December 4-6, 2014 edition by Richmond Free Press

VOL. 23 NO. 49

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

www.richmondfreepress.com

ee Fr

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Weekend events: Grand Illumination • Love Lights • Christmas Parade

DECEMBER 4-6, 2014

Justice denied

Ferguson, N.Y. cases expose injustices, spark change Free Press staff, wire reports

A national movement is underway to address police brutality against African-American men and the criminalization of communities of color. It is being fueled by the outrage over a grand jury’s decision not to indict a police officer, Darren Wilson, in the fatal Aug. 9 shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, Mo. Adding to the outrage is a fresh decision from a Staten Island, N.Y., grand jury to exonerate a police officer who allegedly strangled a 43-year-old suspect July 17 by placing him in an illegal chokehold. On Wednesday, the grand jury declined to bring any charges against the officer, Daniel Pantaleo, in the death of Eric Garner. Anger over the grand jury’s inaction against the police officer in Mr. Brown’s death has sparked continuing protests in Richmond and across the nation. From coast to coast, protesters marched, staged “die-ins” and occupied shopping malls and other public spaces in calling for justice. The fledgling movement includes people of all ethnicities, faiths and backgrounds. Their demands: An end to the senseless killing of unarmed African-Americans by white police officers, changes in the way law enforcement officers interact with people of color and an honest national conversation on race relations. In Richmond, Police Chief Ray J. Tarasovic took a proactive approach to address possible racial biases among the department’s more than 700 officers. He ordered his command staff to join Henrico County police Please turn to A4

Councilman sees trouble in rising city debt By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond schools urgently need at least $35 million to replace old boilers, roofs and outdated windows and lighting, reports indicate. And down the road, tens of millions more will be needed for renovations and new buildings. Meanwhile, Richmond’s newest business, California-based Stone Brewery, is counting on the city to borrow up to $23 million to develop its proposed brewery and distribution center in the Fulton neighborhood that the company would lease. And the city has promised to provide millions of dollars to GRTC to assist the transit company in developing a new bus rapid transit system along Broad Street. These are just some of the demands Richmond is facing for Please turn to A4

File photo

25 years of history

L. Douglas Wilder’s legacy Twenty five years ago, L. Douglas Wilder was elected the 66th governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mr. Wilder’s election was historic, not just for Virginia, but for the entire nation. When the polls closed Nov. 8, 1989, this grandson of slaves became the first African-American elected governor in the history of the United States. On Thursday, Dec. 4, members of his winning campaign staff and subsequent gubernatorial administration — along with several of the journalists who covered it all — will gather at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Student Commons Theater, 907 Floyd Ave., to discuss and dissect the Wilder legacy. The discussion, which is free and open to the public, begins 9:30 a.m. with remarks by VCU President Michael Rao and closes at 4:30 p.m. after concluding remarks by the legend himself. Two other former Virginia governors, George Allen and Jim Gilmore, are to speak about the meaning of Mr. Wilder’s election then and now. The Free Press invited Mr. Wilder to present in his own words what he views as the legacy of his historic election and leadership of the commonwealth 25 years later. Here are his thoughts:

By L. Douglas Wilder

Moving the Commonwealth of Virginia toward greater progress isn’t something I started the day I was elected governor. Far from it. “Never” is one word I would not allow to define my life or career. The two words that always motivated me were, “Why not?” I asked that question as a boy, and repeatedly asked that question as a man — both of myself and of those with whom I was in discussion. I understood early on that, in order to accomplish desired results, one must be in a position of power to do so. Starting out as a young lawyer with a solo practice, I

knew that a relative degree of independence was necessary to accomplish some of the things I knew were possible. Once I returned to Richmond to open a law practice, I asked several more senior members of the Old Dominion Bar Association, the black bar association, when meetings were held. I wanted to be part of a group I felt should be a focus of change. I was astonished to learn it had not met in six years. After waiting only a short while, I wrote a rather testy letter to all of the members challenging them to meet to discuss and share legal concerns and the need for equality in our community. I can assure you that in 1960 America, Please turn to A5

Preston, Jones vie for 63rd House seat By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Nice on ice

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Joel Sydnor, 7, of Varina, shows off his ice skating skills Saturday at the RVA on Ice rink in the 600 block of East Broad Street in Downtown. Please see story and photos, page B3.

Joseph E. Preston is a step closer to realizing his 21-year-old dream of representing the Petersburg area in the General Assembly. The attorney from Petersburg celebrated his 58th birthday by capturing the Democratic nomination for the 63rd House of Delegates District on Monday night, gaining a leg up in his quest to secure the seat recently vacated by new state Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance. The next step for him is the special election Tuesday, Jan. 6. With no Republican entering the race, Mr. Preston will have only one challenger, an independent, William H. “Mouse” Jones, 58, a well-known community activist and

Mr. Preston

Mr. Jones

concert promoter in Petersburg. Mr. Jones refused to participate in the Democratic Party’s nomination process because he felt it was unfair. He filed his final paperwork to enter the race close to the 5 p.m. Wednesday deadline. Mr. Preston gained the party nod with

a surprisingly easy victory over two rivals, Petersburg Mayor Brian A. Moore and Dinwiddie minister Larry D. Brown Sr. The nomination was determined in a five-hour “firehouse primary,” a process that allows participants to vote by secret ballot. The tally released after voting ended 8 p.m. Monday shows Mr. Preston won 536 votes or 52 percent of the 1,017 valid votes that were cast at the single voting place, Petersburg’s train station in Ward 4, which Mr. Moore represents on the Petersburg City Council. Mr. Moore, who appeared to be the front-runner coming into the race, finished Please turn to A5

Richmond Free Press

December 4-6, 2014

Local News

Fast food workers seek wage hikes

Cityscape Slices of life and scenes in Richmond Construction workers pass materials from level to level on scaffolding at the future site of the VCU Health System’s Children’s Pavilion. The $168 million facility will consolidate outpatient pediatric services at one central location. It will have 72 exam rooms, a surgical area and space for diagnostic testing, imaging and laboratory services. It also will include a 615-space parking garage. The new pavilion is scheduled for completion next year. Location: 1000 block of East Broad Street.

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Fast food workers are returning to the picket lines in Richmond and other cities to continue to demonstrate for hikes in the minimum wage. In the Richmond area, the picketers are expected to rally 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, in front of the Burger King restaurant, 3720 Mechanicsville Turnpike, and at 11 a.m. in front of the McDonald’s at 2011 Chamberlayne Ave. Picketers are calling for a $15-an-hour minimum wage — more than double the current federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. However, they are expected to stay on the sidewalks, at least in this area, organizers said in advance of the protests. “There will be no civil disobedience this time,” said Cassandra Shaw, who works for Raise Up or Southern Workers Organizing Committee that is staging the demonstrations. Up to 100 people are expected to participate, Ms. Shaw said, many of them workers at fast food outlets. During the last wage protest in September, 10 workers were arrested after snarling traffic with a two-hour sit-in in front of the McDonald’s in the 2300 block of Mechanicsville Turnpike. All pleaded guilty in Henrico General District Court and received community service sentences. Demonstrations also are planned in other communities to mark the second anniversary of the movement for higher wages that began in New York City and has spread to 160 cities. In Virginia, local governments and the General Assembly largely have ignored the push to raise the minimum wage. However, 20 other states and the District of Columbia have hiked the minimum wage above the federal level since the movement began. “We’re having an impact,” said Zaina Alsous, a movement spokeswoman. Some large cities also have acted, including Seattle and San Francisco, which have approved a minimum wage of $10 to $11 an hour and gradually raising it to $15 per hour within three to four years. Just this week, Chicago’s council approved a hike in the minimum wage to $13 an hour over five years. “Since the first strike in 2012, 7.6 million low-wage workers have gotten raises through local ballot measures, city and state legislation or contract negotiations,” according to Terrance Long, a spokesman for the Service Employees Industrial Union, which has helped to spearhead the worker activism through state and regional action groups such as Raise Up. The effort no longer is confined to fast food workers, he noted. Home care and airport workers are starting to ally themselves with the fight to hike the minimum wage in the service sector. President Obama has supported an increase in the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, but the proposal remains stymied in Congress. Republican lawmakers have used their dominance in the House of Representatives to block any increase, describing the proposal as a job-killer, despite studies showing otherwise.

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Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

December 03 – December 09, 2014

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By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A new park is about to spring up in Richmond’s Downtown. Called “Low Line,” the park is to be developed along a sixblock stretch of the Virginia Capital Trail, from 21st Street to Pear Street, the entry to Great Shiplock Park. City Council is set to approve the park’s development at its meeting Monday, Dec. 8, through a public-private partnership with the nonprofit Capital Trees that is pushing beautification of the city. Capital Trees is led by three Richmond women, Jeanette McKittrick, Meg Turner and Susan Robertson. Along with approving the partnership and park, the council is expected to approve a $300,000 contribution to support development of the park, which aims to lure more people to the riverfront. Ordinances to support the effort were introduced at a special meeting Dec. 1 so that the council could vote on the park and the contribution at its upcoming meeting. Under the plan that already has cleared the Planning Commission, Capital Trees and its partners are to clear weeds and other invasive plants along the nearly half-mile stretch of the paved trail that runs between Dock Street and the James River and Kanawha Canal. The cleared space beside the trail is then to be replanted with more than 2,000 trees, shrubs and ferns and nearly 8,000 flowering perennials, plus new grass, according to the proposal. The replanting is to be mostly completed by next August, or just ahead of the world bike race that is to be held in Richmond next September. Under the proposal, Capital Trees is to provide $825,000 in materials and services, plus commit to providing $400,000 worth of future maintenance, according to the ordinance that council is to take up. The $300,000 from the city would be used as a grant to the Richmond-based Three Chopt Garden Club to undertake the planting. The new park would build on a previous project that Capital Trees undertook in 2013 with the city and other partners to beautify Great Shiplock Park, where the historic canal begins. The result is a green gateway to Chapel Island in the river, Capital Trees reports on its website. More than 1,300 trees and native plants, including a rain garden, have been put in place. Also, more than 10,000 daffodils and spring bulbs were planted at the western entrance to the Great Shiplock Park at Pear and Dock streets.

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Richmond Free Press

December 4-6, 2014

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Richmond Free Press

A4 December 4-6, 2014

News

1 of 9 convictions against former Va. first lady thrown out Free Press staff, wire reports

One conviction against former Virginia First Lady Maureen McDonnell was overturned in federal court Monday, but she still faces sentencing for eight other federal crimes. Mrs. McDonnell and her husband, former Gov. Bob McDonnell, were found guilty in September of illegally trying to help dietary supplement maker Johnnie Williams in exchange for more than $165,000 in cash, gifts and loans. Gov. McDonnell was convicted of 11 counts and his wife was found guilty of nine. U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer threw out Mrs. McDonnell’s conviction for obstruction of justice. The conviction arose

from a note she wrote to Mr. Williams about designer clothing she received from him and later returned after law enforcement talked with her in February 2013. Judge Spencer said prosecutors did not provide enough evidence at trial to warrant a guilty verdict on that charge. He said that while there was proof that Mrs. McDonnell acted with “corrupt intent, obstruction of justice requires more than just a misleadMrs. McDonnell ing note.” Mrs. McDonnell and her husband each requested that Judge Spencer set aside their guilty verdicts and enter acquittals on all

Police, prosecutors rely on community By Joey Matthews

Fifteen-year-old Zyemontae Redd lay dead inside a bullet-riddled apartment in Richmond’s Mosby Court. Police, responding to a call, discovered his body. They also found two others who had been wounded by gunfire, including one who was Zyemontae’s 16-year-old cousin. A large group of people gathered to watch the horrific scene, now filled with police officers, homicide investigators and emergency personnel. “As the two injured men were being loaded into ambulances, people on the street were running up to them saying, ‘Don’t tell them anything. Don’t snitch. Don’t snitch,’ ” Richmond Police Lt. James Laino recalled. He shook his head. “It’s very frustrating.” Lt. Laino supervises 23 officers in the Richmond Police Department’s homicide unit. They are part of an intensive and collaborative effort by prosecutors and other departments to curb violence in the city. During the last six years, Richmond has experienced its deepest drop in homicides since 1967, with roughly 38 deaths each year on average, according to police department statistics. Lt. Laino attributed the decline to more intensive community policing efforts and stiffer sentences for violent offenders. And while community members pitch in to help police solve many homicides, that’s not always the case, Lt. Laino said. Sometimes, even family members refuse to help — and sometimes block — the efforts of Richmond Police to solve these crimes. Mr. He offered the alarming initial response in the Coalter Street triple shooting as an example of community blocking. Only later did others come forward, he said, which helped lead detectives to a 16-year-old suspect who has been charged in the case. His frustrations were shared by Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring and veteran prosecutor Learned Barry, a deputy commonwealth’s attorney, in a Free Press interview. “In one breath, some people say, ‘Go find the person who did it.’ But in the other breath, they say, ‘But we don’t want to help you do it,’ ” said Mr. Herring,

black-on-black crime, he said, and when people in predominately black communities won’t help law enforcement bring killers to justice, “it tells me these people really don’t care about the African-American community.” Mr. Barry said recent police chiefs, including current Chief Ray Tarasovic, and his boss, Mr. Herring, have added more resources to investigate and prosecute homicides. Mr. Herring, who has led the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for nine years, said he has been able to retain more veteran prosecutors, who traditionally left for better paying jobs once they became effective trial lawyers. “That has allowed us to bring to trial and successfully prosecute more homicide whose office prosecutes the homicide cases. cases,” he said. The police and Commonwealth’s At“Sometimes it’s relatives and friends of torney’s Office also now work more in the victim who won’t talk. “There are a small, but unacceptable union, Mr. Barry added, to solicit and number of homicide cases we have to solve protect those who cooperate in the prosecution of homicide cases by offering them despite the community,” he added. Mr. Herring said he stopped attending anonymity to the fullest extent possible, most vigils for homicide victims because perhaps a monetary reward for their help, too many of the people crying out the and sometimes relocating witnesses and loudest for justice at the solemn occasions their families to ensure their safety. Lt. Laino said the department does not “don’t talk to the police or us.” “But they probably have a whole lot keep data on how many homicides they to say” that could lead to the killer’s solve getting help from the community from programs such as Crime Stoppers. capture, he said. He said anonymous tips are a major tool in solving some cases. Figures show that Richmond police cleared 28 of 37 homicides in 2013, 27 of 44 in 2012 and 29 of 37 in 2011. Many of those were with community help, Lt. Laino said. As of Nov. 25, police have cleared 27 of 41 homicides so far this year. Lt. Laino said police are always Herring Mr. Barry Lt. Laino seeking to build greater trust and bonds with people in crime-plagued Mr. Barry, who has successfully neighborhoods in order to thwart criminals worked hundreds of homicide cases in and bring them to justice. They do so by speaking at community his 36 years as a prosecutor, lashed out at those who refuse to help in homicide meetings, churches and schools and while patrolling neighborhoods. They also parinvestigations. “It’s very frustrating,” he said. “Ev- ticipate in National Night Out activities, erybody wants us to catch the bad guy, meet once a month with faith leaders and but nobody wants to put any skin in the organize sports and educational opportunities for at-risk youths. game,” he said. “It’s a team effort,” Mr. Herring said. Mr. Herring said he’s aware some people don’t help police or prosecutors because “We’re all in this together.” “We really do want to rid neighborof a lack of trust or fear of retaliation from criminal elements if they provide hoods of these violent perpetrators and make them safer places for everyone,” information. Most of the killings in Richmond are Lt. Laino said.

charges. Judge Spencer denied those motions, along with their requests for a new trial. Their lawyers claimed the McDonnells never performed or promised to perform an “official act” for Mr. Williams in exchange for money or other gifts. The defense teams are expected to focus on that claim in their appeals. In last summer’s highly publicized trial, the McDonnells were portrayed as a distant couple. They had separate attorneys, with Gov. McDonnell’s lawyers presenting testimony describing Mrs. McDonnell as a highly demanding and sometimes unstable woman who had a crush on Mr. Williams. Judge Spencer is scheduled to sentence Gov. McDonnell on Jan. 6, and Mrs. McDonnell on Feb. 20.

