TLN-3-4-2020

L

‘

EGACY Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

WEDNESDAYS • March 4, 2020

INSIDE • Death penalty for mentally ill? - 2 • Lessons from Katherine Johnson - 11 • Virginia does right by teen felons- 13 • Debate on prison medical co-pays- 8

Richmond & Hampton Roads

LEGACYNEWSPAPER.COM • FREE

GA approves excused absences for K-12 mental health WILL GONZALEZ The General Assembly passed an amended bill that will allow K-12 students excused absences for mental health issues; it would also create uniformity for how Virginia school districts address emotional and mental health needs.

House Bill 308, introduced by Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, would give the Virginia Department of Education until Dec. 31 to establish guidelines for public school districts to grant students excused absences if they are dealing with mental or behavioral health issues.

Out of nearly 5 million affected students nationwide — nearly 80 percent — won’t receive counseling. Or therapy. Or medication. They won’t get any treatment at all.

Source: American Journal of Psychiatry Research LA Johnson/NPR

Charles Pyle, director of media relations at the DOE, said it’s too early to know what guidance the DOE would issue, including whether a student would be required to provide a written doctor’s note and if a limit would be established on the amount of time or consecutive number of absences from school.

Virginia currently has no standard for

addressing mental health in schools, and each school approaches it differently.

“There are some high schools and middle schools that have mental health clubs, so to speak, where they are trying to provide more peer support,” said Bruce Cruser, executive director of Mental Health America of Virginia. “There is at least one teacher who is involved in helping recognize

symptoms of mental health problems and can direct kids to the appropriate resources. In other places, it’s not in the open like that.”

The House worked closely with the DOE on several bills this year. There are three other House bills in which the department has been

(continued on page 2)

Visit legacynewspaper.com for breaking news & Super Tuesday results

The LEGACY

2 • March 4, 2020

News

Va. state senators debate eliminating death penalty for severely mentally-ill criminals KIM SMITH CNS- Virginia legislators are responding to the mental health community’s call for the exemption of the severely mentally ill from capital punishment.

Although exact statistics are not available, Mental Health America (MHA) estimates that at least 20 percent of individuals on death row have a serious mental illness.

As a result, the organization presented a policy in 2016 that urged a suspension on the use of the death penalty until the justice system could “ensure a more just process for determining guilt, considering a defendant’s mental status.”

In response, Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, introduced a bill which provides that a defendant in a capital case who had a severe mental illness at the time of the offense is not eligible for the death penalty.

“Such punishments result in neither retribution nor deterrence,” she said. “We should not be putting to death people who do not

fully understand the nature and consequences of their actions.”

The bill, SB 116, sets forth the procedure for determining whether or not an individual is severely mentally ill. This includes an evaluation by a psychiatrist, a clinical psychologist, or an individual with a doctorate degree in clinical psychology.

When approved by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Development Services to perform a forensic evaluation, the professional would assess whether the defendant had a severe mental illness at the time of the offense, Favola said.

Severe mental illness does not include actions primarily attributable to the effects of voluntary use of alcohol or any drug, according to the bill.

A defendant determined to be severely mentally ill could still be found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, but the death penalty would be removed as a sentencing option.

“This change is necessary

(from page 1) tasked with drafting standards or guidelines. HB 753 requires the DOE to establish a definition of socialemotional learning and develop standards for social-emotional learning across public schools from grades K-12.

HB 836 requires the DOE to develop a plan to adopt and standardize microcredentials of teachers in STEM fields.

HB 817 requires the DOE, in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Health, to develop health and safety best practice guidelines for the use of digital

Charles Pyle devices in schools.

Pyle said when the General Assembly passes legislation that

because it is in keeping with recent jurisprudence relying on the ‘evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society’ (Roper v. Simmons),” Favola said in an email.

Since 1982, 113 people have been executed in Virginia. This makes

the state second only to Texas in the number of people executed in the time period, according to a Virginians for Alternatives Death Penalty report.

Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Herndon, a patron of the bill, believes this legislation is a step in the right direction.

“I am, in general, opposed to the death penalty, especially if somebody is mentally incapacitated, mentally ill, or intellectually or developmentally disabled,” she said.

“It’s just cruel and I think we’re better than that.”

SB 116 passed the Senate 32-7 with bipartisan support. The bill is currently sitting in the House Committee for Courts of Justice.

The House companion bill, HB 280, was never placed on this House committee’s agenda. It was left in Courts of Justice on Feb. 11.

“I can’t speak for what is going on in the House, but I would hope that there would be a majority of members that would be supportive of such,” Boykso said.

tasks the DOE with drafting standards or guidelines, the organization combines its expertise with contributions from the public.

“The Department of Education is always happy to support legislators by answering their questions and providing information about related statutes or board regulations,” Pyle said.

Mental health issues among young people in the U.S. have become more prevalent over the past few decades.

Fifty percent of people with mental illnesses start showing symptoms by age 14, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. According to the organization, 16.5 percent

of Americans ages 6 to 17 -- or 7.7 million people -- experienced a mental health disorder in 2016.

Only half of those people received treatment.

Cruser said it’s important to take the mental health of young children and teens seriously, especially with mental illness as stigmatized as it is.

“The suicide rate of youth in Virginia continues to increase and the number of children with serious emotional disturbances continues to increase, so it’s definitely a serious issue,” Cruser said. “The sooner any kind of emotional or behavioral disturbances can be identified, the better the treatment is.”

Sen. Barbara Favola

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

March 4, 2020 • 3

Assembly grapples with bill to alter monuments ERICKA ECHTERNACH CNS - The General Assembly is facing a monumental decision.

The House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee passed a bill, SB 183, Friday that would give localities the authority to remove, relocate, contextualize, cover or alter monuments and war memorials within their public spaces.

Del. Kaye Kory, D-Falls Church, noted during the committee meeting that the committee members were well acquainted with the topic, considering they had originally voted to pass HB 1537, a twin bill of SB 183.

“We have been working on this all session and talking to a number of delegates who represent areas that have this issue going on,” Kory said.

HB 1537 was proposed by Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, who said during a House session that the bill had been designed to give localities the opportunity to tell history representative of all their citizens and residents.

Del. Sally Hudson, DCharlottesville, also spoke in favor of the bill, explaining that the goal was not to erase history, but to finally tell it.

“Most confederate monuments were not built to honor fallen soldiers on the heels of the Civil War, they were built at the height of Jim Crow amid the white backlash to black gains in Reconstruction,” Hudson said.

The week that Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee statue was erected in 1924, the Ku Klux Klan celebrated with a giant burning cross and paraded through the streets in their hoods – their spirit still haunts our city, Hudson said.

This sentiment came to the forefront in 2017 when a white nationalist and supremacist rally at the University of Virginia turned deadly.

Del. Delores McQuinn Following the UVA riot, other areas began reevaluating their war memorials, such as the University of Texas at Austin, which relocated four Confederate statues because of the hatred and bigotry they symbolized.

Similarly, the mayor of Baltimore at the time, Catherine Pugh, had four Confederate-associated monuments removed from her city for the sake of public safety.

However, Virginia cities and counties could not take any measures because the state law does not grant localities the autonomy to remove their war memorials.

In 2017, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney formed the Monument Avenue Commission to gather public input and assess the full story of the monuments’ history, but there was an overshadowing of what could and could not ultimately be done, said Councilman Andreas Addison, Richmond 1st District, who was a member of the commission.

