Carney a tour of C-Building, and Metzger said the emotional visit was “unbelievably touching.” Metzger also met with Carney on July 20 to discuss the governor’s commitment to reforming the state’s corrections system.

“I was blown away,” Metzger said, adding that he thinks prison reform “means the world” to Carney.

Hampton, the attorney, said it isn’t enough to increase funding for correctional officers. In order to change the culture of the state’s prisons, inmates need access to quality health care and programming, as well as consistency in how they are treated and the standards they are expected to follow. Vaughn’s correctional officers don’t uniformly follow a set of guidelines but instead “do their own thing,” according to the independent report.

“When you don’t have any consistency, and you allow some correctional officers to break the rules almost with impunity, you have a system that’s going to create a tremendous amount of anger over time, which it did,” Hampton says.

“So that is not, per se, a staffing numbers problem. It’s a quality problem. It’s stirring up the pot needlessly.”

Metzger said improving communication, giving clear expectations and setting high standards are his main priorities.

He also wants to bring back programming for inmates, such as religious services, rehabilitation

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The LEGACY

4 • Aug. 16, 2017

White secessionists push for South to break away from United States again STAFF & WIRE As 21st century activists seek to topple monuments to the 19th century Confederate rebellion, some white Southerners are again advocating for what the Confederates tried and failed to do: Secede from the Union.

It’s not an easy argument to win, and it’s not clear how much support the idea has: The leading Southern nationalist group, the Alabama-based league of the South, has been making the same claim for more than two decades and still has an address in the U.S.A., not the C.S.A. But the idea of a break-away Southern nation persists.

The league of the South’s longtime president, retired university professor Michael Hill of Killen, Alabama, posted a message in July that began, “Fight or die White man” and went on to say Southern nationalists seek “nothing less than the complete reconquest and restoration of our patrimony — the whole, entire South.”

“And that means the South will

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once again be in name and in actuality white man’s land. A place where we and our progeny can enjoy Christian liberty and the fruits of our own labor, unhindered by parasitical ‘out groups,'” said Hill’s message, posted on the group’s Facebook page a day after a rally in support of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville.

The group’s website says it is “waging a war to win the minds and hearts of the Southern people,” While white-controlled government is its goal, the group says in a statement of beliefs that it offers “good will and cooperation to Southern blacks in areas where we can work together as Christians to make life better for all people in the South.”

According to the U.S. Census, 55 percent of the nation’s black population lived in the South in 2010, and 105 Southern counties had a black population of 50 percent or higher.

Hill said they’re not advocating for a repeat of a Civil War that claimed 620,000 lives or a return to

Sex Offender Helpline The helpline provides support to communities on issues related to accessing sex offender registration information; responsible use of information; sexual abuse prevention resources; and accessing crime victim support services.

The tips program provides the public an opportunity to report registrants who are failing to comply with registration requirements.

Tips can also be provided at www.parentsformeganslaw.org.

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

slavery, the lynchpin of the South’s antebellum economy.

“We have no interest in going back and recreating an un-recreatable past,” Hill said in a telephone interview with the AP. “We are future oriented.”

The group has erected billboards that said “SECEDE” in several states, and it even has its own banner — a black and white version of the familiar Confederate battle flag, minus the stars.

Secession also finds support on

some websites that support white nationalism, including Occidental Dissent, run by a Hill associate, and the openly racist, anti-Semitic Daily Stormer. Extremist watchdog Heidi Beirich said strict Southern nationalism seems to have been swept up into the larger white-power agenda in recent years.

“I think it’s mostly subsumed into the white nationalist movement,” said Beirich, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern

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Aug. 16, 2017 • 5

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

(from page 3) programs and GED classes. Which programs are the first to come back will depend on inmate attendance and logistics.

“You know, 99 percent of these people just want to do [their time] and get on with life,” Metzger said.

“Winning for me is the reduction of this population, or having somebody not ever come back again.”

Vaughn, which opened in 1971, was built to hold 441 inmates but has since been renovated to hold up to 2,600. The prison holds all security levels of inmates, from those awaiting trial to those on death row. The added strain of increasing Vaughn’s operational capacity has forced management to rearrange housing so that maximum security inmates are living in less secure areas alongside less dangerous prisoners. That was the case in C-Building, which houses more than 100 inmates, when the riot broke out in February.

“You had some of the worst inmates, and some of the worst correctional officers, in [C-Building together],” Hampton said. “And top that off with no medical care, top that off with no opportunities for education and treatment, top that off with all of the other things going on and it’s really not surprising to

see a revolt.”

Delaware is not the only state to see an outbreak of violence after leadership was forced to rearrange the living quarters of dangerous inmates to meet the growing need for more beds.

In California, where corrections facilities were an average of 175 percent over capacity by the end of 2010, some prisoners slept in beds that were triple-bunked, the inmate suicide rate was 80 percent higher than the national average, and a lack of access to basic health care led to an average of one unnecessary death every week, according to a report from the Marshall Project, a nonprofit that investigates criminal justice failures.

