Richmond Free Press February 24-26, 2022 edition by Richmond Free Press

Meet this week’s Personality B1

Key player on, off court

VOL. 31 NO. 9

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

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FEBRUARY 24-26, 2022

Mayor: She said ‘yes’ By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Instagram post by Mayor Levar M. Stoney

Brandy Washington reacts with surprise and joy to Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s marriage proposal Tuesday at Libby Hill Park. She said “yes.”

Mayor Levar M. Stoney, one of Richmond’s most eligible bachelors, is about to hear wedding bells. An Instagram post shows him proposing to his girlfriend, Brandy Washington, in Libby Hill Park at sunset on Tuesday, a special day better known as 2-22-22, a numeric palindrome because it reads the same forward and backward. The next 2-22-22 will occur in 100 years. But the phenomenon of it falling on a Tuesday – and becoming known as “Twosday”—will not happen again for another 400 years, in 2422, experts said. Mayor Stoney, 40, chose the rare, special day to get down on one knee and pop the question. She said “yes.” The photo of the momentous moment, which also captured the panoramic backdrop of the city, was posted Wednesday on social media and had garnered more than 3,300 likes and lots of congratulatory messages by evening. It will be a second marriage for the mayor, who has been discreet about his personal life during his tenure as the city’s leader, a post he has held since 2017. A Richmond Free Press photograph of Mayor Stoney and Ms. Washington riding on the back of a convertible classic Mustang in the Armstrong-Walker Classic Legacy parade on Nov. 27 is one of the first public appearances of the couple. They also attended the inauguration of Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin together on Jan. 15. And earlier this month, Mayor Stoney posted a podcast on The Cheats Movement in which he indicated the pair had been in a relationship for a year and that he was

no longer available. Ms. Washington, 33, is the daughter of the late Ira Payne Washington Jr., a former educator at Henderson Middle School, where for nearly 50 years he taught and served as an assistant principal, and Jo Anne Washington, a retired City of Richmond employee. She has worked for Altria for more than eight years and currently is associate manager of regulatory strategy. She also serves on the company’s diversity panel and chairs the Development Committee of Altria’s Black Employee Resource Group, where she leads initiatives to build and provide resources to enhance the company’s diversity and leadership pipeline. A graduate of Randolph-Macon College who earned a master’s degree from the University of Richmond, Ms. Washington also serves on the board of HomeAgain, a homeless services provider. Details of when and where the couple plans to marry have not been disclosed.

Jordan Pendleton, 10, roars to lead role as young Simba in national tour of ‘The Lion King’ By Ronald E. Carrington

Richmond’s Jordan Pendleton has been selected to play young Simba in a national touring troupe of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The 10-year-old fourth-grader at Mary Munford Elementary School was cast in the role in December and will be leaving Richmond to begin rehearsals in March. North American touring productions of the hugely popular musical have been seen by more than 20 million theatergoers in more than 90 cities. While Jordan will not be performing with the troupe when it opens March 9 for a two-week run at the Altria Theater, he will be lighting up the stage on a sixmonth tour to multiple cities, starting in Columbia, S.C., in late March. “I was very happy to be selected,” Jordan said during a Free Press interview earlier this month as he prepared to go on tour. “I was jumping around and screaming. I was so happy.” He said it was his first audition he’d ever had for a professional role. “I just love to entertain people. I love

to perform. I love to be around people in general because that makes me light up with energy,” he said. He’s the oldest of the Pendleton siblings that include brother Isaiah, 8, and sisters Christian, 6, and Hannah, 4.

Jordan’s journey into the entertainment world started with acting classes at the Weinstein Jewish Community Center in Richmond, where performances did not Please turn to A4

Julianne Tripp

8,000 potential gravesites identified at East End Cemetery using drone and hydrology mapping software By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Finding unmarked graves in neglected cemeteries has always been a challenge. Now a Richmond research team has created a relatively inexpensive method to simplify the search using a drone — an increasingly favorite tool of archaeologists — and standard

mapping software for water movement or hydrology. As detailed in a newly published article in an international journal, the team successfully tested the method in East End Cemetery, a historic Black cemetery located on the eastern border of Richmond and Henrico County within Please turn to A4

School Board rejects Kamras budget plan; misses deadline set by mayor Mr. Kamras presented a proposed $554 million budget for the fiscal year that will begin July 1. That The Richmond School Board is still trying to come amount includes local, state and federal dollars, plus up with a finished spending plan to send to City Hall a separate request for more than $9 million for mainso it can be included in the proposed 2022-23 budtenance of school buildings. get that Mayor Levar M. Stoney will present to City Mr. Kamras’ plan called for the city to contribute Council on Friday, March 4. an additional $22 million in the 2022-23 fiscal year, The board is scheduled to meet again at 6 p.m. boosting city spending on schools from $185 million Monday, Feb. 28, to try to conclude its process, despite to $207 million. The mayor had warned that he would Mr. Kamras warnings from Mayor Stoney that might be too late. not increase education spending if his team did not However, any hopes of quicker completion were upended have the school’s spending plan by Friday. Tuesday night when five School Board members rejected SuA motion to approve the budget was made by board member perintendent Jason Kamras’ budget proposal and opted to keep Please turn to A4 working on an alternative. By Ronald E. Carrington

RPS plans for Fox Elementary to rise from ashes By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Dr. Stephanie A. Spera, center, shows off the drone she and a fourperson research team that included Dr. Ryan K. Smith, left, and Elizabeth A. Zizzamia used, along with hydrology mapping, to locate possible gravesites that were unmarked in East End Cemetery. An article about the team’s investigative method was published in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology.

Jordan Pendleton

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Hearts with handwritten notes adorn the fence outside William Fox Elementary School, 2300 Hanover Ave. in The Fan, after a Feb. 11 fire destroyed the building that dates to 1911. The notes of love were left by students, teachers, parents and people in the community.

A virtually identical Fox Elementary School building can rise from the ashes, without additional cost to Richmond Public Schools. RPS insures its schools through the Roanoke-based VAcorp, a mutual company that covers damaged and destroyed buildings and equipment on a “replacement cost basis.” Though he would not discuss the Fox School claim specifically, VAcorp Administrator Chris Carey said that means the company would pay to repair, rebuild or replace a covered property with a building “of comparable size, materials and quality.” “If your building was made of brick, we’ll pay for a replacement brick building. If it was made of cinderblock or wood, we won’t pay for brick,” he said. That’s good news for RPS, which is considering the future of the 111-year-old Fox Elementary building on Hanover Avenue in The Fan that was largely destroyed in a Feb. 11 fire. The cause has not been determined. Students at the school now are taking classes virtually, with growing prospects that they will return possibly after spring break to classes in the vacant Clark Springs Elementary School in nearby Randolph until Fox is rebuilt. The School Board on Tuesday night authorized Superintendent Jason Kamras to spend $500,000 to replace the roof on Clark Springs Elementary, repair plumbing and take other actions to prepare for its new use. During a budget session last week, Mr. Kamras told the School Board that the Fox building was valued for insurance purposes at $13 million, with an additional $4 million for contents. But as Mr. Carey later noted, those values are only for the purpose of setting premiums. Mr. Kamras confirmed that VAcorp will cover the full cost of replacing Fox. “If a building is valued at $13 million but would cost $18 million to replace, we pay the $18 million,” Mr. Carey said. He also said the company will pay additional costs to ensure the replacement meets current building codes. Unlike standard commercial insurance firms which set limits of coverage for each building, VAcorp states on its website that the limits of coverage are determined by the total value of all Please turn to A4

