Richmond Free Press February 23-25, 2023 edition

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

“I’m ready to fight for you in Congress for as long as you’ll have me,” State Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan declared Tuesday night.

Richmond’s senior state senator jubilantly made the comment as she celebrated with family, friends and supporters at a Downtown hotel her history-making special election victory that will send her to Washington to represent the 4th Congressional District.

The win ensures the 18-year state legislator will be the first Black woman to represent Virginia in the House of Representatives when she is sworn into her new office in the next two weeks. She will join 29 other Black female representatives from other states already serving in the 118th Congress, according to Pew Research.

As expected, the 50-year-old Petersburg native steamrolled Republican Leon Benjamin Sr., a Navy veteran and Richmond minister, in the race to succeed the late Congressman A. Donald McEachin, who died Nov. 28, after winning his fourth term.

Sen. McClellan won by a 3-1 margin, receiving almost 75 percent of the nearly 109,000 ballots that were cast in the district, which is comprised of 15 localities, including Richmond, Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hopewell and Petersburg and 10 counties, including parts of Chesterfield and Henrico.

In an election that drew about 20 percent of the district’s voters, election analysts such as Chaz Nuttycomb were impressed that Sen. McClellan’s strong showing included wins in Dinwiddie and Southampton counties, which usually go for the GOP candidate.

Mr. Benjamin narrowly won Colonial Heights and

Prince

Sen. McClellan said Tuesday that she would serve in the General Assembly through the adjournment, expected this Saturday, Feb. 25. She said her date to officially become a congresswoman has not been set, but should be accomplished by March 7.

Tuesday was a red letter day for the senator. She received a congratulatory call from President

3 candidates vie for McClellan’s seat

by Jeremy M. Lazarus

The race to replace Congresswoman-elect Jennifer L. McClellan in the state Senate could be decided this weekend, with a quick Democratic firehouse primary or convention to choose between three candidates. Details were unsettled at Free Press deadline.

Two legislators, Henrico Delegate Lamont Bagby, chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, and Richmond Delegate Dawn M. Adams,

jumped into the race Wednesday for the 9th Senate District. Alexsis Rodgers, a full-time organizer for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, is already campaigning. No Republicans are running. Portsmouth state Sen. L. Louise Lucas set off the rush with a notice Wednesday that candidate filings must be submitted by Monday, Feb. 27, ahead of a special election now set for Tuesday, March 28. Whoever wins and the two losers could face off again in June in a party primary in the new 14th Senate District that replaces the 9th District.

Parents, teachers question Holton elementary’s leadership, environment

By Holly M. Rodriguez

When Richmond’s Linwood Holton Elementary School opened in 1999, it did so with the intention of reflecting the philosophy of its namesake, former Gov. A. Linwood Holton, who supported civil rights and school integration.

Yet today the school, located at 1600 W. Laburnum Ave., faces the very problem that the former Republican governor fought to reconcile, according to Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras.

In a letter to Holton’s families, teachers and staff dated Jan. 3, 2023, Mr. Kamras said he believes “some of the variation in satisfaction [at the school], though certainly not all, appears to be correlated with race.” His conclusion followed a town hall meeting with the Holton community in December following an emergency drill that did not follow protocol at the school and a division-wide teacher satisfaction survey that was taken last fall.

Of the teachers who completed the survey only 16 percent said they felt respected by Linwood Holton’s

administration; 16 percent felt teachers were trusted to make sound professional decisions about instruction; and 16 percent felt that overall, Linwood Holton was a good place to work and learn. Just 9 percent of the teachers who took the survey said they felt comfortable raising issues and concerns that are important to them with school administrators.

Mr. Kamras’ statement in the Jan. 3 email caused enough pushback from the community that he followed up with

Approval of budget amendments before state lawmakers adjourn still uncertain

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

For the first time in two decades, the Virginia General Assembly could adjourn Saturday, Feb. 25, without approving amendments to the current two-year budget, a potential boon for Richmond’s casino backers.

A wide gulf separates the amended budget that the Senate Democratic majority has approved and the amended budget plan the House’s Republican majority has issued, with the Senate putting priority into pumping more money into public education and the House pushing tax cuts.

The impasse is bolstering Richmond’s hopes of avoiding the insertion of budget

language that would halt Virginia’s capital city from holding a second referendum next November to allow city voters to approve a casinoresort and overcome the 2021 rejection vote.

Budget language is the only hope remaining for Petersburg casino advocates like Democratic state Sen. Joseph “Joe” D. Morrissey. His bill to add Petersburg to the list of legislature-approved casino cities and let its voters have a first shot at a referendum

before Richmond gets a second opportunity died in the Senate Finance Committee earlier in February on narrow 8-7 vote. The final blow to the Cockade City’s casino dreams came Feb. 16 when the same committee voted 10-6 to junk an identical bill that Petersburg Republican Delegate Kim A. Taylor pushed through the House. Sen. Morrissey said after the vote that

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Labor unions ready to represent City employees

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

represent

although

are now facing off in a bid

represent the city’s 475 labor and trades workers. Both the trucker heavy Teamsters and the Laborers International Union of North

to represent the workers from Public Works, Public Utilities and Parks and Recreation who mow lawns, fix potholes, clean streets, maintain plumbing and electrical fixtures, operate the waterworks and sewer system and similar work.

The Teamsters filed their bid Feb. 16, while LIUNA

announced Feb. 17.

The decision on which union becomes the bargaining agent will only be settled with a future election. Each union needed at least 30 percent of employees in the proposed bargaining unit to sign petitions to be represented in order to file.

City Council cleared the way for city employees to join

unions in July, with police and fire authorized to have separate units and remaining City Hall employees separated to allow three different bargaining units.

As the Free Press reported in January, Maryland-based attorney Keith D. Greenberg is the

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Delegate Jeff Bourne to leave legislature

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

After six

in the legislature, Delegate Jeffrey M. Bourne wants to spend more time with his family rather than run for a fourth two-year term in the House of Delegates or seek a Richmond state Senate seat.

Delegate Bourne, 46, confirmed to the Free Press on Tuesday that he will leave the General Assembly when his current third term ends — though he did not rule out a future run for elective office.

Delegate bourne

While he declined to talk about any specific plans, his name is being mentioned as a potential contender for Richmond mayor in 2024.

His decision to end his legislative career apparently removes

Sen. Morrissey

Delegate Adams Delegate Bagby Ms. Rodgers

George County to avoid a shutout.

Regina H. Boone/ Richmond Free Press

After delivering her victory speech in becoming Virginia’s first Black congresswoman Tuesday, state Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan, second from left, is surrounded by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, 7th District, her two children, Jackson,12, Samantha, 7, her husband, David Mills, and Rep. Bobby Scott, 3rd District.

City names new HR director

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

City Hall has named Tyrome Alexander director of human resources as part of efforts to rebuild the department and rev up efforts to recruit and retain employees.

Mr. Alexander, director of human resources for Toledo, Ohio, for the past four years, will take over Monday, Feb. 27.

“Mr. Alexander’s leadership and expertise will be invaluable as the city works toward our goal of becoming an employer of choice,” said Lincoln Saunders, the city’s chief administrative officer.

Mr. Alexander, who will report to Sabrina Joy-Hogg, deputy chief administrative officer for finance and administration, will take over an already short-handed department, as the Free Press reported last week.

Based on changes instituted before he arrived, the department only has about half of its authorized 41-member staff still in place, according to employees.

He also faces a city that is still struggling to fill substantial vacancies in multiple departments, ranging from Finance to Social Services.

Mr. Alexander is a graduate of The Ohio State University and has earned a master’s degree from Ohio Dominican University. He has 23 years of experience, including 12 years as assistant director and director of payroll at The Ohio State University and four years as human resources manager for the Columbus Metropolitan Library System.

VCU, Oakes family present hazing workshop and video

Free Press staff report

Two years after Adam Oakes died due to alcohol poisoning following a fraternity event as a freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University, his family and VCU will host several workshops and discussions Monday, Feb. 27, to remember his life and educate students and staff about hazing.

Following a general address to the VCU community and press at 1 p.m. in the Alumni Board Room in the University Student Commons, the Oakes family and VCU leaders will unveil a plaque and bench in honor of Adam outside of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, also in the Commons at 907 Floyd Ave.

Members of the Oakes family later will share the work through their Love Like Adam Foundation to raise awareness about hazing and its dangers.

A new video focused on hazing prevention training and Adam’s story, designed by VCU in partnership with the Oakes, also will be presented for the first time. Interactive hazing prevention activities, resource tables and materials from hazing prevention and support organizations will be available throughout the event.

VSU hosts HBCU speech and debate championship

Free Press staff report

Four historically black colleges in Virginia will join HBCUs from throughout the nation for the fifth National HBCU Speech & Debate Championship Feb. 24 through 26 at Virginia State University.

VSU, Virginia Union University, Hampton University and Norfolk State University are among the 14 HBCUs that will participate in the event, with 150 students from all the schools competing in 14 categories, such as literary interpretation, persuasive speaking and more.

The championship is presented by Capitol One, the National HBCU Speech and Debate Association and the Richmond Forum. For more information, those interested can contact Gerald Taylor at gtaylor@visitrichmondva.org or the National HBCU Speech and Debate Association info@hbcuspeechanddebate.org.

Chesterfield County students awarded scholarships

Six Chesterfield County high school seniors now have a $2,500 boost for their future education, courtesy of the Leadership for the 21st Century scholarships presented to them by Chesterfield County, Chesterfield County Public Schools and Virginia State University.

The scholarships were presented to the seniors Friday, Feb. 17, during the annual Black History Month Scholarship Recognition Program at VSU’s Gateway Dining and Event Center. The students won the scholarships through their contributions to this year’s essay contest for the Leadership for the 21st Century group. This year’s essay contest theme was “Uniting Today for a Better Tomorrow.”

The six honorees are:

• Gabriella Baracat, Clover Hill High School

• Elena Bland, Cosby High School

• Madison Hawley, Thomas Dale High School

• Joanne Lin, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School

• Conner Reid, Midlothian High School

• William Waid, L.C. Bird High School

Hanover heritage society presents music showcase

The Hanover County Black Heritage Society invites residents age 18 and up to celebrate Black History Month with a showcase of African-American music on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Mechanicsville Branch Library, 7461 Sherwood Crossing Place.