After 11 months of listening to public opinion, the commission recommended removing one of the five Confederate statues along Monument Avenue as part of its plan, but the city of Richmond did not have the jurisdiction to do so.

Giving localities the ability to control their own monuments and statues would allow for action to be taken after discussion, Addison said during a phone interview.

Along with Richmond, other city governments have expressed interest in removing Confederate monuments, such as Alexandria, Portsmouth and Norfolk.

Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk, said he had to drive past a “Johnny Reb” statue in the middle of downtown Norfolk everyday to get to his law office.

“I think it is the will of the Norfolk people to move that to a cemetery a couple of miles away with a plaque giving it some context,” Jones said during a phone interview.

On the other hand, Del. Steve Heretick, D-Portsmouth, was the only House member to break party lines and vote against HB 1537.

Heretick disagrees with the bill applying specifically to monuments or memorials honoring veterans who may have served at any point in Virginia’s history to the present, he said in an email statement.

“Every monument to every veteran, like my dad, is a candidate for removal under this bill,” Heretick said. “What my father fought for rises well above petty partisan politics.”

Other House members echoed this concern over any war memorial being vulnerable to removal and history getting erased.

“If the true and honest concern over this bill was just Confederate monuments and slavery, then you need to read the bill.” Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Glade Hill, said. “The bill applies to all wars.”

McQuinn pointed out that her bill was not necessarily advocating for the removal of memorials, but for the addition of contextualization and more statues dedicated to African Americans who have made tremendous contributions to the commonwealth and nation.

“The problem has been that half of the story has been told,” McQuinn said. “Leave the statues there if you want to, but let the whole story be told.”

Jones added that there was no call from the public to contextualize other war memorials as there was for Confederate memorials.

“I would be very shocked if communities opted to move some other war memorials, too,” Jones said.

Heretick said he also disapproved of HB 1537 because it would allow local government officials to do whatever they deem fit without consulting their constituents.

“This bill would permit any locality to ‘remove, relocate, contextualize, cover, or alter’ veterans’ monuments and memorials, but establishes no process by which those decisions are to be made or to require meaningful public comment in making those decisions,” Heretick said. “That is simply unacceptable to me.”

The Senate’s original version of the bill accounted for this by requiring a public hearing before the local governing body voted on how to proceed, but the substitute approved by the House’s Counties, Cities and Towns Committee reverted to the language used in McQuinn’s bill.

Addison said requiring public involvement would be beneficial because the Monument Avenue Commission’s public hearings resulted in productive conversation and gave members a better idea of how the people of Richmond wanted to move forward.

If localities are given control over their war memorials, Addison said cities would have the opportunity to see what civic engagement truly looks like.

“I believe that you will see, as this authority comes out, a really mature, informed, and openly debated discussion on what we do next,” Addison said. “I don’t think this will be taken lightly.”

The House’s version of the bill is waiting to be heard by the Senate’s Local Government Committee.

The LEGACY

4 • March 4, 2020

Hundreds rally at Capitol for drivers’ licenses different from driver's licenses and cannot be used to vote or for identification for other purposes.

Kenia Lopez, a 21-yearold from Harrisonburg, Sen. Scott Surovell traveled on a bus for two and a half hours to demonstrate her support of the Licenses for All Bill, SB 34.

She said that she believes drivers licenses for all is the best option for everyone, including legislators.

“We are more interested in the driver’s licenses for all rather than

LINDSAY EMERY CNS - Immigrant rights groups from all over Virginia traveled to the state capitol last week for a rally in support of a bill that would allow undocumented residents the ability to apply for a standard non-REAL ID compliant driver’s license.

Chants were heard as some of the group marched from the Sacred Heart Cathedral near Virginia Commonwealth University and ended in front of the Capitol building.

“Licenses sí, tarjetas no,” supporters chanted in both English and Spanish as they filled the bottom of the steps at the Capitol.

Licenses yes, cards, no. The cards that the supporters were referring to are called privilege cards, Those cards allow undocumented people to drive on state roads, but look

MidTown Auto

3101 W. Broad Street

help the community as a whole, Lopez said. The roads will be safer because licensed drivers need to take a road test and have insurance, she said.

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, chief patron of SB 34, was the first legislator to speak at the rally.

He explained how he started putting this bill through the legislature five years ago and how he has continued to submit the same bill every year. Surovell said that there are some members of the legislature that struggle to understand the need for licenses because they do not have the same constituent base.

“When they see people taking the day off of work to come here and fight for this -- they start to understand how important it is for 200, 300, 400,000 peoples in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Surovell said.

MidTown Auto

AUTO REPAIR DONE RIGHT

Auto Repair Done Right....

SERVICES

The 1st Time... At Working Man Prices Nobody In The Richmond Area Is Cheaper

Brakes - Disc and drums, ABS diagnosis & repair, brake rotor replacement Oil change & filter change, using your oil or ours Chasis lubrication and oil leaks diagnosed

Not Merchants, Not Tuffy’s, Not Meineke, Not Midas, Certainly Not Firestone, Merchants or Pep Boys Not Sears, Not Leete Tires, Not NTB, Not Jiffy Lube, Not Grease Monkey, Goodyear... are you kidding!!!

System Diagnosed... Computer Scan - Only

$35

Mechanical General Labor Rate -

the privilege card, which at the end of the day, we believe will be more prejudiced to our community because it is a different color,” Lopez said. “As soon as a cop pulls somebody over, he’s going to know their status and we don’t think that’s fair.”

Lopez’s parents didn’t have drivers’ licenses for a long time, which impacted the way that the family was able to operate on a day-to-day basis, she said. Lopez remembers when her parents would have to ask for rides to the grocery store and when her mother had to walk in the cold to doctor’s appointments.

“My mom, I remember, would tell me that when she was pregnant with my sister she would have to walk in the rain in the cold to go to her prenatal visits, which is pretty hard you know,” Lopez said.

This bill would not only help undocumented immigrants; it would

$75 per hour

Antifreeze flush, systems check for leaks timing belts and drive belts, alternators, batteries & starters Water pumps, radiators, over heating, blower motors electric windows, switches and window motors, windows off track, door handles We order quality parts but if you have your own we will gladly put them on for you.

We accept all major credit cards

(804)358-3406

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

March 4, 2020• 5

Legal Notice SUPPLEMENTAL NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF THE APPLICATION OF VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR APPROVAL TO ESTABLISH AN EXPERIMENTAL RESIDENTIAL RATE, DESIGNATED TIME-OF-USE RATE SCHEDULE 1G (EXPERIMENTAL) CASE NO. PUR-2019-00214 On December 12, 2019, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Company”) filed an application (“Application”) with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) for approval to establish a new experimental and voluntary residential time-of-use (“TOU”) rate schedule, designated Time-Of-Use Rate Schedule 1G (Experimental) (“TOU Schedule 1G”), pursuant to § 56-234 B of the Code of Virginia (“Code”).

The Company states that TOU Schedule 1G was developed during a series of stakeholder group meetings required by the 2019 Virginia General Assembly. The Company requests a rate effective date of January 1, 2021. Pursuant to Code § 56-234 B, the Commission is required to issue its final order on the Application within six months of the filing date.

The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing that, among other things, scheduled a public hearing on May 5, 2020, at 10 a.m., in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, to receive testimony from members of the public and evidence related to the Application from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff. Any person desiring to testify as a public witness at this hearing should appear fifteen (15) minutes prior to the starting time of the hearing and contact the Commission’s Bailiff.