Conditions were so bad that in 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court mandated California drastically reduce its number of prisoners. The state transferred 33,000 nonviolent offenders from state prisons to county jails, and researchers at the University of California—Irvine found no increase in major crimes as a result.

Diverting that many inmates did initially led to a 37 percent increase in early releases, but has since leveled out after a 2014 voter-approved measure reduced six felonies, including drug possession, to misdemeanors.

(from page 4) when Barack Obama was president.

Poverty Law Center. “There might be a little Southern softness to it. But I can’t tell a whole lot of difference between the league and white nationalism.”

Meanwhile, critics are howling over the mere idea that HBO is considering a dramatic series based on the idea that the South really did secede again and slavery still existed.

But secession isn’t the sole property of Southern white nationalists.

A group that wants California to secede from the United States is based mainly on liberals wanting to exit the United States because of President Donald Trump’s election.

They are collecting signatures to place a secession ballot initiative on the 2018 ballot.

The initiative would form a commission to recommend avenues for California to pursue its independence and delete part of the state constitution that says it’s an inseparable part of the United States. The “Calexit” initiative also would instruct the governor and congressional delegation to negotiate more autonomy for California.

Secession also has been discussed on and off for years by the far right in states including Texas, particularly

Online, many Southern nationalists seem animated by drives to remove Confederate memorials, as happened in New Orleans and in Charlottesville. Not everyone who supports Confederate monuments wants to remove the South from the United States once again. Some supporters of the Old South say they simply want to honor ancestors who wore the gray during the Civil War. But some want to make a break.

Perhaps the United States should just let the South leave, said author Chuck Thompson.

Thompson’s 2012 book “Better Off Without ‘Em: A Northern Manifesto for Southern Secession” argued that both the United States and the South might both be best served if Southern nationalists won the argument and succeeded in forming a new nation.

The South has been at odds with the rest of the nation for generations over issues including education, race, politics, shared history and religion, Thompson said in a telephone interview, and some things just don’t change.

“It’s not that just the rest of the country would be better off without them,” he said. “It’s that everyone would be better off without them, both sides.”

6 • Aug. 16, 2017

Op/Ed & Letters

The LEGACY

DOJ’s assault on affirmative action signals aggressive roll back on civil rights BRENDA SHUM The Justice Department’s recent decision to assemble a team of attorneys to investigate and challenge race-based admissions signals another step forward in this Administration’s aggressive campaign to roll back civil rights protections for some of our most historically disadvantaged students, including transgender youth, women and girls, and students of color.

This move must be viewed in the context other evidence that this Justice Department is departing from its core mission of protecting the rights of all citizens including those related to voting, employment, and policing. This newest assault on affirmative action in higher education ignores the law, a growing body of social science research on the educational benefits of integrated learning environments, and our entrenched history of segregated education.

First, let us be clear: just last year the Supreme Court validated the constitutionality of race-based admissions policies when applied in a holistic and narrowly tailored way.

In Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, our highest court reaffirmed that a university may institute race-conscious admissions plans to achieve the educational benefits of The LEGACY NEWSPAPER Vol. 3 No. 33 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

diversity consistent with the law.

Challenging the legitimacy of raceconscious admissions plans turns settled principles of constitutional and civil rights law on their head.

Affirmative action helps remedy some of the persistent inequities rooted in decades of discrimination.

Even so, many question whether it is still necessary today. One need look no further than to college campuses across this country to find evidence that we have yet to come to terms with our troubling legacy of racial discrimination.

From the University of Mississippi, to Princeton, to American University in D.C., students are sharing their experiences of racial isolation and distrust. Now more than ever, integrated campuses are essential to breaking down racial barriers.

Learning with people from other backgrounds allows students to appreciate a range of experiences, 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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a skill that is essential to their ability to succeed in an increasingly multicultural society. More importantly, a growing body of research shows that these benefit of diversity flow to all students.

Affirmative action has been one of the most effective strategies to expand opportunities for students of color. While socioeconomic diversity is important, empirical data confirms that race-conscious admissions policies remain necessary to reverse decades of racial privilege on our college campuses.

Some argue that affirmative action creates an unfair advantage for unqualified applicants of color to the detriment of more qualified white and Asian applicants. This is simply untrue. There are many low-income and working class Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who benefit from and support affirmative action policies.

In addition, affirmative action expands opportunities for many students who are educated in segregated and inequitable K-12 schools.

Race-neutral policies alone do not produce the level of diversity necessary to achieve a positive campus climate. Research indicates that increasing the number of students of color on campus facilitates cross-racial interaction and participation, and that a negative campus climate compromises the learning and development of all students.

Negative perceptions and stereotypes can be reduced through repeated and meaningful interactions with peers from different groups.

Institutions need to attend to the historical legacies of exclusion and other factors that may shape the climate on their campuses. But in order to do so, colleges must continue to have access to affirmative action as an essential strategy to establish a diverse campus.

Opponents of affirmative action claim these policies constitute racial preferences that undermine meritbased admission decisions. This ignores ample evidence that cultural and racial bias in testing and legacy admissions deny many students equal opportunity to higher education.