Presented by Donald Anthony Coles, the event is from 12 noon to 1 p.m. and will feature music from local artists. The Friends of the Mechanicsville Branch Library will provide refreshments for the event.

More information, please contact ask@pamunkeylibrary.org or call the Mechanicsville Branch Library at 804-746-9615.

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A nonprofit pharmacy and offices for medical specialists and behavioral health and job development services could be coming to a former Bank of America building in North Side.

Friday, Feb. 24, a nonprofit will launch its $2.5 million campaign to convert the building at 1307 E. Brookland Park Boulevard into the Six Points Health Hub.

Augusta J. Hite, founder and volunteer president of the HandUp Community Resource Center, said the project will be undertaken using the same approach he has followed since 2016

Cityscape

Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

By Reginald Stuart

Work crews were on the job earlier this month in preparation for the new GRTC bus transfer station in Downtown Richmond. The new transfer site was once a parking lot at 8th and Clay streets across from the John Marshall Courts Building and the vacated Public Safety Building. The transfer station will replace an older one that was along 9th Street between Marshall and Leigh streets. According to GRTC’s social media, plans are to have the new site serve more routes in order to simplify transfers. Amenities, technologies and lighting will be upgraded at the station.

Virginia State University’s new program that will invest thousands of dollars to help its employees become homeowners also is designed to assist the economies of Petersburg and the village of Ettrick, where the university is based, according to the university.

The VSU “Home Assistance Payment Initiative,” also known as VSU-HAPI, will provide eligible homebuyers up to a $10,000 match toward the down payment or closing cost of a newly purchased home within the city limits of Petersburg or in the Village of Ettrick in Chesterfield County.

Eligible properties include a singlefamily home, townhouse, or condominium home.

In announcing the program last month, VSU officials said all of its 800 employees, from maintenance to professors and everyone in between, may inquire to see if they qualify for the program.

“Our HAPI program will have an economic and demographic impact on those communities we are part of,” said VSU President Dr. Makola M. Abdullah, noting that program is one of the most ambitious employee assistance programs in the county.

“We expect the program to further assist with retaining and attracting qualified employees,” he said, adding “If those employees live, shop, and educate their children in the community where they work, it will benefit our employees and the community tremendously. That makes this initiative a win-win.”

VSU said its new program is accessible to any current or future full-time employee of Virginia State University. They will qualify for the program if they meet the housing and Urban Development or HUD-approved loan criteria, according to the university.

Under the new employee incentive,

VSU provides a one-to-one match for qualified employees, the announcement said. For example, if a homebuyer makes a $2,000 down payment, VSU will match the homebuyers $2,000. If a homebuyer makes an $8,000 down payment, VSU will provide an $8,000 match. Employees approved to participate in the program may receive up to a $10,000 match.

The strings attached are standard in employee incentive rules used in many industries. Employees who accept the VSU-HAPI funds must sign a retention agreement to remain at VSU for at least one year after receiving the funds. If they breach the agreement, they must repay the funds to the University.

The VSU employee assistance program is not a state or federal financial aid program. VSU-HAPI, is funded with university “discretionary funds,” Dr. Abullah and other university officials said, declining to identify any specific donors or benefactors.

The surprise announcement in midJanuary came amid mixed economic signals in the metropolitan Richmond area and other parts of the country about the rising costs of housing, food and health care. Housing prices surged last year, widening the nation’s wealth gap.

“This is a very welcome move and can be a game changer for several reasons,” said Dr. Leonard Githinji, VSU Faculty senate chair and a specialist for Sustainable & Urban Agriculture.

“Firstly, it will bring VSU faculty geographically closer to students within the campus community,” said Dr. Githinji said. “It will boost the local economy around the VSU campus, and it will greatly motivate the VSU faculty, he added.

Tracy Lynne Jackson, an assistant professor of health and physical education at VSU, says the gesture by the university “shows us as faculty how committed the university was in making the job desirable

and makes us competitive.”

Ettrick has a population of 7,241, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Its median household income is roughly $61,000 a year and home prices run from $39,900 to $298,000, according to published real estate price ranges.

Petersburg, the largest nearby community, has an estimated population of 33,400 people.

This direct employee mortgage home assistance program is one of the first of its kind for employees of public colleges and universities in the United States.

VSU-HAPI guidelines

HAPI recipients must be employed by Virginia State University.

The home purchased using the funds must be the employee’s primary residence. It cannot be subleased or rented out.

The homebuyer must use a HUDapproved lender.

Funds will be paid directly to the Escrow/Closing Agent.

VSU-HAPI is funded using private monies. Neither state nor student scholarship funds is used to finance the initiative.

Source: Virginia State University Ettrick metrics

Median value of owner-occupied housing units — $135,900 (20172021)

Median selected monthly owner cost -with mortgage — $1,164 (20172021)

Percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree — 24.4 percent (2017-2021)

Median household income — $52,000 (2017-2021)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Trailblazing dentists to be honored

By George Copeland Jr.

Dr. James Avery Booker Jr. and Dr. Randy Adams will be honored for their work as dentists and medical trailblazers in Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry on Saturday, Feb. 25, during the school’s 2023 Trailblazers Awards event.

Dr. Booker, born in Richmond on May 26, 1936, received his degree at the Medical College of Virginia’s School of Dentistry in 1961, becoming the school’s first Black graduate. Following his graduation, Dr. Booker balanced his life between his private practice and teaching at the Howard University College of Dentistry, eventually expanding his education, skills and career to become a certified trauma surgeon.

Alongside his private practice, Dr.

Booker was elected as a fellow in the American College of Surgeons, was part of the American College of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review, and also served as a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force. He continued his educational work as a teacher and medical director at the Martin Luther King/Charles Drew School of Medicine and the Tulane University School of Medicine.

North Side health hub planned

when he started operations — partnerships, collaboration and community support.

“We are not out to re-invent the wheel,” said Mr. Hite, 49, who has spent his career serving adults and youths with behavioral health challenges.

He said that HandUp is working with the Capital Area Health Network, which already runs a primary care clinic nearby, to develop space for medical specialists to see patients with brain, heart, lung, stomach and other ailments.

Mr. Hite also said HandUp also will collaborate with Commonshare, an independent pharmacy that specializes in serving low-come

residents.

Other partners include the JT Pharmacy Training Program and the Foundation for Family & Community Healing, he said, adding that HandUp also is working with Hanbury architect Salas O’Brien and Springpoint Structural.

The building’s redevelopent, including a new second floor to add more space, is a product of community engagement sessions. More sessions are planned at the site to keep residents informed. They are scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 2, and 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 4.

Bank of America donated the building to the

A native of Danville, Dr. Adams was one of the first two residents of the VCU School of Dentistry’s restarted residency program for pediatric dentistry in 1978, alongside Dr. Marsha Adler Gordon. Dr. Adams served as the first African-American resident in the program until 1980. With an undergraduate degree at Hampton University and doctor of dental surgery degree from Howard University, Dr. Adams aided local children and the Richmond community for years in the role.

Dr. Adams eventually used his skills to create Richmond Dentistry for Children in Jackson Ward. In addition to his day to day work, Dr. Adams is a member of the American College of Dentistry, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Mr. Booker, who died July 29, 2009, will be recognized posthumously.

Maggie L. Walker Community Land Trust, which held a competition and awarded HandUp the building in 2001. HandUp now has two years to raise the money and complete the project, Mr. Hite said.

HandUp now operates a food pantry and resource center at 6301 Old Warwick Road where it connects people to services ranging from securing furniture to job training. HandUp also operates the HandUp Vetlink Veterans Service Center, 437 E. Belt Blvd., to connect homeless veterans with housing and other services.

Details: Mr. Hite, (804) 908-1165 or Ahite2013@gmail.com.

VSU’s new homeowner program designed to make employees, community HAPI

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Mr. Alexander

Dr. Booker Dr. Adams

McClellan elected Virginia’s first Black congresswoman

Biden and also learned the House passed two bills she had spearheaded to control the cost of electricity, including one that restores the State Corporation Commission’s authority to regulate power company rates and a second that requires standards to ensure home weatherization programs actually save customers money.

The daughter of a late Virginia State University professor, she arrived at her victory party at the Richmond Marriott around 8 p.m. with her husband, David J. Mills, and their two children, Jackson and Samantha.

Dressed in a royal blue outfit topped by the signature pearls of her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Sen. McClellan drew cheers and applause from more than 300 people in the ballroom as she sent verbal bouquets to everyone involved. She paid homage to her forbears John Mercer Langston, Virginia’s first Black congressman, who represented the district in 1890, Shirley Chisholm of New York, the first Black female congresswoman, and Congressman McEachin.

“We’ve done a lot of good here in the state house,” Sen. McClellan said, “passing the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, passing the Virginia Clean Economy Act, passing the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights — all of that work that needs to be done in Washington.

“Just as I worked to carry those across the finish line,” she continued, “I will work to do the same in Congress.”

She told supporters she developed her passion for public service “sitting at my parents’ feet, listening to them tell stories of growing up during the Depression and in the segregated South.

She learned from them “that at its best, government is a force for solving problems and helping people, and at its worse, it’s a force of oppression.”

A University of Richmond graduate who earned her law degree at the University of Virginia, Sen. McClellan said she grew up “wanting to make this country, this commonwealth, this city a better place.”

And that can happen, she said, “when we come together and we care more about doing the work and solving problems than the

Delegate Jeff Bourne to leave legislature

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potential Democratic competition to Richmond Delegate Betsy B. Carr, a 13-year veteran who plans to run for her eighth term in the new 78th House District this year.

That district consolidates the Richmond portions of the 69th District she represents, the 71st District Delegate Bourne represents and the 68th House District that Delegate Dawn M. Adams represents. Delegate Adams announced Tuesday she will run for the state Senate seat Jennifer L. McClellan will shortly resign to go to Congress and for the new 14th Senate District, which incorporates a big chunk of Richmond and a portion of Eastern Henrico County.

Delegate Bourne said he has been mulling his legislative future ever since he watched his 10-year-old son compete in a school spelling bee.

His conclusion: “I just want to spend more time with my family. This is a pivotal year. My son is entering middle school, and my daughter is a high school freshman.”

Delegate Bourne is proud of his six-year legislative record, ticking off items he got passed that he feels ushered in positive change, including legislation to reform school discipline, that bars landlords from discriminating against people whose rent is subsidized by the government and that improved the response to behavioral health crises through the Marcus Alert system.

