2016 Year in
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Kaine, Stoney, Locke, Bourne and Nelson tell them A3
Richmond Free Press © 2016 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
VOL. 25 NO. 53
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
www.richmondfreepress.com
DeCEMber 29-31, 2016
Kwanzaa at 50 Henrico family sees value, impact of celebrating the 7 principles of the 50-year-old holiday By Lauren Northington
Shakila Davis and her family have celebrated Kwanzaa since the 1970s. And for Mrs. Davis, celebrating the AfricanAmerican holiday that is now in its 50th year is as important as ever. “I’ve been teaching this holiday to people since the 1970s,” said the retired home economics teacher at Henrico High School and yoga instructor, “and Kwanzaa is for all of us in the diaspora.” Kwanzaa, which officially began on Monday, Dec. 26, and lasts until Sunday, Jan. 1, celebrates seven principles, or the Nguzo Saba, one of which is observed each day during the holiday. The seven principles are “umoja” or unity; “kujichagulia” or self-determination; “ujima” or collective work and responsibility; “ujamaa” or cooperative economics; “nia” or purpose; “kuumba” or creativity; and “imani” or faith. During the weeklong celebration, observers light one candle of the kinara or candleholder, share stories of family history and exchange gifts, often books on African-American history and culture. For many in the United States and throughout the world, Kwanzaa is a time during which African and African-American culture is intentionally celebrated. The holiday and its rituals generally are celebrated using Kiswahili, a language chosen because of its roots as a trade language in Africa. Mrs. Davis, who held community Kwanzaa celebrations yearly at the North Richmond YMCA before her recent retirement, believes Kwanzaa built pride in her children as thinkers and doers. Please turn to A4
Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press
Sakara Bey, 8, lights the Kwanzaa kinara with her father, Hakim Bey, and grandmother, Shakila Davis, on Wednesday at Mrs. Davis’ Henrico County home. The family is celebrating the third day of Kwanzaa, ujima, or collective work and responsibility.
Simone Biles, LeBron James named AP Athletes of the Year Free Press wire reports
She won a record-tying four gold medals to go along with a bronze during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He ended 52 years of sports heartache by bringing Cleveland an NBA championship in June. Simone Biles and LeBron James have been named the Associated Press 2016 Female and Male Athletes of the Year. In a vote by U.S. editors and news directors announced Monday, the 19-year-old Biles received 31 votes out of a possible 59 votes. U.S. Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, who won four golds and a silver in Rio, finished second with 20 votes. Serena Williams, who won Wimbledon for the seventh time to tie Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam titles, and three-time AP women’s NCAA basketball Player of the Year Breanna Stewart tied for third with four votes each. Biles became the fifth gymnast to win the honor, joining Olga Korbut in 1972, Nadia Comaneci in
1976, Mary Lou Retton in 1984 and Gabby Douglas in 2012. It’s company Biles joined while completing a run of dominance that included three straight all-around World Championships, an unprecedented run at the top in a sport where peaks are often measured in months, not years. The teenager from Spring, Texas, hardly seemed burdened by the outsized expectations. If anything, she embraced them. She opted out of a verbal commitment to compete collegiately at UCLA to turn professional so she could cash in on the lucrative opportunities afforded an Olympic champion, a bit of a gamble considering the window is so narrow and directly tied to success at the Olympic Games. Yet Biles seemed immune to it. At least on the outside. Inside, there were more than a few butterflies when she stepped onto the floor during team preliminaries on Aug. 7. They vanished the moment she stepped onto the floor at Rio Olympic Arena as she and the rest of her “Final Please turn to A4
Under scrutiny, Trump announces plans to dissolve his foundation Reuters
President-elect Donald Trump said he intends to dissolve his charitable foundation, the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which has been under investigation by the New York attorney general. The president-elect gave no timeline for winding down the foundation, but said in a statement released on Dec. 24 that he wanted “to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as president.” He directed his counsel to take the necessary steps for the dissolution. With less than four weeks to his Jan. 20 inauguration, the New York real estate magnate
is under increasing pressure to reduce potential conflicts of interest ranging from his vast global business operations to his family’s philanthropic work. Last week, Mr. Trump said his son, Eric, would stop raising money for his own foundation over Mr. Trump concerns that donors could be seen as buying access to the Trump family. The president-elect said it was a “ridiculous shame” that his son’s foundation would stop raising money. Before Mr. Trump’s surprising election vic-
tory on Nov. 8, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in October directed the Donald J. Trump Foundation to stop taking donations, saying the foundation violated state law requiring charitable organizations that solicit outside donations to register with a state office. Mr. Schneiderman’s order followed a series of reports in The Washington Post that suggested improprieties by the foundation, including using its funds to settle legal disputes involving Trump businesses. A spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office said last week that Mr. Trump cannot shutter the foundation while the investigation Please turn to A4
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Foremost wishes for 2017
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VOTE ate 9th Se n t c i Distr
Jan. 3 deadline to register to vote in state Senate election The deadline is fast approaching to register to vote in the special election Tuesday, Jan. 10, to choose a new state senator for the 9th Senate District. The candidates are Richmond Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan, a Democrat, and Corey E. Fauconier of the Libertarian Party. They are vying for the Senate seat that represents parts of Richmond and of Henrico and Hanover counties and Charles City County. Residents of the district have until next Tuesday, Jan. 3, to register to vote in the election or to update existing registration online or in person. Also, those who want to vote absentee have until 5 pm. Tuesday, Jan. 3, to request a ballot be mailed by the voter registrar. The deadline for in-person absentee voting is the close of business on Saturday, Jan. 7. Further information is available at the state Department of Elections, www. elections.virginia.gov or the Richmond Registrar’s Office, (804) 646-5950.
City bonuses may cause future budget problems By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Just days before leaving office, Mayor Dwight C. Jones quietly awarded nearly $2 million in bonuses to most of the city’s 4,000 employees in seeking to brighten their holidays and thank them for their “dedication and commitment” during his tenure. However, he apparently had no authority to play Santa Claus, according to a state law that reserves the authority to award bonuses to City Council and requires any bonuses to be approved by an ordinance. Mayor Jones’ action apparently has used the lion’s share of a potential, but still uncertain, surplus for the current fiscal year to the dismay of the incoming mayor, Levar Stoney, and members of Richmond City Council who see struggles ahead in financing a host of city and schools needs in the next budget that is being prepared. Mr. Stoney, who will take office Jan. 1, said he did not receive a courtesy call that the bonuses were going to be paid and only learned about them after the fact. “I believe we should recognize and appreciate the hard work of our public servants,” he commented. “But I do not think this was a fiscally prudent decision given the challenges we face.” Others, including 5th District Councilman Parker C. Agelasto, are concerned that the money for the bonuses is based on a projected surplus that might not materialize. “Last year in the first quarter, the city was projecting a $12 million deficit,” he noted. “Only later did that turn into a small surplus. We’ve been told repeatedly by the administration that first quarter numbers are too imprecise, and that it is important to wait until later in the year to have a better idea of the financial situation.” Whether any action will be taken to recapture the bonus money remains to be seen after Mr. Stoney and the new council take office in a few days. One thing appears to be certain: No one on City Council has any interest in trying to take back the money from city employees. Please turn to A4