Free COVID-19 testing, vaccines Free community testing for COVID-19 continues. The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations: • Thursday, Feb. 24, 8 to 10 a.m.—Fresh Anointing Cathedral parking lot, 3001 2nd Ave.; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.— Creighton Resource Center parking lot, 2150 Creighton Road; 4 to 6 p.m.—Southside Plaza WIC Office, 509 E. Southside Plaza. • Thursday, Feb. 24 and Friday, Feb. 25, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.—Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center parking lot,

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A2 February 24-26, 2022

Richmond Free Press

Local News

Cityscape

Another piece of Richmond history verted into a commercial space, possibly is biting the dust. The long-vacant headfor use by the city Department of Public quarters building for Fulton Gas Works is Utilities. In 2019, DPU nixed the idea beSlices of life and scenes cause of the cost of removing asbestos and in the final phase of demolition. At left, in Richmond the 2019 view of the building. Below, the other contaminants from the 11-acre site. building on Feb. 13. Most of the building, which appears The demolition has been in the works since July 2020. to date from 1900, has been demolished from the site at The site was best known for an iconic 60-foot-tall 3301 Williamsburg Ave. Bare ground remains. metal work called a gasometer that surrounded the empty, The Gas Works began operations in 1856 to provide below-ground storage tanks. The gasometer has been carecoal-converted natural gas to fuel streetlights and, later, fully removed and could later be reinstalled as a piece to heat homes. The plant continued to operate until 1950, of public art. More than $4.3 million has been invested when the city shut down the operation and began import- to clear the old structures and remove contaminated soil ing the fuel. from the property, which is envisioned as an East End Plans in 2016 had called for the old building to be con- development site.

Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Bon Secours breaks ground on new Minor shifts $11M medical office building in East End expected in city redistricting By Jeremy M. Lazarus

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The majority of Richmond residents, as anticipated, will not experience any impact from the boundary changes made once every 10 years to City Council and School Board districts. While the city added about 24,000 residents in the past 10 years including prisoners in state correctional facilities, the growth was spread relatively evenly, the data from the 2020 Census show. As a result, with City Council poised to wrap up the redistricting process, four of the current districts—the 1st District in the West End and the 4th, 8th and 9th districts in South Side—are recommended for no changes because their current populations are close to the ideal of around 25,400 residents. Two other districts, the central 5th District that is split by the James River, and the 7th District, which includes Church Hill, Fulton and part of Shockoe Bottom, might see tiny changes. Small changes involving only a few thousand residents are recommended for the city’s three remaining districts— the 2nd District, which includes the Fan and part of North Side; the 3rd District, which includes most of North Side; and the 6th District, which includes Downtown and portions of North Side and South Side. Overall, the city’s five majority-Black districts, the 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th, would remain so according to the City Council’s consultant, J. Gerald Hebert. Council members sat down Wednesday afternoon, with hopes the governing body might agree to a final redistricting map. Based on the discussion, it appeared that an additional meeting might be needed. The goal, though, is to approve a final map by the end of April. Based on the 2020 Census count, Richmond has a listed population of around 228,610, including the prisoners. That compares to a 2010 population of 204,214, when the imprisoned were not included. With the city cut into nine districts, every district ideally would have around 25,400 people. To prepare, five largely similar maps that city residents helped draw two weeks ago have been publicly released and will form the basis of the council discussion. Based on the data, the 3rd District currently has too few residents, and the 2nd and 6th Districts too many, requiring some changes to bring them closer to the ideal population. The five maps recommend that a big chunk of Precinct 203, based at the Arthur Ashe Center in the 2nd District, be moved to the 3rd District. Essentially, the shift would involve most of the area south of Laburnum Avenue, north of Westwood Avenue and west of Brook Road to Interstate 95/64. Sherwood Park, Rosedale and Laburnum Park are among the neighborhoods that would be moved to the 3rd District if the council endorses that change. The change would allow the 2nd District to keep the Diamond District around the baseball stadium, the site the city is targeting for a major residential, retail, commercial and entertainment development anchored by a new ballpark. The 3rd District also is recommended to expand. Four of the maps recommended that a section of Southern Barton Heights largely west of North Avenue be transferred from the 6th District to the 3rd District, while one map recommends transferring to the 3rd District a small section of the 6th District adjacent to Providence Park. Two of the five maps also recommend transferring a small section of the 6th District between Hull Street and the Lee Bridge to the 5th District, which otherwise would be unchanged. Finally, the 7th District might be snipped to reduce its population by about 38 residents to bring it closer to the ideal. One recommendation is to take a bit from Shockoe Bottom and restore those residents to the 6th District, which lost them 10 years ago.

Correction Richmond School Board member Mariah L. White, who represents the 2nd District where Fox Elementary School is located, has children who attend Barack Obama Elementary School and Henderson Middle School. An article published in the Feb. 17-19 edition about the fire at Fox Elementary incorrectly stated that Ms. White’s children had attended the Hanover Avenue school. The Free Press regrets the error.

Coming soon: A new Bon Secours Mercy Health medical office building in the East End that will house up to 100 doctors, nurses and other staff and include space to provide group therapy for mentally ill addicts. On Tuesday, the health system officially broke ground on the two-story building that will sit next door to its 104-bed Richmond Community Hospital, a combination acute care and psychiatric treatment center. The 25,000-square-foot building will

pastoral care program and health information management. The total investment, including design and site work, is around $11 million, Mr. Trapani said. “We are thrilled to celebrate and break ground on this new facility that will expand our ability to serve the East End,” Bryan Lee, president of Richmond Community and St. Mary’s hospitals, said at the ceremonial launch. “This is a great day for our community,” Richmond City Council President Cynthia I. Newbille said about the new develop-

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Participating in Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony of Bon Secours Mercy Health’s new medical office building at 28th Street and Nine Mile Road in the East End are, from left, Joseph May, director of mission, Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital; Faraz Yousuf, Bon Secours’ Richmond market president; Rev. Sylvester T. Smith, pastor of Good Shepherd Baptist Church and member of the hospital’s community advisory council; City Council President Cynthia I. Newbille; Joseph “Joey” Trapani, the hospital’s chief operating officer; Bryan Lee, president of Richmond Community and St. Mary’s hospitals; and Christopher Accashian, chief operating officer of Bon Secours Richmond Health System.

largely provide new space for Bon Secours operations, according to Joseph “Joey” Trapani, the hospital’s chief operating officer. Key elements of the new building include expansion of psychiatric services. Those will include day treatment programs for up to 30 teens and adults with diagnosed mental health and substance abuse issues and room for the Bon Secours Response Team that provides services to people suffering with mental illness. The building also will provide a new home for other elements of Bon Secours’ health operations, including the 122-yearold Instructive Visiting Nurses Association. The building also is to house Bon Secours’ hospice and home health programs, the

ment in the city’s 7th District, which she represents. Just a few months ago, former Mayor Dwight C. Jones was among those expressing concern about the lack of development of this office building, which Bon Secours had agreed to build as part of a 2012 deal with the city to obtain naming rights for the Washington Commanders football team training camp located on West Leigh Street behind the Science Museum of Virginia. More than nine years have passed since the deal was inked, and Bon Secours now is hustling to get the building completed by the Dec. 31 deadline the health system agreed to in order to avoid financial penalties that were built into the deal.