He said that he believes his work has made “a difference in the lives of real people. I am humbled at the opportunity I have had to be of service.”

An attorney, he is currently the general counsel and senior vice president of The Branch Group, a Roanoke-based construction firm with multiple offices, including one in Henrico County.

Free COVID-19 vaccines

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Want a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot?

The Richmond and Henrico health districts are offering free vaccines for COVID-19 and more at the following locations:

• Thursday, Feb. 23, 4 to 7 p.m. - Sacred Heart, 1400 Perry St., Primary Moderna shots for age 6 months to 5 years old and 12 years and older, and bivalent boosters for age 6 years and older, Primary Pfizer shots for age 6 months and older, bivalent boosters for age 5 years and older, Novavax primary shots for age 12 and older, and boosters for age 18 and older, flu shots and baby bivalent boosters. Walk-ups welcome, but appointments encouraged.

• Saturday, Feb. 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Diversity Thrift, 1407 Sherwood Ave., JYNNEOS and flu shots, Primary Moderna shots for age 12 years and older, and bivalent boosters for age 6 years and older, Primary Pfizer shots and bivalent boosters for age 12 years and older, Novavax primary shots for age 12 and older, and boosters for age 18 and older.Walk-ups welcome, but appointments encouraged.

People can schedule an appointment online at vase.vdh. virginia.gov, vaccinate.virginia.gov or vax.rchd.com, or by calling (804) 205-3501 or (877) VAX-IN-VA (1-877-8294682). VaccineFinder.org and vaccines.gov also allow people to find nearby pharmacies and clinics that offer the COVID-19 vaccine and booster.

Those who are getting a booster shot should bring their vaccine card to confirm the date and type of vaccine received.

RHHD also offers at-home vaccinations by calling (804) 205-3501 to schedule appointments.

New COVID-19 boosters, updated to better protect against the latest variants of the virus, are now available. The new Pfizer booster is approved for those age 12 and up, while the new Moderna booster is for those age 18 and older.

As with previous COVID-19 boosters, the new doses can only be received after an initial two vaccine shots, and those who qualify are instructed to wait at least two months after their second COVID-19 vaccine.

The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are now offering bivalent Pfizer and Moderna boosters to children between the ages of 5 and 11 in clinics in the near future. Children in this age range will be eligible after at least two months since their last vaccine dose.

New COVID-19 cases in Virginia fell 12 percent during the last week, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health, while data from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association showed hospitalizations statewide dropped six percent since last week. Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico County remain at medium levels of community COVID-19. No localities in Virginia are ranked at high community COVID levels, while 52 were ranked at medium as of last week.

Compiled by George Copeland Jr.

sound bites, we can help people. I am ready to get to work.”

Sen. McClellan, who has had 350 pieces of substantial legislation passed during her time in the General Assembly, said she is not concerned about being in the minority in a Republicancontrolled House.

“I have been in the minority party for 14 years here,” she

said, and learned that to get things done “you really need to listen and understand why people believe what they believe, where they are coming from.

“And when you do that, sometimes you’ll find common ground. If you can’t find common ground, then persist until you succeed. That’s what I intend to do.”

Labor unions ready to represent City employees

professional the city has hired to manage the process. Mr. Greenberg is responsible for issuing the rules and setting elections for bargaining agents.

Meanwhile, the campaign for support among labor and trades workers has begun.

Mavis Green, a Department of Public Works employee, has been identified as the lead organizer for the proposed Teamsters Local 322.

“When we can sit down with City Council, when we can sit down with our managers, when we can sit down as a group of workers…and we can voice our opinion, and people respect our viewpoints...then, we are ‘one city, our city,’” Ms. Green stated Feb. 16.

Andre Rodriguez, a Department of Public Utilities utilities plant specialist, has been identified as LIUNA’s lead advocate

and organizer.

“It is time to take advantage of the opportunity that we have and get union representation now,” Mr. Rodriguez stated.

“Forming a union is our only way of having a voice on the job and getting paid fairly for the hard work that we put in every day.”

Separately, three other labor organizations have gained the employee support they need and are not facing any challenge.

Those include the Richmond Coalition of Police, which filed last year to represent police officers, and Local 994 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which is seeking to represent rank-and-file fire personnel. More than 300 members of the Fire Department and more than 550 members of the Police Department might be eligible to be represented.

Meanwhile, the Service Employees International Union has filed to put Local 512 in place to represent two worker groups, administrative employees and

professional employees, which together have about 1,600 employees. SEIU and the Teamsters initially were prepared to complete, then apparently cut a deal that allowed the Teamsters to focus on the labor and trades workers. The two unions stood together Feb. 16 in announcing whom they proposed to represent.

Collective bargaining is not expected to impact the proposed 2023-24 budget that Mayor Levar M. Stoney will present in March.

Instead, given the requirements for elections to allow each of the five employee groups to approve a union bargaining agent, the union negotiations with the Stoney administration might not occur until mid to late summer.

Any agreements would still need approval from City Council before contract terms could be included in the following 2024-25 budget when the campaign for the next mayor will be underway.

Approval of budget amendments before state lawmakers adjourn still uncertain

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he’s “playing the long game” and is going for budget language to restore Petersburg’s advantage.

However, the prospect of gaining language favoring a Petersburg casino is dimming given the differences between the House and Senate. That has conjured up memories of 2003 when differences between the House and Senate during the administration of Gov. Jim Gilmore prevented a deal on an amended budget.

Hampton Democratic state Sen. Mamie Locke, who has been involved in crafting the Senate version, said she and other Democrats

cannot support the tax cuts because that action would eliminate increased funding for public education and other priorities.

Republican House leaders, who largely support Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin’s amendments to return more money to businesses and taxpayers, are just as convinced their budget would be better for the state.

“The House budget positions Virginia to be economically competitive through lower taxes and business readiness,” House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) stated, adding that it “sets Virginia on a course for decades of multifaceted success.”

Budget talks could continue past the upcoming adjournment, with the governor

able to call a special session to consider budget amendments. But that, as legislators noted, could only happen if a deal looked possible, now considered a long shot.

Last year, it took until June 1 for both houses to finalize the current 2022-24 budget for the governor’s approval and prevent a partial government shutdown. Given this is an election year for the 40 Senate and 100 House seats and that voters will decide which party will control each of the chambers, the consensus among legislative observers is that the elected representatives have less incentive to compromise and more incentive to campaign on their competing visions.

Parents, teachers question Holton elementary’s leadership, environment

another email just three days later, clarifying his stance:

“Based on numerous conversations over the past month, I have observed that — in general — Black faculty members and families at Holton tend to be satisfied with Dr. [Nikea] Hurt and her leadership. I have also observed that most of the individuals who are unsatisfied tend to be White; and that many Black faculty members have felt disrespected by some White members of the Holton community.”

He also said that outside facilitators will be brought in to help the school confront the issue and help the community “ultimately heal.”

Dr. Hurt is Black and has been principal at Linwood Holton for four years. David Hudson, her predecessor, is also Black and is now principal at RPS’s Franklin Military Academy.

During a meeting in Holton’s lunchroom on Feb. 9, several people in the audience of about 150 parents, teachers, and staff adamantly disagreed with Mr. Kamras’s claim, saying a racial issue has never existed at Holton. Instead, they blamed teacher dissatisfaction and the exit of 53 teachers and staff — Black and white — on “being bullied” and pushed out by the principal.

Sequoia Ross, an African-American parent who has had several children attend the school, also worked as an instructional assistant for four years under Dr. Hurt. In the Feb. 9 meeting she said there has never been a known racial problem at Holton.

“Can you explain to me where this narrative that there is a racial problem is coming from?” she asked the superintendent. She added that a discussion on race is a distraction from the real issue of Dr. Hurt bullying teachers and forcing them to leave.

“We were one of the families during the earliest day of Holton, and it has always been like a family — we always had each others’ backs.”

Ms. Ross became a substitute teacher at Holton in 2016 and was later hired as an instructional assistant. She said she started to notice favoritism and unequal treatment of teachers, including punitive measures taken against some teachers, while others did not face the same consequences. There were some teachers who were so dissatisfied about how they were being treated that they started to meet with the Richmond Education Association. Ms. Ross said she fell out of favor with Dr. Hurt when she also began meeting with the REA.

Ms. Ross left Holton in 2021. “Under Dr. Hurt’s leadership, every year the school was less and less the Holton that I remember,” she said. “This narrative of a racial problem is creating a problem where there isn’t one.”

Another former teacher who reached out to the Richmond Free Press but asked to remain anonymous said, “When Mr. Hudson was in charge, . . . the culture in the building was a unified one.”

Several parents spoke off the record about their concerns regarding teachers leaving and the impact on their children. But none were willing to go on the record, citing fear of retaliation from Dr. Hurt toward them or their children.

Dr. Hurt did not attend the December meeting or the Feb. 9 meeting, and has been absent from Holton for several weeks. In the Jan. 3 letter, Mr. Kamras said she would be returning at the end of January. But, in an email exchange with the Richmond Free Press, Mr. Kamras revised that statement, and said she is returning on Feb. 27. He would not elaborate on the cause of Dr. Hurt’s absence, saying, “I’m sorry. I can’t comment on personnel matters.”

The Richmond Free Press reached out to Dr. Hurt who agreed to speak with a reporter, but later declined to comment for this article.

During the Feb. 9 meeting, Mr. Kamras repeatedly referred to “about 30 conversations” that he’d had with people in the Holton community, African -American and white, that led him to to the conclusion that there was a racial problem. But he would not reveal names or races of specific individuals.

At the same meeting Kristin Tam, a white teacher at Holton, stood to share her shock about the superintendent’s claim as well. “I was scared to talk to other white teachers, for fear of turning off my Black co-workers,” she said. “I was not aware of the race issue here.”

Linwood Holton Elementary School Facts

Established: 1999

Current Principal: Dr. Nikea Hurt

Student Population: 428

African-American Students: 163

White Students: 226

Hispanic Students: 11

All Other Race/Ethnicities of Students: 28

Source: Virginia Department of Education: 2022-2023 School Year

Continued from A1

Continued from A1

Photos by Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Virginia Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan is surrounded by supporters, friends and family after becoming the first Black woman from Virginia to be elected to the U.S. Congress. At left, she embraces her children, Jackson, 12, and Samantha, 7.

