Richmond Free Press December 5-7, 2019 edition

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VOL. 28 NO. 49

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New ‘RVA Illuminates’ to kick off holiday season at Kanawha Plaza B3

DECEMBER 5-7, 2019

Independent, unbiased?

Questions raised by City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray about consulting firm’s ties to backers of the $1.5B Coliseum and Downtown development plan

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A Chicago-based real estate development, hospitality, hotel and tourism consulting firm with ties to known advocates of the $1.5 billion Richmond Coliseum replacement plan has been tapped to undertake what was to be an independent and unbiased assessment of the proposal for Richmond City Council.

The firm is C.H. Johnson Consulting also known as Johnson Consulting.

Its links to a key consulting firm on the proposed Coliseum and Downtown redevelopment plan, and a past tie to another plan supporter, the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority, turned up after the city Department of Procurement Services, issued a notice of an intent on Nov. 26 to award C.H. Johnson the consulting contract.

Potentially worth $190,000, the contract would authorize C.H. Johnson to undertake a wide-ranging, 90-day Mr. Johnson Mr. Hunden study of the assumptions on which the Coliseum and Downtown development plan is based.

The announcement of the pending award to C.H. Johnson by an arm of the city government that reports to Mayor Levar M. Stoney, who is backing the massive plan, was issued even as a separate City Council review panel, the Navy Hill Development Advisory Commission, entered the final phase of its work. The commission is expected to issue its assessment of the proposed project later this month.

On the surface, C.H. Johnson, which lists more than 23 years of experience in convention center and hotel developments in a variety of cities, has no direct relationship with the principals or the proposal that the city and Navy Hill District Corp. are spearheading. The plan calls for new larger arena to be built in Downtown, along with a convention hotel, apartments and other developments on mostly city-owned land near City Hall.

However, an internet search shows relationships involving Please turn to A4

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Donald McWilliams Jr. and Roberta Jennings re-create their engagement pose on the landing of the 100-square-foot tiny chapel where they will become husband and wife before the Richmond Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 7.

A holiday wedding to remember

By George Copeland Jr.

While every wedding seeks to be a memorable moment for everyone in attendance, none will have had the experience Donald McWilliams Jr. and Roberta Jennings will share this Saturday.

On Dec. 7, the two will tie the knot in a mini-chapel moments before they and

the chapel become part of the Richmond Heritage Federal Credit Union’s float in Richmond’s annual Christmas Parade.

“I thought it was a great idea because it’s small, intimate and it’s very economical,” Ms. Jennings said. “You don’t have to spend three, four or $5,000, and you still have a beautiful wedding.”

This will be the first marriage for

Ms. Jennings, 56, and the third for Mr. McWilliams, 59.

Their relationship began three years ago while both were homeless, following the death of Mr. McWilliams’ second wife. The two formed a connection, pooling their resources to rent an apartment Please turn to A4

School Board adopts new rezoning plan without pairing schools

By Ronald E. Carrington

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Let’s dance Classmates Jeremiah Crews and Valerie Velasco-Fuentes take their opening stances as they begin a dance performance for parents, teachers and schoolmates last month at Southampton Elementary School. The students were part of Dancing Classrooms Greater Richmond, a nonprofit program that uses ballroom dance to teach youngsters social awareness and build self-esteem.

Teams from various schools competed Wednesday night at Huguenot High School in “Colors of the Rainbow,” a match between fifth-grade teams from six schools in the Richmond area.

After more than five hours and some heated discussions, the Richmond School Board voted 5-4 on Monday to accept a rezoning plan that would redraw school attendance boundaries in all parts of Richmond, along with other recommendations.

Plan Y, which was adopted by the board, would change school attendance zones in the East End, West End and South Side, with the focus in South Side to relieve overcrowding at elementary schools by moving some students to the new, larger E.S.H. Greene Elementary that

is to open in the fall schools, which was of 2020. At the same proposed as a way to time, a new middle create greater equity school is scheduled and student diversity. to open in South But the pairing plan Side, along with a proved unpopular new George Mason with many parents Elementary School across the city, who in the East End. criticized it as too Ms. Page The plan apcostly at $617,500 to proved by the board does not $842,500 for each pairing. call for pairing any elementary The approved plan also calls

for making Carver and Bellevue elementary schools magnet schools in the fall of 2021 and creating 50 new slots at Mary Munford Elementary to be allocated for Carver Elementary students, with transportation provided.

It also calls for the Richmond Public Schools administration Please turn to A4

City public defenders launch pay parity campaign The money would be used to raise the pay that the defense attorneys for Public defenders who represent the indigent now describe as meager nearly half of the people facing state pay. criminal charges in Richmond’s court The results are promising, accordsystem are tired of being underpaid ing to Ashley Shapiro, senior assistant state employees. public defender in the Richmond The cadre of defense attorneys office. is campaigning to get City Hall to She said Mr. Saunders said “mulMs. Shapiro provide the same kind of taxpayertiple times” during an Oct. 9 meetfunded salary supplement that the city has long ing that “the mayor supports what we do, and granted the attorneys who prosecute the alleged he supports competitive pay.” Ms. Shapiro offenders and the Richmond Sheriff’s Office acknowledged, however, that no commitments that jails those who are convicted. were made.

Employees of the Richmond Public DefendJim Nolan, the mayor’s press secretary, coner’s Office met recently with Lincoln Saunders, firmed that “as a supporter of criminal justice Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s chief of staff, and reform, the mayor believes public defenders other city officials to make their case to have Please turn to A4 $1 million included in the next city budget.

By George Copeland Jr.

City of Richmond photo

New City Council member City Clerk Candice D. Reid, left, administers the oath of office Monday to Stephanie Lynch, 32, the new 5th District representative on Richmond City Council. Ms. Lynch beat six rivals in the Nov. 5 special election to replace Parker C. Agelasto, who stepped down Nov. 30. The first woman to hold the seat, Ms. Lynch pledged to be a “consensus builder” in striving to get things done during the 13 months left of Mr. Agelasto’s term.

The new councilwoman is the director of government affairs, strategy and development for Richmond-based Good Neighbor Community Services, a mental health and disabilities services company that operates more than 40 group homes in Virginia.

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Richmond Free Press

Local News

Dyer named new state fire marshal

Garrett Dyer is the new fire marshal for the state of Virginia.

Gov. Ralph S. Northam on Nov. 14, announced the appointment of Mr. Dyer on Nov. 14.

Mr. Dyer is the first African-American to hold the state’s top fire safety post. He will oversee the law and code enforcement branch of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, leading nearly 30 inspectors and administrative support staff in implementing and enforcing the state’s fire code.

“The fire code exists to protect citizens and property, and enforcing it is an important job,” Gov. Northam stated. “I’m confident Mr. Dyer will ensure that Virginia remains a leader in fire safety.”

Mr. Dyer succeeds Brian M. McGraw, who resigned in June and is now a fire safety engineer with NASA, the federal space agency.

Mr. Dyer joined the state fire agency in Mr. Dyer 2018 as chief of the Virginia Fire Marshal Academy, the training branch of the state Fire Marshal’s Office.

For most of his career, Mr. Dyer worked for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the Virginia Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team. He was part of the team that responded to the Oklahoma City bombing, the U.S. Embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya, the airplane attack on the Pentagon and Hurricane Katrina.

“I have devoted my career to keeping the public safe. I am honored to lead Virginia’s fire law and code enforcement team as we work to protect Virginia’s citizens and property,” Mr. Dyer stated.

In his new post, he also will serve as Virginia’s representative to the National Fire Protection Association’s Public Education Network.

Michael Reilly, executive director of the state fire agency, stated that Mr. Dyer “knows the field and has the credentials and leadership skills to be exemplary.”

Mr. Dyer earned a bachelor’s in fire science from the University of Maryland. He is a graduate of the paramedic program at George Washington University and of the Senior Executive Institute at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.

Photos by Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

APulse bus displays appreciation to Rosa Parks on its electronic sign Sunday as GRTC paid tribute Slices of life and scenes to the late civil rights icon who defied segregation laws on Dec. 1, in Richmond 1955, and helped trigger a movement that ultimately brought an end to government-sanctioned racial discrimination in public transit and many other aspects of American life. GRTC also reserved the first seat on every bus in honor of

Cityscape

Related story on B3 Mrs. Parks refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus to a white man. The action of Mrs. Parks, who died in 2005 in Detroit, led to a boycott of Montgomery’s public bus system and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling outlawing racially segregated seating on local public transit just as it had earlier used the Virginia case of Irene Morgan to ban racial segregation of passengers on buses, trains and planes crossing state lines.

Dr. Robert Winn takes helm at VCU’s Massey Cancer Center Dr. Robert Winn, an expert in lung cancer and communitybased health care, is the new director of the Massey Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr. Winn, who started on Monday, comes to VCU from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he was director of its cancer center and associate vice chancellor of health affairs for community-based practice at the University of Illinois Hopsital and Health Science System.

He succeeds Dr. Gordon Ginder, who stepped down last summer after 22 years as director and leading the Massey Cancer Center to earn national and international accolades, including as Richmond’s only National Cancer Institutedesignated cancer center.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan Medical School, Dr. Winn has maintained a focus on lung cancer and health disparities Dr. Winn for underserved communities across multiple projects and years of research.

“Dr. Winn is a passionate leader with vision, compassion and a commitment to service,” said Dr. Marsha D. Rappley, senior vice president for health sciences at VCU and chief executive officer of VCU Health System. “His depth of experience and talent as a leader, physician, researcher and mentor will enable him to build upon Massey Cancer Center’s longtime and farreaching success.”

In a news release, Dr. Winn said that Massey Cancer Center’s mission aligns with his own values and priorities. “Massey’s commitment to ensuring equal access to cancer care is deeply important to me,” he stated.

Dr. Winn completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago and a fellowship in pulmonary medicine and critical care and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.

Prior to joining the University of Illinois at Chicago, he spent 13 years at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and School of Medicine in a variety of leadership roles and clinical faculty appointments, including as associate dean of admissions, vice chair of career development, diversity inclusion and as senior medical director of the pulmonary nodule clinic.

Soul Santa returns Dec. 7 and 14 to Black History Museum Soul Santa is returning to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, and again on Saturday, Dec. 14.

He will be taking photos with youngsters at the free event. No registration is needed.

The museum also will have arts and crafts projects for the children and tours will be available at the museum, 122 W. Leigh St. Details: www.blackhistorymuseum.org or (804) 780-9093.

Delegate Herring

Delegate Lindsey

Delegate McQuinn

Delegate Tyler

Delegate Ward

VLBC members to chair at least 5 House Committees

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

At least five Virginia House of Delegates committees will be chaired by members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus when the General Assembly convenes in January.

That’s a historic first for the state.

Incoming House Speaker Eileen FillerCorn, who will chair the House Rules Committee, has announced the names of 10 other committee chairs, and half are members of the VLBC. An updated list of committee chairs — with three positions still to be filled — was released Tuesday with the names of four new chairs.

Among them were two VLBC members: Alexandria Delegate Charniele Herring, who, along with serving as the House majority leader, will chair the House Courts of Justice Committee that chooses judges and oversees courts, and Norfolk Delegate Joseph C. Lindsey, who will chair the House Privileges and Elections

Committee that deals with elections and voting rights.

Previously announced members of the VLBC who will lead committees are Richmond Delegate Delores L. McQuinn, Transportation; Greensville County Delegate Roslyn Tyler, Education; and Hampton Delegate Jeion Ward, Commerce and Labor.

The appointments are expected to ensure a larger footprint for the VLBC, which includes 19 House members and four state senators, for a total of 23 members, the largest number ever.

The appointment of Delegate Herring to lead Courts of Justice appears to have short-circuited concerns raised by NAACP branches in Northern Virginia and other groups advocating criminal justice reform.

The organizations wanted to see a Courts of Justice chair who would share their interest in reforming the cash bail system; supporting small, community-based facilities for housing juvenile offenders; legal-

izing marijuana use; raising the threshold from $500 to $1,500 for making theft a felony; and increasing the number of black, Asian, Latino and other minority judges to improve diversity on the bench.

In a Nov. 30 letter published in the Loudoun Now newspaper, Delegate FillerCorn was urged to name a committee chair who believes in “restorative justice, fairness and community inclusion.”

In making Tuesday’s announcement, Delegate Filler-Corn stated, “Each of these delegates will be strong, fair and effective as they lead these committees. They are all proven leaders in their communities and in the House of Delegates and are ready to move forward for the people of the Commonwealth.”

The other committee chairs announced Tuesday are Delegate Ken Plum of Northern Virginia, chair of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee, and Delegate David Bulova, also of Northern Virginia, chair of the House General Laws Committee.

Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance ceremony to be held Dec. 7 Navy Cmdr. Jean Marie Sulheld in the war memorial’s Shrine livan, commanding officer of of Memory. the USS Whidbey Island, will During the ceremony, wreaths be the keynote speaker at the will be presented in memory of Commonwealth’s Pearl Harbor Virginians who died on Dec. Day Remembrance Ceremony 7, 1941, when the forces of at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at Imperial Japan bombed the the Virginia War Memorial, 621 U.S. Pacific Fleet stationed at S. Belvidere St. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, resulting Cmdr. Sullivan The free event is co-hosted in the United States entering by the Richmond Council of the Navy World War II. League of the United States and will be More than 2,400 American were killed

and more than 1,100 were wounded during the surprise attack.

The Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center at the memorial will be open for tours 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7.

Parking is available at the Virginia Housing Development Authority lot at 601 S. Belvidere St. and at the Afton Chemical Corp. lot at Belvidere and Spring streets.

Details: www.vawarmemorial.org. or (804) 786-2060.

Area environmental groups to hold march, rally on Friday A coalition of Richmond area environmental groups will take part in a global climate strike on Friday, Dec. 6, with a 1 p.m. march from Monroe Park to the Capitol followed by a 2 p.m. gathering at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square to call for policy changes.

The event is aimed at raising awareness of the potential impact of global warming on life on Earth. It is a project of Richmond XR (Extinction Rebellion), Climate Strike VA, Sunrise Richmond, Richmond Citizens’ Climate Lobby and other

like-minded groups.

The groups plan to urge Gov. Ralph S. Northam and the General Assembly to embrace policies that would reduce the impact of the state and its residents on the environment and the climate.

The Richmond event is one of many expected to take place Friday in cities around the world as part of the latest climate strike called by the Fridays for Future group that 15year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg launched

in August 2018.

The global action is to coincide with the 25th U.N. Climate Change Conference, called COP25, which began Monday in Madrid. At the two-week U.N. conference, world leaders and others are expected to discuss the 2016 Paris Agreement on climate — from which President Trump has said the United States would withdraw — and to generate more aggressive strategies to reduce carbon emissions within their nations.

Richmond Free Press

December 5-7, 2019

We believe a future powered by clean energy is worth reaching for.

As America’s 4th largest in solar, we take our responsibility to the planet seriously. By using cleaner energy, we’ve cut our carbon emissions in half — that’s like taking six million cars off the road.

And we’re not stopping there. We’re developing the country’s largest offshore wind project — one which will produce enough energy to power 650,000 homes by 2026. While our commitment to cleaner energy has made us a national leader in sustainability, it’s our commitment to future generations that inspires us every day.

For more information, visit DominionEnergy.com/CleanEnergyFuture.

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Richmond Free Press

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Local News

Questions raised by City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray about consulting firm’s ties to backers of the $1.5B Coliseum and Downtown development plan Continued from A1

C.H. Johnson that are raising eyebrows among those who are not sold on the proposal, notably City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray, 2nd District.

One item that has caught Ms. Gray’s attention is the past professional relationship between Charles H. Johnson, the consulting company’s president and chief executive officer, and Robin Scott “Rob” Hunden, president and chief executive officer of Hunden Strategic Partners, also of Chicago.

It turns out that Mr. Hunden, who produced the key bullish report on the project that Mayor Stoney has leaned on in backing the proposed development, served as a vice president of C.H. Johnson consulting firm from 2000 to 2005.

Mr. Hunden highlights his time at C.H. Johnson and the 100 projects he handled for the consulting company in listing his credentials on such websites as LinkedIn. In addition, the C.H. Johnson firm in 1999 was the consultant for the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority, also now a cheerleader for the proposed Navy Hill project along with its tourism marketing arm, Richmond Region Tourism, led by John F. “Jack” Berry Jr. The 1999 report from the consultant provided key data and backing for the authority’s proposed $165 million expansion of the Richmond Convention Center at the time that the city undertook it with Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties.

“I don’t know how City Council can support this choice,” Ms. Gray said Wednesday after being apprised of the consulting firm’s past ties to Mr. Hunden.

“We want an independent, unbiased review, and now we find that one of the key consultants on the Navy Hill project was a past vice president of the company that is going to do our review and that their offices apparently are located around the corner from each other,” Ms. Gray said.

