Free press december 7 9, 2017 issue by Richmond Free Press

Christmas parade, holiday events at Grand Illumination and train station B2, B3

VOL. 26 NO. 49

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

www.richmondfreepress.com

December 7-9, 2017

‘Voices from the Garden’

Recognizing Va. women

School Board approves $224.7M for school buildings

Hundreds attend groundbreaking ceremony for new monument in Capitol Square By Ronald E. Carrington

Virginia First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe was joined by Lynda Bird Johnson Robb and Susan Allen, two former first ladies, for Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony for “Voices from the Garden,” Virginia Women’s Monument. On the sunny and brisk day, state officials, special guests, donors and hundreds of visitors from across the commonwealth attended the ceremony at Capitol Square. The monument will honor the presence and contributions, genius and creativity of women in Virginia for more than 400 years. The monument will depict 12 women in bronze statues, including four African-Americans. The women include some who are widely celebrated and others who are lesser known. It also will include a glass Wall of Honor to be etched with the names of hundreds of other noteworthy women. The monument, which was approved seven years ago, will be located near the 9th Street entrance on the west side of the Capitol. It is expected to cost $3.7 million and is being spearheaded by the Virginia Women’s Monument Commission in collaboration with the Virginia Capitol Foundation and the 2019 Commemoration. Dedication is expected in October 2019 during the celebration of the 400th anniversary of important milestones in

Clement Britt

Gov. Terry McAuliffe, center, and his wife, First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, to his right, are flanked by former Virginia first ladies Lynda Bird Johnson Robb (in purple) and Susan Allen (in pink) as they break ground Monday for the monument in Capitol Square that will honor women’s roles in Virginia’s history for more than 400 years. Below, ceremonial shovels wrapped with pink bows are lined up for the groundbreaking ceremony for “Voices from the Garden,” the new $3.7 million Virginia Women’s Monument in Capitol Square.

Virginia’s history. Voices from the Garden is seen as giving more attention to the role that women played in establishing the Virginia colony. The Women’s Monument is the first of its kind on the grounds of a state Capitol recognizing the contributions of women across four centuries. “We are here today to celebrate women who played an important part in Virginia’s history,” Gov. Terry McAuliffe said during the ceremony.

“Women who made such a difference — from the first settlers back in the early 1600s and the hardships they faced to the pioneers — a banker, educators and in other areas of commerce.” In his remarks, Gov. McAuliffe alluded to today’s pivotal moment in addressing cases of sexual harassment against women. “At a very difficult time Please turn to A4

Creighton Court redevelopment project seeks $4.9M city bailout By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The project to transform the poverty-stricken Creighton Court public housing area in the East End into a mixed-income development has run into a glitch — the master developer can’t raise all the money needed to construct the first 105 apartments. Next week, Richmond City Council is poised to ride to the rescue of The Community Builders of Boston, a nonprofit, and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, which is overseeing the work on the project dubbed Church Hill North. At its meeting Monday, Dec. 11, City Council is expected to approve a $4.9 million bailout the city administration is requesting to keep the first phases of the redevelopment program on track. There’s a problem, according to 5th District

Councilman Parker C. Agelasto. The bailout will flout a new council policy requiring the city administration to show a return on the city’s investment — a real problem for a project the administration acknowledges is unlikely to generate enough new tax revenue to repay the new subsidy or money the city poured earlier into the project that was started by former Mayor Dwight C. Jones. The policy Mr. Agelasto cited sought to end the practice of investing taxpayer dollars into projects that did not generate sufficient income for the city to justify the financial support. Richmond already has moved far down the road in planning for this project, probably too far for most of the council members to consider pulling back. According to Lee Downey, the city’s chief Please turn to A4

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c e l e b rat ing o u r 2 5 t h A nniv e r s ar y

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

A sign offers the vision of the planned Church Hill North development that now needs a $4.9 million bailout from City Council. Heavy machinery prepares the land in the 1600 block of North 31st Street for the proposed construction of new apartments and homes on the site of the old Armstrong High School.

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The Richmond School Board once again is challenging the mayor and City Council to find money to start replacing or renovating the decrepit public school buildings a majority of students attend. For at least the fifth time since 2002, the board has approved a wish list to start the process, with replacement of George Wythe High School, Elkhardt-Thompson Middle School and Greene and George Mason elementary schools topping a proposed 20-year construction program that is projected to cost $800 million — or about $3,500 per city resident. That does not include interest on the borrowing, which would add at least $300 million to the total cost. Rejecting delay and further public input, a divided board voted 5-3 to send its latest appeal for money to modernize its buildings to the elected officials who control the use of tax dollars, Mayor Levar M. Stoney and Richmond City Council. The vote came on the motion of board member Dr. Patrick Sapini to endorse the first phase of the board’s overall plan. It also calls for an initial $224.7 million spread over 2019 to 2023 to enable the first four schools, including George Mason Elementary, Please turn to A4

Saint Paul’s College property sold By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The former Saint Paul’s College might one day welcome students again to its campus in Brunswick County — but possibly under a different name. Xinhua Education Investment Corp., a Chinese-backed group, purchased the remaining property of the historically black college on Nov. 27, according to county court records. The group secured about 130 acres and about 30 campus buildings in Lawrenceville, the county seat, the records show. Representatives of Xinhua could not be reached for comment. However, Millard D. “Pete” Stith Jr., a former president of the college that closed in 2013, said he was told that Please turn to A4

Former Trump official pleads guilty in special prosecutor’s probe Reuters

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Holiday team spirit Youngsters in the Henrico Police Athletic League show their holiday spirit with choreographed moves as they make their way along Broad Street in the Dominion Energy Christmas Parade last Saturday in Downtown. Please see more photo on B3.

Under a plea bargain deal, Mr. Flynn admitted in WASHINGTON a federal court that he lied when asked by FBI invesFormer national security adviser Michael Flynn tigators about his conversations last December with pleaded guilty last Friday to lying to the FBI about Russia’s then-ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, just weeks his contacts with Russia, and he agreed to before President Trump took office. cooperate with prosecutors delving into the Prosecutors said the two men discussed actions of President Trump’s inner circle U.S. sanctions against Russia and that Mr. before he took office. Flynn also asked Mr. Kislyak to help delay a The dramatic turn of events also raised U.N. vote seen as damaging to Israel. On both new questions about whether President occasions, he appeared to be undermining the Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had a policies of outgoing President Obama. role in those Russia contacts. They also said a “very senior member” of Mr. Flynn was the first member of President President Trump’s transition team told Mr. Flynn Mr. Flynn Trump’s administration to plead guilty to a to contact Russia and other foreign governments crime uncovered by special counsel Robert Mueller’s to try to influence them ahead of the U.N. vote. wide-ranging investigation into Russian attempts to Sources told Reuters that the “very senior” official influence the 2016 presidential election and potential Please turn to A4 collusion by Trump aides.

Richmond Free Press

A2 December 7-9, 2017

Local News

REAL LIFE Community Center extends jail program into the city By Jeremy M. Lazarus

ing personal challenges, even if they have no connection with the jail, according to Sarah Amid his preparations to leave office, Scarbrough, who runs the REAL Program in Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. opened a the jail to reduce recidivism and serves as chief new nonprofit center in Downtown this week executive officer of the nonprofit she founded aimed at helping people address addiction, to help former inmates handle challenges outanger and other challenges to enable them to side jail. stay out of jail. Dr. Scarbrough, who holds a Ph.D. in public The REAL LIFE Community Center, a com- policy, said the center plans to enroll about 20 munity offshoot of programs at the Richmond people a month for services. The center will ofJustice Center, opened Wednesday at 406 E. fer 12-step programs to support sobriety, family Main St. to serve clients seeking to battle drug counseling, modify behavior and help participants addiction, find jobs, change antisocial behavior, find work and careers, she said. Each participant rebuild family ties and regain faith. would be interviewed to provide a service plan “I am beyond proud and thankful to see the that meets their needs, she said. REAL Program expand out into the community The center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. where it can continue to help those who are in daily, with two full-time staff and volunteers, need,” Sheriff Woody stated in a release an- she said. nouncing the opening. Funding is entirely from donations, Dr. “I have consistently stated that no one should Scarbrough said, crediting the Wheless Famhave to become incarcerated to get treatment ily Stewardship Fund and Dominion Energy’s for an addiction or to overcome charity arm with providing barriers,” he continued. a major share of the money “This community center will that has allowed the center serve as not only as a rehabilitato open. tive center, but an intervention Slices of life and scenes She said REAL LIFE is in Richmond as well, enabling those who scrambling to raise additional need help to get the treatment funding. The first-year budget they need before they begin down the path of is estimated at $264,000, or about $1,320 per incarceration.” person served. At the jail, Sheriff Woody has supported The new center builds on efforts to help the development of programs to enable in- people leaving jail stay clean and sober and mates to fight addiction, seek a GED or high successfully rejoin society. REAL LIFE, begun school diploma equivalent, manage mental in 2016, has operated a meeting space for rehealth challenges and restore ties with their leased inmates on Chamberlayne Avenue. It also families. partnered with a private real estate company in His 12-year tenure as sheriff comes to an end May to open a residential space in South Side on Dec. 31. He will turn over the leadership reins for newly released inmates who had been in the to Antionette V. Irving, a retired major from the REAL Program in jail. Henrico Sheriff’s Office who defeated him in “This community center really is a dream the Democratic primary in June and who went come true,” Dr. Scarbrough said. “In the past, on to win the Nov. 7 general election. we were only able to provide these much-needed Although linked with the REAL (Recovering resources to those who had been in the REAL from Everyday Addictive Lives) Program at Program while incarcerated at the Richmond the jail, the new center will operate separately City Justice Center. through the nonprofit REAL LIFE, which has “But as the sheriff said, that meant someone its own board of directors. Sheriff Woody is would have to become a resident at the jail to not a member, but champions the work of the start getting that treatment. They would have had nonprofit. to have earned a criminal record before getting The center’s program is free to anyone fac- help. That is completely backward.”

Cityscape

Former Highland Park supermarket appears slated for a Family Dollar

A former supermarket in Highland Park appears to be on track to become the next Family Dollar location. S&K Supermarket has been closed since late summer. The property where it was located, 1404 E. Brookland Park Blvd., now has a new owner, Twin Rivers Capital of Charleston, S.C., that seeks property for Family Dollar and other national companies. City records show Twin Rivers Capital paid $1.15 million around Nov. 23 to buy the 8,500-square-foot property and parking lot. S&K Supermarket’s owner, Chong Kim, bought the store in 1993 and operated the grocery until late August, when he closed it for a renovation that never happened. He could not be reached for comment. Mr. Kim sold the property for more than three times the city’s assessed value of $351,000, the records show. According to Twin Rivers Capital, the building, which was constructed in 1940, will be renovated and reopened next year. Twin Rivers Capital, a private real estate investment company, recently replaced the old Gene’s Car Wash at 2665 Hull St., near the intersection with Midlothian Turnpike, with a Family Dollar store. Part of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar has an outlet less than a mile away in the 2900 block of North Avenue, where it competes with a Dollar General store. — JEREMY M. LAZARUS

Delegate Loupassi seeks recount in 336-vote defeat

With the GOP clinging to a one-seat majority in the 100-member House of Delegates, Richmond Delegate Manoli Loupassi, a Republican who represents the 68th House District, filed last week for a recount in the district that includes parts of Richmond and Chesterfield and Henrico counties. The recount is to take place Wednesday, Dec. 20, according to a Dec. 6 order. Democratic challenger Dawn M. Adams upset Delegate Loupassi, a five-term incumbent, by 336 votes out of the more than 39,000 that were cast in the Nov. 7 election, according to certified vote totals posted by the state Board of Elections. Three others, all Democrats, also are seeking recounts. Delegate Loupassi, who had conceded the election to Ms. Adams, described the recount in a statement as way to make sure “everything is in order. … I recognize the outcome may not change, but there’s no harm done in making sure the vote is correct.” Delegate Loupassi declined to say whether he is using campaign funds to pay for the recount or whether the House Republican Caucus or the state Republican Party would pick up the tab. While he is entitled to seek a recount because Ms. Adams’ margin of victory was less than 1 percent, he lost by too many votes to qualify for a state-paid recount. Democrats have requested state-paid recounts in the 28th House District where Joshua Cole lost to Republican Robert “Bob” Thomas Jr. in Stafford County by 82 votes; in the 40th House District in Northern Virginia, where Donte Tanner lost by 106 votes to incumbent Republican Delegate Timothy D. Hugo; and in the 94th House District in Newport News, where Shelly Simonds lost to incumbent Republican Delegate David E. Yancey by 10 votes. All recounts are expected to be completed later this month. Unless the recounts change the certified outcomes, Republicans will continue to hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate. Incoming Gov. Ralph S. Northam, a Democrat, could try to change that situation by naming one or two Republican legislators to cabinet posts or to agency director spots in hopes voters would replace them with Democrats. — JEREMY M. LAZARUS

Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Above, Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. hands a marker he used to sign an oversized check to a delighted Sarah Scarbrough at Tuesday’s opening of the REAL LIFE Community Center. Location: 406 E. Main St. Sheriff Woody personally donated $5,000 to support the center. Dr. Scarbrough, who runs programs to aid inmates in the jail, has spearheaded the effort to create the new center. Below, James Lee, left, and Almar Lowery admire art at the center that incorporates photos of people enrolled in similar support programs at the city’s jail. The community center is to continue services to those released from the Richmond Justice Center and others facing challenges.

City employees expected to receive 2.5% bonus By Jeremy M. Lazarus

City employees are about to be awarded a 2.5 percent Christmas bonus. Richmond City Council is expected to unanimously vote Monday, Dec. 11, to approve the bonus payments. Mayor Levar M. Stoney and his administration also support the bonuses to be paid Friday, Dec.15. The bonuses will go to city employees, from top executives to planners to trash collectors, who did not get a raise this year. Sworn police officers and firefighters, who were the only city workers to receive a salary increase, will not receive bonus payments, nor will employees of constitutional officers who are largely paid by the state, according to the legislation. Funding for the bonuses became available as the result of the city achieving a surplus in the 2017 fiscal year that ended June 30. While no money for bonuses was in-

cluded in the current fiscal 2018 budget that started July 1, Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson spearheaded a resolution to reserve $2.4 million for bonus payments after City Hall indicated some of the 2017 funds remained unspent. Five additional council members signed on as sponsors of the resolution that easily passed the nine-member body on Oct. 9. That action came a month ahead of the city’s release of the financial report for 2017 that showed a $16.9 million surplus. Ms. Robertson and others chose bonuses over a salary increase because bonuses are a one-time payment, and the council had no guarantee of similar surpluses in the years to come. However, Ms. Robertson noted that the bonuses are just a temporary measure for a city that needs to do better by its general employees, who have received salary increases only twice in the past six years, 2014 and 2016. While employees received small bonuses in three other years, Ms. Rob-

ertson stated that city employees’ pay increasingly has become less competitive with neighboring localities, resulting in a decline in morale and departures by experienced staff. In 2016, then-Mayor Dwight C. Jones authorized an assessment of City Hall’s current pay scales because of a growing concern that wages are not keeping up with the market. Chief Administrative Officer Selena Cuffee-Glenn previously indicated that the study should “result in significant changes” to bring city employee pay more in line with salaries offered by other localities and private employers, but she has been mum about when the study is to be completed. The uncertainty has grown since the city’s human resources department director who was leading the study was dismissed earlier this year. That uncertainty is a major reason why Ms. Robertson sought to divert a portion of the surplus to employee bonuses.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

New School Board member Kenya J. Gibson takes the oath of office Monday for the 3rd District seat on the Richmond School Board from Richmond Circuit Court Clerk Edward F. Jewett, with her daughter, Scarlett, 11, and her son, Phoenix, 8, at her side. Ms. Gibson, a 43-year-old who works in health care marketing, won a four-way contest on Nov. 7 to fill the unexpired term of Jeff Bourne, who was elected to the House of Delegates in February. Ms. Gibson called during the campaign for more funding for public education and additional support for high-risk and underprivileged students. She will serve until 2020.