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Red maple blooms in Fonticello Park

One less Confederate symbol

Richmond resident Michael Sarahan is celebrating success for his two-year campaign to rid the city of one of its last two monuments to the slavery-defending Confederacy.

Without any fanfare, the city last week removed a massive engraved marker from the grounds of the South Side courthouse now named for two civil rights attorneys, retired Richmond state Sen. Henry L. Marsh III and his late brother, Harold M. Marsh Sr.

Mr. Sarahan reported Saturday the disappearance of the marker he described as a “monumental disgrace.” The United Daughters of the Confederacy created the marker 87 years ago to celebrate two local Confederate units, the Manchester Elliott Grays and the Manchester Artillery.

The Free Press first reported on the stone marker in May 2021 after Mr. Sarahan brought it to the newspaper’s attention. The monument had stood beside the Marsh Courthouse at 10th and Hull streets since May 9, 1936.

Since 2020, 12 other city-owned statues and images related to the Confederacy have been removed from city streets and parks, as has the once prominent state-owned statue of the slavery force’s top general, Robert E. Lee.

The departure of the courthouse marker leaves just one the Department of Public Utilities has defiantly insisted on keeping at its Wise Street substation and protected with fencing.

In December, the city’s last statue, the figure of Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill, was taken down.

Sadly, Richmond has not completely cleared the Confederacy from its boundaries. Plenty of streets honor slavery defenders, such as Leigh Street, named for one of the most prominent pre-Civil War advocates of Black bondage, Benjamin W. Leigh.

City Council and Mayor Levar M. Stoney also have maintained the name of Robert E. Lee on a major bridge spanning the James River. A renaming commission has not been established.

Which leaves us to wonder: If cities smaller than Richmond can change the name of a popular corridor — even if it takes five years, as it did when Lee Street became Gate City Boulevard in Greensboro, N.C. — what’s the holdup in Richmond?

Who needs the KKK?

Step aside, white supremacists. When it comes to demeaning Black people, some members of the community seem more than willing to do the job.

One example is the “N” word, which so many have embraced. Who else happily takes a deeply insulting name and applies it as a term of friendship and closeness within the group?

Terrible that has happened, but even worse when the Talented Tenth starts pitching in.

We learned that was happening Saturday when the Virginia State Trojans came to Virginia Union University for another hard-fought basketball contest at Barco-Stevens Hall.

At halftime, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares was invited to speak. He opened his remarks by saying, “It’s great to be at the ‘Iron Jungle’…”

Asked about the remark, a spokeswoman, Victoria LaCivita, said Mr. Miyares used the term because his friend, VUU President Hakim Lucas, told him that was the nickname students and faculty use and urged him to use it.

VUU later sent out a statement, approved by VUU’s athletic director, Joe Taylor, confirming the information.

Huh?

King Salim Khalfani, a VUU alumnus and former Virginia NAACP executive director, was at the game and said he was floored and upset that Mr. Miyares would use that name in speaking to a packed crowd of 2,500 people attending the game. To Mr. Khalfani, the use of that term immediately conjured up images of hairy primates. And he was more shocked when he was told that the president of the university was spreading that nickname as if it were OK and carried no implications.

Mr. Khalfani said he has four decades of ties to the school and had never heard anyone use that nickname, particularly not a top elected official.

“It’s just unacceptable,” he said.

E. Martin “Marty” Jewell, at former member of Richmond’s City Council, also was shocked.

“Hell no,” Mr. Jewell responded when asked if he had ever heard anyone use that nickname. “As a 51-year alumnus – never.”

Apparently, it’s becoming more acceptable. A Black Baltimore club is planning a “Welcome to the Jungle” event featuring exotic dancers as an entertainment attraction during the upcoming CIAA Conference basketball tournament. And one historically Black school, Edward Waters University, has “Welcome to the Jungle” painted on its gym floor.

We don’t know about you, but this seems unimaginable to anyone who has been involved in Black America’s and HBCUs’ ongoing struggle for dignity and respect.

Who says it’s alright to drop the fight and give up? Who says we’ll never win and simply should embrace the slanders as our own?

Certainly not The Richmond Free Press.

A moment in time

The Richmond Free Press extends its sincere congratulations to State Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan on her historic election as the first Black woman to represent Virginia in the U.S. Congress. We have chronicled Sen. McClellan’s impressive record since her first election to the Virginia General Assembly and we look forward to covering her political career in Washington.

Best wishes, Congresswoman, as you seize the moment!

every voice’ is for every voice

Some people suspect that Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” camp is barely a step away from “Make America White Again.”

They found a lot of food for that thought in the MAGA world’s reaction to this year’s Super Bowl pregame show.

The show included Sher yl Lee Ralph of “Abbott Ele mentary” sing ing James Wel don Johnson’s 123-year-old hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” fre quently called the “Black national anthem.” It’s a galvanizing song for the Civil Rights Movement — and just about every other church or school where AfricanAmericans congregate.

Country music star Chris Stapleton beautifully performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the nation’s official anthem. Yet, that wasn’t enough for the predictable gaggle of MAGA detractors who apparently saw some sort of low-octane race war.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican, tweeted: “America only has ONE NATIONAL ANTHEM. Why is the NFL trying to divide us by

playing multiple!? Do football, not wokeness.” Similarly, I was in rare agreement with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene when she tweeted “Chris Stapleton just sang the most beautiful national anthem at the Super Bowl.” But not when she added, “we could have gone without the rest of the wokeness.” Really? I am somewhat

amused by the MAGA right’s embrace of “woke” as an insult word for liberals. Would they just as soon remain asleep?

Dream on.

”There is only ONE National Anthem in the United States of America,” tweeted rising 20-year-old Black conservative commentator-activist CJ Pearson. “The National Anthem is for EVERY American. What’s the purpose of a Black one? Super Bowl Sunday should UNITE America, not divide it by race. It’s not the 1960s.”

Well, the purpose of “the Black one” has something to do with the value of knowing and understanding American history, but that’s a topic that unfortunately has become fashionable for some conservatives

to ignore.

But let’s clarify this much: As much as the song is often called the “Black national anthem,” as I, too, have done on occasion, the Super Bowl announcers quite properly referred to it by its formal title, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

That means every voice.

The song doesn’t even mention race. It doesn’t have to.

Written in 1900 as a poem by Mr. Johnson, a one-time NAACP leader, it was set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson, according to NAACP

historians:

Lift every voice and sing

Till earth and heaven ring

Ring with the harmonies of liberty;

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the listening skies

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun

Let us march on till victory is won.

There’s more, but these opening verses are most often sung at churches, schools and other public gatherings in my lifelong African-American experience.

Railroad safety extends beyond rails

People around East Palestine, Ohio, have been warned not to run their vacuum cleaners.

That was the reality two weeks after a train derailment in the village of about 4,700 people near the border with Pennsylvania that damaged public health and the environment in ways that still aren’t fully known.

Pennsylvania’s health department officials have told residents that data from its air quality monitoring “do not indicate a potential for long-term health effects,” but if people choose to vacuum after their evacuation they should do so in “small amounts at a time and take frequent breaks by walking outdoors.” As confusing as those messages may be, Ohioans have gotten even less information from that state’s government.

Five of the derailed cars contained nearly 1 million pounds of vinyl chloride, a toxic flammable liquid; other cars carried butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene. The spills from the wreck have left a long chemical plume moving down the Ohio River at about a mile an hour. The result has been at least 3,500 fish killed. Norfolk Southern, the train’s owner, said it is removing contaminated soil at the crash site, which can leach toxic chemicals into the water and air, after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) raised questions.

The immediate need is to respond to make sure that harm to people, wildlife and waters

now and in the future are limited to the extent we are able. As a starting point, residents need clear answers about risks they face and support to which they are entitled. While federal authorities generally defer to state officials in disasters, the simmering mistrust caused by the strange odors residents say they smell, the soreness of their throats, and the aching in their heads seems to cry out for a different response.

The best news is we already know what to do. While the cause of the Ohio derailment hasn’t been determined officially, reports indicate a wheel bearing in the car that caused the accident overheated; there are sensors for that we can require. Similarly, we can replace braking technology that dates back more than a century with newer brakes that even Norfolk Southern said cuts stopping distances by 60 percent.

The EPA and Transportation Department must ensure that Norfolk Southern meets its obligation to make things right. The Sierra Club’s Ohio director Ericka Copeland captured it – “East Palestine and the surrounding communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania deserve full transparency from the EPA, Norfolk Southern, and state leadership. Residents deserve to be able to safely return to their homes and access drinking water without the risk of everyday activities like vacuuming exposing them further to these chemicals.”

Moving forward, we need to do more to protect people and places from hazardous materials that move in more than 2 million freight cars each year. To be fair, reports show that freight rail spills happen less often than spills from trucks or planes. But we know those trains don’t run through posh suburbs. They run through places like East Palestine, a working-class white village where median household income is about two-thirds the Ohio average. They are places that historically get overlooked.

Anyone who saw videos of the burning cars after the crash or the huge cloud of smoke when vinyl chloride was burned off to prevent an explosion may be shocked to learn that the wrecked train wasn’t designated a “high-hazard flammable train,” which would trigger additional safety steps and more notice to state and local officials. This is an easy step to take.

These remedies have been proposed before. The railroad industry calls them too costly. But that claim must be weighed against nearly $200 billion in stock buybacks and dividends for the nation’s biggest rail companies since 2010 as they also cut their workforces.

We can start by restoring brake system and other safety rules rescinded during the Trump administration. Once we push for all these common sense measures to protect ourselves and our neighborhoods, we should start asking another question –what was going to happen to all those toxic chemicals once they reached the railyard where they were headed?

Ben Jealous is incoming executive director of the Sierra Club, the oldest and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the country.

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.

I have always sung it and heard it the way my schoolteacher grandmother taught it, not just as a vehicle for us to sing the blues about our suffering and victimization as a people, but as a rallying cry to our resilience and determination.

Yet the MAGA culture warriors insist on making a simple gesture of outreach sound like something sinister, threatening and even racist. Like the other culture war battlefronts over Confederate statues and the teaching of Black history to our children, the “Black national anthem” dust-up is a contest for power.

Worse, it is used to fan the flames of cultural xenophobia, as if interracial relations have to be a zero-sum game, in which no race can advance itself without some other race losing. Instead, folks, let’s lift every voice — until victory is won.

