December 29 31, 2017 issue by Richmond Free Press

VOL. 25 NO. 52

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Gift of the heart

www.richmondfreepress.com

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Cherished HolidayMemories

DeCEMber 22-24, 2016

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Earl Fleming, 63, sits in front of the Christmas tree at VCU Medical Center’s cardiac unit on Tuesday, just 19 days after receiving a heart and kidney transplant. “I feel that what is meant for me is meant for me. I try to give the best I can give wherever I am,” he said.

Earl Fleming, a Richmond makeup artist, entertainer and advocate who has given so much to others, receives gift of life from stranger By Lauren Northington

This Christmas, one of Richmond’s living legends, who has spent his life giving to others, received the most beautiful gift of all: The gift of life. Earl Fleming, a celebrated makeup artist, drag performer, singer and Richmond LGBTQ community icon, underwent a long-awaited heart transplant on Thursday, Dec. 1. Along with a new heart, the 63-year-old founder of the oldest existing African-American drag house in Virginia, House of Snow, received a new kidney to improve his chances for a full recovery and a second chance at life. “Right at this moment that I’m talking to you,” Earl said just hours after a cardiac catheterization last week that left his voice raspy,

“I’m the happiest person I can be. I really am. I feel that I am a miracle.” After a decades-long battle with gout and chronic kidney problems, Earl was diagnosed with acute heart failure in 2008. Even after his diagnosis, Earl maintained his unique role as cultural icon in Richmond, serving as emcee during the “Church Crown” fashion show at the Richmond Folk Festival and a judge for Glam Gurls modeling competitions while still doing makeup professionally. Seemingly after every major setback for Earl, there is an even greater comeback.

“It’s amazing,” he said in a hospital interview Tuesday, referring to his transplant recovery time, as his nurse, Kate, nods her head fervently in agreement. “And I’ve been dead three or four times.” Each time, he said, God has given him another reason to live. “When I was younger, a guy stabbed me at my house. I was later in a devastating car accident that severely damaged my sciatic nerve. And when I was getting this heart,” he said, patting his chest under a hospital gown, “I flatlined several times.” Even before an organ donor had been secured, Earl had momentarily given up hope.

“I’m the happiest person I can be. I really am. I feel that I am a miracle.”

Tobacco warehouses breathing new life into South Side By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A one-time wasteland of empty tobacco warehouses in South Side is being transformed into a small business mecca that could generate at least 300 new jobs and uplift a long depressed sector of the city. The father-and-son team of Rick and John Gregory and their partner, Tom Papa, operating as Fountainhead Properties, are undertaking a $30 million redevelopment of the 38-acre property bounded by Maury, Clopton, Decatur and 29th streets. Renamed Clopton Siteworks, the property is already a small beehive of activity. Since Fountainhead bought the property Please turn to A4

Whitney White/Johnson Inc.

Rick Gregory, left, and his son, John, are leading the $30 million redevelopment of tobacco warehouses in South Richmond. The project, called Clopton Siteworks, is now the home of 23 new companies, with room for more.

He was placed on the donor list in the spring of 2016 and was at VCU Medical Center awaiting a donor for 171 days. As the year progressed, Earl said he was becoming increasingly weary. And then, on Oct. 3, Earl was dealt a devastating blow when his closest friend, Dianna Lofton, lost her battle with cancer. “We talked every day, and they came in one day and told me she had lost her life. I was devastated.” But in true form, when Earl thought all was Please turn to A5

Free Press receives award from Diversity Richmond

The Richmond Free Press has received the Partners in Progress Award from Diversity Richmond for its continuing sensitivity to issues facing the LGBTQ community and its reporting, photography and editorials surrounding the June 2015 shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., in which 49 people were killed and 53 others were injured. The Free Press covered local vigils following the massacre and published articles about one of the victims, Darryl Roman “DJ” Burt II, 29, whose family had ties to the Richmond area and who was buried in Amelia County. The award was presented Nov. 29 during a Please turn to A4

It’s official: Electoral College makes Trump 45th president Free Press wire reports

Virginia’s 13 members of the Electoral College unanimously cast their votes Monday for Hillary Clinton, a show of support for the Democratic candidate on the same day Republican electors in other states officially elected Donald Trump president. Although Mrs. Clinton, who won the statewide vote

in November and the popular vote nationally by 2.6 million votes, Mr. Trump won 304 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents. By comparison, Mrs. Clinton won 227 electoral votes. Electors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia Please turn to A4

Roof guilty in church massacre Reuters

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Sharing with Soul Santa Kennedi Ellis, 4, is shy about giving her wish list to Santa during a recent visit to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia in Richmond’s Jackson Ward. The museum’s Soul Santa was a hit with the young — and the young at heart — during the museum’s annual holiday open house. Soul Santa made appearances on two consecutive weekends.

CHARLESTON, S.C. The jury in the federal hate crimes trial of avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof found him guilty on all counts for gunning down nine African-American parishioners at a historic church in Charleston, S.C., last year. Twelve jurors deliberated for a little under two hours before reaching a verdict on Dec. 15. Their unanimous decision came after six days of chill-

ing testimony about the bloodshed during a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17, 2015. The jurors will return Tuesday, Jan. 3, to decide whether Mr. Roof should be sentenced to death or life in prison. Mr. Roof, 22, showed no emotion as the guilty verdicts were read on 33 charges of federal hate crimes resulting in death, obstruction of religion and firearms violations.

The victims’ family members, who sat through the trial as lawyers presented graphic crime scene photos and details about Mr. Roof’s months of planning for the attack, felt a sense of relief. “I am just overjoyed that the judicial system, the jurors, saw fit to give us this triumph,” said Sharon Risher, 58, whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed. “It gives us an opportunity to Please turn to A4

Richmond Free Press

A2 December 22-24, 2016

Local News

Holiday schedule

In observance of Christmas, please note the following: City and county public schools: Winter break began Monday, Dec. 19. Schools reopen Monday, Jan.2. Government State offices and City of Richmond, Henrico County and Chesterfield County offices: Closed Friday, Dec. 23, and Monday, Dec. 26. Federal offices: Closed Monday, Dec. 26. Courts State courts: Closed Friday, Dec. 23, and Monday, Dec. 26. Federal courts: closed Monday, Dec. 26. Libraries Richmond and Henrico and Chesterfield counties: Closed Friday, Dec. 23, through Monday, Dec. 26.

Banks, credit unions and other financial institutions: Closed Monday, Dec. 26 Postal Service: No deliveries on Sunday, Dec. 25. Closed Monday, Dec. 26.

Photos by James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Isaac Lee, left, loads a truck with boxes Saturday from Norrell School Annex at 201 W. Graham Road in North Side. The annex and the nearby A.V. Norrell Elementary School building, which have been used as office space in recent years, are being closed to

Trash and recycling: No pick-ups Monday, Dec. 26. Service delayed by one day for the week. Department of Motor Vehicles customer service centers: closed Friday, Dec. 23, through Monday, Dec. 26.

Cityscape

Virginia ABC stores: Closed Sunday, Dec. 25.

Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

Malls, major retailers, movie theaters: Varies; inquire at specific locations.

help Richmond Public Schools save money. The move is to be completed by February, and the buildings are to be returned to ownership by the City of Richmond. Personnel are being relocated to two sites — the reopened Ruffin Road school building in South Side and the third floor at the Richmond Alternative School in Jackson Ward.

GRTC: Buses operate on regular schedule. Customer service call center closed Sunday, Dec. 25. Free Press offices: Closed Monday, Dec. 26.

Richmond registrar needs money for Jan.10 special election By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond Voter Registrar Kirk Showalter is gearing up for the Richmond special election Tuesday, Jan. 10, when voters will pick a new state senator to replace A. Donald McEachin, who is heading to Washington to represent the 4th Congressional District. Ms. Showalter has only one problem: Money. She told the Free Press that the budget approved by Richmond City Council last May did not include money to hold a special election, although Mayor Dwight C. Jones and the council were aware that one or more special elections might be needed. So far, Ms. Showalter said, the city has not designated additional funds or sent a request to the council to approve extra funding to cover the roughly $75,000 cost for the state Senate election on Jan. 10, including the estimated $33,000 in stipends for the 216 election officers working at the polls. Ms. Showalter The 9th Senate District includes a big chunk of Richmond’s North Side and East End, as well as Charles City County and parts of Henrico and Hanover counties, including Ashland. Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan, a Richmond Democrat, is vying for the Senate seat, along with Corey M. Fauconier, a Libertarian Party candidate from Highland Springs. If Delegate McClellan wins, Ms. Showalter said she likely would need an additional $75,000 to cover the cost of a special election to fill Ms. McClellan’s seat in the House of Delegates. Asked about the lack of funding, Selena Cuffee-Glenn, the city’s chief administrative officer, responded, “At this time, I am unaware of any outstanding requests from the Registrar’s Office” for additional money. “My office has worked successfully with the Registrar’s Office, most recently in the Nov. 8th elections,” Ms. Cuffee-Glenn continued. “At the direction of the mayor, my office worked with Ms. Showalter to accommodate requests for additional space, election officers, volunteers, etc. We are certainly available to work with Ms. Showalter on matters that may arise, such as special elections.” Ms. Showalter confirmed Monday that she has not yet filed a formal request for additional city funds. She said the special election became a certainty only in recent weeks when Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued an order setting the date. Still, she noted that she “forewarned the council in my budget presentation (last spring) that there could be a (special election). Additionally, I’ve kept the budget office apprised of the situation.” Ms. Showalter said she included a projected cost of a special election in the budget forecast for the current fiscal year that she previously submitted and has provided updated cost figures in a new budget forecast she recently submitted. She expressed hope that the information would get the “necessary attention.”

Va. Republicans announce plans to roll back welfare benefits By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Virginia Republicans will seek to make the government program known as Temporary Aid to Needy Families, or TANF, even more temporary in the upcoming General Assembly session — potentially impacting tens of thousands of poor families in Richmond and other localities across the state. Instead of the five-year limit on the welfare benefits that has been in place for nearly 20 years, legislation would be proposed to curb TANF benefits to a lifetime limit of two years under proposals House Majority Leader Kirk Cox and members of the Republican Caucus aired Tuesday at a State Capitol news conference. “The legislation we will introduce will help rid our welfare system of waste, fraud and abuse,” said Delegate Steve Landes, R-Augusta, who outlined the attack he and his colleagues plan to lead on the federally funded program. “Recent studies show that between 4 and 10 percent of welfare spending is either wasted or fraudulent,” he continued. “Waste and fraud in welfare robs the limited amount of resources we have to provide for the truly vulnerable and needy.

“By implementing common sense reforms, we can direct state resources to those who need it the most while protecting precious taxpayer resources,” Delegate Landes said. In addition to slashing the number of years people could receive TANF, the Republican proposals also would reduce the cutoff period. Currently, a mother of a newborn can receive two years of TANF assistance, then the benefits are cut off for at least two years and for as much as three years before they can be resumed. TANF has been around since 1997. It was created under President Bill Clinton to reform previous welfare assistance known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children. The stipends TANF provides are already small, too little for a family to live on. For example, a single parent with one child is eligible for $242 a month under the program. Those with two children can receive $323 a month. The maximum monthly stipend under the Virginia program is $570 a month for a single parent with six or more children. The proposals Delegate Landes said he and colleagues will introduce call for only eight months of payments before TANF is

cut off for a year or more to force people to find employment. A recipient could receive benefits during two additional eight-month periods before TANF would end completely under the proposal. Also, Delegate Landes said Republicans will push legislation to bar localities from receiving waivers from federal work requirements. Those waivers allow unemployed, able-bodied adults with children to receive TANF by participating in workforce training or volunteering 20 hours a week when they cannot find work. Other proposals the GOP will push include a ban on disability advocacy groups from helping people to move from TANF to Social Security disability programs. To cut down on fraud involving EBT cards — the debit card-style Electronic Benefits Transfer cards that have replaced paper food stamps — Delegate Landes said legislation would be introduce to require the cards to have a photograph of the head of household receiving the EBT card. Republicans also plan to introduce legislation to codify TANF and food stamp eligibility requirements to prevent the governor and the executive branch from making changes in the future.

Scholarship aimed at helping former inmates By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A new scholarship has been set up to help former inmates at Richmond’s jail gain work in the building trades, attend community college or secure a high school equivalency degree, or GED. Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. announced the program as part of a partnership with a Richmond area nonprofit that provides re-entry services to released offenders, OAR, which stands for Opportunity, Alliance, Re-Entry. The sheriff said the new scholarship has been named in honor of two deceased members of his staff, Sgt. Rosa Fowlkes and Maj. Kenny Anderson. The scholarship is being started with a $10,000 gift to OAR by an anonymous donor, according to Sara Conlon, OAR’s executive director. Ms. Conlon said the goal is to benefit people being released from the Richmond Justice Center.

Applications for scholarships will be accepted starting in January, she said. She said her staff will work with interested inmates to create re-entry plans. A committee then will review the inmates’ applications and recommend who is to receive scholarships. Ms. Conlon said that the scholarship money could be used to cover tuition at the Richmond Technical Center, enabling former inmates to receive the training, certification and/or licenses needed to work as plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics or in similar fields. She said the program also could pay for people to get a GED or attend courses at a community college to improve their skills. “The men and women who leave the Justice Center are looking for a new way of life, which remains difficult, due to the numerous barriers still present in the community to those who have served time,” Sheriff Woody said. “This kind of workforce development

scholarship will help motivate former residents to continue to work toward a different life and enable them to equip themselves with a marketable skill they can use to find work offering a living wage,” he said. He said naming the scholarship for two staff members who died earlier this year is appropriate. “This is a way to honor Sgt. Fowlkes for her dedication and her service as a bridge between law enforcement and the public,” he said. “And it also honors the appreciation for learning and growing shown by Maj. Anderson, who taught almost every single deputy in this agency as head of our Training Division.” Sheriff Woody said the goal is to fund the scholarship with donations. Tax-deductible gifts to the Fowlkes/Anderson Memorial Fund can be made online at www.oaric.org or mailed to OAR, 3111 W. Clay St., Richmond, VA 23230. For additional information: Ms. Conlon, (804) 643-2746.