More importantly, this rhetoric escalates the fears and insecurities of white students and uses Asian Americans as a wedge to erode support for such policies. We must not allow ourselves to be distracted by these efforts. Instead, we should continue to expand opportunities for all students while addressing the persistent equity gaps for low-income students and students of color.

Shum is director of the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law where she oversees litigation designed to guarantee that all students receive a quality education in public schools and institutions of higher learning.

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Aug. 16, 2017 • 7

P.T. Hoffsteader, Esq.

On Charlottesville

No words can describe the shock and revulsion felt by Americans nationwide after the events in Charlottesville Saturday. But for those of us who work daily for positive social change in Virginia, the sorrow is still deeper.

We at CCAN (Chesapeake Climate Action Network) pray for the families of the deceased and injured. We pray for the law enforcement authorities whose job it is to protect citizens and the city in the difficult days ahead.

We condemn utterly the forces of intolerance, hate, terror, and white supremacy that triggered these events on Saturday.

We cannot build a truly just society in this country without first building and protecting a system of justice for ALL Americans. We certainly cannot hope for lasting environmental justice without first guaranteeing social and political justice for everyone. Wherever you are, in Virginia or nationwide, we urge you to raise your voice in the wake of this incident. Join a vigil of solidarity near you or plan a vigil where you live. And for those of us in the environmental community, we must continue to seek greater inclusion and diversify in our

movement. To fully participate in the healing and understanding and reconciliation ahead, we must continue to actively diversity our own staffs and our boards and to deepen our daily commitment to all communities struggling to throw off the yoke of political oppression and intimidation. No balance – ecological or otherwise – can happen unless we all stand on the scales of justice.

Mike Tidwell CCAN ***** Racism, hatred and discrimination and deadly violence must not be tolerated in Virginia and will not be acceptable.

Our forefathers and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. died to fight against such violence and our civil rights.

We must unite and stand for equality for all against white supremacy in Our country.

Del. Roslyn Tyler Va. Legislative Black Caucus ***** Democrats and the media never denounce the violence perpetrated by the unhinged left,” Stewart opened. “Antifa is simply answering the call for violence in the streets

by Loretta Lynch,” he asserted, “so it’s no wonder Tim Kaine refuses to denounce his son’s participation in fascist Antifa riots, even as he exhorts leftists to ‘fight in the streets’.

The unhinged leftist violence we’re seeing is simply an extension of policy makers who seek to silence political speech they disagree with,” he said. “whether it’s using the IRS or the ‘safe zones’ on college campuses, the result is the same -- a

silencing of the open expression of ideas.

Political violence is unnecessary in our constitutional Republic where free speech is protected,” said Stewart, “but the sad reality is that the drive to squelch free speech under the guise of stemming violence will undoubtedly elicit more leftist violence.

Sadly, pundits and academics in media will use the events in Charlottesville as yet another excuse to silence and punish the speech of those with whom they disagree,” Stewart posited. “We can expect to see more bans of opposing thought, labeling of conservative ideas as bigoted, and limited government initiatives scapegoated as the cause of further destruction of U.S. history.

Predictably, the establishment Republican response to leftist violence and attacks on free speech will be the same: deafening silence.

Any criminal convicted of committing an act of violence should be prosecuted and punished,” said Stewart, “and we have our law enforcement officers to thank for risking their lives to keep us safe, and for protecting our constitutional rights.

Corey Stewart Republican candidate for Senate ***** Our hearts go out to those who were injured or killed as they stood against hate and rallied for equality and justice in Charlottesville.

We call on President Trump to fire the alt-right white supremacists on his staff and we demand that Attorney General Sessions investigate the hate crimes perpetrated against the civil rights

protesters today.

The country needs moral leadership exhibited by action, not empty rhetoric, which is only a tacit endorsement of racism and hate.

Marcela Howell In Our Own Voice: NBWRJA ***** Our university condemns the vile view of humanity that invaded the Charlottesville community and our Grounds this past weekend. It is fundamental to the moral fabric of any society to condemn beliefs and behavior that are so odious they threaten the very essence of that society. And so we do.

The actions of those who visited evil upon us are nothing short of white nationalist and white supremacist terrorism intended to intimidate our community. They will not succeed.

We will not surrender. We are here to support all in our community, particularly those who feel the impact of their hatred most keenly.

And we are here to ensure our highest priority - the safety of all.

Such terrorism could lead us to succumb to hopelessness, to believe these acts have halted, if not reversed, the progress of racial reconciliation and social pluralism we have made over the past half century. But progress on these fronts is never linear. We all need to transform our anger at the actions of this past weekend so as to rededicate our energy, our talents, and our hearts to our institutional purpose of developing citizen leaders in all fields of endeavor to evolve to a more perfect union. If we are to succeed in that purpose, we must be honest about the issues facing our society.

Frank M. Conner III Rector, University of Virginia

8 • Aug. 16, 2017

Faith & Religion

The LEGACY

Virginia leaders rally at black church after hate-filled event turns deadly

Worshippers during a service at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church Aug. 13 in Charlottesville. PHOTO: Chip Somodevilla STAFF AND WIRE As Virginians grappled Sunday with the deadly aftermath of a white nationalist protest, state leaders didn’t preach about unity from their offices or on TV — they went to a historically black church in Charlottesville.