“I do not know how close the professional ties are between Hunden and C.H. Johnson, but how can we now be sure that

C.H. Johnson will give us an unbiased opinion?” she asked.

City Council President Cynthia I. Newbille, 7th District, who led the effort to secure council support to hire an independent consultant, could not be reached for comment.

City Council Chief of Staff Lawrence R. Anderson and Deputy Chief of Staff Meghan Brown indicated they could not comment as the contract is in the procurement process.

However, it does not appear that the council has any further role to play. The request for proposals that drew C.H. Johnson’s response provides that the contract would be authorized with the signature of a mayoral appointee, Betty J. Burrell, city director of procurement services.

The request for proposals did not appear to include any language stating that Ms. Burrell needed to notify, consult with or secure council’s approval before awarding Ms. Gray the contract.

In response to a Free Press query, Ms. Burrell stated, “The Department of Procurement Services is not aware of any violation of City of Richmond conflict-of-interest regulations regarding C.H. Johnson Consulting Inc., based on its proposal.”

The choice of C.H. Johnson also has raised skepticism among some who also are concerned the company is based in a city that has made tax-increment financing, TIF, or use of growth in tax revenues a key element of its development efforts.

There are also worries that C.H. Johnson, like Hunden, sometimes has offered rosy assessments that did not pan out. For example, Kansas City, Mo., relied on C.H. Johnson in creating its Power & Light District to help revive its downtown. But the project has fallen short of generating the $18 million to $19 million a year in additional tax revenues C.H. Johnson estimated and has required $12 million to $14 million in annual taxpayer subsidies to repay its debt, according to The Kansas City Star newspaper.

The Richmond contract would give C.H. Johnson three months to review and deliver a report to City Council. While the report could

A holiday wedding to remember

Continued from A1

together and establish economic security for their lives.

Mr. McWilliams, an Army veteran, is a meat cutter at a local grocery store; Ms. Jennings is a floral supervisor for another grocery chain.

The couple originally planned to wed in September on Mr. McWilliams’ birthday, but circumstances forced them to change their plans. Mr. McWilliams decided while helping to decorate the 100square-foot chapel in preparation for Saturday’s 36th Annual Christmas Parade that marrying in the mobile structure would be special.

He and Ms. Jennings have volunteered with decorating the tiny chapel since 2017, when the credit union began using it as their parade float to draw attention to their efforts as a nonprofit focused on heritage — it was chartered in 1936 — and serving the financial needs of Richmond’s African-American community.

Mr. McWilliams approached Randy Cooper, president and chief executive officer of Richmond Heritage Federal Credit Union, with the nuptial proposal.

“Weddings are one of those areas where, when people come together, not only are they bringing their lives together, but they are combining their finances and their financial habits. Money is one of the biggest challenges that couples face,” Mr. Cooper said.

He was excited about the idea of the couple getting married in the chapel at the parade.

“Not only is it a cost savings, but it’s one of those treasures,” Mr. Cooper said. “It creates something that’s a little different and a little unique on a budget.”

be turned in sooner, the deadline would be in March, based on the current timing of the award, which could happen later this week or next week. The council set aside $190,000 to pay for a consultant.

The company would be charged to assess the assumptions regarding the $1.5 billion plan that Mayor Stoney is pushing and which the Navy Hill District Corp., led by Dominion Energy Chief Executive Officer Thomas F. Farrell II, would carry out.

The plan proposes taxpayer-supported construction of a new 17,500-seat arena to replace the Richmond Coliseum, plus private development of nearly 2,200 apartments, a new convention hotel, office buildings and restaurants and retail operations in eight blocks of largely city-owned property located between the Coliseum and City Hall and two blocks of city land located south of Broad Street.

Meanwhile, the Navy Hill Development Advisory Commission has scheduled its final meetings, with the next one set for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 7, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 900 E. Broad St., and the last one from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Richmond Public Library Main Branch, 101 E. Franklin St. The commission also plans to hold four public hearings to gather additional comments before issuing its report.

Those public hearings are scheduled for: • Monday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, 1000 Mosby St. in the East End. • Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m. at George Washington Carver Elementary School, 1110 W. Leigh St. • Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 6 p.m. at Hickory Hill Community Center, 3000 E. Belt Blvd. in South Side.

• Thursday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m. at the Southside Community Services Center, 4100 Hull Street Road at Southside Plaza.

In response to a Free Press query, commission Vice Chairman John Gerner stated Tuesday that the final report would be delivered to City Council by Dec. 23, with a formal briefing for the council to take place at the Organizational Development Committee meeting on Monday, Jan. 6.

School Board adopts new rezoning plan without pairing schools Continued from A1

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

The chapel, owned by Bil Malbon of Tiny Chapel Weddings, holds about 20 people and is part of a partnership with Richmond Heritage Federal Credit Union to help couples rethink spending a fortune on a wedding ceremony. Donald McWilliams Jr. and Roberta Jennings, credit union members and volunteers, have taken that lesson to heart.

Tiny Chapel Weddings was started by Bil Malbon, an ordained minister, to provide cost-effective weddings for those looking to avoid having economic worries cloud their big day.

The chapel, which seats about 20, sits on a low platform with wheels that allow the structure to be hitched to a truck and transported to locations.

With packages starting at $500, the chapel-to-go plan delivers the building and an officiant to the couple for a three-hour “destination” wedding.

The tiny chapel has been part of more than 250 weddings, and Saturday will be the first time a couple will use it to marry at the parade, Mr. Cooper said.

Mr. McWilliams and Ms. Jennings will be married while the chapel float is in the parade’s staging area at the Science Museum of Virginia on West

Broad Street. Then the newlyweds will ride on the float into Downtown as part of the festivities.

The wedding is part of a partnership between Tiny Chapel Weddings and Heritage Federal Credit Union to provide credit union members, like Mr. McWilliams and Ms. Jennings, another option when planning their nuptials and to “help them get started on a strong financial foundation,” Mr. Cooper said.

The partnership is best summarized with the partnership’s tagline: “We say ‘I Do’ to financing our member’s dreams.”

Mr. McWilliams is enthusiastic about the support the couple has received for the wedding.

“We just feel really blessed that we are able to have friends and partners and members and people that we can go to,” he said.

Recent days have been marked by the generosity of others, as well, to ensure a great day for the couple with no financial fuss. A wedding dress was provided by Farrah Massenburg of the W.M. Jordan Company, a construction company headquartered across the street from the credit union on West Commerce Road in Richmond’s Manchester area.

While the couple has no plans for a honeymoon, they are hoping to use the money saved with this unique occasion for future expenses or for a good cause.

Regardless of what happens after Saturday, Mr. McWilliams expects that it will be an unforgettable experience for himself and Ms. Jennings.

“It’s just a dream come true for her and I,” Mr. McWilliams said. “Who else can say they got married in a Christmas Parade in Richmond?”

to increase access to the open enrollment lottery for all families.

Open enrollment is set to begin Dec. 15.

Additionally, under the board’s new plan, the East End’s Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School no longer will enroll students from South Side. The only high school change would occur with the move of about 120 students from John Marshall High to Thomas Jefferson High School.

The board also deferred rezoning decisions for North Side elementary schools — Holton, Ginter Park and Barack Obama — until its Dec. 16 meeting.

The new attendance zones will be effective at the start of the 2020-21 school year.

The decision came after more than 50 public meetings on rezoning, including public hearings that concluded Monday night at the board’s meeting held at a packed E.S.H. Greene Elementary School. More than 70 people lined up to speak, which took more than two hours, as the audience of 150 or more listened.

Parents, teachers and community representatives offered their support for or opposition to the various rezoning plans, as well as their thoughts on pairing of elementary schools with majority white and majority black student populations.

“Richmond knows its history, and we (the board) must do what is best for each child,” said School Board Chairwoman Dawn C. Page, 8th District. “With rezoning, we are addressing some of the issues of the South Side. Is it complete? No, it’s not. But it’s a start.”

Ms. Page voted in favor of the final plan, along with board members Elizabeth Doerr, 1st District; J. Scott Barlow, 2nd District; Cheryl L. Burke, 7th District; and Linda B. Owen, 9th District.

Voting against the plan were board members Kenya Gibson, 3rd District; Jonathan Young, 4th District; Dr. Patrick Sapini, 5th District; and Felicia D. Cosby, 6th District.

Several speakers said they wanted RPS to do what was necessary to make sure all schools are more racially balanced with equal resources. Others said they had no issue with racial balance, but felt it was important for students to attend their neighborhood schools.

Mr. Barlow reminded the board and audience that the approved plan “is a starting place for RPS, and the action we are taking will move the needle.”

“We must continue to take action, explore policy and engage the public to do what we can, as a board and district, to implement and improve equity and diversity in our school system,” he said.

A public hearing on rezoning for Holton, Ginter Park and Barack Obama elementary schools will be held at the School Board meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16. The meeting will be held at Ginter Park Elementary School, 3817 Chamberlayne Ave.

City public defenders launch pay parity campaign Continued from A1

should be compensated more competitively.”

“We look forward to continuing discussions with them to address their concerns as the upcoming budget cycle gets underway,” Mr. Nolan said.

Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette W. McEachin, the city’s chief prosecutor, agrees that public defenders should get higher pay.

“I support them receiving a higher salary.

They are just as important in the criminal justice system as prosecutors,” she said.

Public defenders also have reached out to members of Richmond City Council. New 5th District Councilwoman Stephanie Lynch already has voiced her support for pay parity, according to Deputy Public Defender Alanna Trivelli.

Public defenders say the measure, if approved, could finally allow them to achieve pay parity with the city’s prosecutors.

Richmond currently provides the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office with $7 million annually to enable staff to be paid more than the state provides. The deputy and assistant prosecutors who handle most cases currently average salaries that are 37 percent higher than

public defenders, according to Ms. Shapiro.

She noted that the annual salaries of assistant and deputy public defenders in Richmond currently range from $53,000 to $87,489, with the public defender or manager, Tracy E. Paner, paid about $121,000 a year.

Meanwhile, the city-supplemented annual salaries of assistant and deputy commonwealth’s attorneys range from $74,843 to $140,466, with Mrs. McEachin paid $206,125.

Prosecutors make substantially more as a result of the city’s help, Ms. Shapiro said, with newly hired prosecutors often making more than public defenders with more than a decade of experience.

Overall, salaries for Richond prosecutors are on average nearly 40 percent higher than those of the public defenders, Ms. Shapiro said.

The issue is fairness. In 2018, Richmond public defenders repesented people in 9,000 cases, a big chunk of the 4,000 cases filed in Richmond Circuit Court and the nearly 16,000 cases heard in General District Court.

The result of the disparity is high turnover in the Public Defender’s Office.

Currently, 12 of the 29 attorneys in the public

defender’s office have three years or less experience, according to the Richmond Public Defender’s Office. That contrasts with Mrs. McEachin’s office, where only five of the 33 attorneys have less than three years of experience.

“Public defenders are critical to our criminal justice system,” officials from the Public Defender’s Office stated in a release about the pay parity campaign. “So why does the City of Richmond supplement prosecutors’ salaries to ensure they make an average of nearly 40 percent more than Richmond’s public defenders?”

Virginia’s approach to supporting public defenders has been slow-moving and patchwork for decades, with long reliance on private attorneys being appointed by courts.

The General Assembly began creating public defender offices less than 20 years ago, and in 2008, the legislature authorized localities to supplement the salaries. So far, only five localities have done so — the cities of Alexandria and Charlottesville and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun.

Richmond public defenders attempted to convince Mayor Stoney during the 2019 budget discussion to include supplemental funds for the

office in the budget, but did not succeed.

“We didn’t do as coordinated an approach last year,” Ms. Shapiro said. “That’s why this year we wanted to do a full court press and really try to get into the actual budget.”

Along with representing indigent defendants who are facing jail time, public defenders also often take on the role of social workers. They help connect clients to various social service and behaviorial health programs, she said, which helps reduce wrongful convictions and help people avoid re-offending. That results in lower rates of incarceration while improving the lives of families and communities connected to those charged.

Public defenders also are involved with the city’s diversion initiatives such as the drug court and the Writing Your Way Out program.

Ms. Shapiro said the goal is to gain support from other organizations for the pay parity lobbying campaign. The Legal Aid Justice Center and the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers are engaged, Ms. Trivelli said.

“We’ve already had people reach out to us to say, ‘How can I help?’ ” Ms. Shapiro said.

“It’s been amazing. We’ve been very heartened by the response that we’ve gotten.”

Richmond Free Press

December 5-7, 2019

A5

Local News

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The city’s housing authority has been blocked, at least temporarily, from moving ahead with its sweeping plan for transforming public housing that has raised public concern about the impact on thousands of people if their governmentowned rental units are replaced.

In a stunning blow, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development did not approve the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s 2019-20 annual plan after finding the agency did not provide “all the information that is required.”

The issue with the plan arose after RRHA had announced that it has approved 14 private companies and nonprofit organizations to participate in redeveloping the public housing communities.

Among other things, the Sept. 30 HUD letter of disapproval cites RRHA for not providing enough consideration in its plan for the housing needs of public housing applicants and tenants whose incomes are too low to pay rent on most other housing.

The plan was to go into effect Oct. 1, and is part of RRHA’s five-year plan that HUD also has put on hold.

Damon E. Duncan, RRHA’s chief executive officer, described the HUD rejection in an email to the Free Press as the result “of a few technical deficiencies, none of which related to community involvement.”

He did not offer a timeline for developing corrections or for holding a required public hearing on any proposed changes to the plan.

This is the second time HUD did not accept RRHA information in the past several months.

RRHA redevelopment plan rejected by HUD The authority recently was turned down for a $30 million housing grant to aid its redevelopment of Gilpin Court after HUD found that RRHA had not shown sufficient community involvement.

“Choice Planning grants Mr. Duncan are highly competitive, and HUD typically wants to see 12 months of ongoing community meetings to score high in this category,” Mr. Duncan stated.

Michael Sarahan, a community volunteer and former assistant city attorney, learned about the HUD disapproval of the 2019-20 housing plan after requesting information from federal officials. No information previously had been publicly released.

Mr. Sarahan has been following HUD’s review of the plan, but found RRHA unwilling to confirm that its plan has been rejected or to outline any steps it would take to address the matter.

Mr. Sarahan stated in an email that when he appeared at an Oct. 24 meeting of the Richmond Tenants Organization to speak about the plan’s rejection, Terese Walton, RRHA executive vice president, cut him off.

“You don’t know what you are talking about,” Mr. Sarahan quoted Ms. Walton as telling him and the audience, although Mr. Sarahan had obtained a copy of the Oct. 9 disapproval letter from HUD’s Richmond office. The letter from Mr. Al-Qadaffi Robert Davenport, director of HUD’s Virginia Public Housing Program Center, was sent to the RRHA. Cory J. Wolfe, RRHA counsel, stated in an email to Mr. Sarahan that Mr. Davenport’s letter was not a rejection, but “merely notice that HUD requires additional information to complete its review.”

Community organizer Omari Al-Qadaffi urged Mr. Duncan to postpone a vote on the plan by the RRHA board vote during the summer, claiming that RRHA was in violation of HUD regulations regarding notice to and participation by tenants.

While Mr. Duncan in his email to the Free Press stated that RRHA exceeds HUD’s requirements for public participation in plan development, Mr. Al-Qadaffi disagrees.

In a July 18 letter to RRHA officials, Mr. Al-Qadaffi stated that RRHA had not ensured

that RRHA residents were involved in the plan’s development and failed to provide adequate time for residents to comment on the plan. Mr. Al-Qadaffi noted that RRHA had shortened the HUD-mandated 45-day public comment period to 25 days.

Mr. Al-Qadaffi also stated that RRHA’s plan for redevelopment of its six largest public housing communities — Creighton Court, Fairfield Court, Gilpin Court, Hillside Court, Mosby Court and Whitcomb Court — “lacks the intention of ensuring adequate housing choice for lowincome residents,” a point that Mr. Davenport indicated as a concern.

As Mr. Al-Qadaffi put it, the city’s most recent analysis found a shortage of at least 15,000 units that would be affordable to public housing tenants. RRHA’s proposed reliance on issuing Housing Choice Vouchers, also called Section 8, to allow residents to find their own units “does not effectively address this issue,” he stated.

“This approach creates the high probability of mass displacement of tenants,” Mr. Al-Qadaffi concluded.

In his letter, Mr. Davenport raised concern that RRHA did not ensure in its plan “that it is considering the identified housing needs of (public housing) applicants and tenants when making plans to redevelop its public housing.”

Under the federal regulations governing the submission of annual plans, RRHA’s plan would remain blocked until the authority addresses the concerns that Mr. Davenport has raised, along with restarting the process of notifying residents, explaining proposed changes and offering time for public comment before again trying to gain HUD approval for the plan.