Young life of DaShawn Cox cut short

Mr. Trapani called the construction schedule “aggressive,” but believes the general contractor, Gilbane Building Co., will be able to have the building ready to open by January. The final result far exceeds the requirement that Bon Secours spend at least $8.5 million on the project and create at least 75 new jobs paying an average of $86,666 a year. Bon Secours’ investment will be among the area’s most significant in terms of commercial development. Mr. Lee said the day treatment program, also called partial hospitalization, is new for Bon Secours and grew out of Bon Secours’ discussions with community residents and leaders about the needs. He said Bon Secours heard over and over again about the need for enhanced mental health services. The Rev. Sylvester T. Smith Jr., pastor of nearby Good Shepherd Baptist Church and a member of Bon Secours’ community advisory council for Richmond Community Hospital, praised the company for its willingness to listen and craft health programs to benefit the area. A major employer in this area with more than 275 people on Richmond Community Hospital’s payroll, Bon Secours has made significant investments in the area to promote business growth, recreation, housing and transportation to boost health and prosperity. Along with providing $30 million a year in uncompensated charity care at the hospital, Bon Secours has invested $200,000 in bus shelters for the area, contributed $1.6 million to create a public gym at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, spent $150,000 to create a children’s playground and provided nearly $800,000 to aid 36 businesses to open near the hospital. The health system also has contributed more than $11 million to improve food access and provide other community benefits, and spent nearly $11 million to improve facilities at Richmond Community Hospital in recent years. Bon Secours has owned Richmond Community Hospital, which was once owned by Black doctors, since the late 1990s. One piece of the health system’s agreement with the city that remains on hold is Bon Secours’ pledge to build a separate office building on the site of the former Westhampton School as part of obtaining the NFL team training facility naming rights. However, a separate $53 million apartment and commercial development already has been completed on that site.

Clement Britt

Family and friends of DaShawn “Da Da” Cox release balloons in memory of the 17-year-old Armstrong High School student who was shot and killed about 4:40 p.m. Feb. 17 outside the Ashley Oaks Apartments in the 1400 block of Jennie Scher Road in the East End. The teen’s mother and sister, as well as city officials, spoke at the vigil held last Sunday outside the apartment complex. “This is pain that I hope nobody out here will ever have to go through,” his mother, Berthenia Brown, told the crowd through tears. “It hurts.” Richmond Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said he has been to so many vigils for slain young people that he has lost count. “I’m a little ashamed to say that, but it’s the truth.” He and others called for an end to gun violence in the city. “Enough is enough,” said 7th District School Board member Cheryl L. Burke, a retired principal. “You all tell us what to do.” A community meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Powhatan Community Center, 5051 Northampton St., to discuss possible solutions. Police are asking anyone with information about DeShawn’s death to call Richmond Police Major Crimes Detective A. Darnell at (804) 646-3927 or to contact Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.

Richmond Free Press

February 24-26, 2022 A3

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A4 February 24-26, 2022

Richmond Free Press

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School Board rejects Kamras budget plan; RPS plans misses deadline set by mayor for Fox Elementary to rise from ashes Continued from A1

Continued from A1

property a member insures. RPS has 50 or so buildings, so its coverage limits for fire damage to one building would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, based on VAcorp’s statement. VAcorp was created in 1993 to serve governmental entities that become members of the insurance pool. The company specializes in risk management and loss mitigation. According to its website, it offers governmental entities coverage in 22 areas, ranging from cyber risk to student accidents to liability coverage for educators, law enforcement and public officials. More than 520 governmental entities, ranging from school systems to city and county governments, are currently covered by VAcorp. RPS and the School Board still have many decisions ahead, including whether to rebuild on the current site or at a new location, and whether to save part of the original structure or clear away everything and start over. Mr. Carey said that, in general, VAcorp will pay virtually all of the costs of rebuilding on the original footprint, including design. He said that if an entity opts to rebuild at a different site, VAcorp will pay for the building, but the “soft costs,” such as design, site work and installation of underground utilities, would not be covered.

Free COVID-19 vaccines Continued from A1 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. • Friday, Feb. 25, 4 to 6 p.m. – Southwood Pool House, Southwood Parkway and Clarkson Road. All events will provide walk-up testing, although appointments can still be set by calling (804) 205-3501 or going to www.rchd.com Call the Richmond and Henrico COVID-19 Hotline at (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for more information on testing sites, or go online at vax.rchd. com. The Virginia Department of Health also has a list of COVID19 testing locations around the state at www.vdh.virginia.gov/ coronavirus/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-sites. Want a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot? The Richmond and Henrico health districts are offering free walk-up COVID-19 vaccines at the following locations: • Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Community Vaccination Center, Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center, 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Thursday, Feb. 24, 1 to 3 p.m. – Richmond Health Department Cary Street Clinic, 400 E. Cary St., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson; 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Richmond Alternative School, 119 W. Leigh St., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson. • Saturday, Feb. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Fairfield Middle School, 5121 Nine Mile Road, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Monday, Feb. 28, 4 to 7 p.m. – Crestview Elementary School, 1901 Charles St., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Tuesday, March 1, 3 to 6 p.m. – Southwood Pool House, 1601 Clarkson Road, Apartment B, Pfizer and Moderna; 4 to 7 p.m. – Chimborazo Elementary School, 3000 E. Marshall St., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Wednesday, March 2, 4 to 7 p.m. – J.L. Francis Elementary School, 5146 Snead Road, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Thursday, March 3, 4 to 7 p.m. – River City Middle School, 6300 Hull Street Road, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Children ages 5 to 17 may only receive the Pfizer vaccine. Vaccinations and booster shots are available for all eligible of any age on a walk-in basis. No appointment is needed, but those interested can still do so for some events. People may schedule an appointment online at vaccinate.virginia.gov or vax.rchd.com, or by calling (804) 205-3501 or (877) VAX-IN-VA (1-877-829-4682). 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. Citing a decrease in public demand, Chesterfield County health officials have announced the closure of its vaccination clinic at the Rockwood Square Shopping Center. Mobile testing events and a change in vaccination distribution will be announced. A total of 1,993 new cases of COVID-19 were reported statewide Wednesday for the 24-hour period, contributing to an overall state total of 1,632,675 cases of coronavirus since the pandemic’s outbreak. As of Wednesday, there have been 447,620 hospitalizations and 18,338 deaths statewide. The state’s seven-day positivity rate dropped to 8.8 percent on Wednesday. Last week, the positivity rate was 11.4 percent. On Wednesday, state health officials reported that 71.9 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, while 80.7 percent of the people have received at least one dose of the vaccine. State data also showed that nearly 2.8 million people in Virginia have received booster shots or third doses of the vaccine. Among those ages 5 to 11 in Virginia, 294,440 children have received their first shots, accounting for 40.6 percent of the eligible age group in the state, while more than 244,256 children, or 33.7 percent of those ages 5 to 11, are fully vaccinated and more than 347 have received a booster shot or third dose. As of Wednesday, less than 134,000 cases, 813 hospitalizations and eight deaths have been recorded among children. State data also show that African-Americans comprised 22.4 percent of cases statewide and 23.4 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 12.2 percent of cases and 5.3 percent of deaths. Reported COVID-19 data as of Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022 Cases Hospitalizations Deaths Richmond 43,457 1,024 448 Henrico County 62,966 1,353 849 Chesterfield County 70,237 1,311 703 Hanover County 21,118 419 255