The writer is a syndicated columnist and senior member of the Chicago Tribune editorial board.

aprilcoleman@richmondfreepress.com

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‘Lift

Clarence Page

Ben Jealous

House Republicans kill two historic resolutions

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Two resolutions expressing profound regret for past wrongs to Black people in Virginia have been killed in the Republican-dominated House of Delegates. The legislature’s top Republican, House Speaker C. Todd Gilbert of rural Shenandoah County, led the effort to kill the Senate-authored apologies in the powerful House Rules Committee.

Before the 4-1 partisan vote to kill the two resolutions, Speaker Gilbert told the members of the Amendments Subcommittee that there were so many wrongs that had been committed in the past, there was no need to waste time apologizing for any of them.

The resolutions that passed the unanimous support from a closely divided Senate unanimously apologized for the use of Black bodies for medical purposes without the consent of the individuals or their families and for denying untold thousands of Black veterans of World War II the benefits of the G.I. Bill. Fairfax Democratic state Sen. Jennifer B. Boysko introduced the resolution apologizing for the “unethical use of Black bodies” at the Medical College of Virginia and other medical institutions in the state.

Speaker Gilbert

The apology recalled the theft of Black bodies from graves in the 19th century that MCV as well as other public and private medical schools used for instruction in anatomy and surgery, and also cited MCV’s unauthorized use of a Black man’s heart for the world’s first human-to-human transplant in 1968.

“Given the chance to apologize for the theft of a Black heart, House Republicans declined,” wrote a frustrated attorney Phillip E. Thompson, a former NAACP president in Loudoun County

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who lobbied for the measure and helped craft the language.

The second resolution, which Portsmouth Democratic state Sen. L. Louise Lucas spearheaded, sought to make amends for the state’s active efforts to prevent Black veterans from gaining benefits from the G.I. bill, including admission to Virginia colleges and universities and low-interest loans to buy homes and start businesses.

The impacts of the efforts of Virginia and other states to deny Black veterans “from receiving a wide range of social benefits persists today (in the) longstanding educational, economic and housing inequality” that remains unaddressed in the decades since the war ended in 1945.

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A Message from Senator Jennifer McClellan 2023 Legislative Agenda Update

It’s the final week of the 2023 General Assembly Session! There are still a number of bills pending in conference, including the state budget. However, all of my bills have been acted upon by the legislature.

Eight of my bills have now passed the legislature and are on their way to the Governor’s office for consideration.

Education

SB 1329 establishes a Work Group to assess the creation of a parent data portal related to student assessment data by October 1. Virginia’s current system lacks clarity for students and parents’ portability as students move from school to school, and risks noncompliance with federal law. The portal would allow parents and students to access a centralized dashboard for all state-supported assessment data to access their own data. The Work Group will analyze and make fiscal estimates for the creation, implementation, and administration of the proposed parent data portal.

SB 1498 expands eligibility for Brown v. Board of Education scholarships to the descendants of students who were shut out of school during Massive Resistance.

Affordability

SB 1321 (The Affordable Energy Act) will establish more accurate electricity prices and better protect Virginia consumers from being overcharged by restoring the State Corporation Commission’s historic authority to lower electric utility rates when an electric utility earns a higher than authorized profit.

SB 1323 improves energy efficiency programs to enable more Virginians to save money on their electricity bills. The bill creates a performance standard for Dominion’s energy efficiency programs for low-income, elderly, disabled and veteran customers to ensure they receive bill savings from weatherization upgrades.

Transportation

SB 1326 requires up to 30 percent of the Transit Ridership Incentive Program to be used on projects to improve bus safety and accessibility (such as adding bus shelters, sidewalks and lighting) and help transit agencies transition to zeroemission bus fleets.

NOTIFICACIÓN PÚBLICA

A partir del lunes 27 de febrero de 2023, el Departamento de Reurbanización y Vivienda de Richmond (RRHA) comenzará a aceptar solicitudes preliminares para las siguientes listas de espera del programa de viviendas con asistencia (Project Base Voucher, PBV):

Programa Lista de espera Cantidad de dormitorios Dirección de la propiedad

Vivienda pública Vivienda pública 4 y 5 dormitorios

Vivienda con asistencia Armstrong Renaissance 2B, a partir de los 62 años 1 y 2 dormitorios 1665 North 31st Street

Vivienda con asistencia Cool Lane Apt Estudios y 1 dormitorio 1900 Cool Lane

Vivienda con asistencia Urbana at Hioaks 2 y 3 dormitorios 6850 Atmore

Vivienda con asistencia The Heights at Brady Square 1, 2 y 3 dormitorios 2351 Krouse Street

Vivienda con asistencia Brook Villas 2 y 3 dormitorios 7800 Brook Road

El periodo de solicitud preliminar comenzará el lunes 27 de febrero de 2023 a las 8:30 a. m. (hora estándar del este)y culminará el 3 de marzo de 2023 a las 5:00 p. m.La lista de espera para viviendas públicas permanecerá abierta hasta nuevo aviso. Para solicitar la inscripción en estas o en cualquier otra lista de espera abierta, visite www.rrha.com. Haga clic en el portal de solicitantes e inicie sesión o registre una cuenta.

No se distribuirán ni aceptarán solicitudes en papel por correo, fax o en persona. El RRHA ofrece adaptaciones razonables para personas con discapacidad. Si necesita alguna adaptación razonable para que le ayuden con cualquier parte del proceso de solicitud, llame al (804) 780-4200.

Si ya está en la lista de espera de los programas de vivienda pública, viviendas con asistencia o de vales de elección de vivienda (HCV) y necesita modificar la dirección, los ingresos o la composición familiar, visite www.rrha.com. No se realizarán modificaciones por teléfono ni en persona. RRHA, a través de los fondos recibidos del Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de EE. UU., administra y mantiene viviendas públicas para familias de bajos ingresos, adultos mayores y personas con discapacidades que reúnen los requisitos. La política del Departamento de Reurbanización y Vivienda de Richmond consiste en brindar servicios sin distinción de raza, color, religión, origen nacional, ascendencia, edad, sexo, situación de familia, orientación sexual, identidad de género ni discapacidad o minusvalía.

Economic Development

SB 1320 codifies and recapitalizes the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, which I created through a budget amendment in 2021. Virginia was one of the first states to create a CDFI Fund to expand economic opportunity for underserved people, rural areas, and communities by supporting the growth and capacity of Virginia community development lenders, investors, and financial service providers.

SB 1320 expands eligibility requirements to include commercial real estate, housing development, and homeownership financing as eligible uses.

Miscellaneous

SB 1460 requires appointed school boards to receive training on Virginia’s Conflict of Interest and Ethics laws. Currently, elected school boards must receive this training. The bill also moves the annual date for filing annual disclosures from January 15 to February 1 so that it is consistent for all public officials. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Conflicts of Interest Council, on which I sit

SB 1499 gives the VCU Health System more flexibility in hiring its chief executive officer.

In addition, my SB 1331 was incorporated into Sen. Jeremy McPike’s SB 1141, which is expected to pass the House before session ends. This bill authorizes any locality in the Commonwealth to provide for an affordable housing dwelling unit program by amending the locality’s zoning ordinance to allow inclusionary zoning. Current law restricts such authorization to counties with an urban county executive form of government or county manager plan of government and certain other localities.

I look forward to providing a final update on the 2023 General Assembly Session next week. To learn more and stay engaged, contact me or my staff at district09@senate.virginia.gov or (804) 698-7509.

PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED BY FRIENDS FOR JENNIFER MCCLELLAN

PUBLIC NOTICE

RRHA, through funds received by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development manages and maintains public housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly and persons with disabilities. It is the policy of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority to provide services without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity or physical handicap or disability.

Stories by Fred Jeter

All rise

Lawmakers applaud Justices stellar season; custom suits further accent team’s success

John Marshall High, named after the former Supreme Court Chief Justice, has been laying down the law this season on the basketball court.

Virginia’s lawmakers have taken notice.

Earlier this month, the Justices were honored on the floor of the Virginia Senate, in a move organized by 9th District Sen. Jennifer McClellan.

“The Senate reached out to honor our guys,” said JM Coach Ty White. “We got the chance to talk to some of the senators, one on one. It was very nice.”

JM, 22-0 and ranked No. 2 nationally by MaxPreps.com, had a busy weekend leading into this week’s Class 2 Regionals.

On Saturday, Feb. 18, a tailor came to the North Side school to measure all the players for custom-made JM blue suits. That would require some long inseams since at least four Justices are 6-foot-6 or taller.

“We hope to wear them in the playoffs,” said Coach White, who declined to name the tailor.

On Sunday, Feb. 19, the team went as a group to worship at Speaking Spirit Ministries on Ravenswood Road.

On Monday, JM began quarterfinal Class 2A Region play against Prince Edward. The semifinals were Wednesday night with the finals set for Friday at Huguenot High.

The State 2A dates are March 3-4 for quarters, March 6-7 for semis and March 9-11 for finals at VCU’s Siegel Center, where JM won 2022 top honors over Radford.

JM entered this week’s playoffs on a historically dominating run.

After defeating Grayson, Ga. 66-53 on Jan. 16, the Justices have prevailed by margins of 48, 32, 45, 43, 35, 53, 51 and 42 points.

Even the legendary Petersburg teams with Moses Malone (50-0 in 1973-74) never punished the opposition to that degree.

Individually, 6-foot-7 North Carolina State bound Dennis Parker leads in scoring with 19.3 per game. He is followed by Jason Rivera (14.8), Redd Thompson Jr. (14.2) Latrell Allmond (12.6), Dominique Bailey (7.7) and first-off bench 6-foot-6 sophomore Desmond Rose (5.5).

Allmond, a 6-8 freshman, leads in rebounds (9.1), blocked shots (3.3) shooting (61 percent).

Rivera, a 6-foot-foot-6 senior, tops in steals with 3.5 per.

Thompson, a 6-foot junior, is No. 1 in free throws and three-point percentages with 82 percent and 40 percent, respectively.

Bailey, a 6-foot-1 junior, is the assists leader with 4.2 per and a defensive dynamo.

Assuming all goes as planned in Regionals and State, Coach White is exploring the possibility of advancing to a national tournament.

He provided no details. It would likely be the first time a VHSL school kept playing after states and there are rules that may prevent it.