The Commission subsequently permitted the Company to supplement its Application to include an optional program (“Solar Incentive Program”) for eligible customers to receive a rebate to offset partially the costs to install distributed solar (net metering) equipment, directed supplemental notice of the Company’s Application, and extended the date by which notices of participation are required to be filed from March 3, 2020, to March 31, 2020.

The Company states that the Solar Incentive Program complies with legislation passed by the 2019 General Assembly requiring Dominion to submit “on or before March 31, 2020,” . . . “to the [Commission] for approval an incentive program for the installation of equipment to develop electric energy derived from sunlight for customers served under time-varying retail rate schedules that have advanced-metering technology equipment satisfactory to the utility.”

As proposed, the Solar Incentive Program would provide an optional $500 per customer rebate, limited to one rebate per premises, issued as a check to applicable customers no later than 60 days after interconnection of their net metering facility. The Company states the rebate would be funded by and recovered within base rates. The Company proposes the Solar Incentive Program be open to customers who are eligible for and elect to participate in TOU Schedule 1G during the experimental period and subsequently apply to install a new solar/net metering installation.

Existing net metering customers would not qualify for the rebate, and rebates would be available to a maximum of 500 customers issued as a subset of the 10,000 customer cap under proposed TOU Schedule 1G. The Company’s Application, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and its Order Granting Motion and Directing Supplemental Notice are available for public inspection during regular business hours at each of the Company’s business offices in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Copies also may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company, Audrey T. Bauhan, Esquire, Dominion Energy Services, Inc., 120 Tredegar Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219. If acceptable to the requesting party, the Company may provide the documents by electronic means.

Copies of the Application and other documents filed in this case are also available for interested persons to review in the Commission’s Document Control Center located on the first floor of the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies from the Commission’s website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case.

On or before April 28, 2020, any interested person wishing to comment on the Company’s Application shall file written comments with Joel H. Peck, Clerk, State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. Any interested person desiring to file comments electronically may do so on or before April 28, 2020, by following the instructions on the Commission’s website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. Compact discs or any other form of electronic storage medium may not be filed with the comments. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2019-00214.

On or before March 31, 2020, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation. If not filed electronically, an original and fifteen (15) copies of the notice of participation shall be submitted to the Clerk of the Commission at the address above. A copy of the notice of participation as a respondent also must be sent to counsel for the Company at the address set forth above. Pursuant to Rule 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by Rule 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2019-00214.

All documents filed with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.

The Commission’s Rules of Practice may be viewed at http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. A printed copy of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and an official copy of the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding may be obtained from the Clerk of the Commission at the address above.

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY

6 • March 4, 2020

Op/Ed & Letters

The LEGACY

SNAP: Clashes with original goal TRACY ROOF Trump administration officials are trying to cut enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP but still sometimes called “food stamps.”

They say that too many people are getting this aid in a strong economy.

The program helped about 35 million low-income people buy food in 2019. The average recipient gets US$128.60 a month, about $1.40 per person per meal.

In December 2019, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced changes that require more SNAP recipients to work or lose their benefits. While speaking with reporters, he alluded to what he called the “original intent of food stamps” – moving “more able-bodied recipients off of SNAP benefits toward self-sufficiency.”

The Trump administration is also seeking to take more executive actions that would cut back the eligibility of some elderly, disabled and working poor households. All told, these measures could affect up to 10 million people. And the government is taking additional steps bound to discourage legal immigrants from seeking SNAP and other food assistance.

But while researching the history The LEGACY NEWSPAPER Vol. 6 No. 10 Mailing Address P.O. Box 12474 Richmond, VA 23241 Office Address 105 1/2 E. Clay St. Richmond, VA 23219 Call: 804-644-1550 Online www.legacynewspaper.com

of food stamps and writing a book about the topic, I have found the government didn’t create this program to push people into jobs, as Perdue suggests, but to help those in need get enough to eat.

In the 1950s, improved farming practices helped American farmers grow way more food than they could sell. To keep the price of commodities like wheat and corn from tanking, the government had to buy and hold the surpluses. At one point storage costs alone were over $1 billion a year.

Yet, millions of Americans went hungry. Journalists found children within blocks of the Department of Agriculture rummaging through the garbage for food. Many missed school for lack of energy.

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.

Annual Subscription Rates Virginia - $50 U.S. states - $75 Outside U.S.- $100 The Virginia Legacy © 2016

Welfare benefits in many states were too small to allow families to buy enough food. In at least a dozen states, families that included an adult capable of work could not even get cash assistance. But there weren’t enough jobs to go around during recessions or in depressed areas. Coal country became a symbol of the problem. Shocks to the industry led to widespread and longterm joblessness. The workers ran out of unemployment benefits and their families struggled to eat.

Alarmed by the hunger he saw campaigning in West Virginia, President John F. Kennedy established a pilot food stamp program in a few depressed areas.

The families who took part bought more food and improved their diets.

The government found that local stores also benefited from increased sales, and the effects boosted local economies. Supporters argued a national program would both improve social welfare and provide a new way to cushion the blow from economic downturns. Congress made the program permanent in 1964.

In the late 1960s, an influential CBS documentary, an investigative report from a panel of doctors and

congressional investigations shocked the public with heartbreaking images. These reports painted a stark picture of widespread hunger and ailments caused by poor diets in the richest country in the world.

Responding to pressure from the public, President Richard Nixon pledged to end hunger in America, declaring “That hunger and malnutrition should persist in a land such as ours is embarrassing and intolerable.”

By 1974, poor people in every county in the nation could get food stamps – the only antipoverty assistance with uniform national benefit and eligibility standards. Unlike most social programs targeting the elderly, disabled, children and parents, the government intentionally made food stamps available to almost all low-income people. By 1980, the U.S. had made big strides toward eliminating severe malnutrition and reducing hunger.

But many poor people still didn’t get food stamps because recipients had to spend a share of their income to buy them. A 1977 law ended that

(continued on page 7)

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

March 4, 2020• 7

P.T. Hoffsteader, Esq.

(from page 6)

In honor of ...

Katherine Johnson was essential to NASA’s success in the Space Race. But as an African-American woman working at Langley Research Center in the era of Jim Crow, she went unrecognized for decades. Thankfully this trailblazer lived to see the recognition she deserved – including a blockbuster movie, a Congressional Gold Medal, and a building named in her honor on the campus where she was once forced to use separate facilities because of the color of her skin.

[Her] life is evidence that we as a nation must continue to strive towards equality of opportunity for all our citizens. While she is no longer with us, [she] will continue to inspire generations of Americans, especially young women thinking of careers in math and science.

[Her] pioneering contributions to orbital mechanics helped our nation reach the stars. Her work is no longer hidden by the shadows of the men she put on the moon. We will continue building on her legacy.

Mark, Tim, Shelley & Jim

requirement and made it easier to enroll. These changes and a souring economy sent the number of people on food stamps soaring to over 22 million in 1981, from 17.65 million in 1979.

As the number of people getting food stamps grew, so did suspicions that some who didn’t need or deserve the help were abusing the program.

Critics then and now felt food stamps encouraged dependency and discouraged work.

Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan and conservatives in Congress tried to reduce the number of Americans getting food stamps and crack down on fraud. But the program continued to grow amid a weak economy.