Cheryl L. Burke, 7th District, and seconded by Dawn C. Page, 8th District, but the motion failed on a 5-4 vote. Board members voting down Mr. Kamras’ budget plan were School Board Chairwoman Shonda Harris-Muhammed, 6th District; Mariah L. White, 2nd District; Kenya J. Gibson, 3rd District; Vice Chairman Jonathan M. Young, 4th District; and Stephanie M. Rizzi, 5th District. The majority wanted more time to consider revisions to the Kamras plan. The proposed changes the board is expected to consider next Monday include doubling enrollment at two specialty high schools, Franklin Military Academy and Richmond Community High School. Also under consideration is to shift money to enable Richmond Virtual Academy to serve 500 students rather than 250 as Mr. Kamras proposed. The online academy currently has 43 instructional staff

members. Mr. Kamras called for reducing that number to 10, while board members rejecting his plan hope to maintain at least 20 instructional staff. Another item includes allowing at least 400 students enrolled in career training at the Richmond Technical Center to take science and math courses there to reduce their travel time to and from their home schools. Other items included proposals to scrap Mr. Kamras plan to invest heavily in what some members see as potentially unneeded technology and to slash spending on outside curriculum and training consultants to provide more money for instruction. There also are proposals to consider raises for substitute teachers and support staff and to cut deeper into the central office staff than the Kamras plan would allow. Most of the Kamras budget plan would remain intact, including a 5 percent raise for teachers. In a communication to the Free Press,

Mayor Stoney showed his support for the Kamras plan. “The superintendent has made a responsible proposal that provides competitive teacher pay, demonstrates judicious use of federal stimulus funding and realizes $44 million in savings. No budget is perfect; presenting no budget is irresponsible,” Mayor Stoney concluded. Mrs. Burke expressed disappointment that the board would fail to meet the mayor’s deadline and lead him to avoid offering any increase in educational spending. She noted that education is just one of the areas that the mayor must consider. She said the city has housing needs to address, along with law enforcement, utilities and the varied needs of other city services. “There is not a lot of money,” Mrs. Burke said. “I want the school district to be in a position where we could get more funding. We possibly won’t because we did not submit a budget in a timely manner. We need to work within the timeframe.”

Jordan Pendleton, 10, roars to lead role as young Simba in national tour of ‘The Lion King’ have audiences because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also has been taking voice lessons for a year and a half. His love for acting also took him to New York and the Broadway Artists Alliance that provides professional training for promising young musical theater performers. There, he was among other highly talented child and teen performers studying voice, acting and dance with Tony Award winners and current Broadway performers. When he was 9, he submitted audition tapes for “The Lion King” showcasing his singing and performance ability. In his final callback audition, Jordan performed young Simba character scenes and songs. The rest is history. He will be making his young, professional debut next month, with rehearsals beginning shortly in Greensboro, N.C., where the show is currently. “It’s beginning to feel real,” Christina Pendleton, Jordan’s mother, told the Free Press as they returned to Richmond from a costume fitting in New York. Mrs. Pendleton said she was shocked initially that Jordan won the role.

“I couldn’t believe it. I totally didn’t expect Jordan would get the part,” she said. “I was very, very happy and surprised.” Mrs. Pendleton said she will be traveling with her son for the first half of his tour. His grandmother, Joy Ryu, will travel with him during the second leg through late September. Darian Sanders, 36, of Louisville who plays the older Simba with the troupe, said he is excited to meet Jordan, and he offered some advice for the young thespian. “You can bring your personality and all of the things you’ve learned during the 10 years you have lived life,” Mr. Sanders said. “All of that can be brought to the stage.” He said he enjoys working with youngsters in theater. “There is a realness and rawness inside of the young actors,” he explained. “It is beautiful to see them develop and grow.” During the tour, Jordan will keep up with his schoolwork with three hours of tutoring each day. Officials at Mary Munford Elementary will be communicating

with the Lion King tutor and sending materials to make sure Jordan stays up with the class. Principal Greg Muzik said the school is working to set up Jordan electronically so he can participate with some of his classroom activities via RPS’ virtual online system. Teachers also will provide packages of materials so Jordan, with his tutor, can work on daily activities as well as Standards of Learning objectives during the tour. “Jordan is an excellent student. He will be fine,” Mr. Muzik said. “Every student at Mary Munford is happy and excited for Jordan,” he said with pride. Learning about Jordan’s new theatrical opportunity, RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras wrote, “We are incredibly proud of Jordan and can’t wait for the whole country to see the greatness of RPS students.” Richmond School Board member, Liz B. Doerr, 1st District, also sent her congratulations. “Jordan is an example of what RPS is all about — supporting students in every way we can to fulfil their dreams,” she stated.