Bill Cosby hit by lawsuit, effects of allegations Free Press wire reports

The fallout continues for comedy legend Bill Cosby. A woman filed a lawsuit against Dr. Cosby, 77, on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. She claims he sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1974, when she was 15 years old. Judy Huth’s lawsuit is just the latest in a barrage of sexual assault accusations brought against the activist and comedian in recent weeks by more than a dozen women. The alleged incidents date as far back as the 1960s. As the accusations piled up, several of the comedian’s stand-up performances were canceled, NBC scrapped an upcoming sitcom starring Dr. Cosby and TV Land pulled reruns of “The Cosby Show” from its schedule. Netflix also canceled a stand-up special. Dr. Cosby has never been criminally charged for any of the alleged incidents, and his lawyers have said the assault claims were discredited and defamatory. Mr. Cosby Dr. Cosby resigned Monday from the board of trustees of his alma mater, Temple University. Patrick O’Connor, chairman of Temple’s board of trustees, said Dr. Cosby called him on Monday to resign. “He didn’t want his personal issue to detract from his service to Temple,” Mr. O’Connor said in a phone interview. “He was a great trustee. I thanked him for his service.” While Dr. Cosby has promoted and advocated for many educational institutions, he is particularly proud of his education at Temple, located in his native Philadelphia. He attended from 1961 to 1962, and was granted a bachelor’s degree in 1971. He often wears apparel adorned with the Temple logo and is a frequent visitor to the sprawling urban campus. It was at Temple where he discovered a gift for comedy that led to a successful career in stand-up and a groundbreaking role for an African-American actor in the television series “I Spy.” Dr. Cosby might be best known for his role as wholesome father Dr. Cliff Huxtable in “The Cosby Show.” The series, which ran from 1984 to 1992, dominated ratings and was the first to portray a highly educated, upscale black family. Dr. Cosby used his position as one of the biggest stars on television to encourage young people, particularly in underprivileged African-American communities, to get out of poverty by earning an education. Dr. Cosby’s decision to leave Temple’s board came after the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he earned a doctorate in education, and Berklee College of Music in Boston last week cut ties with the comedian, who had a reputation as a strong fundraiser. High Point University in North Carolina also removed Dr. Cosby from its board of advisers. Temple’s silence on the situation since the allegations came to light had raised uncomfortable questions for some students at the university. Mr. O’Connor represented Dr. Cosby in a 2005 lawsuit brought by a Temple employee who accused the comedian of sexual assault. The case ended with a confidential settlement.

Ferguson, N.Y. cases expose injustices, spark change Continued from A1

in the first phase of sensitivity training that began Monday at the Henrico Police Academy. The goal of the weeklong session is to improve the way the departments deal with suspects. Chief Tarasovic said that planning for the training began before Mr. Brown was killed. However, he did not publicly announce the plan until Sept. 10, nearly a month after the slaying, and he did so as concern about the Ferguson case grew. Also Monday, more than 70 Virginia Commonwealth University students staged a “die-in” in the middle of the campus at an area known as “The Compass.” The demonstration began at 1:01 p.m., the same time Mr. Wilson shot and killed Mr. Brown. Two dozen black students lay silent on the pavement for 4½ minutes to symbolize the 4½ hours police let Mr. Brown’s body lie in the street after he was killed. More than 50 students circled the protesters with a chant that ended, “We have nothing to lose but our chains!” Separately, the Urban League of Greater Richmond Young Professionals is to host a public discussion on the Ferguson case from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Astyra Corp., 411 E. Franklin St. in Downtown. The goal: To “ensure what happened in Ferguson never happens here (in Richmond),” said Victor Rogers, the group’s president. The meeting is free and open to the public. Protests also were staged Monday on other high school and college campuses across the nation. “Michael Brown’s death was a catalyst for a lot of issues in this country,” said Karisa Tavassoli, a 20-year-old student at Washington University in St. Louis. There, about 300 students staged a walkout Monday, the first day of classes after Thanksgiving. “We are fighting

for the oppressed.” Groups galvanized by the Ferguson case also urged supporters to refrain from shopping on “Black Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving and a kickoff to the U.S. holiday shopping season. Analysts later reported an overall 11 percent decline in nationwide Black Friday retail sales, though most cited other reasons than protests over the Brown case. There was some impact. Protesters in New York City blocked the main entrance to the Herald Square Macy’s store on Black Friday and then marched into the store and confronted holiday shoppers. “Hands up, don’t shoot,” they shouted in unison while holding signs with slogans such as, “No justice, no peace.” The crowd then marched up Broadway, blocking traffic as they clogged one of Manhattan’s main arteries. They paused for less than an hour in Times Square, where they continued holding up traffic as police declined to intervene. Meanwhile, President Obama continued his push for an effective national response. He requested $263 million from Congress for law enforcement agencies to purchase 50,000 body cameras for officers and for improved training. He also asked aides to prepare an executive order that would better track the military-grade weapons and gear flowing from the federal government to local police departments around the nation. He said African-Americans do not feel they are treated fairly by the police. He said that creates a “simmering distrust” between law enforcement and African-Americans. At the same time, calls are intensifying for federal action against Mr. Wilson, who resigned last Saturday from the Ferguson Police Department, citing safety concerns for himself and his former fellow officers. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder quickly announced after the grand jury decision Nov. 24 that the Justice Department’s investigation into the shooting remains “ongoing,” “thorough,”

and “independent.” His comments seemed to indicate the federal government might charge Mr. Wilson for criminally violating the teen’s civil rights, or could be preparing a civil case against the Ferguson department for a “pattern and practice” of discrimination. Mr. Wilson quit without receiving any severance pay, according to Ferguson Mayor James Knowles. Mr. Wilson, 28, had been on paid administrative leave since he killed the teen in August. The grand jury decision sparked often-violent protests and the looting and burning of some businesses in Ferguson and other nearby St. Louis suburbs, even though the governor had National Guard troops assisting police. The church that the teen’s father, Michael Brown Sr., attended also was firebombed, with most ascribing the action to supporters of Mr. Wilson. On Sunday morning, the Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a 50-minute address — part protest message, part sermon — to a congregation of several hundred at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. Michael Brown Jr.’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, and his father sat in the front row with several other family members. “We lost the round, but the fight ain’t over,” Rev. Sharpton said. “You won the first round, Mr. Prosecutor, but don’t cut your gloves off, because the fight is not over. Justice will come to Ferguson!” That same sentiment was echoed in Richmond by the leader of the 200-member Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Richmond and Vicinity, which represents predominately black congregations. Dr. Marlon Haskell, the group’s president and pastor at Chicago Avenue Baptist Church on South Side, called the Missouri grand jury’s decision “disturbing and deplorable. We want justice to roll down like water and righteousness

like a mighty stream,” he declared. He expressed the hope that those who have the “boldness and courage to advocate for justice and change in police practices will usher in a transformed society that is just for all people.” Later Sunday afternoon, five St. Louis Rams players showed their solidarity with the Ferguson protesters before their NFL game against the Oakland Raiders. Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, Jared Cook, Chris Givens and Kenny Britt raised their arms together in the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” gesture prior to taking the field, drawing criticism from police organizations. In Ferguson, the national NAACP began a seven-day, 120-mile march to the state capital in Jefferson City last Saturday called the “Journey to Justice.” On Monday, Cornell William Brooks, president of the NAACP, said, “We’ve had people offer us hot chocolate; we’ve also had people use the ‘n word’ and shout obscenities to us.” The NAACP is calling for a reform of police practices, a new police chief in Ferguson and a national law to prevent racial profiling by police. Some critics also want Tom Jackson, Ferguson’s police chief, to resign to promote reconciliation in the city of 21,000, where two-thirds of residents are black and the police force is mostly white. “I think it’s impossible for this community to move forward with him still in that role,” St. Louis Alderman Antonio French said in a TV interview Sunday. Benjamin Crump, the Brown family attorney, said the family would pursue all legal avenues to seek justice, including a potential wrongful death lawsuit. The family also plans to push for a “Michael Brown Law” requiring police to wear body cameras and forcing police departments to disclose more information to the public in such incidents.

Richmond Free Press

December 4-6, 2014 A5

Local News

Another proposal for Binford’s future By Jeremy M. Lazarus

At least part of Binford Middle School should be used for career and technical education for students in the sixth to 10th grades. That’s the view of Kimberly B. Gray, who represents the 2nd District on the Richmond School Board. She said Binford could expand offerings for practical education that currently are largely limited to the Richmond Technical Center, which mostly serves high school juniors and seniors. The School Board is mulling Binford’s future because the school is more than half empty. Only 214 students now attend the West End school that can accommodate nearly 550 students. Turning Binford into a CTE site would be a new approach. Superintendent Dana T. Bedden and his staff have advanced sev-

eral ideas for greater use of the building. One would be to use it as a center for students in the performing arts, such as theater, orchestra and dance. Two other ideas call for using the building as a site for programs for college-bound students. The fourth proposal calls for making Binford the new home of Open High School, a 182-student high school in Oregon Hill, while keeping part of the building for stuMs. Gray dents in middle school grades. Ms. Gray sees merit in those ideas. But, she notes that too much emphasis on preparing students for higher education can

ignore those who have other ideas about their futures. According to state data, only about 45 percent of students receiving Richmond Public Schools diplomas enroll in a college. “That means more than half our students end up doing something else rather than continuing their education,” Ms. Gray said. “We need to do more to ensure that they are ready and able to compete for careers in fields that do not require college degrees.” She cited the example of a former student who now works as a machinist at the Rolls Royce plant in Prince George County. “He had a hard time getting into the technical center and problems being able to get the classes he needed,” she said. “But he’s very glad he fought to get in and stay in the program. He’s making good money without a college degree.”

VSU search committee named A 10-member committee will lead eem Calier; the faculty’s representative the search for a new president for to the board, Dr. Omar Faison; the Virginia State University. president of the VSU National Alumni VSU Rector Harry Black, who will Association, Franklin Johnson, Jr.; and chair the committee, announced the the chairman of the VSU Foundation, nine other members Wednesday as Frank Jones. the school moves ahead on replacMr. Black said the committee ing the current chief executive, Dr. would engage a search firm next year Keith T. Miller, who will step down and work closely with the company Dec. 31. to identify and review the credentials The governing board of visitors of prospective candidates. He said Mr. Black that Mr. Black heads has hired Dr. the committee would not be rushed Pamela V. Hammond, former provost of Hampton or face any deadline. University, to be the interim president, effective The committee’s goal, he said, is to find a Jan. 1. She is now working with Dr. Miller on president who offers “vision and leadership, the transition and is expected to be a candidate who has an academic pedigree befitting our for the top post. institution and who also is a good fit with the Besides Mr. Black, the search committee culture and character of VSU.” includes five other members of the board of visiDr. Miller, who arrived in 2010, agreed tors, Dr. Robert Denton, Frederick Humphries, to resign in October after coming under Jennifer Hunter, Willie C. Randall and Huron fire from students and alumni as enrollment Winston. sagged and revenues sharply declined, forcThe other members are: The president of the ing cutbacks in campus services, staff and VSU Student Government Association, Hyish- courses. — JEREMY M. LAZARUS

Sen. Warner hires new director Hampton University graduate after the Democratic incumbent eked Keyanna Conner is U.S. Sen. Mark R. out a win over Republican challenger Warner’s new director of government Ed Gillespie in the Nov. 4 midterm and community affairs. elections. Sen. Warner won re-election The 30-year-old Henrico County by a margin of a little more than resident will step into the position Jan. 16,000 votes. 1. She will be based in Richmond. Ms. Conner was a senior adviser Her job description: She will serve on Sen. Warner’s re-election campaign as a primary point of contact between for the past year and a half. Sen. Warner’s office and representaShe also has served as chairperson tives of state and local governments, of the Henrico Democratic Committee Ms. Conner public agencies and other constitufor three years and is a member of ency organizations, according to a news release the Democratic Party of Virginia. Tuesday from the senator’s office announcing Ms. Conner was born in Accomack County her appointment. on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. “I’ll have a pulse of what’s going on in She graduated from Hampton University in each locality,” Ms. Conner later told the Free 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and Press. “I’ll make sure the senator has a presence is completing a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at throughout the state.” Virginia Commonwealth University. — JOEY The appointment comes less than a month MATTHEWS