Bon Secours deal with city crumbles on Westhampton school building By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Outgoing Mayor Dwight C. Jones has long complained that he never received proper credit for the deal he crafted with the Bon Secours hospital system that brought the Washington pro football team’s training camp to Richmond. He speaks proudly of the fact that Bon Secours paid two-thirds of the cost of building the $10 million training camp on West Leigh Street, where the health care group also operates medical offices. He also was proud that Bon Secours separately agreed to invest more than $32 million in new medical facilities in the East End and the West End that are supposed to create 200 new jobs and provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue to the city. But three years later, a big chunk of that deal appears to be falling apart — Bon Secours’ plan to spend $24 million to transform the former Westhampton School building in the West End into a home for its college of nursing. While the health system apparently is moving ahead with its plan to build an $8.5 million medical office building that would create 75 jobs near its Richmond Community Hospital in the East End, Bon Secours is dropping its plan to reuse the almost 100-year-old landmark

building at Libbie and Patterson avenues for its nursing program. The reason: Too costly, according to Toni R. Ardabell, chief executive officer of the Bon Secours Virginia Health System. The updated estimate from the architect nearly doubled the construction costs to around $43 million, Ms. Ardabell stated. That estimate has since been confirmed by two other architectural firms, she said. Because of the cost, she stated that Bon Secours now plans to build that nursing college on a vacant portion of the land where its Memorial Regional Medical Center stands in Hanover County. That cost: $15 million, she stated. Meanwhile, Ms. Ardabell has come forward with an alternative for the Westhampton site. To the dismay of many, she said Bon Secours is willing to tear down the former school building and construct a two-story, medical office building to meet its 2013 performance agreement with the city’s Economic Development Authority. The idea has gone over like a lead balloon among West End residents who treasure the building that dates to 1917 and once housed Richmond Community High School. Members of Richmond City Council already are lining up to oppose demolition of the building.

Among them is Chris A. Hilbert, 3rd District, who has accused Bon Secours of backing out of its deal. However, the actual document that Bon Secours signed did not include any requirement to renovate or reuse the school building that was constructed at a time when that area was part of Henrico County, long before the city annexed it in 1942. The deal dated July 7, 2013, only requires Bon Secours to spend a minimum of $24 million in construction costs at the site for a medical facility that would generate $288,000 a year in tax revenue. Nothing in the language requires Bon Secours to put a college of nursing there. The agreement states that Bon Secours would create a facility at the site that would create 120 new jobs with a minimum payroll of $10,800 a year, or positions paying an average of $90,000 a year in wages and benefits. In exchange, Bon Secours gained a ground lease on the property at $5,000 a year for 60 years, although that has come with other costs. That has included paying the city $100,000 a year for 10 years for school building projects. Bon Secours has paid $300,000 already. Bon Secours also has paid to relocate a children’s playground on the school property

and maintained the playing field adjacent to the school. It also has replaced more than 500 broken window panes, repainted cracked and peeling window and door frames and landscaped the school property. However, if its proposal for razing the building fails to win city support, Bon Secours can walk away from the lease and terminate the $100,000 annual payment as well as any payment requirements, according to the agreement. Ms. Ardabell is hoping that once the uproar dies down, community residents will take a second look and consider the proposal to bring new development to the community. Creating a medical office building on the site “would allow us to bring more physicians onto our campus, providing enhanced and seamless care for our patients, this neighborhood and the broader community,” she stated. While he leaves office at the end of the month and can no longer influence the outcome, Mayor Jones remains optimistic that “development of the site and the ensuing investment and revenue generation for the city will be able to go forward.” He continued: “What that development may look like is the question. I support Bon Secours being granted additional time to have that discussion with the community.”

Richmond Free Press

ll a g n i h s i W Richmond City citizens and businesses a joyous and Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year. May your homes be filled with laughter, your hearts filled with love and your lives filled with peace. Much love and prayers,

Sheriff C.T. Woody, Jr. City of Richmond

December 22-24, 2016

Richmond Free Press

A4 December 22-24, 2016

News

Federal appeals court upholds right of city employees to express opinions on social media By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Police officers and other government employees do not completely surrender their First Amendment rights when they go to work. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued that reminder in striking down as unconstitutional the Petersburg Police Department’s policy on officers’ use of social media to comment on departmental policies. The 17-page opinion written by Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson found unconstitutional the sweeping ban imposed in 2013 by then-Police Chief John I. Dixon III on officers using Facebook, Twitter or other social media outlets to make comments “that would tend to discredit or reflect unfavorably” on the department. “While we are sensitive to the department’s need for discipline throughout the chain of command,” Judge Wilkinson wrote for a three-judge panel, “the policy here and the disciplinary actions taken pursuant to it would, if upheld, lead to an utter lack of transparency in law enforcement operations that the First Amendment cannot countenance.” The Dec. 15 ruling, in which Judges William B. Traxler Jr. and Bruce H. Hendricks joined, largely overturned a previous lower court decision from senior District Court Judge James R. Spencer that decided in favor of Chief Dixon. The case involves two former Petersburg police officers, Herbert E. Liverman and Vance R. Richards. They sued Chief Dixon in 2014, claming they were disciplined for making critical comments about the department on Facebook, including disparaging what they viewed as the department’s propensity for

promoting young, inexperienced officers as supervisors. As part of the opinion, the appellate court overturned the lower court finding that Chief Dixon, who was replaced earlier this year, was immune from suit. Judge Wilkinson stated that the chief surrendered his immunity from suit when he imposed an Judge Wilkinson illegal policy and followed it with illegal discipline. Because the “department’s social networking policy was unconstitutional, the disciplinary measures taken against plaintiffs pursuant to that policy were likewise impermissible,” Judge Wilkinson stated. In their original filing, Mr. Liverman and Mr. Richards sued Chief Dixon for compensatory damages of $2 million and punitive damages amounting to $350,000, plus attorney fees. The appellate court returned the case to Judge Spencer for further proceedings to determine the appropriate remedy based on the ruling. After learning of the critical Facebook posts in June 2013, Chief Dixon cited violation of the policy and placed both officers on probation for six months. He then changed promotion procedures to ensure they could not compete for vacant sergeant positions. The two officers informed the city they intended to challenge their punishment. Shortly thereafter, the two officers became the subject of several complaints and internal investigations. One was fired. The other resigned. The lawsuit followed. In it, the officers alleged the investigations involved retaliation for exercising

their First Amendment rights. In his opinion, Judge Wilkinson found, as Judge Spencer had, that the internal investigations that led to the departure of the officers were unrelated to discipline over their use of social media and dismissed those claims. In finding the general policy unconstitutional, Judge Wilkinson noted that government employees are not protected when their comments are determined to be personal gripes or complaints. However, that changes, he stated, when the comments involve discussion of issues of public concern by insiders with the most knowledge, as in this case. As importantly, he stated that Chief Dixon and the department could offer no proof that the opinions Mr. Livermore and Mr. Richards expressed created any disruption. That, he stated, undermined the department’s claim that the ban was needed to promote good order and discipline in the ranks. “Running a police department is hard work. Its mission requires capable top-down leadership and a cohesion and esprit on the part of the officers under the chief’s command,” Judge Wilkinson wrote. “Yet the difficulty of the task and the need for appropriate disciplinary measures to perform it still does not allow police departments to wall themselves off from public scrutiny and debate,” he continued. “That is what happened here,” he wrote. “The sensitivity of all the well known issues that surround every police department make such lack of transparency an unhealthy state of affairs. “The advent of social media does not provide cover for the airing of purely personal grievances, but neither can it provide a pretext for shutting off meaningful discussion of larger public issues in this new public sphere.”

Free Press receives award Continued from A1

ceremony at Diversity Richmond’s North Side headquarters to Free Press Vice President Raymond H. Boone Jr. and Bonnie V. Winston, Free Press managing editor. “Richmond Free Press founder, the late Raymond H. Boone, held his reporters to the highest standards. Mr. Boone’s leadership ensured that all people be counted. His legacy still lives today,” Crystal Suber, an officer on Diversity Richmond’s Board of Directors, said in presenting the award. She noted that the Free Press support of the LGBTQ community has been long-standing. “When marriage equality was being debated, the Free Press posted one of the boldest editorials we read, calling on the community of faith leaders to stop fighting the cause of civil marriage for gay and lesbian people,” she said. Following the Orlando massacre, “the Free Press wrote of our candlelight vigil on their front page,” including several large photos, she said. “One of our thrift store patrons made a poster out of that front page and brought it to us. It still hangs in the store today.” Diversity Richmond recognized other individuals and organizations during the event. It also announced grants to 14 community organizations totaling $30,000.

Tobacco warehouses breathing new life into South Side Continued from A1

from Philip Morris in 2014 for $2.55 million, 23 companies, mostly startups, have moved in, including woodworkers, recycling firms and a bicycle manufacturer. And in a throwback to the past, a self-storage company now leases four of the 26 buildings that occupy the site. Armed with enterprise zone and historic tax credits as a result of the warehouses being nominated to the Virginia and the National Register of Historic Places, Fountainhead is transforming four more buildings into eight combo officewarehouse spaces that growing businesses are eager to occupy. And they are talking of turning another three of the buildings into hydroponic greenhouse centers for the wholesale production of vegetables and tomatoes.

Diversity is a hallmark of the project. T.K. Davis Construction Co., an African-Americanowned company led by Tommy Davis, was selected to handle the renovation, making it one of the largest private contracts awarded to a minority firm and ensuring that many of the subcontracts are going to other minority companies. To John Gregory, far more is at stake than finding creative uses for old buildings. The greater purpose of Clopton Siteworks is to inject new life into this section of the city, he said at a recent open house. The attendees included members of the Richmond City Council and city government, who came to admire and celebrate the project. In the current city budget, the council in a show of support put aside $200,000 to provide new sidewalks and streetlights primarily on the

Decatur Street side of the property. The hope, Mr. Gregory said, is that this project will jump-start change by bringing jobs, creativity and fresh vitality to an area that needs it. The most recent figures show that the area has an unemployment rate of 21 percent, and that 40 percent of the residents live in poverty, he said. There are some signs of recovery nearby on Hull Street and in a former tobacco plant on Jefferson Davis Highway that is being converted into apartments. Clopton Siteworks will add to that growth, he said. “Fueling a community’s vitality as a place to work, live and connect with others is central,” he said. The bustling energy of the project is a big change for the warehouses, which sit across from the Maury Street Cemetery and have long

been a sign of tobacco’s role in this part of Richmond. John Gregory said Philip Morris built the complex between 1939 and 1965 to store tobacco leaves for use in a nearby factory. That ended eight years ago when the storage space was cleaned out and put up for sale as the winds of change blew through the tobacco industry. This work is just the latest example of Fountainhead’s creative approach to development. Since 2002, the company has been a major player in Manchester, particularly the former industrial area east of Commerce Road. The company developed the Plant Zero complex, now home to 150 artists, offices and restaurants. Fountainhead also helped launch the apartment boom, with such projects as the New Manchester Flats and the Miller Lofts, and now owns and manages 800 apartments.

It’s official: Electoral College makes Trump 45th president Continued from A1

met Monday, with electors easily dashing a long-shot push by a small movement to block President-elect Trump from gaining the White House. Mr. Trump, who is set to take office on Jan. 20, garnered more than the 270 electoral votes required to win, even as at least a half dozen electors broke with tradition to vote against their own state’s directives. It was the largest number of “faithless electors” seen in more than a century. In Richmond and several other state capitals around the nation, scores of demonstrators chanted and waved signs in an effort to sway electors from voting for Mr. Trump. “Save us,” “History has its eyes on you” and “Say no to bigotry” were among the signs held by about 60 people outside the Capitol building in Richmond’s Downtown. However, Virginia, like most states, has a “winner-take-all” system that awards all electors to the statewide presidential

winner. So in Virginia, which has 13 electors to corIn the end, however, more Democrats than Repubrespond to the total number of seats the state has in licans went rogue, underscoring deep divisions within the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Mrs. their party. At least four Democratic electors voted for Clinton received all 13 votes. someone other than Mrs. Clinton, while two RepubliSusan Johnston Rowland of Chesapeake, who was cans turned their backs on Mr. Trump. selected as president of Virginia’s electors, addressed One of the Republican electors voted for Ron Paul, the Virginia group before they voted. a favorite among Libertarians and former Republican “I share your disappointment and concern in the congressman from Texas, and another for Ohio Gov. outcome of this election,” Ms. Rowland said. John Kasich, who challenged Mr. Trump in the race Time will show that Virginia’s electors were on for the Republican nomination. “the right side of history,” she added. Four of the 12 Democratic electors in Washington Mr. Trump Many of the Virginia electors called it an honor state broke ranks, with three voting for retired four-star to vote for Mrs. Clinton as they cast their ballot. One elector Gen. Colin Powell, a former Republican secretary of state, and appeared to be moved to tears. one for Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American elder who has In Wisconsin, protesters briefly disrupted the balloting. In protested oil pipeline projects in the Dakotas. Austin, Texas, about 100 people chanting “Dump Trump” and “I will work hard to unite our country and be the President waving signs reading, “The Eyes of Texas are Upon You,” of all Americans,” President-elect Trump said in a statement gathered at the state capitol trying to sway electors. responding to the results.