A 1996 welfare reform package passed by a Republican-led Congress and reluctantly signed by President Bill Clinton cut benefits, denied food stamps to most legal immigrants and limited adults who were ablebodied, childless and unemployed to three months of food stamps over three years. It also made it easier for states to deny food stamps to some people.

To combat fraud, the law required states to replace paper stamps with electronic benefit cards by 2002. The share of food stamp benefits sold for cash or illegally exchanged at stores plummeted from 3.8 cents on the dollar in 1995 to 1 cent in 2005.

From 1996 to 2000, the number of people on food stamps fell by over 8 million to 17 million.

Part of the drop in use of food stamps was due to a booming economy. But the share of those eligible for the program who actually got food stamps also fell steeply from 75 percent in 1994 to 54 percent in 2001. Lawmakers and other policymakers grew concerned that families facing hunger were falling through the cracks.

Regulatory changes and a 2002 law signed by President George W. Bush made signing up for food stamps and staying on the program easier.

Benefits for most legal immigrants were restored. The law also gave the states more flexibility and incentives to enroll more people.

The 2008 farm bill made more people eligible for help and increased benefits. It also changed the name of the program to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to ease the stigma associated with it.

The number of people getting these benefits increased in seven out of the eight years of George W. Bush’s presidency, even in good economic times. The share of people eligible for the program who enrolled soared from 56.4% in 2003 to 70.6% in 2008 – and continued to rise to 83.8% in 2017.

After the Great Recession hit at the end of 2007, the number of people on food stamps grew steeply

from 26.3 million to a peak of 47.6 million in 2013 – roughly 15 percent of the population. A 2009 economic stimulus bill signed by President Barack Obama temporarily increased benefits and suspended the threemonth time limit for unemployed adults without children through 2013. Government economists determined that SNAP spending was more effective than any other federal program in fighting the economic downturn, increasing consumer spending and creating jobs.

Despite the improving economy and the expiration of stimulus provisions, almost 8 million more people remained eligible in 2017 than before the economy hit the skids: 45.2 million versus 37.2 million in 2007. This mostly happened because of changing demographics, low wages and other factors, rather than expanded eligibility.

The Trump adminstration’s proposed 2021 budget would cut SNAP spending by nearly 30 percent over the next 10 years. However, it seems unlikely that Congress would approve that funding level.

I’m concerned that if the White House gets its way, either through the budget process or other means, it would increase food insecurity now and make the program less responsive to the next economic downturn.

Roof is associate professor of political science at University of Richmond.

8 •March 4, 2020

The LEGACY

Faith & Religion How Wyatt Tee Walker revived hope after MLK’s death Theologian Dwight Hopkins has written how the sermons and songs of black faith empowered and sustained African Americans, even in bleak times.

These practices on Sunday morning, he noted served to “recharge the worshipers’ energy” so they could deal with the “rigors and racism of ‘a cruel, cruel world’ from Monday though Saturday.”

It was this faith that empowered many African Americans to maintain their faith in the possibilities of democracy while facing entrenched white opposition to their civil rights. Marches, sit-ins, demonstrations and mass meetings were all public displays of black faith.

BY COREY WALKER Four years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the novelist James Baldwin would write on the pages of Esquire magazine, “Since Martin’s death, in Memphis, and that tremendous day in Atlanta, something has altered in me, something has gone away.”

Baldwin wrote about how “the act of faith” – that is, his belief that the movement would change white Americans and ultimately America – maintained him through the years of the black freedom movement, through marches and petitions and torturous setbacks.

After King’s death, Baldwin found it hard to keep that faith.

Nearly two weeks after King’s funeral, in April of 1968, King’s confidant and former strategist Wyatt Tee Walker tried to renew this faith. Drawing on a tradition of black faith, Walker encouraged a grieving community to embrace hope even in the face of despair.

As a scholar of religion and American public life, I recognize the important lessons Walker offers for current times when America is deeply divided.

Faith in action Black public faith has a storied place in American life.

The black church has been a place of fellowship and affirmation from colonial America to modern day, empowering individuals to undertake public acts to transform politics and society.

The 19th-century National Negro Convention movement, which ran from 1831 to 1864, demonstrated this black faith in action. Its leaders

Wyatt Tee Walker in Montgomery, Alabama on April 3, 1962.

Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images advocated for the abolition of slavery and full citizenship for African Americans. One activist reflected years later that the “colored

conventions” were “almost as frequent as church meetings.”

The civil rights movement carried this faith in action forward.

The risk of faith In the wake of King’s assassination, the words of his last published book, “Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos or Community,” reverberated throughout the nation.

Urban rebellions erupted in the wake of King’s death. With parts of over 100 cities smoldering or in ruins, chaos seemed a more likely future in 1968 America than community.

In a sermon called “Faith as Taking the Risk,” delivered at Princeton Theological Seminary, Walker sought to address a question posed by a young theologian James H. Cone after King’s death: “Without King, where was the hope?”

Deftly navigating the tension between hope and despair, Walker based his message on the response of the Hebrew prophet Elisha in the Book of Kings who faced crisis and

(continued on page 17)

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

March 4, 2020• 9

10 • March 4, 2020

The LEGACY

Lessons from Katherine Johnson’s life and career Katherine Johnson (pictured), a mathematician who made critical contributions to the space program at NASA, died Feb. 24 at the age of 101.

Johnson became a household name thanks to the celebrated book “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians who Helped Win the Space Race,” which later became a movie. Her legacy provides lessons for supporting women and other underrepresented groups in mathematics and science.

As a historian of mathematics, Della Dumbaugh, professor of mathematics at the University of Richmond, says she has studied women in that field and use the book “Hidden Figures” in her classroom.

She recently shared seven lessons she can point to some contemporary ideas all can benefit from when examining Johnson’s life.

Mentors make a difference Early in her life, Johnson’s parents fostered her intellectual prowess.

Because there was no high school for African-American children in their hometown of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, the family relocated to Institute, West Virginia, during the school year. Johnson entered West Virginia State College High School as a preteen and enrolled at age 14.

While at West Virginia State, Johnson took classes with Angie Turner King. King taught at the laboratory high school while she worked to become one of the first African-American women to earn masters degrees in math and chemistry. She would go on to earn a Ph.D. in math education in 1955.

King taught Johnson geometry and encouraged her mathematical pursuits.

Thirteen years older than Johnson, she modeled a life of possibility.

Johnson graduated from West Virginia State College at the age of 18.

While there, she had the good fortune to learn from W. W. Schieffelin Claytor, the third African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics in America. Claytor encouraged Katherine to become a research mathematician. In the 1930s, a little over 100 American women counted themselves as professional mathematicians.

High school mathematics adds up: Once Johnson completed the standard mathematics curriculum at West Virginia State College, Claytor created advanced classes just for her, including a course on analytic geometry.

Mathematics concepts build on one another and the mathematics she learned in this class helped her in her work at NASA many years later. She used these analytical skills to verify the computer calculations for John Glenn’s orbit around the earth and to help determine the trajectory for the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the moon, among others.

Grit matters: Long before psychologist Angela Duckworth called attention to the power of passion and perseverance in the form of grit, Katherine Johnson modeled this stalwart characteristic.