Act of Kindness Delegate Delores L. McQuinn, standing, and her 6-year-old granddaughter Storie Znassi deliver fruit baskets and body lotion to residents of the Darby House senior apartment community in Henrico County last Friday for “I Am My Brother and Sister’s Keeper Day.” The special statewide designation for the day after Thanksgiving was approved by the General Assembly in 2018 by a resolution introduced by Delegate McQuinn. It asks Virginians to perform a random act of kindness on the Friday after the holiday. On this second annual “I Am My Brother and Sister’s Keeper Day,” Delegate McQuinn challenged people to have seven others join in doing something kind to make a difference in the lives of others. She and her granddaughter visit here with, from left, Ethel Davis, 81, Doris Laidler, 71, and Mary Berryman, 88. Other participants out doing kind acts for others on the special day included members of Delegate McQuinn’s legislative staff and members of the Richmond police and fire departments.

Ronald E. Carrington/Richmond Free Press

What’s Wrong With The Navy Hill Coliseum Project?

12 Reasons 77% of Citizens Oppose It

Why It May Constitute the Largest Deception In Richmond History A Coliseum alone costs us $600 million, and citizens pay for all of it It will be another 6th Street Marketplace Our real estate taxes will go up an estimated 35% They develop 10 Blocks, but take our taxes from 80 blocks, for 30 years Our Mayor gives them our downtown land worth $60 million, for just $15 million We are short funds to support schools, police, fire, streets, social services, & drainage School Board has decided Navy Hill will deprive them of $120 million over 30 years Corporate guys use our money, while they get richer The project could bankrupt our city. Your children will pay for it for 30 years Their 10 blocks of downtown will shine, while the rest of us suffer It’s a choice between $600 million for 25 new schools, or a coliseum No jobs are guaranteed, and THE REAL NUMBER MAY BE ZERO JOBS Every councilperson would like to hear from you by text or call…

1st District Addison 833-5898 2nd Gray 852-4427 3rd Hilbert 306-0875

4th Larsen 503-1313 5th Lynch 703-945-4619 6th Robertson 314-7658

7th Newbill 543-7837 8th Trammell 240-5050 9th Jones 363-5093

Richmond Civic League email RichmondCivicLeague@gmail.com or Facebook Giving Voice To Richmond Citizens, Insisting That We Be Heard Hon. Marty Jewell, Chairman 3 Stunning Videos on Facebook @RichmondCivic - Like Us,Share, or Search YouTube for Richmond Civic League If you oppose the project, please email your name, civic group, organization, business, or church to our growing list of opponents. No cost to join.

Richmond Free Press

A6 December 5-7, 2019

News

After 17 years, a Chesapeake man opens up about his encounter with ‘The D.C. Snipers’

Terror on the road Mr. Peterson

By Georgia Geen Capital News Service

CHESAPEAKE After 27 years in the Navy, Harley Peterson couldn’t help but evaluate a passing car as he would an unfamiliar ship cruising past his own off the coast of Vietnam or in the Atlantic.

On a late October night in 2002, a dark blue Chevrolet Caprice caught his attention. Its direction was north, presumably headed back to New Jersey, which the license plate flagged as the driver’s home state.

The two guys in the Chevy probably are heading home after visiting family down South, thought Mr. Peterson, who hails from Pompano Beach, Fla. He wondered whether the driver and passenger might be bringing back some butter beans.

But Mr. Peterson quickly realized something was odd: The Chevy’s occupants seemed agitated. A friendly nod on his part didn’t help much — a sign from his military career that led him to believe the other vehicle was likely more foe than friend.

The two cars were speeding along Interstate 95 north of Richmond. The Caprice pulled in front of Mr. Peterson; he remembers seeing a hole in the vehicle’s back panel. It was large enough for a hand. Or the barrel of a rifle.

It was all coming together — to borrow phrasing from Mr. Peterson’s therapist years later — like tumblers in a lock clicking into place.

Mr. Peterson said he could see the passenger crawling into the back seat, with easy access to the trunk. In that moment, Mr. Peterson said he realized that the men driving alongside him were the snipers who had been terrorizing the region for weeks.

For the next several miles and minutes, Mr. Peterson recalled, his car and the Caprice engaged in a tense chase on I-95 near Ashland.

Mr. Peterson believes the blue sedan was trying to maneuver to shoot at him. Then suddenly, the Caprice exited on U.S. 301.

Although no shots were fired, Mr. Peterson said he was sweating bullets. He said he immediately used his cell phone to call the Virginia State Police on #77, the line for reporting reckless and dangerous drivers.

State Police were unable to produce records related to the report; the agency doesn’t have #77 calls from that far back, a spokeswoman said.

After the ordeal on I-95, Mr. Peterson said he told his supervisor at the Washington Navy Yard about the encounter.

Attempts to contact the supervisor, who has since retired, were unsuccessful.

But Mr. Peterson said he is sure of what he saw. He said the vehicle he reported had the same license plate number that, a few days later, authorities warned the public to look out for: NDA 21Z. On Oct. 24, 2002, police surrounded a Chevy Caprice bearing those plates and arrested John Allen Muhammad, 41, and Lee Boyd Malvo, 17 – “The D.C. Snipers.”

Mr. Peterson never went public with his experience. He said he has been wrestling with questions, sometimes wondering whether going to the media immediately could have saved the life of the snipers’ last of 10 victims. Now, after years of staying quiet, Mr. Peterson has decided to tell his story.

A month of terror from D.C. to Richmond In October 2002, Mr. Muhammad and Mr. Malvo went on a shooting spree in the Washington area, killing 10 people and critically injuring three. A hole had been cut in the rear panel of the Caprice and that served as a firing point for the sniper rifle.

Mr. Peterson remembers the month as a tense time because of the shootings. He said he doesn’t recall the exact date of the night he encountered the men he believes were Mr. Muhammad and Mr. Malvo as he was driving to his job at the Washington Navy Yard from his home in Chesapeake. It was probably Oct. 19 or 20, said Mr. Peterson, who had an apartment in Alexandria where he stayed during the workweek.

But other details of the run-in are still clear 17 years later.

“Muhammad and Malvo attempted to take my life on a night in late October 2002,” Mr. Peterson later wrote.

“I think I remember everything,” Mr. Peterson said during an interview in the living room of his suburban Chesapeake home.

When Mr. Peterson first spotted the Caprice, he recalls feeling a sense of relief. “Actually, it was kind of a welcome sight to see a couple of able young African-Americans and me out there,” said Mr. Peterson, who also is African-American. “There’s safety in numbers.”

But tensions grew between the drivers. It started with what Mr. Peterson perceived as the pair blowing off his salutation.

Then they seemed to show an increased interest in him. Too often, they ended up next to him in the flow of traffic. So Mr. Peterson flipped them off.

Shortly after, Mr. Peterson believes he saw Mr. Malvo stroking Mr. Muhammad’s neck and shoulders. So Mr. Peterson made a kissing gesture, which he now sees as homophobic, toward the Caprice.

“I say that now in all awareness that that was 2002, and we’ve all looked at things like that a lot differently,” Mr. Peterson said.

“But that’s what I did at the time.”

Mr. Malvo, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, had entered the U.S. illegally alongside Mr. Muhammad. In a 2012 interview on NBC’s Today show, Mr. Malvo alleged that Mr. Muhammad had sexually abused him since he was about 15.

“I felt a sense of shame, and I just said, ‘That’s just something that I’d never tell anyone,’ ” Mr. Malvo said in the television interview. “And to a certain extent, up until that point, I really couldn’t handle it.”

After Mr. Peterson made the kissing gesture, both cars started speeding up and shifting lanes.

Mr. Peterson said the Chevy seemed intent on staying in front of him.

It was at this moment that he feared the occupants of the Caprice might attempt an openhighway shooting. The passenger Mr. Peterson believes to have been Mr. Malvo remained in the backseat — where he could access the trunk — while speaking with the driver.

John Allen Muhammad

Lee Boyd Malvo

“I would probably not believe it myself if it hadn’t happened.

But it was almost like I could see the nostrils flare in their breathing,” Mr. Peterson said. “I don’t know whether it’s adrenaline or what, but I had a very good look at both of them, and a lot of this took place almost like it was in slow motion.”

Just as quickly as the interaction began, the Chevy pulled alongside Mr. Peterson — driver and passenger laughing — and exited I-95 north of Richmond at Bowling Green in Caroline County.

Mr. Peterson knew the State Police often patrolled the area because he’d been pulled over for speeding in the past. So he said he dialed #77 and made a report about the incident.

“I provided a description of the vehicle, license plate number, direction headed based upon their exit from the interstate highway, and a description of the vehicle’s occupants, including estimates of age and racial identities as African-Americans,” Mr. Peterson said in a written statement to the Capital News Service before the interview.

“My report importantly contained a caution to State Police leadership that a stop of the killer’s vehicle by a single patrol car and officer be avoided at all cost due to the likelihood of a loss of life to one of their own. I described the method of the shooter accessing the trunk of the vehicle from the passenger compartment and firing from an opening fashioned in the car’s rear panel in complete concealment. I believed the threat to an officer’s life would be imminent in such a case.”

Until that point in the investigation, police had told the public to be on the lookout for a white van possibly connected with the attacks. On Oct. 23, 2002, authorities updated the vehicle’s description, saying they were looking instead for a blue Chevy Caprice. Police had received reports about the Caprice as early as Oct. 3, 2002. It is unknown whether Mr. Peterson’s report prompted authorities to revise their public warning.

Mr. Peterson’s instincts about the occupants of the Caprice were rooted in his military career. He applied his observation skills as he did when he was on an ammunition ship “providing ammunition to do a lot of the carnage that took place in Vietnam.” Not a day went by that he didn’t realize the gravity of what he was doing.

Joining the military was a way for Mr. Peterson to see the world and to get a break in life. He said that he grew up in a housing project in Florida and that his mother died when he was in his teens. Mr. Peterson said he was surrounded by violence.

“I don’t know when I didn’t know that people killed other people,” Mr. Peterson said. “I don’t know that today there isn’t some 8-year-old on the South Side of Chicago that hasn’t seen the same things I saw growing up.”

control and strategic thinking, is the last part of the brain to develop,” Dr. Cleary said.

As a result, courts are reassessing how to handle teenagers who commit crimes. Currently, Dr. Cleary said, “We treat them like an adult. We process them in the adult court system. There’s a major disconnect there.”

In October, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether to grant Mr. Malvo a new sentencing hearing. The outcome won’t change much for him — he already has 10 life sentences — but the results could matter for other people sentenced to life without parole as minors in Virginia.

The core of the case is whether Virginia’s sentencing system is discretionary or mandatory for capital murder. The state argues that it is discretionary because the judge could have reduced the jury’s recommendation for life without parole in Mr. Malvo’s case.

But Mr. Malvo’s lawyers said the system is not truly discretionary. They said there has never been a case in which a juvenile received less than life without parole for capital murder.

Victims and their family members are split on Mr. Malvo’s bid for a rehearing.

A U.S. Supreme Court brief filed on behalf of the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center argues that reopening the criminal case and resentencing Mr. Malvo would retraumatize victims.

“These federal proceedings are not ‘no cost’ hearings for crime victims,” the brief states. “They are anything but ‘no cost’ hearings and they inflict a great emotional and psychological toll on the victims.”

However, the Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center, a nonprofit law firm that advocates for youths, wants a blanket ban on sentencing juveniles to life without parole. The center notes that 22 states already prohibit such punishments.

Mr. Peterson is firm in his belief that Mr. Malvo should remain in prison. He even wishes Mr. Malvo had met the same fate as Mr. Muhammad.

“The law is what it is, the rules are what they are, the courts are who they are. And that’s beyond anything I can control,” Mr. Peterson said. “But were it possible to have had the outcome that I sought, then Malvo would have been executed as well.”

Lasting trauma and survivor’s guilt Mr. Peterson kept the story from his family for years. Almost three decades in the military teaches you to compartmentalize, he said.

“I think it was three years” before he told a family member — his daughter.

“Gosh, I’m sorry I have to change that. It was five years,” Mr. Peterson continued.

He paused, recalling his daughter’s age.

“I’m sorry, that makes it eight years,” Mr. Peterson said with a deep pause. “Eight years.”

Stephanie Peterson, who now works as an engineer, had just finished plebe summer at the Naval Academy in 2010 when her father recounted the story to her. The 27-year-old remembers her father telling her that he noticed the hole in the back panel of the Caprice, which is when he put two and two together.

“That’s a really big thing to have happened to my dad when we didn’t know about it,” she said. “He’s a very stoic person.

He’s really reserved. He’s not boastful about things.”

Ms. Peterson said that whenever her father tells a story about Now 34, Mr. Malvo has been back in court his life, he uses it as a teachable moment. She noted his vigilance Following the pair’s arrest, Mr. Muhammad was charged with and tendency to notice small details as the factors that led to his capital murder, terrorism and other crimes. Because of public- realization about the snipers — a conclusion that might have ity that could have influenced jurors, Mr. Muhammad’s trial eluded a less observant person.

As the 17th anniversary of the sniper attacks approached, Mr. was moved from Northern Virginia to Virginia Beach. He was convicted in November 2003, sentenced to death and executed Peterson said he learned of Virginia Commonwealth University’s student-run Capital News Service. He said he approached CNS six years later.

Mr. Malvo was tried as an adult in Chesapeake in December with his story because “journalism school students are likely 2003, at a courthouse less than 10 miles from where Mr. Pe- not that much older than Malvo was at the time of his killings. terson lives. He was found guilty of capital murder, terrorism Intriguingly, one wonders what they might bring” to the story.

His therapist wanted him to tell family members to relieve and illegal use of a firearm and sentenced to life without parole.

He is incarcerated at Red Onion State Prison, a super-maximum some of the burden of the memory, and so he did. He was also asked to get rid of some of the physical memories of the security facility in Wise County.

Since Mr. Malvo was sentenced for crimes he committed at encounter, like the flip phone he used to make the call and the age 17, legal opinions on capital punishment and life sentences car he was driving that night, which still sits in the driveway of his home. for minors have shifted.

Mr. Peterson, who retired last December, hasn’t gotten rid of In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that juveniles cannot receive the death penalty. In 2010, the court prohibited life anything from that night. Perhaps subconsciously, he considers sentences for minors convicted of crimes other than homicide. those artifacts as trophies. They show he escaped unharmed And most pertinent to Mr. Malvo’s case, the court ruled in from the encounter with the men he believes to be the snipers, 2012 that juveniles cannot receive life without parole unless their his therapist told him.

“Well, I had never thought about it being a trophy,” Mr. crime “reflects irreparable corruption.” In 2016, the high court Peterson said of his 2002 Nissan Maxima. “But after I did, I made that decision, called Miller v. Alabama, retroactive.

The rulings stem from a new understanding of how young knew I wasn’t going to get rid of it. And that’s why it’s sitting brains develop. Dr. Hayley Cleary, a Virginia Commonwealth out there right now.”

For a long time, memories of that night in October 2002 University professor who studies adolescent development in legal contexts, said the decision-making parts of the brain don’t stayed with Mr. Peterson, and minuscule things triggered him, bringing him back to I-95. But as time went on — and Chevy finish developing until the mid-20s.

“The prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is this front part Caprices began to disappear from the roads, along with news of the brain that governs rational decision-making and impulse coverage of the shootings, save for a few anniversary stories — things started to get better.

But Mr. Peterson still feels deep regret over the death of the snipers’ final victim, Conrad Johnson, a 35-year-old bus driver. Mr. Johnson, who left behind a wife and two sons, was shot and killed standing at the top of the steps of his morning commuter bus in Aspen Hill, Md., on Oct. 22, 2002, a few days after Mr. Peterson crossed paths with the Chevy Caprice.

Mr. Peterson wonders if there was something he could have done to save Mr. Johnson, like making a more public report or going to the media. Maybe that way, Mr. Johnson would have known what to watch out for and who was a threat, Mr. Peterson said.

“Had I chosen another path, I can’t be sure he wouldn’t have died anyway. To the extent that that happened, I know I’ll always be troubled Photo by Chris Gardne/Associated Press by that,” Mr. Peterson said. “It was hard to 1990 blue Caprice used by the D.C. Snipers shake. It really is.”

Richmond Free Press

December 5-7, 2019

You can defend yourself against viruses.

Every time at –work, timeatatschool, school,with timetheir with Every year, year,your yourfriends friendsand andneighbors neighborslose lose time at work, their families money at the doctor’s office thanks to flu, thepneumonia flu, pneumonia and families – andand money at the doctor’s office thanks to the and other other viruses. put yourself others risk?

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Health. viruses.

Why Why put yourself andand others at at risk?

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Influenza — one of the most contagious illnesses known to man — is caused by viruses in the nose, throat and lungs. A person with the flu typically spreads the disease through coughing and sneezing.