“We come to you this morning to reassure you that the Commonwealth of Virginia and all of us that are in this together will not and do not condone white supremacists that brought their

hatred and bigotry to the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam told Mount Zion First African Baptist Church, to roaring applause.

“That’s not what we’re about. So I am here this morning, as your lieutenant governor, and also as a doctor, to start the healing process.”

Less than 24 hours had passed since a driver plowed into demonstrators protesting against white nationalists in Charlottesville.

Heather Heyer, 32, was killed. Two Virginia

state troopers monitoring Saturday’s protests from the sky, Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Trooper Berke M.M. Bates, were killed when their helicopter crashed.

At one point, Gov. Terry McAuliffe asked the congregation for a moment of silence to honor Heyer and the troopers, “who lost their lives yesterday doing what they loved doing — fighting for freedom.”

“I feel right at home here at the Mount Zion

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(from page 8) church,” the governor said. “I was invited today to go on a lot of TV shows. I turned them all down, because I needed to be where I should be, here in this beautiful church here today.”

The racial divides that fueled Saturday’s violence stood in stark contrast to the unity displayed Sunday as one white elected official after another received standing ovations from the black congregation at Mount Zion.

Attorney General Mark R. Herring said that while it a difficult and a tragic day for the community and for the country, Sunday’s thoughts should be of peace.

Aug. 16, 2017 • 9 “Peace and love for all, for this community, for those who were hit and for those families who are suffering an unspeakable loss,” he said. “Let us also recommit ourselves in the weeks and in the months and in the years ahead to never stay silent in the face of injustice.”

Mayor Mike Signer said Charlottesville was still one of the greatest communities in the world.

“We will get through this stronger than we were yesterday,” Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer told the crowd.

“Our democracy has been through a lot. We’ve been through segregation and Jim Crow. We’ve been through McCarthyism. And we will get through this challenge. And we’re going to do it together.”

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring spoke at at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church on Sunday.

Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer Harrisonburg City Councilwoman Deanna Reed were among the worshippers at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church.

Share your cancer story & WIN TICKETS to attend LINC Up For Courage editor@legacynewspaper.com

10 • Aug. 16, 2017

The LEGACY

RVA hosts another entertaining Jazz Festival GEO STROTHER Richmond was electrified this weekend and not all because of the thunderstorms that rolled through, but because of the 8th Annual Richmond Jazz Festival that took place Aug. 10 - 13.

The Richmond Jazz Festival is one of the largest jazz festivals on the east coast, attracting the very best of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and HipHop to Central- Virginia each and every year. Additionally, the festival

also attract some 30 to 40 food and artisan vendors, making the festival an end of summer event.

This year’s featured events were held at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Hardywood Party Craft Brewery and the historic Hippodrome theater. The Festival Culminates with a two-day blockbuster show on the beautiful grounds of Maymont.

The Richmond Jazz Festival is known for putting together a

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www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Aug. 16, 2017 • 11

(from page 10)

Erykah Badu (top) and Common (below) were among this year’s entertainers. PHOTOS: Geo Strother

dynamite line-up, that appeals to a diverse audience of all ages.

Featuring music legends from around the world, sharing the stage with outstanding local and regional talent, the festival offers a dynamic blend of excellent music.

One of the best performances of the festival was Saturday night when Common hit The Virginia For Lovers Stage with the Richmond Symphony.

The sound was just incredible and left everyone who braved the early weather in awe. The show highlight was when Common invited a woman on stage and intimate conversation on wine with music.

Other performances on Saturday included the legendary Bob James, Harvey Mason, Melanie Fiona, Jazmine Sullivan, Peabo Bryson and local favorites Chkn Grese and Quintessential jazz.

The festival resumed Sunday with back to back to back brilliant performances, beginning with one of the hottest local bands, Legacy Unplugged. Legacy Unplugged rocked a crowd with a blend of jazz, funk, and soul with a Go-Go flare.

The surprise of the festival came from Butterscotch. This one-woman symphony blessed the stage with her incredible talents, as she put together music track using all sounds from her mouth. She is an outstanding pianist, saxophonist, guitarist, flutist, bassist, and beatboxer as well. She won the Woman’s World Hiphop Beatbox Championship. Other performers included Maysa, Marcus Miller, Norman Brown, Dave Koz and Larry Graham, and the timeless Isley Brothers.

Sundays headliner Erykah Badu, who is known for putting on a great show, left the stage abruptly due to a timing issue. Badu’s performance began an hour late and because of that her set had to be cut short. Crowd favorite “Tyrone” disappointedly enough, was kept on the shelf. However, Badu offered visual and sound display that was magical.

Overall the 8th Annual Richmond Jazz Festival was another outstanding event. For the full line-up and artist details visit www. richmondjazzfestival.com

12 • Aug. 16, 2017

The LEGACY

Va.’s new plan to hold struggling schools accountable MORIAH BALINGIT Virginia school officials have proposed a new accountability plan to identify struggling schools, but the plan gives few specifics for how to boost their performance.