Richmond Free Press

December 7-9, 2017

Local News

Task force: Charlottesville officials failed to act on intelligence that rally would be violent By Saraya Wintersmith

Virginia Public Safety and Homeland Security Secretary Brian J. Moran said last week that state officials had intelligence indicating that the rally of neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville would become violent, and shared that information with local officials in advance of the Aug. 12 event. But Charlottesville officials failed to heed recommendations made by state authorities that may have stemmed the violence and bloodshed that resulted in the death of one person and injuries to dozens more. Mr. Moran’s comments were made Nov. 30 during a panel on free speech and public safety sponsored by the Virginia Press Association. His comments were echoed in a 106-page report on the Charlottesville rally that was issued Tuesday by a gubernatorial task force that Mr. Moran headed. According to the report, Mr. Moran Virginia State Police began gathering information about the rally after Jason Kessler, a white nationalist and alt-right organizer, submitted a permit application with the City of Charlottesville in May for the “Unite the Right” rally. The rally, which authorities said drew hundreds of white supremacists from 35 states, was to protest Charlottesville’s plans to remove the statues of Confederates Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from city-owned parks. State Police “identified the potential for violence,” according to the report, and communicated it to the Charlottesville leadership and Mr. Moran “in order to enhance public safety preparations.” However, the report goes on to describe mounting concern by top state officials over the city’s failure to take precautionary actions. Eventually, Gov. Terry McAuliffe conveyed specific recommendations to Charlottesville’s leadership. Those recommendations, according to the report, included banning guns and other weapons, limiting the permitted protest hours, escorting protesters by bus to the site and strongly communicating a no-tolerance policy for violence or property damage. “After Gov. McAuliffe communicated these concerns and recommendations with the mayor

Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress/Associated Press

People fly into the air after being struck by a car that plowed into a crowd of counterprotesters at he Aug. 12 valley in Charlottesville. One person was killed and 19 others were injured. The driver, James A. Fields Jr., was charged with second degree murder.

of Charlottesville on Aug. 2, (State Police) also briefed the mayor, city manager and members of the City Council that same day. The recommendations contained in the memorandum and communicated to the city were not followed,” Mr. Moran stated in the report. “When asked why the governor’s recommendations were not followed during our final task force meeting, the International Association of Chiefs of Police indicated that interviews suggested that advice from the city’s legal counsel played a role.” The report by the Governor’s Task Force on Public Safety Preparedness and Response to Civil Unrest is the latest analysis to suggest that state and local officials did not collaborate as closely as they could have to prevent violence at the Unite the Right rally. POLITICO reported shortly after the event that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a warning to law enforcement authorities suggesting the Aug. 12 rally would be “among the most violent to date” between white supremacists and anarchists. A separate, recently published review led by former federal prosecutor Timothy Heaphy

concluded that local officials were ill-prepared and made multiple mistakes leading up to the rally, including attempting to move the gathering to a larger public park. During last week’s panel, Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, executive director of the Virginia ACLU that represented Mr. Kessler, the rally organizer, during a court hearing about the move, recounted the arguments in the hearing held the day before the rally that led U.S. District Court Judge Glen E. Conrad to allow it to take place in the city park where the statue of Confederate Robert E. Lee is located. “The city came into that hearing … and they made no showing about safety,” said Ms. Gastanaga. Instead of presenting information that violence was expected, attorneys for the city cited crowd size as a reason for suddenly wanting to move the rally, she said. “There was actionable intelligence that someone could have put in front of a judge, but no one did,” she said. “There’s no right to violent assembly,” she said. “There’s right to peaceful assembly.” While her organization has come under fire

for its role in helping the rally go forward, Ms. Gastanaga maintained the ACLU is committed to ensuring that government acts in accordance with the U.S. Constitution and does not infringe upon free speech unlawfully. Multiple media accounts detailed the violent skirmishes in Charlottesville as neo-Nazis and white supremacists clashed with counterprotesters. Dozens of people were hurt and 32-year-old Heather Heyer was killed when a white supremacist drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters. Recalling the day’s events, Mr. Moran said it was “surreal” seeing several dozen armored protesters equipping themselves with long guns as passersby walked a dog and pushed a baby stroller. The task force report contains dozens of recommendations, including the need for a “more robust” permitting process for future rallies and restrictions on weapons and on how many people are allowed Ms. Gastanaga and for how long. Mr. Moran insisted the report was not meant to “second guess decision makers or assign blame,” but to look forward with the goal of preventing such violence in the future. In the report, he went on to commend Richmond’s handling of a rally on Sept. 16 at the Lee statue on Monument Avenue that was organized without a permit by a neo-Confederate group from Tennessee. In that instance, Richmond Police spent more than $500,000 for personnel and equipment and operating expenses to handle the rally called by CSA II: The New Confederate States of America to protest the possible removal of the state-owned Lee statue. The event saw less than a dozen protesters outnumbered by hundreds of counterprotesters. Police kept the two groups separate throughout the day. Following the panel, Mr. Moran declined to say whether he believes the removal of Confederate statues would quell future rallies and their potential for violence. He said a bill likely will be submitted in the upcoming General Assembly session that would allow localities to ban firearms from certain permitted events in the interest of maintaining public safety.

GRTC PULSE CONSTRUCTION PARDON OUR DUST!

4 Work is continuing on GRTC Pulse, a modern, high-capacity rapid transit system connecting riders to sought-after destinations, from Rocketts Landing to Willow Lawn. 4 Construction is underway at all station locations. Roadway work and traffic signal improvements are occurring throughout the project corridor. 4 Expect temporary lane closures and detours in these locations. In addition, area residents could hear portions of this work, depending on proximity to construction. 4 These impacts are necessary for us to build GRTC Pulse. Call 804-980-0084 to obtain more information. 4 Stay safe out there! • Drivers: Please slow down. Watch for pedestrians and workers who may be in the roadway. Adhere to all posted signs. • Pedestrians: Avoid crossing through work zones, including the Broad St. median. Use designated cross walks and intersections. Wait for cars to pass, do not assume that motorists will stop for you! Businesses and services located along the project route remain accessible during construction.

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Richmond Free Press

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News

Recognizing Virginia women Continued from A1

that we have in our nation today, as we hear about different issues as it relates to women, I think it’s appropriate that we here in Virginia are leading the way.” Nancy Rodrigues, Virginia’s secretary of administration, has been instrumental in moving the project forward. She attended the groundbreaking ceremony with her 2-year-old granddaughter, Celeste. She noted that had it not been for the achievements of women who paved the way, she would not have been able to achieve her dreams. Voices from the Garden seeks to acknowledge some of the contributions of women that are missing in history books. The monument will be part of the fabric telling of the rich past. “When you look at the pivotal events that changed history in Virginia, women were part of the contributions to make the commonwealth and America what they are today,” said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corp. Years have passed from the initial conception of a women’s monument to Monday’s groundbreaking. Karla Boughey, who was the legislative aide for former state Sen. Walter Stosch of Henrico County, recalled the phone call the senator’s office received from Em Bowles Locker Alsop about her vision for a monument. “This lady was saying that we need to do something for women,” Ms. Boughey said. “She knew everybody and the history and the roles women played because she lived in Richmond all her life.” After talking to Sen. Stosch, Ms. Alsop came to the state Capitol where she testified before several General Assembly committees to get the ball rolling. “Ms. Alsop was so far ahead of her time. She believed in women and loved women. She accomplished so much,” Ms. Boughey said. “She was worried about the next generation not knowing women’s accomplishments from education to civic affairs.” Ms. Alsop died in March 2015 at age 98. Ms. Allen, the wife of former Gov. George Allen, is chair of the Virginia Capitol Foundation, which is handling the money side of the project. She said $1.7 million has been raised

12 honorees The 12 women to be featured on Voices from the Garden, Virginia Women’s Monument: 1. Ann Burras Laydon (c. 1594-after 1625), Jamestown settler. 2. Cockacoeske (c.1656-1686), a Pamunkey Indian chief who signed the Treaty of Middle Plantation in 1677 reuniting several tribes. She ruled the Pamunkey for 30 years. 3. Mary Draper Ingles (c.1732-1815) of Southwest Virginia. She established the Ingles Ferry which was vital to her rural community. 4. Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (1731-1802) of Fairfax. The first woman to hold the position of the nation’s first lady during George Washington’s presidency. She represents the wives of all eight Virginia-born presidents. 5. Clementina Bird Rind (1740-1774) of Williamsburg. Took over the editorship and management of the Virginia Gazette after the death of her husband. 6. Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (18181907) of Dinwiddie. A slave who bought her freedom, she became Mary Todd Lincoln’s seamstress and confidante and established the Contraband Relief Association. 7. Sally Louisa Tompkins (1833-1916) of Mathews County. Established Robertson Hospital in Richmond to treat wounded soldiers during the Civil War. 8. Maggie L. Walker (1864-1934) of Richmond. The first African-American woman to charter a bank in the United States with the founding of the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in Richmond. 9. Sarah Garland Boyd Jones (1866-1905) of Richmond. One of the first women to become licensed as a physician in the state and co-founder of a hospital serving African-Americans that ultimately became Richmond Community Hospital. 10. Laura Lu Copenhaver (1868-1940) of Smyth County. Expanded Southwest Virginia’s agricultural economy as director of information for the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation and establishing Rosemont Industries. 11. Virginia Estelle Randolph (1875-1958) of Henrico. She developed a nationally recognized approach to education. 12. Adele Goodman Clark (1882-1983) of Richmond. Active suffragist who became president of the League of Women Voters in 1921.

for the monument, which is being funded privately. She said the foundation hopes to raise another $150,000 to meet the requirements for a Cabell Foundation grant. Each of the bronze statues is expected to cost about $200,000.

Creighton Court redevelopment project seeks $4.9M city bailout Continued from A1

development officer, the city invested $8 million to clear away the former Armstrong High School building at 1611 N. 31st St. and to cover the cost of site work, including preparing the ground, building streets and alleys and installing new utility lines. The additional $4.9 million, according to information provided by the city, is needed to cover the cost of developing the first phase of apartments. The total cost of the project is estimated at $30 million, according to city information. TCB apparently only has been able to secure $25 million in tax credits and bank loans. Redeveloping the 22-acre Armstrong site represents the first step toward the real goal — replacing the public housing units in Creighton Court with new residences, although the city is still trying to find the money to take on that larger effort. Mr. Agelasto, however, believes that the administration is obligated to deliver a statement on the projected return on investment with its request for council approval of the subsidy. He expressed

dismay that such a statement has not been provided. He said that information is needed to provide the council with a clearer picture of the full cost and to enable council members to consider whether it is worth the price. He made the point last week as the council’s Finance and Economic Development Committee reviewed the proposal that calls for the city to borrow from a pot of federal money and repay the debt over 20 years, primarily with revenue obtained from selling tax-delinquent properties. Mr. Agelasto also is skeptical about the revenue resources the city has identified and expressed concern that city taxpayers ultimately would have to pay the $4.9 million in debt. In response, Mr. Downey told the committee he is confident that enough revenue can be generated from tax sales and other means. He also urged the committee to measure any return on investment in the social good the project would accomplish rather than on how much money it would generate for the city. Mr. Downey said the return would involve creating a better life for public housing resi-

dents, improved housing, more employment opportunities and increased access to beneficial services and ultimately a reduction in the number of people living in poverty. He said he has no expectations that the Church Hill North redevelopment would trigger the kind of real estate boom that is happening in Scott’s Addition and other areas of the city. But he said the improvements it would generate are sufficient justification. The committee chair, 7th District Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille, also said the social benefits from the city’s investment were sufficient reason to move forward with borrowing the money. She, along with 6th District Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson, are fully invested in making Church Hill North happen, even if it takes an additional subsidy. The evidence that the council is unlikely to reverse course showed up in the votes of the other committee members, Kim B. Gray, 2nd District, Kirsten N. Larson, 4th District, and Michael J. Jones, 9th District. They joined Ms. Newbille in voting to advance the proposal to the full council with a recommendation for approval.

School Board approves $224.7M first phase to improve buildings Continued from A1

to be built. The initial money also would provide $20 million toward building a new Woodville Elementary that sits about a mile north of George Mason; $5.3 million for a facelift for Francis Elementary in South Side; $3.2 million to complete a renovation of Overby-Sheppard Elementary in North Side; and $1.2 million to start the renovation of Fairfield Elementary in the East End. “We know our schools are in deplorable condition. We know this is having a negative impact on learning. So it is time for us to take action,” board Chairwoman Dawn Page said after casting the decisive vote. Several board members urged a week’s delay on the vote to allow the public time to weigh in. Whether the School Board’s plan will stir action is questionable. It is headed to a City Hall that continues to claim the city has almost maxed out its credit card and could not come up with that kind of money. At a recent City Council committee meeting, 5th District Councilman Parker C. Agelasto said he has been advised that the city could only undertake $15 million in new borrowing in the coming year. That is likely to make it harder for the School Board to sell a plan that calls for spending $85 million on a new George Wythe High that could accommodate 2,000 students; $50 million for a new Elkhardt-Thompson Middle with a 1,500-student capacity; $35 million for a new Greene Elementary to accommodate 1,000 students; and $25 million apiece on the new George Mason Elementary and the new Woodville Elementary that each would handle 650 to 700 students. The School Board also is facing pushback for failing to hold public hearings before approving its plan. Mayor Stoney, following the practice of President Trump, tweeted initial criticism about the way the board advanced the proposal. “We need a plan & the public needs to be part of that plan,” he stated. “Our kids deserve a constructive & collaborative approach to addressing this issue.” Still, he added that he looked forward “to learning more about the details” when he and the City Council sit down with the School Board on Monday, Dec. 11, at the latest meeting of his Educational Compact. Mayor Stoney said previously that he would support a first phase of school construction as long as it goes through an Educational Compact review. He also has hinted repeatedly that he might propose higher taxes in the next budget to provide funding, without making any promise to do so. Just repaying interest and principal for the first phase would require the city to spend $15 million to $17 million a year for 20 years based on current interest rates. Richmond is now paying about that much to pay off the debt on the four newest schools, including Huguenot High and Martin Luther King Jr. Middle, that were developed during the tenure of Mayor Dwight C. Jones. Still, despite Mayor Stoney’s insistence that he wants to undertake the first phase the board has proposed, he has conditioned his support on having the School Board “right-size” the school system, which would include a plan to close schools that have low enrollments creating hundreds of vacant seats.