Preston, Jones to meet in Jan. 6 election for 63rd House seat Continued from A1

a distant second with 274 votes, or 27 percent. Mr. Brown received 217 votes, or 21 percent. “I’m very happy,” Mr. Preston said after the vote as he offered thanks to the people who supported him in the rushed contest. The candidates worked during the Thanksgiving holiday to rally supporters. “The people have spoken,” a disappointed Mr. Moore said, adding that he would “continue to work to move our city forward.” Mr. Jones took hope from the tiny turnout. “He won with 500 votes in an area where at least 50,000 voters are registered. He’s supposed to be our leader with just 1 percent of the vote? I don’t think so.” Mr. Preston has tried to win the seat before. In 1993, he lost his Democratic primary challenge to then-incumbent Delegate Jay DeBoer in the majority-black district that now includes Petersburg and parts of Hopewell and Chesterfield, Dinwiddie and Prince George counties. Mr. Preston said he was encouraged to try again after Sen. Dance won the Democratic nomination for the 16th Senate District seat. The seat opened after Henry L. Marsh III resigned after 22 years to accept an appointment to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. “My phone rang of the hook,” Mr. Preston said. All three candidates were under pressure because the “firehouse primary” process was only announced Nov. 24, with a filing deadline of last Friday, Nov. 28. The decision by the 63rd House District Democratic Committee to set up just one polling place at a site in Mr. Moore’s district did not sit well with the other potential candidates. One, Petersburg School Board member Atiba Muse, dropped out of the race, with criticism that the process was tilted in favor of Mr. Moore. The single voting place definitely put Rev. Brown, pastor of Gravel Run Baptist Church in Dinwiddie, at a disadvantage because his supporters had drive up to 20 miles to vote. The impact of the decision can be seen in the vote totals, which show little participation from voters outside Petersburg. For example, only seven Hopewell residents and 12 Prince George residents cast ballots. Only 73 Dinwiddie residents voted and just 114 Chesterfield residents cast ballots.

That compares with the 811 ballots from Petersburg residents, who essentially decided the primary winner. Mr. Preston captured 448 of those 811 Petersburg votes, or 55 percent, to swamp Mr. Moore, who received 210, or 26 percent, of the votes cast by Petersburg residents. Rev. Brown received 153 votes from Petersburg, or 19 percent. A native of Omaha, Neb., Mr. Preston, who turned 58 on Nov. 30, credited his three decades of community service in Petersburg for helping to generate the support. “People know what I have done,” he said, citing his service on the boards of Legal Aid, the public library, Boy Scouts, YMCA and the court services unit of the Petersburg Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. If he goes on to win the election — and as the Democratic nominee, he is considered the favorite — he pledged to be a “strong advocate for the needs of our district.”

File photo

L. Douglas Wilder’s legacy So, have we “arrived” at the long-dreamed about post-racial America? there were plenty. Open any newspaper and it’s easy to see Many distinguished men comprised the why such a rhetorical question borders on ODBA’s Richmond Branch at that time — ludicrous. Oliver W. Hill, Spottswood W. Robinson, S. I do not minimize the important electoral W. Tucker, Roland D. Ealey, Colston A. Lewis, and governmental mile markers in the adto name a few. I received a few responses, but vancement of African-Americans. It would the most remembered was from someone I be silly of me to do that because it would admired and who, ultimately, became a close devalue the great thing done by my close and personal friend — Oliver Hill. friends and neighbors in Virginia in 1989, not He said that whereas what I referenced to mention by voters nationally two decades may have logical and perhaps laudable goals, later. But I do challenge citizens to take a my expressions were so intemperate as to broader view of how to judge where we, as possibly trigger defensive reaction rather a country, are on the road to providing full than engagement of support. equality — politically and otherwise. I confess, I was quite pleased; I got their What I find most disappointing is how attention. both parties want to turn the electorate into One month later, a meeting was held, and enclaves for the benefit of politicians, as opto my knowledge, the organization still meets posed to the people. These days Democrats take on a regular basis. the votes of African-Americans for granted. I formed alliances within that group and They openly focus on other groups they want the broader community to ask why not the to court — particularly Hispanics — while fullest integration of our judicial system? ignoring the needs of longtime friends and The courtrooms were segregated, all of the supporters. It is not wise to believe people judges were Caucasian, all of the prosecutors will continue to be taken for granted. were Caucasian. And even though the Brown Why am I still an optimist? decision had legally ended public school In my current role as a distinguished segregation, the golf courses, the hotels and professor at VCU, I am surrounded by the restaurants and other public facilities remained “millennial generation” — young people segregated. born in the 1980s and 1990s. A lot of ink is I was fortunate enough to become associ- being spilled expressing consternation about ated with the legal teams that brought an end what has gone wrong with them. I often hear to those phases of racial discrimination. the words “entitled,” “brazen” and “hurried” Tonight, as Virginia Commonwealth attached to this generation by its elders. University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of In my experience, that is a gross mischarGovernment and Public Affairs celebrates acterization. the statement made by Virginia’s voters 25 Instead I nominate “bold,” “searching,” years ago when they elected a governor “communitarian” and “tolerant.” who is the grandson of slaves, where do we Those are the characteristics that will allow stand? Is the dream of a post-racial society us all to continue the American tradition of finally a reality? heralding new scientific accomplishments, Two men of African descent have been continuing the march to greater equality and elected governors of states. The U.S. Senate has serving as a beacon to the less fortunate. counted African-American men and one woman In millennials, I see the very same qualities as part of its membership. African-Americans that fueled an earlier generation to write a have sat — and do sit — in the leadership of document declaring the daring set of rights the U.S. House of Representatives. And most and responsibilities enshrined in the Constiglaringly and obviously, the people elected a tution and its accompanying Bill of Rights. man of African descent to serve as president In millennials, I hear them when they ask, of the United States of America. “Why not?” Continued from A1

Councilman sees trouble in rising city debt Continued from A1

borrowed money at a time when its credit card is close to maxing out, according to a report from James Duval, the city’s debt and investment manager. Just before Thanksgiving, Mr. Duval told City Council’s Finance Committee that in just a few years, the city will closely approach a self-imposed limit on debt service or the yearly amount the city repays on money it has borrowed by selling general obligation bonds. Debt service has begun to climb in the wake of borrowing for new schools, the new jail and other needs. This year, the city budgeted $63.5 million for repayment of general obligation debt. That’s up $7.6 million, or nearly 14 percent, from 2012, according to a chart Mr. Duval provided to the committee. Based on current patterns, he projected the city’s payment for debt service would continue to grow each year. By 2019, he projects the city’s debt service would hit $78.5 million, a 24 percent increase. The chart indicates that debt service payments would peak in 2024 at $83.5 million before

starting to decline. But that projection did not include additional borrowing to meet school needs or to finance the brewery. City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto, a Finance Committee member, believes “it’s time for a conversation among my colleagues” about borrowing to help keep debt service costs in check. “This is the kind of big picture issue we need to consider,” he said. “I don’t believe we should leave this to the administration.” The more borrowing the city has to do, the higher the debt service. And the more money the city spends on debt repayment, the less it has to spend on paving streets, improving parks, collecting refuse and other operations. The issue of debt and debt repayment is gathering momentum. At next Monday’s meeting, the council will consider approving the administration’s request for borrowing authority for the Stone Brewery facility. Separately, three members of council, Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District, Cynthia I. Newbille, 7th District, and Michelle R. Mosby, 9th District, will be spearheading a resolution that would make it city policy to earmark $2.5 million each year from real estate taxes to cover the debt service for borrowing up to $35 million

for school improvements. That resolution goes beyond a proposal from Mayor Dwight C. Jones to provide a one-time $2 million contribution from the city’s budget surplus for school maintenance needs. For years, Richmond has had a policy that limits debt service to no more than 10 percent of the amount budgeted for city operations and schools. This budget year, the $63.5 million being paid out is well below that limit. The combined school and city budgets amount to $781.1 million, meaning that the city was allowed a debt service limit of $78.1 million. According to Mr. Agelasto, Mr. Duval told the committee that the administration recognizes Richmond might have to loosen that 10 percent limit to accommodate borrowing needs in the future and could bring forward a proposal to do so during the spring when the next budget is considered. Mr. Agelasto said that such a change might not be needed if council eliminates some of the planned borrowing that it has approved in past capital budgets or takes other steps. He said he is hopeful that Mr. Duval’s chart on debt service growth will spur the rest of council to take more of an interest in the issue.

Richmond Free Press

Holiday wreath in Maymont neighborhood

Editorial Page

December 4-6, 2014

Demanding justice Somebody please check the calendar. It must be open season. For the second time in just more than a week, a grand jury has failed to indict a white police officer for the killing of an unarmed black man. If the inaction last week of a grand jury to hold former Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson accountable for pumping seven bullets into 18-year-old Michael Brown Jr. doesn’t give you pause, then Wednesday’s denial by a New York grand jury to indict a police officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner should make you queasy, then angry. Apparently, it didn’t matter to the grand jury that the medical examiner ruled Mr. Garner’s death a homicide, or that the chokehold used by Officer Daniel Pantaleo was in violation of the police department’s own professed regulations. Thousands of young people, old people, black people, white people and people of all colors have taken to the streets and the sidewalks in protest, attesting to the fact that the problems with police — and the unequal treatment of people of color — extend far deeper and wider than Ferguson and Staten Island. Just like in the 1960s, the nation needs to stop with the feeble excuses, shut up and pay attention. And just like in the ’60s, the feds are stepping in — with Justice Department investigations and executive orders. Even President Obama, who has tried to get along with a Congress and people who have meant him no good, says it’s time for action. Already the compelling national debate has generated meaningful and doable ideas, ranging from equipping police with body cameras to record interactions with citizens to grand juries receiving better direction from prosecutors when it comes to the death of unarmed citizens at the hands of police. Demonstrators, local and national leaders alike have called for citizen review panels as a backstop for complaints against police; a national data collection effort to understand the scope of police beatings and killings of unarmed people; special outside prosecutors to be brought in when police are charged; improved police training; and increased community involvement — particularly at the ballot box — to ensure that police departments and elected officials are reflective of the racial makeup of the communities they serve. Every locality across America and in Virginia — from Richmond, Petersburg and Williamsburg to the surrounding counties — must work on ensuring that equal treatment under the law is a reality and not just a catch phrase. However, no matter how just or empowering any actions may be, no community will be free of police violence until we deal with the psychosis that causes law enforcement officers to view black men as something other than human, allowing their mistreatment and justifying their killing. This illness was clear in Mr. Wilson’s grand jury testimony, released last week by St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch. He describes Mr. Brown as both a demon and a superhuman figure with beastly strength and power. We’ve seen this sickness time and again from people like Mr. Wilson who say they feel intimidated and threatened by people like Mr. Brown, despite being the ones holding the badges and the guns. Until this sickness is cured, there will be no justice or peace. As writer James Baldwin put it so well: “Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”

The lesson We applaud Virginia Commonwealth University for commemorating and celebrating the 25th anniversary of L. Douglas Wilder’s victory as the first African-American elected governor in the nation. The public university in Richmond — where Mr. Wilder is a distinguished faculty member at the School of Government and Public Affairs that is named in his honor — is doing him proud. We hope many people are attending the daylong symposium and evening gala hosted by the school as the Free Press hits the streets. For those of you old enough to recall, and perhaps were a part of that historic moment, the Wilder election was a time of hope and enthusiasm that perhaps some of the vestiges and mental bondage of the past had loosened and perhaps even disappeared. It was a time that we could believe — as Mr. Wilder often said as he campaigned in all corners of the commonwealth — that when the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were written, they were written for each of us. Mr. Wilder was not the first African-American governor in the United States, or the first to seek the office. Those honors, respectively, go to P.B.S. Pinchback of Louisiana, who, in 1872, took over briefly during the impeachment of the previous governor, and to the likes of Richmond newspaperman John Mitchell in Virginia and Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley in California. Since Mr. Wilder’s election in 1989, the only other African-American elected governor is Deval Patrick of Massachusetts. Like Mr. Pinchback, David Paterson of New York succeeded to the office in 2008 after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer. Mr. Wilder’s election opened the doors — and the minds — for people to see that an African-American could quite successfully lead a state, or even a nation. Unfortunately, many times we look to these politicians of color who have defied the odds as saviors who can bring change and make things right. No one has that power or ability. If there is a single, most important lesson we should remember 25 years later, it is this: It is still up to us — each of us — to push for the change we want to see.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Look to Rodney King case to build federal case In August 1992, nearly three months to the day after the four Los Angeles Police Department officers that beat black motorist Rodney King were acquitted on nearly all charges by a jury with no black people on it, Lourdes G. Baird, the U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District, stepped before a battery of news cameras and reporters and announced that three of the officers would face federal charges. The charges were violating Mr. King’s Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable arrest and with depriving him of his 14th Amendment due-process rights during his March 1991 arrest. The four would face up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines if convicted. The Justice Department’s decision to prosecute rested squarely on two compelling legal and public interest points, neither of which significantly involved any need to prove racial animus. The legal charges were that the officers who beat Mr. King acted under the color of the law. This violated a near century-old federal statute that makes it a crime to deprive any person of a constitutional right under the color of law. The statute specifi-

cally targeted police officers and public officials who abuse their authority and violate public trust by physically victimizing citizens. The Justice Department assigned more than a dozen agents to the case and a team of civil rights attorneys and investigators. It repeatedly fended off

