Richmond Free Press April 4-6, 2024 edition

From youthful harmonies to senior sounds Richmond Free

Melvin Short’s love for community never misses a beat

By Darlene M. Johnson

Melvin Short Sr. might be the first person to say he is surprised to have founded and led multiple youth and senior singing groups over the years.

But people familiar with Mr. Short, his work as an instructor for Richmond Parks and Recreation, and his ongoing community service consider him a living legend.

“I do whatever the community needs or I try to provide it for them,” Mr. Short said.

Mr. Short, 69, grew up in Whitcomb Court in the 1960s as one of seven children. He began working at the age of 11 as a paperboy, and other roles followed until he found his calling in the 1970s at age 18 with Richmond Parks and Recreation. A 1975 graduate of Huguenot High School, he became a volunteer coach for youth basketball and baseball. He also hosted youth talent shows as a volunteer.

Gwendolyn Harris, 60, met Mr. Short in the early 2010s through the Ladies and Gents of Creighton, a senior singing group.

Mr. Short’s inspiration to create his own singing group was drawn from a group of Mosby Court dancers and singers led by Adolf Powell. Mr. Short made shirts for the group.

Mr. Short first created a youth singing group in the1990s that performed Motown songs and wore dazzling costumes. Although he does not consider himself musically inclined, music became part of his family when his uncle, Willy Joe Short, became Ike Turner’s bodyguard several decades ago. Mr. Short’s brother, Michael Short, also was a singer in the Richmond R&B group Klymaxx.

Ms. Harris describes Mr. Short as a “pillar” in Creighton who had a “great impact” on her and others. While he might have

By Sarah Rankin and Matthew Barakat The Associated Press

The majority owner of the Washington Wizards and Capitals, Ted Leonsis, told a crowd in December that he had “goosebumps” at the thought of moving his NBA and NHL teams from Washington to Virginia, “if all goes as planned.”

It did not.

Mr. Leonsis’ handshake deal with Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to relocate the teams to a taxpayer-backed arena in Alexandria collapsed Wednesday, weeks after a bumpy slog of a defeat in the Virginia General Assembly. Mr. Leonsis, apparently not willing to wait for a second shot in Virginia, reemerged in Washington, which had offered his Monumental Sports & Entertainment a more than half-billiondollar arena deal to stay.

worked his singers hard, he also worked hard to “make sure everything was on point” for the singers, she said.

As a part of the group, Ms. Harris recalled performing in talent shows and selling food to raise money for group activities and trips. They also hosted Christmas parties and children’s events.

Mr. Short always took the initiative to create a “safe haven” for young kids and was a father to everyone, Ms. Harris said. He helped to redirect Black children from “prison to prosperity” and “make them better,” she said.

Kindu Shabazz, 54, also spoke of Mr. Short’s work with children and his artistic abilities.

Mr. Shabazz is a co-founder of the Richmond Kwanzaa Kollective. He met Mr. Short around 2006 when someone suggested he use the Powhatan Hill Community Center for Kwanzaa events. At the time, Mr. Short was one of two staff members who ran the center.

LOS ANGELES

Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 87.

Mr. Gossett’s first cousin Neal L. Gossett told The Associated Press that the actor died in

Group hosts free pre-law conference for high school students

Free Press staff report

Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization will sponsor the iLead Law & Leadership Conference, a free pre-law workshop for high school students on Wednesday, April 10 from 8:30 a.m.5 p.m. in the Moot Court Room at the University of Richmond School of Law.

JTB-APO provides students from underserved communities opportunities to learn about careers in the legal field.

Students will work with lawyers, judges and other leaders in the Richmond legal community to network, develop leadership skills and sharpen negotiation skills. Students will receive a certificate of completion. Meals and materials are included.

Guest speakers include U.S. Circuit Court Judge Roger L. Gregory, Virginia Supreme Court Justice Cleo Powell, Judge Stacy E. Lee of the Henrico County Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court, and Jackie Stone, a partner of McGuire Woods. For more information, please visit www.jtb.org.

From Krispy Kreme to SunChips, companies roll out total solar eclipse promotions

The Associated Press NEW YORK

More and more businesses are taking advantage of the total solar eclipse set to dim skies across North America on Monday, April 8. In the snacks department alone, Krispy Kreme is teaming up with Oreo to sell a limited-edition doughnut-cookie creation. Sonic DriveIn is selling a “Blackout Slush Float.” And Frito-Lay’s SunChips has unveiled a new flavor that will only be available during the celestial event’s nearly 4 and a half minutes of totality.

MoonPie also kicked off a “Sun vs. Moon” smackdown-themed campaign as the chocolate-snack maker promotes its “eclipse survival kit,” made up of four mini MoonPies and two pairs of eclipse glasses.

Meanwhile, airlines like Southwest and Delta have advertised eclipse-viewing flight paths. Beyond promotions from big-name brands, small businesses along the 115 mile (185 kilometer)-wide prime path are leading the charge to meet the incoming tourist demand.

Some towns and local vendors have been anticipating the celestial event and its huge crowds for years. There are oodles of special eclipse safety glasses for sale, along with T-shirts emblazoned with clever slogans and more astronomical souvenirs. Other offerings include eclipse-themed beer, specialty dining packages and watch parties at amusement parks, wineries and zoos.

In 2017, the last time the U.S. saw a big slice of a total solar eclipse, scores of companies tapped into the action — including Krispy Kreme.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based company previously rolled out limitededition chocolate glazed doughnuts for the 2017 eclipse, and those treats have made a few returns since. But that might not be the case for this year’s “Total Solar Eclipse Doughnut.” The Krispy KremeOreo combo is set to be available from Friday through Monday, according to an announcement from the chain this week.

Virginia Lawmakers decry USPS Inspector report on region’s processing center

An audit conducted by the Postal Service’s inspector general found significant problems at a new regional processing facility in Virginia, including water-damaged mail left unprocessed for months and a worker asleep at a forklift.

The audit, dated March 28, raises questions about the Postal Service’s plans to modernize its processing network — the Richmond facility that was the focus of the audit is the first of a planned 60 regional processing centers that USPS is launching nationwide that are supposed to streamline operations and improve efficiency.

But the audit found that problems at the Richmond center, which opened in July, have contributed to a drop in on-time service that now finds Virginia ranked worst in the nation. The inspector general said only 66% of first-class mail has been delivered within two days in the current fiscal year, compared to a national average of 87%. No other region in the U.S. fell below 80%, according to the inspector general’s office.

The Postal Service has estimated that the $23 million facility will produce $15 million annually in savings by consolidating operations. But the audit found that work hours and overtime actually increased after

the center opened. “At this time, it is unclear if the Postal Service will realize the expected savings associated with consolidating operations into the Richmond” regional processing center, the audit concluded. Auditors also said they discovered “a general inattention to detail that resulted in mail left on or around machines, large amounts of machinable mail in manual processing, and in one case, mail over two months old left in a container in the truck yard.” They also observed a mail handler sleeping on a parked forklift. Postal Service officials responded to the audit and said they agree with most of the 10 specific recommendations for improvement made in the report by the inspector general. “We have undertaken extensive efforts to thoroughly address these challenges and issues in Richmond, which has led

to continued performance improvement,” the officials said in their formal response to the audit.

Virginia’s two U.S. senators, Democrats Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, issued a joint statement along with U.S. Reps. Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., Bobby Scott, D=Va., Rob Wittman, R-Va., Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., Bob Good, R-Va., and Jen Kiggans, R-Va., calling on USPS to fix the problems identified in the report. “It couldn’t be clearer that USPS has not been providing reliable service to Virginians, and we’ve been pressing for answers. This report pinpoints a number of issues, including a lack of coordination between USPS and staff at the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC),” the lawmakers said. “USPS must provide more resources and clearer guidance to management and staff at RPDC, among other steps.”

VSU hosts high school robotics championship

Free Press staff report

Virginia State University’s College of Engineering and Technology will host the 2024 FIRST Chesapeake District Robotics Competition Championship April 4-6. As many as 4,000 people will attend to celebrate teams competing head-to-head in an alliance format at the VSU MultiPurpose Center. This marks the first time that a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) has been chosen to host the competition.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global nonprofit organization that aims to inspire young people to become leaders in science, technology, engineering and math. Celebrating its 35th year, FIRST is the world’s leading youth-serving

nonprofit advancing STEM education through a suite of life-changing youth robotics programs that build skills, confidence and resilience. “These opportunities create excitement and energy for young people to pursue STEM careers and are especially important for students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds,” said Lorin Sodell, director of External and Industry Engagement within the university’s College of Engineering and Technology. “At VSU, our commitment to providing access and opportunity to students from All backgrounds makes us an excellent choice to host this tournament. Over the three-day event, team members and their families will have a front-row seat to see why Greater Happens Here at VSU.”