In 1940, she agreed to serve as one of three carefully selected students to desegregate West Virginia University’s graduate program. She also had to be “assertive and aggressive” about receiving credit for her contributions to research at NASA. In 1960, her efforts helped her become the first African-American and the first woman to have her name on a NASA research report. Currently, the NASA archives contain more than 25 scientific reports on space flight history authored or co-authored by Johnson, the largest number by any black person or woman.

The power of advocating for yourself: When NASA was formed in 1958, women were still not allowed to attend the Test Flight briefings.

Initially, Johnson would ask questions about the briefings and “listen and

listen.” Eventually, she asked if she could attend. Apparently, the men grew tired of her questions and finally allowed her to attend the briefings.

The power of a team: In 1940, Johnson found herself among the 2 percent of all black women who had earned a college degree. At that time, she was among the nearly 60 percent of those women who had become teachers.

Later, she joined the West Computing Group at Langley Research Center where women “found jobs and each other.” They checked each other’s work and made sure nothing left the office with an error. They worked together to advance each other individually and collectively as they performed calculations for space missions and aviation research.

The power of women advocating for women: Although Johnson started as a human computer in the West Computing Group, after two weeks she moved to the Maneuver Load Branch of the Flight Research Division under the direction of Henry Pearson.

When it was time to make this position permanent after her six month probationary period, Dorothy Vaughan, then the West Computing department head and Johnson’s former boss, told Pearson to “either give her a raise or send her back to me.” Pearson subsequently offered Johnson the position and the raise.

The legacy of possibility: In March of 2014, Donna Gigliotti, producer of Shakespeare in Love and The Reader, received a 55-page nonfiction proposal about African-American women mathematicians at NASA in Hampton, Virginia.

“I kind of couldn’t get over the fact that this was a true story and I didn’t know anything about it,” Gigliotti confessed. “I thought well, this is a movie.” Gigliotti’s hunch ultimately led to the movie “Hidden Figures” and an entire generation of young people learning about the possibilities of math and science.

The U.S. State Department showed “Hidden Figures” throughout the developing world to encourage girls and women to consider the possibilities of careers in math and science. Mattel created a Katherine Johnson Barbie in its “Inspiring Women” series to celebrate “the achievements of a pioneer who broke through the barriers of race and gender.”

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

March 4, 2020• 11

Proposed budget increases Metro, public transportation money

The proposed Virginia state budget continues to increase funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and includes an amendment to extend rail and bus service in Northern Virginia. The WMATA would receive roughly $160 million in funds from Virginia in 2021 and the same amount of money in 2022.

The WMATA is operated and funded in part

by Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. On average, 1 million weekday passenger trips are made on WMATA trains, buses and paratransit services. In Virginia, the WMATA provides • February 26, 2020 service to Fairfax and Arlington counties and Alexandria.

Northam’s proposed budget increases WMATA funding from 2018’s amended biennial budget, which allocated $313.8 million to the transit authority.

The WMATA proposed a $2 billion operating budget for Fiscal Year 2021 that includes extended service hours for trains, additional

service for bus routes with high ridership and the elimination of transfer fees between bus and rail. Train fares would increase during peak hours, and fares paid using cash would cost an additional 25 cents.

State funding for the WMATA is allocated by the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, which, under Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposed budget, would receive a little over $830 million in 2021 and $838.6 million in 2022. That is a roughly $240 million increase from the 2018 amended budget. Of those funds, $669 million would be used for financial assistance of public transportation in 2021; with over $675 million allocated for the same purpose in 2022. The Senate boosted those amounts in their amended version; $699.8 million and $713 million, respectively. The public transportation funding increased over $200 million from the 2018 amended budget.

The proposed WMATA allocation between House

and Senate budget versions differs by a little over half a million dollars. The House approved a budget amendment that includes language ensuring the Commonwealth Transportation Board has the ability to increase the allocation of funds to the WMATA if the board approves service increases.

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, introduced a budget amendment that would increase by $2 million the funds for public transportation. The amendment calls for the evaluation of extending public transit from the Franconia-Springfield The LEGACY Metro Station in Fairfax County into Prince William and Stafford counties.

While the proposed amendment would not necessarily allocate money to the WMATA, it would provide funds to evaluate the possibility of extending the WMATA’s Blue Line rail service beyond the final Franconia-Springfield station into Prince William County.

If I could do one thing, I’d tell the world she counts.

Communities are as rich and diverse as their needs. That’s why completing the 2020 Census matters. It’s a safe and confidential step toward having an impact on how public funds flow through our communities. That could mean more resources in your area for special needs.

It’s within your control.

Learn more at:

2020CENSUS.GOV Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.

12 • March 4, 2020

The LEGACY

RPS launch is largest solar power system at any school division in Virginia

Superintendent Jason Kamras At a recent press conference with Gov. Ralph Northam, school officials, and partner solar companies, RPS celebrated the largest solar energy system at a K-12 school division in Virginia to date.

“When we look at our future, we know that we need to develop our renewable energy sources and reduce our carbon footprint,” said Northam. “I’m proud of Richmond Public Schools for leading the way— you are setting a great example for other schools, and for your students.”

Richmond City School Board Representative, Liz Doerr, credited teachers and students from J.B. Fisher Elementary School for being the inspiration behind the project and invited some of the students onstage to talk about their own solar projects.

“My science project was inspired by solar energy,” said June Boehm, a fourth-grade student at J.B. Fisher Elementary School. “We built solar houses and solar water bottles to find out which color attracted the most heat.”

With a total capacity of 2.9 megawatts installed on 10 campuses across the division, the schools’

solar panels will produce enough electricity to cover 24 percent of the 10 campuses’ electricity needs and will save RPS approximately $2 million in utility power costs over the next 20 years.

The 10 schools include: - Broad Rock Elementary School - G.H. Reid Elementary School - Huguenot High School - J.B. Fisher Elementary School - J.H. Blackwell Elementary School - Linwood Holton High School - Lucille M. Brown Middle School - M.J. Jones Elementary School - Martin Luther King Jr. Middle & - Oak Grove Elementary School The decision to add solar power is an example of RPS’ commitment to becoming a ‘greener’ school division while offering students practical opportunities to learn about modern and sustainable energy sources and career opportunities.

“RPS is a school division that recognizes the importance of

protecting our planet. We believe in science and we are proud to be leaders in this area,” said Superintendent Jason Kamras. “We will continue to do our part to reduce our carbon footprint while providing engaging learning opportunities for our students.”

The solar panel project was funded by a generous grant from the RVA Solar Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, developed by Secure Futures Solar and is owned

by Standard Solar.

Secure Futures Solar has already started to help the schools integrate the solar panels into classroom work through teacher training and SOL-compliant curricula from the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project.

In addition, Secure Futures partnered with RPS launch a unique pilot program to give students hands-on experience with

clean energy and citizen science, while bridging Virginia’s urbanrural divide. The pilot, Throwing Solar Shade, was held in the fall of 2019 and brought together students from Richmond’s Open High School with students from schools in Augusta County, under the guidance of Science Museum of Virginia Climatologist Dr. Jeremy Hoffman. Students researched the impact of solar panels on buildings and their impact on elevated surface temperatures in urban “heat islands,” areas of concrete or asphalt exposed to direct sunlight.

“RPS students had the greatest improvement in performance, an increase of 85 percent in a 10-week program,” said Secure Futures CEO Dr. Anthony Smith. “Oncampus solar can offer opportunities for project-based learning where students can take data from solar panels and do truly impressive work.”