The plan is part of the state’s effort to comply with the federal law known as the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA. The proposal contains far fewer concrete prescriptions for schools that consistently fall short of benchmarks because federal law no longer requires it. Instead, it gives state and local authorities more freedom to decide how to turn around low-performing schools.

Passed on July 27 by the state board of education, the proposal now heads to the desk of Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), who must sign off before it is submitted to the U.S. Education Department.

It is expected to take effect in the 2018-19 school year.

The federal law, enacted in 2015, radically amended requirements for public schools. Unlike its predecessor, No Child Left Behind, ESSA does not require drastic overhauls of persistently underperforming schools and shifts much of the authority over how to deal with them to the states.

Many states, including Virginia, celebrated the shift, saying that the old requirements were overly prescriptive.

So far, 16 states and the District of Columbia have submitted accountability plans to the federal government. Many, like Virginia’s, contain far fewer specifics for dealing with the worstperforming schools. Some have criticized those plans, saying that schools that fail vulnerable groups — like minorities and English language learners — won’t be held accountable.

Under Virginia’s proposal, schools will be identified as requiring either “comprehensive support and improvement" — when school-wide test scores fall short of benchmarks — or “targeted support and improvement” — when a subgroup falls short.

Amber Northern, senior vice president for research at the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute, said that terminology can be hard for parents to understand. The institute, an education think tank, is monitoring ESSA plans across the country.

Some states give schools letter grades. The District of Columbia plans to rate them on a fivestar scale.

“Easy to understand labels, such as A through F letter grades, provide clear signals to parents, citizens and educators about the quality of a school and can nudge them towards improvement,” Northern said at the July state board meeting.

She called the Virginia plan’s labels “weak or indecipherable” and “rather meaningless.”

Petersburg schools are some of those in Virginia that have struggles. Here A.P. Hill Elementary students are welcomed back. FILE PHOTO Virginia Department of Education spokesman Charles Pyle said the state’s accountability program offers parents user-friendly data to evaluate schools, including an online dashboard.

Lynn Sodat, the state education official who oversees the plan, said the new law allows states and school systems to craft their own methods for boosting troubled schools, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model.

Calling it “much more aligned approach,” Sodat said it “will make a lot more sense for schools.”

Gone from the plan are radical interventions previously required for schools labeled “persistently low-achieving.” Those schools were required to close, convert to charters, get new principals or submit to a host of instructional changes and professional development. T.C. Williams High in Alexandria, Va. got the label in 2010. It replaced its principal, added school counselors and conducted intense professional development. Higher test scores and graduation rates followed.

In addition, the lowest-performing Title I schools — those that get federal aid to help address poverty — were labeled “priority” or “focus” schools. They were required to employ stateapproved improvement coaches and turnaround partners.

The Jefferson-Houston School in Alexandria and Belmont Elementary in Prince William County

were labeled priority schools last school year, along with 34 others statewide. Another 72 were labeled “focus” schools.

The new proposal calls for less-onerous interventions in schools that fall short. The proposal says failing schools should “implement interventions to improve student performance in reading and math,” but offers few specifics beyond that.

“It will really mean different things for different schools,” said Sodat.

The proposal also calls for recognizing academic growth in schools. It introduces a new metric — the “combined rate” — which gives credits to schools for both the students who pass exams and those who make significant improvement from the previous year, even if they do not pass. It also rewards schools when students who had previously failed pass their exams.

“It sort of provides credit to schools for more than just a passing score,” Sodat said. “It really allows us to meaningfully differentiate in a more nuanced way.”

The Virginia Education Association, which represents teachers, criticized the plan for failing to spell out how teachers will be involved.

“School improvement discussions should include all perspectives,” Antoinette Rogers, a VEA official, told the board, “starting with classroom teachers and education support professionals.”

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Aug. 16, 2017 • 13

Small businesses in lower-income or minority neighborhoods are less likely to receive loans than businesses in higher-income or white neighborhoods Businesses in low- and moderateincome or predominantly minority areas like Detroit, and Richmond, Virginia, are less likely to receive small business loans than businesses in more affluent and more white neighborhoods in those metropolitan areas according to a report that Woodstock Institute released last week. The report, “Patterns of Disparity: Small Business Lending in the Detroit and Richmond Regions,” examines bank lending to small businesses in those cities. It is the third in a four-part series of research reports examining small business access to bank loans in eight major metropolitan areas.