However, the board is not proposing any school closings as part of the first phase, which seeks mostly to address overcrowding in South Side largely because of an influx of Latino students. “It should be noted that RPS has closed 17 school buildings since 2005, and this was a major factor in the board’s decision not to close or consolidate schools at this time,” Ms. Page and interim schools Superintendent Thomas E. “Tommy” Kranz wrote in a letter to Mayor Stoney that accompanied the plan. Others, including Paul Goldman, who led the successful effort to put a school modernization referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot that won overwhelming voter support for school modernization, regard the School Board’s proposal as inadequate. “The board’s half-baked, last-minute proposal is a retreat from reality,” Mr. Goldman wrote in a blistering Facebook post. “The referendum showed what the board missed: Richmonders are fed up with being depicted as uncaring and unwilling to fix an intolerable situation of sending kids to obsolete, decrepit, unhealthy monuments to segregation. “Eighty-five percent of the voters declared with their ballots, ‘We are ready to support a fully-funded, fiscally responsible, system-wide school facility modernization plan that ensures every child in our town goes to a clean, safe, modern facility that no longer impedes learning and teaching.’ “Instead, the board votes for a plan that will leave the majority of schoolchildren in RVA in decrepit, disgraceful and dysfunction school buildings for another generation,” he stated. “The School Board blew it.” New member Kenya J. Gibon, 3rd District; Dr. Sapini, 5th District; Felicia Cosby, 6th District; Cheryl Burke, 7th District; and Ms. Page, 8th District, voted to support the first phase at Monday’s meeting, rather than waiting until Tuesday, Dec. 12, to allow time for constituents to weigh in. Members Scott Barlow, 2nd District; Jonathan Young, 4th District; and Linda Owen, 9th District, voted against the plan because it did not allow public input. Board member Liz Doerr, 1st District, left before the vote. Mr. Young is concerned the plan does not include the closure of any buildings. He wants the board to rescind its votes and go back to the drawing board to come up with a “credible fix to facilities that would also shrink the number of vacant seats.” “I cannot believe that anyone would pass a plan that includes building an $80 million new George Wythe High when we all know that we have one too many high schools,” Mr. Young stated in an email to the Free Press, calling it “irresponsible” for the board to propose a new high school “before even knowing what high school would be closed.” Mr. Kranz told the board at a recent meeting that only one school, Henderson Middle, is far below capacity. Designed for 1,000 students, Henderson currently has 450 students, he said. But he said building a new Elkhardt-Thompson Middle would not justify closing Henderson, the only middle school in North Side. He said any savings would be eaten up by higher transportation costs to shuttle students from North Side to other middle schools and could lead to overcrowding at Albert Hill, Binford and Martin Luther King Jr., where student numbers are far closer to capacity.

Saint Paul’s College property sold Continued from A1

the group envisions opening a for-profit school for American and Chinese students. Mr. Stith served as the 11th and final president of the private school that Episcopal priest James Solomon Russell founded in 1888. Mr. Stith said he was told of Xinhua’s plans when he met with representatives about three months before the sale was completed. A former deputy county manager for Chesterfield County and now a consultant to Sussex County, Mr. Stith handled the day-to-day work of shutting down Saint Paul’s

when it was closed. The brother of the current interim president of Norfolk State University, Dr. Melvin Stith, Mr. Stith helped remaining students find new schools after the closing, found buyers for priceless books and records and sold off some of the property to raise funds to maintain the rest. He ended his work and left the school in April 2015. The Xinhua group bought the property from the federal Pension Benefit Investment Corp., which gained the property after the college defaulted on retirement benefits for employees, and the independent government agency stepped in

to ensure retirees got paid. Saint Paul’s $5 million endowment was turned over to a national bank to repay a loan the board approved years earlier to support the school’s football team. Until Xinhua came along, there had been little interest in the property that had been on the market for four years. The last serious interest came from the federal government, which sought to lease the property for use in holding undocumented children detained by federal immigration officers. That proposal collapsed in the face of opposition from area residents.

Former Trump official pleads guilty in special prosecutor’s probe Continued from A1

was Mr. Kushner, a key member of Trump’s transition team and now the president’s senior adviser. Mr. Kushner’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. He has previously said Mr. Kushner has voluntarily cooperated with all relevant inquiries and would continue to do so. Mr. Flynn’s decision to cooperate with Mr. Mueller’s team marked a major escalation in a probe that has dogged the president since he took office in January. There was nothing in the court hearing that pointed to any evidence against President Trump, and the White House said Mr. Flynn’s guilty plea implicated him alone. Mr. Flynn, a retired army lieutenant

general, served as President Trump’s national security adviser for 24 days despite former President Obama’s warnings about hiring him. Mr. Flynn was forced to resign after he was found to have misled Vice President Mike Pence about his discussions with Mr. Kislyak. But Mr. Flynn was an enthusiastic supporter of President Trump’s election campaign and the president continued to praise him even after he left the administration, saying Mr. Flynn had been treated “very, very unfairly” by the news media. A small group of protesters yelled “Lock him up!” as Mr. Flynn left the courthouse last Friday, echoing the “Lock her up!” chant that Mr. Flynn himself led against President Trump’s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, in vitriolic appearances on

the campaign trail. Mr. Mueller’s team also is looking at whether members of President Trump’s campaign may have sought to ease sanctions on Russia in return for financial gain or because Russian officials held some leverage over them, people familiar with the probe said. Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest bank, was asked by the special prosecutor for data on accounts held by President Trump and his family, a person close to the matter said Tuesday, but President Trump’s lawyer denied any such subpoena had been issued. Deutsche Bank has lent the Trump Organization hundreds of millions of dollars for real estate ventures and is one of the few major lenders that has given large amounts of credit to President Trump in the past decade.

A string of bankruptcies at his hotel and casino businesses during the 1990s made most of Wall Street wary of extending him credit. A U.S. official with knowledge of Mr. Mueller’s probe said one reason for the subpoenas was to find out whether Deutsche Bank may have sold some of President Trump’s mortgage or other loans to Russian state development bank VEB or other Russian banks that now are under U.S. and European Union sanctions. Prosecutors said Mr. Flynn and Mr. Kislyak last December discussed economic sanctions that President Obama’s administration had just imposed on Moscow for allegedly interfering in the election. Mr. Flynn asked Mr. Kislyak to refrain from escalating a diplomatic dispute with Washington over the

sanctions, and later falsely told FBI officials that he did not make that request, court documents showed. Prosecutors said Mr. Flynn earlier had consulted with a senior member of President Trump’s transition team about what to communicate to the Russian ambassador. “Flynn called the Russian ambassador and requested that Russia not escalate the situation and only respond to the U.S. sanctions in a reciprocal manner,” the prosecutors said in court documents, adding that Mr. Flynn then called the Trump official again to recount the conversation with Mr. Kislyak. They did not name the senior official in the Trump team, but media reports identified former adviser K.T. McFarland as the person. Reuters was unable to verify the reports.

Richmond Free Press

December 7-9, 2017

News

Possible security breach prompts RRHA to suspend convenience store payment sites By Jeremy M. Lazarus

For the past few years, Lillie Estes has gone to a Richmond convenience store to pay the rent on her Gilpin Court apartment. But Monday, she found that her landlord, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, had ended that convenience. “RRHA is supposed to give us 30 days notice. They didn’t do that. Instead, they just shut down the service,” said Ms. Estes, one of thousands of affected tenants. “I learned about it after I stood in line at the store, only to be told my money could not be accepted,” said Ms. Estes, a well-known community activist and co-founder of RePHRAME, Residents of Public Housing in Richmond Against Mass Eviction. An RRHA official said the agency was forced to shut down the service after a possible security breach, according to Carol Jones-Gilbert, RRHA’s chief operating officer. In response to a Free Press query, Ms. Jones-Gilbert stated that RRHA was notified that Global Express, the money transfer company used by the convenience stores, suspended acceptance of all rental payments until further notice because of a security issue. No payments have been accepted since Friday, Nov. 10. The convenience stores use Global Express to transmit the payments to RRHA. She cited a press release from PayPal, which ordered the shutdown after finding the information was not secure. PayPal is the parent company of the payment processor. The release states that the shutdown was a precaution and that no information had been hacked because of the security flaws that the company is working to fix. Ms. Jones-Gilbert stated that residents “have been advised that payments would need to be mailed to the RRHA lockbox until the matter is resolved.”

Rep. Conyers resigns amid allegations of sexual misconduct Free Press wire report

DETROIT Democratic Rep. John Conyers resigned from Congress on Tuesday after a nearly 53-year career, becoming the first Capitol Hill politician to lose his job in the torrent of sexual misconduct allegations sweeping through the nation’s workplaces. The 88-year-old civil rights leader and longest-serving member of the House announced what he referred to as his “retirement” on Detroit talk radio, while continuing to deny he groped or sexually harassed women who worked for him. “My legacy can’t be compromised or diminished in any way by what we’re going through now,” said the congressman, who called into the radio show from the hospital where he was taken last week after complaining of lightheadedness. “This, too, shall pass. My legacy will continue through my children.” He endorsed his son, John Conyers III, to succeed him. Rep. Conyers, who was first elected in 1964 and went on to become a founding member in 1971 of the Congressional Black Caucus, easily won re-election last year to his 27th term in his heavily Democratic district in and around Detroit. But after being publicly accused by one woman after another in recent weeks, he faced growing calls to resign from colleagues in the House, including Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. As the furor grew, he stepped down as the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and the Ethics Committee began investigating him. Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York said he was saddened by the resignation of his “friend and mentor” but added: “There can be no tolerance for behavior that subjects women to the kind of conduct that has been alRep. Conyers leged.” It will be up to Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to set a date for a special election to pick someone to serve out the remaining year in Rep. Conyers’ two-year term. State Sen. Ian Conyers, a grandson of Rep. Conyers’ brother, said he plans to run for the seat. On Monday, yet another allegation was lodged against Rep. Conyers when a woman who said she worked for him for more than a decade, Elisa Grubbs, said he slid his hand up her skirt and rubbed her thighs while she was sitting next to him in the front row of a church. Ms. Grubbs also said she repeatedly saw Rep. Conyers touching and stroking the legs and buttocks of other female staffers. Such behavior “was a regular part of life while working in the office of Rep. Conyers,” she said. Ms. Grubbs is the cousin of another accuser, Marion Brown, who reached a confidential, taxpayer-funded settlement of more than $27,000 over allegations Rep. Conyers sexually harassed her. That settlement came to light in mid-November, setting off the cascade of allegations against the congressman. At least two other women who worked for him have accused him of sexual misconduct. Democratic U.S. Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas and Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen of Nevada have all rebuffed calls to step down over similar accusations, though Republican Rep. Joe Barton of Texas has said he won’t seek re-election next year. Rep. Conyers said in a statement read Tuesday on the floor of the House that he was resigning “to preserve my legacy and good name.” He also complained that he was not being afforded due process to defend himself, and cited his health problems as another factor in his decision. He added that he hopes his retirement will be viewed in the “larger perspective” of his more than 50 years as a lawmaker. He co-sponsored a 1972 resolution recommending President Nixon’s impeachment for his conduct of the Vietnam War and regularly introduced a bill from 1989 onward to study the harm caused by slavery and the possibility of reparations to the descendants of slaves. After a 15-year struggle, Rep. Conyers succeeded in establishing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a federal holiday in 1986. He employed civil rights legend Rosa Parks at his Detroit district office for more than two decades.

However, that explanation was not shared with tenants, Ms. Estes said. Ms. Jones-Gilbert stated that “RRHA has agreed to extend the grace period from the 8th until the 15th to allow for additional mailing time.” She added that RRHA “is in communication with Global Express regarding a resolution and will explore alternate payment options should the issue persist.” A few years ago, RRHA faced harsh criticism for refusing to accept rent payments at its management ofﬁces and, instead, requiring tenants to mail rent payments to a Baltimore post

office box for servicing by a bank there. Tenants often were hit with late charges when their rent arrived late due to delays in mailing. At the time, RRHA claimed that it could not find a Richmond bank to handle the collection and servicing of the rent payments. However, after continuing protests from RePHRAME, RRHA opened a Richmond post office box and secured agreements from five locally owned convenience stores that use Global Express to accept rent payments, just as they do utility and phone payments.

Harmon named chairman of McGuireWoods By Ronald E. Carrington

It’s a first. McGuireWoods, the state’s largest law firm and one of the biggest in the nation, has chosen Jonathan Harmon as its new chairman. His selection was announced Monday following a vote by the firm’s board of partners. Mr. Harmon, 52, will lead the firm that has 1,050 lawyers in 23 offices in the United States and abroad. He is the first person of color to become chairman in the firm’s 180-year history and among a few African-American lawyers to lead a top 100 firm. He succeeds Richard Cullen, a former Virginia attorney general, who served as McGuireWoods’ chairman for the last 11 years. In addition, the board appointed J. Tracy Walker IV to follow Thomas E. Cabaniss as the firm’s managing partner. Mr. Harmon is a graduate of West Point and served as a first lieutenant in the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division during

Operation Desert Storm. He later earned his law degree at the University of Texas School of Law and became a summer associate at McGuireWoods in 1995. A nationally respected litigator, he has led the firm’s business and securities litigation department since 2015. Mr. Harmon said he will continue the firm’s focus on empowering clients to meet their strategic business goals, fostering collaborative innovations that shape the firm’s future and building upon its dedication to diversity, pro bono and community service. Mr. Harmon and wife Rhonda, who also is an attorney, have two sons and two daughters ranging in age from 13 to 20. George Keith Martin, managing partner of McGuireWoods’ Richmond headquarters office, praised Mr. Harmon and his selection in a brief interview Tuesday with the Free Press. “Character is very important in any leader,” Mr. Martin said. “Jon is someone that exemplifies character, integrity, trust and confidence, someone that will inspire you.”

Mr. Harmon

Regarding the new chairman’s personal side, Mr. Martin said he teaches Sunday school to first- through fifth-graders and in a prison ministry. That 20-year ministry though Faith Landmarks Ministries includes Bible study at a juvenile facility in Chesterfield County and at the federal penitentiary in Petersburg. “He is a uniquely gifted individual who relates to corporate executives, children and people who are incarcerated. He is a very warm and dedicated person,” Mr. Martin said. “It’s great that when someone looks at McGuireWoods and sees Jon, they know that they will get all of the characteristics of great leadership.”

Interest mounts in Coliseum replacement City Hall is finding significant interest as its seeks developers Lee Downey, the city’s chief development officer, earlier said to replace the Richmond Coliseum and undertake other develop- he expected only four or five requests. ments in Downtown. He said interest is not the same as a bid. He said the city Representatives of 23 companies registered by the Nov. 29 would learn in mid-February when proposals must be in how deadline on a special website the city set up to provide infor- many are interested. mation and receive questions about the potential $500 million “Still, this is a good sign,” he said, that there should be • Trim: 7.278” x 10” | Bleed 7.528” x 10 1/4” | Color: 4cp | Pub: Richmond Free Press Monthly Ads | Insertion: Dec. 22, 2017 project, it was disclosed Wednesday. competition for the right to win the project.