FIRST Chesapeake operates STEM programs for students ages 4-18 throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. The Chesapeake Championship will feature the top 54 teams from the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) program — grades 9-12 — from across the Chesapeake District competing to earn a place to showcase their engineering skills and creative power at the World Championship this April.

VSU encourages anyone who is interested in STEM to volunteer and participate. The VSU College of Engineering and Technology will also be partnering with other colleges at VSU, local schools and community organizations to ensure a successful event. For more information, please visit www. vsu.edu.

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Sen. Kaine Rep. Scott Sen. Warner Rep. Spanberger

Biased test kept thousands of Black people from getting a kidney transplant, but it’s finally changing

By Lauran Neergaard The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA

Jazmin Evans had been waiting for a new kidney for four years when her hospital revealed shocking news: She should have been put on the transplant list in 2015 instead of 2019 — and a racially biased organ test was to blame.

As upsetting as that notification was, it also was part of an unprecedented move to mitigate the racial inequity. Evans is among more than 14,000 Black kidney transplant candidates so far given credit for lost waiting time, moving them up the priority list for their transplant.

“I remember just reading that letter over and over again,” said Ms. Evans, 29, of Philadelphia, who shared the notice in a TikTok video to educate other patients. “How could this happen?”

The issue is a once widely used test that overestimated how well Black people’s kidneys were functioning, making them look healthier than they really were — all because of an automated formula that calculated results for Black and non-Black patients differently. That race-based equation could delay diagnosis of organ failure and evaluation for a transplant, exacerbating other disparities that already make Black patients more at risk of needing a new kidney but less likely to get one.

A few years ago, the National Kidney Foundation and American Society of Nephrology prodded laboratories to switch to race-free equations in calculating kidney function. Then the U.S. organ transplant network ordered hospitals to use only race-neutral test results when adding new patients to the kidney waiting list.

“The immediate question came up: What about the people on the list right now? You can’t just leave them behind,” said Dr. Martha Pavlakis of Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and former chair of the network’s kidney committee.

Dr. Pavlakis calls what happened next an attempt at restorative justice: The transplant network gave hospitals a year to uncover which Black kidney candidates could have qualified for a new kidney sooner if not for the race-based test — and adjust their waiting time to make up for it. That look back continues for each newly listed Black patient to see if they, too, should have been referred sooner.

Between January 2023 and mid-March, more than 14,300 Black kidney transplant candidates have had their wait times modified by an average

of two years, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, which runs the transplant system. So far, more than 2,800 of them, including Ms. Evans, have received a transplant.

But it’s just one example of a larger problem permeating health care. Numerous formulas or “algorithms” used in medical decisions — treatment guidelines, diagnostic tests and risk calculators — adjust the answers according to race or ethnicity in a way that puts people of color at disadvantage.

Given how embedded these equations are in medical software and electronic records, even doctors may not realize how widely they impact care decisions.

“Health equity scholars have been raising alarm bells about the way race has been misused in clinical algorithms for decades,” said Dr. Michelle Morse, New York City’s chief medical officer.

Change is beginning, slowly. No longer are obstetricians supposed to include race in determining the risk of a pregnant woman attempting vaginal birth after a prior C-section. The American Heart Association just removed race from a commonly used calculator of people’s

heart disease risk. The American Thoracic Society has urged replacing race-based lung function evaluation. The kidney saga is unique because of the effort to remedy a past wrong.

“Lots of time when we see health inequities, we just assume there’s nothing we can do about it,” Dr. Morse said. “We can make changes to restore faith in the health system and to actually address the unfair and avoidable outcomes that Black people and other people of color face.”

Black Americans are over three times more likely than white people to experience kidney failure. Of the roughly 89,000 people currently on the waiting list for a new kidney, about 30% are Black.

Race isn’t a biological factor like age, sex or weight — it’s a social construct. So how did it make its way into calculations of kidney function?

The eGFR, or estimated glomerular filtration rate, evaluates kidney health based on how quickly a waste compound called creatinine gets filtered from blood. In 1999, an equation used to calculate eGFR was modified to adjust Black people’s results compared to everyone

else’s, based on some studies with small numbers of Black patients and a long-ago false theory about differences in creatinine levels. Until recently, that meant many lab reports would list two results — one calculated for nonBlack patients and another for Black patients that could overestimate kidney function by as much as 16%.

Not every Black kidney candidate was affected. Some may have had kidney failure diagnosed without that test. For others to have a chance at benefitting from UNOS’ mandated look back, transplant center staff-turned-detectives often worked after hours and weekends, hunting years-old records for a test that, recalculated without the race adjustment, might make the difference.

“You’re reaching out to the nephrologist, their primary care doctors, the dialysis units to get those records,” said Dr. Pooja Singh of Jefferson Health’s Transplant Institute in Philadelphia, where Evans received her new kidney. “That first patient getting transplanted for us was such a great moment for our program that the work didn’t feel like work after that.”

A high school sports physical first spotted Ms. Evans’ kidney disease at age 17. While finishing her master’s degree and beginning to earn her Ph.D. at Temple University, she started dialysis — for nine hours a night while she slept — and was placed on the transplant list.

How long it takes to get a kidney transplant depends on patients’ blood types, medical urgency and a mix of other factors — including how long they’ve spent on the waiting list. Ms. Evans was first listed in April 2019. When the Jefferson transplant center unearthed her old lab tests, they found she should have qualified in September 2015.

“Just for context, when I was still an undergrad, I should have been on the list,” she said, recalling the anger she felt as she read the letter. What she called “a mind-blowing” credit of three and a half more years waiting also provided “a glimmer of hope” that she’d be offered a matching kidney soon.

Ms. Evans got a new kidney on July 4 and is healthy again, and grateful the policy change came in time for her.

“You don’t know if people would be alive today” if it had been enacted earlier, she said. Still, that extra step of “making amends to fix the situation for those that we can — I feel like it’s very important and it’s very necessary if you’re truly wanting to bring more equity and equality into the medical field.”

The Associated Press

Jazmin Evans, a student at Temple University, prepares her post-kidney transplant medications at home in Philadelphia on Feb. 16, 2024. Evans had been waiting for a new kidney for four years when her hospital revealed shocking news: She should have been put on the transplant list in 2015 instead of 2019 — and a racially biased organ test was to blame.

Melvin Short’s love for community never misses a beat

When Mr. Shabazz needed youth singers and dancers for his events, Mr. Short suggested the youth with whom he worked. Mr. Short, who Mr. Shabazz considers a historian, made sure to transfer history, culture and heritage from one generation to the next, Mr. Shabazz said.

After the Kwanzaa events were moved to the Trinity Life Center from the Powhatan Hill Community Center after almost a decade, Mr. Short still was considered an honorary member of the Richmond Kwanzaa Kollective, contributing “huge” and “elaborate” event decorations of human figures, Mr. Shabazz said.

Mr. Short’s love for art came from his two brothers and their artistic abilities. In the sixth-grade, he would pass his brothers’ art off as his own to girls at school. Now, after studying for himself, Mr. Short’s art is displayed throughout Richmond’s Parks and Recreation centers.

“He’s a community elder that deserves the respect and being seen as not just an elder, but an ‘esteemed elder’,” Mr. Shabazz said. “He’s always teaching me as he’s teaching others and he shows that, just because you are of a certain age, doesn’t mean this is your time to sit back in a recliner and do nothing.”

Like father, like daughter Melody Short, 44, is one of Mr. Short’s three children with his wife, JoAnn Short, 67. Melody Short is a small business consultant and co-founder of the Richmond Night Market, which serves as a “hub for creatives” to sell their pieces and grow as entrepreneurs. She attributes her desire to help artists to seeing her father’s art and work with artists.