Common symptoms: • Sudden fever • Headache • Cough • Sore throat • Body aches • Fatigue

Pneumonia

Preventative care: • Get a flu shot • Wash your hands frequently • Cough and sneeze into your elbow and not your hands • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces

Pneumonia is among the leading causes of death in Virginia. It inflames the lungs, which may fill up with liquid.

Causes: • Bacteria • Viruses • Infections • Inhaling various chemicals

Preventative care: • Get a pneumonia shot • Wash your hands frequently • Don’t smoke • Be aware of your general health

Common symptoms: • Cough (green, yellow or bloody mucus) • Fever • Shaking chills

Shingles Caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, shingles leaves painful rashes and blisters on the patient’s skin. About one of out of every three people will develop shingles in their lifetime, and doctors recommend shingles vaccines for those 50 and older.

1:3 Symptoms: • A painful rash and blisters on one side of the face or body • Fever • Headache • Chills • Upset stomach

Community Immunity Even healthy adults may still have the ability to pass on the virus before symptoms appear, so make it a routine to get vaccinated. When enough people in an area get vaccinated, germs and viruses can’t travel as easily from person to person. The more people in a community who are vaccinated, the less likely a disease, virus or infection is able to strike that community. And now that it’s virus season — come to VCU Health and get your family vaccinated today!

To set up an appointment to get vaccinated, call 804-828-7929. © 2019 VCU Health. All rights reserved. Sources: American Lung Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Virginia Department of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

A7

Richmond Free Press

Holiday adornment in Shockoe Bottom

Editorial Page

A8

December 5-7, 2019

Eyes on the prize We find it interesting that the Richmond School Board, with all of its talk about the importance of equity and diversity, backed away from a school pairing plan when it approved new school attendance zones at its meeting this week.

The issue of school integration has been a thorn in the side of Richmond Public Schools for decades that led to the tumultuous “busing” years in the 1970s; “white flight” as scared white parents pulled their children out of RPS for fear they would have to share classrooms, lunchrooms, locker rooms and bathrooms with black children; and later “school consolidation,” with the city’s high schools paired into complexes, such as the “Marshall-Walker” complex.

During the recent bevy of school rezoning meetings and public hearings, we felt a sense of déjà vu, although, fortunately, the discussions were without the rancor and overt racist remarks that marred the ’70s busing debate.

While the current language surrounding the plans is different from the past, some of the concepts are the same: School pairings of elementaries with majority AfricanAmerican student populations with elementaries with majority white student populations — like the complexes of the past — and more “open enrollment” for students to attend schools anywhere in the city.

Open enrollment is like the old pre-busing “freedom of choice” policy that gave residents the “freedom” to send students to whatever school in the city they wanted.

However, it turned out to be a negative experience for some of those black students who were removed from their underfunded and often neglected black schools only to suffer abuse and trauma as “the first” to integrate white schools where their presence was neither welcomed nor embraced.

We understand that consciousness has changed to a degree since then. But what was clouded in the dust-ups in the past should remain paramount in the discussions and deliberations of today — and that is equity in our schools.

School desegregation was not pushed simply to allow black students to sit in a classroom with white students.

It was to help alleviate and ameliorate the decades of neglect and lack of public dollars and other resources going to black schools and the education of black children. By spreading black and white children around equally to all schools, the thought was the resources would be spread around, too, giving all students an equal education.

While that concept may have been admirable, the outcome has fallen short as evident by RPS’ continuing achievement gap between African-American, white and Latino students.

We hope that the rezoning plan the School Board adopted Monday night will be sufficient to meet the goals for diversity expressed by the board and school administration. But we believe it is paramount for the board, RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras and the school administration to continually examine and address the inequity in resources to city schools that perpetuate the achievement gap. That includes fixing the decrepit conditions of the aging schools that hamper students’ learning. That means adding staffing and programs to address barriers to learning, as well as the social and emotional barriers to learning arising from poverty that affect roughly three out of four RPS students.

All of that adds up to the need for more dollars from the state and the city to support RPS. Making the right moves is critical now for RPS and for the future of our children, including protecting RPS funding from any future cutbacks because of a 30-year funding scheme for the proposed Coliseum replacement and Downtown development project that would stymie taxpayer dollars to the city’s general fund and support for schools for the next 30 years.

We believe RPS is on the right road with its new trauma-informed training and practices guiding teachers and the education process. And Dreams4RPS, the school system’s strategic plan through 2023, is a positive guide for increasing equity and quality in city schools.

But more importantly than who sits next to whom in the classroom is that Richmond students are in heated, lighted, functioning, well-resourced and not overcrowded classrooms with well-trained teachers, counselors, aides, electronics, learning and support tools and opportunities to achieve, graduate and excel in the future.

We hope that the School Board, along with the hundreds of parents who turned out for the zoning meetings, will keep their eyes on this greater prize — for more funding and equity for a first-class education for all students in Richmond Public Schools.

Go Vikings!

We send a cheer up for Richmond’s Thomas Jefferson High School football team as the players head to the state 2A semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 7, against Stuarts Draft High School in Augusta County.

The team, under the leadership of Coach P.J. Adams, has worked hard this season, capitalizing on everyone’s strengths to garner an 11-2 record.

Stuarts Draft High, with its 12-1 record, may be a formidable opponent this weekend, but we believe the TJ Vikings have the focus and fire to pull out a win.

We hope to see the Vikings in the state finals on Saturday, Dec. 14, in Salem.

Until then, we hope the team hears the cheers and applause from proud Richmonders that accompany them this Saturday.

Go Vikings!

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

‘Sorry’ doesn’t always make it right Billionaire Mike Bloomberg entered the already-crowded Democratic presidential primary with a splash.

His ad buy of about $35 million represents more than half of what the other dozen or so candidates have spent on the campaign so far. His net worth, estimated by Forbes at $54.6 billion, means he has deep pockets and virtually unlimited funds to spend on a campaign.

Some think that he can beat President Trump in an election since Mr. Bloomberg is far wealthier than him. In addition to his wealth, he’s white and male.

Facetiously speaking, what’s not to like?

Except during his 12-year tenure as mayor of New York City, Mr. Bloomberg was an ardent proponent of “stop and frisk,” the policing policy that allows officers to stop virtually anyone without a warrant if they seem “suspicious.”

At its peak, more than 650,000 people were detained in a single year under the stop and frisk policy. Nearly 6 million NewYorkers were “stopped and frisked” between 2003 and 2015. The overwhelming majority of those who were stopped — 90 percent — were African-American or

Latino. In about 85 percent of the cases, there were no fines or convictions.

Civil rights organizations and many others vehemently opposed “stop and frisk.” Hundreds thronged to Mr. Bloomberg’s Upper East Side home to protest the policy. But the then-mayor was

Julianne Malveaux adamant that “stop and frisk” was justified and explained that more black and brown people were being stopped because more of them were committing crimes.

But the era of “stop and frisk” was an era where any black or brown person, regardless of their appearance or status, could be stopped. A few of those who should not have been stopped sued. Many protested. Some considered “stop and frisk” the byproduct of racism and racial profiling and chose not to take the legal route.

The era of “stop and frisk” exacerbated tensions between law enforcement officers and the black community. And until recently, Mr. Bloomberg stood by his policy.

Then a week before his entry into the presidential contest, Mr. Bloomberg “apologized” for the “stop and frisk” policy while speaking at an African-American megachurch in Brooklyn, N.Y. His very cynical use of the black church, along with the timing of

the so-called apology, is highly suspect. And the decade-too-late apology, offered with no remedy, is meaningless.

The very wealthy Mr. Bloomberg could accompany his apology with a sizeable donation to criminal justice reform. He could break off a few million and donate it to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the American Civil Liberties Union or any of the other organizations fighting for criminal justice reform. An apology, without an offer to redress the wrong, is meaningless. A simple apology, especially after all the harm that was done, is as sorry as the words “I’m sorry.” Sorry doesn’t always make it right.

The apology seems to have been made to aid the Bloomberg presidential campaign, but most people won’t be fooled. Despite his money, Mr. Bloomberg is a late entry into the race. His wealth is the only thing that makes him stand out, but not by much because there is another wealthy white man, Tom Steyer, in the race.

Some say it takes a big person to acknowledge their wrong. But Mr. Bloomberg left office in 2013.

He has had at least six years to apologize.

Since his departure as mayor, tensions between black and brown residents and police officers have risen. Trigger-happy cops have killed too many black and brown folks. Do the names

Our stories are part of history All of my life I had seen a white woman, fist up, a red bandana around her head, determination on her face and words above her saying “We Can Do It!” I never thought much about it until I attended a program this past summer where there were no women other than white women celebrating Rosie the Riverter, the cultural icon representing women who worked in factories and plants to support the war effort during World War II. As national president of the National Congress of Black Women, I responded to the invitation to attend the observance on the U.S. Capitol Grounds where we were asked to “Ring A Bell for Rosies. Tell America, ‘Wake Up! Listen to Rosies.’

Pull together, not apart.”

Great advice.

But when I saw no black women being honored, it dawned on me that there must be some black women Rosies who worked during the war, so I raised the question. A wonderful 99-year-old white women told me indeed there were black women Rosies. She sent me a lot of confirmation of what she said, and the contact with her introduced me to the son of a Rosie the Riveter. His name is Gregory S. Cooke, a career

educator and historian. He is an award-winning documentary filmmaker.

I learned that he had spent three decades fighting to illuminate African-Americans in the most consequential event in human history. In his organization, he stated that his mission

Dr. E. Faye Williams is to move our legacies from the margins to the main pages of American and global history.

I learned that his research took him to Bastogne, Belgium, and on to Great Britain, where he discovered 137,000 AfricanAmerican men and women waiting for D-Day, June 6, 1944. I learned from him that more than 1 million African-American men and women risked their lives for Franklin Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms,” but he also knew that most of them could not vote when they returned home.

For them, only the “back of the bus” was waiting.

Mr. Cooke began collecting oral histories of African-American veterans. He found compelling stories about friendship, love, “brown babies” and racial violence among Americans, byproducts of fraternization between “Choc’late soldiers” and white Brits. These stories, especially the ones about interracial dating, were quashed during the war because they were problematic for the American racial narrative. In Great Britain, he

encountered African-American women in World War II — the 6888 Postal Battalion — 850 WACs who sorted mail for 4 million G.I.s in Europe.

He dug deeper and came upon 600,000 African-American “Rosie the Riveters” in the United States who helped build the “arsenal of democracy.”

These women had courageously and defiantly fled economically and culturally stifling lives as domestics and sharecroppers to work for the first time in factories and in government and corporate offices. They also battled racism and sexism. He recalled that one Rosie said, “It took Adolph Hitler to get colored women out of white women’s kitchens.”

This information gave Mr. Cooke a better understanding of his mother’s stories told to him during his childhood. He then understood his mother’s courage as a pioneer and being a history maker.

How many more stories are there about the important work black women have done?

As a result of what he learned, he created the documentary, “Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II.” Our stories are so often left out of history. It is incumbent upon all of us to research and find other stories of our foremothers who’ve done great work that benefits us all.

The writer is national president of the National Congress of Black Women.

The Free Press welcomes letters The Richmond Free Press respects the opinions of its readers. We want to hear from you.

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

Tamir Rice, Philando Castille or Michael Brown mean anything?

If Mr. Bloomberg were sorry, he could talk about the flaws in our criminal justice system. Instead, he has offered a half-baked apology without acknowledging or attempting to remedy the impact his unjust policies had on black and brown lives.

The current president is proof positive that money, integrity and sagacity are not positively correlated. Mr. Bloomberg’s tepid apology may be further evidence that the wealthy don’t think the rules apply to them.

Mike Bloomberg clearly has money to burn. But it would be great if he burned it for criminal justice reform rather than for an ill-fated, vain presidential campaign.

The writer is an economist, author, media contributor and educator.

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Richmond Free Press

December 5-7, 2019

A9

Letters to the Editor

Take action, even after Election Day Open letter to Gov. Northam Election season has come and gone, and while the work of a new legislature begins, many constituents may recede back into the woodwork until their next turn at the polls. After all, voters have completed their responsibility, and it is now the job of lawmakers to care for their well-being, right?

Not entirely.

Every vote is extremely significant, but there is a difference between an individual’s value as a statistic and the value of their unique experiences. We cannot rely on others to make decisions about our lives before they understand our perspective.

Tell your elected officials what you’d like them to represent.

Begin by identifying a cause that you are truly passionate about.

From Wednesday, Jan. 15, through the end of the General Assembly, the League of Women Voters holds a Women’s Legislative Roundtable every Wednesday morning in the Tidewater Room of the SunTrust Building, 919 E. Main St. in Downtown.

Legislators, nonprofit leaders and league members discuss the issues and legislation that is most important. The public is welcome to participate by asking questions and gathering information toward advocacy letters, emails, phone calls and meetings.

After discovering an important issue, take action. Let influential people know why one proposal out of thousands deserves

their attention.

If your representative does not match your party identification, it may seem frightening to submit your opinion. However, it is even more important to do so because they mainly attract viewpoints aligned with their own.

Your message does not have to be the most formal. Trust that your authentic voice is more than enough. With bravery and resolve, it will be heard.

To Gov. Ralph S. Northam, As the elected business manager of a labor union that supported you in the 2017 election for governor, I continue to be disappointed in your actions. The comments you made to the revenue advisory council were shameful, but not surprising. The so-called “right-towork� law does nothing but allow freeloaders on jobs covered by MORGAN JOHNS a union contract.

Richmond Since 1947, states that are “right-to-work� are lower in wages, higher in fatalities and higher in poverty, infant mortality and uninsured Housing assistance programs rates. The ugly history of “right-to-work� includes characters such available, contact: as Vance Muse, who used racist scare tactics to promote adoption of the law to Dixiecrats of the time.

Theodore T. Brown The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was among &5$ /RDQ 2É?FHU many unions that walked precincts, made phone calls and made NMLS #: 1389574 campaign contributions to get you elected and to help ensure the 804.338.6265 WEURZQ#IXOWRQPRUWJDJHFRPSDQ\ FRP recent “blue waveâ€? in the Commonwealth. To hear that the leader fultonmortgagecompany.com of the Democratic Party in the state chooses to side with business interests and Republicans over a fundamental tenant of policy for labor was a slap in the face. If your aim was to alienate union labor Fulton Bank voters for years to come, you are well on the way to the goal.

Fulton Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval.

When the news broke last week about you discouraging repeal of the “right-to-work� law, I was quickly contacted by many rank and file members asking if I had seen the reports. I can assure you that all 1,200 members of IBEW NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF AN APPLICATION BY Local 666 are as furious as I am VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR at your actions.

REVISION OF RATE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE: RIDER BW On a federal level, seven BRUNSWICK COUNTY POWER STATION, FOR THE RATE YEAR COMMENCING SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 of Virginia’s 11 congressional CASE NO. PUR-2019-00160 representatives have had the courage to stand with labor and •Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominionâ€?) has applied to update its Rider BW by which it recovers the costs of the Brunswick County Power Station. sign on to the PRO Act. It would •Dominion requests $119,740,000 for its 2020 Rider BW. According to Dominion, this amount would increase a typical residential customer’s bill using 1,000 kilowatt hours per be helpful if you, as the governor month by $0.10. of a state, proclaimed a “blue •A Hearing Examiner appointed by the Commission will hear the case on March 24, 2020. state,â€? would have the guts to •Further information about this case is available on the SCC website at: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. do the same and not pander to corporate desires.

On October 1, 2019, Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominionâ€? or “Companyâ€?), pursuant to § 56-585.1 A 6 of the Code of Virginia Âł&RGH´ DQG WKH 6WDWH &RUSRUDWLRQ &RPPLVVLRQÂśV Âł&RPPLVVLRQ´ )LQDO 2UGHU LQ &DVH 1R 385 ÂżOHG ZLWK WKH &RPPLVVLRQ DQ DQQXDO XSGDWH ZLWK UHVSHFW WR WKH Frankly, to continue policies Company’s rate adjustment clause, Rider BW (“Applicationâ€?). Through its Application, the Company seeks to recover costs associated with the Brunswick County Power Station, a that enshrined Virginia as 51st PHJDZDWW QRPLQDO QDWXUDO JDV ÂżUHG FRPELQHG F\FOH HOHFWULF JHQHUDWLQJ IDFLOLW\ DV ZHOO DV WKH UHODWHG WUDQVPLVVLRQ LQWHUFRQQHFWLRQ IDFLOLWLHV LQ %UXQVZLFN &RXQW\ 9LUJLQLD for workers on an Oxfam’s “Best (“Projectâ€?).