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Editorial Page

December 7-9, 2017

Impeach Trump We applaud the chutzpah of Rep. Al Green, a Texas Democrat and member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Rep. Green led the effort Wednesday for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to impeach President Trump. The articles of impeachment Rep. Green introduced in November with six other Democrats call for the president’s impeachment on the grounds of obstruction of justice, among others. However, on the House floor Wednesday, Rep. Green presented two other articles that capture the racist, xenophobic hatred that President Trump has endorsed and so dangerously spread since taking office in January. The first called for his impeachment for “associating the presidency with white nationalism, neo-Nazism and hate” based on the president’s reaction after the deadly violence at a neo-Nazi and white nationalist rally in August in Charlottesville. The other accused President Trump of “inciting hatred and hostility” by his attempt to ban transgender people from serving in the military and his executive order banning entry into the United States of people from six Muslim nations. Rep. Green said the president doesn’t need to be found guilty of criminal charges to be impeached, although the criminal probe by special prosecutor Robert Mueller has worked its way into the White House with the charge and guilty plea last week of Michael Flynn, the president’s former national security adviser. We believe Mr. Mueller is getting closer to implicating President Trump in the Russian hacking that interfered with and influenced the 2016 presidential election. We still don’t know the details of President Trump’s financial dealings with the Russians and his promises to Russian president Vladimir Putin if he were to be helped into office. President Trump has tried to harm one of the basic tenants of democracy. And no, we don’t mean capitalism. An October poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute and released this week shows 40 percent of Americans think President Trump should be impeached. Drilling down, 72 percent of African-Americans support his impeachment, while 52 percent of Latinos and 48 percent of women back such efforts. Among white people and men, only 31 percent support President Trump’s impeachment. On Wednesday, 58 Democrats voted with Rep. Green for the impeachment efforts to proceed. Other Democrats joined with Republican lawmakers to stop it. We hope Rep. Green will be undeterred. President Trump is unfit in numerous ways to lead this nation, and we believe it’s only a matter of time before indictment — and impeachment — will be the order of the day. Prosecutors are closing in. And the tide of public opinion is shifting as people refuse to accept as normal the brand of crazy President Trump seeks to push. It cannot be any clearer: Impeach Trump.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Observing World AIDS Day

“Let us also continue to ensure that our nation responds aggressively and humanely to the needs of people living with HIV and AIDS. Throughout this epidemic, community organizations have taken the lead in the struggle against the disease and in efforts to provide compassionate care to those in need. Across this country and around the globe, generous people perform miracles every day — holding a hand, cooling a fever, listening and understanding. Let us further support their efforts to build a better world by strengthening the partnership between communities and government in the work to stop AIDS.” – President Clinton in 1995 in recognition of World AIDS Day In the United States, HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, affects African-Americans more than any other group. According to the U.S. Cen-

ters for Disease Control and Prevention, African-Americans account for a higher proportion of new HIV diagnoses, those living with HIV and those ever diagnosed with AIDS compared to other groups. In 2015, the most recent year for which statistics are available, African-Americans accounted for 45 percent of HIV diagnoses, while comprising only 12 percent of the U.S. population. World AIDS Day, which oc-

Marc H. Morial curs each Dec. 1, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease. Since 2009, the National Urban League has partnered with the CDC to prevent HIV and AIDS and raise awareness — first, through the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative and more recently as part of PACT, Partnering and Communicating Together to Act Against AIDS. One in eight people living

with HIV in the United States don’t even know they have it. Not only are they not receiving HIV care and treatment, they are at high risk of unknowingly passing HIV to others. Because there is such a high prevalence of HIV among African-Americans, and people tend to have relationships with partners of the same race and ethnicity, African-Americans face a greater risk of HIV infection with each new sexual encounter. Another contributing factor to the high rate of HIV and AIDS among African-Americans is the relatively higher poverty rate. Lower-income people have limited access to high-quality health care, housing and HIV prevention education. We are at a moment in history where the heath care of millions of middle class and low-income Americans is threatened, which would only serve to make the problem worse. Because the tax reform proposal now being worked on by House and Senate negotiators is expected to add at least $1.5 trillion to the national debt, it’s likely the imbalance will be offset by cuts to programs,

Don’t sleep on judgeships Two people reported to work at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Nov. 27, both expecting to lead the bureau. Leandra English, who had been chief of staff to former Director Richard Cordray (he resigned before Thanksgiving to return to Ohio to run for governor), was appointed to the director position by her old boss. Simultaneously, 45 appointed Mick Mulvaney, head of the Office of Management and Budget, to hold the job. Reportedly, Mr. Mulvaney arrived at the office bright and early Monday morning, carrying a bag of donuts. Both Mr. Mulvaney and Ms. English sent memos to the entire staff asserting their leadership. Mr. Mulvaney rolled his sleeves up and got to work at an agency he had previously ridiculed. Ms. English headed to court to assert the right to her job. Now, here comes the trick bag. Ms. English found herself in Judge Timothy J. Kelly’s courtroom. The judge in the U.S. District Court had been appointed by 45. Is there any coincidence that Ms. English did not prevail in her suit? Mr. Mulvaney is right when he says that anyone who expected the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to operate the same way under 45 as it did under President Obama was mistaken. “Elections have

consequence,” he crowed. With that smug bragging, he illustrates why other relatively (I use the word advisedly) principled Republicans put up with 45 and his antics. While too many of us are focused on 45’s foolish antics, flippant verbal attacks and downright dangerous international behavior, the buffoon-in-chief and the U.S. Senate are quietly packing the courts. No. 45 is moving faster than Presidents Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton and George H.W. Bush have, with as many as

Julianne Malveaux 200 positions already filled. Further, 45 is appointing younger and more conservative jurists than ever before. Judge Kelly, for example, is in his late 40s. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was established by the Dodd-Frank legislation of 2010, the Congressional reaction to the horrible abuses that banks engaged in to cause the Great Recession. It regulates the rules relating to mortgages, credit cards, insurance and other financial instruments. The bureau is the only agency that stands in the gap for consumers, the only one that has the ability to stand up to banks and force them to be responsible. In its short existence, tens of millions of dollars have been returned to consumers, and thousands of bad actors have been outed on the CFPB web page. The election of 45 put this agency’s integrity in jeopardy because his election was the triumph of predatory capitalism. While 45 swore he was for the working class, that was simply campaign

mumbo-jumbo. Instead, he always planned to gut the agency that was unpopular with congressional Republicans, and the preponderance of bankers in his cabinet certainly guarantees the agency’s destruction. But the court’s swift finding against Ms. English reminds us that we can expect to find the tenets of predatory capitalism and consumer exploitation to be upheld by these newly packed courts. Court appointments have generated little attention. On at least one occasion, the American Bar Association described a nominee as “unqualified,” something that the organization rarely does. On another occasion, a man who has a law degree but who has never tried a case was nominated as a judge. Really? Less than political patronage, 45 is systematically presiding over a massive ideological shift in our nation. It’s a trick bag, one that many did not anticipate. Consumers who care about the protections we need against big banks and credit card companies need to write their elected representatives and urge them to strengthen the legislation that authorized the CFPB. And, progressive lawyers must pay more attention to these flawed judicial appointments that 45 is making. These are absolutely frightening times, with 45 running amok at the People’s House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He is running amok and his foolishness is guaranteed to generate commentary and revulsion. But we can’t be so absorbed by the foolishness that we ignore what he is doing with the courts. The writer is an author and economist.

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.

including Medicaid. Medicaid is the single largest source of coverage for people with HIV in the United States. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Medicaid expansion provision of the Affordable Care Act has had the most far reaching effects on people with HIV. We will continue to fight for those living with HIV, those at risk and the entire community not only through our participation in PACT, but also through our health care advocacy and economic empowerment efforts. World AIDS Day may be once a year, but the battle for justice goes on. The writer is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

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December 7-9, 2017

Letters to the Editor

Footprint of Main Street Station, planned slave memorial Re â&#x20AC;&#x153;Opponents fear Main Street Station plans will run over slave memorial,â&#x20AC;? Free Press Nov. 30-Dec. 2 edition: The front page story by Jeremy Lazarus that appeared in last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue of the Richmond Free Press is a must-read. It pertains to the growing concern in Richmond about the effects on the slave district of expanding the footprint of Main Street Station as part of the proposed DC2RVA high-speed rail project. Transportation, however, is only part of a much larger concern. Any development of Shockoe Bottom â&#x20AC;&#x201D; whether related to transportation, ofďŹ ce and commercial development, housing, entertainment or a mix â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will only diminish

Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most hallowed ground. African-American slavery, plus the displacement and wholesale slaughter of native peoples, constitute our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holocaust. Was the suffering and death here in Richmond, New Orleans and Charleston, S.C., any less than that of Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau? The big difference between the Nazi camps and what Â we had in Richmond was that the former are still visible. Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slave district, in contrast, was literally trashed and is at least 12 feet underground. After the Civil War, the slave center became a dumping ground, which only got larger during the 1950s when the enormous tonnage of rock

Why is Hampton leaving MEAC? Re â&#x20AC;&#x153;HU exits MEAC for Big South Conference,â&#x20AC;? Free Press Nov. 22-25 edition: I was disappointed to read about Hampton Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exit from the MEAC conference for the Big South. First of all, what is the Big South and what teams make up this conference? Why is Hampton leaving MEAC? I am still angry that they left the CIAA. Hampton University, a charter member of the CIAA, is one of our leading HBCUs that has excelled in academic and educational excellence. As we admire and respect Hamptonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success, I question the motive for the move to the all-white Big South. Class time and travel expenses cannot be the major reason because teams play in tournaments all over the nation. Should Hampton make it to the NCAA tournament and have to play in the West Coast bracket, will they decline because the students will have to miss classes and travel too far? The issue does not appear to be travel and missed classes, but the university presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s belief that the white conference is better than our HBCU conferences. The Hampton athletic director also has to ďŹ nd a plausible reason for the exit, saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe the move will enhance our proďŹ le and visibility around the nation and our revenues.â&#x20AC;? For the past 22 years, Hampton has had the opportunity to enhance its visibility by making the NCAA Tournament. I believe they have advanced twice in those 22 years. Their advancement brought the school success, fame and prestige. Winning, not changing conferences, brings a school prestige and visibility. Look whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s getting married B2

Meet advocate for children to find permanence B1

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cell anemia, are ones for which black people show a greater propensity genetically. No matter the factor, studies show African-Americans receive less than ideal, or even substandard, care when they are ill. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With all socioeconomic factors being equal, the patient of color is still getting lower quality health care than their white counterparts,â&#x20AC;? said Dr. William Young, an internal medicine physician practicing in Richmond. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Skin color remains the main factor limiting access to quality health care. No amount of wealth or status mitigates against this trend.â&#x20AC;? Dr. Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s observations are echoed in a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in May 2000. The report found generally that â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;ŚBlacks receive less intensive hospital care, including fewer cardiovascular procedures, lung resections for cancer, kidney and bone

By Samantha Willis

The headlines about health problems plaguing the AfricanAmerican community are frequent and alarming. From diabetes to hypertension and heart disease, to asthma and certain types of cancer, the statistics are clear: Black people suffer from a multitude of chronic health conditions and at a rate higher than other racial and ethnic groups. Further, not only are these potentially fatal diseases more prevalent in the African-American community, studies suggest that the health care African-Americans receive to treat these conditions is unequal to that of others. Questions as to why such health disparities, inequalities and gaps in treatment occur are critical, and ones that health care professionals, researchers and the community at large are struggling to understand and mitigate in Richmond and across the nation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Disparities in health and health care access exist in Virginia,â&#x20AC;? reported the Kaiser Family Foundation, noting that â&#x20AC;&#x153;measures of health status and access to and utilization of health care services in Virginia vary by race/ethnicity.â&#x20AC;? Black people in Virginia have a life expectancy of 75 years, according to the foundation. By comparison, the life expectancy for white people in Virginia is 79 years. For Asian-Americans in Virginia, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 87 years and Latinos, 88 years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The mortality rates due to heart disease, cancer and diabetes are higher for blacks in Virginia than whites,â&#x20AC;? the foundation found. In Richmond, a 2016 study by Virginia Commonwealth Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center on Society and Health found that â&#x20AC;&#x153;African-Americans from the East End show greater risk of developing several preventable diseases, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and also exhibit higher rates of obesity and smoking and lower access to health coverage and health services.â&#x20AC;&#x153; Across the city, the report continues, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Death rates from heart disease and diabetes exceed the state average.â&#x20AC;? Diet, environment and lifestyle account for some of these disorders, according to doctors. Other diseases, such as sickle

Racial disparity in health care

Free health forum on Dec. 7

The Richmond Free Press and U.S. biopharmaceutical companies are sponsoring a public forum, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Curing Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Killing Us: Fighting Chronic Disease in Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AfricanAmerican Community.â&#x20AC;? The free event will be held 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Hotel John Marshall, 101 N. 5th St. Free Press Publisher Jean P. Boone will moderate a panel that will include state Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance; Bert Bruce, vice president of global marketing in rare disease at Pfizer pharmaceutical company; and Dionne Henderson, director of community and multicultural health initiatives with the American Heart Association. Reservations are required by contacting dammons@ mwcllc.com by Friday, Dec. 1.

marrow transplants, Cesarean sections, peripheral vascular procedures and orthopedic procedures.â&#x20AC;? Social issues, including issues of race, are linked to health disparities in the black community, as well as the individual bias of health care providers, studies and local health care providers said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is injustice and inequity in America, so of course that impacts our health care,â&#x20AC;? said Dr. Samuel Hunter, a pathologist at Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital and president of the Richmond Medical Society, an association of black physicians. To diagnose conditions, and to treat them, doctors and health care professionals must examine a patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s symptoms. From Please turn to A4

Dr. Coogan

Mr. Herring

sheriff Woody

Lawsuit alleges RRHA overcharged

VCU offers chance thousands of public housing residents for jail inmates to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;write way outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; By Jeremy M. Lazarus

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Instead of spending time behind bars, a few inmates soon could serve their sentence in a college classroom. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the idea behind a new program that Richmond Commonwealthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Attorney Michael N. Herring and Virginia Commonwealth University are creating. It is dubbed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Writing Your Way Out.â&#x20AC;? The program is to launch Tuesday, Jan. 16, with the start of VCUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second semester. On that day, up to 10 people convicted of nonviolent offenses and facing jail time are to start an English course at VCU alongside 10 college students. The course: â&#x20AC;&#x153;English 366: Writing and Social Change.â&#x20AC;? This is the same service-learning course that has been taught since 2011 at the Richmond Justice Center as part of the Open Minds program. Dr. David Coogan, a VCU associate professor Please turn to A4

Has the landlord for Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public housing residents been ripping off its tenants? Yes, according to the nonprofit Legal Aid Justice Center, the poor peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law firm with offices in Richmond, Charlottesville and Falls Church. In a federal lawsuit percolating since February, the Legal Aid Justice Center accuses the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority of overcharging at least 3,000 families for electricity in violation of federal housing and state consumer protection laws. RRHA, which is now in settlement talks, has not sought to refute or deny any of the allegations, according to court documents in the case, the latest in a series the Justice Center has brought and won against other Virginia public housing agencies, including those in Charlottesville and Petersburg. The Richmond case, filed on behalf of six current and former tenants as well as all families renting from RRHA, focuses on the period between 2014 and 2016. However, the Justice Center alleges RRHA began overbilling in 2012. According to the suit, RRHA wrongly assessed $229,947

in excess utility charges between October 2014 and November 2016 without providing any justification. Along with inflating utility bills, RRHA also assessed tenants a $15 monthly late fee for failure to pay rent plus the utility charge and used nonpayment of the excessive utility bills as an excuse to wrongly seek eviction, the suit states. And RRHA did so knowing that the utility overcharge was assessed in violation of the lease, federal housing law and a state law that bars landlords from treating unpaid utilities as rent and charging a late fee on that portion of a monthly bill, the suit states. Cenquetta Harris exemplifies the financial and emotional toll

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond and Washington. Such a plan is still a distant prospect given the projected $5 billion cost. But under the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preferred plan, Main Street Station would be a stop for virtually all north-south trains. Improvements to tracks and stations in the Richmond area alone are projected to cost at least $1.5 billion to turn the RichmondD.C. run into a two-hour train trip rather than the three hours it now takes.