Earl O. Hutchinson loud criticisms that the prosecution was a racial witchhunt to satisfy the clamor from civil rights organizations and a sop to African-Americans who blasted their acquittal in state court. This charge was continually leveled at then-President George H.W. Bush, who green-lighted the federal prosecution. He was accused of caving in to the threat of more bloody riots if he didn’t act. There would have been absolutely no chance to bring — let alone get — convictions of the officers if there had been even the remotest public hint that race was the sole reason for the federal prosecution. The Justice Department had to bring, argue and try to win convictions exclusively on the evidence and testimony that the cops violated federal statutes in beating Mr. King. Mr. Baird reiterated the point: “Racial motivation is not an element of any of these charges.” Twenty-two years later, the

situation with former Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson is nearly identical. The instant the call went up for a federal investigation and prosecution of Mr. Wilson on civil rights charges in the slaying of Michael Brown, the same loud scream was heard that Mr. Wilson broke no law, acted under color of authority and that any federal action against him was done solely to appease civil rights organizations that clamored for his head. The Ferguson grand jury decision not to indict him brought the same outcry that the state trial and acquittal of the four LAPD cops who beat Mr. King brought — namely that there are no grounds for a separate federal action against him. Even U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the hardest of hard-nosed in defending absolute police power, noted that it is the grand jury’s function not “to enquire ... upon what foundation [the charge may be] denied,” or otherwise to try the suspect’s defenses, but only to examine “upon what foundation [the charge] is made” by the prosecutor. Justice Scalia made another crucial point that debunks any notion the Ferguson proceeding was fair. This was the four-hour guided testimony of Mr. Wilson. Justice Scalia noted that “neither in this country nor in England has the suspect under investigation by the grand jury ever been thought to have a right

The gift of family conversation Picture this: A 24-year-old man, we’ll call him John Doe, is walking down the street and struck by a car going 77 mph. Emergency services rush to the scene to resuscitate him and are successful. Shortly after Mr. Doe arrives at the hospital, health care providers inform his mother that he has minimal brain activity and will be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life. His mother does not agree with health providers and voices her opinion that he should be placed on life support. “Do whatever you need to keep my son alive!” shouts his mother, who is understandably upset and confused. Soon, Mr. Doe’s wife and mother get into a heated argument at the nurse’s station about what should be done. Mr. Doe’s wife believes he should be taken off of life support because his brain has decreased function. Still, his mother believes just as firmly he should remain on life support, which includes a ventilator and a feeding tube. Soon, family members begin to take sides in this life-and-death argument. Mr. Doe’s father and sister side with his wife, but his brother agrees with his mother. Can you imagine being in this situation? The gut-wrenching scene described above is not something

drawn from a textbook. Similar situations occur every day. Family members often are forced to sit in a waiting room and listen to relatives argue over treatment

Diana I. Stokes plans for their loved ones while wondering what their loved one would have wanted. Perhaps if Mr. Doe had taken the time to express his wishes through an advance directive, his family wouldn’t have had to grapple with the dreadful decision regarding the use of life support. Advance directives help families and health care providers carry out a person’s wishes in the event he or she cannot make decisions for himself or herself. An advance directive helps family members avoid unnecessary suffering. One of the worst things that could happen during a medical crisis involving a loved one is fighting over treatment plans. What is an advance directive? While this phrase commonly is used by health care professionals, many Americans do not know what it means. An advance directive is a document that is created to state a person’s wishes regarding end-of-life care. Advance directives outline medical decisions regarding organ and tissue donation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, tube feedings and comfort care measures. If you had a life event today that left you seriously injured or in a coma, what would your

family do? Do you have your preferences for medical care documented so that your family can honor your wishes? You may be thinking, “I’m only 35. Why am I thinking about planning my end-of-life care?” Unfortunately, a medical crisis can occur at any age, so it is important to have your medical wishes documented and, most importantly, to share them with your family. When you’re ready to create an advance directive, questions you may want to ask yourself are, “Do I want to be placed on life support? Do I want to have my organs donated? Do I want to be fed by a tube?” A good first step to creating an advance directive is to have conversations with your family and health care providers. Every individual has the right to decide what medical treatment he or she would like to receive if terminally ill or incapacitated. Have you made and documented your choices? If not, then it’s time to start the conversation. One place to start is the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association website, www.vhha. com/healthcaredecisionmaking. html, for free information. You also may wish to speak to your minister or attorney. However you do it, in this season of giving thanks, I promise that this will be one of the best gifts you can give to your family and friends. The writer is an ambulatory nursing resource coordinator at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center.

The Free Press welcomes letters

The Richmond Free Press respects the opinions of its readers. We want to hear from you. We invite you to write the editor. All letters will be considered for publication. Concise, typewritten letters related to public matters are preferred. Also include your telephone number(s). Letters should be addressed to: Letters to the Editor, Richmond Free Press, P.O. Box 27709, 422 East Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23261, or faxed to: (804) 643-7519 or e-mail: letters@richmondfreepress.com.

to testify or to have exculpatory evidence presented. “ Like Mr. King, Mr. Brown as was King was unarmed. Mr. Brown and Mr. King were not charged with a crime when detained. Like Mr. King, Mr. Brown received injuries after he ceased resisting. Like Mr. King, Mr. Brown was abused during an official stop. These are compelling civil rights violations. Associate Attorney General Wayne Budd, who directed the federal investigation into the King beating case, issued this terse statement after the indictment of the LAPD cops was announced: “The Department of Justice has a responsibility to vindicate the violation of the fundamental rights protected by the United States Constitution.” The indictment, he said, was the first step toward fulfilling that responsibility. The Justice Department should take the same step in the Brown slaying it took 22 years ago in the King beating case — that is to fulfill its responsibility and prosecute Mr. Wilson. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.

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Richmond Free Press

December 4-6, 2014

Letters to the Editor

So many unanswered questions Re “No charges for Michael Brown’s killer,” Nov. 26-29 edition: I have so many questions that were not answered about the case in Ferguson, Mo. I wonder if others feel the same way. Why was Michael Brown’s body left lying in the street for four hours? What took place with the police officer during those four hours? If the officer was injured, as he said, what happened to his marks of injury? How could the police officer not be indicted? Why did it take 109 days to come up with the very unbeliev-

A street named Ray Boone? I would like to urge all Richmond residents and organizations to collaborate to name a major thoroughfare in the city of Richmond for Raymond H. Boone. The naming of a boulevard or avenue after the late founder, editor and publisher of the Richmond Free Press would be one of several ways to celebrate and honor Mr. Boone and his legacy. What better way is there to always remember and cherish his steadfast devotion to using journalism to advance civil rights, social justice and equality in the city of Richmond? He spoke truth to power. Ray Boone and I were friends for 57 years. Ray was “the best” of my best friends. And I have read every issue of the Free Press. I believe that Richmond’s government, the press and all residents of the city of Richmond should and can act upon my recommendation. ROBERT C. HAYDEN Oak Bluffs, Ma.

able lecture that was given by the district attorney to the public and media that night? Why did the Ferguson Police Department make such extreme preparations for unwanted demonstrations and destruction of property and unrest, instead of providing the public with the full and true account of what had taken place with the killing of Michael Brown? Why did the prosecutor deliberately wait until nighttime to make the announcement that there would be no indictment? Did he feel guilty about the planned statement that he was about to make, maybe knowing it was falsifying facts and distorting the truth of the situation?

Did the actions taken by the policemen and responsible officials incite the actions that followed? Was darkness favorable for those who see what they want to see? How many cases have been handled through the years this same way by the same people? When will those who create these undue problems realize they will be held accountable for every move they make with injustice, not before men, but before God? RUBY H. WALDEN Suffolk

Will it ever end?

Forty three years ago, Marvin Gaye decried “trigger-happy policing” in his epic song, “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).” Yet more black lives are added yearly to a list of those slain by police. Michael Brown, Oscar Grant ... Supporters of zealous policing point to the high rate of crime committed in a large number of black communities, victimizing other black people. Ironically, this creates a form of double jeopardy for law-observing black citizens. Officers, who have sworn to serve and protect, have historically mistreated black people and have bred as much anxiety and apprehension as the criminal element. Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo, Eric

Garner ... We must ask ourselves just what is it about black males that ignites such an aggressive response from law enforcers? Every one of these victims were unarmed, unless you consider a child playing in a park with an empty pellet gun or a young man shopping in a large store and pulling a pellet rifle from a store shelf as being armed. Tamir Rice, John Crawford III ... Why is it that some people view somewhat innocuous situations surrounding black people as such an imminent threat that they call 911 claiming lives are at stake? Why are black people stripped of their humanity? Why is there often no

compassion and empathy? Black women are not immune to this mistreatment. Renisha McBride, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis ... Sadly, these individuals are a representation of the countless and nameless black people whose questionable deaths aren’t as well documented or publicized. Remember them. Research the accounts. There’s video of some of these tragic encounters. Most important, let’s fight for them, for they are we. Speak up and step up. Our future depends on it. Gerald Amandla Henrico

Tithe to help people, not churches Each day, more Christians are coming to the conclusion that all of their tithes and offerings should be used to help people in need and not to operate a business such as an organized Christian church. Jesus wanted a spiritual temple, not an earthly one. When He died, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Jesus wanted all of the tithes and offerings to be used to feed the hungry and to take care of the needy. He told a rich man to sell all he had and give the money to the poor to have eternal life. When His followers obeyed His teachings, they became the

spiritual temple that He wanted. When I was the treasurer of a Christian church, I became upset about how the tithes and offerings were being used. This caused me to examine the way a Christian church operates. I believe when we obey the teachings of Jesus and become a “doer” for Jesus, we are the spiritual church in action. MORTON C. MILES JR. Williamsburg

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VSU ends season in chilly NCAA match Virginia State University’s epic football season ended last Saturday with a 35-14 loss to Bloomsburg State University in northeast Pennsylvania, in arctic-like conditions with temperatures never hitting 30. Banks of snow, from Pennsylvania’s Nov. 26 blizzard, surrounded the gridiron. With so much snow on the landscape, you could almost expect to hear some jolly sort shouting, “Ho, ho, ho,” in the wintry distance. Still, several hundred shivering Trojans fans sporting orange and blue over their long johns braved the elements. “Our fans have been great all year long,” said VSU coach Latrell Scott, now 19-4 in two VSU campaigns, including 10-3 this season. “I’m glad we could put a smile on their faces most of the season.” During the game, VSU drew even, 7-7, with its first possession when quarterback Tarian Ayres hit wide receiver Jaivon Smallwood for a 50-yard touchdown, his seventh of the season. It was a breathtaking moment for VSU fans on a day when you could see your breath whenever you opened your mouth. After the first quarter, it was all Bloomsburg. The battle-tested Huskies, making their 11th NCAA appearance, now advance to play Concord, W.Va., on Saturday, Dec. 6. VSU couldn’t keep up, despite Smallwood’s

six receptions for 117 yards and Kavon Bellamy’s 67 rushing yards on 15 tries. Ayres was sacked six times. Bellamy, the converted linebacker, picked up his 13th touchdown of the season in late going. Some of Bellamy’s yardage was earned in what seemed like impossible conditions with tacklers grabbing him from all directions. The first rule of being a quality ball carrier is to keep your legs moving. In Bellamy’s determined case, you wonder if his legs don’t keep churning even when he’s asleep. What can VSU football fans expect for 2015? Indications are more of what they witnessed this season. In the 2015 season, most of coach Scott’s offensive headliners will return to the team that notched these achievements: • VSU’s first NCAA bid and first NCAA victory. • The Trojans’ first CIAA title since 1996. • Halting Winston-Salem State University’s 31-game CIAA winning streak. • Ten straight victories. • Undefeated in the CIAA for the second year in a row. Ayres, who is second in the CIAA in passing yardage, Smallwood and Bellamy will return in 2015, along with two-time, All-CIAA center Ronnie Ransome. There are holes to plug in the linebacker corps, but seven of the first 11 tackling leaders will be back, along with Virginia CIAA schools in NCAA football playoffs everyone from a secondary totaling 18 Division II interceptions. With all the success, however, comes 1979 – Delaware 58, Virginia Union 28 speculation. 1980 – North Alabama 17, Virginia Union 8 Scott, now 15-0 against CIAA teams, 1981 – Shippensburg, Pa., 40, Virginia Union 27 is just 39 years old and undeniably a 1982 – North Dakota State 21, Virginia Union 20 top-drawer coach. Underlying his dis1983 – North Alabama 16, Virginia Union 14 ciplined tutoring, VSU committed just 1984 – Towson State, Md., 31, Norfolk State 21 57 penalties in 13 games for 474 yards, 1986 – Troy State, Ala., 31, Virginia Union 7 and just two penalties for 20 yards at 1990 – Edinboro, Pa., 38, Virginia Union 14 Bloomsburg State. 1991 – California, Pa., 56, Virginia Union 7 The former Lee-Davis High and 1992 – North Alabama 33, Hampton 21 Hampton University receiver was just 1993 – Hampton 33, Albany State, Ga., 7 34 in 2010 when he was named coach 1993 – North Alabama 45, Hampton 20 at the University of Richmond. At the 2014 – Virginia State 28, LIU-Post, N.Y., 17 time, he was America’s youngest Divi2014 – Bloomsburg State, Pa., 35, Virginia State 14 sion I head coach.

Photo courtesy of Bloomsburg State University Athletic Department

VSU quarterback Tarian Ayres gets sacked — one of six — during the second-round NCAA playoff game against the Bloomsburg State University Huskies in Pennsylvania.

The much-traveled Scott has served as assistant coach at Division I programs at Virginia Military Institute, Western Carolina, Tennessee, Richmond, Virginia and James Madison universities. Surely, he has drawn widespread attention for dramatically turning VSU from an also-ran to a champion. He would be an attractive candidate for many upper-level programs. Currently, there are two FCS Division I coaching openings in Virginia. VMI is searching for a coach after the dismissal of Sparky Woods. Norfolk State University, likewise, has a vacancy following Pete Adrian’s retirement. At NSU, former Virginia Union University assistant and Morgan State University head

coach Donald Hill-Eley has been mentioned as a candidate. Hill-Eley, also a former VUU quarterback, was so-so with a 59-76 record at Morgan State from 2002 to 2013. The wandering nature of college coaching often leads to longevity questions. It’s not like working at a factory and striving for a 40-year lapel pin. By nature, coaches come and go. But rarely does one coach make such an immediate impact on a program as coach Scott has in Ettrick. Trojans fans, understandably, are enjoying the ride, even if it leads them to a pigskin version of the North Pole.