According to the report: · Small business lending nationally grew rapidly between 2001 and 2007, dropped dramatically between 2007 and 2010, and then increased slowly through 2015 according to data reported under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Overall, the total number of loans in 2015 was down over 56 percent from the peak in 2007 and down by three percent since 2001, while the total dollar amount of loans decreased by 33 percent between 2007 and 2015 and is still slightly lower than the total in 2001. · The number of CRA-reported loans under $100,000 nationally in 2015 remained 58 percent lower than in 2007 and two percent lower than in 2001, while the total dollar amount of those loans decreased nearly 47 percent from its peak in 2007 but rose by 16 percent, from $67.0 billion to $77.9 billion, between 2001 and 2015. · The number of CRA-reported loans nationally to small businesses with gross revenues under $1 million was just 15 percent higher in 2015 than in 2001, but 41 percent lower than the peak in 2007, while the total dollar amount of those loans in 2015 was down over 41 percent from the amount in 2007 and down 21 percent since 2001. · Between 2008 and 2015, the

Brookland Park Boulevard is a main commercial and retail corridor running through the heart of Richmond’s minority-majority North Side. number of CRA-reported loans under $100,000 to businesses in the Detroit region dropped by over 44 percent, while the total dollar amount of those loans dropped by nearly 32 percent. In the Richmond region, the number of CRA-reported loans under $100,000 dropped by 34 percent between 2008 and 2015, while the total dollar amount of those loans dropped by just under 11 percent. · Nationally, businesses in lowincome census tracts comprised an average of 9.3 percent of all businesses for the period 2012-2015, but they received only 4.7 percent of CRA-reported bank loans under $100,000 and only 4.9 percent of the total dollar amount of those loans.

If those businesses had received loans in proportion to their share of businesses overall, they would have received over 687,600 more loans totaling over $8.8 billion more than they actually received between 2012 and 2015. · In the Richmond region, businesses in low-income census tracts constituted an average of 9.5 percent of all businesses in the region between 2012 and 2015,

but they received only 5.5 percent of the number of CRA-reported bank loans under $100,000 and 6.4 percent of the dollar amount of those loans during that period. If those businesses had received loans in proportion to their share of all businesses, they would have received nearly 2,500 more loans totaling over $28 million more than they received between 2012 and 2015. · In the Richmond region, businesses in predominantly minority census tracts constituted an average of 13.6 percent of businesses in the region between 2012 and 2015, but they received only 7.4 percent of the number of CRA-reported loans under $100,000 and only 7.1 percent of the total dollar amount of those loans during that period.

If those businesses had received loans in proportion to their share of businesses overall, they would have received more than 3,800 additional loans totaling over $58.1 million between 2012 and 2015.

“The disparities in lending to small business borrowers in communities of color identified in this series of reports raise serious fair lending

concerns. Banks that make small business loans should require their compliance and fair lending teams to actively take steps to ensure consistency and fairness in the delivery of their small business products and services,” said Dory Rand, president of Woodstock Institute.

‘Small businesses are the backbone of a community. They create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, and pump dollars into the local economy,” said Amanda Ballantyne, national director of Main Street Alliance.

“This report gives us a very clear picture of how hard it is for small business owners, particularly those of color and in low-income neighborhoods, to start and grow much-needed local businesses, and why regulatory protections like Dodd-Frank are vital for small businesses.”

“While banks are posting record profits, their lending to small business languishes. What this report reveals about bank lending to small businesses in communities of color in particular is deeply troubling. Regulators and policymakers need to pay attention and hold banks accountable to their legal responsibilities to fair lending and community reinvestment,” said Liz Ryan Murray, policy director of People’s Action Institute.

“Small business owners of color in Buffalo and New Brunswick are receiving loans at about half the rate one would expect, a troubling statistic that mirrors earlier research on small business lending patterns in Los Angeles and San Diego. This lack of capital restricts an owner’s ability to sustain and to grow their businesses and to create new jobs.

Banks need to address the disparities identified in this research and to explain what steps they will be taking to ensure that qualified small business owners aren’t being left behind,” said Paulina Gonzalez, executive director of the California Reinvestment Coalition.

14 • Aug. 16, 2017

The LEGACY

Researcher awarded $1.7m to study interactions between doctors and black patients with diabetes A Virginia Commonwealth University psychology professor has been awarded a four-year, $1.7 million grant to study the association between physicians’ communication behaviors and the outcomes of black patients with Type 2 diabetes, such as satisfaction with care, trust in physicians, medication adherence and diabetes management.

The grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease in the National Institutes of Health also will seek to identify the physician factors — such as demographic characteristics, professional backgrounds, experiences, social bias and personality — that meaningfully predict physician communication behaviors.

“Poor medication adherence in black patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus is particularly

Nao Hagiwara, Ph.D. prevalent,” said Nao Hagiwara, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Humanities and Sciences.

“One important factor contributing

to patients’ medication adherence is patient reports of patient-physician communication quality. However, we know little about which specific physician communication behaviors during clinical encounters are perceived positively or negatively by black patients.”

The study is being supported by the Department of Family Medicine and Population Health in the VCU School of Medicine. Research will involve collecting data from both physicians and patients at Richmond-area primary care clinics.

As the project will involve a mixedmethods research design, researchers with an array of skills will be joining Hagiwara, including Scott Vrana, Ph.D., a VCU professor of clinical psychology; Jennifer Elston Lafata, Ph.D., professor and vice chair in the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy at the UNC Eshelman

School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Michael Fetters, M.D., a professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan; and Briana Mezuk, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan.

Also working on the project will be three VCU graduate students, as well as several undergraduate research assistants.

Hagiwara said the study is part of her overarching research objective to develop theory-driven interventions that are designed to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities and promote social equity.