Catching advocates of the memorial park off guard, Mayor Stoney issued a letter Nov. 1 to the state Department of Rail and Public Transportation. In it, he put the city on record as endorsing the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preferred plan to boost Main Street Station as outlined in a just-released draft environmental report. The proposal calls for adding new tracks, Please turn to A4

By Ronald E. Carrington

â&#x2013;

their rally on Richmond City property outside of the traffic circle surrounding the Lee monument in the same location of the Sept. 16 rally,â&#x20AC;? Thomas Crompton, a rally organizer, told the Free Press on Wednesday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are coming back to Richmond on Saturday, Dec. 9,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any and all information will be disseminated the day of the rally.â&#x20AC;? Mr. Crompton refused to say how many CSA II members and other neo-Confederate groups plan

to show up to support the statues on Monument Avenue that honor Confederates. Mr. Crompton and his wife, Judy, also organized the Sept. 16 rally at the Lee monument that drew about six CSA members who were greatly outnumbered by roughly 200 counterprotesters, many of whom carried signs calling for the statues to be taken down. Please turn to A4

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JOHN V. MOESER Richmond The writer is emeritus professor of urban studies and planning at Virginia Commonwealth University and a retired senior fellow of the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond.

I-95/Maury Street Intersection Improvements City of Richmond Design Public Hearing Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Blackwell Community Center th 300 E. 15 St., Richmond, VA 23224 Find out about the proposed intersection improvements project at Interstate 95 and Maury Street in the City of Richmond. Come see proposed plans to construct a single lane roundabout, which will eliminate two traffic signals and reduce congestion during peak travel. The meeting will be held in an open house format from 5:30 7:30 p.m. to provide the flexibility to allow participants to meet and discuss the proposed project directly with project staff members. Review the proposed project plans and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation at the public h Office located at 2430 Pine Forest Drive in Colonial Heights, 804-524-6000, 1800-367-7623, TTY/TDD 711. Please call ahead to assure the availability of appropriate personnel to answer your questions. Property impact information, relocation assistance policies and tentative construction schedules are available for your review at the above address and will be available at the public hearing. In compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act (NEPA), Section 106 and 36 CFR Part 800, information concerning the potential effects of the proposed project on properties listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places is provided in the environmental documentation. Give your written or oral comments at the hearing or submit them by December 22, 2017, to Jason Zhang, PE, project manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, 2430 Pine Forest Drive, Colonial Heights, VA 23834-9002. You may also email your comments to jason.zhang@vdot.virginia.gov. Please

I-95 Maury St. Intersection Improvements

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you have questions or concerns about your civil rights in regards to this project or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact the project manager listed above. *In the event of inclement weather on December 12, this meeting will be held December 19 at the same time and location above. State Project: 0095-127-971,P101, R201, C501 Federal Project: NHFP-095-1(358)

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF AN APPLICATION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR APPROVAL TO ESTABLISH EXPERIMENTAL COMPANION TARIFF, DESIGNATED SCHEDULE RF, PURSUANT TO Â§ 56-234 B OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2017-00137 On October 23, 2017, Virginia Electric and Power Company (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dominionâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;Companyâ&#x20AC;?) filed with the State Corporation Commission (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Commissionâ&#x20AC;?) an application (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Applicationâ&#x20AC;?) for approval to establish an experimental and voluntary companion tariff, designated Schedule RF, Environmental Attributes Purchase From Renewable Energy Facilities (Experimental) (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Schedule RFâ&#x20AC;?) pursuant to Â§ 56-234 B of the Code of Virginia (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Codeâ&#x20AC;?) and Rule 80 of the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rules of Practice and Procedure (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rules of Practiceâ&#x20AC;?), 5 VAC 5-20-10 et seq. According to the Application, Schedule RF will be a voluntary companion tariff to an approved embedded cost-based tariff, currently including Rate Schedules GS-1, GS-2, GS-2T, GS-3, GS-4, and Rate Schedule 10, under which participating customers will be serviced concurrently. Dominion states that Schedule RF will be available to eligible existing or new commercial and industrial customers who (i) wish to bring incremental load to the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s system that will support the development of new renewable energy generation facilities; and (ii) commit to support the development of such facilities by enhancing their cost-effectiveness for all customers in exchange for the environmental attributes, including, without limitation, renewable energy certificates associated with these new facilities in an amount that corresponds to up to 100 percent of the energy they produce. The Company states that new renewable generation facilities constructed in connection with this experimental offering will serve as system resources. The Company further states that neither the approvals for construction of any such facilities, nor the recovery of costs associated with any such facilities, are being sought in connection with this proceeding. According to the Application, the Company intends the revenue stream associated with Schedule RF to be credited back to all Company customers through one or more future cost recovery mechanisms, as determined by the Commission in future cost recovery proceedings. As proposed, Dominion would open enrollment in Schedule RF for a period of five years from the initial effective date of Schedule RF. The Company states that each participating customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Schedule RF charge will be based on a price that is to be separately negotiated and memorialized in a the Confirmation between Company and the customer. The Application states that participating customers will enroll in Schedule RF, but no charges will be incurred under Schedule RF unless and until all necessary approvals have been obtained and the renewable facility identified in the Confirmation is constructed, becomes operational, and begins to generate renewable energy. Dominion states that in the event the Commission does not grant necessary approvals of the construction, operation or cost recovery for any new renewable generation facility, any applicable Confirmation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s correspondening enrollment in Schedule RF â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will terminate. According to the Application, Schedule RF is necessary to provide information about demand for the development of new renewable generation facilities and support for their development through environmental attribute purchases by existing and new commercial and industrial class customers of the Company, with associated economic and environmental benefits, which is in furtherance of the public interest pursuant to Code Â§ 56-234 B.

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Neo-Confederates to return for second Richmond rally

A neo-Confederate group plans to return to Richmond next month for a second â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heritage Not Hateâ&#x20AC;? rally on Monument Avenue, despite new state regulations restricting firearms and the number of people allowed at rallies at the Gen. Robert E. Lee monument. CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, a Tennessee-based group, â&#x20AC;&#x153;will hold

REV. RODNEY M. HUNTER Richmond

Please turn to A4

Opponents fear Main Street Station plans will run over slave memorial Hopes of creating a memorial park in Shockoe Bottom recalling Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role as a center of the slave trade appear to conflict with efforts to make Main Street Station a more significant passenger rail stop. Mayor Levar M. Stoney is raising apprehension among advocates of the memorial park, including 2nd District City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who believe he is ignoring the opportunity to bring national attention to Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pre-Civil War history and the AfricanAmericans who were once bought and sold like cattle. The mayor, who insists that the station and Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slave history can coexist, raised concern by throwing his support to a draft federal-state environmental plan that calls for expanding both rail service and the footprint of the station should higher speed rail ever materialize between

As the article stated, no other conference in the history of athletics was as prestigious as the CIAA. The CIAA had one of the highest tournament attendance and cash revenues in the country. The CIAA also boasts some of the greatest players and coaches of all times, such as Al Atles (North Carolina); Walt Ward and Rick Mahorn (Hampton); Earl Monroe and Cleo Hill (Winston-Salem State); Bobby Dandridge, Ralph Talley and Johnny Morris (Norfolk State); Ronald â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flipâ&#x20AC;? Murray (Shaw University); Sam Jones (NC Central); Mike Gale and Marvin Trotman (Elizabeth City State); Fred â&#x20AC;&#x153;Curlyâ&#x20AC;? Neal (Johnson C. Smith); Charles Oakley, Ben Wallace and Jackie Jackson (VUU). Great coaches were Clarence â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Houseâ&#x20AC;? Gaines (Winston-Salem State), Bobby Vaughn (Elizabeth City State), Ernie Fears, Bob Smith and Charles Christian (NSU) and John McClendon (NCC). The list of greats from this prestigious conference could go on and on. These teams and players were second to none, regardless of the conference. I researched some of the Big South Conference teams â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Liberty, and Radford universities, and others that are not known for their athletic visibility. At any rate, I hope and pray that our other HBCUs will strive to strengthen our institutions and traditions and not abandon our rich heritage as Hampton has done. I thank God for our HBCUs.

and dirt displaced by the building of Interstate 95 was dumped in Shockoe Bottom. What the City of Richmond decides to do with Shockoe Bottom will deďŹ ne who we are as a people. Do we aspire to be a great city with a booming population and world-class economy, or do we aspire to be a good city where truth is more valuable than wealth and where reconciliation and community building are more precious

Finally, the Application notes that one new customer, Scout Development LLC (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Facebookâ&#x20AC;?), a subsidiary of Facebook, Inc., has provisionally committed to subscribe to Schedule RF, subject to the provisions of an agreement between Facebook and the Company. Interested persons are encouraged to review the Application and supporting documents for the details of these and other proposals. The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing that, among other things, scheduled a public hearing on March 6, 2018, at 10 a.m., in the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, to receive the testimony of public witnesses and the evidence of the Company, any respondents, and the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Staff. Any person desiring to testify as a public witness at this hearing should appear in the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s courtroom fifteen (15) minutes prior to the starting time of the hearing and contact the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bailiff. 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 of the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business offices in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Copies also may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company, Lisa S. Booth, Esquire, Dominion Energy Services, Inc., 120 Tredegar Street, RS-2, Richmond, Virginia 23219. If acceptable to the requesting party, the Company may provide the documents by electronic means. Copies of the Application and other documents filed in this case also are available for interested persons to review in the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Document Control Center located on the first floor of the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies from the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. On or before February 27, 2018, any interested person wishing to comment on the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Application shall file written comments on the Application with Joel H. Peck, Clerk, State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. Any interested person desiring to file comments electronically may do so on or before February 27, 2018, by following the instructions on the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. Compact disks or any other form of electronic storage medium may not be filed with the comments. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2017-00137. On or before January 11, 2018, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation. If not filed electronically, an original and fifteen (15) copies of the notice of participation shall be submitted to the Clerk of the Commission at the address above. A copy of the notice of participation as a respondent also must be sent to counsel for the Company at the address set forth above. Pursuant to Rule 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rules of Practice, any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2017-00137. For additional information about participation as a respondent, any person or entity should obtain a copy of the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Order for Notice and Hearing. The Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rules of Practice may be viewed at http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. A printed copy of the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rules of Practice and an official copy of the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding may be obtained from the Clerk of the Commission at the address above.

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December 7-9, 2017

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Stories by Fred Jeter

VSU’s top players know winning formula Two traits Virginia State University basketball Coach Lonnie Blow III hunts for on the recruiting trail are talent and a winning background. He has hit the bullseye on both counts with juniors Walter Williams and Brandon Holley and sophomore Andrew Corum, members of the current undefeated VSU Trojans. All three have posted glistening statistics during VSU’s 6-0 takeoff this

a leader for a season. And all Henrico High three arrived at School squad Ettrick with state that wrapped up championship réthe state Group sumés from high 5 title with a 78school. 64 victory over “You like to Norview High bring in kids School of Northat have won Andrew Corum Walter Williams Brandon Holley folk at Virginia before,” Coach Commonwealth University’s Blow said. “They know what March 2015 was a banner it means to sacriﬁce, what it time for Williams, Holley Siegel Center. On that same ﬂoor, Holley takes to be a champion.” and Corum. Williams was

Shaka Smart’s Texas team beats VCU 71-67 at Siegel Center Coach Shaka Smart has proven he can win as both the home and visiting coach at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center. Now in his third season coaching at the University of Texas, Coach Smart and his Longhorns rallied to beat a furious VCU Rams comeback to win 71-67 Tuesday night at the sold out and raucous facility on West Broad Street. Texas led 55-38 with 13:34 left. But VCU Coach Mike Rhoades’ Rams battled back to take the lead, 63-62, on a Khris Lane 3-pointer at 3:54, with the building going crazy. The Longhorns went back on top, 6463, at 1:31 on a pair of free throws by Mohamed Bamba. Texas stretched the lead to 67-63 with 0:58 left on a 3-point shot by Ryan Osetkowski. The Rams couldn’t make up the difference. The Rams are now 5-4, while Texas

improves to 6-2. VCU was led by Justin Tillman with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Lane added 15 points and Di’Riante Jenkins, 12. Freshman Marcus Coach Smart Santos-Silva contributed eight points and six rebounds off the bench. Bamba, Texas’ 6-foot-11 freshman from Harlem, had 13 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. It was an emotional homecoming for Coach Smart, who posted a 163-56 record for VCU between 2009 and 2015, while guiding the Rams to the 2011 NCAA Final Four. A clause in Coach Smart’s contract at

VCU required him to return to Richmond for a home game if he left VCU before his pact expired. He is the first former VCU coach to prevail under those circumstances. Coach Rhoades Coaches Jeff Capel and Anthony Grant weren’t so fortunate. On Dec. 12, 2008, Coach Jeff Capel’s Oklahoma Sooners lost 81-70 to VCU, while Coach Grant’s Alabama Crimson Tide was beaten by the Rams 73-54 in Richmond on Dec. 15, 2012. It doesn’t end here. Former VCU Coach Will Wade (20152017), who is now at Louisiana State University, will bring his Tigers to Richmond at some unspeciﬁed future date.

Rams resilient despite series of shake-ups Singer Gloria Gaynor’s classic “I Will Survive” could serve as the Virginia Commonwealth University basketball theme song. Rams coaches come and go. Established players transfer out. Signed recruits de-commit. All that, and the resilient Rams hardly break stride. VCU has made it to seven straight NCAA tournaments while winning an average of 27 games per season. The drumbeat of success goes on, even in the most trying circumstances. This season’s thrown-together, mix ‘n’ match roster, with nine new players, appears to have a tailwind at its back, with much upside. But on occasion, Rams fans must sit VCU heading North back and wonder, Saturday, Dec. 9 “What if?” Virginia Commonwealth University There were major plays Seton Hall University at the personnel shake-ups Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., following the deparas part of the “Never Forget Tribute tures of former Coach Classic” honoring the victims and Shaka Smart to the families of 9/11 and other terrorists University of Texas attacks. Tipoff: 3 p.m.; televised on FOX. in 2015 and former Coach Will Wade to Louisiana State University a season ago. When Coach Smart announced his exit plans, all three of his incoming signees, Tevin Mack, Jordan Murphy and Kenny Williams, opted out. Mack followed Coach Smart to Texas and was the Longhorns’ leading scorer before transferring to the University of Alabama, where he is sitting out this season. Murphy opted for the University of Minnesota, where he is averaging 21.4 points and 12.5 rebounds in 31.4 minutes per game. Williams headed to the University of North Carolina, where he averages 13.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 29.4 minutes per game for the Tar Heels. Also leaving VCU following Coach Smart’s departure was Terry Larrier, among the most heavily recruited talents in Rams lore. Larrier is now at the University of Connecticut, where he averages 16 points and 6.8 rebounds in 33 minutes per game. There was a similar evacuation of players at the end of last season when Coach Wade bolted for the Louisiana bayou. Two prized Wade recruits — Lavar Batts and Mayan Kiir — de-committed. Batts is now at North Carolina State University, where he averages ﬁve points in 15 minutes per game. Kiir went with Coach Wade to LSU, where he is red-shirting. And that’s not all. Two of last year’s regulars for the Rams, Samir Doughty and Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed, pulled up stakes. Doughty is red-shirting at Auburn University, while HamdyMohamed is averaging seven points and four rebounds in 15 minutes per game at Texas Christian University. Another casualty of the Wade resignation was De’Monte Buckingham, who was State 5A Player of the Year in 2016, pacing Henrico High School to the state title. By all accounts, Buckingham was headed to VCU before Coach Wade’s exit. Instead, he chose the University of Richmond and became the Atlantic-10 Conference Freshman of

the Year. Other players have left VCU for other reasons. But the transfers listed here were all the direct result of two coaching switches. Underscoring the quality of the defections, in each case, players who left landed at schools in a higher-ranked conference. Such upheaval would throw many programs far off course. Instead of making excuses with a bunch of “what ifs,” the Rams hardly ﬂinched.

impressed as George Wythe dominated Spotswood High School of Rockingham County for the state 3A crown. Meanwhile, Corum drew raves for his performance for Middleburg Academy in its 6662 victory over Christ Chapel Academy in the final of the Virginia Independent Schools Division 3 tournament. Coach Blow didn’t have to travel far to scout Corum. The Independent Schools final was held at VSU’s Daniel Gymnasium. Interestingly, both Williams and Holley played in high school under coaches who had been players for Virginia Union University. Williams blossomed at Henrico High under the coaching of former Panther Vance Harmon, a member of VUU’s 1992 NCAA Division II national championship squad. Holley starred at George Wythe under Coach Willard Coker, a member of VUU’s 1980 NCAA championship team and an assistant coach under Dave Robbins for 1992 and 2005 titles. In his third season with the Trojans, the 6-foot-4 Williams is averaging 13 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Also, he’s often the unofficial leader in “oohs and ahhs” with his gravity defying dunks. Holley, a 6-foot-2 transfer from Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, averages 12 points while hitting an astonishing 22 of 34, or 65 percent, from beyond the arc. That includes 6-for-6 against Bluefield State College. Corum, a 6-foot-7 low post performer, averaged nine points and eight rebounds in just 15 minutes per game. He corralled a whopping 17 rebounds against Newport News Apprentice School.