When reflecting on her community work, Ms. Short understood that this is not a love that can be taught and “you have to love the people that you serve,” or else, it is just a job, she said. Her father has been able to be a big part of the community for over 30 years because he comes from community, Ms. Short said. “Most of what I learned about community building is from watching my dad serve the families in Richmond,” she said. “His North Star has been to lead with love.”

As a child, it was hard for Ms. Short to understand the “power” behind why her father was the “Community Dad,” but now she thinks his impact on children, some of whom did not have father figures, is “beautiful.”

“What I’ve learned from my father and my mom, who was a schoolteacher, (is) when you have something that you’ve been gifted with those are not for you to hold,” Ms. Short said. “They’re not for you. They’re for everybody, right?”

Senior sounds

Although Mr. Short has worked in several parks and recreation centers in Richmond, including Pine Camp, Blackwell, Bellemeade and T.B. Smith, he brings the community with him.

Now at Hickory Hill Community Center, Mr. Short leads weekly singing rehearsals on Monday afternoons at the center for seniors in hopes of performing for the annual Senior Day in the Park at Forest Hill Park this summer.

The official date for this year’s Senior Day at Forest Hill Park

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be used, not sunglasses. Dr. Gowdy also suggests viewing the solar eclipse on TV or building an eclipse viewer with a pinhole to make an image of the Sun.

As a precaution, schools in the greater Richmond area have made changes to schedules for Monday, April 8. Richmond Public Schools will delay dismissal by 10 minutes for all middle and high schools. Any classes without proper eye protection will remain indoors after 2 p.m. Henrico County Public Schools will move physical education classes and other activities indoors during the eclipse. All middle school dismissals will be delayed by 10 minutes. Chesterfield County Public Schools will dismiss students three hours and 15 minutes early, and all after-school activities are canceled. Petersburg City Public Schools will dismiss students from Petersburg High School and Pittman Academy at 11 a.m. Vernon Johns Middle School and Blandford Academy will be released at 11:30 a.m., all elementary schools will be released at noon and Westview Early Childhood Education Center will be released at 12:30 p.m. Colonial Heights Public Schools and Hopewell City Public Schools’ schedules will remain the same, but students will be provided with protective glasses. Hanover County Public Schools has not made any schedule changes and will inform students of the dangers of looking at the partial solar eclipse.

Total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth around every 18 months. Many are not visible since much of the Earth is covered with water and deserts, Dr. Gowdy said. Astronomers use Isaac Newton’s Law of Gravity and Laws of Motion to predict the exact paths of the

has not been announced, but it usually takes place in June.

The last time Mr. Short participated in a similar event was in 2010 at the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater.

Juanita Davis, 85, joined Mr. Short’s first rehearsal in early March. A year ago, on March 4, Ms. Davis, a longtime member of Star Fellowship Baptist Church, had a stroke that affected her voice and created a lisp. Working with Mr. Short has helped her regain her confidence to sing again, she said.

Mr. Short chooses songs that the seniors can remember from the 1960s and 1970s. He accommodates his senior singers in situations such as Ms. Davis’ with songs that feature fewer words and slower tempos for light choreography. He encourages the singers, and if they cannot perform the songs, he offers alternatives.

“If you can’t sing that song, you can be one of my backup dancers,” Mr. Short said.

Turnout to rehearsals has been low, but Mr. Short’s goal is to get more people in. He anticipates a group of eight that will perform at Senior Day in the Park, including members from the Hickory Hill Community Center and throughout Richmond.

After this summer’s concert, Mr. Short hopes to have his singers perform at senior living facilities in Richmond and collaborate with recreation centers for other senior-related sessions involving music and dance.

“I just want to get some of [the seniors] on the stage and bring back their youth,” he said. For more information and to participate in rehearsals, please contact Hickory Hill Community Center at 804-646-7934.

Collapse of NBA, NHL arena deal prompts recriminations, allegations of impropriety

The demise of the project, a top priority for Gov. Youngkin, set off an extraordinary round of bitter recriminations among Virginia officials and companies that were parties to the deal, including allegations of possible impropriety and slander. It also sparked fears about impacts to the state’s future economic development prospects.

“We made mistakes. I know the governor made mistakes. Monumental made mistakes. JBG made mistakes. And I’m sure the General Assembly made mistakes,” Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said of the key players. The outpouring of blame began when Alexandria announced the negotiations were over Wednesday, in a statement that expressed disappointment in “what occurred between the Governor and General Assembly.”

Democratic leaders of the General Assembly blamed Gov. Youngkin. “He mismanaged the process,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, who had agreed to sponsor legislation underpinning the deal. The legislation called for a quasi-governmental entity to issue bonds to finance most of the project, repaid through a mix of projected tax revenues recaptured from the development. Sen. Surovell’s bill never made it out of his own chamber due to opposition from one of his colleagues, powerful budget committee Chairwoman L. Louise Lucas even though a companion bill passed the House of Delegates. House Speaker Don Scott faulted the governor for bringing the Legislature into the conversation too late in the game.

Gov. Youngkin told The Associated Press in an interview he believed “politics and personal agendas” in the Senate had derailed what he’s called the single largest economic development deal in Virginia’s history.

Mr. Leonsis, in a news conference

with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, took a couple of jabs at Virginia. Meanwhile, JBG SMITH, a real estate company and partner to the deal as the proposed developer, unleashed. In a statement, JBG CEO Matt Kelly questioned the motives of key Senate leaders including Sen. Lucas, who had stymied the legislation and gleefully celebrated its demise on social media. Specifically, JBG questioned whether the arena was blocked as part of a “scheme” to benefit a competing developer, Comstock, that had been pushing for a northern Virginia casino. Mr. Kelly’s statement did so without mentioning any lawmaker or company by name, while including enough context to make the criticism understood to people following the matter closely.

Mr. Kelly said the deal was derailed due to “partisan politics.” Without offering proof, he also suggested the outcome was influenced by “special interests and potential pay-to-play influences within the Virginia legislature.”

There was, in fact, an 11th-hour pitch to combine the casino and arena, Sen. Surovell said. But it was just one of a number of suggestions he made over the course of the session to try to salvage the arena deal, he said.

Sen. Lucas said on social media that “the incompetent losers behind the effort are out telling lies and conspiracy theories” instead of admitting their own failure.

Comstock CEO Chris Clemente told AP the idea of pairing the casino with the arena had been bandied about by lawmakers of both parties. He rejected the notion that there was any kind of coordinated attempt to hold off the initial arena deal in favor of an arena-casino pairing, calling JBG’s statement “slanderous” and “ridiculous.”

Mayor Wilson said in an interview that Richmond’s opaque legislative process erodes confidence. He cited the work of political consultant Ben Tribbett, who is

paid by both Sen. Lucas and Comstock, as creating an appearance of impropriety that casts doubt on whether the Legislature was acting in the public interest. “I find the whole thing unseemly,” he said.

Mr. Tribbett said that it’s not unusual for a consulting business to advise many kinds of clients, and that each of his clients’ interests are kept confidential.

“If you’re an architect, it’s not a conflict to work on multiple buildings. And if you’re a political consultant, it’s not a conflict to work with multiple political clients,” Mr. Tribbett said.

A number of other factors contributed to the Alexandria project’s demise, according to interviews with lawmakers and others close to the deal-making, who for months described the talks as chaotic, or worse.

Gov. Youngkin never enjoyed vocal support from Republican legislators, who mostly kept their heads down as the deal imploded. The project also faced wellorganized local opposition.

Alexandria’s economic development director, Stephanie Landrum, said the failure to close the deal because of what she sees as politics will cause other prospective businesses looking to come to the commonwealth to question whether to come to Virginia.

But Greg LeRoy, executive director of incentives watchdog Good Jobs First, said it’s laughable to think that turning away a sports team seeking public financing will hurt the state’s business climate.

“Other regions would kill for a business climate like northern Virginia’s,” said Mr. LeRoy, whose organization opposed the deal.

Gov. Youngkin said Virginia deserved better than the way things panned out, but he understood why Mr. Leonsis moved on.

“Eventually you’ve got to go negotiate something else. And, boy, did D.C. provide him with a remarkable alternative,” he said.

longest period of totality during the 2017 solar eclipse was in Illinois at almost three minutes long, according to NASA.

The upcoming solar eclipse will also have a wider path over North America. While the path was between 62-71 miles wide in 2017, this year’s solar eclipse will be between 108-122 miles wide, according to NASA.