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

March 4, 2020• 13

Va. raises age to try teens as adults HALEY ZHAO CNS - Fewer teens might be tried as adults in Virginia, thanks to a bill that passed the House and Senate.

The bill, HB 477, introduced by Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-Prince William County, would increase the minimum age at which a juvenile must be tried as an adult for murder charges from 14 to 16.

HB 1440, introduced by Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk, had been incorporated into this bill.

HB 477 passed the Senate with

a 30-9 vote on February 17, with 9 Republicans voted against. The bill previously passed the House with a vote of 99-0.

Jae K. Davenport, deputy secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Administration, further explained the bill.

“While this bill raises the age for certification cases to 16,” Davenport said, “it still preserves the ability to transfer [to adult court] at 14, but it requires a transfer hearing.”

According to Guzman, 31 states have established a minimum age to

AF suicide deaths spike The Air Force recently said that 137 uniformed airmen — active duty, Guard and Reserve — and Air Force civilian employees died by suicide in 2019. That represents roughly a 33 percent increase over the 103 deaths by suicide in the Air Force the previous year.

It also means that 59 airmen and civilians killed themselves since the Air Force sounded the alarm about the spike in suicide deaths Aug. 1 and declared a one-day stand-down to focus on resiliency and suicide prevention. In a video posted online that day, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright said 78 airmen had taken their own lives so far that year, or 28 more than had died by suicide at that point in 2018.

Wright said then that, at that pace, the Air Force was on track to lose 150 to 160 airmen to suicide in 2019.

Though the final toll did not end up being that disastrous, it remains the most devastating year of suicides in well over a decade.

The Air Force did not further break out the 137 number. But leaked Air Force slides posted on the unofficial Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco, which listed the 2019 tally as 136, said that 84 active-duty airmen, 24 civilians, 14 reservists

transfer. Guzman questioned why there is a large number of juveniles with the Department of Juvenile Justice disposition still being sentenced to prison.

“Background information on the juvenile would aid the prosecutor in making a more informed decision to transfer when proceeding,” Guzman said.

The bill would also reduce the number of juveniles objected to discretionary transfer.

During public testimony, Derek Davis from Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys supported the bill.

“We think this bill gives the courts discretion to handle juveniles effectively,” Davis said.

James Dold, founder of Human Rights for Kids, said the U.S. is one of the only countries in the world that tries children as an adult on

a regular basis, but now the bill would help Virginia to keep up with international human rights standards.

“This bill is actually about restoring the right of [Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court] judges to make these really important determinations,” Dold said.

Under this bill, rather than the prosecution notifying them that case is going to the adult court, the juvenile court judges would be able to decide if the juveniles should be tried in adult court with a hearing at their level.

Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, is the sponsor of the Senate version of HB 477, SB546, which passed the Senate and is awaiting vote in the House.

“This has been a long battle -- 3 years,” Guzman said. “I’m glad to have the results.”

MidTown Auto Rental ALL Cars

Sergeant Kaleth Wright and 14 Air Guardsmen had killed themselves last year.

That means the majority of the increase in suicides came among active-duty airmen. In 2018, according to the Pentagon’s official report on suicide, 60 active-duty airmen killed themselves. The slide noted that as of Dec. 31, 68 of those 84 active-duty deaths were still suspected, but were not yet confirmed, as being due to suicide.

Suicide deaths among reservists also increased in in 2019, after a brief, sharp decline in 2018. The number of deaths by suicide in the Air Force Reserve dropped from 11 in 2017 to three in 2018, before jumping up.

Small - Medium - Large

29

$

95

a day

Free Pickup in Richmond Area

3101 W. Broad Street

(804) 358-3406

NO CREDIT CARD NEEDED

14 • March 4, 2020

The LEGACY

$5 medical copays – equivalent to as much as 18 hours of labor – suspended at Va. prisons VM - Until this year, if prison inmates in Virginia needed to see a nurse or a doctor for anything other than an emergency, the state charged them a $5 copay — a modest amount in the context of ballooning health care costs nationwide but a huge sum behind bars, where most inmates are paid between 27 and 45 cents an hour for work assignments.

The Department of Corrections suspended the policy on Jan. 1 without announcement or fanfare, instituting what officials described as a pilot program to see how things go without the copay.

The General Assembly is considering legislation to make the policy permanent.

“They’re no different that the general population,” said Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, who proposed the legislation. “If they can’t afford a copay they’re not going to get access to health care and health problems will get worse and worse.

“Coupled with what inmates are getting paid for the work they do – think about how much you would need to work to earn the $5 for a copay.”

The quality of health care within Virginia’s prison system has been under intense scrutiny following allegations of inadequate care and a string of deaths at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, which is under supervision of a federal judge.

Inmates at the facility have expressed frustration about the copay requirement and say that even when they pay it can take weeks or months to see a doctor, making people reluctant to spend the money.

“When you go to sick call, they don’t help you,” Shebri Dillon said during an interview in August.

“They refer you to a doctor and take

advancing in the Senate.

“If they don’t have that money in their account, they don’t get that treatment, and I think that’s disgraceful,” said Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond.

Under the department’s suspended policy, prisoners were charged a $5 copay for each “offender-initiated request for medical and dental care,” including visits for pre-existing or recurrent conditions.

The policy stated that inmates Del. Patrick Hope your vitals and make sure you’re not dead.”

She described requesting medical help and waiting two weeks to finally be seen by a doctor, who ordered an ultrasound, which took another month. A month after the ultrasound, she said she was informed they had found a mass that could be a tumor.

The Department of Corrections says they haven’t set an end date for their pilot program. “The idea was to study where it would lead us,” said Jeremiah Fitz Jr., the department’s legislative liaison.

Officials have said permanently eliminating the requirement would cost them $400,000 in uncollected inmate copays, and, depending on whether easing access to doctors leads to more visits, potentially much more. In an impact statement, the department wrote that it would cost $1.9 million “to cover personnel costs if the number of sick call requests were to double.”

Some lawmakers worried that not charging some fee for sick calls might lead inmates to abuse the program just to get out of their cells. But others said they think the concern is overblown.

Hope’s legislation passed the House of Delegates on a 68-31 and is

couldn’t be denied access to health care based on their ability to pay the fee. But John Horejsi, founder and coordinator of the faith-based advocacy group Social Action Linking Together (SALT), said the department applied missed copays as debt on inmate accounts.

“They can say they don’t deny care, but everyone knows the fees go on their tab,” Horejsi said in an interview last month. “And when they leave, that’s a big debt to pay.”

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

March 4, 2020• 15

Dental Insurance Get the dental care you deserve with dental insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. It can help cover the services you’re most likely to use —

Cleanings

X-rays

Fillings

Crowns

Dentures

Preventive care starts right away Helps cover over 350 services Go to any dentist you want – but save more with one in our network No deductible, no annual maximum

Call today for all the details.

1-855-401-3274 Call now to get this FREE

Here’s the information you requested on Dental insurance

FIRST-CLASS MAIL

Information Kit!

dental50plus.com/legacy l

l

Product not available in all states. Includes the Participating Providers and Preventive Benefits Rider. 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 1-888-799-4433 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150 (GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN). Rider kinds B438/B439.

6154-0120

16 • March 4, 2020

The LEGACY

Calendar 3.5, 6 p.m.

Participants in a free workshop offered by Virginia Credit Union will learn how to access their free credit report and gain insight into why they should review their credit report regularly.