Following an exam break, VSU returns to the court Tuesday, Dec. 12, for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff against Wheeling Jesuit University of West Virginia at the VSU Multi-Purpose Center. In the meantime, here’s what Coach Blow said of his state champion recruits: Of Williams: “It’s kind of

Trey bien Brandon Holley’s 6-for-6 shooting from the 3-point range against Bluefield State College sent statisticians scurrying to the record book. W h i l e H o l l e y ’s 1 0 0 percent accuracy would be impossible to top, the Trojans’ record for the most treys in a game is held by an athlete with the ideal name for it — Trey Mines. On Dec. 20, 2008, Mines nailed 10 3-pointers en route to 45 points against Holy Family University of Pennsylvania. Mines i s a l s o V S U ’s c a r e e r 3-point shooter with 228 connections from 2007 to 2010.

weird. Walter played center in high school and, right away, we converted him to small forward. Now he’s an experienced kid on the perimeter.” Of Holley: “An outstanding shooter, we’ve asked Brandon to improve his defense and ball handling. We want him to be more than just a 3-point shooter.” Of Corum: “Andrew didn’t play much as a freshman, but we knew his potential. He’s a talented kid who’s been one of our more consistent players.” In his four VSU seasons, Coach Blow has posted a record of 70-20, including a CIAA title and an NCAA appearance in 2016.

Highland Springs hoping for 3-peat at Saturday’s state championship

Highland Springs High School is on the cusp of achieving something seldom done in state football history. Football Coach Loren Johnson’s Springers are one victory from a “three-peat” of the state 5A Virginia High School League title. Riding the momentum of a 13-game winning streak, the Henrico County school will face Tuscarora High School of Leesburg at noon Saturday, Dec. 9, at Hampton University’s 12,000-seat Armstrong Stadium. The Springers, with a 13-1 record, haven’t lost since a 14-9 setback to Hermitage High School in the first game of the season on Aug. 25. The Springers avenged the loss with a 24-14 win over Hermitage High in the 5A South Region finals. Highland Springs advanced to the state final after a 28-18 triumph last week at home against Nansemond River High School of Suffolk. Dre’Shawn Taylor, a 245-pound freshman, rambled for 75 yards and two late touchdowns. Quarterback D’Vonte Waller passed for 219 yards, and Billy Kemp made six receptions for 86 yards. Tuscarora High is 12-2 after beating Stafford Senior High School outside of Fredericksburg 20-17 in the other state semifinal game. The Springers are on a three-year roll with a dazzling record of 42-3. Highland Springs won the 2015 state crown with a 27-7 victory over Stone Bridge High School of Loudoun County. A year ago, the Springers won the title again with a 35-29 triumph over Stone Bridge. Coach Johnson, who has coached the Highland Springs team since 2008, is navigating his talented teenagers into

Joseph Miles

With 2:28 left on the clock, Highland Springs High School freshman Dre’Shawn Taylor stretches the ball across the goal line to give the Springers a 2818 victory last Saturday over Nansemond River High School of Suffolk in the state 5A semifinals. The Springers will play Tuscarora High School of Leesburg on Saturday, Dec. 9, for the state title.

rare air. Since the start of VHSL record keeping in 1920, just a handful of schools have become “three-peaters” in the Class AAA division, which was split into Class 6 and Class 5 in 2013. The all-time champs for consistent brilliance were Hampton High School, with four straight crowns in Division 5, 1995 through 1998, and Phoebus High School in Hampton, with four straight titles from 2008 through 2011. L.C. Bird High School of Chesterﬁeld County won three straight titles in the AAA Division 6 in 2012 and Division 5

in 2013 and 2014. Long before the VHSL introduced a playoff system in 1969, Hopewell High School won three straight titles — 1949, 1950 and 1951 — and Jefferson High School in Roanoke was the AAA champ in 1922, 1923 and 1924. The Springers won their ﬁrst state title (AAA) in 1961 under Coach Al Rinaldi, when the champ was determined by a vote of Associated Press sports writers. In 1978, Highland Springs lost to Annandale High School in the state AAA ﬁnals again with Coach Rinaldi.

December 7-9, 2017 B1

Section

Richmond Free Press

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Personality: Theo Suber Jones Spotlight on president of Delver Woman’s Club The Delver Woman’s Club takes voting seriously. So seriously, in fact, that all members and prospects must be registered voters. “Voting is your civic duty,” says Theo Suber Jones, the new president of the organization whose motto is “Lifting As We Climb.” “Participating in the voting process gives you the opportunity to have some say in who your elected officials are. It is your constitutional right to participate in the process,” Mrs. Jones says. The organization’s 85 members are dedicated to civic engagement and service. Through the Delver’s interest groups, Mrs. Jones explains, the women are involved in a range of projects, including working the polls or knocking on doors during election time, raising money to present an annual college scholarship to an outstanding and deserving student and helping members develop their businesses. The Delver Woman’s Club also exposes young people to the arts by taking them to local productions and to New York City for plays. Membership is important and Mrs. Jones says she plans to increase the group’s numbers during her three-year term in office. “I would like to continue the legacy of Delver women,” she notes. “The club has been known over the years to do great things for the city of Richmond and for persons in the city.” The organization traces its beginnings to 1917 as the Delver Literary Club for African-American Women, most of whom were college educated. Its current philosophy, driven by a common interested in cultural, educational, economic and social activities, started in 1945 during the period of racial segregation. Members rely on one another to share their experiences in achieving

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Family: Late husband, Rev. Leroy Jones; two sons, the Rev. Michael L. Jones and Deacon Anthony L. Jones; eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Delver Woman’s Club mission: To draw together women of common interests in civic, cultural, educational, economic and social activities while intentionally carrying out our motto “Lifting as We Climb.” success, whether personal or professional. Its new president is a woman of faith who describes herself as a mother, a grandmother, a sister and a friend. She was installed during the spring at a luncheon at the Quioccasin Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. “I was elated to know that the nominating committee submitted my name, “ Mrs. Jones said. “ At first I was a little apprehensive. Now I’m happy about it. Being president is an experience that I wasn’t expecting.” Mrs. Jones is a retired Richmond Public Schools secretary who worked for more than 20 years with programs for exceptional students. Her late husband, the Rev. Leroy Jones, was pastor of Pilgrim Journey Baptist Church in Henrico County. Her community service also extends to membership in the Parliamentarian Law Club and the Richmond Council of Women’s Organizations. She also is a past president of the National Association of Office Professional Retirees and has led and participated in workshops and training across the United States. Meet this week’s Personality and Delver woman, Theo Suber Jones: Occupation: Retired Richmond Public Schools secretary. No. 1 volunteer position: President, Delver Woman’s Club. Other leadership roles in community: Second vice president, Richmond Council of Women’s Organizations; and president, L.C. Garland Seniors. Date and place of birth: March 12 in Richmond.

Education: Maggie L. Walker

No. 1 priority as president: To honor our club’s rich past of community involvement by continuing to build on that rich foundation. How I start the day: Meditation and a brisk walk. A perfect day for me is: Lunch out and shopping for shoes. A quote that I am inspired by: “No weapon formed against me shall prosper,” Isaiah 54:17, and “For such a time as this,” taken from Esther 4:14. Whenever I face a difficult situation, I remember these scriptures from the Bible and they sustain me. Best late-night snack: Potato chips and ginger ale.

Book that influenced me most: “Journey to The Well” by Vashti M. McKenzie. Book I’m reading now: “A Devine Detour: From Doctorate to Diagnosis to Destiny” by Taleshia L. Chandler. The one thing that I’ve learned in life is: Unsolicited advice is seldom welcomed. Next goal: To sail on a special riverboat on some of the beautiful waters of Europe.

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B2 December 7-9, 2017

Richmond Free Press

Happenings

Holiday lights at night Richmond’s Downtown skyline is bathed in holiday lights as the 33rd Annual Grand Illumination kicked off the season last Friday at the James Center. Children and adults alike were dazzled by the spectacle, including Victoria Austin, 3, who posed with a reindeer, above left, as her mother, Samantha, snapped photos. Thousands of people enjoyed the festivities that included music, entertainment and carriage rides in Shockoe Bottom. Several people

took refuge from the night air to watch the events from inside the James Center. People also enjoyed festivities at the newly renovated Train Shed at Main Street Station just blocks from the James Center. The Train Shed was transformed into a winter marketplace where shoppers could find unique gifts. Mina Corbeau, a performer with Host Of Sparrows Aerial Circus, thrills spectators, below, along with Santa and the band at Main Street Station.

Photos by Sandra Sellars/ Richmond Free Press

Lighted boat parade Saturday highlights yuletide events The yuletide fun continues in Richmond this weekend with the 25th Annual James River Parade of Lights in which boaters decorate and light their watercraft and parade down the James River. The free event takes place 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, with viewing sites along the James River. Libby Hill Park, at 28th and Franklin streets in Church Hill, provides a great vantage point, where Friends of the James River Park System will offer free hamburgers, hot dogs, hot cocoa and cider. A viewing site at Henrico County’s Osborne Park and Boat Landing, 9530 Osborne Turnpike, will have entertainment and food and a “Big Toy Parade” starting at 3 p.m. Highlights will include a performance by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Notocords a cappella group, a DJ spinning holiday tunes, train rides, games and Santa. The boat parade is expected to come by between 7 and 7:30 p.m. In Chesterfield County, entertainment will begin at 5 p.m. at the Dutch Gap Boat Landing, 441 Coxendale Road, and at 6 p.m. at Henricus Historical Park, 601 Coxendale Road. The boat parade is expected at Dutch Gap between 7:30 and 7:45 p.m., and between 7:45 and 8 p.m. at Henricus Historical Park. The event is sponsored by the James River Advisory Council. Information: https://jrac-va.org/signatureevents/annual-parade-of-lights/ The Church Hill Association is hosting its annual Holiday Festival, featuring a Candlelight Walk and Caroling from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, and its 53rd Annual Holiday House Tour from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10.

The candlelight walk is free — people are asked to bring their own candles — and starts at the Jefferson Park Fountain, where bagpipers and drummers will lead the way to St. John’s Church, Patrick Henry Park and Libby Hill, where caroling will take place, along with a visit from Santa. Tickets for the house tour are $25; $30 the day of the tour. A shuttle is available to each home from St. John’s Church, 2401 E. Broad St. People are asked to wear flat, rubber-soled shoes to protect the floors of the historic houses that date back to the 1700s. Details: www.churchhill.org/church-hillholiday-house-tour-tickets/ The 31st Annual Court End Christmas, an open house celebrating 19th-century style in Richmond, will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. People can visit a variety of historic sites that will be open without charge. Tours, musical performances, living history presentations, carriage rides and children’s activities will be featured at the sites. They include The Valentine, the Valentine First Freedom Center, the Executive Mansion, the Virginia State Capitol, the John Marshall House, Monumental Church, the Egyptian Building, St. Paul’s Church, St. John’s Church, Masons’ Hall and the White House of the Confederacy. A free shuttle will circulate among the sites. Details: https://thevalentine.org/event/31stannual-court-end-christmas/ Horse and carriage rides around Shockoe Slip also are available during the weekends provided by James River Carriages. A 12-passenger wagon will pick up and drop

off riders every half hour at the James Center, 10th and Cary streets in Downtown. Cost: $10 per person; children age 4 and under sitting in a lap are free.

The rides are available Friday, Dec. 8, through Sunday, Dec. 10; Friday, Dec. 15, through Sunday, Dec. 17; and Friday, Dec. 22. Reservations and information: (804) 350-7752.

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Dancing and singing the night away Micah White, executive director of the Central Virginia African-American Chamber of Commerce, and Carlette Mitchell dance to J Baxter & The SAUCE Band during the chamber group’s holiday celebration Nov. 29 at The Speakeasy in Jackson Ward.

Richmond Free Press

December 7-9, 2017 B3

Happenings There’s nothing like a parade to get into the holiday spirit.

Thousands of people lined Broad Street from the Science Museum to 7th Street in Downtown for the 34th Annual Dominion Energy Christmas Parade last Saturday. Floats included big inflatables, such as this giant puppy balloon, right, that was guided down the street by a bevy of volunteers. The day wasn’t just for the young. Middle left, adults and seniors cheered and dance on the sidelines as marching bands and cheerleading units pass by. Middle right, grand marshals of this year’s parade, retired NASA mathematician

Welcoming Christmas on parade and aeronautical engineer Christine Darden, left, and Margot Lee Shetterly, author of the book “Hidden Figures” about NASA’s pioneering women, wave to the crowd. Below left, Henrico High School cheerleaders showed off a few moves, as did the high-stepping Hampton University drum majors, below right, who were leading the school’s Marching Force. Bottom photo, a toddler catches the attention of the Legendary Santa and the Snow Princess as they travel via reindeer sleigh down Broad Street.

Photos by Sandra Seller/Richmond Free Press

Richmond Free Press

B4 December 7-9, 2017

Obituaries/Faith Directory

Dr. William R. ‘Randy’ Johnson Jr., retired research chemist and public servant, succumbs at 87 “He tutored many of my friends who turned to him when they had a problem with science courses.” Born in Oxford, N.C., Dr. Johnson earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from North Carolina Central University in Durham. He earned his master’s in the field from the University of Notre Dame and his doctorate in chemistry in 1958 at the University of Pennsylvania following two years of service as a chemist in the Army. He initially was attracted to academia. He taught chemistry at Prairie View A&M University in Texas and at Florida A&M UniDr. Johnson versity in Tallahassee. But in 1963, he was lured to Richmond to join the research staff at Philip Morris while also teaching chemistry classes at Virginia Union University. Dr. Johnson rose to manage Philip Morris’ Chemical Research Division for four years. He then spent two years at VUU as the Philip Morris executive-in-residence before returning to Philip Morris in 1981 to serve as manager of special affairs for plant communities for seven years. He finished his career with the company in 1994 as a

senior scientist. He also found time to be an adjunct professor at various schools, including VUU and Virginia Commonwealth University, and continued to tutor students after retiring. Many people came to know Dr. Johnson from his connections with more than 25 civic groups and organizations. In addition to his volunteer service on the School Board and the Planning Commission, Dr. Johnson served on the city’s Human Relations Commission and the city’s Air Pollution Technical Advisory Committee. During the late Judge Leroy Hassell’s tenure as the state Supreme Court chief justice, he tapped Dr. Johnson to serve on committees on ethics and judgeships. Dr. Johnson also belonged to or served on the boards of groups ranging from the Boy Scouts to the New Virginia Review, the American Red Cross and the Chamber of Commerce to St. Joseph’s Villa, Commonwealth Catholic Charities, the Greater Richmond Area Scholarship Program and the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. He also was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (The Boulé), The Focus Club and The Guardsmen. In addition to his son and daughter, survivors include his wife, Alice A. Johnson; two stepdaughters, Deborah Farmer and Robin Buskey; a stepson Shannon Bell; and seven grandchildren. The family requests memorial donations be made to Commonwealth Catholic Charities of Virginia, 1601 Rolling Hills Drive, Richmond, VA 23229.