Roof guilty on all counts in Charleston church massacre Continued from A1

start the healing process.” South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley also welcomed the verdict. In the aftermath of the massacre, which intensified the debate about race relations across the nation, Gov. Haley led a push that removed the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol grounds in Columbia. The flag was carried by pro-slavery Confederate forces during the Civil War and is used by many, including Mr. Roof, as a Dylann Roof racist emblem. “It is my hope that the survivors, the families and the people of South Carolina can find some peace in the fact that justice has been served,” Gov. Haley said in a statement. Mr. Roof’s trial was one of two racially charged proceedings that played out in recent weeks in courthouses across the street from each other in the heart of Charleston’s downtown. A state murder trial against a former North Charleston police officer who shot and killed an African-American man in the back as he was fleeing a traffic stop last year ended on Dec. 5 in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked. Mr. Roof’s guilt was not in dispute. He had

Michael Pronzato/The Post and Courier/Associated Press

A pedestrian walks past flowers and a wreath on the door of Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C., on Dec. 15, the day white supremacist Dylann Roof was convicted of the June 2015 shooting deaths of the historic church’s pastor and eight members who had welcomed him to their Bible study.

offered to plead guilty if prosecutors would forego seeking the death penalty, which they refused. During his trial, jurors watched his two-hour videotaped confession to FBI agents and heard eyewitness testimony from two survivors of

the shooting. One of the survivors, 72-year-old retired nurse Polly Sheppard, said Mr. Roof told her she was being spared so she could recount the story of what he had done. Prosecutors said during closing arguments that racial hatred drove Mr. Roof to kill innocent

churchgoers as retribution for perceived offenses against his white race. He spent months scouting potential sites for the attack, bought a gun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition and railed against black people and Jews in his journal and online manifesto, according to testimony. After receiving a warm welcome from parishioners when he arrived at the Bible study, Mr. Roof waited until they had closed their eyes in prayer before opening fire, witnesses testified. “You can see what kind of hatred he had — a vast hatred that was cold and calculated,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Williams said. Mr. Roof’s defense lawyers, hoping to keep him from the execution chamber, asked jurors to consider what factors had led Mr. Roof to commit the senseless acts and suggested he might be delusional. Defense attorneys did not call any witnesses after the trial judge blocked them from presenting evidence of Mr. Roof’s mental state during the guilt phase of the trial. Mr. Roof plans to represent himself during the penalty phase. Mr. Roof also is due to stand trial next year on state murder charges. Malcolm Graham, younger brother of shooting victim Cynthia Hurd, said his family supports a death sentence for Mr. Roof. “I didn’t really need to hear (jurors) pronounce him guilty. I knew he was guilty a year and a half ago,” Mr. Graham said in a phone interview.

Richmond Free Press

December 22-24, 2016 A5

News

Michigan officials face charges in Flint water crisis Reuters

Michigan prosecutors on Tuesday charged four former government officials in Flint, including two city emergency managers, with conspiring to violate safety rules in connection with the city’s water crisis that exposed residents to dangerous levels of lead. Former state-appointed emergency managers Darnell Earley and Gerald Ambrose and former city employees Howard Croft, a public works superintendent, and Daugherty Johnson, a utilities manager, were the latest to be charged in the case, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said. The defendants conspired to operate the city’s water treatment plant when it was not safe to do so, he told reporters at a news conference in Flint. “Flint was a casualty of arrogance, disdain and failure of management, an absence of accountability,” Mr. Schuette said. Michigan has been at the center of a public health crisis since last year, when tests found high amounts of lead in blood samples taken from children in Flint, a city of about 100,000 residents who are predominantly AfricanAmerican. Asked whether the investigation would lead

system in October 2015. to charges against higher-placed “It’s all about numbers over state officials, Mr. Schuette reiterpeople, money over health,” ated that no one was excluded. Mr. Schuette said. Some critics have called The initial change in the for high-ranking state officials, city’s water source was made including Michigan Gov. Rick while Mr. Earley, 65, was Snyder, to be charged. Gov. emergency manager. Snyder has said he believed he At hearings on the crisis had not done anything criminally in Washington last March, wrong. lawmakers criticized Mr. EarThe governor’s spokeswomMr. Ambrose Mr. Croft Mr. Earley Mr. Johnson ley for failing to ask enough an, Anna Heaton, said by email that the state remains committed tenses and conspiracy to commit false pretenses. questions about the safety protocols in place to helping Flint recover. Each charge can carry prison terms of up to 20 at the time of the switch. In his testimony, Mr. Earley blamed city and federal officials for the Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said the latest in- years and/or fines, officials said. dictments also show the failure of the emergency Flint resident Gina Luster, whose 8-year-old problems, and said the decision to switch was manager system adopted by the state, as those daughter suffered lead poisoning, wants to see made before his tenure. “A broad net is certainly being cast,” Virnot beholden to the city made decisions that those charged pay a price for their roles in the ginia Tech professor Marc Edwards, a water endangered residents’ lives. She called on the crisis. state to send more financial aid to the city. “To see convictions and jail time is the ulti- engineer who first raised the issue of Flint’s lead contamination, said by email. Mr. Johnson’s attorney, Edward Zeineh, said mate goal for me,” she said by text. Lead can be toxic and cause brain damage, his client pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday. Flint’s water contamination was linked to “We will vigorously defend these proceedings an April 2014 decision by a state-appointed with children being especially vulnerable. The in court,” Mr. Zeineh said. emergency manager to switch the city’s water crisis has prompted lawsuits by parents who Court documents did not list attorneys for source to the Flint River from Lake Huron in say their children have shown dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. the other three men. An attorney who previously an attempt to cut costs. Thirteen current and former state and local represented Mr. Earley could not be reached The more corrosive river water caused lead for comment. to leach from city pipes into the drinking water. officials have been criminally charged in relaThe accused face felony charges of false pre- The city switched back to the previous water tion to the crisis.

Earl Fleming receives heartfelt gift of life title in 1986. “Earl was one of the featured entertainers, and one day he lost, hope prevailed. asked me did I have a drag The day after Ms. Lofton passed away, Earl received notice from his cardiologists at VCU that he had a donor. mother,” said Ms. Snow. While he does not know who his donor was, he is hopeful “I was just a transgender that he can one day meet and thank his donor’s family for the woman going to school in New ultimate gift. York and I had no concept of It is this enigmatic narrative that allows Earl to continue to find any of that. So she asked me beauty in each moment — and to create beauty for others. to be her daughter. And ever since then, we’ve been like a The Armstrong High School Class of 1972 graduate has worked duo,” she said, reflecting on for more than 40 years as a makeup artist, first at Thalhimers and her decades-long relationship Miller & Rhoades department stores in Downtown during the with Earl, who she said has 1980s and 1990s, then at the MAC counter at Hecht’s and Macy’s been like a mother to her in at Regency Square Mall well into the new millennium. all ways. “Well, you know I love cosmetics,” Earl said, laughing as Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press “I was always amazed at he flipped his flowing black and gray wig. “I could never really this person who could get up paint, like on canvas. But the skin is more pliable. And I like the Earl Fleming has shed 150 pounds since his diagnosis of heart failure in 2008. His face and frame, he says, are much thinner “thanks to really taking care of my body and this on stage and blow people away beauty of it.” with her real voice. I guess we During an era when women of color had a tough time finding amazing (new) heart.” amaze each other.” a proper makeup foundation to match brown hues, Earl could At the time, Mr. Lofton was too young to party at Scandals While many drag queens are known for their seemingly efmix — and actually match. For untold scores of women in Richmond and Petersburg earlier in the night when alcohol was served, but not too young fortless lip-syncing, Earl could actually sing like Diana Ross. Mr. Lofton and Ms. Corbett echoed the same sentiments. searching for a professional look for the workplace or a glam to remember the constant reminder of death during a time when “What stood out for me from any house was that Christmas look for a party or formal affair, Earl was the expert they turned there was no cure or treatment for HIV/AIDS. “The voices of gay men of color who were dying were re- Snow performed live, which is pretty impressive, because most to in 1980s and beyond to highlight their eyes and cheekbones sounding,” Mr. Lofton said. “We would see one day a young, drag is lip-syncing,” Ms. Corbett said. and to add a stylish rouge to their lips. “If you’ve ever heard Earl sing, you were happy at the club Even young women, before their prom or debutante ball or healthy face and then the next day, and next month, and next year, they were gone,” he said. because you knew you were going to get a live vocalist,” Mr. other major functions that That also was the reality for Earl. Lofton recalled. “There was The Pointer Sisters’ ‘Dare Me’ required a “full-beat” or full “When I first did my first drag show, and The Mary Jane Girls ‘In My House.’ With Earl, you were face of makeup, paid Earl a I was 30, and HIV/AIDS was really going to get the real thing.” visit at the MAC counter. rampant during that time,” said Earl. Seeing Earl on stage “would always remind us about why we “He did my daughter’s “But we were family, and they were there,” Mr. Lofton continued, noting Earl’s unique ability makeup for her wedding,” nominated me to be the mother,” he to simultaneously entertain and advocate. said a nurse in passing during said, explaining the inception of the “He certainly wasn’t preachy, but his performances were the interview. “House of Snow.” always for the good of others,” Mr. Lofton said.  “Houses” in the drag community “If more was done on black LBGTQ history and our contriEarl can accent no other generally refer to groups of close-knit, butions to the black community, particularly in Richmond, and canvas better than his own. The typically same-sex individuals who, in what those contributions have been throughout the years, Earl lifelong Church Hill resident many ways, function like a biological would be at the helm of it all,” Ms. Corbett says reflectively. is known in both the LGBTQ family and assume unique roles in the Mr. Lofton agrees. and African-American com“house” under the guidance of a house “Of course, we hope to see Christmas Snow make a return to munities — and the spaces “mother.” Houses might even compete the stage once this is all over with,” he said, referring to Earl’s where they intersect — as the in drag competitions. recovery. “But we would love to hear the voices of LGBTQ quintessential drag queen. For gay black men and trans women, communities of color — those earliest stories “The first word that comes who often face homelessness and soand memories so we can remember.” to mind when discussing such cial exclusion from family and larger  an icon and voice of Richsociety, these “houses” are like home, At this point in the battle for HIV/AIDS mond’s LGBTQ community said Patricia R. Corbett, playwright of eradication and full civil rights for LGBTQ member as Earl Fleming, “Fall of the House of Snow,” people, muting history could be deadly. better known as ‘Christmas a work that fictionalized the “There are approximately 10 individuals Snow’ is ‘diva,’ ” said Beth lives of Christmas Snow and newly diagnosed each month with HIV Marschak, board chair at her “snowflakes” during and at least 10 individuals who are Diversity Richmond, RichCourtesy of Earl Fleming being lost to care each month just in mond’s cornerstone LGBTQ The House of Snow family in 1984 at “Introducing the the height of the HIV/ Richmond,” said Mr. Lofton. rights organization, at their Snow Family” at The Bachelor’s Mill in Washington. AIDS epidemic. “Addressing the black “And the majority of those new casannual awards ceremony on Housemother Christmas Snow surrounded by her “snowflakes,” clockwise from bottom right, April Snow; church, internalized hoes are young gay men of color.” Nov. 29. Diversity Richmond is workThis year, Earl won the Autumn Snow; Sheniqua Snow; Jay Snow; Victoria mophobia, family dynaming with the History Department “We Stand on Your Shoul- Snow, the current house mother; and Zaviara Snow. At ics” and the factors that and American Studies Program ders Award” for Lifetime right, Earl strikes a pose at Hecht’s department store at facilitated the necessity of at the College of William & Mary Achievement from Diversity Virginia Center Commons mall in 1990. “The designer the House of Snow is what for the African outfit,” Earl recalls, “needed a tall girl the to conduct research and preserve VirRichmond although he could day of her fashion show,” although Earl was working the makes Earl amazing, said Ms. Corbett, who studied not leave VCU Medical Center show as a coach, makeup artist and hairstylist. ginia’s LGBTQ history. its inception for years beto accept it. Understanding history, Ms. Corbett “Long before RuPaul, in Richmond, as across the nation, fore writing the short story and subsequent play. believes, begins with community figures “They became this family because often they the drag community entertained us. But, more importantly, they like Earl. have often been at the forefront of building community,” Ms. weren’t getting what they wanted and needed from “He’s a star in Richmond who has their biological families,” including a sense of security, Marschak continued. not received enough accolades because of Like many in the community, Earl as “Christmas Snow,” self-worth and love, she said. her kindness and compassion and caring,” she said. “So I’m ‘Christmas Snow’ and I had seven little ‘snows’ began her performances with the goal of doing just that — Even offering such praise and recognition “would or ‘snowflakes,’ ” said Earl. performing. still not do his legacy justice,” she said. The House of Snow is the last remaining black “I wanted to be Diana Ross,” Earl said matter-of-factly. “Earl understood that when we entertain, we eduEarl got to see “Miss Diana Ross” — as he calls the real-life house in Virginia, he said. cate,” she said. “And there can be a way we send Other popular houses in Richmond at the time were celebrity — for the first time in 1965 with The Supremes, he messages to our young people and do it in a way said. “My granddaddy used to take me to all of the shows,” he “The Monroes” and “The Cocaines," and they were all white, that can be receptive.” said Victoria Snow, House of Snow’s current house mother said, referring to the 1960s Motown-era musical shows. In true form, Earl, who says he has no new Earl laughingly suggested that his family’s temporary residence and Earl’s successor. alter egos on the horizon, is preparing for his next Of Christmas Snow’s seven little snowflakes, all of whom at the Eggleston Hotel in Jackson Ward in its heyday might performance, although he just received a new heart and were black gay men in their 20s, “most of them are deceased,” have inspired him. kidney three weeks ago. Earl said teary-eyed. His grandparents, who adopted him at age 1, raised Earl. “I’m going to prepare for next Christmas’ show. I’ve started At the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States “I wanted to sing and then do fundraisers to raise money for getting hairpieces and different pieces that I’ll need to make it a people who may need help for whatever they may have needed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were more than 300,000 success to help to raise money for the AIDS community — and AIDS-related deaths per year. African-Americans and gay men the heart community, too, now,” he said smiling. it for,” he said. But as time and circumstance would have it, Christmas Snow, were the most likely to be infected, and the most likely to die, Earl has lost more than 150 pounds since his 2008 diagnosis Earl’s alter ego, found herself thrust into a space of advocacy according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. with heart failure. As he posed for the camera at VCU Medical The average age of the dead: 31. and activism at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Center, nurses passed by showering him with compliments. His Of the seven original House of Snow snowflakes, only two face illuminated like a Christmas bulb. “When I was able to see Christmas Snow perform, it was always after 2 a.m. at 2001 East Franklin Street,” said Rodney remain — Victoria Snow and Zaviara Snow, who will be coming He spoke with hope about the future, offering an idea for a Lofton, the nephew of Ms. Lofton and the program coordinator to Richmond from Chicago for Christmas Eve, Earl said. resurrection performance by Christmas Snow. “She lost her real mother recently, and she still calls me mom. for Diversity Richmond. He was referring to “Scandals,” the “Maybe I’ll do something for Valentine’s Day, some kind former Shockoe Bottom gay bar that was hugely popular in the So I try and talk to her once a week,” said Earl. of sweetheart dance or something like ‘New beginnings with Victoria Snow met Earl after winning the “Ms. Scandals” a sweet heart.’ ” 1980s and 1990s with its massive dance floor and drag shows. Continued from A1