During the How to Read Your Credit Report workshop, participants will go over a sample credit report to help them better understand how to read their own.

The seminar will be held at Virginia Credit Union, 7500 Boulder View Drive in the Boulders Office Park. To register, call (804) 804-323-6800 or visit www.vacu. org/seminars.

3.7, 11 a.m.

Join BK Fulton at the Black History Museum in Richmond for a lively conversation, followed a book signing.

Fulton is founding chairman and CEO of Soulidifly Productions, LLC, a full feature film, stage and television investment and production company formed in 2017. Before becoming a fulltime writer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur, B.K. held senior leadership roles in technology and policy development at Verizon Communications, Inc., U.S. Department of Commerce, AOL Time Warner, and the National Urban League.

BK’s children’s books include the “Mr. Business” series about thirdgrade students and a business savvy entrepreneur and “Shauna”, a story inspired by his sister, who has Rett syndrome. The book lovingly portrays her influence on his life.

The event is free but registration is registration requested. The museum is at 122 W. Leigh St. For details, call 804-780-9093.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS

3.7, all day

The American Society of Marine Artists, the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to marine art and history, will open its 18th National Exhibition at Jamestown Settlement from March 7 to April 26.

Since its founding more than 40 years ago, the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) has presented its prestigious National Exhibition every three years in museums across the country, highlighting the works of artists representing the best in American marine art by juried competition.

Visitors to Jamestown Settlement, a living-history museum of 17th-century Virginia, can view 110 works of marine art, including paintings, sculptures and scrimshaw carvings.

PSA

The Defense Department has announced expanded commissary, Military Service Exchange and MWR, and established a standard for physical access to military installations.

Veterans and primary family caregivers who are eligible and want to take advantage of in-person benefits must have a Veterans Health Identification Card, or VHIC. Primary family caregivers must have an eligibility letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Community Care.

Veterans currently use VHICs for identification and check-in at VA appointments, but will also use them for base access under the new program.

Veterans eligible solely under this act who are eligible to obtain a VHIC must use this credential for in-person installation and privilege access.

The card must display the veteran’s eligibility status (e.g., Purple Heart, former prisoner of war or military-service connected).

Veterans eligible solely under this act who are not enrolled in or are not eligible to enroll in VA health care, or who are enrolled in VA health care, but do not possess a VHIC will not have access to DoD and Coast Guard installations for in person commissary, exchange and MWR retail privileges, but will have full access to online exchanges and American Forces Travel.

Medal of Honor recipients and veterans with 100 percent service connected disability ratings are eligible for DoD credentials under DoD policy.

For more information, call 877-222-VETS (8387).

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

Include the who, what, where, when & contact information that can be printed. Deadline is Friday.

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 parentsformeganslaw.org.

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

M&

oments emories

...advertised here.

March 4, 2020• 17

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

Researchers to develop nextgeneration, long-lasting batteries Virginia Commonwealth University researchers in the College of Engineering Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering will receive a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop next-generation rechargeable batteries.

By redesigning the materials inside lithium-ion batteries, which power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles, the researchers believe they can significantly extend

battery life, drive down costs and reduce safety risks for consumers.

“Our goal is to improve the batteries so that they can last longer, be more durable and safer,” said professor Ram B. Gupta, Ph.D., the principal investigator on the project. He is collaborating with Mo Jiang, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Parans Paranthaman, Ph.D., a corporate fellow at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The DOE Office of Energy

Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office announced the grant as part of approximately $187 million for 55 projects to support innovative advanced manufacturing research and development. The award was given in the area of innovative manufacturing processes for battery energy storage.

Gupta and his team will test a novel approach for synthesizing material for the battery’s cathode.

When a battery is discharging and providing an electric current, lithium ions travel from the negatively charged anode to the positively charged cathode.

(from page 8)

Walker closed his sermon by urging the audience to embrace hope-filled struggle. But he did not deny the desperate reality.

Instead, in the face of despair, he urged the young seminarians to take a risk of faith and build a future that has not been. For Walker, that meant “doing, trying, moving toward things which have never been tried before.”

despair with an invading Syrian army, widespread famine and people ready to give up.

Drawing inspiration from the faith of the community, Elisha encouraged the community to keep faith in their nation.

Horizon of hope Elisha’s example powered Walker’s message. At Princeton, Walker encouraged the black seminarians not to countenance a nostalgia for the past. In moments of deep discouragement, Walker said, distressed people tend to retreat into a romanticized past.

“In the jargon of the street,” Walker said, “it sounds like this: ‘Child, don’t you wish it was like it was back in the good old days… .”

“And yet,” he declared, “not by any wishing or hoping or praying or anything else can we find any day when things were better. There was no such day!”

Walker proceeded to caution his audience against maintaining the status quo. Walker proclaimed, “Whatever dream of life it is we envision for our children, ourselves, our community, our church, we will never bring it to our fingertips unless it begins first with some initial risk.”

For Walker, challenging the status quo was a fundamental aspect of

Conversely, when the battery is being charged, lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode.

With each cycle, Gupta said, there is a slight loss. “By the time you run 300 to 500 cycles, you have lost enough that you would say, ‘I need a new battery.’ We have an idea about how to make this cathode sturdy enough so that the losses are minimized.”

In addition to lowering the cost of batteries, Gupta said this new process would reduce the degradation of material and therefore bring down the risk of explosions and battery fires that happen when the anode and cathode come into contact.

Images courtesy of the Dr. and Mrs. Wyatt Tee Walker Collection, Rare Books and Special Collections, Boatwright Memorial Library, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia. existence.

“The elemental character of life is

one that is moving and dynamic,” he said.

Hope in democracy The lasting testament of black public faith is its affirmation of new possibilities during moments of deep doubt. Rather than relying on a myth of the past or upholding the status quo, Walker offered the seminarians at Princeton a new vision of a political community.

“What I’m saying to you,” Walker declared, “is that I have the ultimate faith that we are going to find a tranquility with justice in this nation, in this world. We must! And it is conceivable it could happen in our time.”

Many Americans are angry with the state of the political system. And acts of racial bigotry and religious intolerance have become far too ordinary.

In such times, Wyatt Tee Walker’s words can remind people to muster hope and keep faith with the possibilities of American democracy while continuing the struggle for a just society.

ads@legacynewspaper.com

18 • March 4, 2020

Classifieds

Serving Richmond & Hampton Roads 409 E. Main St. #4 (mailing) • 105 1/2 E. Clay St. (office) Size 3.4 inches - 1 column(s) XFOR 1.7 inches) LEGAL, EMPLOYMENT,AdANNOUNCEMENTS, SALE, Richmond, VA 23219 804-644-1550 (office) • 800-783-8062 (fax) ads@legacynewspaper.com 1 Issue - $37.40 Rate: $11 per column inch

PUBLIC AUCTION of Unclaimed Vehicles

175+/- IMPOUNDED AUTOS, LIGHT TRUCKS & MOTORCYCLES SOUTHSIDE PLAZA DRIVE-IN

Monday, March 9, 2019 Gates open at 9:00 AM Auction begins at 10:00 AM

Auction will include the vehicles listed below plus many others: 2015 2018 2007 1994 1999 2000 1999 2005 2003 2001 2001 2011 1999 2003 2001 2003

DODGE CHALLENGER 2C3CDZAG7FH787863 TOYOTA COROLLA 5YFBURHE8JP750948 JEEP COMPASS 1J8FT57W47D178370 LINCOLN TOWN CAR 1LNLM81W5RY689031 CHEVROLET TAHOE 1GNEK13R5XJ456149 CHRYSLER 300 2C3HE66GXYH418668 FORD EXPLORE 1FMZU34X1XUC66890 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 1D4GP24R65B292086 NISSAN XTERRA 5N1ED28YX3C656687 HONDA ACCORD 1HGCG56681A016400 FORD TAURUS 1FAFP56S01G274518 TAOTAO SCOOTER L9NTCAPL1B1000890 FORD TAURUS 1FAFP53U3XA296417 DODGE DURANGO 1D4HS38NX3F554147 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER 3C4FY4BBX1T592763 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 3GNFK16Z03G257568

SEIBERT’S is now accepting vehicles on consignment!