States to Work� list is shameful In Case No. PUE-2012-00128 (“CPCN Order�), the Commission approved construction of the Project. In conjunction therewith, the Commission also approved a rate adjustment for a political party that claims to clause, designated Rider BW, which allowed Dominion to recover costs associated with the development of the Project. The Company has since annually updated its Rider BW rate adjustment clause. be pro-worker. Perhaps it is time to get on the right side of history In this proceeding, Dominion has asked the Commission to approve Rider BW for the rate year beginning September 1, 2020, and ending August 31, 2021 (“2020 Rate Year�). The and send “right-to-work� to the two key components of the proposed total revenue requirement for the 2020 Rate Year are the Projected Cost Recovery Factor and the Actual Cost True-Up Factor. The Company is requesting a Projected Cost Recovery Factor revenue requirement of $132,695,000 and an Actual Cost True-Up Factor revenue requirement of ($12,955,000). Thus, the Company dustbin where it belongs.

LV UHTXHVWLQJ D WRWDO UHYHQXH UHTXLUHPHQW RI IRU VHUYLFH UHQGHUHG GXULQJ WKH 5DWH <HDU 'RPLQLRQ UHTXHVWV D UDWH HŕľľHFWLYH GDWH IRU XVDJH RQ DQG DIWHU WKH ODWWHU RI The members of IBEW 6HSWHPEHU RU WKH ÂżUVW GD\ RI WKH PRQWK WKDW LV DW OHDVW GD\V IROORZLQJ WKH GDWH RI DQ\ &RPPLVVLRQ RUGHU DSSURYLQJ 5LGHU %: Local 666 and I await your For purposes of calculating the Projected Cost Recovery Factor in this case, Dominion proposes an enhanced rate of return on common equity (â&#x20AC;&#x153;ROEâ&#x20AC;?) of 11.75%, which it states is leadership. consistent with the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s testimony in Case No. PUR-2019-00050, which is currently pending before the Commission. This includes a proposed general ROE of 10.75%, plus

,EGAL .OTICE

CHARLES SKELLY Richmond The writer is business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 666.

YOU CAN STILL FILE

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Get rid of debts that you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay.

a 100 basis points enhanced return, as provided for in Code § 56-585.1 A 6, for a combined cycle generating station. For purposes of calculating the Actual Cost True Up Factor, the Company used an enhanced ROE of 10.2%, including a general ROE of 9.2%, plus an ROE adder of 100 basis points.

If the proposed Rider BW for the 2019 Rate Year is approved, the impact on customer bills would depend on the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rate schedule and usage. According to Dominion, implementation of its proposed Rider BW on September 1, 2020, would increase the monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by approximately $0.10.

Interested persons are encouraged to review the Application and supporting documents for the details of these and other proposals.

7$.( 127,&( WKDW WKH &RPPLVVLRQ PD\ DSSRUWLRQ UHYHQXHV DPRQJ FXVWRPHU FODVVHV DQG RU GHVLJQ UDWHV LQ D PDQQHU GLŕľľHULQJ IURP WKDW VKRZQ LQ WKH $SSOLFDWLRQ DQG VXSSRUWLQJ GRFXPHQWV DQG WKXV PD\ DGRSW UDWHV WKDW GLŕľľHU IURP WKRVH DSSHDULQJ LQ WKH &RPSDQ\ÂśV $SSOLFDWLRQ DQG VXSSRUWLQJ GRFXPHQWV 7KH &RPPLVVLRQ HQWHUHG DQ 2UGHU IRU 1RWLFH DQG +HDULQJ WKDW DPRQJ RWKHU WKLQJV VFKHGXOHG D SXEOLF KHDULQJ RQ 0DUFK DW D P LQ WKH &RPPLVVLRQÂśV VHFRQG Ă&#x20AC;RRU courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, to receive testimony from members of the public and evidence related to the Application IURP WKH &RPSDQ\ DQ\ UHVSRQGHQWV DQG WKH &RPPLVVLRQÂśV 6WDŕľľ $Q\ SHUVRQ GHVLULQJ WR WHVWLI\ DV D SXEOLF ZLWQHVV DW WKLV KHDULQJ VKRXOG DSSHDU ÂżIWHHQ PLQXWHV SULRU WR WKH VWDUWLQJ WLPH RI WKH KHDULQJ DQG FRQWDFW WKH &RPPLVVLRQÂśV %DLOLŕľľ

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get A Fresh Startâ&#x20AC;?

The public version of the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Application, as well as the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Order for Notice and Hearing, are available for public inspection during regular business hours at each RI WKH &RPSDQ\ÂśV EXVLQHVV RŕľśFHV LQ WKH &RPPRQZHDOWK RI 9LUJLQLD &RSLHV DOVR PD\ EH REWDLQHG E\ VXEPLWWLQJ D ZULWWHQ UHTXHVW WR FRXQVHO IRU WKH &RPSDQ\ 3DXO ( 3IHŕľľHU (Vquire, Dominion Energy Services, Inc., 120 Tredegar Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219. If acceptable to the requesting party, the Company may provide the documents by electronic means.

Also Chapter 13 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Debt Adjustmentâ&#x20AC;?

STOPS FORECLOSURES, GARNISHMENTS AND HARASSING PHONE CALLS

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Keep paying on your house and car as long as you owe what they are worth.

OTHER LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED: Divorce, Separation, Custody, Support, Home Buy or Sell

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2Q RU EHIRUH 0DUFK DQ\ LQWHUHVWHG SHUVRQ ZLVKLQJ WR FRPPHQW RQ WKH &RPSDQ\ÂśV $SSOLFDWLRQ VKDOO ÂżOH ZULWWHQ FRPPHQWV RQ WKH $SSOLFDWLRQ ZLWK -RHO + 3HFN &OHUN 6WDWH &RUSRUDWLRQ &RPPLVVLRQ F R 'RFXPHQW &RQWURO &HQWHU 3 2 %R[ 5LFKPRQG 9LUJLQLD $Q\ LQWHUHVWHG SHUVRQ GHVLULQJ WR ÂżOH FRPPHQWV HOHFWURQLFDOO\ PD\ GR VR on or before March 17, 2020, by following the instructions on the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. Compact discs or any other form of electronic storage PHGLXP PD\ QRW EH ÂżOHG ZLWK WKH FRPPHQWV $OO VXFK FRPPHQWV VKDOO UHIHU WR &DVH 1R 385 2Q RU EHIRUH -DQXDU\ DQ\ SHUVRQ RU HQWLW\ ZLVKLQJ WR SDUWLFLSDWH DV D UHVSRQGHQW LQ WKLV SURFHHGLQJ PD\ GR VR E\ ÂżOLQJ D QRWLFH RI SDUWLFLSDWLRQ ,I QRW ÂżOHG HOHFWURQLFDOO\ DQ RULJLQDO DQG ÂżIWHHQ FRSLHV RI WKH QRWLFH RI SDUWLFLSDWLRQ VKDOO EH VXEPLWWHG WR WKH &OHUN RI WKH &RPPLVVLRQ DW WKH DGGUHVV DERYH $ FRS\ RI WKH QRWLFH RI SDUWLFLSDWLRQ DV D UHVSRQdent also must be sent to counsel for the Company at the address set forth above. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rules of Practice DQG 3URFHGXUH Âł5XOHV RI 3UDFWLFH´ DQ\ QRWLFH RI SDUWLFLSDWLRQ VKDOO VHW IRUWK L D SUHFLVH VWDWHPHQW RI WKH LQWHUHVW RI WKH UHVSRQGHQW LL D VWDWHPHQW RI WKH VSHFLÂżF DFWLRQ VRXJKW to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel RI WKH 5XOHV RI 3UDFWLFH $OO ÂżOLQJV VKDOO UHIHU WR &DVH 1R 385 2Q RU EHIRUH -DQXDU\ HDFK UHVSRQGHQW PD\ ÂżOH ZLWK WKH &OHUN RI WKH &RPPLVVLRQ DQG VHUYH RQ WKH &RPPLVVLRQÂśV 6WDŕľľ WKH &RPSDQ\ DQG DOO RWKHU UHVSRQGHQWV DQ\ WHVWLPRQ\ DQG H[KLELWV E\ ZKLFK WKH UHVSRQGHQW H[SHFWV WR HVWDEOLVK LWV FDVH DQG HDFK ZLWQHVVÂśV WHVWLPRQ\ VKDOO LQFOXGH D VXPPDU\ QRW WR H[FHHG RQH SDJH ,I QRW ÂżOHG HOHFWURQLFDOO\ DQ RULJLQDO DQG ÂżIWHHQ FRSLHV RI VXFK WHVWLPRQ\ DQG H[KLELWV VKDOO EH VXEPLWWHG WR WKH &OHUN RI WKH &RPPLVVLRQ DW WKH DGGUHVV DERYH ,Q DOO ÂżOLQJV UHVSRQGHQWV VKDOO FRPSO\ ZLWK WKH Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits $OO ÂżOLQJV VKDOO UHIHU WR &DVH 1R 385 00160.

24-7. Talk to an attorney for free

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Rudolph C. McCollum, Jr., Esq. McCollum At Law, P.C.

The Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rules of Practice may be viewed at http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case $ SULQWHG FRS\ RI WKH &RPPLVVLRQÂśV 5XOHV RI 3UDFWLFH DQG DQ RŕľśFLDO FRS\ RI WKH &RPPLVsionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding may be obtained from the Clerk of the Commission at the address above.

and get legal restrictions, fees, costs and payment terms.

Mail to: P.O. Box 4595, Richmond, VA 23220 422 E. Franklin St., Suite 301, Richmond, VA 23219 (Franklin & 5th Sts.)

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY

We are a federally designated Debt Relief Agency under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and we help people file for bankruptcy.

Web Address: McCollumatLaw.com E-mail: rudy@mccollumatlaw.com

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Richmond Free Press

A10 December 5-7, 2019

Sports

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Stories by Fred Jeter

Santos-Silva is VCU’s latest big man making his mark VCU’s rich basketball history features a lengthy list of impressive big men.

Marcus Santos-Silva is the latest shining example.

The brawny and surprisingly nimble 6-foot-7, 250-pound junior from Taunton, Mass., has become the Rams’ go-to man near the hoop.

Santos-Silva was the bright spot in a pair of nail-biting VCU losses to big-time programs during the Emerald Coast Classic Nov. 29 and 30 in Destin, Fla. He had 19 points in the 59-56 loss to Purdue University and 22 points in the 72-69 setback to the University of Tennessee.

For the season, Santos-Silva leads the 6-2 Rams in scoring (13.8 points per game), rebounding (9.5), shooting percentage (.625) and minutes logged (25.6).

He’s also a powerful pillar defensively, combining strength and smarts. Through eight games, he had 10 blocked shots and 14 steals.

Rams fans have become accustomed to stellar play on the low post since the program entered the NCAA Division I in the early 1970s.

Here’s a look back at some notable centers/ power forwards:

Bernard Harris (6-foot-10, 1970-74): Under Coach Chuck Noe, “Supernard” averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds; drafted by the NBA Buffalo Braves.

Ren Watson (6-foot-9, 1975-79): Averaged 12 points, 11 rebounds and is the career leader in blocked shots (391); drafted by the Golden State Warriors.

Kenny Jones (6-foot-11, 1980): Starting center on the Rams’ first NCAA qualifier; drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kenny Stancell (6-foot-9, 1979-82): Averaged 11 points, seven rebounds; MVP of the 1981 Sun Belt Tournament; drafted by the Golden State Warriors.

Greg McCray (6-foot-8, 1978-81): From Hopewell; averaged 11 points and eight rebounds; drafted by the Boston Celtics.

Mike Schlegel (6-foot-8, 1981-85): Averaged 10 points, six rebounds; helped the Rams to three NCAA

Marcus Santos-Silva in action. appearances; drafted by the New York Knicks.

Antoine Ford (7-foot, 1989): Intimidating shot blocker under Coach Mike Pollio after transferring from Georgia Tech.

Martin Henlan (6-foot-10, 1987-90): Atwo-year starter, the Englishman set a school rebounding record in VCU’s loss to Indiana University in the Hoosier Classic.

Kendrick Warren: (6-foot-8, 1990-94): Most dynamic high-flyer in program history, averaged 17.5 points, 10 rebounds; the native Richmonder played pro ball many years overseas.

Sherron Mills (6-foot-9, 1991-93): Averaged 15 points as a senior and was drafted as the second pick in the second round by the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves.

Bernard Hopkins (6-foot-8, 1995-96): The juniorcollege transfer was CAA Player of the Year under Coach Sonny Smith in 1996.

George Byrd (6-foot-8, 1994-97): Averaged nine points, seven rebounds; later became a superstar on the SlamBall circuit.

L.F. Likcholitov (6-foot-11, 2001-03): The Russian native averaged seven points, six rebounds; also a powerful shot blocker with the deepest speaking voice in VCU lore.

Troy Godwin (6-foot-7, 2003-04): The 300-pound junior-college transfer combined with guard Dom Jones to lead the Rams to the 2004 NCAAs. Larry Sanders (6-foot-11, 2005-08): Coach Anthony Grant’s recruit averaged 11 points, eight rebounds; left the team early to join the NBA Milwaukee Bucks as a first-round draft pick.

Jamie Skeen (6-foot-8, 2009-11): This Wake Forest University transfer was the NCAA Southwest Region MVP in 2011 in San Antonio; paced Coach Shaka Smart’s Rams to the Final Four.

Juvonte Reddic (6-foot-9, 2010-14): Scored 1,438 points, grabbed 895 rebounds and helped the Rams to four NCAA berths under Coach Smart.

Mo Alie-Cox (6-foot-7, 2013-17): Scored 1,092 points, grabbed 663 rebounds and blocked 255 shots; now wears No. 81 for the NFL Indianapolis Colts.

Justin Tillman (6-foot-8, 2014-18): As a senior, averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds; All-Atlantic 10 and All-Atlantic 10 Defensive.

VS.

Old rivals Saturday, Dec. 7: Virginia Commonwealth University plays Old Dominion University at VCU’s Siegel Center. Tipoff: 8 p.m. Game to be broadcast on MASN and CBS6-Richmond.

VCU leads the series 50-44 since 1968.

However, the schools began playing one another in the late 1940s, when VCU was Richmond Professional Institute and ODU was the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary.

Which brings us to Santos-Silva.

VCU hasn’t suffered a losing season in the 21st century. The Rams have been to 11 NCAA tournaments since 2004 and six more prior to 2000.

Also since 2004, VCU has won five conference tournament titles and six conference regular season crowns.

Those are some big numbers. It took some big men to achieve them.

Wade legacy continues at ODU

Jason Wade

A second-generation Wade is helping to fuel Old Dominion University basketball this season.

Current standout Jason Wade is the son of former ODU player Ronnie Wade, who played for the Monarchs from 1982 to 1986.

Ronnie Wade starred at MarshallWalker High School in Richmond before signing with then-ODU Coach

Paul Webb.

Jason Wade is a 6-foot-5 sophomore guard out of Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond.

The younger Wade averages 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and is hitting 56 percent from the field. Wearing jersey No. 1, he leads the Monarchs with 27 steals and is second in assists with 16.

Thomas Jefferson High’s Shamar Graham warms up for state semifinal It’s fitting Shamar Graham wears jersey No. 2 for Richmond’s Thomas Jefferson High School.

The senior ball carrier is too powerful for smaller defenders to tackle and too evasive for larger ones to chase him down.

“Shamar’s a bruiser, but he can also take it to the house,” said Vikings Coach P.J. Adams.

The well-muscled, 6-foot-1, 220-pound multitalented Graham is a prime reason why the Vikings have advanced further this season than ever before in the state football playoffs.

The Vikings will play 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, in the state 2A semifinals against Stuarts Draft High School in Augusta County.

Graham, nicknamed “Showtime,” has been a catalyst offensively as a rumbling tailback and defensively as an instinctive, hard-striking linebacker. Roaming sideline to sideline with an attitude, he averages about 10 tackles per game.

“Looking ahead to the next level, Shamar will likely be a linebacker,” Coach Adams said.

He’s a key to special teams, too. Twice Graham has run back punts for touchdowns.

“I like to think of myself as an all-round player,” he said. “Whatever the team needs is what I do.”

Graham, who transferred to Thomas Jefferson from Armstrong High School prior to his junior season, said he patterns his exciting running style after his favorite pro, Saquon Barkley with the New York Giants.

“I enjoy everything about football, but there’s a certain thrill you get carrying the ball,” Graham said.

With the ball tucked under his strong right arm, he bulldozes over some opponents while dodging and outrunning others.

He shows off that speed not only on the gridiron, but also as a sprinter and hurdler on the Thomas Jefferson track team.

Graham, who ran for about 900 yards during the regular season, has saved his best for the postseason.

He has been called on more frequently because of a finger injury to starting quarterback Jaylen Tyler.

“Because we’ve had such a strong passing game, I wasn’t needed to be a workhorse,” said Graham. “I’m fine with any role.”

To start Thomas Jefferson’s playoff run, Graham rushed for 163 yards and three touch-

downs in the Class 2 Region A quarterfinal win over Brunswick High School.