Julianne Tripp

8,000 potential gravesites identified at East End Cemetery using drone Continued from A1

a complex of private and public graveyards that includes the city’s Oakwood Cemetery. The team identified at least 8,000 potential gravesites in East End Cemetery, many previously invisible due to the uneven terrain that also is full of trees, according to the article in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology According to the team, the data generated from the more than 800 photographs taken by the drone and that were run through the mapping software created “a plausible representation of potential grave locations.” Describing the initiative as a “relatively cheap, simple and quick mapping method,” the team expressed the hope that their innovative approach can be “implemented to assist in reclaiming historically underfunded Black cemeteries across the American South.” The team’s members include Dr. Ryan K. Smith, a Virginia Commonwealth University history professor and cemetery expert, and Dr. Stephanie A. Spera, a University of Richmond assistant professor of geography and the environment. The two other team members are Elizabeth A. Zizzamia, GIS manager of the University of Richmond’s Spatial Analysis Lab, and Matthew S. Frank-

lin, a UR student and now a GIS specialist with Timmons Engineering. Dr. Spera credited Mr. Franklin with coming up the idea, based on his experience of using a drone to hunt for Viking sites in Canada. She said that she and Mr. Franklin experimented with other mapping software before finding that the hydrology software was the right fit for identifying graves, due to water pooling in indentations. Dating to 1897, East End Cemetery borders the older, larger and equally historic Evergreen Cemetery, both of which are now under the oversight of the Enrichmond Foundation, a city-based nonprofit. Estimates are that more than 15,000 people were buried in East End Cemetery, which remained largely untended for decades and had its last burial in 2002. Volunteers who later organized into the Friends of East End Cemetery found 3,340 marked graves in seeking to reclaim the graveyard. The group has created a website that provides the locations of those burial sites and also provides links to articles and information about the individuals where known. However, as the team noted, many of the graves in the cemetery never were marked. Also, through the decades, temporary markers were lost or destroyed, burial records disappeared after

the original East End operation dissolved in the 1950s and trees, vines and plant growth left the ground uneven. Essentially, those graves that did not have markers disappeared. According to the team, East End Cemetery is just one example of the historic Black graveyards that have been largely abandoned and become overgrown. One reason is that earlier private Black cemeteries almost never charged the kind of fee now typical to provide for perpetual care. And for decades, Black cemeteries never received any public support. In Virginia, the state provided support for groups tending Confederate cemeteries until a recent major change ended the practice and shifted the funds to Black burial grounds created before the 20th century. Far more expensive methods have been previously used around the globe to find gravesites, such as satellite imagery and ground-penetrating radar, but the team believed that drone photography — already used in Siberia and Kyrgyzstan to find burial sites — could simplify the search. While drones can be loaded with expensive sensors and other equipment to help improve imagery, the team found that advances in both hardware and software could provide the quality, detailed images that are required for such work and

that those advances made the initiative possible even for those lacking expertise in engineering or image processing. After the drone’s images were downloaded, the team reported that only six hours were needed to run them through hydrology-based mapping software and, with tweaks, identify possible gravesites. The team then checked a sample of 12 percent of the thousands of sites they believed held graves to ensure they were on the right track. Compared with other methods, the cost was minimal, totaling about $6,600, the team reported. The team estimated that it could cost more than $120,000 to use ground-penetrating radar to cover the 16-acre cemetery, without certainty that the radar would find remains. It also would cost more than $10,000 to equip the drone with more expensive sensors. The results they gained are imperfect, the team acknowledged, and limited to areas where the drone could easily photograph without interference from trees and their leaf canopies that cover much of East End Cemetery’s burial grounds during the late spring, summer and early fall. Despite the limitations, the team believes their approach represents a major step forward in locating graves and reclaiming burial grounds.

Richmond Free Press

February 24-26, 2022 A5

Every day, African American health care leaders make a difference for underrepresented communities. To celebrate Black History Month, we salute the trailblazers breaking down barriers, building stronger communities and increasing representation in medicine.

Sheryl Garland, MHA, FACHE “Achieving health equity, where everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible, is the foundation for the work my team is undertaking. I am excited to work with University, health system and community partners to identify and address challenges that prevent our patients and community members from living their healthiest lives. Through innovative partnerships, we can help those we serve achieve optimal health.” Sheryl Garland is the chief of health impact at VCU Health and executive director of the VCU Office of Health Equity.

Marcelle Davis, DSL “I am passionate about this work. I want people, regardless of the dimension of diversity they embody, to feel valued and respected. Every day, I seek opportunities for fairness in places and spaces where it didn’t exist before. VCU Health is committed to employing doctors, nurses and specialists who are a representation of the communities we serve, then empowering them to feel confident in their skin as they do the work they love.” Marcelle Davis, DSL

Dr. Marcelle Davis serves as the vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for VCU Health.

Jordan Matamoro-Mejias “Studies show patients have better health outcomes when they can identify with their provider. According to The Association of American Medical Colleges Black men make up less than 3% of physicians. At VCU, Black Men in Medicine fosters an environment for aspiring Black physicians to empower each other and to achieve their goals.” Jordan Matamoro-Mejias is a VCU student and president of Black Men in Medicine. He is also co-founder of VCU P.R.I.M.E. (Pre-Health and Related Interests Mentoring Experiences) and serves as an undergraduate representative on the VCU Board of Visitors.

Jordan Matamoro-Mejias

Kevin Harris, Ph.D. “Everyone deserves better health outcomes, no matter their demographic profile. When we fully address populations that have been historically excluded in health care, we improve health outcomes for all. Through an intentional implementation of inclusive admissions practices in medical schools, we can increase the diversity of health care professionals to better represent the varying cultures, races and ethnicities in our community, and provide the best possible care for all.” Kevin Harris, Ph.D.

Dr. Kevin Harris is the senior associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion for the VCU School of Medicine.

We care about the health and safety of our communities. For more information go to vcuhealth.org

Richmond Free Press

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Editorial Page

February 24-26, 2022

CRT — Critical race truth As Black History Month 2022 wraps up, we again call our readers’ attention to the growing national assaults on teaching and learning about America’s past and the racist policies and practices that have brought our city, state and nation to where it is today – with gaps in education, health, wealth, employment, homeownership and justice that disproportionately impact Black people and people of color. Without knowledge of and a clear understanding of what happened in the past, we cannot adequately address the issues confronting us today or take the critical steps necessary to put our communities on a better path. But according to an Education Week analysis, since January 2021, 14 Republican-led states have imposed bans or restrictions on teaching about race or racial issues. Virginia, under new GOP Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin, is among them. The others are Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Montana and Idaho. Another 23 states have legislation pending that they, too, claim will protect students from “critical race theory indoctrination” or lessons that they fear will make white children uncomfortable. The result has been the banning of books, an intimidation of teachers and a blanket over the open and honest dialogue in classrooms that leads to real learning and critical thinking. What many white people are afraid of is critical race truth, or the historical facts that show how race has shaped—or misshapen—today’s laws and practices. Gov. Youngkin and conservative forces in Virginia seem to be hell-bent on erasing the truth from Virginia’s public schools through executive order and by creating a tip line to report and punish teachers for bringing up what someone feels is a “divisive concept.” But just like during slavery when many Southern states made it illegal to teach the enslaved to read or write, nothing will keep history, learning or the truth from rising. People across the nation are dedicated to freely sharing resources to lift the knowledge of all who desire to learn and help illuminate the path forward. One organization, Literacy Partners, is hosting a free, two-day virtual reading of “The Bluest Eye,” a novel by the late Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison that recently has been in the crosshairs of conservatives as a book to ban. It is based, in part, on a conversation Ms. Morrison had with a childhood friend. The first reading day took place on Wednesday, Feb. 23. The second part of the reading will take place 7 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, and will feature readers such as Angela Davis, Edwidge Danticat, Kimberlé Crenshaw and Nikole Hannah-Jones. You can sign up at https://events.literacypartners.org/bluesteye/ Individuals and organizations also have been circulating lists of books for people of all ages about Black history that will help the truth percolate to the people. Below, we offer a list of our own. And we invite you to share your recommendations with Free Press readers by posting them on our social media sites or by writing in the comment section below this editorial on our website, at www. richmondfreepress.com. As former President John F. Kennedy said: “The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.” Know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Book list