But this is John Marshall, you know. Maybe the Supreme Court could make a ruling.

Whether you’re a basketball fanatic or not, this is an ideal week to be in Baltimore.

Baltimore hosts 2023 CIAA Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournament

The CIAA Basketball Tournament – dating to 1946 – started Feb. 21 and ends Feb. 25 at newly named CFG Bank Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St.

The 11,286-seat facility, formerly known as Royal Farms, is a fast break from the Baltimore Inner Harbor and National Aquarium.

All 24 men’s and women’s basketball teams were to be in action with the championship games Saturday. The ESPN Family of Networks will provide TV coverage.

Even if you don’t know a basketball from a beachball, there’s much on the menu.

Along with the basketball action, off-court events include a fan fest, career expo, financial summit, community service initiative, the John McClendon Hall of Fame festivities and plenty of music.

Confirmed musicians are Doug E. Fresh, L’il Mo, DJ Kool and Rare Essence.

The events provide plenty of entertainment for guests and revenue for Baltimore. According

to Visit Baltimore, last year’s events pumped $13.9 million into the city’s economy. Game attendance was about 65,000 for the 22 games.

The CIAA tour: The nation’s oldest college tournament for HBCUs began in 1946 at Turner’s Arena in Washington, D.C., with just four schools involved.

Since then, the event many considered a “MidWinter Homecoming” has been to Baltimore (1952), Durham, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Hampton, Norfolk, Richmond (1986-87 and

1991-93), Raleigh and Charlotte (2006-2020).

There was no tournament in 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Famous names: Some of the greatest players and coaches in NCAA history have been involved.

That includes Naismith College and NBA Hall of Fame players Sam Jones (North Carolina Central), Earl Monroe (Winston-Salem), Al Attles (North Carolina A&T), Bobby Dandridge (Norfolk State), Marvin Webster (Morgan State)

CIAA recognizes VUU basketball’s leadership, talent

Team success has led to individual recognition for Virginia Union University basketball.

Panthers senior Robert Osborne has been named CIAA Player of the Year, while VUU’s Jay Butler has been voted Coach of Year following his team’s Northern Division title.

Also, VUU’s Raemaad Wright made first team All-CIAA while Virginia State’s Francis Fitzgerald and Terrence Hunter-Whitfield were named All-CIAA.

On the women’s side, VUU’s Ny Langley and VSU’s Sommer Blakemore earned All-CIAA honors.

Commanders’ new assistant head coach arrives with Super Bowl success

Eric Bieniemy Jr. built a sparkling reputation as an offensive coordinator in Kansas City with superstar Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback.

The Washington Commanders are hoping he can continue that success with someone besides Mahomes taking the snaps from center.

Bieniemy, 53, often passed over for head coaching positions, was named last week as Washington’s assistant head coach and offensive coordinator.

He replaces Scott Turner, who is now the passing game coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Serving as the Chiefs’ OC from 2018 to 2022, Bieniemy helped KC to two

NFL Combine beckons two local players

Two area athletes have their foot in the NFL door.

Kei’Trel Clark and Isaiah Moore have been invited to the annual NFL Combine from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.

A defensive back/kick returner, Clark starred at Manchester High in Chesterfield County and at the University of Louisville.

Moore is a linebacker out of L.C. Bird High School in Chester and North Carolina State.

Most Combine participants appear on NFL rosters either through the draft or free agency.

Super Bowl titles. During that time, with Mahomes at QB, the Chiefs had one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses.

Mahomes was both the regular season and Super Bowl MVP this past season and considered by many as the top QB in the game.

Washington, under third-year head Coach Ron Rivera, is coming off an 8-81 season in which three QBs alternated, Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell.

In the season finale, Howell led the Commanders to a rousing 26-6 win over Dallas.

At this juncture, Howell is likely No. 1 on the depth chart and Heinicke

No. 2. There is still the possibility Washington could acquire another QB through a trade, free agency or via the NFL draft.

In Kansas City, Bieniemy did not call the plays, leaving that to head Coach Andy Reid. In D.C., he will have full play-calling responsibilities.

The assistant head coach title indicates Bieniemy would be a top candidate to become Washington’s next head coach, if and when Rivera should step down.

As a player, New Orleans native Bieniemy was a standout running back at Colorado, and later was an NFL ball carrier with San Diego, Cincinnati and Philadelphia from 1991 to 1999.

and Ben Wallace (Virginia Union) as well as coaches McClendon (N.C. Central), Clarence “Bighouse” Gaines (Winston-Salem) and Dave Robbins (Virginia Union).

Just from Virginia Union, these players have gone on to play in the NBA: Mike Davis, Charles Oakley, Terry Davis, A.J. English, Jamie Waller and Wallace.

Wind at their backs: VUU headed to Baltimore with the momentum of an 87-69 win over Virginia State in the regular season finale. Panthers improved to 22-6 overall and 12-4 in the CIAA before a packed house at Barco-Stevens Hall.

Robert Osborne had 29 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals. Raemaad Wright added 12 points and 11 rebounds and Keleaf Tate nailed four 3-pointers on the way to 17 points.

The Panthers last won the CIAA tournament in 2018 under Coach Jay Butler and are clear favorite to win this year and advance to the NCAAs.

VUU is no stranger to the winner’s circle. Between 1979 and 2006, the Panthers won the CIAA 13 times under Coach Dave Robbins.

Ceremony honoring former VCU player Charles ‘Jabo’ Wilkins is Feb. 28

There is lot of Richmond basketball history hanging from the Siegel Center rafters … and more is coming soon.

Three of the six retired VCU jerseys honor Rams from Richmond’s public and private high schools. And on Feb. 28, Charles “Jabo” Wilkins will become the fourth Downtowner to “reach the rafters.”

The ceremony is planned for halftime during VCU’s final regular season home game against St. Louis. It seems only fair that two Richmond legends — Bobby Dandridge and Gerald Henderson — are expected to be on hand for the occasion.

Wilkins, who died in 2018, played with Dandridge at Maggie Walker and was a role model for Henderson.

Dandridge went on to star at Norfolk State and later enjoyed a brilliant NBA career that earned him a slot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Henderson went from Huguenot High School to VCU, and later earned three NBA championship rings.

Wilkins played during a golden era of Walker hoops in the mid-to-late 1960s when Virginia’s Black and white schools were segregated by race.

Under Coach Stretch Gardner, Green Dragons stars during that timefame included Cravelyn Williams (who went to Virginia Union), Dandridge and Gerald Smith (Norfolk State), David Franklin (East Carolina), Robert McCray (Kentucky State) and Jesse Dark, who later played with Wilkins at VCU. VCU’s decision to retire Wilkins’ No. 40 – for the second time — did not come easy, despite his glowing résumé. No. 40 was first retired Feb. 21, 1971, at Franklin Street Gym, but the honor fell through the cracks over the many decades and changing coaches, administrators and playing venues. Wilkins’ home performances came his first two seasons in old Franklin Street, and then as a senior at the newer Franklin Street. VCU hoops largely moved to the Richmond Coliseum the next season.

Encouraging VCU officials to do the right thing was largely the work of the Maggie Walker Class of ’66, with Calvin Rasberry, Lannie Martin and Hassan Muhammad in lead roles, and also a “Justice for Jabo” project supported by a loving network of friends, family and the Richmond Free Press.

Retired and admired

These are the jerseys of VCU men’s basketball stars that have been retired:

No. 3 Eric Maynor, 2005-09, from North Carolina

No. 5 Calvin Duncan, 1981-85, New Jersey

No. 20 Brad Burgess, 2008-12, Benedictine

No. 21 Treveon Graham, 2011-15, Washington, D.C.

No. 22 Gerald Henderson, 1974-78, Huguenot High

No. 23 Kendrick Warren, 1990-94, Thomas Jefferson High

No. 40 Charles “Jabo” Wilkins, 1968-71, Maggie Walker High, becomes official Feb. 28

From left, John Marshall High School basketball Coach Ty White, Athletic Director Danielle Smith stand at the Virginia General Assembly with players Tyrell Allmond, Makeyon Hill, Robert Jones (manager), Damon Thompson Jr., Dominique Bailey and Nito West.

Eric Bieniemy Jr., who is leaving the Kansas City Chiefs to become the Washington Commanders’ new assistant head coach, talks with Patrick Mahomes on the sidelines.

Personality: Zenobia Cardwell

Spotlight on founder of 125 Black Women at Boushall Middle School

Zenobia Cardwell says she always has been active and involved in the community, so much so that she won the School Spirit Award her senior year as a student in the International Baccalaureate Program at Thomas Jefferson High School.

One of her most memorable and significant opportunities, she says, was becoming part of the Mayor’s Youth Academy when the Rev. Dwight C. Jones was the mayor of Richmond. She says the experience shaped her leadership skills.

“I learned about how the city operates and spent lots of time with Mayor Jones,” she recalls. “The experience shaped and molded me, and pushed me to be involved with the city and our arts community here.”

These days Ms. Cardwell uses her leadership skills as the executive administrator for Key Independent Development Services, an organization that provides mental health services to assist children, adolescents and adults.

She calls herself the “Fun Captain,” and enjoys planning activities for her clients. “I tell my clients,‘whatever we do, we’re gonna have fun!’” she said. And the biggest reward she receives, she said, is when her clients tell her “thank you,” because she is always looking to make their experiences memorable and rewarding.

Giving back and creating memorable experiences are what motivated Ms. Cardwell to start 125 Black Women last year at Thomas C. Boushall Middle School. While working as a behavior aide for a young male student, Ms. Cardwell says she saw herself in the school’s young women and wanted to help them face their challenges.

In the last week of March, 25 Black women gather at the middle school each day to greet all of the students as they start their day. Twenty-five women over the course of the week adds up to 125, which is how Ms. Cardwell came up with the name of the group. The group reminds the girls they are supported and can become or achieve anything they desire.

The women volunteers are identified through word of mouth, social media, sororities and friends of friends.

“Word got around and people showed up for me last year,” she said, “and I’m praying for the same turnout this year because I want it to be bigger and better.”

Meet the “Fun Captain” and this week’s Personality, Zenobia A. Cardwell:

Volunteer position: Founder of 125 Black Women, a nonprofit event based at Boushall Middle School.

Occupation: Executive administrator for Key Independent Development Services – Adult Day Support.

Date and place of birth: Aug. 2 in sunny Las Vegas. Where I live now: South Side Richmond.