Richmond Free Press

Downtown holiday skyline

Editorial Page

December 22-24, 2016

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Holiday wishes To our Free Press readers, subscribers, advertisers and supporters, May your path be ﬁlled with light, may your heart beat with joy and may your spirit be light with warm reﬂections and sharing with those you love. Happy holidays to all! Sincerely, The Richmond Free Press staff

Ben Carson: A never-ending nightmare When Ben Carson emphatically declared that he has no government experience that would qualify him to run a federal agency, most took this to mean that he would quietly fade from public attention. We should have known better. Presidentelect Trump saw to that when he brushed aside Dr. Carson’s momentary candid admission and plopped his name down for secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This was a remarkable but not surprising return from the political dead for Dr. Carson, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon. Now we’ll have a man who admits he has no government experience running a crucial agency that ladles out billions annually in public housing subsidies, rental assistance and housing ﬁnance activities, employs more than 8,000 workers and administrators and operates more than 100 subsidy programs. If that’s not bad enough, Dr. Carson doesn’t even like what HUD does. He has a long and well-documented track record of lambasting housing discrimination suits, over-dependence on “social safety net” programs, getting government out of competition with private enterprise

and denouncing anything that supposedly deadens individual initiative. This was the stuff of snickers, chuckles and lampooning when Dr. Carson was simply a private citizen or a mercifully brief, failed GOP presidential candidate. Few then could ever imagine that

Earl O. Hutchinson Dr. Carson would ever be in a position to act on any of his rabid, antique, ultraright notions of how a government should be run. However, with the Trump HUD post offering, Carson now can give free rein to his basest impulses about government. HUD has been a long-standing favorite whipping boy of ultraconservatives. They have repeatedly ripped HUD for its alleged corruption and cronyism, and complained about the high cost and waste of public housing projects and vouchers for low-income renters. But HUD’s biggest sin to them has been that it supposedly shackles private housing developers by putting the federal government directly in the business of subsidizing home ownership. They have made the unsupported and outlandish claim that HUD’s butting into the housing business was one of the biggest reasons for the 2008 ﬁnancial meltdown. The only thing missing from the conservative hit plan on HUD was ﬁnding the right someone to do the dirty work to defrock the

agency. And who better than Dr. Carson? He is black, and he and other conservatives never tire of repeating his woeful tale of rising from the hard-scrabble streets of an urban ghetto to the pinnacle of success in the medical profession. He even lightly played on it again when he said that he had great expertise on poor people living in public housing because he once lived in a ghetto. Trotting out of Dr. Carson to deliver the right wing gospel in the hacking up of HUD ﬁts in with yet another ploy used by ultraconservatives during the Obama years. And that was to ﬂoat Carson as a GOP presidential contender. It worked twice in 2012 and 2016. And as always, some in the media took the bait and actually treated Dr. Carson as a serious contender. That absurdity only got to be too much when Dr. Carson made ever more bizarre statements about anything that came to his mind. However, it was more than political theater of the absurd. It got attention for the GOP. It also touched a deep, dark and throbbing pulse among legions of ultra conservatives who fervently believed that President Obama and many Democrats are communists, gays are immoral and that the health care reform law was exactly what Dr. Carson likened it to — slavery — meaning the tyrannical intrusion by big government into their lives. In the past, mainstream GOP leaders couldn’t utter these inanities. They had to give the appearance that they were above

Investigate voter suppression

The CIA conclusion that the Russians intervened in our elections in order to help elect Republican Donald Trump has sent Washington into one of its fabled tizzies. President Obama has ordered an intelligence agency report before he leaves office. Democrats and responsible Republicans are calling for congressional investigations. Pundits are arguing the Russians — combined with FBI Director James Comey’s outrageous interventions — cost Democrat Hillary Clinton the election. In response, President-elect Trump is tweeting furiously about voter fraud, peddling lies about millions of illegal immigrants voting and many other things to distract from the escalating scandal. Left out of this brouhaha is the systematic and purposeful voter suppression that certainly cost Mrs. Clinton the election. The Russians didn’t do it. It was done by right wing partisan state ofﬁcials eager to suppress the vote of people of color, the young and the working poor. These efforts were open, systematic and widespread. And this domestic hacking at our elections was far more destructive than the hacking Russia is said to have done. This was the ﬁrst presidential election since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the federal Voting Rights Act. According to the Brennan Center, 14 states passed

voter suppression laws that were in effect for the ﬁrst time in November, including swing states like Ohio and Wisconsin. The steps taken to suppress the vote aren’t secret — new requirements of voter ID that discriminate against the poor, the elderly and disproportionately people of color; restrictions on use

Jesse L. Jackson Sr. of college ID to impede student voting; closing registration weeks before Election Day; limiting early voting days, including closing on Sundays; holding Election Day on a workday with limited hours for voting, making it difficult for those with inflexible hours to get to the polls; shutting down or moving polling places to confuse voters and force them to wait in long lines; purging voters from the polling lists, leaving them to cast provisional ballots at best; prohibiting felons who have paid their debt to society from ever recovering the right to vote, disproportionately impacting African-American men. There is little doubt these measures worked and cost Mrs. Clinton the election. In Wisconsin, for example, Mr. Trump’s margin of victory was 27,000. A record 300,000 registered voters lacked the newly required ID, contributing to the lowest turnout in 20 years. Turnout was down by more than 50,000 in Milwaukee, where 70 percent of the state’s African-American population lives. In North Carolina, black turnout was down 16 percent in the first week of early voting,

in part because there were 158 fewer polling places in the 40 counties with large numbers of black voters. The targeting was intentional, with Republican officials celebrating the effects. The decision by the right-wing gang of five on the U.S. Supreme Court in the Shelby case effectively subverted the victory of the Civil Rights Movement at Selma, Ala. If Russians hacked the Democratic National Committee’s and the Clinton campaign’s emails to influence the election, it should be investigated. In an election decided by 80,000 votes in three states, it might have made a difference — as almost anything could in an election that close. But what is clear is that Russian hacking was not nearly as effective as the partisan systematic suppression of the vote. And that effort is continuing. Republicans in Missouri took control and moved to institute new voting ID restrictions for the next election. In Wisconsin, Republicans announced plans for new restrictions on early voting. I urge President Obama to launch an investigation and report on voter suppression to be released before he leaves office. President-elect Trump said he wants to be the president of all Americans. If so, he should lead an effort to end voter suppression and to revive the Voting Rights Act. Citizens of conscience must move to end voter suppression and clean up our elections. The writer is the founder and president of the national Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

The Free Press welcomes letters Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

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the dirt, mud and hate-slinging fray. So they left it to a well-paid stalking horse like Dr. Carson to do their dirty work for them. This, of course, all changed with Trump. He openly and unabashedly said what many conservatives thought about President Obama, Muslims, immigrants and minorities. He cynically, but masterfully, crafted this hate and bigotry into a winning campaign. It was no accident that his biggest and most visible black cheerleader was Dr. Carson. He was ever dependable to be trotted out on talk shows to defend and even praise Mr. Trump. Dr. Carson, though, has another kind of shelf value for President-elect Trump. He gives the illusion that his administration will be race neutral and that African-Americans could have access to him. Putting Dr. Carson in the top spot at HUD ﬁts neatly into the script. He is black, is admired for his saga in some circles and as such, can do as much damage as conservatives want at HUD with maybe minimal attention. That’s why Dr. Carson is around and will continue to be our never-ending nightmare. The writer is an author and political analyst.

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Richmond Free Press

December 22-24, 2016

Letters to the Editor

Change takes place from the bottom up When President Obama first ran on the slogan, “Yes We Can,” I was all in. I, as well as others, understood the importance of a collective effort to affect progressive change. But what also occurred to me is how social change, such as civil rights, workers’ rights and a list of other issues that affect the most disenfranchised, never happens from the top down. These changes take place due to a tireless bottom up movement. No president, whether they are of our liking or disliking, will have the kind of power we desire to address and make policy favorable to our interests without a bottom up

movement. Ironically, from 2008 to the present, the far right understood this tactic and used it by way of the Tea Party and was able to control state offices, as well as both houses of Congress, and obstruct much of President Obama’s agenda to effectively improve the plight of the working poor. That movement basically set the basis for the election of Donald Trump to the presidency. We need not repeat the mistake of the past eight years and just be sideline critics. Decisive action that involves wellorganized movements from the local to the national level must

A right to express one’s feelings While the Obama presidency and the year itself both come to an end, the double standard extant between folks of color and others continues unchecked. President-elect Donald Trump, who accused a sitting president of falsifying his birth certificate, has “reminded” Michelle Obama of her need to remain quietly within Teutonic shadows when it comes to what she says. Mrs. Obama’s recent remark about the loss of “hope” apparently ticked off the presidentelect, prompting him to once again take words out of context and make a fool of himself.

Mrs. Obama experienced this type of “muzzling” back in 2008 when she said, in part, “I … was not particularly proud to be an American.” In Mr. Trump’s new America, voices not in tune with his own are seemingly considered antithetical to the American way! In 2008, we witnessed American media deliberately obviate the unequivocal fact that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright had actually quoted Edward Peck, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and deputy director of President Reagan’s Terrorism Task Force, for which he was ostracized. The fact is, Rev.

Wright prefaced his remarks by saying, “I heard Ambassador Peck … yesterday … on FOX News … this is a white man and he was upsetting the FOX News commentators …” In this 21st century, when a white man in this country is frowned upon for “upsetting commentators” and a black president is deliberately disrespected during his eight years, the question has to be asked how much progress really has been made. And what does a Trump presidency portend? Many people of color have generationally suppressed feelings that, constitutionally, we should be able to express

All for ‘Merry Christmas’ When December dawns, thoughts turn to the greatest of all seasons — Christmas. A lot of customs have become associated with Christmas since the reason for this great season was born more than 2,000 years ago. The birth of Christ changed the world and offered hope and eternal life to all who believe in him. Today, some people do not want to identify the greatest of all holidays by its true name. Sure, retailers want Christmas gift-giving to keep growing, but some have reverted to calling Christmas “the holidays.” Of course, the true meaning of Christmas is not the gift-giving, decorations or parties. Nevertheless, activities observed in honor of the

Christmas season should always be identified as Christmas observances. I plan to stop shopping in stores that do not clearly identify the Christmas season. In a country where 75 percent of the people identify themselves as Christians, this great season needs to be given the respect it is due. So, in the future, there will be no “Happy Holidays” from me. My greetings and observances shall always be identified with a big “Merry Christmas.” JOHN G. KINES JR. Disputanta

without having the leader-tobe of this country arousing an American public against a right he himself abuses.

take place. We must be engaged and vote in every election and have movements of people and activists that hold public officials accountable. As for third party candidates, it’s most important that the focus not be just on getting into the White House, but working from the bottom up with these candidates targeting local as well as congressional seats. It just makes sense to me. STUART M. SPEARS Richmond