“The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story” by Nikole Hannah-Jones “Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story” by Ruby Bridges “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You” by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds “An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves and the Creation of America” by Henry Wiencek “Malcolm and Me: A Novel” by Robin Farmer “Mules and Men” by Zora Neale Hurston “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” as told to Alex Haley “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration” by Isabel Wilkerson “Faces at the Bottom of the Well” by Derrick Bell

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NFL’s race problem and Robert F. Smith Even before former Miami Dolphins Coach Brian Flores filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL claiming the league discriminated against Black coaches in their hiring practices, it was pretty clear that professional football has a race issue. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida recently found that, in 2021, around 71 percent of the players in the NFL were people of color, while only a quarter were white. Yet of the league’s 32 teams, only three head coaches are people of color. And only two team owners are non-white—Jacksonville Jaguars’ owner Shahid Kahn is a Pakistani-American, and Kim Pegula, a Korean American, is a co-owner of the Buffalo Bills. In a league whose players are overwhelmingly Black, there needs to be more representation in the front office of people who look like the athletes that take the gridiron each Sunday. With the Denver Broncos expected to hit the market sometime this offseason, now is probably the best time in the 101-year history of the NFL for the league to have its first Black team owner and to begin to change the plantation mentality that has plagued professional football for decades. When considering potential buyers of the team, one name continually rises above the rest—

Robert F. Smith. Mr. Smith is the 59-year-old founder of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners whose net worth is estimated to be around $6.7 billion. He may not have the star power that other potential buyers do, i.e., former Broncos quarterbacks Peyton Manning and John Elway or Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. But what he does have

Benjamin Chavis Jr. is a long track record of success in the largely white world of investment. The Broncos could certainly use some of Mr. Smith’s magic given that the team hasn’t had a winning record since the 2015-16 season when they won the Super Bowl. Putting aside Mr. Smith’s investing acumen and ability to grow emerging businesses, his up-from-the-bootstraps story and expansive philanthropic work in the Black community would go a long way in changing the make-up of a NFL ownership from its traditional purview of stodgy, old white men. For one, Mr. Smith is a Denver native whose curiosity, intelligence and drive led him to a job with Bell Laboratories when he was just in high school. From there, he went on to Cornell and Columbia universities and jobs with Goodyear, Kraft and Goldman Sachs before founding Vista Equity in 2000. What his resume shows is that Mr. Smith is not afraid of breaking down walls and inserting himself into traditional bastions of whiteness like the Ivy Leagues and private equity. If there is any

Black man in America who could take on the lily-white structure of NFL ownership, it’s Robert F. Smith. If the NFL is serious about changing not just its image, but its relationships with its players and fan base, then Mr. Smith also would be an ideal partner for the league. He not only talks a big game about racial equity, but he backs it up by putting money where his mouth is. In 2019, Mr. Smith spent $34 million of his own money to settle the loan debt for the nearly 400 students who graduated that spring from Morehouse College. He also donated $20 million to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington—the largest by an individual donor to the museum at the time—and he helped found and donated $50 million to the Student Freedom Initiative, which aims to relieve the financial burdens on minority college students. Through Vista, Mr. Smith also has spearheaded the Southern Communities Initiative, a consortium of companies working to address problems facing communities of color in the South, where almost 60 percent of all Black Americans live. Through the SCI, he hopes to tackle pressing issues like substandard education and workforce development opportunities, housing and healthcare inequalities, the digital divide, limited access to capital and physical infrastructure failures in these communities. In an argument about integrating professional football, Black athlete, activist and journalist

Who would have believed it?

From the silly to the sublime, to the serious, faster than the mind can cogitate, our societal norms are being manipulated from the “as expected” to the “never in a million years.” Reflecting on what is presented to the masses daily, I can recall a time when a television series like “The Real Housewives…” could never have been shown, and pimple-popping would have been done in the privacy of one’s own bathroom, but no longer. Frivolity is often the trademark of a “who would have believed” event, but now, more often than not, rather than leaving us amused, they leave us shocked and in dismay and disbelief. The current trend in these events has us questioning how we might provide for increased security and safety for our families and ourselves. Who would have believed a time during which the seriousness of a public health crisis in the form of a global pandemic would be denied? Can anyone explain when, in the face of such a pandemic, personal interests and comfort became paramount over the interests of the general state of health? Most assuredly, few people could have anticipated this “denial” state of mind among

such large numbers of cases or that the disease would take the lives of more than 900,000 Americans. My bet is that even fewer people could have guessed the massive rejection of lifesaving vaccines. In stark contrast to the current pandemic, the 1950s battle against polio was a lesson in

Dr. E. Faye Williams cooperative discipline. With the exception of general masking, Americans practiced extreme social distancing. In his book, “Paralyzed with Fear: The Story of Polio,” Gareth Williams wrote, “Fearful of the spread of the contagious virus, (San Angelo, Texas) closed pools, swimming holes, movie theaters, schools and churches, forcing priests to reach out to their congregations on local radio. Some motorists who had to stop for gas in San Angelo would not fill up their deflated tires, afraid they’d bring home air containing the infectious virus. And one of the town’s best physicians diagnosed his patients based on his ‘clinical impression’ rather than taking the chance of getting infected during the administration of the proper diagnostic test.” When Jonas Salk released his vaccine in 1955, he immediately was described as a “miracle worker” and, because he did not patent his vaccine, it

was universally welcomed and produced in the United States and the world. Acceptance of his vaccine was so widespread that by1980, polio had been eliminated in the United States. One also must ask who would have believed a time in which the history of Black Americans is being openly erased from the curriculum of America’s public schools and from the conscience of the nation? Although barely taught, the instruction of Black history is under assault. It is erroneously labeled as critical race theory and the new threshold of general acceptance is that it is presented in a manner which does not cause “guilt” or “discomfort” to the listener. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History, said, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.” He added, “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” For now, the vigilant see psychological eradication as the goal. Will the physical follow? I guess nothing should surprise us now as people now flock to certain gas stations for dinner! The writer is national president of the National Congress of Black Women Inc.

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.