Spiders’ bite takes Morgan Bears out of playoffs Pro football Hall of Famer Willie Lanier of Richmond was on hand for Morgan State University’s NCAA football playoff game last Saturday at the University of Richmond. Sadly, Lanier wasn’t eligible to play for his Baltimore alma mater. While Morgan State has the richer tradition of producing NFL all-time greats, the UR Spiders had the stronger outfit at

Robins Stadium, trouncing the Bears 46-24. UR, 9-4, advances to play at Coastal Carolina University on Dec. 6 in round two of the Football Championship Subdivision tournament. Morgan State, finishing 7-6, qualified for its first NCAA playoff by winning a tie-breaker to become MEAC champion. Lanier starred at Maggie Walker High School and Morgan

State before going on to an NFL Hall of Fame career as a Kansas City Chiefs’ linebacker. Other NFL Hall of Famers from Morgan State are Len Ford, Leroy Kelly and Roosevelt Brown. A total of 38 players from Morgan State have suited up in the NFL, starting with Brown, a native of Charlottesville, in 1953.

VCU takes on U.Va. Saturday at Siegel Center Virginia Commonwealth University basketball has lost its national ranking. But so far, at least, the Rams are still clinging to another claim to fame, its prized home floor advantage. The Rams will need all the support they can muster Saturday, Dec. 6, when No. 7-ranked University of Virginia visits the Siegel Center. ESPNU will televise the game, beginning with the 2 p.m. tipoff. Based on ticket demand, it may be the most popular regular season game VCU has ever hosted. StubHub re-sale tickets were going early in the week for $158 for standing room and

about $199 for corner end zone seats. Coach Shaka Smart’s Rams, now 4-2, were ranked No. 15 nationally by the Associated Press before losses to Villanova and Old Dominion University. U.Va. is 7-0 and seeking payback for a 59-56 loss to VCU in November 2013 at John Paul Jones Arena when Treveon Graham swished a 3-pointer with a few seconds remaining. Beating VCU at the Siegel Center is among the toughest chores in college hoops. The Rams are 71-7 at home since Coach Smart arrived in 2009.

The Rams were 15-0 at home last year and haven’t lost at the Siegel Center since falling to LaSalle, 69-61, on Jan. 26, 2013. Graham had 34 points in the Rams’ loss to ODU, and is on pace to pass Eric Maynor as the all-time VCU Rams scorer. He also may have a shot at Len Creech’s career RPI-VCU Rams mark. So far this season, Graham, the 6-foot-6 senior from Temple Hills, Md., is averaging a team high of 17.5 points per game. Senior guard Briante Weber, chasing the NCAA career record for steals, averages 9.2 points while leading the squad with 27 assists

and 20 steals. U.Va. is 10-2 all-time against VCU in a rivalry dating to 1976. Overall, VCU is 27-44 against schools now aligned with the Atlantic Coast Conference. A year ago, VCU beat U.Va., Virginia Tech and Boston College, while losing to Florida State University. Interest in the Rams has escalated since the team’s NCAA tournament upset of Duke University in 2007 and its exciting Final Four run in 2010. The U.Va. game will mark the Rams’ 53rd straight sellout.

December 4-6, 2014 B1

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Richmond Free Press

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Personality: Roger C. Brown E Z Car Rental Spotlight on leader of Virginia Prince Hall Masons In his day job, Roger Cornelius Brown is a computer specialist who helps keep banking information flowing smoothly. Off the job, the 58-year-old Henrico County resident is the leader of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia, one of the oldest African-American groups in the state. He proudly bears the title of most worshipful grand master — equivalent to president and chief executive officer — of the independent, Richmond-based Grand Lodge of Virginia, Free and Accepted Masons. He is the 78th leader of the Virginia Grand Lodge that dates to 1875. But he notes the roots go far deeper, back to the American Revolution a century earlier, specifically to Boston in 1775. The organization’s mission and values are just as noteworthy today as they were at the start. “Our purpose as Masons is to dispense charity, promote family values and endeavor to significantly aid in uplifting humanity,” he says. “We’re a fraternal group that takes good men and makes them better,” he says. “Our members are people of good moral character who love their families and are involved in their community.” Mr. Brown can recite the history like a college professor: British troops garrisoned in Boston took the unusual step of admitting Prince Hall and 14 other black men into a military Masonic lodge — in contrast to the rejection that Prince Hall and the other men received from all-white colonial lodges. After the English force was driven out, the history lesson continues, Prince Hall led the founding and eventual chartering of African Lodge No. 1, the first lodge with a predominantly black membership in America. Prince Hall became the first grand master. Later, after his death, the lodges and organizations that grew out of the original lodge adopted his name. Mr. Brown and others have carried on the tradition and ignored the bigotry of their white Masonic counterparts. It took more than two centuries for most of the predominantly white Masonic lodges to accept African-American members or recognize Prince Hall Masons. Virginia’s white Masonic organization, whose members describe themselves as ancient, free and accepted Masons, did not fully recognize Prince Hall Masons and the Grand Lodge Mr. Brown leads until 2003. For Mr. Brown, the big challenge for the Grand Lodge he heads is how to attract young men. Like many fraternal groups, membership in the Prince Hall Masons is waning. Today membership in the Grand Lodge is less than onethird of the peak membership of 18,000 of 30 years ago. “We hope to turn this around,” Mr. Brown says. One way, he says, is for Prince Hall Masons to tell people in their respective communities more about the good

Accepted Masons Inc. Top Grand Lodge accomplishments: During the past six years, the Grand Lodge has donated more than $500,000 in college scholarships to graduating high school seniors and to college sophomores, juniors and seniors. The Grand Lodge and its auxiliary, the Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star also provided more than $300,000 in charitable donations just in 2013.

that Masons do. Meet Roger C. Brown, the new leader of the Prince Hall Masons in Virginia, who is striving do just that: Birth date and place: June 14 in Charlottesville. Current home: Henrico County. Alma maters: Louisa County High School, 1974; RandolphMacon College, in Ashland, bachelor’s degree in psychology, 1978. Family: Wife of 30 years, Brenda Coleman Brown, a nurse, married 30 years; two daughters, Stacie L. Brown, 28, a singer, and Stefany L. Brown, 22, a chef. When elected most worshipful grand master and length of term: Elected and installed as the 78th on Sept. 20, 2014, at the 139th Annual Grand Lodge session in Falls Church for a two-year term. Grand Lodge position before election: Right worshipful deputy grand master for two years, the second highest position in our organization. Grand Lodge’s total membership: Approximately 5,200 master Masons in Virginia. Grand Lodge’s largest total membership and when: 18,000 in the early to mid1980s. Grand Lodge’s Richmond area membership: There are 22 lodges with seven lodge halls in Richmond and surrounding areas, including Varina, Ashland and Mechanicsville. These lodges comprise the 26th Masonic District. There are approximately 1,200 Masons in Richmond, including our very own Mayor Dwight C. Jones. When Virginia Grand Lodge was founded: Dec. 15, 1875, at First Baptist Church in Petersburg. The state lodge was formed from the merger of two previous grand lodges, the National Grand Lodge and the Union Grand Lodge. After the merger, the new name was Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Virginia (Prince Hall Affiliation). In 1959, that organization was issued a charter of incorporation from the Virginia State Corporation Commission as the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia, Free and

Why is the lodge still relevant: We’re assisting our youths to gain a higher education and providing charity to those in need within our communities. That’s why in 2010, the Virginia’s House and Senate jointly recognized the work of our forefathers and of our Masonic brothers of today. When and why I became a Mason: On April 21, 1984, I was inducted into the Lord Hannibal Lodge #327 at the RAML Temple at 25th and Leigh streets. I became a Mason because of the principles of brotherly love that the lodge promoted and the amazing amount of charitable work the members did in the community. And my father is a Mason. He is currently a member of Louisa Temple Lodge No.113.

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Richmond Free Press

B2 December 4-6, 2014

Happenings

Mothers Club reaches out for 60 years By Joey Matthews

They were friends and young mothers raising babies. They began meeting in 1954 to share child-rearing tips, organize activities for their children and socialize. The group of about 10 Richmond women dubbed themselves “The Mothers Club.” “We all had babies born in either 1953 or 1954,” recalled LaVerne Cooper, 83, the group’s vice president who lives in North Side. “We would meet with our babies in somebody’s backyard or in a living room with our babies in their carriages. “We would talk about our babies,” she added. “For many of us, they were our first babies and we would share stories of being a new mother.” About a year after the group was formed, the mothers decided to expand their mission to help others in the community. “During those years, you had to take a longer maternity leave than you do now,” Mrs. Cooper explained. “We were not working and we decided we did not need to spend all of our time talking about babies. We decided to do something to help others.” She said some of the group’s members were teachers, so their first community project was to help needy students and their families. They bought books for students and clothing and food for their families. Now, in its 60th year, The Mothers Club, which meets once a month, has increased its outreach efforts and done much more to help those in need. Among their charitable efforts:

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Members of the Mothers Club display food items collected recently for the kitchen at Hospital Hospitality House in Downtown. They are from left, front row, Grace Townes, Glenda Cooper, Charmaine Cooper-Jamison, Florence Cooper-Smith, Founder Esteletta Epps, President Esteletta Davis, Maridel Lee, Agnes Nicholson, Eleanor Binford and LaVerne Cooper. Back row, from left, Lisa Townes, Etta Plummer and Kathie Teasley.

• They volunteer at the Hospital Hospitality House in Downtown where families live while a patient is in the hospital or undergoing rehabilitation. • They save their pennies for the Children’s Miracle Network, donating about $100 per year to the organization. • They support the Ronald McDonald House in the West End where seriously ill children live with their families. • The club also selects people and families

to assist each Christmas. They bought furniture and toys for a family whose house burned down, helped a grandmother who was raising her grandchildren after her daughter died and helped a single mother while she was attending college. “We all seemed to have passion for helping others, but not just by sending a check,” Ms. Cooper said. “We like to be hands-on, bringing joy to the lives we touch.” As families grew, the children were organized

into “Lads and Lassies.” They met and planned activities, including holiday parties and community outreach such as entertaining senior residents at Fay Towers in Gilpin Court. In 1998, The Mothers Club opened its membership to daughters and daughters-in-law of club members to ensure longevity. Esteletta Epps Davis, whose mother Esteletta Epps was a founding member of the club, is the club’s president. “It’s a unique bond,” she said of the mothers, daughters and daughters-in-law. “You get a lot of different perspectives about different things. Most of the members are 80-plus years old. I believe the youngest just turned 50 this year. “In a lot of ways, we can be the legs,” she said of the younger members. “We can be the branch to keep them current with technology and other things to help the club moving forward.” Lisa Townes is another member who has followed in the footsteps of her mother, Grace Townes, to join the club. She said the club is proud of the work it does in the community. “There are big Goliath organizations that don’t do as many of the kind of things we do,” she said. “We do it because we love to. “It’s a family feel, it’s what our mothers have instilled in us to help the community.” The Mothers Club also knows how to have fun. They go on cruises together, have picnics, throw a Christmas party each year and take day trips to various venues. The club will celebrate its 60th anniversary Dec. 30 with a dinner and dance at a Richmond hotel.

Noted Brown case strategy featured in fundraiser Saturday By Joey Matthews

The University of Virginia Richmond Ridley Chapter will host a play in Richmond this weekend in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. “Brown v. Board of Education: The Leaders and the Strategy Behind the Case that Changed a Nation” will be presented 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Virginia War Memorial, 621 S. Belvidere St. The play will be moderated by NBC-12 television anchor Diane Walker. The cast will include Robert J. Grey Jr., a partner with Hunton & Williams law firm, as Thurgood Marshall; Oliver W. Hill Jr., a professor at Virginia State University, as his late father, civil rights lawyer Oliver W. Hill Sr.; Thomas M. Wolf, a partner with LeClair Ryan law firm, as U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren; and Joe Cravens, managing partner of Cravens and Knolls, as attorney John W. Davis, who defended segregation. Local attorneys Alexander L. Taylor Jr. and Tracy Stith coauthored the play in 2003. They got the idea to write the play after watching the 1991 television film, “Separate But Equal.” “The play gives the viewers an opportunity to go behind the Brown decision and go behind the strategy of the lawyers in the Brown decision,” Mr. Taylor, president of the Richmond Ridley Clarence Cain board and a University of Virginia graduate, told the Free Press. “Their strategy involved using scientific evidence to prove that segregated schools could never be equal. And they knew if you could end segregation in schools, you could end segregation everywhere,” he added. Tickets are $90 per person. The evening will feature an exhibition by local artist Jerome Jones and music by the Richmond Boys Choir. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 6 p.m. Proceeds from the event will go toward the Richmond Ridley Clarence Cain Scholarship Fund. The Walter Ridley Scholarship Program, founded in 1987, is named in honor of the first African-American graduate of the University of Virginia. The late Dr. Ridley, a lifetime educator, was admitted to the university three years before the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision that ordered desegregation of public schools. The Richmond Ridley Clarence Cain Scholarship is a meritbased award for Richmond-area African-American students to attend the University of Virginia. The play also is in celebration of the scholarship endowment reaching $1 million. A goal of $2.5 million has been set, which would allow the program to award a full scholarship, including tuition, room and board, each year. Details on the event: (804) 400-9473 or email Mr. Taylor at alextaylor@alextaylorlaw.com.

Chris Pizzello/Invision/Associated Press

Tappahannock native Chris Brown performs during the 2014 Soul Train Awards taped at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas and broadcast Nov. 30. Below, Petersburg native Trey Songz accepts the award for Best R&B/Soul Male Act.