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Richmond Free Press

A8 December 22-24, 2016

Sports

Stories by Fred Jeter

Grambling wins Celebration Bowl Grambling State University in Loui“We didn’t block the guy on the back siana is the champion of HBCU football side.” for a 15th time. The Celebration Bowl is more than a The Tigers, or “G-Men” as they are football game. Teams arrived in Atlanta sometimes called, nipped North Carolina Wednesday, Dec. 14, for a welcome dinner Central University 10-9 in last Saturday’s at the Georgia Aquarium. Thursday, Dec. Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome 15, was the Black College Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Banquet. On Friday, Dec. 16, teams visThe game was played before an ABC ited Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital television audience and crowd of 31,096 to offer encouragement to children with spectators at the Georgia Dome, down sickle cell anemia. from 35,528 a year ago. Last year’s inaugural Celebration It was the second year of the bowl-style Bowl saw North Carolina A&T State arrangement between champions of the University of MEAC defeat Alcorn State MEAC and SWAC athletic conferences, University 41-34. the only HBCU conferences in NCAA HBCU football dates to Dec. 27, 1892, Division I. Each conference receives a when North Carolina teams Johnson C. $1 million appearance fee. Smith University played Livingstone SWAC champion Grambling finishes College. HBCU National Championships 11-1, while MEAC champ NCCU, feahave been determined by various means turing Richmond native Malcolm Bell at during the past century, generally by quarterback, closes the season 9-3. media votes. Most of Grambling’s previous HBCU The Pittsburgh Courier has named a titles were under legendary Coach Edmythical — meaning by vote — HBCU die Robinson (1941-1997). The Tigers’ champ since 1920. More recently, last title was in 2008 under Coach Rod BOXTOROW has selected national Broadway, who is now at North Carolina champs. Courtesy of Grambing State University Athletic Department A&T State University. The Celebration Bowl marks the third It seems fitting that Grambling’s current Members of the Grambling Tigers football team celebrate their razor-thin 10-9 victory over North attempt to settle the crown on the field, coach, Broderick Fobbs, played for Coach Carolina Central University last Saturday in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. following failed attempts because of Robinson from 1992 to 1996. finances by the Pelican Bowl (1972 to Coach Fobbs’ father, Lee Fobbs, serves as the Tigers’ running removing his helmet in a moment of elation. 1975) and the Heritage Bowl (1991 to 1999). The longer extra-point kick then was blocked, allowing backs coach. Lee Fobbs, too, played under Coach Robinson Tennessee State University, with 16 HBCU crowns, remains Grambling to escape. from 1970 through 1973. the all-time leader. Florida A&M University has the second “I am at fault,” Atkinson told the media. “I want to apolo- highest number of championships with 14, followed by Tuskegee Facing Grambling’s vaunted “Golden Curtain” defense, NCCU senior Bell, a former Henrico High School standout, was 18 of gize for what was a selfish act. I’m not a selfish person, but it University in Alabama with 12, and Southern University in 32 in the air for 240 yards and a 39-yard touchdown to Quentin was in the heat of the moment and I was excited to bring our Louisiana with 11. team back.” Atkinson with 1:49 left to pull the NCCU Eagles close. Virginia Union University was HBCU national champ in NCCU Coach Jerry Mack explained it like this: However, Atkinson was flagged with a 15-yard penalty for 1923 and 1981. Virginia Commonwealth University’s basketball prospects are looking up — both short and long term. The Rams have survived a challenging early schedule with an 8-3 record that includes a close 80-77 victory last Saturday over visiting Middle Tennessee State University. The Blue Raiders came to Richmond with a 10-1 record and the nation’s ninth best RPI (power) ranking. Upcoming VCU home games appear less demanding, with 7 p.m. tipoffs against the University of LouisianaMonroe on Thursday, Dec. 22, and Howard University on Tuesday, Dec. 27. VCU has an overwhelming advantage at the raucous Siegel Center, where the Rams have enjoyed 88 consecutive sellouts. The Rams are favorites in Richmond almost no matter who the opponent might be. The Rams are 74-10 at the Siegel Center since the 2011-12 season. And while factors may change, the only games left on VCU’s 31-game slate where the Rams might be the underdog are at the University of Rhode Island on Feb. 25 and at the University of Dayton on March 1. VCU second-year Coach Will Wade has smoothly mixed a crop of inherited juniors and seniors from the Shaka Smart era with his own prized newcomers. Guard JeQuan Lewis, one of six seniors, had 20 points against Middle Tennessee and leads in scoring — 15.4 points per game — while making 33 of 70 3-pointers for 42 percent. If VCU continues to roll up victories, Lewis might be a candidate for Atlantic-10 Conference Player of the Year. The Rams are excited about freshman De’Riante Jenkins and redshirt freshman Samir Doughty, both Coach Wade recruits.

VCU Rams to meet Louisiana, Howard U. at Siegel Center Doughty had 14 points and Jenkins had nine against Middle Tennessee. Doughty is averaging 8.1 points in 23 minutes per game; Jenkins averages 5 points in 14 minutes per game. A black and gold cavalry, of sorts, is en route for the Rams. Slated to arrive next year to play for VCU are four highly touted freshmen, 6-foot-2 Lavar Batts, 6-foot-7 Marcus SantosSilva, 6-foot-9 Sean Mobley and 6-foot-9 Mayan Kiir, plus 6-foot-5 transfer Issac Vann

Samir Doughty

De’Riante Jenkins

from Maine, where he was the leading scorer in 2015-16 with an average of 16.4 points

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per game. ESPN has rated Coach Wade’s Class of 2017 as the

22nd best in the nation. Coach Wade faced serious personnel issues after being named as Coach Smart’s successor in spring 2015. All three Coach Smart recruits — Tevin Mack, Jordan Murphy and Kenny Williams — asked for and were granted releases, and freshman standout Terry Larrier transferred to the University of Connecticut. Mack is now the leading scorer at the University of Texas. Murphy and Williams

are starting at the University of Minnesota and the University of North Carolina, respectively. Larrier was the leading scorer at the University of Connecticut before suffering a knee injury in the fourth game. Scouting report: The University of Louisiana-Monroe of the Sun Belt Conference features junior guard Nick Coppola from Richmond’s Benedictine College Preparatory. Coppola averages 11.2 points per game while leading the Warhawks with 56 assists. When MEAC affiliate Howard University visits VCU, the Bison likely will be missing injured guard James Daniel. The Hampton native led the NCAA in scoring last season, but has been sidelined this season.

Lady Panthers’ Brittany Jackson making her mark Brittany Jackson has not only inherited Kiana Johnson’s jersey number — No. 3 — but also her role as dominating guard at Virginia Union University. Lady Panthers Coach AnnMarie Gilbert points out other comparisons: “Both have extremely high basketball IQs … and they’re both gym rats,” said Coach Gilbert. “The men’s team has to chase Brittany out” of Barco-Stevens Hall. “Sometimes she thinks she’s on their team.” Johnson, now playing on a pro team in Finland, was NCAA Division II Player of the Year a season ago, leading VUU to the CIAA title and the national quarterfinals. Like Johnson, a transfer from Michigan State University, Jackson has a Division I background. She was a freshman star at Georgia Tech before becoming Junior-College All-America at ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y. The fact Jackson wears Johnson’s No. 3 is no accident. “I did my research,” Johnson said. “Kiana put up amazing numbers. I’m trying to do the same — and also win a national championship. I’m fully committed.”

So far so good. Jackson is averaging 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for VUU, which is now 9-0. She logged totals of 30 and 29 points, respectively, in wins over Shepherd and Johnson C. Smith universities, and earned CIAA Player of the Week accolades on Dec. 5. Jackson leads the Lady Panthers in 3-point connections (18) and free throw Brittany accuracy (30 of 33 for 91 percent). Like Johnson before her, Jackson, whose nickname is “B,” is a scoring threat all over the court, launching threes, pulling up for jumpers, driving to the hoop, draining free throws. They differ in that Jackson is 3 inches taller than Johnson and more muscular. Johnson was the consummate point guard; Jackson is more of a “power

guard.” “Brittany is strong enough to drag defenders to the rim,” said Coach Gilbert. She has a background not only in tossing a basketball, but heavier objects as well. Competing for Sebastian River High School on Florida’s Treasure Coast, she was the two-time State 7A champion in the discus, with a 142-foot best. She also tossed the shot put 41 feet. In 2012, Jackson Jackson paced Sebastian’s Sharks to the State basketball crown and was runner up for Florida Player of the Year. Nipping Jackson for top player was Alexis Prince of Edgewater High School in Orlando, who went on to stardom at Baylor University. Jackson’s talented relatives include cousin Kiandre’a Pound, a Sebastian River High teammate now playing at Florida International University, and

uncle Leon Freeman, a former football defensive end at Baylor. Following one season at Georgia Tech, where she made the ACC All-Rookie Team, and one at ASA, Jackson was briefly at the University of Mississippi, but never played for the Rebels. Jackson wears prescription goggles on the floor. She has junior eligibility at VUU with hopes of continuing the dominance Johnson started last year. “We want to destroy teams — wipe ’em off the map,” said the 22-year-old Jackson who is majoring in criminal justice. Ranked No. 6 in Division II by USAToday earlier this month, VUU has an average victory margin of 18 points during its 9-0 start. As talented as Jackson is, she admits to one weakness — sea sickness. She has a passion for deep-sea fishing in the Atlantic Ocean — until her stomach starts feeling queasy. “That’s when I say, ‘Get me off this boat,’ ” she said, laughing. Unless VUU’s opponents can schedule games on shipboard, Jackson is apt to continue her effective Kiana Johnson routine.

Richmond Free Press

SECTION B

The holidays for many represent a season of light during the darkest time of the year. Whether you spend this season celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, the memories we create with family, friends, loved ones — and even strangers — stick with us for a lifetime. The generous spirit of love, compassion

Cherished Holiday Memories

December 22-24, 2016

and humility gives us hope for our collective future. It is with that spirit that four Richmond area residents shared with the Free Press their most cherished holiday memories. We hope their reflections will bring joyful recollections of your own during this holiday.

Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Soundtrack of the holiday Tasha Chambers, director, Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia: There is something about Donny Hathaway’s song, “This Christmas,” that takes me back to a place when things were simple and easy. The intro of the vinyl version has a distinct crackling sound that fills my heart with sadness and joy. If you’ve followed my career since I’ve been at the museum, you probably have read about my grandfather, Christopher Chambers Sr. He was an important person in my life. My grandfather was a simple man. He didn’t own much. But he was a good man. He was a family man. His beloved record collection included hits such as The Temptations’ “Silent Night,” Marvin Gaye’s “I Want to Come Home for Christmas” and my favorite, Otis Redding’s “Merry Christmas Baby.” I couldn’t wait until December when he would dust off those records with his breath and fuss about not bumping the record player. Because

of him, I got to appreciate the holidays accented with those soulful sounds as the soundtrack to a black folks’ Christmas. My grandfather would decorate our small house in Central Gardens in Henrico County with those huge color bulbs that you see in the movie, “A Christmas Story.” He would be beyond angry detangling those lights. But each year, I would brave his temperament and hang lights with him. Our little holiday house made him proud! His creative way of explaining to me that Santa had a key for those children who didn’t have a fireplace reaffirmed my belief. “Santa” would use that key and surprise me. An Easy Bake Oven and a Cabbage Patch Kids doll were some of my favorites. My grandfather is gone now — a long three years. But I still look forward to that moment each year when I hear “This Christmas.” When I do, I just smile and think about my real “Santa” named Granddaddy.

A lesson in giving Nancy Rodrigues, state secretary of administration: On a December morning when I was in elementary school in Newark, N.J., my sister, Linda, and I asked my Dad for money to buy Christmas presents. After all, that was our normal course of action. However, that time, my Dad said, “Let me think about it.” When we came home from school that day, our backyard was filled with Christmas trees. My father informed us that he was setting us up in the tree-selling business and we could use the “profits” to buy our holiday gifts. I quickly learned the true meaning of “wholesale,” “retail” and “mark up.” That year, and subsequent years until my second year of college, selling Christmas trees was an annual event. My parents taught me the key to success was ensuring that each customer got the perfect tree, and so they did. It seemed we always had enough trees

to sell. Dad made sure we had enough inventory. Every Dec. 23, we sold our last tree and spent Christmas Eve on a shopping and wrapping spree. At last I thought I had learned the meaning of Christmas. I worked hard to afford the gifts I gave. However, less than a decade later, I learned that my father still had one more lesson for me about the meaning of Christmas. At his funeral, a young man came up to me. I recognized him from the neighborhood. He approached me by saying, “I always thought your Dad was Santa.” He went on to explain that every Christmas Eve, my Dad went around the neighborhood giving out Christmas trees to families that could not afford to buy one. Until that moment, I never realized that, in the frenzy of my Christmas Eve activities, I never thought about what became of the leftover trees. Yet the leftover trees were the greatest gift of all.

‘Santa Claus always delivers’ Dr. Lei Charlton, Richmond physician: Growing up on Virginia’s Northern Neck, we experienced many winter wonderlands. Christmas parades, church and school plays and singing carols created our excitement. Our family would go into the woods and help our mother gather running cedar, holly, pine and spruce, which she would transform in her signature way into the live wreaths and decorations for our home. The aroma preceded the finished product and filled the rooms with the smell of Christmas. She would also give her creations to family and friends. One tradition was the ride to Richmond to Miller & Rhoads department store in Downtown to visit Santa. You thought your heart would literally jump out of your chest as you waited your turn in line. You ran to climb onto Santa’s lap, ready to recite your list and have your picture taken with him! You would be confident that you would get everything on that list because, every year, you did. One of my sisters, Janai, asked for a pony and she got one — a real one she named Jay.

Santa Claus always delivers. One year, I asked for skates and Santa brought them. My sister asked, “Lei, can you skate?” I demonstrated. Then, they helped me put the skates on and stood me up. Gracefully, I took off on the basement floor and plopp! Tearfully, I looked up and asked, “I can’t skate, can I, Pammie?” Then Christmas morning, we — six children and Mother and Daddy — would march into the room where the live tree — decorated picture-perfect — smelled to high heavens and the fire roared in the fireplace. Everyone ran to their stack of presents and started that frantic Christmas present paper ripping. Such happiness for all! You had time to play with your toys, eat breakfast and pack to visit family and friends to exchange gifts. There was the stop in Charles City, then on to Richmond and Anna’s rolls! What a great foundation we had for our Christmas celebration today! Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Christmas road trip Greta J. Harris, president and CEO, Better Housing Coalition: Some of my fondest holiday memories center on our road trips from Danville “up North” to visit our aunts and the rest of the family in Connecticut. Without traffic around Washington or on the New Jersey Turnpike, it was a harrowing 12-hour drive with two parents, two grandparents, four little girls and a gassy Chihuahua named Mitzi all packed in a Vista Cruiser station wagon with three rows of seats — think Chevy Chase and “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” The night before we left, the car would be gassed up and packed with suitcases, kids would be bathed and dressed — even with our hair combed — so at the magic 2 a.m. hour, all that was required was a good teeth brushing and we would be on our way. Thirty minutes into the trip, we would all be starving because of the aromas emanating from the one, brown, hardback suitcase filled with ham, roast beef and turkey sandwiches and fresh slices of pound cake that

our Mom had stayed up making the night before. I remember the excruciating look on our Dad’s face when we would have left a gas station 15 minutes ago for a bathroom break and one of my sisters stating that she now needed to “go.” Blessedly, we would finally pull into our aunt’s driveway, where we were welcomed with big, juicy hugs and kisses, barking dogs, crying babies, lots of laughter, impressive dancing augmented with adult libations and amazing quantities and quality of food as 30 to 40 relatives began to assemble for days of joyous family time together. It wasn’t the location or the length of stay that really mattered, but the connective tissue that was strengthened just by being together and loving each other unconditionally. We all still remember those feelings of joy, peace and belonging today even though our Mom is the last remaining member of her generation at age 86. As with most things in life, we strive to continue this loving tradition of family connectivity for the next generation and beyond.