Education: Thomas Jefferson High School; attended Old Dominion University.

Family: Family to me is anyone you carry in your heart with love. I happen to carry several people but the most important people in my life are my mother, Scholar, my dad, Yule and sister Zippora.

125 Black Women is: A nonprofit, weeklong event I started through H4 Cares, which serves as the nonprofit division of my

business H4 Creative Firm.

When and why founded: I started H4 Cares and 125BW in 2021 while working in the school system. I noticed how a simple “Good Morning” or “Have A Good Day!” with a smile could shift the day of a middle schooler who may not have made contact with anyone else that morning. We, as Black and Brown Women from across Richmond, gather to shift that morning TOGETHER while creating a village to care for through Boushall and while representing our community in Richmond.

Significance of name: Originally, I wanted to have 25 women each school day for the week. Twenty-five women for five days equated to 125 Black Women. It just sounded melodic and strong. What middle school girl WOULDN’T want 125 of Richmond’s fiercest Black and Brown Women to have their back?

Upcoming event: Monday,

Born to enslaved parents in 1864, Maggie Walker was the first woman to own a bank in the United States. Walker’s entrepreneurial skills transformed black business practices while also inspiring other women to enter the field.

March 27- Friday, March 31, 2023, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at Boushall Middle School.

Who participates: Black and/or Brown women of influence in the Richmond area.

Ways to get involved: The registration link can be found on my website h4cfllc.com under the H4 Cares page.

Participants can expect: High energy with the theme “Renaissance,” in celebration of Beyonce’s Grammy award-winning album, but also building connections with our middle schoolers, more importantly our middle school girls. I always lead with love and loads of personality and that seems to rub off in all the right ways!

A perfect day for me is: I am a woman who enjoys good pampering, music and food. I would start my day with my hair, nails and other self-care appointments that are all on time so I wouldn’t be late for the next. I would have a really good Chicken Caesar salad for lunch and I would go home and nap for a few hours. Then I would wake up, find an amazing, avant-garde, yet urban streetwear look from my closet, create a flawless makeup look, and I would be off to dinner and drinks with my friends and end my night at a concert with some of my favorite local rappers and singers. Something about me that people may not know: I am a huge Youtube nerd. I love the Mojo Channels, Grunge, Toonrifiq Tariq and Primm’s Hood Cinema. I love historical pop culture facts and those channels keep me entertained with facts

and reviews.

A quote that inspires me: “You can tell I move with sovereignty, obviously/I’m an anomaly, every bar I spit’s a novelty” from “EAT” by Tobe and Fat Nwigwe. My friends describe me as: This is the text I got back when I asked one of my very close friends, “You are a driven dreamer. When you have a true passion for something you do everything necessary to master it and make it profitable whether fiscally, emotionally, or spiritually. It’s truly all or nothing with Zenobia.”

At the top of my “to-do” list is: Pray. Every day.

Best late-night snack: I love Rap Snacks, specifically Minos Bar-B-Quin’ With My Honey with a Dab of Ranch Chips, A Nutty Buddy and an Island Breeze Clear Fruit.

The best thing my parents ever taught me: From dad — “You never give up. Even when they want you to.” From mom — “Remember who you are and whose you are.”

The person who influenced me the most: My sister, Zippora. She is a recent double degree graduate in the engineering field from Norfolk State University, an HBCU. As a Black female engineer in the field of STEM,

she represents only 2 percent of the industry. She inspires me with her knowledge, but also her poise and strength. It isn’t easy being the only person that looks like you in a room and she does it with a certain confidence that can’t be taught or sold in a workshop.

Book that influenced me the most and how: The “Journals” Collection by Ayo M. Morton. It’s a two-part series that influenced me because it integrated two of my loves, hip-hop and reading. The way the author takes song lyrics and applies them to the situations at hand with each character has had me speaking in lyrical format since I first read this book more than 10 years ago.

What I’m reading now and my takeaway: I wish I had time to read. Maybe I will add that to my list of “Adulthood things I need to try again.” I would love book suggestions. I am a sucker for a good urban novel.

Next goal: Wow! What a question. My next goal is whatever God has planned for me next. He said “I know the plans I have for you,” not that I would know the plans too. I think that’s the beauty of life, seeing the formula everyone else has followed for life and knowing your formula already has a genius that signed off on it.

In honor of Black History Month, we are celebrating the life of Maggie Walker

Arts funding to support opera about Loving court case

The Virginia Commission for the Arts has announced a special recognition grant of $15,000 per year for three consecutive years that will support Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony’s newly commissioned opera, “Loving v. Virginia.”

The opera will tell the story of the 1967 United States Supreme Court case centered around the interracial marriage

of Mildred and Richard Loving. Composer Damien Geter and librettist Jessica Murphy Moo have been commissioned to create the opera that will premiere in venues throughout Virginia in 2025.

“The Virginia Commission for the Arts is thrilled to invest in this story of, by and for Virginians,” VCA’s Executive Director Margaret Hancock said during a Jan. 23 award ceremony. “Through the ‘Loving

v. Virginia’ opera, the Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony are innovating in the arts while bringing an important part of our history to a broad audience.”

In accepting the award, Peggy Kriha Dye, the general director and CEO of Virginia Opera, said the VCA grant was “a testament to the importance of the story, and to the artistic quality of both [Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony].”

“‘Loving v. Virginia’promises

YWCA’s 2023 Outstanding Women Awards

Since 1980, YWCA Richmond has honored more than 300 women leaders for their achievements and contributions in the Greater Richmond area. This year’s honorees include:

Arts & Culture: Ashley Hawkins, co-founder of Studio Two Three.

This community driven arts organization is a collaborative work space for artists, brings art classes and cultural events to 25,000 people a year.

Business: Dee Ann Remo, founder of Heritage Wealth Advisors. Over nearly two decades, Heritage has provided financial services for its clients, including through The Foundation for Financial Independence, which focuses on building wealth among communities historically excluded from opportunities.

Education: Dr. Paula Pando, president of Reynolds Community College. Since 2018, Dr. Pando has championed programs at Reynolds that have helped increase enrollment and decrease performance gaps. She also gives of her time and expertise serving on multiple boards in the Richmond community.

Health & Science: Paulette McElwain, president and CEO of the Virginia League for Planned Parenthood. Over the past 15 years, VLPP has grown to meet the needs of the community it serves — including primary care and the largest trans health program in Virginia.

Human Relations & Faith in Action: Sheba Williams, founder of Nolef Turns. This nonprofit helps Virginians who have been charged with or convicted of felonies and advocates for laws that remove the stigmas that surround past convictions.

Law & Government: Susheela Varky, attorney and founder of LA VIDA. The Virginia Poverty Law Center attorney has spent the past 30 years advocating for laws that help low-income survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their legal aid attorneys. Ms. Varky also founded the VPLC’s Legal Assistance to Victim-Immigrants of Domestic Abuse (LA VIDA) program that provides immigrant victims with free legal assistance.

Marketing & Media: Michele Rhudy, founder Rhudy & Co. Strategic Communications. The communications expert has served as president of Richmond’s chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and on the Virginia Council of CEOs board of directors.

Nonprofit Leadership: Tanya M. Gonzalez, executive director of the Sacred Heart Center of Richmond, previously spent 20 years serving the Latinx community in Richmond, after developing the Hispanic Liaison Office in the City of Richmond.

Volunteerism: Rudene Haynes, partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth. As a firm-wide hiring partner, Ms. Haynes works to foster environments that embrace differences and promote equality in the legal profession, and is passionate about ending disparity and racial inequities in health care.

A celebration honoring the 43rd Outstanding Women Award winners will take place on Thursday, May 4, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. For more details, visit www. ywcarichmond.org/oca/

to impact our communities in very positive ways.” Richmond Symphony Executive

Director

Lacey Huszcza added. “Over the course of the development of this new work, we will have

the opportunity to engage the public with this important Virginia story.”

‘We’ve got to show up every year’

More than a dozen Black men gathered at TruFades Haircuts & Beards, 2010 E. Main St. in Shockoe Bottom on Feb. 18 to discuss to civic participation, voting, education and other issues crucial to them and their communities.

During the one-hour session, the men, mostly ranging from 20 to 45 in age, welcomed and endorsed Virginia Sen. Jennifer McClellan in her campaign to become the first Black woman to represent Virginia in the United States Congress. Also on hand were Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Richmond City Council President Michael Jones, Del. Lamont Bagby, Henrico County Supervisor Tyrone Nelson, and Henrico County School Board member Roscoe Cooper. The gathering also included representatives of the Urban

League of Greater Richmond Young Professionals, a high school coach and a Richmond elementary school principal.

Mayor Stoney told the men that they “aren’t always expected to show up at voting polls.” He advised them that not showing up puts them at a disadvantage.

“We can’t take a day off or a year off,” Mayor Stoney said. “There are folks out there counting on us not to show up. They’re counting on Black men not to show up. They’re going off historic trends. We have to turn the tide by showing up at every election. We’ve got to show up every year. Republicans are running more Black Republican candidates. So, the power rests in this room …to change elections at the local, state and federal levels. It should be Black men showing up every year.”

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

$350 million in savings for electric customers? We’re all ears.

Legislation being considered by the Virginia General Assembly strengthens regulatory oversight and lowers the cost of electricity, saving Dominion Energy customers at least $350 million. That means a savings of about $6 to $7 a month for the average residential user, according to the State Corporation Commission, the agency that regulates utilities in Virginia. In a time of high prices for food, clothing and gas, it’s commonsense rate relief that will help us continue to do what we do best: meet the needs of our customers.

To take action, visit DominionEnergy.com/RateRelief

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Lucille A.B. Roane, voting proponent, former detective, dies

By Jeremy M. Lazarus Richmond voter advocate and former city police detective Lucille Aurelia Brown Roane has died.

Mrs. Roane, who was the first Black president of the Richmond Metropolitan Area Chapter of the League of Women Voters and the third Black woman to serve on Richmond’s police force, succumbed to illness Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. She was 94.

“She was a kind, loving and generous person who believed in voting,” said her daughter, Sheila K. Roane.

“She always voted herself and wanted others to participate knowledgably,” her daughter said.

Mrs. Roane joined the League in the 1980s and served as second and first vice president before winning the election in 1997. She embraced the League’s mission to promote voter registration and to educate those who did on the issues. After her term, she served as secretary to the League’s board of directors and in the League’s state office.