Virginia natives take home Soul Train music awards Free Press wire reports

Virginia natives Trey Songz, Chris Brown and Pharrell Williams were among the winners at the 2014 Soul Train Awards, with Mr. Brown taking home three awards for his song “Loyal.” The R&B star and Tappahannock native won Best Hip Hop Song of the Year, Best Dance Performance and Best Collaboration for his track with Lil Wayne and Tyga. The ceremony took place Nov. 7, but was televised Sunday night, Nov. 30. Wendy Williams hosted the event at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Mr. Brown kicked off his big night with a medley of some of his greatest hits, including “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” “Poppin’,” “New Flame” and “Loyal.” Petersburg native Trey Songz won Best R&B/Soul Male Act, while Mr. Williams of Virginia Beach won Song of the Year and Video of the Year for the hit “Happy.” The only other artist to win two awards was Beyoncé — R&B/Soul Female Award and Album of the Year for her acclaimed

Nature transformed into art at Pine Camp

Artist Everett A. Mayo, left, holds a piece of driftwood during his recent talk at the city’s Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center in North Side. A former professional boxer, Mr. Mayo took up sculpting as a hobby after a construction accident left him legally blind in one eye. His creations of animals and other figures from driftwood have been exhibited in museums and galleries since 1993. Right, Victoria Joe, 2, is fascinated by “Skittles,” the iguana fashioned and painted by Mr. Mayo using driftwood. His exhibit, “Driftwood Comes to Life,” will be on display at Pine Camp until Jan. 2. It is free and open to the public. Information: (804) 646-3672 or (804) 646-3677. Photos by Paulette Singleton/Richmond Free Press

self-titled album. Other winners included John Legend (Record of the Year/The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award for “All of Me”) and Nico & Vinz (Best New Artist). Meanwhile, disco band Kool & the Gang was honored with the Soul Train Legend Award, and artists such as Doug E. Fresh, Elle Varner, MC Lyte, Tamar Braxton, Joe and Mase took to the stage to perform songs and hits sampled from the group’s catalogue spanning 50 years in the business. Lil Kim, Da Brat and Missy Elliott, who is a Portsmouth native, closed out the tribute with their 1997 track “Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix),” with a special segment devoted to their late collaborator Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. The TLC star, who died in 2002, was featured in a video performing her part in the song, which was projected onto a big screen during the rendition. The highlight of the night for many came from R&B group Jodeci, who reunited for the first time since 2006 and sang a medley of their hit songs.

Richmond Free Press

December 4-6, 2014

Happenings

Grand Illumination, Love Lights to ignite holiday spirit By Jeremy M. Lazarus

the Turning Basin on 14th Street, and yuletide activities a few blocks away at Main Street Station Light up the city! and the 17th Street Farmers’ Market. There also Santa is coming to town! will be the lighting of the state Christmas tree The holiday spirit will envelop Richmond this and an open house at the Governor’s Mansion weekend with two big events — the joint Grand on Capitol Square. Illumination and Love Lights skyline lighting The festivities will continue Saturday morning Friday night, Dec. 5, and the Dominion Christmas with the big, two-mile parade down Broad Street Parade on Saturday, Dec. 6. to officially escort Santa into the city. These popular holiday events are expected to The 31st annual parade will begin around 10:15 attract more than 100,000 people to Richmond. a.m. at the Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. The Grand Illumination will mark its 30th Broad St., and move east along Broad Street to holiday season of turning on a blazing display of 7th Street to disband near the Coliseum. 100 trees and reindeer on the lawn of the James This year’s grand marshal: Actor Chad L. Parade Grand Marshal Center at 10th and Cary streets. Coleman, a Richmond native who stars in the Chad L. Coleman The lighting ceremony, set to take place at AMC network’s popular show, “The Walking 6 p.m. at the office center, will kick off three hours of family Dead.” He also has appeared in such TV hits as “The Wire” and activities and entertainment in the Shockoe Slip and Shockoe “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” His credits also include Bottom sections of Downtown. playing O.J. Simpson in the 2002 TV movie “Monday Night The ceremony also will be accompanied by the lighting Mayhem.” of at least 15 private and public high-rise buildings visible Parade highlights include at least six high school and college in Richmond’s skyline — a seasonal light show called Love marching bands, huge cartoon-character balloons, festive floats, Lights. Masonic groups, dance troupes from near and far, majorettes Love Lights is an initiative of the Free Press to brighten and more. In all, the parade will feature 88 different units this the city during the winter. The newspaper’s late founder and year, according to parade organizers. publisher, Raymond H. Boone, initiated the idea in 2004 to Sampling of other upcoming holiday activities: connect with Richmond’s “Easy to Love” and the state’s “Vir• GardenFest Illumination featuring 500,000 lights, Lewis ginia is for Lovers” slogans. Some buildings stay lit through Ginter Botantical Garden, 1800 Lakeside Ave., 5 to 10 p.m. Valentine’s Day. nightly. Cost: $5 to $12 per person. Also on tap for Friday evening are horse-drawn carriage rides • Christmas Concert and Festival in support of World AIDS from the fountain at 13th and Cary streets, canal boat rides from Day, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6,

“Santa with Soul” at Black History Museum “Santa with Soul” is bringing his magical cheer to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia this weekend. The jolly, bearded North Pole resident is scheduled to visit the museum’s annual holiday open house from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. (It’s not known yet if Rudolph and the other reindeer will transport Santa to the open house.) Children can have free photographs taken with Santa at the event at 00 Clay St. in Jackson Ward. They also can make tree ornaments and other decorations

to take home. Holiday music and refreshments will be a part of the festivities. The public also can buy holiday items from the Heritage Gift Shop. Admission to the open house is free to the public. Except for special events such as the open house, the museum is closed while the 109-year-old, castle-shaped Leigh Street Armory in the 100 block of West Leigh Street undergoes an $8 million transformation to become the museum’s new home. Details on the open house: (804) 780-9093.

Laurel Street and Floyd Avenue. Cost: No charge. • Old-Fashioned Christmas, Maymont, includes carriage rides, mansion tours, entertainment, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at the park, 1700 Hampton St. in the West End. Cost: $4 to $5 per person for tours and $4 to $5 per person for carriage rides. • “Home for the Holidays,” city-sponsored holiday variety show, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, 1000 Mosby St., 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7. Cost: No charge. • Holiday Pops Concert, James Center, 1051 E. Cary St., 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, featuring the community-based, nonprofit Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra. Cost: No charge. Grand Illumination and Love Lights What: Turning on 1 million lights at James Center display. When: Friday, Dec. 5. Time: 6 to 9 p.m. (Display lights go on around 6 p.m.) Where: 10th and Cary streets. Entertainment: The Kings of Swing, VCU’s The Peppas Pep Band, the Greater Richmond Children’s Choir, the American Youth Harp Ensemble, characters from “The “Nutcracker” and the Virginia Repertory Theater’s musical “Mame,” Snow Bear, the VCU Trombone Choir, Coventry Handbells from Bon Air Baptist Church, singer Patsy Butler, the Virginia Piedmont & Central HO Model Railroad Club and the childfriendly Silly Bus band. Cost: Free. Related events: Gov. and Mrs. McAuliffe to light state tree and hold open house at the Executive Mansion, 5 to 8 p.m.; Richmond’s holiday open house, Main Street Station, 5 to 9 p.m.; horse-drawn carriage rides at the fountain at 13th and Cary streets, 6 to 10 p.m.; and canal boat rides from the Turning Basin at 14th Street, 6 to 10 p.m. Christmas Parade What: Dominion Christmas Parade. When: Saturday, Dec. 6. Time: 10:15 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m. Where: Two miles eastbound along Broad Street, from the Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad St., to 7th Street in Downtown; parade uses westbound lanes. Features: Actor Chad L. Coleman as grand marshal; cartooncharacter balloons; high school and college marching bands; community floats; clowns; dancers; horseback riders and more. Cost: Free.

Skating time!

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Ice skaters enjoy leisure time at RVA on Ice, the city’s seasonal outdoor rink in the 600 block of East Broad Street. Above right, young skaters at the outdoor ice rink hug the wall to try and keep their balance and prevent a fall.

Revelers gliding along an ice rink is synonymous with holiday joy and wintry festivity. RVA on Ice brings that to Downtown with its fifth season hosting the outdoor skating rink in the 600 block of East Broad Street. Skaters and onlookers can enjoy the seasonal activity at the rink that opened last weekend and continues through Jan. 4. Participants also can enjoy hot chocolate, s’mores and other refreshments through food trucks on site. There also is live entertainment, with RVA Has Talent and SMG Richmond presenting local and regional bands every Friday evening. RVA on Ice is a collaborative effort between

the City of Richmond, CenterStage Foundation and SMG Richmond, the facility-management company for Richmond CenterStage and other venues. Rink hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5; military and seniors age 60 and older are $4; and children age 5 and younger are free. Skate rental is $5 for adults and $3 for children 5 and younger. Season passes are $20. The rink also can be reserved for private rentals. Information and special holiday hours: www. RVAOnIce.net or (804) 592-3400.

A green carpet affair The Commonwealth Chapter of The Links Inc. rolled out the green carpet for its glitzy annual get-together. The event: “A Green Carpet Luncheon Affair” at a Henrico County hotel Nov. 15. The theme was “Building a Healthy Legacy: Our Prescription for the Future.” From left, state Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan of Richmond, chapter President Marie M. Moore and CNN correspondent Suzanne Malveaux talk after the luncheon. Delegate McClellan, an attorney who has served in the Virginia House of Delegates

since 2006 and been involved with a variety of nonprofit organizations, was honored with the chapter’s Community Service Award. The Commonwealth Chapter was founded in 1998 and is a part of the national Links organization that was founded in 1946. It is one of the oldest public service, nonpartisan volunteer service organizations in the United States, with more than 12,000 members in 275 chapters in 40 states, the District of Columbia, The Bahamas and Frankfurt, Germany.

Jean-Philippe Cypres

Richmond Free Press

B4 December 4-6, 2014

Faith News/Obituary/Directory

Bankruptcy judge halts church sale By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The sale of the Richmond Christian Center is on hold in the latest twist in the saga of the bankrupt church. In federal bankruptcy court Wednesday, a judge gave RCC and its founding pastor, Stephen A. Parson Sr., one last chance to save the nearly 6-acre property on South Side. Judge Keith L. Phillips gave the RCC until Wednesday, Dec. 10, to come up with the money or the financing to satisfy creditors and other parties or lose the sanctuary and related property. “I don’t know if it can be done. It will be difficult to satisfy the concerns of the parties,” Judge Phillips said. Still, he agreed to the brief delay out of concern for members of the church who want to continue to worship at RCC under Pastor Parson’s leadership. However, the judge made it clear he would confirm the sale of RCC to Mountain of Blessings Christian Center next week if Pastor Parson did not present proof that he had the wherewithal to repay the debt. “We have the financing,” Pastor Parson said after the

hearing. “The judge just didn’t know that. We’ll be ready next week.” Mountain of Blessings, led by its founding pastor, Dimitri Bradley, emerged as the high bidder for the RCC property at the auction Nov. 20. Pastor Bradley, who did not attend Wednesday’s hearing, entered the high bid of $1.96 million and had been told the purchase would be confirmed at the hearing. The total price for the church is $2,156,000. His attorney, Joe Jackson, told Judge Phillips that the contract has been signed and financing arranged with Middleburg Bank, a Loudoun-based bank that has a Richmond-area branch. Paul K. Campsen, an attorney for Foundation Capital Resources, also urged Judge Phillips to confirm the sale immediately, rather than waiting a week. FCR is the major secured creditor to RCC, which owes the Missouri-based lender more than $2 million on an outstanding loan. Mr. Campsen said Pastor Parson never has produced any evidence to back up the assertion that he is refinancing the property.

Peggy Mitchell Smith, 86, former teacher Edythe Elizebeth “Peggy” Mitchell Smith came from a long line of trailblazers. Her great uncle, John Mitchell Jr., was the crusading editor of the Richmond Planet from 1884 until his death in 1929. He also founded a bank, was a city alderman and ran unsuccessfully for governor. Her father, Roscoe Mitchell, was a columnist for the Richmond Planet, Afro-American and Richmond TimesDispatch. Mrs. Smith was a pioneer as well. She taught school for more than three decades and was a kindergarten teacher at Mary Munford Elementary School in the West End from 1967 to 1991, where she was the ﬁrst African-American teacher at the school. Teaching came naturally to Mrs. Smith, who came from a long line of teachers. Her

ﬁrst teaching job was at West End 1954 and had their only child, Elementary School. John P. Smith III, in 1956. They “She loved kids and was great were married for 60 years before with kids,” her brother, Tom Mitchher death. ell, said. Mrs. Smith also was a member Mrs. Smith is being remembered of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church on following her death Nov. 5, 2014, at North Side and the Richmond Urban St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond. League. She was very involved in She was 86. her community, attending every Affectionately known as Peggy, neighborhood block party, as well Mrs. Smith was born in Richmond as any neighborhood meetings that Oct. 16, 1928, to parents Roscoe were held. Mrs. Smith C. Mitchell and Lilian Gertrude “My grandmother knew everyDavis. She was one of nine children. thing about everyone. She was the socialite of Mrs. Smith graduated from Armstrong High her day, and you couldn’t keep her from a good School in 1948 and earned a teaching degree party,” recalls her granddaughter, Morgan Smith. from Virginia Union University in 1951. She “Peggy strongly believed in Southern hospitalmarried her sweetheart, Calvin G. Smith, in ity. If you came to her house, you were given

something to eat and drink, and you always left with something”. Her former daughter-in-law, Kelly Smith, recalled, “She loved everyone. She kept in touch with everyone. And she called everyone every day. She had such a warm, loving spirit.” “She was a true Southern belle,” her nephew, John Harvey Mitchell, added. “She was very polite, very well kept in terms of her dress and had almost a Hollywood-like persona. She just came from another generation that thought that manners and being able to speak and to listen were very important.” Mrs. Smith is survived by her husband, son, brother, two grandchildren and a host of other family members. The family has not set a date for a memorial service.