The next solar eclipse will be on Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA. For more information, please visit www.science.nasa. gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024.

the founder of the Help Me Help You Foundation, which assists the formerly incarcerated in re-entering society. Her major priorities include improved public safety through police officer recruitment and community policing, teams focused on affordable housing and mental health crises, and expanding opportunities for businesses. Her website is www.mosbyrva.com.

Consultant and candidate Garrett Sawyer previously ran to become the City Council Representative for Richmond’s 5th District in 2016, and has been a leader with the Richmond Public Library and the Richmond NAACP. He has made affordable housing, mental health and community safety, and the modernization of Richmond’s online systems and services key pillars of his campaign. His website is www.garrettsawyerforrichmond.com.

Maurice Neblett, a political newcomer, is running for office for the first time with this election. A Virginia Union University graduate, security professional and com-

munity organizer, Mr. Neblett has centered his candidacy around financial accountability and transparency, improvement in education opportunities, and a holistic approach to violence reduction that includes accountability and independent oversight for law enforcement. His website is www. mauriceneblett.com.

Harrison Roday is also running for office for the first time, after years as the founder of a software company and the nonprofit Bridging Virginia, which provides loans to small business owners of color, and working to help the Democratic Party earn seats in the Virginia General Assembly and Congress. Issues Mr. Roday plans to focus on if elected, as detailed in media interviews, range from improving City Hall management and its systemic operations, to increasing the city’s supply of housing units and better teacher attraction and retention for Richmond Public Schools. His website is www.rodayforrichmond.com.

Bridgette Whitaker has worked for years as a housing advocate, bringing her concerns to Richmond City Hall and working on the street with Blessing Warriors RVA, an outreach group addressing and aiding those in the city affected by homelessness.

In addition to these candidates seeking the Mayor’s office, other Richmond-based politicians have begun their campaign process ahead of Election Day, with Sen. Tim Kaine kicking off his official campaign for a third term in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. And on March 18, U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-04) filed paperwork with the Chair of the Fourth Congressional District to run for re-election. March 18 marked the first day of filing eligibility. Congressional candidates are required to submit 1,000 signatures of district residents. Rep. McClellan’s campaign filed 3,541 petitions, more than triple the required amount. “I’m deeply honored by the strong support from the residents of Virginia’s 4th Congressional District,” Rep. McClellan said. “I’m proud to run for re-election to continue working to create jobs, lower costs, increase access to affordable health care, prevent gun violence, and protect voting rights, civil rights and reproductive freedom.”

Bonnie Newman Davis/Richmond Free Press

Gwendolyn Harris, 60, met Mr. Short in the early 2010s through the Ladies and Gents of Creighton, a senior singing group. Along with Juanita Davis, 85, they joined Mr. Short’s first rehearsal in early March.

Ms. Short

Decades of foresight enable Virginia to process cargo diverted from Maryland after bridge collapse

By Nathaniel Cline Virginia Mercury

The Port of Virginia is taking on additional cargo shipments diverted from Baltimore, Md. after a massive ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month.

Virginia officials said the port can handle the extra workload because over 50 years ago, state and local leaders took steps to minimize any mishaps with cargo ships by building tunnels underwater and, more recently, expanding its waterways.

“The Port of Virginia has a significant amount of experience in handling surges of import and export cargo,” said Joe Harris, a spokesman for the Port of Virginia.

Mr. Harris said he is certain the “modern 21st century” port will maintain high service and efficiency levels. On Friday, March 29, Mr. Harris said it was too early to report how much cargo destined for Baltimore had been processed by the Port of Virginia. According to last May’s State of the Port, a total of 3.7 million units of cargo were processed in 2022, a 5% increase since 2021.

When the Eiffel Tower-sized Dali cargo ship lost power and crashed into the Key Bridge early on the morning of March 26, the impact had a ripple effect. Leaders and emergency response teams were forced

to act quickly to rescue construction workers who were working on the bridge and were thrown into the water, and to divert vehicle traffic from the route, a major thoroughfare for travelers and goods. The bodies of two construction workers were retrieved from the water; four others are presumed dead.

Due to the bridge’s collapse, Maryland initially suspended operations at the Port of Baltimore and ship operators had to seek alternatives. That is when officials at the Port of Virginia stepped in to help by servicing ocean carriers, or companies that provide maritime services for shipment, similar to other ports throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

On March 26, Mr. Harris said the Port of Virginia processed some container cargo that was bound for Baltimore at the container terminal, known as the Virginia International Gateway. Mr. Harris said the Port of Virginia anticipates these diverted volumes to increase, but it is too early to discuss specific impacts on the port’s operation.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin told reporters on the same day that state transportation agencies in Maryland and Virginia were working to make sure there is “uniform signage” along the Chesapeake Bay for ocean carriers. The governor said his administration also offered any support or emergency assistance to

Maryland’s administration.

While no ocean carriers cross under-span bridges in Virginia, the governor said last week that the Commonwealth inspects the bridges yearly, a fact he “personally checked” to confirm.

“We don’t have ocean-going carriers that are traversing our rivers, but this is a reminder, of course, that when a large vessel runs into a bridge, it can cause an extraordinary amount of not just damage, but tragedy and that’s something that we’re really closely paying attention to,”

Gov. Youngkin said.

The tunnels

Within the past 70 years, Virginia leaders have constructed tunnels and bridges to accommodate cars, boats and ships to cross the Elizabeth River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Jeff Holland, executive director

for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District, said in the 1950s, area leaders needed to minimize travel times to stimulate economic commerce. They also needed to ensure that any crossing they made allowed large vessels enough clearance to travel over the main channels. A ferry was used for these purposes at the time, but it had drawbacks.

On average, he said the ferry system took an hour and 45 minutes to two hours to cross. Travelers would wait for a ferry for up to half a day on weekends to travel and a full day on holidays.

In 1956, the General Assembly authorized the construction of a 17.6-mile fixed crossing in the Chesapeake Bay, which included three low bridges and two tunnels. The project cost approximately $139 million.

EXHIBITION- RELATED talk “Union Tooth and Nail”

Pamunkey Indians and the Civil War

Join us for a talk from anthropologist Ashley Spivey, a citizen of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, about how the Pamunkey engaged in the Civil War as Union veterans and supporters. This event complements the Library of Virginia’s current exhibition, Indigenous Perspectives REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/11899253

Following its opening in 1964, the bridge was named after Lucius J. Kellam Jr., the Chesapeake Bay Ferry Commission chair who spearheaded the bridge-tunnel project connecting Virginia Beach to Cape Charles in Northampton County on the Eastern Shore.

Mr. Holland said leaders in the 1950s had two benefits when building the tunnels: low cost and support from the Navy. The director said engineers projected the cost of building the tunnels to be less than constructing bridges in the 1950s. He said today, the cost of constructing tunnels is approximately twice as much as it was back then.

Mr. Holland said leaders also considered that the tunnels would allow “unmitigated” access to the harbors. The United States Navy, whose Norfolk naval base is the largest in the world, “certainly applauded” the tunnels, Mr. Holland added, because they offered “unhindered” access, even if a bridge were to collapse.

Mr. Holland said the construction of the bridge tunnel has resulted in “huge efficiency savings” in travel time. Approximately 175,000 to 200,000 vehicles annually traveled across the Bay in 1964, compared to the current annual average of four million vehicles.

Wed., April 24 | 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Lecture Hall | Free

Mail delays leave Richmonders in the dark

In some Richmond-area neighborhoods, residents have grown accustomed to having their mail delivered around 10 p.m. or later.

They’ve learned to keep flashlights nearby as they head to their mailboxes around the time most people are calling it a night or having a nightcap.

What’s behind the delays?

After the recent release of a United States Postal Service Inspector General report on the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) in Sandston, several lawmakers, including Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Mark Warner, Rep. Jennifer McClellan and Rep. Bobby Scott — called on the USPS to examine mail delays and disruptions at the Richmond-area facility.

The report identifies several issues behind the delays, including a lack of coordination between USPS and staff at the RPDC.

Frustrated victims of USPS’ frustrating delays include a Vietnam veteran in Mechanicsville who failed to receive his medications some six weeks after it was mailed. In addition, a medical supply business in Richmond never received more than $1,000 worth of medical supplies, which ended its business relationship with a key distributor.

Equally disturbing and egregious are reports of discarded cancer-screening results for veterans, disruptions in disability checks, mail theft and missing voter ballots.