Longtime educator Rebecca H.Taylor dies at 90 Rebecca Ham Taylor touched the lives of thousands of children during her 44-year career in education. The Sumter, S.C., native sought to improve student literacy during her 20 years as a reading specialist for Richmond Public Schools and also offered leadership lessons to other teachers in workshops through the National Education Association and the Virginia Education Association. The widow of the Rev. George S. Taylor, an educator, Army chaplain and minister, she also taught in schools in South Carolina and Northern Virginia, and helped teachers adjust to court-ordered integration of schools in Oklahoma City during the 1960s. In 1994, Mrs. Taylor became the first AfricanAmerican docent at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She led seminars on art history and promoted school tours of the museum. Her contributions are being remembered following her death Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017, in a local hospital. She was 90. Family and friends celebrated her life Thursday, Nov. 30, at Providence Park Baptist Church where she worshipped in Richmond. She was buried next to her husband at Quantico National Cemetery in

Mrs. Taylor

ton University. When the family moved to Fort Sill, Okla., for Rev. Taylor’s new assignment, she initially taught in area elementary schools. She was hired in 1962 to co-direct programs in Oklahoma City to aid teachers to adjust to court-ordered integration. Her training sessions were videotaped and used in school districts in Oklahoma, as well as districts in Kansas, Missouri

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and Texas. She and her husband moved to Richmond in 1973 after he was named director of Virginia Union University’s School of Arts and Sciences. Mrs. Taylor taught education courses for a year at VUU before joining RPS as a reading specialist. She retired in 1994, but continued to teach at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. She also was active in the area churches her husband pastored, including Mount Olive Baptist in Richmond, Good Hope Baptist in Dunnsville and Second Mount Olive Baptist in King and Queen County. Her husband, who later chaired the Virginia State University Department of Sociology and Social Work and founded and directed VSU’s administration of justice program, died in 2013. Mrs. Taylor was a member of thre Richmond Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, which held an Omega Omega ceremony on Nov. 29. She also was a member of the Ministers’ Wives and Widows Fellowship of Richmond and Vicinity and the Richmond Education Association. Survivors include her daughters, Jana C. Taylor and Lynne S. Taylor, a grandson, a step-granddaughter and a great-granddaughter.

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

Sundays:

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

Northern Virginia. Born in 1927, Mrs. Taylor began teaching sixth-grade students at a rural South Carolina school following her graduation from South Carolina State University in 1949. In 1953, she and her new husband moved to Washington. While he served in the Army, she taught in the Arlington Public Schools and earned her master’s in elementary education from George Washing-

Riverview



Dr. William Randolph “Randy” Johnson Jr. was a pioneering research chemist for Philip Morris who was better known outside the laboratory. He was involved in securing 10 patents for the cigarette manufacturing firm for filters and other related items and coauthored 15 technical papers. He also was a popular figure who was committed to public service and teaching. He served on the Richmond School Board in the early 1980s and was appointed to the Richmond Planning Commission, where he rose to chairman. Dr. Johnson’s life and work is being remembered following his death Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017. He was 87. His life will be celebrated at a memorial service 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at Scott’s Funeral Home Chapel, 116 E. Brookland Park Blvd., with interment later in Tallahassee, Fla. “He was a consummate professional who operated at a highest level with the scientists he worked with,” but he balanced his work with an active social life, said his physician son, Dr. William R. “Bud” Johnson III of Hampton. “He had many friends and was always entertaining. He and (his late first wife, Wendolyn W. Johnson) were always having people over,” his son said. His active social life continued after he remarried in 2013. “He was brilliantly smart, but he loved people, he loved parties and he loved chemistry,” said his daughter, Pamela J. Baker, a life insurance agent in Tallahassee, Fla.

Twitter sixthbaptistrva

400 South Addison Street, Richmond, Va. 23220

Facebook sixthbaptistrva

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

(near Byrd Park)

Richmond Free Press

December 7-9, 2017

Faith News/Directory

Pope names new bishop of Catholic Diocese of Richmond Free Press staff, wire report

Bishop Barry C. Knestout has been named the next bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. He succeeds Bishop Francis Xavier DiLorenzo, who died on Aug. 17. The Vatican announced Pope Francis’ appointment of Bishop Knestout early Tuesday. Currently, he serves as one of three auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Washington. Bishop Knestout will be installed during a Mass at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond. He will lead a diocese that ministers to approximately 222,000 active Catholics in 150 parishes and missions within 74 cities and counties in central and southern Virginia stretching from the Eastern Shore to Southwest Virginia, and as far north as Harrisonburg. More than 9,000 students are enrolled in the 29 Catholic schools run by the diocese. Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington,

heralded the appointment in a statement issued Tuesday. During Bishop Knestout’s time serving the Archdiocese of Washington, “he has demonstrated his pastoral skills, his commitment to the church and her teaching, and his devoted service to those entrusted to his care,” Cardinal Wuerl said. He noted Bishop Knestout’s influence in helping organize the archdiocese’s first synod, his hand in working to revitalize the Bishop local Catholic educational system and his Knestout help in opening the new Saint John Paul II Seminary in Washington. He said Bishop Knestout has served in a variety of capacities in the archdiocese, including as a pastor, auxiliary bishop, vicar general and moderator of the curia in which he helps Cardinal Wuerl oversee administrative affairs.

“With great appreciation, we thank Bishop Knestout as he takes on his new responsibilities and we ask God’s blessings on him,” the cardinal said. The 55-year-old Bishop Knestout grew up in Bowie, Md., and studied architecture at the University of Maryland before entering Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., in 1985. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Washington in June 1989. He served at two parishes as parochial vicar before serving as priest-secretary to Cardinal James A. Hickey from 1994 until the cardinal’s death in 2004. He also served as priest-secretary to Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick in 2001 and from 2003 to 2004. In 1999, he was given the title of monsignor by Pope John Paul II. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Washington and titular bishop of Leavenworth by Pope Benedict XVI. He is also a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the Order of Malta and of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.

Gay wedding cake meets faith at U.S. Supreme Court Religion News Service

WASHINGTON What if an atheist baker refused to bake a cake for a First Communion? What if a college with a religious affiliation didn’t want to rent out its chapel to a gay couple? What if a makeup artist didn’t want to ready a gay couple for their wedding? At the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, the justices lobbed hypothetical after hypothetical at the lawyers representing each side of Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a free speech and religious rights case — and one of the most publicized legal cases of the year. No one on either side of the dispute doubts that Colorado baker Jack Phillips’ Christian convictions drove his 2012 decision to refuse to custom-bake a wedding cake for Charlie Craig and David Mullins. Mr. Phillips will sell gay people cupcakes, brownies and birthday cakes, but because he believes gay marriage is a sin, he won’t bake a cake for their weddings. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission called that stance discrimination, and the Colorado Court of Appeals agreed. Mr. Phillips is hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will give a different answer when their ruling is expected in early summer. “It’s hard to believe,” Mr. Phillips said, tearing up Tuesday outside the court after his case had been heard, that the government wants him to choose between his business “and violating my relationship with God.” Inside the court, lawyers representing the couple said the state of Colorado merely insisted that the baker abide by its Anti-Discrimination Act, which requires businesses to treat all customers equally, regardless of race, gender, disability and sexual orientation, among other categories. Mr. Phillips is free to express his opinions regarding gay marriage, but businesses can’t allow those opinions to justify discrimination against gay people, in the same way they can’t

David Zalubowski /Associated Press

Charlie Craig and David Mullins are shown in their home in Denver. The Colorado couple is at the core of the legal case in which Denver area baker Jack Phillips cited his Christian faith in refusing to make a cake for the gay couple’s wedding celebration in 2012.

allow them to justify discrimination against black people, said David D. Cole, the national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, who argued on behalf of Mr. Craig and Mr. Mullins. “To do that would be to constitutionally relegate gay and lesbian people to second class status, even when a state has chosen, as Colorado has done here, to extend them equal treatment,” Mr. Cole told the court. Mr. Phillips’ attorney appealed to the justices to protect his free speech rights. “He should receive protection here as well,” said Kristen K. Waggoner, senior vice president of the legal division of the Alliance Defending Freedom. “This law protects the lesbian graphic designer who doesn’t want to design for the

“The Church With A Welcome”

500 E. Laburnum Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222

2006 Decatur Street Richmond, VA 23224 zbcoffice@verizon.net

643-3825 • www.sharonbaptistchurchrichmond.org Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2017 8:30 a.m. ............ Sunday School 10:00 a.m. .......... Morning Worship 3:00 p.m. ............ Deacon, Deaconess and Trustee Day

Rev. Coles

Speaker: Rev. Pernell Johnson, Pastor First Baptist Church, Midlothian, VA

Rev. Darryl G. Thompson, Pastor

2017 Theme: The Year of Elevation (First Peter 5:6)



Sundays

8:00 a.m. Early Morning Worship 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Morning Worship

Tuesdays

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

Noon Day Bible Study

Wednesdays

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

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

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

SERVICES

SUNDAY WORSHIP HOUR – 10:00 A.M. CHILDREN’S CHURCH & BUS MINISTRY AVAILABLE SUNDAY SCHOOL (FOR ALL AGES) – 9:00 A.M. TUESDAY MID-DAY BIBLE STUDY – 12 NOON WEDNESDAY MID-WEEK PRAYER & BIBLE STUDY – 7:00 P.M. A MISSION BASED CHURCH FAMILY EXCITING MINISTRIES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, YOUNG ADULTS & SENIOR ADULTS BIBLE REVELATION TEACHING DIVERSE MUSIC MINISTRY LOVING, CARING ENVIRONMENT

All he had to do was instruct his employees on the law, replied Frederick R. Yarger, Colorado’s solicitor general, who with Mr. Cole represented the commission. “It has nothing to do with a particular person’s belief.” Here, Justice Kennedy seemed to side with Justice Gorsuch. “Part of that speech is that state law, in this case, supersedes our religious beliefs, and he has to teach that to his family. He has to speak about that to his family … his family who are his employees.” “His belief is his belief,” interjected Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. All he has to do is instruct them that “this is what the law of Colorado requires.” Much of the back-and-forth between the justices and the lawyers explored whether Mr. Phillips, as a baker, could claim a violation of his speech rights. Is a cake art? Is it speech? What about a floral arrangement? Or a makeup artist’s transformation of a bride’s face? As he closed his argument before the court, Mr. Cole warned against carve-outs for those who say their religion trumps anti-discrimination law. “Once you open this up, once you say generally applicable regulations of conduct have exceptions when someone raises a religious objection, or in this case have objections where someone raises a speech objection, you’re in a world in which every man is a law unto himself.”

Zion Baptist Church

Sharon Baptist Church

Mount Olive Baptist Church

Westboro Baptist Church, as much as it protects Mr. Phillips.” As in other recent cases with heavy religious overtones — the Hobby Lobby decision on contraceptives and insurance coverage in 2014, and the case that legalized gay marriage a year later — the court divided along its usual lines, with Justice Anthony Kennedy playing his customary role as the up-for-grabs justice whose vote could likely decide the case. And, as usual, Justice Kennedy offered each side reason for hope. He fretted about Mr. Phillips’ behavior toward gay people, but he also sensed among Colorado officials a “hostility to religion.” Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was nominated to the nation’s highest court by President Trump, also suggested a hostility toward Mr. Phillips’ faith by the state of Colorado. Part of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission’s remedy was for Mr. Phillips to instruct his staff on the anti-discrimination law he violated. Justice Gorsuch wondered whether that flouted the baker’s rights. “Why isn’t that compelled speech and possibly in violation of his free-exercise rights?” Justice Gorsuch said, referring to Mr. Phillips’ First Amendment religious rights. “Because presumably he has to tell his staff, including his family members, that his Christian beliefs are discriminatory.”

Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor Sunday Service 10 a.m. Church School 8:45 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study 7p.m. Transportation Services (804) 859-1985 “Reclaiming the Lost by Proclaiming the Gospel”

New Deliverance Evangelistic Church

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

Remember... At New Deliverance, You Are Home! See you there and bring a friend.

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

Ebenezer Baptist Church 1858

“The People’s Church” Presents

The Music Ministry In Concert John W. McLean, Jr. | Director of Music

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Hebrew 12:14 (KJV)

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

Wednesday Services

DR. JAMES L. SAILES PASTOR

Noonday Bible Study 12noon-1:00 p.m. Sanctuary - All Are Welcome! Wednesday Evening Bible Study 7 p.m. Prayer

Saturday 8:30 a.m. Intercessory Prayer

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

Tune in on sunday morning to wTvr - channel 6 - 8:30 a.m. THE NEw DElivEraNcE cHrisTiaN acaDEmy (NDca)

ENROLL NOW!!! Accepting applications for children 2 yrs. old to 4th Grade Our NDCA curriculum also consists of a Before and After program. Now Enrolling for our Nursery Ages 6 weeks - 2yrs. old. For more information Please call (804) 276-4433 Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm

Sunday, December 10, 2017 5:00 p.m. Dr. Wallace J. Cook, Pastor Emeritus  Rev. Dr. James E. Leary, Interim Pastor 216 W. Leigh St. • Richmond, Va. 23220 Tel: 804-643-3366 • Fax: 804-643-3367 Email: ebcoffice1@yahoo.com • web: www.richmondebenezer.com

Richmond Free Press

B6 December 7-9, 2017

Legal Notices/Employment Opportunities Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER CRISTINA HADDOCK, Plaintiff v. CHRISTOPHER HADDOCK, Defendant. Case No.: CL17001341-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear here on or before the 16th day of January, 2018 at 9:00 AM and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO EVELYN RIVERA HURT, Plaintiff v. DALE L. HURT, Defendant. Civil Law No.: CL17-3566 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is for the petitioner to obtain a divorce from the defendant. It is ORDERED that the defendant, Dale L. Hurt, whose last known address was 2925 Battery Avenue, Henrico, Virginia 23228, and whose whereabouts are now unknown, appear here on or before the 16th day of January, 2018 at 9 a.m. to protect his interests. A Copy Teste: HEIDI S. BARSHINGER, Clerk I ask for this: Susan Gerber, Counsel for Plaintiff 206 DeSota Drive Richmond, Virginia 23229 (804) 741-3438 Fax: (804) 754-7298 VSB #30901 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER TONY WADE, Plaintiff v. NENITA WADE, Defendant. Case No.: CL17002968-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 3rd day of January, 2018 at 9:00 AM and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER NICOLE LUSTER, Plaintiff v. TIRRELL FULLER, Defendant. Case No.: CL17002967-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 3rd day of January, 2018 at 9:00 AM and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG CHERRY A. WILKINS-JONES, Plaintiff. v. JOHN DEAN JONES, Defendant. Case No.CL 17-504-00 AMENDED ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is for the Plaintiff, Cherry A. Wilkins-Jones, by counsel, to obtain a divorce from John Dean Jones. It appearing by affidavit that the Defendant’s last known address is no longer valid and the Defendant’s present whereabouts are unknown, the Plaintiff knows that Defendant does not reside at his residence last known to her; that Plaintiff has not known Defendant’s whereabouts for over a year; that Plaintiffs counsel attempted to locate Defendant via a paid public records Continued on next column