She also promoted women’s advancement and encouraged women to take action on their own behalf. In a Richmond Free Press Personality Feature following her election as the League chapter president, she urged women to “take charge of their lives, know what they want to do and plan how to get it.”

After working as a bookkeeper and part-time legal secretary in Richmond and as an insurance company auditor in Boston, Mrs. Roane at 28, joined the Richmond police force in 1956.

After training, she, like other women on the force, was assigned as a detective to the Juvenile Division, the only one open to females. Only two Black women were allowed to serve then, and she filled a vacancy to join Ruth Blair, the first Black woman on the force.

“We never wore uniforms and were assigned all cases involving juveniles, including child abuse, rape, incorrigible children, runaways — everything except homicides,” Mrs. Roane wrote in an autobiographical sketch on her life.

Mrs. Roane, who married the late William H. Roane Jr. in 1963, was forced to resign after she became pregnant with her daughter in 1966. “I am proud of my 10 years with the Richmond Police Department,” she wrote, “having solved lots of cases single-handedly.”

In 1970, she left to join the newly created Richmond Public Schools Safety and Security Department at the request of the first supervisor, Robert T. Millikin Sr., her former sergeant in the Juvenile Division.

Besides her daughter, survivors include her sister, Hannah Jiggetts.

The family requests that memorial donations be made to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.

Leroy Mason, a voice for prison reform, dies at age 83

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Leroy Mason is being remembered for helping to change the Virginia prison system where he spent most of his adult life and for helping other prisoners make a successful transition after their release.

Mr. Mason, who died Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at age 83, began making a difference in the first years of his incarceration.

In 1968, the Suffolk native became a plaintiff in an ultimately successful federal court case that ended government-enforced racial segregation of the state’s prison system.

Three years later, Mr. Mason was one of five plaintiffs who exposed the brutal punishments prison officials and guards meted out to prisoners, particularly through use of solitary confinement in the landmark Landman v. Royster case.

Mr. Mason, himself, spent two years in solitary confinement, initially unclothed, as punishment for assisting prisoners in a protest over conditions at the Virginia State Penitentiary.

The decision by the late U.S. District Court Judge Robert R. Mehrige Jr., awarded damages for the first time to inmates after finding officials subjected prisoners to “cruel and unusual punishment.” The Mehrige ruling also laid down boundaries for the discipline of those in custody.

How Mr. Mason, a U.S. Army veteran who held a master’s in religious studies, came to be in prison could not be discovered. His record was never computerized, and his family declined to disclose.

At his service Friday, Feb. 3, at Mimms

Funeral Home, Mr. Mason’s positive contributions were remembered.

In prison, Mr. Mason was described as a soft-spoken, respected adviser to other inmates in helping to prepare them for their release. A saxophone player, “he was in charge of bands, he showed people how to learn welding, he helped people get their GED, he did so many things,” said Minister Hasan Zarif.

Greg Taylor, a former teacher at Thomas

Dale High School, said that Mr. Mason helped establish a prison chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America and also held talks for students

Mr. Taylor would bring to the prison. “He was so full of information and knowledge,” Mr. Taylor said.

After being paroled from prison at age 70,

Mr. Mason lived in Chesterfield County and began working as a re-entry specialist, first with a company called KRA and then with Senior Connections, according to Minister Zarif.

Mr. Mason’s survivors include his companion, Jawanda Freeman, and his son, Michael Mason.

Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church 1408 W. Leigh Street · Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 358 6403

Dr. Alonza L. Lawrence, Pastor

Riverview Baptist Church

“Your Home In God’s Kingdom”

Broad Rock Baptist Church

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

“BACK IN SERVICE” Our doors are open again

Mask required • Must provide vaccination card

Every Sunday @ 11:00 am.

Live Streaming Every Sunday At: BRBConline.org or YouTube(Broad Rock Baptist Church)

“MAKE IT HAPPEN” Pastor Kevin Cook

St. Peter Baptist Church

• 11am (in-person and livestream on YouTube)

Wednesday Bible Study • 7pm (Zoom)

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

DR. JAMES L. SAILES PASTOR

Mr. Mason

Mrs. Roane

BID

COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA CONSTRUCTION BID

ITB

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The University of Virginia seeks a firm to provideINTRODUCTION RFP# - RFP-UVA-0074 https://bids.sciquest.com/ apps/Router/PublicEvent? CustomerOrg=UVa or email: pur-rfp@ eservices.virginia.edu

Richmond Ambulance Authority

Notice of Request for Proposals

Workers’ Compensation Insurance Solicitation Number: 23-01

The Richmond Ambulance Authority, a high performance EMS system located in Richmond, Virginia, announces its intent to bid for the purchase of Workers’ Compensation Insurance coverage.

The successful Proposer will provide a plan and cost proposal that meet the needs and specifications set forth in the Request for Proposals (RFP).

All proposals must be received at the Authority offices no later than 12:00pm ET on April 13, 2023. Interested parties may obtain a copy of the RFP by contacting:

Laura Bickham Senior Executive Assistant

Branch Civil, Inc. (VA

License # 2701-029434A) is currently soliciting quotes for the following project located in Henrico County, Hanover County, and the Town of Ashland, VA:

Fall Line Trail – Northern Section

From: 0.2 miles south of Winfrey Road at Woodman Road extension (Henrico County)

To:  Walder Lane at existing Trolley Line Trail to Ashcake Road (Town of Ashland) (UPC Nos. 121374 and 119599)

State Project Nos.: 9999-166-294, P101, R201, C501; 999-964-016, P101, R201, C501

We are soliciting quotes for the following selected items of work: Clearing & grubbing; Erosion controls; Drainage culverts; MSE walls; Aggregate base stone; Asphalt paving; Pavement markings; Incidentals

All quotes must be received by: March 13, 2023 @ 4:30 p.m. EST

We encourage Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Businesses to participate. Contact our Estimating Department 804-297-3626 for further information. Quotes may be submitted by email to BCIestimating@branchcivil.com or by US Mail to P.O. Box 40004, Roanoke, VA 24022. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER M/F/H/V

Acre, as shown on that certain plat of survey recorded in the Clerk’s Office, Circuit Court, Henrico County, Virginia, in Deed Book 6256, page 2322, to which plat reference is hereby made for a more particular description of the property hereby conveyed. Fair Oaks, containing 14.45 acres, and more particularly shown on plat of F. T. Seargent, Certified Surveyors, Sandston, Virginia, dated March 28, 1975, and recorded with deed from Eddie Wood Taylor to Benjamin Franklin Griggs, in Deed Book 1655, page 422, Clerk’s

encourages all contractors to participate in the procurement process.

Richmond Ambulance Authority 2400 Hermitage Road Richmond, Virginia, 23220 804-254-1184 lbickham@raaems.org

Senior Data Analyst – Capital One Services, LLC in Richmond, VA; Mult pos avail: Perform quant & qualt analysis of econ data, relating constants & variables, restrictions, alternatives, conflicting objectives, & their num parameters. To apply, visit https://capitalone. wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Capital_One and search “Senior Data Analyst” or “R162215”.

Senior Software Engineer – Capital One Services, LLC in Richmond, VA; Mult pos avail: Resp for overall tech design, dvlpmnt, modification, & implementation of comp apps using existing & emerging tech platforms. To apply, visit https://capitalone.wd1. myworkdayjobs.com/Capital_One and search “Senior Software Engineer” or “R161946”.

Thank

Dominion Energy Services, Inc. seeks an IT Systems Architect for their Richmond, VA location. Duties include: architecting, designing, developing and deploying Geographic Information System (GIS) applications, databases, servers and services. The qualified candidate will possess a master of information systems degree and five years of experience in positions encompassing architecting, designing, developing and deploying Geographic Information System (GIS) applications, databases, servers and services. Skills / technologies: requires five years of experience in ArcGIS, Python, ArcPy, ArcSDE, Visual Basic.Net, C#.Net, ASP.Net, HTML5/JavaScript, ArcGIS Server, Portal for ArcGIS, WebApp Builder for ArcGIS, ArcGIS API for JavaScript, ArcGIS Online, MS-SQL Server, Oracle, MS-Project and MS-Visio. Apply at https://careers.dominionenergy.com

Dominion Energy is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. EOE M/F/D/V.

Lead Software Engineer – Capital One Services, LLC in Richmond, VA; Mult pos avail: Lead overall tech design, dvlpmnt, modification, & implementation of comp apps using existing & emerging tech platforms. To apply, visit https://capitalone.wd1. myworkdayjobs.com/Capital_One and search “Lead Software Engineer” or “R161346”.

Pilgrim Baptist Church is seeking a pianist with choir direction skills

For more information please contact Mr. Williams at 804-643-9244 pbc2012@verizon.net

Part-Time Custodian 15 hours per week

Salary Commensurate with Experience

Mount Olive Baptist Church is seeking a part-time Custodian during the morning hours from Monday –Friday, 8 A.M. – 11 A.M.

The preferred candidate should possess previous custodian and/or sexton experience as well as experience in operating a floor buffer. A Criminal

History Background Check is required.

Please pickup an application at: Mount Olive Baptist Church, 8775 Mt. Olive Avenue, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060. The e-mail address is mstyles@mobcva.org, and the fax number is (804) 262-2397. For more information, please call (804)-262-9614 ext. 227 Application can also be filled out online at https:// www.mobcva.org/job-openings

Dominion Energy Services, Inc. seeks a Data Science Analyst Specialist for their Richmond, VA location. Duties: serves as technical expert in Computerized Data Analysis, Modeling and Data Science. Leads analytics team in developing complex projects. Uses Machine Learning and computer programming languages to perform predictive analytics and help build models to predict future business trends by correlating multiple factors that influence the outcome. Works on multiple Big Data platforms like Hadoop and generates insights on large volumes of data. Develops effective analytical solutions for data in both structured and unstructured formats. Develops Natural Language Processing applications to derive meaning from textual data. Clearly articulates and presents analytical solutions and/or analytical insights to all levels of the organization to help optimize or improve business processes. The qualified candidate will possess a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering (foreign academic equivalent accepted) and 5 years of experience in IT positions encompassing data mining and data engineering using Hadoop and performing predictive analytics using Machine Learning. Apply at https://careers.dominionenergy.com

Dominion is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. EOE M/F/D/V