Other issues cited in the report include a lack of attention to detail (pieces of mail falling off conveyor belts and being lost), to poor synchronizing between machines processing mail at the facility and the schedules of trucks transporting mail to and from the facility. Broader questions focus on whether the RPDC model is generating the cost savings and efficiency improvements this model has promised.

“Going forward, USPS must provide more resources and clearer guidance to management and staff at RPDC, among other steps,” Sen. Kaine and other lawmakers said. “We look forward to working with USPS to ensure that happens, (that) the recommendations in the IG report are implemented and mail delivery is timely for Virginians.”

The inspector general’s audit, dated March 28, raises questions about the Postal Service’s plans to modernize its processing network. The Richmond facility is the first of a planned 60 regional processing centers that USPS is launching nationwide that are supposed to streamline operations and improve efficiency.

The audit found that problems at the Richmond center, which opened in July, have contributed to a drop in on-time service that now finds Virginia ranked worst in the nation. The inspector general said only 66% of first-class mail has been delivered within two days in the current fiscal year, compared with a national average of 87%. No other region in the U.S. fell below 80%, according to the inspector general’s office.

The Postal Service has estimated that the $23 million facility will produce $15 million annually in savings by consolidating operations. But the audit found that work hours and overtime actually increased after the center opened.

“At this time, it is unclear if the Postal Service will realize the expected savings associated with consolidating operations into the Richmond” regional processing center, the audit concluded.

“It couldn’t be clearer that USPS has not been providing reliable service to Virginians, and we’ve been pressing for answers. This report pinpoints a number of issues, including a lack of coordination between USPS and staff at the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC),” the lawmakers said. “USPS must provide more resources and clearer guidance to management and staff at RPDC, among other steps.”

Let’s hope that happens soon so we all can put our flashlights away.

Nonprofit officials in Roanoke recently refurbished a former motel, transforming the units into permanent housing for the homeless. The move could literally be a lifesaver for those who have survived for years on the streets.

I don’t make that claim lightly.

Studies and news stories reveal homeless individuals die an average of 12 years sooner than the general population, are sometimes the targets of violent attacks simply because they’re on the streets, and have a tougher time of getting mental health, substance abuse and other types of health care than those with a regular home.

Having a roof over your head doesn’t solve everything — but it can be a critical start. It’s definitely better than the alternative.

A state report says Virginia — compared to other states — does a strong job fighting homelessness. For the 2021-22 fiscal year, for example, “the rate of homelessness per 10,000 on average in Virginia is seven, and remains the fourth-lowest, including all 50 states and territories,” according to the report compiled by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. We can do even better, though.

In Roanoke, Dawn Sandoval is the executive director of The Least of These Ministries. The nonprofit has transformed a former motel into Suites by TLOT, making it more than

comedian Bill Maher recently went after Democrats for “pandering” to minority groups for votes.

Poking holes in politi cal posturing is right on brand for Mr. Maher, who turns sar casm into an art form.

In this case, he was plunged into a controversy that more Americans need to talk about: How well do our racial agendas and remedies keep up with changing times?

Among his examples of how “outdated” race issues have become, Mr. Maher cited statistics that show a “276%” increase in Americans who identify as multiracial and how “1 in 5” newlyweds are in interracial marriages.

“My point is, look, you’re still building your politics around slicing and dicing people into these fixed categories,” he said.

“Democrats need to get the memo that you can’t win elections anymore by automatically assuming you’re going to get every voter who’s not these guys,” Mr. Maher said while showing a photo of white men in suits from

just a temporary shelter for the homeless. Officials opened 12 renovated units on Feb. 15, and they’re completing work on the remaining six units.

“We currently serve the unsheltered population and have discovered that many of those experiencing homelessness are on a

fixed income,” Ms. Sandoval told me by email. Soaring inflation makes rental homes unaffordable for them, Ms. Sandoval said, and many are also “wading through lengthy wait lists for Section 8 and HUD-VASH vouchers.”

The acronym stands for the U.S. Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program.

The ministry’s website notes that people pay an affordable rental rate at the renovated motel. Each room has a full-size bed, private bathroom, refrigerator and other amenities. TLOT also plans to shuttle residents to downtown Roanoke several days a week to help them get to work and take advantage of other essential services.

On a much larger and comprehensive scale, Virginia Supportive Housing connects the formerly homeless with secure housing. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1988, opened its first housing complex in 1992. VSH now operates 11 housing communities in Richmond, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Chesapeake, totaling 711 apartments, the agency said.

The group seeks to end homelessness by providing permanent

the “Mad Men” era.

“The more you obsess over identity, the more you ignore the bread-and-butter issues that win and lose elections,” he said. “The real issue is class, not race. And the real gap is the diploma divide. And the real future of the party and maybe democracy depends on Democrats figuring that out.”

I nodded my agreement, mostly because I’ve been making the same point for years. As an African-American — here comes those labels again — I don’t want to obsess about race, but I don’t want to ignore real racism either.

Neither does the government, one hopes. That’s why — speaking of “slicing and dicing” — less than a week after Maher’s monologue, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the next national nose count in 2030, as well as other future federal government forms, will offer some additional boxes for us to check.

For example, new choices for “Middle Eastern or NorthAfrican” and a “Hispanic or Latino” box will appear under a reformatted question: “What is your race and/ or ethnicity?”

housing and supportive services, including counseling, case management and connecting folks to primary healthcare. People struggling with substance abuse or mental health problems, thus, aren’t just told to figure things out on their own.

VSH uses a model called “Housing First,” which prioritizes housing individuals as soon as possible, then provides services to help maintain stability.

Allison Bogdanovic, VSH’s executive director, told me that in 2023, the organization assisted nearly 1,700 people living in its apartments as well as those who used the organization’s service programs. It had revenues of $16.4 million last year.

Ms. Bogdanovic proudly noted, by email, that 94% of VSH’s residents remain in stable, permanent housing. That means people are protected from threats of violence, extreme weather conditions and more, all of which they might have experienced had they been on the streets. The average length of stay in VSH housing is six years, Ms. Bogdanovic added.

“We remain committed to ending homelessness in our existing footprint and are evaluating the feasibility of expanding into smaller communities,” she told me.

I learned about VSH when it opened the 60-unit Gosnold Apartments in 2006 in Norfolk, the group’s first foray into Hampton Roads. The $6 million development is in a former RC Cola bottling warehouse. Within the next year, the nonprofit plans for a major renovation and expansion to 100 units.

Joel Chambers, 39, has called

It’s important to note that the census forms change with every census becauseAmericans change a lot, including in the ways we categorize ourselves.

In our nation’s first national census in 1790, the choices were understandably few: male, female, free and slaves.

In my lifetime, I have seen my racial self-descriptor change in common usage from “Negro” and “colored” to African -American and, most recently, back to “people of color.”

Going from “colored people” to “people of color,” as I have noted over the years, doesn’t sound like as much progress as I have seen Black Americans actually make.

Still, even as we have progressed enough to witness the election of this nation’s first Black president, race continues to be a social and political tinderbox. The number of Americans who identify as multiple races has risen dramatically, as Mr. Maher mentioned. As a result, identity politics have changed, but they haven’t gone away. In fact, let’s face it: In a dynamic society as diverse as ours, all politics — at one time or another — are identity politics.

The writer is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

Gosnold home since 2019. He suffers from multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. Mr. Chambers spent several months on the streets of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront after bouncing around jobs and serving a brief stint in jail. Getting connected to a home at the housing complex, though, has been a godsend. Housing advocates directed him to the vacancy. A federal voucher helps pay the rent. “Gosnold makes you feel as though it’s

Clarence Page

I write as an alumna of Virginia Union University to encourage the preservation and reuse of the former Richmond Community Hospital.

I am intimately familiar with VUU’s long history of preserving and repurposing buildings by its presidents. For example, in 1942, my grandfather, the Rev. Dr. John Malcus Ellison, skillfully secured the Belgian Friendship Pavilion, exhibited at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City. Once the buildings from the exhibit were shipped to VUU’s campus, he preserved and reused the Majestic Bell Tower and Grand Hall (later named the Barco-Stevens Gymnasium), which have become the core structures on our beloved campus for over 80 years.