Continued from previous column

search software, which did not yield results for this Defendant. It is therefore ORDERED that the Defendant appear before this Court on or before January 18, 2018 and protect his interests herein. I ASK FOR THIS: Irene C. Delcamp, Esquire (VSB # 71559) BARNES & DIEHL, P.C. Boulders VI – Suite A 7401 Beaufont Springs Drive Richmond, VA 23225 (804) 796-1000 (telephone) (804) 796-1730 (facsimile) idelcamp@barnesfamilylaw.com Counsel for Plaintiff

Alicia E. Ramos v. Juan J. Vega Case No. JJ092355-01-00,-02-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Determine custody and visitation of Jalice V. Vega (DOB: 8270/09), whose mother is Alicia E. Ramos, and whose father is Juan J. Vega, pursuant to Virginia Code Section 16.1-241A3. Father’s last known address is 714 St. Johns Wood Drive, N. Chesterfield, VA 23225 It is ordered that the defendant Juan J. Vega appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 26, 2018 at 10:00 AM

IT IS ORDERED that COMMUNICATIONS, INC, a t e r m i n a t e d Vi r g i n i a corporation, WALTER L. HOOKER, LLC, a limited liability company not listed in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, TRUSTEE in a deed of trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 12-20241 on 12 October 2012, or its successor/s in title, Mary Anne Hooker, Registered A g e n t f o r A C Q U IR E D PROPERTIES, LLC, which may be the beneficiary of a deed of trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 12-20241 on 12 October 2012, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 25, 2018 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

to this action; that said owners, SHANNON WILLIAMS, JEVON CARDWELL and THOMAS CARDWELL, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that PLATINUM FINANCIAL SERVICES C O R P. A S S I G N E E O F VISION MANAGEMENT SERVICES, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that MIRANDA SQUIRE, M A R Q U I L L A S Q U IR E , ARAMENTA WILLIAMS aka ARAMINTA V. WILLIAMS, REGINA SQUIRE, CELESTE WILLIAMS, WILLETTE SQUIRE, VENNER DORIS WILLIAMS aka VENNER D O RI S C L A I B O R N E , G A RRIC K W I L L I A M S , SHANNON WILLIAMS, JEVON CARDWELL, THOMAS CARDWELL, PLATINUM FINANCIAL S E RVIC E S C O R P. ASSIGNEE OF VISION MANAGEMENT SERVICES, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 25, 2018 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

and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that MIRANDA SQUIRE, M A R Q U I L L A S Q U IR E , ARAMENTA WILLIAMS aka ARAMINTA V. WILLIAMS, REGINA SQUIRE, CELESTE WILLIAMS, WILLETTE S Q U IR E , G A RRIC K WILLIAMS, VENNER DORIS WILLIAMS aka VENNER D O RI S C L A I B O R N E , SHANNON WILLIAMS, JEVON CARDWELL, THOMAS CARDWELL, PLATINUM FINANCIAL S E RVIC E S C O R P. ASSIGNEE OF VISION MANAGEMENT SERVICES, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 25, 2018 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

Keg Permit/Delivery Permit license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. David Hahn, Managing Member NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER MICHAEL TURNER, Plaintiff v. LORI TURNER Defendant. Case No.: CL17002516-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 3rd day of January, 2018at 9:00 AM and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

CUSTODY VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re QUON’ASIA CLEVEAH WHITAKER Case No. J-092163-09-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Unknown. (Father), of Quon’asia Cleveah W h i t a k e r, c h i l d , D O B 02/24/2016, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of; visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown (Father) appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his/her interest on or before 04/10/2018, at 9:20 AM, Courtroom #2 virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt IN the COunty of Chesterfield Commonwealth of Virginia, in re XANDER JAKOB SHAFFER LiSA BROWN v. ROBERT & SHARON Taylor Case No. JJ086447-07-01, -08,-01 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Amend custody and visitation, as previously ordered by this court, of Xander Jakob Shaffer (DOB: 3-11-15), whose mother is Chelsie Bottoms, and whose father is Donald Bland, pursuant to Virginia Code Section 16.1-241A3. Mother’s whereabouts are unknown. It is ORDERED that the defendant Chelsie Cheyenne Bottoms appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 24, 2018 at 9:00 A.M. virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt Of the City of Richmond Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Jose Ariel hernandez cardoza File No. JJ095026-01-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Obtain custody of minor and factual determination. It is ORDERED that the defendant Jose De La Cruz Hernandez appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before 03/08/2018, at 10:20 AM virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt Of the City of Richmond Commonwealth of Virginia, in re ANA R hernandez cardoza File No. JJ095027-01-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Obtain custody of minor and factual determination. It is ORDERED that the defendant Jose De La Cruz Hernandez appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before 03/08/2018, at 10:20 AM virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt Of Chesterfield Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Jalice V Vega Continued on next column

virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt Of the City of Richmond Commonwealth of Virginia, in re ELMER E PAIZ RAMOS File No. JJ095086-01-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Grant sole legal and physical custody of Elmer E. Paiz-Ramos pursuant to Virginia Code Section 16.1241A. It is ORDERED that the defendant Elmer Paiz Lov appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before 01/30/2018, at 9:30 AM

PROPERTY VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. LUCAS BYRD, et al., Defendants. Case No.: CL17-5441 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3716 Lawson Street, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number S0002905/004, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Lucas Byrd. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, LUCAS BYRD, who upon information and belief is deceased, and 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 “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that LUCAS BYRD, who upon information and belief is deceased, and his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 25, 2018 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. COMMUNICATIONS, INC., et al. Defendants. Case No.: CL17-4807 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 1317 Minefee Street, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number S0071134/051, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, COMMUNICATIONS, INC. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, COMMUNICATIONS, INC, a t e r m i n a t e d Vi r g i n i a corporation, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that WALTER L. HOOKER, LLC, a limited liability company not listed in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, TRUSTEE in a deed of trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 12-20241 on 12 October 2012, or its successor/s in title, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that Mary Anne Hooker, Registered Agent for ACQUIRED PROPERTIES, LLC, which may be the beneficiary of a deed of trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 12-20241 on 12 October 2012 who has been who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to her last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. JUNIUS ROSS, et al., Defendants. Case No.: CL17-5285 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 300 East Brookland Park Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N000-0978/012, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Junius Ross and Thelma C. Ross. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, JUNIUS ROSS, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in title, and THELMA C. ROSS, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in title, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that HOME IMPROVEMENT SOLUTIONS, L.L.C. dba SUNROOM SOLUTIONS, A Cancelled Virginia Limited Liability Company, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that JUNIUS ROSS, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in title, THELMA C. ROSS, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in title, HOME IMPROVEMENT SOLUTIONS, L.L.C. dba SUNROOM SOLUTIONS, A Cancelled Virginia Limited Liability Company, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUARY 25, 2018 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. MIRANDA SQUIRE, et al., Defendants. Case No.: CL17-4076 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2001 Ingram Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number S000-0762/011, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Miranda Squire, Marquilla Squire, Willette Squire, Garrick Williams, Bartholomew Squire, Aramenta Williams aka Araminta V. Williams, Regina Squire, Celeste Williams, Shannon Williams, Venner Doris Williams, Jevon Cardwell and Thomas Cardwell. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, M IR A N D A S Q U IR E , M A R Q U I L L A S Q U IR E , ARAMENTA WILLIAMS aka ARAMINTA V. WILLIAMS, R E G I N A S Q U IR E a n d CELESTE WILLIAMS, who have been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to their last known address, have not been personally located and have not filed a response to this action; that said owners, WILLETTE SQUIRE a n d V E N N E R D O RI S WILLIAMS aka VENNER D O RI S C L A I B O R N E , are not residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and have not filed a response to this action; that said owner, G A RRIC K W I L L I A M S , is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and has not filed a response Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. MIRANDA SQUIRE, et al., Defendants. Case No.: CL17-4077 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2003 Ingram Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number S000-0762/012, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Miranda Squire, Marquilla Squire, Willette Squire, Garrick Williams, Bartholomew Squire, Aramenta Williams aka Araminta V. Williams, Regina Squire, Celeste Williams, Shannon Williams, Venner Doris Williams, Jevon Cardwell and Thomas Cardwell. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, M IR A N D A S Q U IR E , M A R Q U I L L A S Q U IR E , ARAMENTA WILLIAMS aka ARAMINTA V. WILLIAMS, R E G I N A S Q U IR E a n d CELESTE WILLIAMS, who have been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to their last known address, have not been personally located and have not filed a response to this action; that said owners, WILLETTE SQUIRE and GARRICK WILLIAMS, are not residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and have not filed a response to this action; that said owner VENNER DORIS WILLIAMS aka VENNER DORIS CLAIBORNE, is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and has not filed a response to this action; that said owners, SHANNON WILLIAMS, JEVON CARDWELL and THOMAS CARDWELL, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that PLATINUM FINANCIAL SERVICES C O R P. A S S I G N E E O F VISION MANAGEMENT SERVICES, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so Continued on next column

ESTATE VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND IN RE: Estate of Velma Louise Parker Jackson, Deceased SHOW CAUSE AGAINST DISTRIBUTION It appearing that a report of the accounts of Dr. Richard A. Jackson, Administrator of the Estate of Velma Louise Parker Jackson, deceased, of the debts and demands against her Estate has been filed in the office of the Clerk of the Court of the City of Richmond, and that six (6) months have elapsed since the qualification of the Administrator. On the motion Administrator, by counsel, it is hereby ORDERED that the creditors of and all other interested in the Estate of Velma Louise Parker Jackson do show cause, if any they can, on the 18th day of December, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. before this Court at its courtroom in Richmond, Virginia, against the payment and delivery of the Estate of Velma Louise Parker Jackson, deceased, to legatees without requiring refunding bonds. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Brian Thornton Wesley, Esq. Thornton Wesley, PLLC P.O. Box 27963 Richmond, Virginia 23261 bwesley@thorntonwesley.com 804-918-2766 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND IN RE: Estate of Julia Melton Thornton, Deceased SHOW CAUSE AGAINST DISTRIBUTION It appearing that a report of the accounts of Brian T. Wesley, Administrator of the Estate of Julia Melton Thornton, deceased, of the debts and demands against her Estate has been filed in the office of the Clerk of the Court of the City of Richmond, and that six (6) months have elapsed since the qualification of the Administrator. On the motion Administrator, by counsel, it is hereby ORDERED that the creditors of and all other interested in the Estate of Julia Melton Thornton do show cause, if any they can, on the 18th day of December, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. before this Court at its courtroom in Richmond, Virginia, against the payment and delivery of the Estate of Julia Melton Thornton, deceased, to legatees without requiring refunding bonds. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Brian Thornton Wesley, Esq. Thornton Wesley, PLLC P.O. Box 27963 Richmond, Virginia 23261 bwesley@thorntonwesley.com 804-918-2766

LICENSE Notice Salt & Forge N 2nd LLC Trading as: Salt & Forge 312 N 2nd Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 The above establishment is applying to the Virginia D epartment of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) for a Wine & Beer On and Off Premises/ Continued on next column

SEALED BID SALE SALE OF REAL ESTATE CHESTERFIELD, VIRGINIA Sealed bids will be accepted by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in the office of the Property Management Assistant Program Manager located at 1700 N. Main Street, Suffolk, VA 23434, until, but no later than, Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. for the following property: Residue parcel located on the northeast corner of Courthouse and W. Providence Roads; fronting on W. Providence Road. The property is a cleared, rectangular shaped lot, containing 0.28 acre or 12,305 SF. Zoning for this property has not been established. Property is located in Flood Plain Zone X, Map #’s 51041C0128D & 51041C0129D. The value placed on this parcel is $15,000.00. Employees of VDOT, their immediate families or any person employed with the valuation and/or acquisition of this property are ineligible to bid. The property is being sold “as is” with conveyance by deed without warranty. For further information and proposals, contact VDOT at the above address or call Jacqulyn M. Lane at (757) 925-2641 or via email at Jacqulyn.Lane@VDOT.Virginia.gov.

COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA CONSTRUCTION BID ITB# 17-1542-11JCK Chiller Replacement at the Administration Building Due 2:30 pm, January 9, 2018 Additional information available at: http://www. henrico.us/purchasing/

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The University of Virginia seeks a firm to provide: Media Relations Training To view a copy of RFP # LP120417

go to Procurement Services Site:

http://www.procurement. virginia.edu/main/ publicpostings/RFP.html, or email pur-rfp@virginia.edu

@RichmondFreePressUSA

Part-Time Working Supervisor LPN to work 5 nights a week 3 to 4 hours and cover shifts if necessary. 1PRN position for PCA or Direct Care 1 Full-Time position for PCA or Direct Care Please bring copy of current TB test when applying All references will be checked. Previous applicants need not apply Good Pay – Good days off Call for appointment (804) 222-5133 Field Service Technician in Richmond, VA & up to 70% travel to client sites. Perform troubleshooting, repair service, conversions & installation of mult. tobacco machines. Assist in support of control systems, utilizing manuals, schematics, & test equipment. Prepare service reports. Mail resume to J. Klele, Manager, Human Resources, Hauni Richmond, Inc., 2800 Charles City Rd., Richmond, VA 23231. Travel Demand Modeler in Richmond, VA. Conduct traffic analysis studies, micro/macro simulation & participate in special projects. Assist in development & application of travel demand model development processes & procedures incl. development of supporting socioeconomic data, network coding, trip generation, distribution, mode choice & assignment components, calibration of models & post processing of results. Mail resume to H. Schofield, Virginia Department of Transportation, 1221 East Broad St., Richmond, VA 23219.

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

7800 West Broad Street

MUSIC COORDINATOR Responsible for the churches total Music Ministry: Direct and play for 2 choirs. Supervise all musicians. Report too and work collaboratively with the Pastor/Interim Pastor in planning and preparing weekly worship services. Must have at least 3 years experience teaching, directing and playing contemporary, gospel and traditional Church Music. Must read music, play by ear, play piano, organ and keyboard. Have leadership and organizational skills: Be knowledgeable in the use of related technology and software. Send Resume and references to Rev. Dennis R. Edwards, Interim Pastor, Fourth Baptist Church, P.O. Box 25044, Richmond, Va. 23223

1-800-Pack-Rat (VA-Richmond-5471) 6601 S Laburnum Ave Richmond, VA 23231 877-774-1537 Notice of Sale Tenant: Unit # Cary, Joy D05377 Holdness, Freddie 701410 Holdness, Freddie 706216 1-800-Pack-Rat (VA-Richmond-5471), 6601 S Laburnum Ave, Richmond, VA 23231, has possessory lien on all of the goods stored in the units above. All these items of personal property are being sold pursuant to the assertion of the lien on 12/13/2017 at 10:00 AM in order to collect the amounts due from you. The sale will take place on www.strangeauctionservices.com from 12/13/2017 to 12/20/2017 at 6:00p.m.

TransiT sysTem

Payroll administrator

Starting Salary Range Negotiable, Commensurate with Experience Open until filled GRTC Transit System in Richmond, Virginia seeks a skilled candidate to oversee the day-to-day payroll operations of the Finance Department in accordance with established accounting principles, policies, and objectives. The payroll administrator will be responsible for the administration of all payroll functions of the Finance Department. The successful candidate will have an associate’s degree in Accounting, and/or equivalent experience required. A Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance preferred. 3-5 Years of experience in payroll processing or equivalent experience. For a more detailed job description and the ability to apply online, please visit www.ridegrtc.com. A pre-employment drug screening and County Civil Search will be required. GRTC is an equal opportunity employer with a drug-free work environment.