Reasonable Seller’s Fees.

The LEGACY

SERVICES

No Clipping Required.

Ad Size: 1 column(s) X 5.7 inches)

Includes Internet placement

2 Issues (2/26 & 3/4) - $62.70 per ad ($125.40 Total)

Please review the proof, make any neededAARP changes and return by fax or e-mail.

ON AVERAGE, MEMBERS ENJOY

Rate: $11 per column inch

If your response is not received by deadline, your ad may not be inserted.

Thank you for your interest in applying for Includes Internet placement * opportunities with The City of Richmond.

Ok X_________________________________________ Please revieware the proof, make any needed changes and return by fax or e-mail.

To see what opportunities available, please If your response is not received by deadline, your ad may not be inserted. refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com.

ON AUTO INSURANCE Ok with changes X _____________________________ Ok X_________________________________________ EOE M/F/D/V

$449 SAVINGS when they switch from companies like

REMINDER: Deadline is Fridays @ 5 p.m.

GEICO, State Farm and Allstate

Ok with changes X _____________________________ REMINDER: Deadline is Thursdays @ 5 p.m.

Place your “For sale”, “Wanted”, and “Service”... ads here.

Your savings could be even more!

Call The Hartford 1-855-398-8975

The AARP Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford.

1

®

Saving is easy! With this policy, experienced drivers who switch save an average of $449* in the first year alone — and they get all the benefits and privileges you’d expect with the AARP Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford. Your own savings could actually be

■ 24/7 claims service ■ Lifetime renewability† ■ Lock in your rate for a full 12 months ■ New car replacement§§

greater.

642 W. Southside Plaza Dr. Richmond (804) 233-5757

WWW.SEIBERTSTOWING.COM VA AL # 2908-000766

To file a housing complaint, call the Virginia Housing Office (804) 367-8530 or (888) 551-3247.

For the hearingimpaired, call (804) 3679753, or e-mail fairhousing@dpor. virginia.gov

96%

of customers recommend The Hartford**

The only national auto insurance program endorsed by AARP.

Call The Hartford now to request a FREE money-saving quote.

1-855-398-8975 No coupon necessary.

Not an AARP member? If you’re 50 or over, request a FREE quote and more information today!

FREE duffel bag when you request your free quote!*** * Savings amounts are averages based on information from The Hartford’s AARP Auto Insurance Program customers who became new auto insurance policyholders between 1/1/18 and 12/31/18 and provided data regarding their savings and prior carrier. Your savings may vary. ** Based on customer experience reviews shared online at www.thehartford.com/aarp as of April 2019. *** The gift offer is good for first time responders who provide a valid email address. Responders will be sent an email to confirm the gift. All responders in IA, IL, MA and RI who do not provide an email address are still eligible to receive the gift. The gift offer is not available in GA, ND, NM or PA, but residents may still request a quote. The gift is available only as a limited time offer. Please allow 4-7 weeks for delivery. Bottle not included. † If you are age 50 or older, once you’re insured through this Program for at least 60 days, you cannot be refused renewal as long as applicable premiums are paid when due. Also, you and other customary drivers of your vehicles must retain valid licenses, remain physically and mentally capable of operating an automobile (not applicable in MA), have no convictions for driving while intoxicated and must not have obtained your policy through material misrepresentation. Benefit currently not available in HI, MI, NH, NC and TX. §§ Limitations apply.

AARP and its affliates are not insurers. Paid endorsement. The Hartford pays royalty fees to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. AARP membership is required for Program eligibility in most states.

The AARP Automobile Insurance Program from The Hartford is underwritten by Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affliates, One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155. It is underwritten in CA by Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company; in WA, by Hartford Casualty Insurance Company; in MN, by Sentinel Insurance Company; and in MA, MI and PA, by Trumbull Insurance Company. Specific features, credits, and discounts may vary and may not be available in all states in accordance with state filings and applicable law. Applicants are individually underwritten and some may not qualify. The program is currently unavailable in Canada and U.S. Territories or possessions.

1In Texas, the Auto Program is underwritten by Southern County Mutual Insurance Company, through Hartford Fire General Agency. Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affiliates are not financially responsible for insurance products underwritten and issued

by Southern County Mutual Insurance Company.

006131

March 4, 2020• 19

www.LEGACYnewspaper.com

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES HAMPTON BIG FLEA ANTIQUES MARKET RETURNS TO HAMPTON ROADS CONVENTION CENTER! 1610 COLISEUM DR HAMPTON VA 23666. MARCH 21-22. DEALER SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE.CALL FOR INFO 757-430-4735. WWW.THEBIGFLEAMARKET.COM AUCTIONS ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Advertise your upcoming auctions statewide or in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audiences. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net EDUCATION/CAREER TRAINING AIRLINES ARE HIRING – Get FAA approved hands on Aviation training. Financial aid for qualified students - Career placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance SCHEV certified 877-204- 4130 FOR SALE HOMEOWNERS WANTED! Kayak Pools looking for Demo Homesites to display new maintenance free Kayak Pools. Save thousands of $$.

Unique opportunity! 100% financing available. 1-888-788-5464 HELP WANTED / DRIVERS Need CDL Drivers? Advertise your JOB OPENINGS statewide or in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions to reach truck drivers. Call Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net REAL ESTATE FOR SALE ATTN. REALTORS: Advertise your listings regionally or statewide.

Affordable Print and Digital Solutions that get results! Call Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net SERVICES DIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court cost. WILLS $195.00. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-490-0126. Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https://hiltonoliverattorneyva.com.

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY NOTICE We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia's policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the commonwealth.

We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

For more information or to file a housing complaint, call the Virginia Housing Office (804) 367-8530 or (888) 551-3247.

For the hearing-impaired, call (804) 367-9753 or e-mail fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov

Advertise here 804-644-1550 ads@legacynewspaper.com

Protection your loved ones deserve ...

GUARANTEED Life Insurance up to $15,000.00 Modified Whole Life Insurance from Physicians Life Insurance Company

Imagine what $15,000.00 could mean to your family after you’re gone — cash to help pay your funeral, medical bills or other final expenses.

• Guaranteed acceptance for ages 45 to 85* • No medical exam, no health questions • Lock in your rate for life Find out how affordable this coverage can be — Call for your FREE Information Kit

1-844-971-0579 or go to life55plus.info/legacy

 Plus — you’ll also get a FREE

Final Wishes Planner just for calling!

6236

*Ages may vary by state. Guaranteed for one of these life insurance policies.

Benefits reduced first two years. Insurance Policy L770 (ID: L770ID; OK: L770OK; TN: L770TN).