He followed that up with 150 yards overland and two touchdowns in Thomas Jefferson’s regional semifinal win over Greenville High School.

Graham was just warming up. He added 162 yards rushing and another touchdown in the Vikings 30-28 victory over King William High School last Friday in the region finals at Huguenot High School.

For his success, Graham credits his offensive line featuring 6-foot-8, 350-pound Salah Hawash and 6-foot-5, 285-pound Christian Woolridge.

His “thank-you” list extends to his mother, Tina Graham, who never misses a snap of a Thomas Jefferson football.

“My mother is the reason I’m where I am,” he said.

Graham is the epitome of the rough, tough football player come game day, but there is a softer side. People also may know him as the friendly, part-time employee at the Dunkin’ Donuts on Nine Mile Road.

No. 2 in the Vikings’ red, white and black jersey is never too busy to help customers with a hot cup of coffee and a bag of donuts.

Former Henrico County player wins big ACC football award

Mekhi Becton, right, former Highland Springs lineman, is the ACC Jacobs Trophy winner.

A former Highland Springs High School Springer has earned one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s highest football honors.

Mekhi Becton, a 6-foot-8, 370-pound junior at the University of Louisville, has won the Jacobs Trophy which goes to the ACC’s top offensive lineman.

The honor was voted on by ACC head coaches and defensive coordinators.

Becton did not yield a sack this season in 628 snaps for the Louisville Cardinals. He was credited with 60 “total knockdowns” as a blocker.

Becton has not announced yet whether he will return for his final season of eligibility. If he decides to enter his name for the NFL draft, he is expected to be a first- or second-round pick.

Thomas Jefferson High School’s Shamar Graham adds another 162 yards rushing and another touchdown to his statistics during the Vikings’ 30-28 victory last Friday over King William High School to clinch the regional title.

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

City versus country Thomas Jefferson and Stuarts Draft high schools have little in common other than enrollment figures and winning football.

Both teams compete in Class 2, the second smallest among Virginia’s six public school classifications.

On Saturday, Dec. 7, Thomas Jefferson High (11-2) will travel to Stuarts Draft High (12-1), tucked between Waynesboro and Staunton in rural Augusta County, to play in the state 2A semifinals. Kickoff is 1 p.m.

Stuarts Draft has a population of about 9,000, about 95 percent Caucasian.

By contrast, Thomas Jefferson represents Virginia’s hustling, bustling capital city with a population of about 228,000, and about 47 percent African-American.

This is nothing new. Thomas Jefferson’s previous playoff opponents — Brunswick, Greenville and King William high schools — were all from the countryside.

The other Class 2 semifinal game pits Appomattox County High School against Graham High School of Bluefield.

The state final is Saturday, Dec. 14, in Salem.

December 5-7, 2019 B1

Richmond Free Press

Section

Happenings

B

Personality: Kimberly Pleasants Spotlight on board president of Richmond Story House Richmond is rife with historical importance for the state, country and the world, but not all that history is treated with equal care and consideration.

For all the lives and legacies that have fallen or risk falling between the cracks of a changing capital, the Richmond Story House seeks to uncover and elevate those stories.

Founded in 2017 by Rachel Pater, Richmond Story House, a nonprofit organization, is days away from a fundraiser and information event on Wednesday, Dec. 11, and RSH Board President Kimberly Pleasants is excited about the event.

“It’s going to be the first public fundraiser that we’re doing,” Ms. Pleasants says.

It will give the organization a unique opportunity to “talk with people about what we do and the programs they can help with,” she says.

Ms. Pleasants’ enthusiasm is well founded. On Oct. 12, 2018, RSH celebrated the launch of its downloadable audio history tour of the life of Union spy Elizabeth Van Lew, recognizing her 200th birthday with Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney. Today, RSH is putting the finishing touches on a downloadable audio tour of the Church Hill Tunnel, the old Chesapeake & Ohio Railway tunnel that runs under Church Hill. It is scheduled for release this spring.

RSH also is accepting stories of LGBTQ+ parents through the end of December,

with a compilation of selected stories to be published in book format, while others will be featured on the RSH website.

“I’m excited to help the people of Richmond, especially those who may feel their stories don’t matter, to tell their stories,” Ms. Pleasants says.

These audio tours are one part of Richmond Story House’s operation, which includes writing and storytelling workshops that equip marginalized people with the skills and confidence to share stories about themselves and their lives in a safe and welcoming space. The workshops are hosted at RSH’s headquarters at 401 N. 23rd St. and elsewhere, including locations ranging from the Richmond Justice Center to the Central Virginia Correctional Unit #13, a women’s prison in Chesterfield County.

RSH also has developed partnerships with groups and organizations like the Peter Paul Development Center, the St. Stephen’s Youth Group, Hospice of Virginia, East End Library and the Edgar Allan Poe Museum.

All this work contributes to a central, single goal for RSH — hearing, finding, collecting and putting a spotlight on marginalized voices, communities and stories. As Ms. Pleasants puts it, “changing the timeline of Richmond history.”

Besides serving as board president, the Shockoe Bottom resident also serves as part of

finding the money to do it.

Want to go?

Outlook at start of day: Let’s do this!

What: Richmond Story House Winter Fundraiser.

Where: Triple Crossing Beer at 5203 Hatcher St.

A quote that I am inspired by: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” — Toni Morrison.

When: 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11.

Details: The event is free and open to the public, with Triple Crossing to donate 20 percent of sales during the fundraiser to Richmond Story House.

Information: richmondstoryhouse@gmail.com or (804) 657-7671.

Kimberly Pleasants: Occupation: Sales representative.

No. 1 volunteer position: Board president for Richmond Story House.

Date and place of birth: Jan. 25 in Richmond. the Writers of Color and Rivah City Sisters workshops, where people of color are provided the space and inspiration to explore themselves and their surroundings. She also is working on her first novel, “Sanctuary.”

All these activities are happening during what Ms. Pleasants sees as “a really exciting time for Richmond and Richmond Story House,” and a great chance for those unheard and unacknowledged to speak out and be heard.

“The city is changing,” Ms. Pleasants says. “We just want to be a part of people telling their stories and getting it out there.”

Meet a voice for the unheard and this week’s Personality,

Current residence: Shockoe Bottom.

Education: Virginia Commonwealth University.

Family: My cat, Gloria — and my Granny, mom, stepfather, sisters, brother and nieces.

When Richmond Story House was founded: 2017.

Reason for founding: Rachel Pater, the founder, wanted to collect and hear stories from underserved people in Richmond.

tell their stories. It’s changing the timeline of Richmond history.

When and why I became involved with RSH: I became interested in Richmond Story House after taking a threeseries class in 2018. Rachel Pater asked if I would be interested in joining the board.

So, Rachel, Theresa Ronquillo and myself began our excellent adventure!

Resources RSH offers: We offer workshops at the Richmond Justice Center and Unit 13 in the women’s prison, and general workshops, workshops for writers of color and Rivah City Sisters writing meet-ups and walking tours. Check out our website!

RSH’s mission: Unearthing and amplifying stories in our community.

Storytelling is: The simplest, most difficult thing to do.

Telling your story, whether on paper or out loud, gives the world a chance to know you.

Why I am excited about this organization: I’m excited to help the people of Richmond, especially those who may feel their stories don’t matter, to

Our biggest challenge: Doing all of the things we plan and

Our biggest support comes from: Our merry band of board members.

Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: I love sitting at Libby Hill Park and cheering for the people who do the stairs.

At the top of my “to-do” list is: Finishing my book.

If I could just blink my eyes and make a wish, it would be: To be Oprah Winfrey’s godchild!

Best late-night snack: Sleep.

Favorite recreational activity: Reading a book at Libby Hill Park.

Best thing my parents ever taught me: Everyone is equal.

The one thing I can’t stand: People who chew loudly.

Person who influenced me the most: My mother, Brenda Gordon.

Book that influenced me the most: “Sense and Sensibility”

by Jane Austen.

What I’m reading now: “The Water Dancer” by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

My next goal: To get RSH to the next level and to marry Questlove.

Kehinde Wiley paints in NY Studio

a

KEHINDE WILEY� AN ECONOMY OF GRACE Known for his vibrant reinterpretations of classical portraits featuring African-American men, New York-based painter Kehinde Wiley has turned the practice of portraiture on its head and in the process has taken the art world by storm.

The film KEHINDE WILEY� AN ECONOMY OF GRACE follows the artist as he embarks on an exciting new project: a series of classical portraits of African-American women. Documented well before Wiley’s monumental “Rumors of War” sculpture was conceptualized for Arthur Ashe Boulevard, this 2014 film offers a tantalizing look at the intersection of art and fashion and an intimate portrait of one of this generation’s most intriguing and accomplished visionaries. © Kehinde Wiley studio

a

TUNE IN� December � at � p.m. on VPM PBS December �� at � p.m. on VPM PLUS

VPM.org/Kehinde

Richmond Free Press

B2 December 5-7, 2019

Happenings

Mr. Barclay

Mr. Fisher

Ms. Fleming

Mr. Holland

Ms. Thomas

Ms. Yancey

Area teachers win R.E.B. Awards Six teachers with Richmond Public Schools have been recognized with 2019 R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence totaling more than $64,000.

The Community Foundation and the R.E.B. Foundation presented the awards during a ceremony in November at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture at which Damon Jiggetts, executive director of the Peter Paul Development Center, delivered the keynote address and First Lady Pamela Northam was on hand to congratulate the winners.

The Richmond teachers were among 19 winners from the region and nine finalists receiving cash grants totaling $210,000 for travel and study designed to renew their passion for teaching and enhance their ability to bring subjects to life for their students.

The winners, and their study projects, are: Richmond John Barclay, Franklin Military Academy: $12,000 — To chase global solar phenomena, including the Aurora Borealis, in Iceland and solar eclipses in Africa, Southern Asia and the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Mandelia Fisher, Chimborazo Elementary School: $10,300 — To attend the National Conference for Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools in Atlanta and to explore the architecture, culture and cuisines of New York, Egypt and Singapore.

Nicole Fleming, Miles Jones Elementary School: $11,200 — To make text-to-self connections through children’s literature by traveling to New York, Alabama and California.

John Holland, John B. Cary Elementary School: $11,500 — To understand the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci as an example of STEAM in action by visiting Portugal, Spain,

France and Italy.

Natasha Thomas, Southampton Elementary School: $11,300 — To embark on the African-American experience through the lens of black artistry in Los Angeles and to make heritage connections in South Africa.

Denise Yancey, William Fox Elementary School: $8,300 — To experience Spanish immersion in Panama and to observe the ecosystems and biodiversity of Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico.

Henrico County Caitlyn Carpenter, Glen Allen High School: $9,000 — To travel the United States to visit mentorship models for youths and gain insights into the collective understanding of historically marginalized communities.

Amanda Hach, Glen Allen High School: $9,000 — To cultivate empathy and community by visiting historically significant and culturally relevant sites relating to the African-American experience in the United States.

Kimberly Jackson, Echo Lake Elementary School: $9,000 — To study the animals of the Galapagos, the islands’ intricate ecosystem and the importance of reducing the environmental footprint on the islands.

Timothy Towslee, Glen Allen High School: $10,800 — To obtain certification as an outdoor ethics master educator and to apply these skills by backpacking through the Alaskan wilderness.

Chesterfield County Adam Hawkins, Chesterfield Technical Center: $12,000 —To travel the country in an RV visiting technical centers that offer work-based learning, with a focus on the culinary industry.

Christopher Morris, Swift Creek Middle School: $10,000 — To explore the music and sounds of Spain.

Elizabeth O’Shea, L.C. Bird High School: $9,000 — To explore the western front of World War II Europe.

Rachael Pifer, Robious Middle School: $11,700 — To obtain a children’s yoga teacher certification with an emphasis on making yoga and mindfulness inclusive and accessible to children of diverse abilities.

Kathryn Regan, J.A. Chalkley Elementary School: $11,500 —To engage in immersive and authentic experiences in Mexico and southern Europe.

Beth Sawyer, Evergreen Elementary School: $11,500 — To expand knowledge of learning through play by observing innovative play and outdoor-based instructional programs in China and Switzerland.

Hanover County Caroline Bare, Hanover High School: $11,900 — To study the transatlantic slavery triangle through the prisms of history, memory and reconciliation in relation to Richmond, England and Ghana.

Amy Gregory, Chickahominy Middle School: $12,000 — To discover and explore geographical features and biomes across the United States and Canada.

Heather Leise, Atlee High School: $11,900 — To compare and contrast benevolent dictators of the past and present by traveling to Singapore and the former states of Yugoslavia.

The nine finalists each will receive a $750 unrestricted cash grant in recognition of their achievements in the classroom.

Since its inception in 1988, the R.E.B. Foundation has awarded nearly $4 million to more than 800 public schoolteachers in recognition of their outstanding performance in the classroom.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama to speak at Richmond Forum Former First Lady Michelle Obama is slated to speak in March at the Richmond Forum.

Tickets are now on sale for the event, “A Conversation with Former First Lady Michelle Obama,” scheduled for 7 p.m.

March 24 at the Altria Theater, 6 N. Laurel St. Because of the anticipated crowd, the program will be simulcast in the Atria Mrs. Obama Theater Ballroom and in the Carpenter Theatre, 600 E. Grace St. Tickets range from $55 to $225 for a limited number of seats; tickets for the simulcast are $30.

Proceeds will go to the Richmond Forum’s Richmond Region Speech and Debate Initiative to support speech and debate programs in public schools in the region.

Details and tickets: www.richmondforum.org, www.etix. com or (804) 330-3993.

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D-1036 | April 2019

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Richmond Free Press

December 5-7, 2019 B3

Happenings

New ‘RVA Illuminates’ to kick off holiday season Dec. 6 at Kanawha Plaza Compiled by Ronald E. Carrington

It’s the most wonderful and magical time of the year, as dazzling and brightly colored displays and holiday festivities take over the city.

But after 34 years, the James Center has turned the lights out on the “Grand Illumination.”

The Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is taking over the free holiday event and moving the renamed “RVA Illuminates” to Kanawha Plaza at 801 E. Canal St. on Friday, Dec. 6., at 5:45 p.m.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney will hit the switch at 6 p.m. to light up the Downtown skyline.

Performances by the NO BS! Brass Band, the City Dance Theatre ensemble and the Miles Jones Elementary School Hand Bell Choir and others will be featured.

Free shuttle service for the event will run from City Stadium to Kanawha Plaza starting at 5 p.m., with the last shuttle returning at 9 p.m.

In addition to Downtown, lights will go on Friday, Dec. 6, at “Shockoe Illuminates,” at the 17th Street Market, 100 N. 17th St. in Shockoe Bottom, with a tree lighting at 6 p.m.

The free event will feature a very special guest from the North Pole. There will be a children’s art tent to make light catcher tree ornaments. The Baffa Academy of Irish Dance troupe will perform at 7 p.m.

There also will be an assortment of holiday vendors.

Dec. 5 – Tree lighting ceremony at the State Capitol, 5 to 5:30 p.m.,

with an open house at the Executive Mansion following until 7 p.m.

Choral music will be performed at the tree lighting ceremony and at the open house, with cider, hot chocolate and cookies to be served at the mansion. Details: www.virginia.org/listings/Events/ CapitolTreeLighting/ Dec. 6 and 7 – 17th Street Market Horse and Carriage Rides from 6 to 10 p.m. The sound of carriages and horses’ hooves on the cobblestones will circle Shockoe Bottom. One free round-trip ride per person. Information: (804) 350-7752.

Dec. 6, 7 and 8 – Richmond Symphony and Richmond Symphony Chorus perform the holiday classic Handel’s “Messiah” Friday at 7:30 p.m., and “Let It Snow” on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Dominion Energy Center, 600 E. Grace St. Tickets start at $20. Details: www.richmondsymphony.com.

Dec. 7 – The 36th Annual Dominion Energy Christmas Parade, 10 a.m. to noon. The annual holiday parade, led by grand marshal and Richmond’s most notable veteran, Cmdr. Paul Galanti, departs from the Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad St., and continues Downtown eastward to 7th Street.

For many RVA residents, the free event kicks off the Christmas season. The show will go on rain or shine. Details: www.richmondparade.org. or (804) 788-6470.

Dec. 7 – Hopewell Holiday Boat Parade 2019, 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Hopewell City Marina, 1051 Riverside Ave. The Appomattox River will sparkle as Christmas lights twinkle and shine while decorations shimmer during the floating boat parade. Boats will leave from the Jordan Point Yacht Haven at 5:30 p.m. and make their way upriver

to the Hopewell City Marina, the main viewing location. The lighted boat parade also can be viewed from Weston Manor, 400 Weston Lane.

Holiday music will be played and food trucks will offer a variety of foods. Parking is limited. Details: www.hopewellrecandparks.com/ boatparade.