“Findings from this project will inform the development of personally tailored, targeted communication skills training to overcome racial disparities in diabetes medication adherence and outcomes,” she said.

the moon, they can view. But never during any of the partial phase from anywhere,” Hessert said.

The moon will gradually block the sun from view. Once the sun is covered, the light of day will become deep twilight. The sun’s outer atmosphere, called the solar corona, will then slowly appear like a halo around the moon in front of it. Bright stars and even planets will become more visible in the sky.

“Here in Washington, we will only experience a partial eclipse.

At no time during the event will it be safe for us to look at the sun without eclipse glasses,” added Navy Capt. John Hardaway, of NHB’s Ophthalmology & Refractive Surgery.

There is only one safe way to look directly at the sun, whether during an eclipse or not and that is with special-purpose solar filters. These solar filters are used in “eclipse glasses” or in hand-held solar

Preparing for the solar eclipse The much-anticipated Aug. 21 total eclipse of the sun – with the sun being completely blocked out by passage of the moon – will be initially visible in Oregon and continue across North America to South Carolina.

This will be a spectacular sight, but caution should be taken to keep your sight.

“Do not stare at the sun anytime,” said Navy Cmdr. David Hessert, Naval Hospital Bremerton, Ophthalmology Clinic Department Head.

Staring – even squinting – at the sun can cause serious damage to a person’s eye. Ophthalmologists strongly recommend to everyone that they avoid looking directly at the sun during the upcoming total eclipse.

Sight safety is an awareness they continually emphasize to everyone.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology in association with the American Astronomical Society, staring at the sun during the total eclipse for even a short time without wearing the

right eye protection can permanently damage the retina.

“There is no treatment from getting such eye damage. It affects clarity of vision and even reading from a distance. Prevention is the key,” stressed Hessert, acknowledging that the upcoming event is certain to attract more than its share of curiosity sight-seekers.

On the day of the eclipse if the sky is clear, most will be able to see a partial eclipse lasting two to three hours. Anyone within an approximate 70-mile-wide path from Oregon to South Carolina referred to as the ‘path of totality’ will experience the total eclipse. At that point, the moon will completely cover the face of the sun for up to 2 minutes 40 seconds and there will be total darkness.

“Unless you travel to Oregon, you will be viewing a partial eclipse, which is still just as damaging without the proper eye protective wear. If a person is in the area where the sun is completely covered by

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Aug. 16, 2017 • 15

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Henrico CASA seeks volunteers for training as child advocates

Henrico County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) will offer a training program beginning Sept.

23 for volunteers who would work on behalf of abused or neglected children.

The free, 14-session training course will include classes at the Henrico CASA office. A swearing-in ceremony will follow Oct. 25 at the Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. The training program prepares volunteers to interview children and others involved in their

cases, submit reports to judges and assist case attorneys.

Anyone interested in serving as a volunteer advocate must apply by Sept. 8, be at least 21 years old and have regular access to a computer.

Applicants will be interviewed, fingerprinted and undergo criminal background and reference checks.

For information, contact Jeannine Panzera at 804-501-1673 or pan01@ henrico.us. Applications are available at henricocasa.org.

(from page 14) the sun, turn away and remove the viewers. They must meet a very specific worldwide standard known as ISO 12312-2.

Hessert and Hardaway both stress that ordinary sunglasses, even dark ones, or using homemade filters, are not safe for looking at the sun.

“Regular sunglasses do not block enough light to prevent the sun from burning the eye. Even very dark sunglasses are not nearly dark enough. Eclipse glasses are very dark. So dark that you can’t see anything at all through them unless you are looking directly at a bright source of light,” Hardaway explained.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Astronomical Society also suggest the following steps to safely watch the total eclipse: • Always read and follow all directions that come with the solar filter or eclipse glasses.

• Help children to be sure they use handheld solar viewers and eclipse glasses correctly.

• Carefully look at the solar filter or eclipse glasses before using them. If there are any scratches or damage, do not use them.

• Before looking up at the bright sun, a person should stand still and cover both eyes with the eclipse glasses or solar viewer. After glancing at

filter—do not remove it while looking at the sun.

The only time that anyone can look at the sun without a solar viewer is during a total eclipse in the ‘path of totality.’ When the moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets dark, a person can remove their solar filter to watch this unique experience. Then, as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear very slightly, immediately use the solar viewer again to watch the remaining partial phase of the eclipse.

Never look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or other similar devices.

This is important even if wearing eclipse glasses or holding a solar viewer at the same time. The sun’s rays are too powerful coming through these devices and will damage a person’s eyes as well as solar filter.

That old adage that a person can go blind from looking at an eclipse isn’t an easily ignored myth. It’s a sight safety warning because a person could get solar retinopathy, a form of blindness.

“I would not call this a myth. The sun is always incredibly bright. Even when partially occluded by the moon, the sun is too bright to safely look at,” concluded Hardaway.