Richmond Free Press

B2 December 22-24, 2016

Happenings

Capital City Kwanzaa Festival set for Dec. 30 at Altria This year marks the 50th anniversary of Kwanzaa, the seven-day holiday created by Pan-African scholar Dr. Maulana Karenga. In Richmond, the Elegba Folklore Society is observing the holiday and commemorating the milestone with the annual Capital City Kwanzaa Festival on Friday, Dec. 30, at the Altria Theater, 6 N. Laurel St. From 5 to 11 p.m., the festival will feature music, dance, a keynote speaker, panels, workshops, vendors and activities for children. This year’s theme: “Celebrating Our Magnificence.” “When our cultural memory and our spiritual truth can affirm and uphold the realities of our identity then and now in the 50th anniversary of this holiday observance, we are, in theme, celebrating our magnificence,” said organizers. The pouring of ancestral libation and Kwanzaa candle lighting ceremony will take place at 6 p.m., followed by performances by spoken word artist Breeze The Poet and

a processional by chiatrists of America, dancers, drummers, a Washington-based singers, speakers association estaband panelists led by lished in 1969 to “adthe Elegba Folklore dress issues affecting Society. the mental health At 7:30 p.m., of African people Watoto Kwanzaa worldwide.” begins, which are Dr. Newton is a heritage crafts for practicing physician children led by artist who specializes in Dr. Newton S. Ross Browne. At psychiatry and bethe same time, Nia Sessions, or havioral medicine. workshops on various topics, Performances by Kenya will begin and continue until Safari Acrobats at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. reggae artist Wildfire at 10 p.m. Among the workshops and will close the festival. leaders are Reiki master RichAn “African Market” offerard C. Yates and workers of ing food, clothing, natural body the Joyce M. Branch Healing care and home décor will be Place; “Stand for Justice,” led open from 5 to 11 p.m. by Lynetta Thompson, former Janine Y. Bell, founder and president of the Richmond artistic director of the Elegba Branch NAACP; “Do For Self Folklore Society, has produced in the 21st Century,” led by Kwanzaa programs in RichAzibo Turner; and “Healing mond annually since 1986. The Racial Trauma,” led by Ram Capital City Kwanzaa Festival Bhagat. was first presented in 1990. Keynote speaker Dr. Patricia Tickets are $6 in advance or A. Newton, also known as Nana $7 at the door. Students ages 12 Dr. Akosua Akyaa, will speak at to 18 and seniors age 65 and 8 p.m. on the festival’s theme. older are $5 in advance or $6 Dr. Newton is the CEO and at the door. Children under age medical director of Black Psy- 12 are free.

Group rates also are available in advance only. Tickets may be purchased at the Elegba Folklore Society Cultural Center, 101 E. Broad St. in Downtown or online at http://efsinc.org. Information: Elegba Folklore Society, (804) 644-3900.

The Eldercare Locator 2016 Home for the Holidays Campaign: Isolation Impacts Older Adults The Annual Home for the Holidays Campaign encourages discussions of important issues impacting older adults when families gather for the holidays. This year’s Campaign addresses preventing Isolation and Loneliness. Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging offers programs and services to combat isolation and loneliness impacting older adults in the Metropolitan Richmond Region:  Friendship Cafés: Gathering places for nutritional/delicious lunches, health/ wellness education, screenings and activities.  Home Delivered Meals: Meals for homebound seniors living alone with significant health conditions or physical or mental health impairments that make it difficult or impossible to prepare their own meals. (This is a partnership with Meals on Wheels, FeedMore Inc.)  Caregiver Support: Information for caregivers about available resources and assistance with access to supportive services, options counseling and respite.  Chronic Disease Self Management Classes: Workshops to help individuals cope with and manage chronic conditions such as arthritis, hypertension and diabetes.  TeleBridges: Volunteers provide listening ears and encouraging words with periodic friendly reassurance telephone calls to older adults. 800.677.1116 www.eldercare.gov. (804) 343-3000 www.seniorconnections-va.org

Please contact Angie Phelon at (804) 343-3045 or phelon@youraaa.org for additional information.

Dr. Monroe E. Harris Jr. wishes you a wonderful holiday season!

Moving holiday mail

Taura James, above, sorts through the flood of letters and packages that have poured into the U.S. Postal Service’s Richmond Processing and Distribution Center in Sandston in Eastern Henrico County. Postal service officials showed off the plant Monday — the center’s busiest day that saw hundreds of employees handle more than 2.4 million letters, cards and holiday packages. Employees work among a maze of conveyor belts and sorting machines in the huge building that is the size of 12 football fields and handles mail from Central and Eastern Virginia. Left, Free Press photographer Sandra Sellars seeks to give a sense of the building’s size by photographing a portion of the center reflected in a ceiling mirror.

Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

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December 22-24, 2016

Happenings

Personality: Doris Walker Woodson Spotlight on Maymont House Benevolent Society Award winner Doris Walker Woodson was reluctant when asked to be the community outreach coordinator for Maymont’s project to tell the story of the people who worked as domestic servants for the Dooley family that built and owned the 100-acre Richmond estate from 1893 to 1925. But Ms. Woodson accepted. And today, 17 years later, she’s glad she did. Maymont’s project became the exhibition, “In Service & Beyond,” that gives visitors an understanding of the people who kept the Dooley Mansion operating and made the family’s lavish lifestyle possible. The exhibit also tells the story of Ms. Woodson’s family. Her grandmother, Frances Twiggs Walker, was head cook for the Dooley family, working in the basement kitchen from 1919 to 1925. Ms. Woodson’s mother, also named Frances, worked as an assistant cook. Ms. Woodson was honored Dec. 1 by the Maymont Council with the 2016 Maymont House Benevolent Society Award, which recognizes individuals who have shown a distinguished commitment to advancing the cause of Maymont’s preservation. Ms. Woodson was honored for her contributions in helping to develop “In Service & Beyond,” which opened in 2005, and her presentations to groups across Virginia offering an in-depth view of life at Maymont. She also organized two reunions for descendants of Maymont’s domestic workers, which were attended by more than 150 people from across the country. Ms. Woodson’s volunteer efforts as community outreach coordinator were buttressed by her volunteer service for two terms on the Maymont Foundation Board of Directors from 2003 to 2009. “Thanks to Doris’contributions, the Maymont Mansion offers our guests a much richer, more insightful and more honest presentation of life in America’s Gilded Age,” said Dale Wheary, Maymont’s curator and director of historical collections and programs. During the presentation, Ms. Woodson was extolled by Anne Innes, the Maymont Council president, as the “living link to the history of this special place.” “My family did not talk a lot about their work for the Dooleys. Domestic work was not a source of pride,” says Ms. Woodson, an artist and retired professor of fine arts at Virginia State University. “But as I worked on the project, I began to appreciate my family’s hard work and contribution. I benefited from their work,” she says. Meet this week’s community volunteer and Personality, Doris Walker Woodson: Latest honor: Recipient of 2016 Maymont House Benevolent Society Award.

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“private family.” Why I decided to organize a reunion for descendants of domestic workers employed by the Dooleys: Maymont wanted to have the families come here, so we had a reunion. Whole families of descendants from all over the country — and as far away as California — came. We have something in the works for another reunion next year.

Work I did before retiring: Professor of fine arts at Virginia State University for 30 years, retiring in 1991. Date and place of birth: Jan. 13 in Richmond. Current residence: Westminster Canterbury Richmond, a retirement community. Education: Bachelor’s of fine arts, Xavier University, and master’s of fine arts, Virginia Commonwealth University. Family: Four sons, Bernard R. Woodson III, Wayne E. Woodson, Gerald A. Woodson and Gregory B. Woodson; 15 grandchildren; and 22 greatgrandchildren. Meaning of award to me: I am very honored and very humbled. This honor was one of the highlights of my life. It was so unexpected! I was so nervous, I practiced what I was going to say several times. But just before it was time for me to speak, I forgot all of it. My role in Maymont’s “In Service & Beyond” exhibit: As the outreach coordinator, I traveled around the city and the state giving verbal presentations about the history of Maymont’s servants. I reluctantly accepted at first because my family’s history of domestic work was not always a source of pride. But I learned to appreciate their contributions because my family was doing the best they could do and I benefited from their work. I went to boarding school at St. Francis de Sales, a Catholic boarding school for girls in Powhatan County, and later to college. How long I served as the Maymont exhibition’s community outreach coordinator: I started helping with the project in 1999 before serving as community outreach coordinator from 2001 through 2009. I also served two terms on the Maymont Foundation Board of Directors. How many members of my family worked for the Dooleys: Seven. My grandmother, Frances Twiggs Walker, was head cook, and my mother was her assistant. Five of my mother’s brothers and sisters worked there as well. What positions did they have: I’m not exactly sure, but I know they were domestics. We called it working in

Why I became a professor: I really enjoyed teaching, which was a surprise because I never wanted to be a teacher. The way the times were back then, it was very difficult for AfricanAmericans to do something professionally unless they worked for other black people. I look back on my years at Virginia State University fondly. I also worked as an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, taught some at Richard Bland Community College and at my home. I also worked with visiting artists at Richmond Public Schools high schools, and I taught at Westminster Canterbury for eight years. Teaching philosophy: I tried to push my students in a direction where they would go into teaching or into an industry somehow working with art. Quite a few of my students went into teaching. Favorite artist: Georgia O’Keefe because I like nature and how she did something different with flowers and vegetables that exaggerated their organic qualities. How I start the day: Sometimes I exercise a little bit and make a smoothie. Right now, I’m working on my memoirs with pictures. Person who influenced me the most: My aunt, Hannah Kenney. I loved her dearly and lived with her sometimes. She told me one day that I was a bundle of sunshine, and at age 13, that was the first thing I heard someone say about me that was positive. When she

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said that to me, it was like she was saying, “I love you.” I place top value on: My children and the rest of my family. My children are the diamonds in my life. All I ever wanted was to be a mother. I place my greatest value on them. The best things my parents ever taught me: My mom was a single mother and I was not allowed to live with her at Maymont. So I moved around a lot, from living in boarding homes to living with family members. When I was a teenager, my mother decided to send me to boarding school. I did not like the idea, but I built some great memories there. The experience taught me to value my education and hard work. My next goal: My only bucket list wish is to have my four sons, 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren all together at one time.

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Richmond Free Press

B4 December 22-24, 2016

Faith News/Directory Holiday giveaway

Pastor William B. Hammock Jr. of Rhema Word Empowerment Ministries looks on as people check out the clothing he and other members of the Midlothian-based church offered without charge amid Saturday’s chill. Location: Parking lot beside Abner Clay Park in Jackson Ward. “We just wanted to make the holidays a little brighter for people with a need,” said Pastor Hammock, founder of the church.

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

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.

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Saturday, December 31, 2016 Combined Watch Night Service 10:30 p.m. ..... Prayer/Praise Speaker: Rev. Kenneth Dennis

8:30 a.m. ... Sunday School 10:00 a.m... Morning Worship

Rev. Darryl G. Thompson, Pastor

New Year’s Eve

hristmas Servic

Sunday, December 25, 2016 Worship Service at 10 a.m. Pastor Darryl G. Thompson

Mount Olive Baptist Church

1408 W. eih Sree  ichmo a. 0 804 5840

2006 Decatur Street Richmond, VA 23224



Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Join us at noon for “High Praise at the Mount”

ile Su

8:45 a.m. 10 a.m.

see

6:30 PM Prayer Meeting

Broad Rock Baptist Church 5106 Walmsley Blvd., Richmond, VA 23224 804-276-2740 • 804-276-6535 (fax) www.BRBCONLINE.org

Early Morning Worship ~ 8 a.m. Sunday School ~ 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship ~ 11 a.m. 4th Sunday Uniﬁed Worship Service ~ 9:30 a.m. Bible Study: Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. & 7 p.m. Sermons Available at BRBCONLINE.org

“MAKE IT HAPPEN”

Church School 8:45 a.m.

Pastor Kevin Cook

Wednesday Bible Study 7p.m.



Transportation Services (804) 859-1985

e ercies iisr  a.m. ul ile Su :0 p.m.

Thirty-first Street Baptist Church

“Reclaiming the Lost by Proclaiming the Gospel”

ie oore Sree o 

Sixth Baptist Church

everence e with e evanc R g in Dr. Morris Henderson, Senior Pastor bin ❖

SUNDAYS

Theme for 2016-2020: Mobilizing For Ministry Refreshing The Old and Emerging The New A 21st Century Church With Ministry For Everyone

Church School 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

We Embrace Diversity — Love For All!

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Christmas Day Celebration

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WEDNESDAYS Bible Study 12:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

10:45 AM Morning Worship

Speaker: Reverend Joe Young Minister of Christian Education

here. you t

Saturday, December 31, 2016

❖

New Year’s Eve Celebration

MONDAY-FRIDAY Nutrition Center and Clothes Closet 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.

10:30 PM Evening Worship

Speaker: Reverend Rachel Satterfield

Come Out And Be Blessed!!

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

St. Peter Baptist Church

400 South Addison Street Richmond, Va. 23220

Twitter sixthbaptistrva

Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs Bibbs, Pastor

(near Byrd Park)

823 North 31st Street Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 226-0150 Office www.31sbc.org

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

Facebook sixthbaptistrva

Ebenezer Baptist Church

Dr. Kirkland R. Walton, Pastor

New Deliverance Evangelistic Church

1858

Watch Night Service

Worship Service

Saturday, December 31st

Sunday, December 25th

at 10:30 p.m.

10:00 a.m. Christmas Unity Service Join us as we celebrate the birth of Christ!!

Join us as we reflect on the year that has passed while praising God for bringing us through and preparing us for the year ahead.

2040 Mountain Road • Glen Allen, Virginia 23060 Ofﬁce 804-262-0230 • Fax 804-262-4651 • www.stpeterbaptist.net

Antioch Baptist Church “Redeeming God’s People for Gods Purpose”

“The People’s Church”

216 W. Leigh St. • Richmond, Va. 23220 • Tel: 804-643-3366 Fax: 804-643-3367 • Email: ebcofﬁce1@yahoo.com • web: richmondebenezer.com 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



8:00 a.m. & 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.