Dec. 7 and Dec. 14 – Soul Santa at The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, 122 W. Leigh St. Soul Santa will be available to hear Christmas wishes and for photo opportunities between noon and 4 p.m. Youngsters can participate in arts and crafts as well.

The event also will feature a selection of African-inspired books, jewelry, art and more. Details: www.blackhistorymuseum.org.

Dec. 8 – The 33rd Annual Court End Christmas, noon to 4 p.m. Historic sites in Downtown Richmond open their doors for a day of free admission. The holiday festivities include living history, music, children’s activities, refreshments, gift shops and tours.

Park once, then hop aboard the complimentary shuttle that will be circulating among The Valentine, The Valentine First Freedom Center, the Executive Mansion, the John Marshall House, historic St. John’s Church, the Virginia State Capitol, the American Civil War Museum’s White House of the Confederacy, Monumental Church and Masons’ Hall. This is a free rain or shine event. Details: www. thevalentine.org.

Dec. 8 – Victorian Christmas at Maymont Mansion and Carriage House Lawn, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

People dressed in Victorian garb welcome visitors to the estate and the Dooley Mansion. Delight in the charms of Christmases past and marvel at hundreds of ornaments on the 12-foot Christmas tree.

Take a carriage ride or visit with Santa. Make a Victorian ornament, an old-fashioned toy or pine cone winter bird feeder. Mansion tours: $5 per person; $4 for members and children ages 12 and under.

Carriage rides: $8 per person; $6 for members and children ages 12 and under. Information: (804) 358-7166, ext. 329.

Dec. 13 through Dec. 23 – “The Nutcracker” at the Dominion Energy Center’s Carpenter Theatre, 600 E. Grace St. This is the 40th season Artistic Director Stoner Winslett stages her continually evolving, acclaimed version of “The Nutcracker.” Tickets start at $25, with a separate ticketed Clara’s Tea Party after select matinee performances. Details: www. richmondballet.com.

Dec. 13 through 15 and Dec. 20 through 22 – Horse and Carriage Rides at the James Center, 10th and Cary streets, Friday 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday 5 to 9 p.m. and Sunday 5 to 8 p.m. Carriages circle Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom. Each ride is scheduled on the half-hour and is approximately 20 minutes long. Cost: $10; children ages 4 and under sitting on your lap are free. Reservations: (804) 350-7752.

Dec. 14 – Richmond Night Market, 4 to 9 p.m. 17th Street Market. Free event features live music, entertainment and activities for all ages. Artists and vendors will have a variety of things available for purchase. A gift wrapping station will be on site. Attendees also can bid on last month’s night market featured mural by artist Hamilton Glass. Details: www. richmondnightmarketva.com or (212) 518-4776.

Dec. 14 – The Richmond Boat Parade of Lights, 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Boaters decorate their vessels and

parade on the James River. Viewing sites in Richmond include Libby Hill Park, as well as Osborne Park and Boat Landing in Henrico County and Henricus Historical Park in Chesterfield. Details: www. facebook.com/rvaboatparade/ ​Throughout December – The Children’s Museum of Richmond has outdoor ice skating as part of the Legendary Santa experience at its Downtown location, 2626 W. Broad

St. Open all winter, the 1,344square-foot outdoor synthetic ice skating rink is perfect for all ages and features weekday, weekend and evening hours. Children under age 6 must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older while on the rink. All skaters must sign a safety waiver prior to entering the rink; those under 16 must have an waiver signed by someone age 16 or older. Cost: $10 per skater; Children’s Museum members, $7 per skater; skate rental, $5. Details: c-mor.org or (804) 474-7062.

Mickey Welsh/Montgomery Advertiser via AP

Montgomery, Ala., Mayor Steven Reed, right, and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, front left, work with others to unveil the statue of civil rights icon Rosa Parks in downtown Montgomery last Sunday, the anniversary of her 1955 arrest for not giving up her seat on a public bus.

Alabama unveils statue of civil rights icon Rosa Parks

Thanksgiving feast Hundreds of people came together last Thursday to enjoy The Giving Heart’s annual free Community Thanksgiving Feast at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Downtown.

The feast of turkey and stuffing and all the trimmings was supported by the donations of time, food and money of hundreds of individual and corporate volunteers who made it a real success.

Above left, Damarious Banks, 15, was among the young adults serving meals to the hungry crowd. Booker Hargrove and Karen Knarr take a break from volunteering as coat checkers to savor a meal. While Sasha Northan, 4, takes a bite from a dinner roll.

Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. A new statue of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks was dedicated in Alabama’s capital city on Sunday, the 64th anniversary of her historic refusal to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man.

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey pulled back a cloth to unveil the statue before a crowd of about 400 spectators.

The ceremony coincided with the anniversary of Mrs. Parks’ Dec. 1, 1955, arrest that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal part of the Civil Rights Movement.

“This depiction will inspire future generations to make the pilgrimage to our city, to push toward the path of righteousness, strength, courage and equality,” Mayor Reed, who recently became the first African-American mayor of Montgomery, said at the ceremony, according to al.com.

Four granite markers near the statue honor plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, the court case that determined segregation on Montgomery buses was unconstitutional.

One of the plaintiffs, Mary Louise Smith, took part in the ceremony Sunday.

Mrs. Parks was 92 when she died in 2005.

Fred Gray, the attorney who defended Mrs. Parks, the Browder v. Gayle plaintiffs and many other civil rights activists, sat in the second row at the unveiling.

“For the city officials, from the city and the county, to be able to honor Mrs. Parks and honor those plaintiffs, and even more importantly to honor the 40,000 African-American men and women who stayed off of the buses for 382 days, it is indeed a step in the right direction,” Mr. Gray told the Montgomery Advertiser.

Richmond Free Press

B4 December 5-7, 2019

Obituary/Commentary/Faith News/Directory

Funeral Dec. 7 for Richmond Fire Lt. Nicole A. Berry, 33 Free Press staff report

Final tributes will be paid to Richmond Fire Department Lt. Nicole Ashley Berry at noon Saturday, Dec. 7, at Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd.

A rising star in the department, Lt. Berry was fatally shot in Hopewell on Thanksgiving as she left the home of her boyfriend’s family with whom she had spent the holiday.

Lt. Berry’s father, Waverly Berry, said Tuesday that Lt. Berry was shot protecting her 5-year-old son from gunshots fired around 11:35 p.m. Nov. 28, as she left the house.

She was not the target, authorities said later in confirming that ac-

count, but was hit by a stray bullet from the fusillade that a gunman unleashed at an adjacent residence. She was taken to a nearby hospital and transferred to VCU Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019.

A resident of Chesterfield County, Lt. Berry, 33, joined the Fire Department in 2011 and recently had been assigned to the city fire marshal’s office.

Richmond Fire Chief Melvin D. Carter said Tuesday that Lt. Berry was a valued and valuable member of the department.

“She was a true public safety hero,” he said, in recalling that as a firefighter, she had crawled into burning buildings to save trapped people. He urged people who know something about the shooting to come forward.

Lt. Berry

Priest who brought Black Power into the Catholic Church dies at 87

By Matthew Cressler

Thanksgiving week began in mourning for the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and many black Catholics as news came that the Rev. George H. Clements died on Monday, Nov. 25, 2019. Only the second black priest ordained by the Chicago archdiocese, Rev. Clements had a profound impact on the American Catholic Church, the city of Chicago and countless lives across the country in his more than 60 years of service.

Headlines linked him to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., our

Commentary touchstone for the civil rights era. But Rev. Clements is better understood as a black Catholic transformed by Black Power, a man who helped create space to be both “authentically Black” and “truly Catholic.”

Certainly, Rev. Clements was present at Dr. King’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, along with parishioners from St. Dorothy Catholic Church in the Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. He answered Dr. King’s call to march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., for voting rights in 1965. But he was revolutionized by Dr. King’s assassination in 1968.

When asked, “When did you first think of yourself as black and Catholic?” he answered with the clarity of a conversion story. “I can pinpoint the exact moment. April the 4th, 1968, a bullet whizzed through the head of Martin Luther King. I looked in the mirror and I said from now on, I’m gonna be a

black man.”

He was not alone. Dr. King’s assassination ignited a decade of activism and institution building known as the Black Catholic Movement. Black nuns, priests and lay people declared the American church a “white racist institution,” experimented with new ways of worship and fought for black self-determination in the predominantly white church.

Rev. Clements was dear friends with the charismatic young revolutionary Fred Hampton and came to be known as the honorary chaplain of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, headed by Mr. Hampton and Bobby Rush.

Rev. Clements helped found the Afro-American Patrolmen’s League, which fought to reform racist policing practices in the Chicago Police Department.

In return, the Black Panthers allied with black and white Catholics in protest when the archbishop refused to promote Rev. Clements to pastor of his predominantly black parish in 1968. Together, they occupied Catholic churches in the middle of Mass, celebrated “Black Unity Masses” and demanded black control of Catholic institutions in black neighborhoods. With their help, Rev. Clements won the pastorate of Holy Angels parish, which he would transform into one of the most prominent parishes in the country.

Rev. Clements’ life story is emblematic of the long history of black Catholics in the United States. His father hailed from Lebanon, Ky., in the state’s “Holy Land” region settled in the 18th century by white and enslaved black Catholics

from Maryland. These enslaved black Catholics demonstrated an “uncommon faithfulness,” as the theologian M. Shawn Copeland has put it, maintaining their membership in the church in the face of the violence of enslavement and later segregation inflicted by their white co-religionists.

While Rev. Clements’ father

Rev. Clements

was not especially devout, his grandmother was. When Rev. Clements’ family moved to Chicago in the midst of the Great Migration, the matriarch made it her business to ensure the Clements children kept their family faith, traveling frequently between Kentucky and Chicago to do so. She convinced Rev. Clement’s mother to become Catholic, to baptize her children and to join the vibrant Bronzeville church, Corpus Christi. This was the start of the path that would lead to Rev. Clements’ ordination in 1957.

(In 1945, Rev. Clements became the first African-American to graduate from the Chicago archdiocese’s Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary.)

Ordained before the Second Vatican Council changed so much about church life and iden-

tity, and with his own identity forged by the resurgence of late 1960s black nationalism, Rev. Clements cut a complicated figure in a complicated time.

He embraced black consciousness but never gave up the more “traditional” pieties of pre-conciliar Catholicism. He incorporated black nationalist politics and aesthetics into his parish, but insisted on many of the same strict rules and regulations for Catholic school families that white priests and nuns had reinforced during his youth.

He repeatedly challenged church authority, frequently getting into fights with his archbishop — the first was ignited in 1969 when Holy Angels replaced a shrine to St. Anthony of Padua with one to St. Martin Luther King. Yet Rev. Clements reinforced the patriarchal power of the priesthood again and again throughout his career as well, which we can see in some of the masculinist assumptions that governed leadership in his parish and parochial school.

In August, Rev. Clements was accused of sexually abusing a minor in 1974. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has ruled the accusation unfounded, although the archdiocesan investigation remains open. Certainty can be elusive in cases like Rev. Clements’ and may remain so for years to come.

Nevertheless, this accusation, as does any proper recognition of Rev. Clements’ life, calls Catholics to wake up — yes, even as we rightly recognize Rev. Clements’ significance.

It calls us to wake up to the fact that black boys and girls have been — and remain —

Clements is that his life resists easy summary. Having founded the One Church-One Child program, which sought to find homes for orphaned black youths, Rev. Clements adopted his first son in 1980, becoming the first U.S. priest to do so. He is survived by his sons Joey, Friday, Stewart and Saint.

He is more figuratively survived by black Catholics across the country, hundreds of whom flew to Chicago in 2017 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his ordination and to testify to the countless lives he touched.

As a white Catholic, I, too, entered the ranks of those countless lives in interviews, phone calls and letters exchanged in recent years.

On the day Rev. Clements passed away, the Rev. Maurice Nutt, a black priest and theologian, reflected that “Black Catholics owe him a debt of gratitude for his prophetic voice and radical discipleship.”

The writer is an assistant professor of religious studies at the College of Charleston and author of “Authentically Black and Truly Catholic: The Rise of Black Catholicism in the United States.”

Union Baptist Church

2IVERVIEW

1813 Everett Street Richmond, Virginia 23224 804-231-5884 Reverend Robert C. Davis, Pastor

fÑÜxtw à{x jÉÜw To advertise your church events in the Richmond Free Press call 644-0496

SERVICES

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



 



  



REV. ROBERT C. DAVIS, PASTOR 

    

“The Church With A Welcome”

3HARON "APTIST #HURCH 500 E. Laburnum Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222 www.sharonbaptistchurchrichmond.org (804) 643-3825 Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2019

8:30 a.m. ....Sunday School | 10:00 a.m. ...Morning Worship DEACONS, DEACONESS AND TRUSTEE DAY Theme: “Using Our Gifts To Serve God, Church and People” Speaker: Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor

Thirty-first Street Baptist Church

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

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

 

following Morning Worship

“Redeeming God’s People for Gods Purpose”

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

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

December 8, 2019

Antioch Baptist Church

Good Shepherd 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

Season of Advent Annual Family and Friends Day/Youth Sunday

Annual Birthday Celebration

Charles S. Vaughan, left, and Eddie Radden Jr. view improvements at the historically black Mount Olivet Cemetery in South Side for which they have lobbied City Hall for several years.

“It’s looking much better,” Mr. Vaughan said last Saturday in praising the city cemetery management for pruning bushes, trimming trees, removing grass covering name plates and tidying the burial ground.

Mount Olivet Cemetery, located off Hopkins Road, dates to 1874 and is part of the larger, historically white Maury Cemetery that the city also owns.

The two retirees are regular visitors to Mount Olivet, the final resting place of some of the most prominent African-Americans in South Side. Here, they pause in front of the grave of the Rev. Anthony Binga Jr., a top South Side educator of black children, a celebrated pastor for 47 years of First Baptist Church of South Richmond and a leader in national black Baptist groups before his death in 1919.

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.

"APTIST #HURCH

Sunday School – 9:30 AM Morning Worship – 11 AM

Improvements at Mount Olivet Cemetery

Jeremy Lazarus/Richmond Free Press

especially vulnerable to abuse and violence at the hands of Catholics, precisely because they’ve been historically marginalized by the church.

It insists that we face the fact that some of the more notorious Catholic abusers in Chicago were black priests, one of whom succeeded Rev. Clements at Holy Angels. The accusation against Rev. Clements may prove to be unfounded.

It may not. We may never know one way or the other.

But other accusations made by black girls and boys, by black women and men, against both black and white priests, are certainly not.

(Rev. Clements started a program for those addicted to drugs as well as one for incarcerated people and their families. (“The priesthood is a vocation. But then along the way, one gets avocations, and mine were three: Homelessness, addicts and prisoners,” Rev. Clements told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2017. (“The Father Clements Story,” a 1987 TV movie starring Louis Gossett Jr., chronicled his life and work.)

What we know about Rev.

C

e with Reverence elevanc R g in Dr. Alvin Campbell, Interim Pastor bin ❖ om

Seminary Sunday December 8, 2019

DR. JAMES L. SAILES PASTOR

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

10:30 a.m.

Guest Speaker:

Minister Jamar A. Boyd VUU Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology

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

11:00 AM Mid-day Meditation

Guest Speaker:

Reverend Nicole Guns VUU Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology

:30 - 11

Richmond Free Press

December 5-7, 2019

B5

Faith News/Directory

City Planning Commission to take up Salvation Army relocation request in new year

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A holiday truce has been declared in the seven-month battle over the Salvation Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposal to move its Central Virginia headquarters and shelter from Downtown to North Side.

The City Planning Commission on Monday put off the first consideration of the proposal until at least its first meeting of the new year, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6.

The commission postponed action at the request of City Council Vice President Chris A. Hilbert, an opponent of the Salvation Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposed move into the 3rd District that he represents.

The Salvation Army, which has provided social services in the city for 134 years, wants to relocate from its 15,000-square-

foot building at 2 W. Grace St. to a 45,000-square-foot combination office-warehouse building at 1900 Chamberlayne Ave. The Chamberlayne Avenue building is owned by Eternity Church, which has already relocated further north to the former home of Ginter Park Baptist Church.

The 2.31-acre space the Salvation Army has targeted would provide more room for offices, programs, social service operations and the emergency housing program that would expand from the current 55 beds to 97 beds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 72 for men and 25 for women â&#x20AC;&#x201D; according to the Salvation Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s application before the Planning Commission.

The planned location, to be known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Center of Hope,â&#x20AC;? also is proposed to include 30 beds to serve as

RVA Street Singers host free concert Dec. 13 The RVA Street Singers will perform a free concert, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unity, Happiness & Light,â&#x20AC;? at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at Centenary United Methodist Church, 411 E. Grace St. in Downtown.

The group, led by Virginia Commonwealth University professors Robin Rio and Cameron Carter, is made up of Richmond residents affected by homelessness and those working through addiction recovery. They will be singing alongside VCU servicelearning students.