Likewise, in the 1980s, rather than demolishing our aging chapel, Coburn Hall, then President S. Dallas Simmons used the concept of historical preservation and adaptive reuse to restore the building for the worship experience of students.

Most recently, my donated alumni dollars have been used for preservation of the Industrial Building on the southwestern side of the campus. As a result of forethought by past Presidents Ellison and Simmons, the Belgian Complex and Coburn Hall have served VUU students very well.

Free Press staff report

A partnership between the City of Richmond and the Capital Region Land Conservancy has led to the acquisition of 4.5 acres of land along the James River to continue the Richmond Slave Trail.

The CRLC is a nonprofit that conserves natural and historic land and water resources in the Richmond area.

The 130-foot wide and 2,300-foot long land, located between Interstate 95 and Ancarrow’s Landing, was purchased from Norfolk Southern. The land will go under the James River Park System conservation easement and be transferred to the City of Richmond as part of the park.

Historically, the property was an important industrial infrastructure to the Manchester docks where enslaved Africans were transported and the first rail line in Virginia operated. Norfolk Southern’s ownership of the property dates back to 1849 through its predecessors Richmond and Danville Railroad Company between 1847-1894

Dawoud Bey’s series “Stony the Road,” which was recently Map from Capital Region Land Conservancy

I have spoken to many VUU alums who share my sentiment that property owned by the university should be developed with students in mind first. I have read in Richmond newspapers that the plan for the former Richmond Community Hospital is demolition in order to build market rate apartments, (which) effectively (would price) VUU students out of occupancy.

SHERYL E. ELLISON-BLUE, ESQ. Washington VUU Class of 1976

Former VUU presidents ensured buildings’ preservation Conservancy acquires land for Richmond Slave Trail

I implore President Lucas to honor the decision of past presidents to repurpose VUU buildings for the benefit of the students and the university.

Stories by Fred Jeter

Transfer portal complicates next season for Rams

With the calendar spinning toward the 202425 season, what now for VCU hoops?

In the “old days,” it was easy … three or four seniors moved on, three or four freshmen moved in and the beat went on.

It’s not so simple anymore. The lenient NCAA transfer portal, allowing for multiple transfers with no penalty, and the Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) revenue has flipped the script.

Another complicating factor is the fifth season of eligibility the NCAA granted for anyone playing in 2020-21 during COVID-19 restrictions.

Free agency abounds: Already, more than 1,000 Division I players have placed their names in the portal as possible transfers. Hundreds likely will follow before the May 1 deadline. Athletes can officially change schools right up to fall enrollment.

the minutes logged from the previous season.

VCU had six seniors on this year’s roster, but just three, Kuany Kuany, Sean Bairstow and Max Shulga, were honored on Senior Night. Shulga is eligible to return.

It’s likely VCU won’t be immune to the comings and goings that have radically changed the sport.

Salty tears in Utah: First-year Coach Ryan Odom guided the Rams to a 24-14 overall record that included a trip to the A-10 finals, and two NIT road wins before a 74-54 loss against Utah in Salt Lake City.

Starting over: Due to a mass exodus the season before fueled by Coach Mike Rhoades leaving for Penn State, Coach Odom began this season with only 9% of the scoring and 12% of

Joe Bamisile, who is now playing for his fourth college) is likely to return. Zeb Jackson, having played four seasons at Michigan and VCU combined, also has the option to return along with Connor Odom, the coach’s walk-on son. Comings and goings: Common sense would suggest Shulga (14.0 points per game), Bamisile (13.1) and Jackson (11.4) would have the black-and-gold carpet laid out for their return. But this is 2024, not pre-2020.

The return of Shulga, Bamisile and Jackson, who likely would eat up 75 minutes of playing time per outing, might discourage impatient portal travelers from seeking immediate front-line duty. Shulga, Bamisile and Jackson all would be grad students in their fifth season of play.

Other Rams eligible to return are juniors-to-be Tobi Lawal (7.7), Christian Fermin (5.2), Jason Nelson (4.9) and Roosevelt Wheeler (0.6); and sophomores Michael Belle (3.2) and Alphonzo Billups (4.9).

The only announced incoming freshman is touted 6-foot-3 Brandon Jennings from St. Christopher’s School.

NCAA drama moves to the desert

In the coming days, the University of Connecticut hopes to join the select “Back-to-Back Fraternity.”

Since the inception of the NCAA tournament in 1939, only seven schools have ever won consecutive men’s basketball titles.

Coach Dan Hurley’s Huskies prevailed last year in Houston, defeating San Diego State for the crown. This year, they entered the 68-team playoff as the No. 1 seed and presumed favorite. The other backto-backers: Florida (2006, ’07); Duke (1991, ’92), UCLA (1967, ’68, ’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73); Cincinnati (1961, ’62); San Francisco (1955, ’56); Kentucky (1948, ’49); Oklahoma A&M (State) (1945, ’46).

UConn would also enjoy moving past Duke on the all-time list of most championships.

Both UConn and Duke have five each, trailing UCLA (11), Kentucky (eight) and North Carolina (six).

To be fair, UCLA’s unimaginable run carried a bit less degree of difficulty than modern squads. The tournament was just a 23-team affair in 1967 and still just 25 in 1973. It also helped that Coach Johnnie Wooden had a pair of other-worldly centers,

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton. The “March Madness” field went to 64 in 1985 and 68 in 2011. That

Getting the party started

It’s time for baseball fans to start humming, “Take me out to the ball game.” Peanuts and Cracker Jacks will be on the menu when the Richmond Flying Squirrels open their home season

April 9 at The Diamond.

The Eastern League Class AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants is coming off a powerful season, both on the field and at the box office.

Richmond was 74-64 overall in 2023 and made the playoffs.

At the gate, the Squirrels drew 428,541 fans (6,160 per opening), tops in all of Class AA baseball.

Dennis Pelfrey will return for his second season to manage the young prospects.

There will be a change in the front office, however.

Liberty University alumnus Ben Rothrock has moved into the vice president/chief operating officer chair, succeeding the colorful Todd “Parney” Parnell.

Richmond’s most visible Squirrel since the franchise moved here in 2010 is stepping down to become senior advisor.

Real emotion also defines March Madness

Baylor’s Jada Walker heard all the cheers along the way. Then, in the end, came the tears.

The Richmond native became a focal point of ESPN cameras in the closing seconds of the Bears’ 74-70 NCAA loss to Southern California March 30 in Portland, Ore.

In the final few seconds, Walker broke down. Her eyes turned red. She pulled up her No. 11 green jersey to dab her cheeks.

A timeout with just 0:01.2 prolonged the drama, allowing the TV crew to focus on it. She played the final tick sobbing. Her teammates lovingly consoled her.

The 5-foot-7 southpaw didn’t go down easily. Logging 36 of the 40 minutes versus USC, the junior scored 15 points, passed for seven assists and was a relentless defender. She left her heart, albeit broken, on the floor.

Earlier in the tournament, Walker helped Baylor to wins over both Vanderbilt and host Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Foiling a rambunctious Hokie

To many, March Madness is all about buzzer-beater shots, joyous celebrations and confetti raining from the rafters. Jada Walker knows there is more to it than that. Coach Odom

crowd of some 10,000 people, she scored 28 points, 26 in the second half.

Parnell, often in his signature fancy pants, likely was the first person many fans met while entering the Diamond, and the last they shook hands with on departure.

The Squirrels boast of being “fan-friendly” and no one has been more friendly to fans than “Parney.”

Parnell, whose creative promotions had much to do with the attendance boom, said he hopes to stay involved at least until the new stadium opens in, hopefully, 2026. The new facility will be constructed adjacent to

NSU ends season with CIT championship

There was no place like home this basketball season for Norfolk State University. The late Joe Echols, a former Spartans coach and administrator, would be proud of the school that named its on-campus facility in his honor. Undefeated at Joe Echols Memorial Hall (aka “The Joe”), NSU completed a 15-0 home ledger March 27 with a 75-67 win over Purdue University Fort Wayne in the finals of the CollegeInsider.com tournament (CIT).

Tournament MVP Christian Ings, a graduate student from Philadelphia, hit seven of nine from the floor and led the scoring with 17 points. MEAC Player of the Year Jamarii Thomas, a 6-foot junior from Greensboro, had 10 points, five assists and

three steals.