Sunday December 25, 2016 No Sunday School

Christmas Day Worship Service 10:00 a.m.

Saturday December 31, 2016 Doors will open at 8:30 p.m.

Bishop G. O. Glenn D. Min., Pastor Mother Marcietia S. Glenn First Lady

Dec. 25, 2016

SERVICES

SUNDAY WORSHIP HOUR – 10:00 A.M. CHILDREN’S CHURCH & BUS MINISTRY AVAILABLE SUNDAY SCHOOL (FOR ALL AGES) – 9:00 A.M. TUESDAY MID-DAY BIBLE STUDY – 12 NOON WEDNESDAY MID-WEEK PRAYER & BIBLE STUDY – 7:00 P.M.

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

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

1384 New Market Road, Richmond, Virginia 23231 | 804-222-8835

9:30 A.M.

Sunday

Join Us for Christmas Worship!

Christmas Morning Worship

A MISSION BASED CHURCH FAMILY EXCITING MINISTRIES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, YOUNG ADULTS & SENIOR ADULTS BIBLE REVELATION TEACHING DIVERSE MUSIC MINISTRY LOVING, CARING ENVIRONMENT

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

Wednesday Services

Upcoming Events

DR. JAMES L. SAILES PASTOR

December 25, 2016 @ 9:30 A.M.

We invite you to our special time of worship a little early this week as we reflect and rejoice in the birth of Our Savior.

No Noon Day or Evening Bible Study during the month of December. Will resume Wednesday, January 4, 2017 Sanctuary - All Are Welcome!

Saturday

Watchnight Service

No intercessory Prayer on December 24, 2016.

December 31, 2016 @ 10:00 P.M. Weekly Worship: Sundays @ 10:30 A.M. Church School: Sundays @ 9:00 A.M. Bible Study: Wednesdays @ Noon & 7:00 P.M. 2901 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 648-2472 ~ www.mmbcrva.org Dr. Price London Davis, Senior Pastor

You can now view Sunday Morning Service “AS IT HAPPENS” online! Also, for your convenience.

Mosby Memorial Baptist Church

“A Caring Community Committed to Listening, Loving, Learning and Leaning While Launching into our Future.”

Third Sunday of Advent: “Love”

Presents

A Christmas Concert The Greatest Gift!

Upcoming Events

109 Church Anniversary th

Saved by Grace, Goodness and Greatness

Rev. Dr. Price L. Davis, Pastor Sunday, October 9, 2016 @ 2:30 P.M.

Sunday, December 25, 2016 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Please join us for this Christmas worship service Dr. Jeffery O. Smith, Pastor 2700 Garland Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23222 804-321-1372 · Email: garlandavebc@gmail.com

11:00 AM Mid-day Meditation

Sunday Service 10 a.m.

1 p.m.

12 Noon Celebration • Guest Worship music, Minister James Johnson Mount Olive Dance Ministry & Music Ministry – Children & Youth skit. You do not want to miss this spirit-ﬁlled event at the Mount. e to We hop

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)



No Wednesday/Thursday Bible Study

MerryChristmas



Church School Worship Service

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

Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, Pastor “There’s A Place for You”

Zion Baptist Church



Sharon Baptist Church

1127 North 28th St., Richmond, VA 23223-6624 • Office: (804) 644-1402

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

  Free Press photo

Good Shepherd Baptist Church

This Week Christian Education Sunday Guest Minister: Rev. Zita Lee

Watch Night Service 9:00 p.m.

Sunday January 1, 2017 No Sunday School

New Year’s Service 10 a.m.

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

Richmond Free Press

December 22-24, 2016 B5

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 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 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, January 9, 2017 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. 2016-312 To conditionally rezone the properties known as 1207 School Street and 1207 A School Street from the M-2 Heavy Industrial District to the B-7 Mixed-Use Business District (Conditional), upon certain proffered conditions. The 4.95 acre property, which would have a maximum of 200 dwelling units under this conditional rezoning, falls within the Industrial Innovation future land use designation established by the Master Plan, which does not establish any recommended density ranges. Ordinance No. 2016-313 To authorize the special use of the property known as 2220 Stockton Street for the purpose of a multifamily dwelling with up to 40 dwelling units and commercial, group home, shelter, addiction recovery program, and social service delivery uses, upon certain terms and conditions. The 5.1 acre property falls within the Mixed Used future land use designation established by Master Plan, which does not establish any recommended density ranges. Ordinance No. 2016-314 To authorize the special use of the property known as 2704 Woodrow Avenue for the purpose of a day nursery for up to 12 children, upon certain terms and conditions. The City of Richmond’s Master Plan recommends Single-Family Low Density land use for the subject property. Primary uses in this category includes single-family detached dwellings at densities up to seven units per acre and residential support uses such as churches, parks, and recreational facilities. Ordinance No. 2016-315 To authorize the special use of the property known as 2808½ East Leigh Street for the purpose of a single-family attached dwelling, upon certain terms and conditions. The applicant is proposing to construct a single-family detached dwelling. While such a use is permitted in the R-63 district, the subject property does not meet the minimum lot area or minimum lot width requirements for a singlefamily detached dwelling in the R-63 district. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a special use permit. The City of Richmond’s Master Plan designates the subject property along East Leigh Street for Single-Family (Medium Density) land use. Primary uses in this category are single-family and two-family dwelling units, both detached and attached. All surrounding properties are also located in the R-63 and R-8 districts. The predominant land uses on the 2800 block of East Leigh Street are single-family detached. Single-family detached residences are located directly to the east and west of the subject property. Ordinance No. 2016-316 To amend Ord. No. 2016016, adopted Feb. 22, 2016, which authorized the special use of the properties known as 105 East Duval Street, 701 North 1st Street, and 708, 708 A, 710, 712, 714, 718, 722, 724, 728, 730, 732, 736 and 744 North 2nd Street for up to 182 multifamily dwelling units, commercial uses, and accessory off-street parking, to authorize up to 194 multifamily dwelling units and amendments to the plans to reduce the height and mass of the proposed building, upon certain terms and conditions. The proposal would establish a residential density of approximately 77 units per acre. The Downtown Plan recommends General Urban and Urban Center Areas for the subject property, which do not establish any recommended residential densities. 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; the Main City Library located at 101 East Franklin Continued on next column

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Street; 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 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER CYNTHIA JONES, Plaintiff v. ELI JONES, III, Defendant. Case No.: CL16002940-00 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 13th day of February, 2017 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 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER TONY JOHNSON, Plaintiff v. LISA JOHNSON, Defendant. Case No.: CL16003420-00 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 13th day of February, 2017 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 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER DONA RICHARDSON, Plaintiff v. MARK KOLMORGAN, Defendant. Case No.: CL16003373-00 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 3rd day of February, 2017 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 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER KEVITA CLAYBORNE, Plaintiff v. TROY CLAYBORNE, SR., Defendant. Case No.: CL16001084-00 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, who is a nonresident, appear here on or before the 24th day of January, 2017 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 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER WISDOM TENGEY, Plaintiff v. KAREN WATKINS, Defendant. Case No.: CL16003149-00 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. Continued on next column

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It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 24th day of January, 2017 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 (804) 798-9667

Case No. JJ046772-05-00,06-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Determine custody of Cierra Ann Oden, (DOB: 1/25/2002),whose mother is Suzanne Lee Robben, and whose Father is John Daniel Oden,pursuant to Virginia Code Section 16.1241A3. John Daniel Oden’s whereabouts are unknown. It is ORDERED that the defendant John Daniel Oden appear at the above-named Court and protect his interests on or before March 13, 2017 at 11:00 A.M.

defendant Brian Wells (Father) and Unknown (Father), appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his/her interest on or before 03/27/2017, at 11:20 AM, courtroom #4 Matt Morris, Esq. 730 E. Broad St., 8th Floor Richmond, Virginia 23219 804-646-3493

be deceased and the heirs, devisees, assignees or successor/s in interest of ALFRED J. EVANS a/k/a ALFRED JONES EVANS, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that MARGARET S. EVANS, who may be deceased and the heirs, devisees, assignees or successor/s in interest of MARGARET S. EVANS, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that RUDOLPH WILLIAMS a/k/a RUDOPLH ALFRED WILLIAMS, who may have an ownership interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that EQUITY ONE CONSUMER LOAN, A Purged Corporation, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that ALFRED J. EVANS a/k/a ALFRED JONES EVANS, who may be deceased and the heirs, devisees, assignees or successor/s in interest of ALFRED J. EVANS a/k/a ALFRED JONES EVANS, MARGARET S. EVANS, who may be deceased and the heirs, devisees, assignees or successor/s in interest of MARGARET S. EVANS, RU D O L P H W I L L I A MS a/k/a RUDOPLH ALFRED WILLIAMS, EQUITY ONE C O N SUM E R L O A N , A Purged Corporation, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 26, 2017, and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940

been filed that said owner, HARRIETT B. DAVIS, who may be deceased, and the heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest of HARRIETT B. DAVIS, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that EDWIN B. DAVIS, JR., who may have an ownership interest in said property, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to his last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that HARRIETT B. DAVIS, who may be deceased, and the heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest of HARRIETT B. DAVIS, EDWIN B. DAVIS, JR., and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 26, 2017, and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940

CONSTRUCTION BID ITB# 16-1283-10JK Henrico County New Data Center & Office Renovation Due 2:30 pm, January 24, 2017 Additional information available at: h t t p : / / w w w. h e n r i c o . u s / departments/purchasing/ bids-and-proposals/

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER LUCIO SANCHEZ CRUZ, Plaintiff v. SILVIA TORRES ALONSO, Defendant. Case No.: CL16003240-00 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 24th day of January, 2017 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 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER JOYCE CAPERS, Plaintiff v. MICHAEL BRITTON, Defendant. Case No.: CL16002886-00 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, who is a nonresident, appear here on or before the 24th day of January, 2017 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 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER CARLOS GARCIA SAMUELS, Plaintiff v. ANA BONILLA ALVARADO, Defendant. Case No.: CL16001548-00 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 18th day of January, 2017 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 (804) 798-9667

CUSTODY virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt IN the COunty of New Kent Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Atara savannah abistado drez Robert Bryan Strimple and Karen Ann Strimple v. Unknown Birth Father Case No. JJ OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Determine custody and visitation of a child known as Atara Savannah Abistado Drez, born June 1, 2016, to Ana Kathreena Drez, the birth mother, who has stated the identity of the birth father is unknown. The birth mother has placed the child in the custody of the petitioners. It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown birth father appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his interests on or before February 27, 2017 at 9:00 A.M.

VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re JALIN MONTE EUBANKS, Juvenile Case No. JJ083447-16 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental right (“RPR”) of Jamaal Bailey (Father), of Jalin Monte Eubanks, child, DOB 11/27/2008, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation: adoption consent: determination of religious affiliation: and responsibility for support It is ORDERED that the defendant Jamaal Bailey (Father), appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his interest on or before 02/08/2017, at 2:00 PM, Court Room #5 VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF CHESTERFIELD Commonwealth of Virginia, in re ALVIZURES ICAL, ANGELON MICHEL, MICHEL D. PAMELA ICAL CUELLAR v. CESAR ALBERTO ALVIZURES ICAL Case No. JJ090450-01-00 ORDER 0F PUBLICATION (1) The object of this suit is to: DETERMINE CUSTODY OF ANGELIN MICHEL ALVIZURES ICAL (DOB: 9/14/12), WHOSE MOTHER IS MICHEL DHEBORA PAMELA ICAL CUELLAR, AND WHOSE FATHER IS CESAR ALBERTO ALVIZURES ICAL, PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA C OD E SE C TION 16.1241A3. ( 2 ) M A K E FA C T U A L F I N D I N G S T H AT W I L L PERMIT ANGELIN MICHEL A LV I Z U R E S I C A L T O PETITION THE UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES FOR SPECIAL IMMIGRANT J U V E N I L E S TAT U S PURSUANT TO 8 U.S.C. SECTION 1101(A)(27)(J) AND 8 C.F.R. SECTION 204.11. It is ORDERED that the defendant CESAR ALBERTO ALVIZURES ICAL appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before 02/10/2017 10:00AM VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF CHESTERFIELD Commonwealth of Virginia, in re CHAVEZ RIVAS, MARIA FERNANDA CHAVEZ RIVAS, DINORA D v. ADALBERTO MARTINEZ, JUAQUIN Case No. JJ090450-01-00 ORDER 0F PUBLICATION (1) The object of this suit is to: DETERMINE CUSTODY OF MARIA FERNANDA CHAVEZ RIVAS (DOB: 5/24/11), WHOSE MOTHER IS DINORA DEL CARMEN CHAVEZ RIVAS,AND WHOSE FATHER IS JUAQUIN ADALBERTO MARTINEZ, PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 16.1-241A3. ( 2 ) M A K E FA C T U A L F I N D I N G S T H AT W I L L PERMIT MARIA FERNANDA C H AV E Z R I VA S T O PETITION THE UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES FOR SPECIAL IMMIGRANT J U V E N I L E S TAT U S PURSUANT TO 8 U.S.C. SECTION 1101(A)(27)(J) AND 8 C.F.R. SECTION 204.11. It is ORDERED that the defendant JUAQUIN ADALBERTO MARTINEZ appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before 02/10/2017 10:00AM

virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt IN the COunty of Chesterfield Commonwealth of Virginia, in re CIERRA ANN ODEN RINEHART EDWARD ROBBEN (STEPFATHER) v. JOHN DANIEL ODEN

VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Chase Fields-Threatt, Juvenile Case No. JJ091827-05, JJ091827-06 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental right (“RPR”) of Brian Wells (Father) and Unknown. (Father), of Chase Fields-Threatt, child, DOB 08/04/2012, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation: adoption consent: determination of religious affiliation: and responsibility for support It is ORDERED that the