World religious leaders pledge to fight modern slavery VATICAN CITY Pope Francis and Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian leaders pledged Tuesday to use their religions to help stamp out modern slavery and human trafficking by 2020. Pope Francis was lead signatory of a declaration also signed by, among others, the head of the Anglican Communion, two rabbis, a Hindu from India, a Vietnamese Buddhist, an Egyptian imam and an Iraqi ayatollah. It called human trafficking, forced labor and prostitution and organ trafficking “a crime against humanity.” “The physical, economic, sexual and psychological ex-

ploitation of men and women, boys and girls, is chaining tens of millions of persons to inhumanity and humiliation,” the pope said, before signing the pledge to do “all in our power, within our faith communities and beyond” to end modern slavery. The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics called modern slavery “an atrocious plague.” The second global slavery index released last month by the Walk Free Foundation, an Australia-based human rights group, estimated that almost 36 million people were living as slaves, trafﬁcked into brothels, forced into manual labor, victims of debt bondage or born

Triumphant

Baptist Church

2003 Lamb Avenue Dr. Arthur M. Jones, Sr., Pastor (804) 321-7622 Church School - 9:30 a.m. Worship Service - 11:15 a.m. Bible Study: Tuesday - 9 a.m. Wednesday - 7 p.m. Prayer Services: Wednesday (1st & 3rd ) 7 a.m. Every Wednesday 8 p.m. Communion - 1st Sunday

into servitude. Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual head of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians, addressed the group via a video link-up from his base in Istanbul.

The event was organized by the Global Freedom Network, a multifaith, anti-slavery group. Organizers said religious leaders could inspire their faithful to combat slavery and human trafﬁcking through

call 804-644-0496

Richmond Free Press The People's Paper

Dr. Kirkland R. Walton, Pastor

Riverview

Baptist Church 2604 Idlewood Avenue Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 353-6135 www.riverviewbaptistch.org Rev. Dr. Stephen L. Hewlett, Pastor Rev. Dr. Ralph Reavis, Sr. Pastor Emeritus

SUNDAY SCHOOL - 9:45 A.M. SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE 11:00 A.M.

Mount Olive Baptist Church Rev. Darryl G. Thompson, Pastor

2014 Theme:

The Year of Increase

Moore Street Missionary

Baptist Church

1408 W. Leigh Street • 358-6403

Dr. Alonza Lawrence Pastor

Sundays

Early Morning Worship 8:00 A.M. Church School 9:30 A.M. Morning Worship 11:00 A.M.

Tuesdays

Bible Study 12 noon

Wednesdays

New Mercies Ministry 6:00 A.M. Youth Bible Study 6:00 P.M. Adult Bible Study 6:30 P.M.



Sundays

Church School & New Members Class 8:30 a.m. One Powerful Worship Service

Sundays: Morning Worship Church School Morning Worship

8 A.M. 9:30 A.M. 11 A.M.

Unity Sundays (2nd Sundays) Church School 8:30 A.M. Morning Worship 10 A.M. Thursdays: Mid-Day Bible Study 12 Noon Prayer & Praise 6:30 P.M. Bible Study 7 P.M. (Children/Youth/Adults) 2040 Mountain Road • Glen Allen, Virginia 23060 Office 804-262-0230 • Fax 804-262-4651 • www.stpeterbaptist.net

Sixth Baptist Church Theme for 2014: Becoming a Five-Star Church of Excellence We Are Growing In The Kingdom As We Grow The Kingdom with Word, Worship and Witness

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

2nd Sunday Advent (Peace) December 7, 2014 • 11:00 A.M. Celebrating Christ and the Church Message by Rev. Rachel Satterfield

Zion Baptist Church

Associate Minister

“God’s Gift of Peace” – Isaiah 9:2-7

SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, December 21, 2014 ST 91 Church Anniversary

2006 Decatur Street Richmond, VA 23224

through Sunday, September 14, 2014

10:00 a.m.

�

Tuesdays

Noon Day Bible Study

Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor

Wednesdays

Sunday Service 10 a.m.

Prayer and Praise 6:30 p.m. Bible Study 7:00 p.m.

Church School 8:45 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study 7p.m.

Asst. Pastor, Third Baptist Church, Portsmouth, Va. 400 South Addison Street, Richmond, Va. 23220

Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs, Pastor

(near Byrd Park)

Twitter sixthbaptistrva

Facebook sixthbaptistrva

(804) 359-1691 or 359-3498 Fax (804) 359-3798 www.sixthbaptistchurch.org

Transportation Services 232-2867

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8775 Mount Olive Ave., Glen Allen, Va. 23060 (804) 262-9614 Phone (804) 262-2397 Fax www.mobcva.org

9:00 A.M. Church Anniversary Breakfast Guest Speaker: Dr. Earl Bledsoe 11:00 A.M. - Worship Service Guest Speaker: Rev. Joseph A. Fleming

“Reclaiming the Lost by Proclaiming the Gospel”

Good Shepherd Baptist Church 1127 North 28th St., Richmond, VA 23223-6624 • Office: (804) 644-1402 Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, Pastor “There’s A Place for You”

Wilson & Associates’ F u n e r a l S e rv i c e , i n c . Wilson & Associates’ Celebration of Life Center 5008 Nine Mile Road, Richmond, VA 23223 www.wilsonafs.com

Worship Service • Gospel Concert Vacation Bible School Homecoming • Revival

St. Peter Baptist Church

To advertise your church:

ing to avoid buying goods that could be the product of forced labor.

Worship Opportunities

Please be sure to join us each Sunday for a time of passionate worship in praising God.

Spread the Word

education, funding, demanding legal reform and enforcement and promoting ethical purchas-

Tuesday Sunday 10:30 AM Bible Study 9:30 AM Church School 6:30 PM Church-wide Bible Study 11:00 AM Worship Service 6:30 PM Men's Bible Study (Each 2nd and 4th) (Holy Communion Thursday each 2nd Sunday) Wednesday (Following 2nd Sunday) 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting

11:00 AM Mid-day Meditation

Mission Statement: People of God developing Disciples for Jesus Christ through Preaching and Teaching of God’s Holy Word reaching the people of the Church and the Community.

Reuters

Remembrance Service Saturday, December 20, 2014 5:00 p.m.

Please RSVP to this invitation by calling our office at (804) 222-1720 to help us prepare for this memorable occasion. This event is free to the public. Keepsake ornaments and items will be available for order. A light reception will immediAtely follow the service.

“The Church With A Welcome”

Sharon Baptist Church

22 E. Leigh Street, Richmond, VA 23219 • 643-3825 thesharonbaptistchurch.com • Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor

Sunday, December 7, 2014 Holy Communion No 8:00 a.m. Service 9:30 a.m. ...... Church School 11:15 a.m. ..Morning Worship

WEDNESDAYS Prayer Service 6:00 p.m. Bible Study 6:30p.m.

THURSDAYS Bible Study 1:30 p.m.

Remembering is an act of resurrection, each repetition a vital layer of mourning, in memory of those we are sure to meet again. — NaNcy cobb

Richmond Free Press

December 4-6, 2014

Faith News/Directory

Holiday show set for Sunday Out with “Amahl.” In with “Home for the Holidays.” After more than 50 years, the City of Richmond is replacing the classic Christmas operetta “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” the musical about a young disabled boy who is miraculously healed when he offers his crutch as a gift to the newborn Jesus. This year, the city is offering “Home for the Holidays,” a variety show featuring gospel, jazz, dance and musical performances. The goal: To revive interest in the annual holiday stage production, according to the city Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. The new show also is moving to a smaller venue. Instead of the 3,500-seat Altria Theater, “Home for the Holidays” will be presented in the 700-seat auditorium at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, 1000 Mosby St. in the East End. The new show will be 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at the school. Seating will be on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis. The list of performers includes gospel artist Larry Bland, Richmond Ballet’s youth troupe Minds in Motion, the Richmond Youth Jazz Guild under the direction of Ashby Anderson and singer Emma Davis from the “RVA Has Talent” competition. For “Amahl” lovers, the change ends a Richmond tradition of presenting Gian Carlo Menotti’s operetta as a gift to the city. That tradition dates back to the early 1960s.

Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Breaking bread Thomas Robinson, 3, decides his dessert should take priority on Thanksgiving. The toddler enjoyed turkey, ham and all the trimmings at the Giving Heart Community Thanksgiving Feast. The annual event, held Thursday, Nov. 27, drew several thousand diners to the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Companies donated food and beverages to The Giving Heart, a local nonprofit, which had lots of volunteers to help make the day a success. Clothing and toiletries also were distributed. The free event was first held in 2006.

Musical homage to gospel legend Andraé Crouch Six highly acclaimed artists will Laurel St. perform at a Richmond concert The tour will pay homage to Mr. Tuesday, Dec. 9, to honor gospel Crouch’s legendary career spanning music icon Andraé Crouch. more than ﬁve decades. He has won Gospel music singers CeCe seven Grammy Awards and six GosWinans, Marvin Winans, Israel pel Music Association Dove Awards Houghton, Marvin Sapp and Rance and was nominated for the song he Allen and jazz musician Gerald Alwrote, “God is Trying to Tell You bright will perform at the “Let the Something,” for the movie “The Church Say Amen Andraé Crouch Color Purple.” He also has a star on Celebration Tour” stop at the Altria the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Theater. is a member of the Gospel Music The concert is part of a 10-city, Hall of Fame. nationwide concert tour labeled a Artists from Elvis Presley to Paul “tribute to the father of modern Simon have recorded Mr. Crouch’s Mr. Crouch gospel music.” songs. He has arranged songs for Mr. Crouch, who is ill, will not be able to attend artists such as Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Quincy the concert, according to organizers. Jones and Madonna. The concert begins 7 p.m. at Altria Theater, 6 N. His ﬁlm credits include “The Color Purple,”

SHILOH Baptist Church 2420 Venable St., Richmond, VA 23223 804-648-0927 • Dr. Craig S. Beasley, Pastor

100

Women IN White Preparing for the Marriage

“The bridegroom is coming...Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Matthew 25:6, 13 Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. C. Diane Mosby Anointed New Life Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Ebenezer Baptist Church 1858

“The People’s Church”

216 W. Leigh St. • Richmond, Va. 23220 • Tel: 804-643-3366 Fax: 804-643-3367 • Email: ebcofﬁce1@comcast.net • web: ebcrichmond.org Sunday Worship Sunday Church School Service of Holy Communion Service of Baptism Life Application Bible Class Mid-Week Senior Adult Fellowship Wednesday Meditation & Bible Study Homework & Tutoring Scouting Program Thursday Bible Study



11:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m. Every 3rd Sunday 2nd Sunday, 11 a.m. Mon. 6:30 p.m. Tues. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Wed. 7:45 p.m. Wed. 4:30 p.m. Wed. 6:00 p.m. Thurs., 11:45 a.m.

Dr. Levy M. Armwood, Pastor  Dr. Wallace J. Cook, Pastor Emeritus

“Once Upon A Forest,” “The Lion King” and “Free Willy.” Mr. Crouch’s 2013 hit song, “Let the Church Say Amen,” introduced the 72-year-old San Francisco native to a new generation of gospel music lovers. While attending Valley Junior College in California to become a teacher, Mr. Crouch founded the legendary singing group, The Disciples, in 1965. During the next decade and a half, the group had hits such as “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power,” “My Tribute,” “Through It All” and “Bless His Holy Name.” The Disciples disbanded in 1979 and Mr. Crouch undertook a solo career that he continues today. Tickets range from $34 to $64 and are available at the Altria and Richmond CenterStage box ofﬁces, online at www.etix.com or by phone at (800) 514-3849. Details: (804) 592-3368.

FirstM iBaptist Church dlothian Service Times Sunday

Church School 9:45AM Worship 11:00AM

Tuesday

Bible Study 12 Noon

Wednesday Youth & Adult Bible Study 7:00PM Prayer & Praise 8:15PM

Van Transportation Available, Call 804-794-5583

6231 Pole Green Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23116 (804) 746-4095 • Fax (804) 746-0347

Sunday Church School 8:45 a.m. Worship Service 10:00 a.m.

Pastor Craig S. Beasley & First Lady Quezada Beasley

Every Monday & Thursday Morning Prayer (605) 475-4000 424949#

New Deliverance Evangelistic Church

Thursday Bible Study 11:30 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.

1701 Turner Road, North Chesterfield, Virginia 23225 (804) 276-0791 fax (804)276-5272 www.ndec.net

Come visit us on Facebook at: First Union Baptist Church Mechanicsville

Men’s Christmas Concert

Wednesday, December 24, 2014 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Watch Night Service

Wednesday, December 31, 2014 9:00 p.m. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. Bishop G. O. Glenn D. Min., Founder Mother Marcietia S. Glenn First Lady

19th NDEC Founders & Church Anniversary January 18, 2015 9:00 a.m. & January 25, 2014 - 9:00 a.m.

8 a.m. Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Worship Service

Tune in on Sunday Morning to WTVR - Channel 6 - 8:30 a.m.

Wednesday Services

Sunday TV Broadcast WTVZ 9 a.m. Norfolk/Tidewater

Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.

Thursday & Friday Radio Broadcast WREJ 1540 AM Radio - 8:15 a.m.- 8:30 a.m.

Come Join Us!

Sanctuary - All Are Welcome! 7:00 p.m. Prayer 7:30 p.m. Mid-Week Revival/ Bible Study Count

Saturday

8:30 a.m. Intercessory Prayer

You can now view Sunday Morning Service “AS IT HAPPENS” online! Also, for your convenience, we now offer “full online giving.” Visit www.ndec.net.

THE NEW DELIVERANCE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (NDCA)

ENROLL NOW!!! Accepting applications for children 2 yrs. old to 3rd Grade Our NDCA curriculum also consists of a Before and After program. Now Enrolling for our Nursery Ages 6 weeks - 2yrs. old. For more information Please call (804) 276-4433 Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm

Rev. Lewis R. Yancey, II & First Lady Jewel Yancey

Thirty-first Street Baptist Church

Sunday

Senior Citizens Noonday Bible Study Every Wed. 12noon-1pm

Rev. Pernell J. Johnson, Pastor

First Union Baptist Church

3:30 p.m.

2420 Veneble Street Richmond, Virginia 23223

13800 Westfield Dr., Midlothian,VA 23113 804-794-5583 • www.fbcm1846.com

2300 Cool Lane, Richmond, Virginia 23223 804-795-5784 (Armstrong High School Auditorium)

Reverend Dr. Lester D. Frye Pastor and Founder

To empower people of God spiritually, mentally and emotionally for successful living.