Chris Fields, a 6-foot-7, 240-pound freshman from Petersburg, had five points and seven rebounds in the final after collecting 11 points and eight caroms in the semifinal win at Echols over Alabama A&M. As the overall No. 1 seed, NSU drew a first-round bye.

In the victory over A&M, senior Daryl Anderson — out of Chesterfield’s Millwood School — nailed five threeballs and scored 15 points.

Coach Robert Jones’ squad finished its season 24-11 overall and 11-3 in the MEAC. An untimely loss to Howard in the MEAC semifinals denied the Spartans a third NCAA bid in the past four years. Success at The Joe is nothing new.

The Spartans were 10-2 on campus in 2023 and 11-0 in 2022.

NSU’s women enjoyed life at home, too. The Lady Spartans were 10-0 at Echols this season, en route to the MEAC title that was won at Norfolk Scope. Before Echols opened in 1982, NSU played home games on campus at Gill Gym during the Bob Dandridge and Charles Bonaparte glory era, and briefly at the Norfolk Scope.

The CIT was a nine-team affair this season, with all the action on campus floors. Coincidentally, another Norfolk school, Old Dominion, won the same event in 2009.

While the Spartans played well at home in the CIT, the attendance was disappointing. After averaging 2,364 fans for 15 regular-season games at The Joe, the

attendance for the CIT final was 1,676. There are multiple reports suggesting NSU Coach Jones, a native of Queens, N.Y., is being pursued by the University of Illinois-Chicago of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Coach Jones, who succeeded Anthony Edwards at NSU in 2013, is 212148 overall with the Spartans, including 124-42 in the MEAC. NSU beat VCU at the Rams’ gym this year — a major victory for Coach Jones’ program.

Coach Edwards, who guided NSU to an NCAA win over Missouri in 2012, left Norfolk for Florida International.

NSU wasn’t the only HBCU with postseason success. Langston University of Oklahoma reached the NAIA finals in Kansas City before falling to FreedHardeman of Henderson, Tenn.

Personality: Viola Baskerville

Spotlight on co-founder of Save Richmond Community Hospital Work Group

In just over a month, Viola Baskerville has become front and center in an important aspect of Richmond’s Black history.

A lawyer with years of experience in Virginia politics, Ms. Baskerville learned about the planned demolition of the Richmond Community Hospital on Virginia Union University’s campus after reading a February editorial in the Free Press.

Ms. Baskerville quickly responded by writing a letter to the editor that shared her concern. Farid Alan Schintzius, co-founder of The Camel, a live music venue in Richmond, soon contacted her about organizing community members to inform the public about the hospital’s history and planned demolition.

This was an idea Ms. Baskerville committed to quickly and fully, given the hospital’s importance in Richmond’s Black community.

“This building is an irreplaceable historical community asset,” Ms. Baskerville said. “Despite all the exclusion, inequity and racism of the times, the community pulled together and created an institution to provide professional, equitable healthcare with dignity for Black patients and a place for Black doctors to practice.”

Ms. Baskerville and Mr. Schintzius quickly founded the Save Richmond Community Hospital Work Group, an online discussion forum and resource for those who want to preserve the site and organize efforts to prevent its demolition.

In the weeks since the group was formed, it has accumulated more than 300 members on social media who share information on the hospital and its history and spotlight

other efforts to preserve Black history in Virginia.

“With this initiative, I’m still working for the public good but in a volunteer position, rather than in an elected position,” Ms. Baskerville said. “The work still requires listening and responding to others and engaging them and leveraging their energies to get things done.”

Ms. Baskerville’s work so far has led to a large community gathering outside the hospital in early March, a private meeting with VUU President Hakim J. Lucas and a changing approach by the university when it comes to the hospital’s potential future.

As such, several organizations and politicians have suggested alternatives to the hospital’s demolition, an area that Ms. Baskerville is particularly focused on in efforts to save the Overbook Road building.

Ms. Baskerville is intent on seeing the Hospital independently assessed and adaptively reused in a way that allows its legacy to continue in a new form. Despite the groundswell of public interest, VUU has not yet fully committed to these steps, which she believes are necessary for the site’s preservation.

Despite VUU’s seeming reticence to save the hospital building, Ms. Baskerville is heartened by the community’s support to see it continue standing.

“The community rallying to preserve and honor a significant piece of history has been truly gratifying,” Ms. Baskerville says. Meet a leader seeking to save a revered space and this week’s Personality, Viola Baskerville: Volunteer position: Co-Orga-

nizer, Save Richmond Community Hospital Work Group.

Occupation: Public servant.

Date and place of birth: Oct. 29, Richmond.

Where I live now: Richmond.

Education: B.A., College of William & Mary; J.D., University of Iowa, College of Law.

Family: Spouse, Dr. Archer L. Baskerville; sons, Timothy R. Baskerville and Sean A. Baskerville.

Save Richmond Community Hospital building workgroup is: Organized to inform, engage and call people to action to prevent the proposed demolition of the 1932 Richmond Community Hospital building and support its rehabilitation and adaptive reuse.

Co-founder: Farid Alan Schintzius.

Why it is important to save the former Richmond Community Hospital building:

This building is an irreplaceable historical community asset. Despite all the exclusion, inequity and racism of the times, the community pulled together and created an institution to provide professional, equitable healthcare with dignity for Black patients and a place for Black doctors to practice.

Brief history of the 1932 Richmond Community Hospital building: Dr. Sarah Garland Boyd Jones, the first woman to receive a medical license in Virginia, saw the need for a hospital for Black patients and doctors starting around 1902. Black patients were excluded from white hospitals, and Black doctors could not practice in white hospitals. After almost three decades of fundraising by the community, the building received its first patients on July 4, 1934. For the next half-century, the 25-bed hospital admitted and treated thousands of patients from the central Virginia area. In the 1980s, the hospital’s board conveyed the building to Virginia Union University, and a newer 110bed facility opened in the East End. That facility is now Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital.

Location: 1209 Overbrook Road.

What is the controversy in a nutshell about the Overbrook building: Virginia Union University, which owns the building, plans to erect housing at the site. As part of its development plans, it has stated that the building will be demolished. It further states that it intends to memorialize the site with a historical marker.

This is a complete disregard for the need to preserve and honor a significant piece of Richmond’s Black history.

No. 1 goal of Save Richmond Community Hospital Work Group: Our main goal is to have Virginia Union University and the developer, Steinbridge Group, save the building and incorporate it into its development through rehabilitation and adaptive reuse.

Biggest challenge: Getting Virginia Union University to support the community and take demolition off the table.

Biggest disappointment: As an HBCU and community asset, Virginia Union University has yet to respond proactively to Historic Richmond Foundation’s offer to assist in saving a building that represents the history of another Black institution and community asset.

Why the building and saving it is significant in Richmond’s Black community and beyond: This building represents part of Black Richmond’s cultural identity and historical achievements. It is part of a series of historical milestones in the Black community from Emancipation to the rise of Black political power during Reconstruction, to Black entrepreneurship, to Black achievements despite Jim Crow and segregation.

How community members can lend assistance in our advocacy efforts to save the building: Be engaged and informed by joining our Facebook group Save Community Hospital. Write letters to the press, including the Richmond Times Dispatch. Write letters to Virginia Union University’s President and Board of Trustees. Write letters to the Steinbridge

Words that best describe me: Focused, detail-oriented. Best late-night snack: Honey roasted peanuts. My music playlist: While performing household chores, anything by the Temptations or the Four Tops. While performing serious mental work, Mozart.

I love to: Trace family histories research genealogy.

A quote that inspires me: “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” Coco Chanel

The best thing my parent taught me: To respect others and treat everyone with dignity. Work hard. Do your best at whatever task is assigned to you.

The person who influenced me

the most: My mother, Josephine Braxton Osborne

Book that influenced me the most and how: “The Prophet” by Kahil Gibran.

Next goal: Seeing the university publicly commit to saving the building.

Bunny business

Richmond’s spring tradition, “Easter

Meanwhile, just minutes away in Richmond’s West End, families enjoyed games, fun activities and hands-on crafts, as well as live entertainment on three stages during Dominion Energy’s Family Easter

Maymont. The fun included a Dance Zone, live DJ and photos with the Easter Bunny.

Music Review: Beyoncé’s epic ‘Act ll: Cowboy Carter’ defies categorization, redefines American style

Maria Sherman The Associated Press LOS ANGELES “Nothin’ really ends / For things to stay the same they have to change again,” Beyoncé sings on “Act ll: Cowboy Carter,” the opening lines of the opening track, “Ameriican Requiem.”