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virgiNia: iN thE Circuit cOurt for the County of chesterfield madeline lugo, Plaintiff v. JOHANESEL D. RODRIGUEZ, Defendent Case No. CL15-1041 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Grant Lilah Michelle Rodriguez, a minor, a name change. Madeline Lugo, the mother of the Petitioner, filed this Application for Change of Name on Lilah Michelle Rodriguez’s behalf. WHEREFORE, an affidavit having been filed by Petitioner’s mother, Madeline Lugo, that due diligence has been used without effect to ascertain the location of Johansel Duran Rodriguez, it is ORDERED that Johansel Duran Rodriguez appear before this Court on the 10th of January, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. to protect his interests herein. A Copy Teste: WENDY S. HUGHES, Clerk Mary Ashby Brown, Esquire Freidman Law Firm 9401 Courthouse Rd., Suite A Chesterfield, VA 23832 804-717-1969

PROPERTY VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. ROBERT M. DAVIS a/k/a ROBERT MICHAEL DAVIS, et al., Defendants. Case No.: CL16-4610-4 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2416 NORTH Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Ta x M a p / G PI N # N 0 0 0 0539/012, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Robert M. Davis and Yvonne P, Davis, who may be deceased. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, YVONNE P. DAVIS A/K/A YVONNE PATRICIA DAVIS, who may be deceased, and the heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest of YVONNE P. DAVIS A/K/A YVONNE PATRICIA DAVIS, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that TIDEWATER QUARRIES, INC., A Virginia Corporation, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that MRC RECEIVABLES, A Delaware Corporation Not Authorized to Transact Business in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property, is a foreign corporation, and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that YVONNE P. DAVIS A/K/A YVONNE PATRICIA DAVIS, who may be deceased, and the heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest of YVONNE P. DAVIS A/K/A YVONNE PATRICIA DAVIS, TIDEWATER QUARRIES, INC., A Virginia Corporation, MRC RECEIVABLES, A Delaware Corporation Not Authorized to Transact Business in the Commonwealth of Virginia and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 26, 2017, and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. ALFRED J. EVANS a/k/a ALFRED JONES EVANS, Who May Be Deceased, and THE HEIRS, DEVISEES, ASSIGNEES OR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF ALFRED J. EVANS a/k/a ALFRED JONES EVANS, et al., Defendants. Case No.: CL16-4360-4 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3402 3rd Avenue, , Richmond, Virginia, Ta x M a p / GPIN#N000-1169/014, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Alfred J. Evans. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, ALFRED J. EVANS a/k/a ALFRED JONES EVANS, who may Continued on next page

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. HARRIETT B. DAVIS, Who May Be Deceased, and THE HEIRS, DEVISEES, ASSIGNEES OR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF HARRIETT B. DAVIS, et al., Defendants. Case No.: CL16-4830-4 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2820 Purcell Street, TaxMap/GPIN# E0120374/008, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, HARRIETT B. DAVIS. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, HARRIETT B. DAVIS, who may be deceased, and the heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest of HARRIETT B. DAVIS, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that EDWIN B. DAVIS, JR., who may have an ownership interest in said property, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to his last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that HARRIETT B. DAVIS, who may be deceased, and the heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest of HARRIETT B. DAVIS, EDWIN B. DAVIS, JR., and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 26, 2017, and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. HARRIETT B. DAVIS, Who May Be Deceased, and THE HEIRS, DEVISEES, ASSIGNEES OR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF HARRIETT B. DAVIS, et al., Defendants. Case No.: CL16-4831-4 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2822 Purcell Street, TaxMap/GPIN# E0120374/022, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, HARRIETT B. DAVIS. An Affidavit having Continued on next column

BID COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA Continued on next column

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The University of Virginia seeks a firm to provide: Name: Custodial Services To view a copy of RFP # DM121516 go to Procurement Services Site: http://www.procurement. virginia.edu/main/ publicpostings/RFP.html, or email pur-rfp@virginia.edu REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The University of Virginia seeks a firm to provide: Media Buying and Public Relations Services To view a copy of RFP # RFP #MW121616 go to Procurement Services Site: http://www.procurement. virginia.edu/main/ publicpostings/RFP.html, or email pur-rfp@virginia.edu REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The University of Virginia seeks a firm to provide: Swimming Pool Bulkheads To view a copy of RFP # JG121616 go to Procurement Services Site: http://www.procurement. virginia.edu/main/ publicpostings/RFP.html, or email pur-rfp@virginia.edu

THE VIRGINIA DIVISION OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE STAFF The Virginia Division of Legislative Services, the legal and primary research agency for the General Assembly of Virginia, is seeking a person with governmental experience to administer judicial selections on behalf of the House and Senate Courts of Justice Committees and the General Assembly. This position involves the handling of confidential information related to candidates for Virginia’s courts and for other positions elected by the General Assembly. The successful candidate will also assist in providing staff support to the House and Senate Courts of Justice Committees and other committees as needed. Requirements include excellent writing and communication skills. Legislative experience is a plus. Salary is dependent on experience. State benefits included. To apply, submit a resume and letter of interest including most recent full-time salary and salary requirements no later than January 1, 2017, to Stephanie Kerns (skerns@dls.virginia.gov).

Employment opportunities The following position needed for assisted living facility.

License Medication tech for 12-hour shift. All references will be checked. Good Pay Good days off. Call for appointment (804) 222-5133.

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The City of Richmond is seeking to fill the following position: Accounting Manager – A/P 25M00000106 Department of Finance Apply by 01/01/2017 Administrative Project Analyst – Budget/ AP 42M00000003 Richmond Fire Department Apply by 01/01/2017 Administrative Project Analyst – Facilities & Logistics 42M00000008 Richmond Fire Department Apply by 01/01/2017 Arborist 29M00000821 Department of Public Works Apply by 01/08/2017 Assistant Controller - Disbursement 25M00000065 Department of Finance Apply by 01/01/2017 Council Liaison 02M00000013 Richmond City Council Apply by 01/01/2017 Planner III – Zoning Specialist 05M00000114 Planning and Development Review Apply by 01/01/2017 Pre-Trial Probation Officer - Supervision 15Grant0027 Department of Justice Services Apply by 01/01/2017 Systems Developer 20M00000036 Department of Information Technology Apply by 01/01/2017 ****************** For an exciting career with the City of Richmond, visit our website for additional information and apply today! www.richmondgov.com EOE M/F/D/V

Richmond Free Press

B6 December 22-24, 2016

Sports Plus

Huguenot revving up for basketball season By Fred Jeter

This has the makings of a bounce-back basketball season at Huguenot High School. After three straight lackluster campaigns in which the Falcons were a combined 17-42, the dark clouds are parting. “This is definitely the most talented team we’ve had in a while,” said veteran Coach Bo Jones Sr. “We just need to work hard, keep practicing hard.” The Falcons enter winter break with a hohum 3-3 record that could just as easily be 6-0, especially if you factor in the injury to do-it-all guard Jeshon Jones. Jones, who arrived at Huguenot via Clover Hill High School in Chesterfield County, is one of two difference-making transfer students on the team. He joins 6-foot-6 Kabir Shabazz, who moved from George Wythe High School. Huguenot’s three losses — 57-51 to Armstrong High School, 64-63 to Manchester High School and 57-55 to George Wythe High — were decided in the final seconds, with Jones sidelined with a foot ailment. “Jeshon is a complete player,” said Coach Jones, who is no relation to the student-athlete. “We’re hoping to have him back in January.” Jones was a second-team, All-Conference pick last year at Clover Hill High. Huguenot boasts a rich hoops history since becoming a Richmond city school in 1970.

Some of the area’s all-time elite players, such as Realious Trent, Gerald Henderson, Ricky Stokes, Fatz Berry, Isaiah Morris and Bo Jones Jr., have worn the Huguenot green and gold. Now with 6-foot-3 Jones, who was a member of Huguenot’s junior varsity team two years ago, Shabazz and some gifted underclassmen, the Falcons’ current roster offers hope of restoring past heroics. Joining Shabazz on an imposing front line are 6-foot-11 junior Eric Rustin — likely the tallest Falcon ever — and 6-foot-4 junior DeShawn Ridley. The backcourt features seniors Keon Lewis and Eyahlarmar Davis, along with sophomore up-and-comer Lance Montiero. Shabazz arrived at Huguenot with Falcon bloodlines. His father, football defensive end Trevonne Eggleston, was Central Region defensive player of the year for the Falcons in 1992. “KB (the nickname for Shabazz) is very coachable and physical and knows the game,” said Coach Jones. “I know it seems strange transferring from Wythe to Huguenot, but we’ve had some transfer from Huguenot to Wythe, too — and they’ve done very well there.” Rustin practiced but didn’t play last season. “This is really ‘E’s’ ﬁrst year of organized ball,” said Coach Jones. “His biggest asset now is blocking shots.” The tallest players in Huguenot history were Junius Lewis, who later played at West Virginia

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Huguenot High School’s Kabir Shabazz goes up for a basket during a team practice at the South Side school. At 6-foot-6, Shabazz is part of a lineup of tall guys playing this season for the Falcons.

University from 1975 through 1979, and Isaiah Morris, who played at the University of Arkansas in the early 1990s. Both were in the 6-foot-10 range. Ridley is closer than Restin to being a varsity headliner. “DeShawn is ultimately a superstar,” said Coach Jones. “If you want him to shoot it from the wing, he can. If you need him to post up, he can.” Lewis, in his fourth year on the Falcons’ varsity squad, orchestrates the offense with quickness and savvy. “Keon’s speed is tremendous and he knows the game,” said Coach Jones. Huguenot, the largest of the city schools, is Division 4A, while other Richmond high schools

are 3A. The Falcons’ conference opponents include defending State 4A champ Monacan High School in Chesterﬁeld County. Coach Jones feels his program is getting its legs back after struggling with years of construction headaches. The South Side school was in a state of ﬂux the better part of four years while the former Huguenot building was being leveled and replaced by the current facility. This is the second full year in the new gym. “Not to make excuses, but yes, that (construction) had a lot to do with it,” said Coach Jones of the hard times. “Often our practice time was cut, and we played a lot of away games.” The Falcons have by far the city’s shiniest, most spacious gym, and now it seems they have a team to match their swanky digs.

Employment Opportunities DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Vice President, Community College Workforce Alliance (Position #FA400) (Richmond, VA) J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds) and John Tyler Community College (JTCC) seek an entrepreneurial and innovative leader. Reports to both the presidents of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and John Tyler Community College and provides executive leadership, vision, and management to the Community College Workforce Alliance with the primary objective of helping individuals prepare for work and careers through credential attainment and doing so in partnership with the traditional academic operations of both colleges, with local business and industry, and with regional K-12 partners as appropriate. Promotes both colleges throughout the greater Richmond region and CCWA as part of both colleges. Engages external leadership throughout the greater Richmond region in positioning CCWA to be the premier workforce training provider by creating strategic partnerships with regional business and industry in both credit and non-credit areas, with other workforce-related organizations (i.e. Goodwill, Workforce Investment Boards, etc.). TYPE OF APPOINTMENT: Full-time twelve-month administrative faculty-ranked appointment. Salary commensurate with the education and experience of the applicant. $93,434-$178,599. Approximate maximum hiring salary: $115,000. Additional information is available at the College’s website: www.reynolds.edu. APPLICATION PROCESS: Application reviews will begin FEBRUARY 9, 2017, and will be accepted until the position is filled. AA/EOE/ADA/Veterans/ AmeriCorps/Peace Corps/ Other National Service Alumni are encouraged to apply.

DMAS is charged with ensuring proper MEDICAID services to qualified recipients. The Agency seeks qualified candidates for the following positions:

Employment Opportunities At Virginia Union University Admissions Counselor Assistant Director/Project Manager – Department of Facilities Management

Senior Policy Advisor - #01071 Budget Operations Manager - #01020 Senior Data Analyst - #00316 Please visit our website at www.dmas.virginia.gov for more information. An online application is required. Faxed, e-mailed, or paper applications will not be accepted. Visit https://virginiajobs.peopleadmin.com/ for application details. EEO/AA/ADA

Assistant/Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Assistant Director/Accompanist Second Baptist Church (South Richmond) is seeking candidates for an Assistant Director/Accompanist for its Music & Fine Arts Ministries to serve on the ﬁrst Sunday (Mass Choir) & fourth Sunday (Youth Choir). Interested parties can view the job description, the employment application and authorization for background check form at www.2bcsouthside. org. Look under the “Announcements” section. Complete application and resume (if desired) can be emailed to employment@2bcsouthside. org or mailed by January 13, 2017 to: Second Baptist Church Attention: Human Resources 3300 Broad Rock Blvd. Richmond, VA 23224

Assistant/Associate Professor of Management Assistant/Associate Professor of Language and Literature Department Chair of History and Political Science Associate Professor Department of Mass Communications Director of Auxiliary Services Director of Development and Major Gifts Laboratory Technician Police Officers

If questions, call church at 804-232-5124. Ralph S. Hodge, Senior Pastor. Jake Holmes, Director, Music & Fine Arts Ministries.

Research Assistant System Administrator Vice President/Dean – School of Theology Vice President of Enrollment Management and Students Affairs All positions open until filled To qualify for teaching positions, successful candidates must have an appropriate terminal degree and have demonstrated educational and academic experience. Interested parties should email resumes to the Office of Human Resources at resumes@vuu.edu or call (804) 257-5841.

Richmond Free Press is seeking a reliable and creative person for a part-time graphics position. Enthusiastic individual must be proficient in Indesign and Photoshop to develop accurate, high quality cameraready advertisements and engaging news page layouts for print production. Meticulous attention to details. Ability to be flexible and work under deadline cooperatively in a team environment is essential. Submit resumé and samples of work to address below. Human Resources, Richmond Free Press, P.O. Box 27709, Richmond, Virginia 23261

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