… and Listen to our Radio Broadcast Sundays at 10:15 a.m. on WCLM 1450 AM

Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people. - Matthew 4:23

everence e with elevanc R ing Dr. Morris Henderson, Senior Pastor bin m o ❖ C SUNDAYS Church School 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Ornament hristmas for C ❖

The Community Concert Featuring Varina High School Choir Mr. J.D. Lewis, Worship Leader Wednesday, December 10, 7PM 823 North 31st Street Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 226-0150 Office www.31sbc.org

Richmond Free Press

B6 December 4-6, 2014

Sports Plus

Ray Rice can play ball again as wife stands by her man Free Press wire reports

Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice has won an appeal of his indefinite suspension for domestic violence. He now is eligible to sign with any National Football League team, the league stated last Friday. It remains unclear if any team would be willing to sign Rice and face the backlash of protests and boycotts sure to come from some fans, advertisers and domestic violence prevention groups. A day after the ban was lifted, at least four teams, including the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, were said to express interest in signing the tarnished 28-year-old back, though pundits said it’s unlikely they would, fearing negative fallout. It’s also not known if Rice would still be able to perform at the level that made him an All-Pro running back. He has not played since training camp and was coming off a down season in 2013 for Baltimore. Rice said in a statement after winning the appeal that he made “an inexcusable mistake.” He said he accepts responsibility and will work to improve himself as a husband while giving back to the community. “I am thankful that there was a proper appeals process in place to address this issue,” he added. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell initially suspended Rice, 27, in July for two games for punching his then-fianceé Janay Palmer and knocking her unconscious during an altercation at an Atlantic City, N.J., casino in February. The couple married a month later. But after an elevator security video surfaced in September of Rice’s one-punch knockout, the Ravens released the three-time Pro Bowler, ending his $35 million contract. The NFL then suspended him indefinitely.

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Ray Rice still has the support of his wife, Janay. The couple is seen here speaking about the now infamous incident in which he knocked her out in a hotel elevator.

The arbitrator in the appeal in November concluded that Rice did not mislead Goodell when he disciplined Rice the first time and, therefore, the commissioner acted arbitrarily in imposing a second, harsher punishment based on the same incident and known facts. “I do not doubt that viewing the video in September evoked horror in commissioner Goodell as it did with the public. But this does not change the fact that Rice did not lie or mislead the NFL at the June 16 meeting,” the arbitrator, former U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Jones, said. The NFL said in a statement that it respects the judge’s decision, and that Rice is a free agent and would be eligible to play upon

signing a new contract. The decision in favor of Rice was criticized by anti-sexism group UltraViolet, which said it was indicative of the NFL’s “long history of sweeping abuse under the rug.” Janay Rice, who has remained steadfast in support of her husband throughout the ordeal, said in an interview with NBC’s “Today” show host Matt Lauer that her husband told Goodell the truth about the assault from the start. As for Goodell, she said, “I can’t say he’s telling the truth.” Asked by Lauer if NFL officials were trying to protect themselves by calling Ray Rice “ambiguous” about the incident, she said: “I think they did what they had to do for themselves.” Janay Rice said she was furious with her then-fiancé after the assault, but never considered leaving him. “Of course, in the back of my mind and in my heart I knew that our relationship wouldn’t be over because I know that this isn’t us, and it’s not him,” she said. In discussing her husband’s chances of landing with a team, Janay Rice said, “It’s going to take some work.” “But at the end of the day, he’s a football player and that’s what they should be really focused on because he’s proven himself as a football player for seven years. There’s never been a question on what he can do on the field.” Rice pleaded not guilty in May to one count of third degree aggravated assault and was entered into a pre-trial intervention program for first-time offenders. Goodell’s handling of the case raised questions about the effectiveness of the NFL’s response to domestic violence and prompted an independent investigation led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller. The incident fueled a public backlash and one of the biggest crises in the most popular U.S. sport.

UCLA names sports complex for Jackie Robinson By Fred Jeter

breaking baseball’s color line in 1947 — will be displayed at each facility entrance. Also, No. 42 will not be worn by another Bruin in any sport except for the three athletes currently wearing it. Major League Baseball retired No. 42 across the board in 1997. While Robinson’s professional exploits are well documented, less is known of his brilliant college career. After two years at Pasadena Junior College in suburban Los Angeles, Robinson enrolled at UCLA in the fall of 1939, becom-

Any time someone goes to watch or play sports at UCLA they will know the name of Bruins alumnus Jackie Robinson. The Los Angeles university that Robinson attended from 1939 to 1941 has named its vast athletic complex the Jackie Robinson Athletic and Recreation Complex. The complex has 22 separate facilities, including the Pauley Pavilion basketball arena. Robinson’s iconic No. 42 — the jersey number he wore with the Brooklyn Dodgers in

ing the school’s first four-sport letter winner. At UCLA, he had two seasons of football, two seasons of basketball, one season of baseball and one season of track and field. On the 1939 football team, he had three black teammates — Ray Bartlett, Woody Strode and Kenny Washington. Coincidentally, in 1946, Strode and Washington became the first African-Americans to play in the NFL. During the 1940 football season, Robinson led the Bruins in rushing, 383 yards, and passing

yards, 444. During the 1939-40 and 194041 basketball seasons, he was the Pacific Coast Conference, now Pac-12, leading scorer. In track, a sport his family excelled in, he won the 1940 NCAA long jump with a leap of 24-10¼. Robinson’s older brother, Mack, was a silver medalist in the 200-meter sprint at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Mack Robinson finished 0.04 seconds behind gold medalist Jesse Owens. Oddly, baseball was Jackie Robinson’s worst sport at UCLA. In one season at the diamond,

he hit under .200, but did steal home twice. Robinson’s association with No. 42 began in Brooklyn. He was No. 18 for UCLA basketball and No. 28 in football. Robinson’s widow, Rachel Robinson, who Jackie met while at UCLA, spoke at the university’s official naming ceremonies Nov. 21, which also celebrated the 75th anniversary of Robinson’s arrival at UCLA. “UCLA was where our lives together began, and where many of our values and goals were established,” Mrs. Robinson said.

Legal Notices/Employment Opportunities City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL Public Notice Notice is hereby given that the City of Richmond Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Monday, December 8, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. in the Fifth Floor Conference Room of City Hall and the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing on Monday, December 8, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, to consider the following ordinance: Ordinance No. 2014-245 To declare surplus and to direct the sale of certain interests of the City in real estate located at 120 Shockoe Slip and 1331 A East Canal Street and in air rights over a portion of East Canal Street near its intersection with South 13th Street for $916,000 to Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership for the purpose of facilitating the expansion of the existing headquarters building of the Martin Agency. Interested citizens who wish to speak will be given an opportunity to do so. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at www.Richmondgov. com and in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Jean V. Capel City Clerk City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Monday, December 8, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, to consider the following ordinances: Ordinance No. 2014-203 As Amended To declare surplus and to direct the sale of City-owned real estate located at 313 North 24th Street and 2407 East Marshall Street for [$250,000] $325,000 to Sterling Bilder, LLC, for the purpose of the construction of a mixed-use development including commercial, residential and civic space. Ordinance No. 2014-247 To authorize the Chief Continued on next column

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Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept a donation of services and materials in the form of landscaping improvements and future maintenance thereof on City-owned real estate identified as the Low Line Park along Dock Street valued at approximately $1,275,000 from Capital Trees. Ordinance No. 2014-248 To transfer $100,000 from the Streets, Sidewalks, and Alley Improvements project and $100,000 from the 2015 Road World Cycling Championship Infrastructure Improvements project, both in the Transportation category of the Fiscal Year 20142015 Capital Budget, and to appropriate such funds in the total amount of $200,000 to a new line item in the Fiscal Year 2014-2015 General Fund Budget, NonDepartmental agency, for the purpose of making a grant pursuant to Va. Code § 15.2-953(B) to the Three Chopt Garden Club, an organization furnishing services to beautify and maintain communities or to prevent neighborhood deterioration, in recognition of its efforts as part of Capital Trees to improve an area identified as the Low Line Park along Dock Street. Interested citizens who wish to speak will be given an opportunity to do so. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at www.Richmondgov. com and in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Jean V. Capel City Clerk

Divorce

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I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ANA MARLENE MEZA, Plaintiff v. JESUS MORALES MENDEZ, Defendant. Case No.: CL14002612-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 8th day of January, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER DARLENE MORRIS-SINGH, Plaintiff v. MANGAL SINGH, JR., Defendant. Case No.: CL14002590-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 8th day of January, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER MICHAEL GOODWYN, Plaintiff v. KARLA GOODWYN, Defendant. Case No.: CL14002085-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 14th day of January, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND John Marshall Courts Building WEI WEI HYLTON Plaintiff, v. JAMES ARTHUR HYLTON, JR. Defendant. Case No.: CL-144405 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve

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months. It is ORDERED that the Defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 31st day of December, 2014 and protect his interests. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk I ask for this: Andrew S. Chen, Esq. Counsel for Plaintiff VSB#79562 113 Granite Spring Road Richmond, Virginia 23225 (804) 277-9381 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER LUDWIN DONADO SALAZAR, Plaintiff v. MIREYA HERNANDEZ OLIVARES, Defendant. Case No.: CL14002440-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 19th day of December, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 Continued on next column

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8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER LAWANDA BOOKER, Plaintiff v. JUAN BOOKER, Defendant. Case No.: CL14001124-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 19th day of December, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005

PROPERTY Virginia: In the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond Theo Jones, Plaintiff, v. Raymond Jones, et al, Defendants. Case No. 760CL14004337-1

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Order of Publication To: Sheena Jones Lopez, 4220 Fairview Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21220 Karen Jones, 4220 Fairview Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21220 Milton Jones, III, 4220 Fairview Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21220 Unknown Heirs of Milton Jones, a/k/a Milton Jones, Sr., Parties Unknown The object of this suit is to quiet title in and establish title in the plaintiff to 103 West 21st Street, Richmond, Virginia 23224, which was conveyed to Milton Jones and Mary M. Jones by deed from Willie H. Clary and J. W. Clary, her husband, dated May 2, 1904, and recorded March 30, 1907 in the Clerk’s Office of the Corporation Court of the City of Manchester, Virginia, in Deed Book 29, at page 207. An affidavit having been made and signed that Sheena Jones Lopez, Karen Jones and Milton Jones, III, are nonresidents of the State of Virginia and that their last known post office addresses are as indicated above, and that there may be unknown heirs of Milton Jones, a/k/a Milton Jones, Sr., whose names and post office addresses are unknown. It is hereby ORDERED, that each of said parties appear on or before December 10, 2014, and do whatever is necessary to protect their interest in 103 West 21st Street, Richmond, Virginia 23224. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk

Drivers w/CDL: Home Weekends with Dedicated Route Guaranteed Weekly Pay on 1,800-2,100 Weekly Miles Limited Positions, So Call Now 888-475-2818

Friendship Baptist Church is seeking a full time

Pastor.

Please submit resume to 1305 Arlington Road Hopewell, Virginia 23860-6115 Attn: E. Stewart Jones Chairman, Diaconate Ministry Resumes are due by: Dec. 31, 2014

Choir Director and Musicians

Fourth Baptist Church is seeking a Choir Director for the Senior Choir and qualified musicians for three choirs. Applicants must be Christian able to read music with good communication, organizational and interpersonal skills. Musicians must possess strong piano and organ keyboard skills. Deadline to submit your resume is December 14, 2014. Please send to: Fourth Baptist Church, Personnel Committee, 2800 “P” Street, Richmond, VA 23223

Part-time Director of Music Riverview Baptist Church is seeking a Christian Director of Music – Part-time. Applicant must be able to sight read and train choir for Worship Service with competencies in organ, piano, keyboard and music ministry inclusive of hymns, anthems, traditional and contemporary gospel. Salary commensurate with capabilities and experience. Application is available at www.RiverviewBapt @verizon.net or by calling the church office at 804-353-6135. Return application with resume to Riverview Baptist Church, Personnel Committee, 2604 Idlewood Avenue, Richmond, VA 23220. Closing date: December 10, 2014

Riverview Baptist Church

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TransiT sysTem

GRTC TRANSIT SYSTEM CORPORATE MARKETING SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS GRTC Transit System invites all interested parties to submit proposals for providing corporate marketing services. Interested firms may download a copy of RFP # 132-14-16 from GRTC’s website, www.ridegrtc.com (menu options: About Us, then Procurement) or obtain a copy by calling Tonya Thompson at (804) 358-3871 ext 372. An optional, pre-proposal conference will be held on Friday, December 5, 2014 at 10:00am. Responses are due no later than 11:00 am on January 6, 2015. All inquiries pertaining to the request or any questions in reference to the solicitation documents should be directed to: Tonya Thompson Director of Procurement (804) 358-3871, extension 372 Seeking an anointed person of GOD for a position as a Music/Choir Director, able to teach music. Send all resumes with references to:

UNION BAPTIST CHURCH ATT: Music Department P.O. Box 726 Williamsburg, VA 23187

Human ResouRces manageR VHDA is seeking an experienced HR professional to assume the role of Human Resources Manager. The successful candidate will be responsible for implementing and coordinating policies and programs for talent acquisition, retention, compensation, benefit administration and employee services, records management, EEO compliance and reporting, employee relations, business planning, change management, risk management and other functions of human resource management. The role encompasses business planning and implementation. Execution of HR strategic objectives while providing excellent customer service is paramount to the position. The ideal candidate is collaborative and well organized with the ability to think creatively to resolve ongoing complex issues while managing important details. Must have sound judgment and solid decision making skills and be able to multitask and balance priorities that may involve confidential or sensitive matters. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required. Excellent interpersonal, leadership and management skills with a high professional standard for customer service and work quality are desired. Proficiency in MS Office Suite required. Knowledge of Federal/state employment laws and regulations, HR policies and procedures best practices, compensation and benefits administration, and employee relations is required. Several years of experience in a professional human resources role with supervisory experience required. Experience in HRIS implementation a plus. BS/BA in Human Resource Management, Business Administration or related discipline preferred. PHR/SPHR certification preferred. VHDA offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits package. Interested persons must submit a resume and cover letter, stating salary requirements, online only at: http://www.vhda.com/about/careers An EOE Background and credit checks will be performed as a condition of employment.