The concert is presented in partnership with Centenary United Methodist Church, the VCUArts Department of Music, the VCU School of Social Work and Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond.

Details: (804) 905-8241.

File photo

Blessing of the Animals Dec. 13 in Shockoe Slip The annual pre-Christmas ceremony to bless pets and working animals will take place at noon Friday, Dec. 13, at its traditional site â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Morgan Fountain in the Shockoe Slip Plaza at 13th and Cary streets.

The Rev. Karen Thompson, a border collie breeder, will deliver the blessing, rain or shine.

The officers and horses of the Richmond Police Mounted Unit will be on hand for the ceremony.

Along with their animals, participants are asked to bring carrots and apples for the horses and donations of cat and dog food for Richmond Animal Care & Control.

Details: drkarent1946@icloud.com or (804) 543-9088.

Barkyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Several businesses near the site at 1900 Chamberlayne Ave. where the Salvation Army wants to move its headquarters are opposed to the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans to move to North Side. However, the Wells Fargo bank branch nearby issued a letter of support.

Arc3 Gases, a specialty gas producer that has operated from 1700 Chamberlayne Ave. for nearly 40 years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We think that (Salvation Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan) can

Usher Badges â&#x20AC;˘ Clergy Shirts â&#x20AC;˘ Collars â&#x20AC;˘ Communion Supplies â&#x20AC;˘ Much More!

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Sat. 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Honoring God ... and serving people THANKS TO YOU for over 64 years and looking for 64 more years

St. Peter Baptist Church $R +IRKLAND 2 7ALTON 0ASTOR

Worship Opportunities During the month of December, all Sunday Worship Services will be held at 10 a.m. Church School will be held at 8:30 a.m.

Sixth Baptist Church Theme for 2018-2020: Mobilizing For Ministry Refreshing The Old and Emerging The New We Embrace Diversity â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Love For All! A 21st Century Church With Ministry For Everyone

a city cold-weather overflow shelter, a reduction from the 100 beds the Salvation Army initially sought.

While City Hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s planning staff has recommended approval, the Salvation Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request has run into opposition from nearby businesses as well as Mr. Hilbert.

Mr. Hilbert told the Free Press on Monday he would vote against issuing a special use permit allowing the Salvation Army to take over the site when the matter comes up for a council vote, which he expects to happen at the council meeting set for Monday, Jan. 13.

The council would make the final decision after hearing from the Planning Commission.

The Salvation Army has garnered support. For example, Wells Fargo Bank, which operates a branch next door to the former church building, has submitted a letter stating that it does not oppose the Salvation Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans for the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use.

Also, several businesses located near the current Salvation Army center in Downtown, including the Elegba Folklore Society and the Downtown YMCA, also issued letters of support, noting that the existing operation has not created problems.

However, other businesses located near the Chamberlayne Avenue site are strongly opposed, as letters submitted to the Planning Commission show.

One is from the Chamberlayne Industrial Center Association that represents area businesses. That letter describes the Salvation Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposal as a violation of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s master plan and potentially damaging to its members. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The city needs to listen to the businesses that are paying taxes before (approving) the special permit for the Salvation Army, which isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t paying taxes. We have our share of the homeless and such on Chamberlayne Ave. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need any more!â&#x20AC;? wrote Lia F. Lawrence, owner of Able Glass Services, based two blocks away at 2007 Chamberlayne Ave. That also is the view of Parker Dillard, co-president of

Come Worship With Us!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2019 11:00 AM Worship Celebration Message by: Pastor Bibbs

Thursdays: Mid-Day Bible Study 12 Noon Prayer & Praise 6:30 P.M. Bible Study 7 P.M. (Children/Youth/Adults)

only have a negative impact on the Chamberlayne industrial community, which we have seen grow and prosper since our moving from Cary Street in June 1980,â&#x20AC;? Mr. Dillard wrote.

Broad Rock Baptist Church 5106 Walmsley Blvd., Richmond, VA 23224 804-276-2740 â&#x20AC;˘ 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 UniďŹ ed Worship Service ~ 9:30 a.m.

Bible Study: Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. & 7 p.m.

Sermons Available at BRBCONLINE.org

â&#x20AC;&#x153;MAKE IT HAPPENâ&#x20AC;?

Pastor Kevin Cook

New Deliverance Evangelistic Church

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

24th Foundersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Church Anniversary

Bible Study will be in recess on 11/28/19.

-OUNTAIN 2OAD s 'LEN !LLEN 6IRGINIA /FlCE s &AX s WWW STPETERBAPTIST NET

Sermon Series on Psalms Message from Division Five (God Among Us) Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs, Pastor

Twitter sixthbaptistrva Facebook sixthbaptistrva

kfast Men

400 South Addison Street Richmond, Va. 23220

(near Byrd Park)

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

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s All About Celebrating Jesus!

If you want to celebrate the Lord info us to share your gift

Bishop G. O. Glenn D. Min., Pastor

Mother Marcietia S. Glenn First Lady

Friday, January 24, 2020 7:30 P.M. Sunday, January 26, 2020 9:00 A.M

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

MMBC Creative Arts Ministry Presents

That Christmas

Dessert Theater Saturday, December 21, 2019@ 4:00P.M.

WEDNESDAY SERVICES Noonday Bible Study 12:00 p.m. (Noon) Sanctuary - All Are Welcome!

Wednesday Evening Bible Study 7:00 p.m. (Bible Study)

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (NDCA)

SATURDAY

Accepting applications for children 2 yrs. old to 5th Grade

8:30 a.m. Intercessory Prayer

Weekly Worship: Sundays @ 10:30 A.M. Church School: Sundays @ 9:00 A.M. Bible Study: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 P.M.

2901 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 648-2472 ~ www.mmbcrva.org Dr. Price London Davis, Senior Pastor Weekly Worship: Sundays @ 10:30 A.M. Church School: Sundays @ 9:00 A.M. Bible Study: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 P.M.

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

You can now view Sunday Morning Service â&#x20AC;&#x153;AS IT HAPPENSâ&#x20AC;? online!

Also, for your convenience, we now offer â&#x20AC;&#x153;full online giving.â&#x20AC;?

Visit www.ndec.net.

ENROLL NOW!!!

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

B6 December 5-7, 2019

Sports Plus

South Side Ducks headed to Los Angeles

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A Richmond youth team once again is headed to Los Angeles to compete in the Snoop Youth Football League National Tournament.

The 12 and under South Side Ducks of the Southside Community Center will represent the city in the tournament that will take place Thursday, Dec. 12, through Sunday, Dec. 15.

The Ducks defeated the East End Jaguars on Nov. 16 to win the 2019 12U City Youth

Football Championship and punch their ticket to the popular West Coast competition that hip-hop superstar Snoop Dogg created in 2005.

The team has reported success in raising the needed funds to make the trip. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These young men worked hard this season for the opportunity to represent our city,â&#x20AC;? said Mayor Levar M. Stoney. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am excited to see them play in Los Angeles and know that they will make Richmond proud.â&#x20AC;?

The Ducks gained the opportunity to compete

as a result of a partnership between the city Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities football league and the Henrico County-based nonprofit Excel to Excellence (E2E) Youth Football.

E2E is a youth athletic and academic program started by former NFL fullback Michael Robinson. Now an analyst with the NFL Network, Mr. Robinson used his connections to link city and other youth football teams with the tournament.

Last year, the Battery Park Vikings 14U team became the first city team to participate in the Snoop tournament as a result of the partnership with E2E that Mayor Stoney helped launch more than two years ago.

Other area youth teams from different youth leagues also will be traveling to play, including the Henrico Titans 8U and 14U teams and the RVA Skins 10U team. Also, an All-Star Cheer Squad from the Richmond area will make the trip.

Legal Notices/Employment Opportunities Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO WANDA DAVID SANTANA, Plaintiff v.

FREDDY A. SANTANA OSARIO, Defendant.

Case No.: CL19-5462-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

C a m e t h i s d ay t h e Plaintiff, upon her Complaint for divorce filed in the abovestyled case and her Affidavit for Order of Publication for service of the Complaint on the Defendant. The object of this suit is to put the Defendant on notice of the Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Complaint for divorce in the above-styled case.

It appearing from Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Affidavit that due diligence has been used without effect to ascertain the location of the Defendant and that the Defendantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whereabouts are unknown, it is ORDERED that the Defendant is required to appear before this Court on or before January 20, 2020 at 9 a.m. to protect his interests.

I ask for this: Benjamin R. Rand, Esquire (VSB# 78956) Blackburn, Conte, Schilling & Click, P.C. 300 W. Main Street Richmond, Virginia 23220 Telephone: (804) 782-1111 ext. 212 Facsimile: (804) 648-3914 brand@blackburnconte.com VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER AJAH TANN, Plaintiff v.

MICHAEL FOX, Defendant.

Case No.: CL19003392-00 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 t h e d e fe n d a n t , w h o s e whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 9th day of January, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CINTY OF RICHMOND GEORGE RANDOLPH WALLER, Plaintiff v.

FRANCES LORRAINE WALLER, Address Unknown Defendant.

Case No.: CL19-5631-7 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to have the Court award the plaintiff, George Randolph Waller, a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant, Frances Lorraine Waller.

It appearing that Frances Lorraine Waller cannot be found and that diligence has been used without effect to ascertain the whrereabouts of the party to be served, it is ORDERED that Frances Lorraine Waller appear before this Court on or before the 7th day of January, 2020 in the Clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office of this Court and do what is necessary to protect her interests.

An Extract, Teste: EDWARD F. JEWETT, Clerk I ask for this: Andrew B.C. Wood Law Office of Wood & Wood, PC 1801 Libbie Avenue, Suite 102 P.O. Box 8265 Richmond, VA 23226 (804) 285-7447 Continued on next column

Continued from previous column

Continued from previous column

Continued from previous column

Continued from previous column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER MELISSA SHIFFMAN, Plaintiff v.

JOSEPH SHIFFMAN, Defendant.

Case No.: CL19003298-00 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 t h e d e fe n d a n t , w h o s e whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 7th day January, 2020 at 9:00 a.m., CR#1 and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

of the owner of record, Paul Harding.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, PAUL HARDING, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have 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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parties Unknown.â&#x20AC;?

IT IS ORDERED that PAUL HARDING, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 10, 2020 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

collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Optima Properties Company.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, OPTIMA PROPERTIES COMPANY, an entity purged from the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, 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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parties Unknown.â&#x20AC;?

IT IS ORDERED that OPTIMA PROPERTIES COMPANY, an entity purged from the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 10, 2020 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

block-grant-programs/caper/.

Internet access is available at all County public libraries.

Comments may be submitted to the Henr ico County Department of Community Revitalization, PO Box 90775, Henrico, VA 23273-0775 by phone (804) 501-7640 or by email at revitalization@ henrico.us.

PROPERTY VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v.

MICHAEL T. WILLIS, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL19-3924 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 8 Rear South Plum Street,, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number W000-0604/055, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Michael T. Willis and JMG Patience, LLC.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, MICHAEL T. WILLIS, 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; that JAMES C. WILSON, Registered Agent for JMG PATIENCE, LLC, 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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parties Unknown.â&#x20AC;?

IT IS ORDERED that MICHAEL T. WILLIS, JAMES C. WILSON, Registered Agent for JMG PATIENCE, LLC, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 10, 2020 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.

ACCESS REGIONAL TASKFORCE, INC, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL19-1729 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2021 Roane Street, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N0000399/001, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Access Regional Taskforce, Inc,.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, ACCESS REGIONAL TASKFORCE, INC, a purged Virginia Corporation, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action, that DANA COTMAN, Beneficiary of a Deed of Trust filed at Instrument Number 09-5972 on March 24, 2009, who is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parties Unknown.â&#x20AC;?

IT IS ORDERED that A CC E S S R E G I O N A L TASKFORCE, INC, a purged Virginia Corporation, DANA COTMAN, Beneficiary of a Deed of Trust filed at Instrument Number 09-5972 on March 24, 2009, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 10, 2020 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.

LUCY N. DARK, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL19-4511 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3521 Florida Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N0001266/022, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Lucy N. Dark.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, LUCY N. DARK, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that UNKNOWN SUCCESSOR OF LUCY N. DARK, who may have an ownership interest in said property, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to their 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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parties Unknown.â&#x20AC;?

IT IS ORDERED that LUCY N. DARK, UNKNOWN SUCCESSOR OF LUCY N. DARK, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 10, 2020 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

BID

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v.

PAUL HARDING, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL19-4687 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 306 Deter Road, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number C005-0885/002, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v.

OPTIMA PROPERTIES COMPANY, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL19-4688 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2617 Parkwood Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number W0001157/006, to sale in order to

REQUEST FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT In accordance with HUD regulations at 24CFR 91.520, Henrico County will be submitting its Program Year 2018 CDBG, HOME, and ESG Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) by December 28, 2019. A draft of this report is available for 15 days for review and comment at the Henrico County Department of Community Revitalization at 4062 Crockett Street during nor mal business hours. The draft CAPER can also be viewed online at http://henrico.us/revit/federal-

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(DVW %URRNODQG 3DUN $SDUWPHQWV- Seeking subcontractor bids for QHZ FRQVWUXFWLRQ RI XQLWV - all trades 0%( :%( 6HFWLRQ +LUHV *BIDS DUE * Contact JRH *DXQWQHU 443-

Thank you for your interest in applying for opportunities with The City of Richmond.

To see what opportunities are available, please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com.

EOE M/F/D/V

REQUEST FOR BIDS For Certain Easements Upon, Over, Under and Across 1201½ North 38th Street In the City of Richmond The City of Richmond is seeking bids for certain easements upon, over, under, and across certain properties located at 1201½ North 38th Street for the construction, installation, operation, maintenance, inspection, repair, replacement, and removal of electrical lines and associated appurtenances in accordance with a certain Right of Way Agreement, for a duration of 40 years, subject to certain responsibilities to be imposed by the Right of Way Agreement and subject further to all retained rights of the City of Richmond.

All bids for the easements hereby offered to be granted must be submitted in writing to the City Clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 9, 2019. Bids will be presented to the presiding officer of the Council of the City of Richmond on Monday, December 9, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. in open session and then will be presented by the presiding officer to the Council and be dealt with and acted upon in the mode prescribed by law.

The City of Richmond expressly reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The successful bidder shall reimburse the City for all costs incurred in connection with the advertisement of this ordinance in accordance with section 15.2-2101 of the Code of Virginia and shall post the bond required by the ordinance.

A copy of the full text of the ordinance is on file in the City Clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office, and the full text of the ordinance and Right of Way Agreement to be executed is available at: https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail. aspx?ID=4228148&GUID=0F143F04-80FC-49B9-B0009F8D75574CB9&Options=ID|Text|&Search=2019-312 Please address any questions or bids to: Candice D. Reid, City Clerk City of Richmond 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200 Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 646-7955

VACANT PULPIT

Springfield Baptist Church Glen Allen, VA

Seeking a Bivocational Pastor

If interested please submit a resume to: Pastor Search Committee P.O. Box 2177 Glen Allen VA 23058-2177 Deadline: December 31, 2019

Deputy County Manager (Community Affairs)

County of Henrico, Virginia

IRC117174. Performs varied and independent work of a highly responsibile nature in administering the daily activities of the County in a variety of areas, as assigned by the County Manager, particularly in the community affairs arena; does related work as required.

For a more specific description of duties and qualifications and to apply, visit our iRecruitment site on the Internet at http:// henrico.us/services/jobs. Deadline 12/16/2019.

EOE. FULL-TIME SENIOR PASTOR Thirty-first Street Baptist Church of Richmond VA, located in historic Church Hill, seeks a full-time senior pastor. The pastorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education, training, and experience should include seminary degree(s) and a minimum of three years in a ministerial leadership role serving in a Baptist church. The pastor will be responsible for church leadership, both spiritual and biblical, through preaching, teaching, training, counseling and evangelism.

Demonstrating godly leadership and keen administrative skill, the pastor will minister to the current needs of the church, while preparing and equipping the fellowship with the tools to assist membership sustainability for the next generation church. The pastor will work collaboratively with the Trustees, Deacons, Deacons Auxiliary Ministry, staff and congregation to uphold and cultivate the church mission and vision while developing disciples. The deadline for accepting applications is January 17, 2020. Candidate should include easily accessible links to videos of two recent sermons.

Mail resumes to: THIRTY-FIRST STREET BAPTIST CHURCH 823 N. Thirty-first Street Richmond, Virginia 23223 ATTN: Pastor Search Committee Email resumes to: info@31sbc.org

AVAILABLE Downtown Richmond first floor office suite 5th and Franklin Streets 422 East Franklin Street Richmond, Virginia 23219

804.358.5543 Bedros Bandazian

Associate Broker, Chairman

Raffi Bandazian

Principal Broker, GRI

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