“Them big ideas, yeah, are buried here / Amen.”

In some ways, it is a mission statement for the epic 78-minute, 27-track release — or at the very least, functions like a film’s title card to introduce yet another blockbuster album.

In the days leading up to “Cowboy Carter,” the superstar said this “ain’t a Country album” but “a ‘Beyoncé’ album” — positioning herself in opposition to country music’s rigid power structures and emphasizing her ability to work with the style with her latest genre-defying opus.

A capital-C country album it is not — and of course it isn’t. Beyoncé is an eclecticist, known for her elastic vocal performances: in a moment, choosing to belt close to godliness and, in another, moving with marked ease into a fractured run, inheriting histories through the vowels she stresses, the handclaps she introduces and the genres she utilizes. (That’s evident in the instruments as well, which range from washboard, pedal steel, banjo, mandolin, Vibraslap, bass ukulele and mandolin, to name a few.)

If the album, five years in the making, was inspired by the racist backlash she faced after performing at the 2016 CMAs with The Chicks, as many fans have theorized, she’s eclipsed it and then some. Tell Beyoncé she isn’t welcomed in your space; she’ll carve out a bigger one.

“Ameriican Requiem” bleeds into a reimagination of a Beatles’ classic, “Blackbiird.” It was originally written by Paul McCartney about desegregation in American schools with particular emphasis on the Little Rock Nine, the first group of Black students to desegregate an Arkansas high school in 1957. In Beyoncé’s rendition, harmonies are stacked. She’s joined by Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts and Tiera Kennedy — some

of the most exciting voices in contemporary country — who are also Black women.

They aren’t the only next generation highlighted on “Cowboy Carter:” Willie Jones’ rich Louisiana tone turns “Just for Fun” into trail-riding gospel country. Shaboozey’s country-rap marks a pivot in the album’s trajectory on “Spaghettii,” setting the listener up for the singular listening experience of the Patsy Cline-channeling “Sweet Honey Buckiin’,” with its Jersey club beats.

Country veterans, too, appear: Willie Nelson is a rougharound-the-edges radio DJ on the fictional station KNTRY — the

resulting effect is an alternative America where terrestrial country radio does not overwhelmingly prefer playing white performers; snippets of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s “Down by the River Side,” Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene” and Roy Hamilton’s 1957 “Don’t Let Go” bled into Mr. Nelson’s smoky voice.

The ‘50s cuts are an inspired choice; Beyoncé has chosen to reference the decade in which format-based radio emerged and, as a result, country music’s racial lines were all but codified. The effects are still felt. One frequently referenced study, conducted by University of Ottawa professor Jada Watson, examined over 11,000 songs played on country radio from 2002 to 2020 and found that artists of color made up only 3% of all airplay, twothirds of which were men. In even her interludes, Beyoncé has taken her listeners to school.

“Jolene” is a reimagined take on the 1973 Dolly Parton original; it’s preceded by “Dolly P,” a spoken-word interlude from Ms. Parton. “Remember that hussy with the good hair you sang about?” she says, referencing “Becky with the good hair” from “Sorry” off 2016’s “Lemonade.” “Reminded me of someone I knew back when, except she has flaming locks of auburn hair. Bless her heart! Just a hair of a different color, but it hurts just the same.”

Beyoncé’s version, of course, is very Beyoncé — there’s no shrinking and begging for this woman to step off; it’s a warning.

Perhaps Beyoncé’s clearest predecessor on this album is Linda Martell, the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry. Ms. Martell’s 1970 landmark record “Color Me Country” should be considered country canon; she offered Black women rare visibility in a genre stereotypically associated with whiteness. She also appears twice on “Cowboy Carter,” first providing clarity on the complicated origins of country in “Spaghettii.” It’s a massive album that will require close examination for full enjoyment — but Beyoncé fans have long learned to be great students.

on Parade,” returned to Monument Avenue between Davis and North Allen avenues on Easter Sunday, March 31.

Visiting from Boston, Mass., (from left to right) Candice Thompson, Koby Thompson, Tiago Cruiz, Khary Graham, Christian Thompson, Apollo Cruiz and Donesia Cruiz pose in front of the Easter on Parade sign on Allison Street. JTucker & The Krewe’s performance at the Allen Avenue stage on Monument Avenue was what Natalie White needed to let loose and dance a step or two.

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Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Julianne Tripp/Richmond Free Press

Julianne Tripp/Richmond Free Press Julianne Tripp/Richmond Free Press

Award-winning Norfolk journalist Marvin ‘M.L.’ Lake remembered

As a career journalist, Marvin Leon Lake’s interests dated back to junior high school when he was a business manager for the Jacox Journal in 1959. He also was editor of The Clarion, Booker T. Washington’s student newspaper. For a brief period, Mr. Lake wrote a weekly column for The Journal and Guide.

His early love and thirst for journalism eventually guided him to The Virginian-Pilot where, in 2007, he retired as the first African-American reporter, editor and public editor of the Norfolk-based newspaper, closing a 41-year career. During his tenure, Mr. Lake was simultaneously The Pilot’s newsroom recruitment director and the Sunday Commentary editor for nine years. He also directed Landmark Communications’ year-long Minority Training Program, The Pilot’s summer internship program and its Minority Journalism Workshop for high school students.

was predeceased by his mother Audrey Marie Lake White, stepfather Charles White and brother Maurice A. Lake.

Mr. Lake Free

After graduating college, Mr. Lake was drafted in 1967 and spent two years in the United States Army working in the public information office producing the base newspaper at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. As a reporter, Mr. Lake variously covered federal courts, education, Norfolk City government, politics and special projects. In 2005, his editorial, “Overdue Restitution,” about a state scholarship program for individuals adversely impacted by Massive Resistance, won an Excel Award from the Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals. A founding member and former president of HRBMP,

Mr. Lake wrote a career-advice column, “Career-Wise”, for the National Association of Black Journalists journal. For several years, Mr. Lake programmed and produced a weekly radio jazz show, “Anything Goes’” on WOWI (later 103JAMZ). In 1997, he conceived and edited the award-winning three-day Pilot series, “Church Street: What Was Lost,” about the one-time hub of Black life in Hampton Roads. He also conceived, hosted and narrated the local PBS documentary “Church Street: Harlem of the South”, a joint effort of The Pilot and WHRO-TV that won local, state and national awards.

A graduate of Norfolk State University with a degree in sociology and minor in psychology, Mr. Lake was campus newspaper

editor and the first recipient of the NSU Department of Mass Communications and Journalism’s Excellence in Communications Award and the NSU Distinguished Alumni in Media Award. Mr. Lake also taught as an adjunct professor at NSU and Hampton University. Mr. Lake was director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government and a long-time co-chair of the Virginia Press Association’s Diversity Committee, conducting diversity training sessions. In June 2001, he received the George Mason Award from the Virginia Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for significant contributions to journalism

in Virginia. In 2007, he was inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. In 2008, the National Association of Minority Media Executives presented him with its top honor, the Robert G. Maynard Legend Award. Active in the community, Mr. Lake was project director for the City of Norfolk’s 50th Anniversary of the End of Massive Resistance Commemoration. He also helped develop a book about African-American history in Norfolk.

Affectionately known as “M.L.” among his legions of news media colleagues, family, friends and students, Mr. Lake died peacefully March 27, 2024, at home with his wife of 41 years, Ruby A. Farrar-Lake, the love of his life, best friend, and faithful caregiver. Born in 1944 in Norfolk, Virginia, he

In addition to his wife, Mr. Lake is survived by his brother and his constant talking “buddy” Warren Lake (Shirley); niece Dawn Lake; nephew Maurice A. Lake, Jr; “little brother” Christopher Williams (Anne); adopted son Leslie Brown (Luciana).

A celebration of Mr. Lake’s life took place on Tuesday, April 2, at Shiloh Baptist Church, 745 Park Ave.

Mr. Lake was the president of the Crispus Attucks Cultural Center Inc. and the vice president for planning and operations of the Hampton Roads Committee of 200+ Men Inc. He was a longtime chair of the organization’s annual 200+ Scholars Breakfast honoring area’s African-American male high school graduates with a 3.0 or better grade point average.