Halley Harding wrote in the Los Angeles Tribune in 1941 that “most persons, corporations or businesses almost always forget the people or incidents that made them big.” Mr. Harding added: “This story is about a great American sport (football) that took all the aid the colored American could give and then as soon as it became ‘big league,’ promptly put a bar up against the very backbone of its existence.” These words could just as aptly be applied to the NFL today as they did in the 1940s. But now, as America once again re-examines its turbulent past when it comes to race, the NFL probably has its best chance in years to right a glaring gap in its leadership when it comes to the Broncos. And if there is anyone who can fill that gap, it’s Robert F. Smith. The writer is president and chief executive officer of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

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Richmond Free Press

February 24-26, 2022 A7

Commentary

Cancel student loan debt One of President Biden’s first executive actions exercised his authority granted in the Higher Education Act. On May 1, the federal pause on student loan repayments is set to expire. As the end of the extension nears, an estimated 44 million student loan borrowers and their collective $1.6 trillion debt soon will be affected. But a broad and diverse national coalition of more than 140 advocates is urging U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to take a further step: Cancel student debt mired in its varied income driven repayment, or IDR, programs. Black

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borrowers are a vocal part of the effort to eliminate the unsustainable financial burden. IDR repayment was introduced in 1992 as a way to affordably manage student debt. Beyond reasonable monthly payments, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program promised that those with years of timely payments could look forward to debt cancellation. A Feb. 9 letter to Secretary Cardona pinpoints the myriad borrower ills of IDR and urges swift debt cancellation of federal loans. “To receive debt cancellation under IDR, student loan borrowers must enroll in one of the several income-driven repayment options and remain in that plan for decades,” wrote the advocates. “To enroll, borrowers must first know about the program, determine which plan suits their needs, submit a litany of paperwork and documentation and then repeat this process annually for more than two decades.” Although the Education Department’s own data documents that 4.4 million student loan borrowers have been in incomedriven repayment programs for 20 years or longer, only 32 borrowers have successfully had their loans canceled. Similarly, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, or PHEAA, the nation’s largest student loan servicer, found that of its more than 8.5 million customers, only 48 borrowers would receive debt cancellation under IDR by 2025. Moreover, PHEAA’s internal data projects the number of IDR borrowers receiving debt cancellation will decline by 83 percent between 2022

and 2025. “Without action from this administration, only 1 in 23,000 borrowers will continue to have a chance at cancellation, and that is unacceptable,” said Persis Yu, policy director and managing counsel at the Student Borrower Protection Center, a

Charlene Crowell member of the national coalition. “The Biden administration can help millions of borrowers and restore trust in this vital program by implementing an IDR waiver.” “Decades of bad servicing, complicated paperwork and policy failures have broken borrowers’ faith in this program,” said Julia Barnard, a researcher specializing in student loans at the Center for Responsible Lending, which also is a coalition member. “We call on the Education Department under the Biden Administration to make IDR reform an urgent priority in the months ahead.” The most ardent calls for student debt cancellation come from borrowers themselves, especially current or former Black borrowers whose families already are forced to cope with a nagging racial wealth gap. With fewer financial resources, many Black students heavily rely on federal financial aid in the form of Pell Grants and federal loans. When those sources of finance are not enough to cover educational costs, parents and/ or other family members often borrow Parent PLUS loans to fulfill the unmet costs. “When we think of student debt overall,” noted Congresswoman Alma Adams of North Carolina, a former HBCU student and faculty member, “we think about young people. But I have to tell you, there are still a lot of older people paying off student loans.” Rep. Adams’ comments are

a part of a student debt documentary, “My Yard, My Debt: The HBCU Student Borrower Experience,” a collaborative project by the United Negro College Fund, the Center for Community Capital at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Center for Responsible Lending. Underwritten by the Lumina Foundation, the film draws upon surveys, focus groups and recent related research. Dr. Katherine Wheatle, a first-generation college student, shared how even today her experience borrowing student loans continues to affect her and her mother who took out a Parent PLUS loan. From her post as strategy officer of federal policy and equity with the Lumina Foundation, Dr. Wheatle explained remaining student loan challenges. “It looks different for Black women and women of color,” said Dr. Wheatle. “While I may be able to make a similar salary to a white male or white female — my peers and counterparts — my income is being stretched thinner and going very differently than what might happen with my peers.” For Robert Stephens, a Winston-Salem State University alumnus, student debt has delayed his ability to buy a home, build a business and start a family. “This pandemic has exasperated people’s ability to take care of themselves … savings are dwindled to nothing… We need help and a great way that is directly in the purview of President Biden is the ability to cancel student debt. Listen to the people on the ground and do it,” Mr. Stephens urged. A related joint policy analysis documents that many people agree with Mr. Stephens’ perspective. The Student Borrower Protection Center was joined by the Center for Responsible Lending and the National Con-

sumer Law Center’s Student Loan Borrower Assistance program in quantifying Black support for student loan debt relief. The analysis shows: • 93 percent of Black student loan borrowers support increasing the level of state funding for HBCUs to match funding for predominantly white institutions; • 91 percent support increasing the amount of the federal Pell Grant; • 90 percent support automatically adjusting student loan payments based on borrower income; and • 84 percent of Black student

loan borrowers support acrossthe-board student debt cancellation of $50,000, including borrowers of Parent PLUS loans that are now ineligible. A November 2021 survey by the UNCF and the CRL concluded that “federal investment can intervene and help Black students and borrowers succeed and thrive.” With a wealth of research and borrower testimonials, the policy question becomes “when” or “if” relief will be granted. The writer is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending.

THE BUS RIDE It was the biggest bus I ever did see, A great big bus headed for Galilee. That bus would take you anywhere you wanted to go And anyone can ride, young or ol’ So jump on board, it ain’t too late There’s angels on here, to take you to the gate On that bus there was good times aplenty A lot of good kids rode the bus - and some bad ones too All were welcome, but you couldn’t act like no fool. We played some serious whist on that bus, and talked a big game I made mac-n-cheese, But compared to hers - it just wasn’t the same. )ULHG FKLFNHQ DQG ¿VK SRWDWR VDODG DQG JUHHQV ¿W IRU +ROO\ZRRG Trotters and sweet potato pie. I’m tellin’ you it was some kinda good! We sat in the back, so we could sneak a little taste, She knew what was up, but kept a smile on her face. Big Mama, Papa Joe, and Cousin Anna, Baptized down the Mill Pond. From Jack Roots to Joquane, your word is your bond. Cousin Nancy and Ms. Robb, they’re on the bus too. Goldie had 8 treasures, raised by the Golden Rule. There was Brenda the Nightingale, and Nathaniel the Trailblazer, Elliott the Strong, and Prince William the Crusader, Walter the Blessed, and Arnold the Great, &OLQWRQ WKH 0DJQL¿FHQW DQG 4XHHQ 3UHFLRXV EDE\ RI WKH The grands and the greats - I can’t even pronounce, Nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends - too many to count. +HU OHJDF\ JXLGHV DOO RI XV OLNH WKH 6HUPRQ RQ WKH 0RXQW Now every time I see a school bus, I know everything’s gonna be all right, Because she left us her love, and her eternal, golden light. Copyright (2022), The Honorable H. Alexander Manuel