16 • Aug. 16, 2017

Calendar

The LEGACY

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

8.17, 2 p.m

8.31

Richard Bland College of William & Mary will host a special forum on “Solar Eclipses: Past, Present, and Future” presented by Dr. David Morgan, RBC professor of Physics & Astronomy. The presentation will highlight the cultural history of eclipses, the scientific importance of eclipse observations, and provide tips for safe viewing of the Aug. 21 eclipse.

On the actual day of the eclipse, from 2:30 3 p.m., Richard Bland College will host an eclipse-viewing event. In Virginia, the moon will cover approximately 85 percent of the sun, a rare astronomical phenomenon that won’t happen again in the commonwealth until 2078. A limited number of eclipse glasses will be available, along with other safe viewing equipment, in front of McNeer Hall.

RBC students will be conducting physics experiments related to the eclipse. Starting at 1p.m. on Aug. 21 (SSHE Auditorium), Richard Bland College will live-stream NASA’s coverage of the eclipse as its path crosses the U.S. The public is welcome to attend all eclipse events.

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Submit your calendar events by email to: editor@legacynewspaper.com.

Include who, what, where, when & contact information that can be printed.

Submission deadline is Friday.

National Megan’s Law Helpline & Sex Offender Registration Tips Program

The Newport News Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue is accepting and processing applications for Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled program available to Newport News homeowners. Those who meet specified eligibility requirements including age, income, and assets, may qualify for deferral or exemption of real estate taxes. The deadline for filing a 2017-18 application for Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled is Aug. 31, 2017.

Eligibility requirements for deferral: · Applicant must own and reside in the home and be at least 65 years of age by Dec. 31, 2016 or be permanently and totally disabled. · Total combined income from all sources during 2016 of the applicant, spouse, and all relatives and nonrelatives residing in the home shall not exceed $50,000. Some exceptions apply. · Combined assets of all persons as of Dec. 31, 2016 shall not exceed $200,000, excluding the residence. · If multiple persons, other than a spouse, are listed on the deed, all persons listed must meet the eligibility requirements.

Eligibility requirements for exemption: · Applicant must own and reside in the home and be at least 65 years of age by Dec. 31, 2016. · Total combined income from all sources during 2016 of applicant, spouse, and all relatives and nonrelatives residing in the home shall not exceed $25,000. Some exceptions apply. · Combined assets of all persons as of Dec. 31, 2016 must not exceed $10,000 excluding the residence. · If multiple persons, other than a spouse, are listed on the deed, all persons listed must meet the eligibility requirements. · Household costs related to maintaining the home must equal or exceed 40 percent of the total household income.

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Classifieds

The LEGACY

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The LEGACY is looking for a reliable, highly-motivated, goal-driven sales professional to join our team selling print and digital advertising in the Richmond and Hampton Roads areas.

Duties include: Building and maintaining relationships with new/existing clients Meeting and exceeding monthly sales goals Cold calling new prospects over the phone to promote print and online advertising space

Qualifications: Proven experience with print (newspaper) and/or digital (website) advertising sales; Phone and one-on-one sales experience; Effective verbal and written communication skills, professional image and; Familiarity with Richmond and/or Hampton Roads areas.

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The LEGACY is an African-Americanoriented weekly newspaper, circulation 25,000, with a website featuring local and national news and advertising.

E-mail resume and letter of interest to ads@ legacynewspaper.com detailing your past sales experience. No phone calls please.

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01-156-0811 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 listed below until the date and local time specified.

CITY OF HAMPTON Tuesday, September 12, 2017 4:00 p.m. EST RFP #18-08/EA Stack Emission Testing For additional information, see our web page at http://www.hampton.gov/bids-contracts A withdrawal of bid due to error shall be in accordance with Section 2.24330 of the Code of Virginia. All forms relating to these solicitations may be obtained from the above listed address or for further information call; (757) 727-2200. The right is reserved to reject any and all responses, to make awards in whole or in part, and to waive any informality in submittals.

Minority-Owned, Woman-Owned and Veteran Businesses are encouraged to participate.

Karl Daughtrey, Director of Finance

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Please support Bridging The Gap In Virginia's efforts to continue to Ad Size: 9.6 inches (2 columns X 4.8 inches) provide reentry services to returning citizen “Overcoming Barriers” 1 Issue (Aug. 16) - $105.60 that Rate: $11 per inch that they face in life. We arecolumn asking you make tax Includes deductible donation Internet placement to our organization. We gratefully Please review theyour proof, make any needed changes and return appreciate continued support of by f If your response is not received by deadline, your ad may not b our goals to help others.

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We haveREMINDER: opened an is Fridays additional office in Newport News, and making plans to operate an additional office in Saluda, where we’ve been offered office space, a four bedroom house and double wide trailer on 10 acres of land for transitional housing for formerly incarcerated person. It is our vision to offer housing, job readiness training, employment and opportunity for individuals throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia for a second chance at life “To Get It Right”

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DENTAL Insurance Physicians Mutual Insurance Company

A less expensive way to help get the dental care you deserve If you’re over 50, you can get coverage for about $1 a day* Keep your own dentist! NO networks to worry about No wait for preventive care and no deductibles – you could get a checkup tomorrow

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Product not available in MN, MT, NH, RI, VT, WA. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, NY;call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150 (GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN)

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