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Richmond Free Press

A8 February 24-26, 2022

Sports

Baseball Hall of Famer Ray Dandridge to be immortalized with bobblehead By Fred Jeter

Ray Dandridge, arguably the greatest baseball player to ever come out of Richmond, is back in the news. The Hall of Fame third baseman is one of 13 Negro Leagues standouts being honored with bobbleheads. The project is a partnership of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame Museum in Milwaukee and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. Other former Negro Leaguers getting bobbleheads are Rube Foster, Buck Leonard, Martin Dihigo, Buck O’Neil, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Judy Johnson, Pop Lloyd, Leon Day, Cool Papa Bell and Bob Motley. Ray Dandridge was born in 1913 in Richmond’s Church Hill. He died in 1994 in Florida at the age of 80. Known as “Hooks,” he is considered among the greatest defensive third basemen in baseball history and was a three-time Negro Leagues All-Star. Some of his best years came with the Newark Eagles (1936-1944). Dandridge is wearing an Eagles’ uniform in his bobblehead. Because of his race, Dandridge never got a chance to play in the mainstream major leagues. By the time Jackie Robinson broke the color line in 1947, Dandridge was considered too old. Still he hit .362 with the AAA Minneapolis Millers (New York Giants affiliate) in 1949 and batted .360 with the Millers in his final season in 1955. Dandridge was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 by the Veterans’ Committee. He also is 0in the B:11" Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. The bobbleheads are $35 or $400 for the fullT:11" set of 13. S:11"

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GRTC Transit System in Richmond, Virginia Line Screen: 300 dpi Name:the None seeks a skilled candidate to Project oversee Ad Code: INN2-108 purchasing function and storeroom operations of GRTC. A college degree is highly preferred, with a high school diploma or equivalent required. Three (3) years of professional experience in public sector procurement or contract administration. Possession of one of the following certifications is preferred: Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), $FSUJmFE 1VCMJD 1SPDVSFNFOU 0GmDFS $110 PS DPNQBSBCMF DFSUJmDBUJPO ,OPXMFEHF PG 'FEFSBM 5SBOTJU "ENJOJTUSBUJPO '5" QSPDVSFNFOU procedures, laws and regulations preferred. ,OPXMFEHF PG QSPDFTT UP SFRVFTU CJET BOE award contracts. Strong technology skills UP JODMVEF FYQFSJFODF XJUI .JDSPTPGU 0GGJDF Applications and Database Management. The successful candidate will have knowledge of public procurement procedures along with bid request and award contract processes. Working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel necessary, as is previous experience working with a computerized purchasing and inventory system. A valid Virginia driver’s license required. Candidates may apply online at www.ridegrtc. com. GRTC is an equal opportunity employer with a drug-free work environment.

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Richmond Free Press

February 24-26, 2022 A9

Sports

Stories by Fred Jeter

VUU hopes to repeat 1952 Baltimore CIAA glory Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Weldon Edwards is recognized in the Virginia House of Delegates as the first Black football player at the University of Richmond in 1970. The proclamation was presented Feb. 18 by his former UR teammate, Delegate John Avoli of Staunton.

UR trailblazing player Weldon Edwards honored

Someone has to lead the way in anything, and Weldon Edwards was the leader of the pack at the University of Richmond. Following a brilliant football and track and field career at Maggie L. Walker High School, Edwards became UR’s first African-American football player in 1970. On Feb. 18, before an excited crowd of family, friends and former Spider teammates, Edwards was honored by the Virginia House of Delegates for his trailblazing effort at the private university. He was given a standing ovation by all in attendance. Introducing the proclamation to honor Edwards was his former UR teammate, Delegate John Avoli of Staunton, who represents the 20th House District. Edwards had all the physical tools to be a star college player, and even an NFL prospect. However he was unable to fulfill his potential at UR due to a crippling knee injury. Still, he competed as a running back and defensive back for UR and later served as an assistant coach. As an adult, Edwards has starred in softball and flag football. For the last 14 years he has been a salesman for The Auto Connection.

The last time Virginia Union University traveled to Baltimore for the CIAA Tournament, the Panthers returned to Richmond hoisting the championship trophy. That was in 1952 when Coach Thomas Harris, aka “Tricky Tom,” was on the sidelines in The Charm City. This week, under Coach Jay Butler, the Panthers are hopeful of repeating their glory from 70 years ago. Few would be surprised if that occurs. The Panthers have been the CIAA’s best this season, posting a 21-6 overall (13-3 conference) record en route to the CIAA Northern Division crown and top seed. Along the way, VUU twice defeated Southern Division champion Winston-Salem State University. Three of the Panthers’ season losses were in overtime, including an OT setback to Nova Southeastern University, the nation’s No. 1 ranked NCAA Division II team, on Dec. 19 in South Florida. VUU will carry a seven-game winning streak to Baltimore, including an 83-78 win at Shaw University on Feb. 19 in the regular season finale. New digs: This year’s CIAATournament will be at Royals Farms Arena, a 14,000-seat facility within a mile of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The CIAA Tournament hasn’t been played in Baltimore since 1952 when the event was held at Edward Hurt Gymnasium on the campus of Morgan State University. VUU defeated Johnson C. Smith University that year, 83-81, for the title. The tournament began in 1946 in Washington. It has since been in Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Hampton, Norfolk, Richmond, Raleigh and, since

Ballin’ in Baltimore The CIAA Basketball Tournament is underway and the Virginia State University men’s and women’s teams are off to a promising start. The VSU men opened Tuesday with a 71-58 win over Claflin University and advanced to Wednesday’s 6:10 p.m. match against Fayetteville State University. If victorious, the Trojans would play in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25. The Virginia Union men were to play Wednesday night against host Bowie State. The winner will advance to the semifinals at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25. The championship game is set for 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. The VUU Lady Panthers lost their first game to Claflin 68-56 and finished their first season under Coach Tierra Terry. The VSU women won their opener 62-38 over Shaw and advanced to Wednesday’s quarterfinals against Bowie State.

2006, Charlotte, N.C. This is the first of a three-year deal with Baltimore. There was no tournament a year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The name game: Few tournaments can boast a more impressive list of alumni. Among the most famous CIAA Tournament stars were NBA Hall of Famers Sam Jones (North Carolina Central), Earl Monroe (Winston-Salem State), Bob Dandridge (Norfolk State) and Ben Wallace (Virginia Union). Also on the list is West Virginia State’s Earl Lloyd, who became the first AfricanAmerican to play in the NBA (1950), and Al Attles (North Carolina A&T), who went on to fame as player and head coach in the NBA. Rick Mahorn (Hampton) led the Detroit Pistons to the NBA crown in 1989. Just from Virginia Union, the alumni list features Jackie Jackson, Mike Davis, Charles Oakley, A.J. English, Jamie Waller, Terry Davis and Ben Wallace, all of whom

played in the NBA. Changing guard: The CIAA has gone through some changes. In 1970, Delaware State, Howard, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Morgan, North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central left to form the MidEastern Athletic Conference, or MEAC. Hampton and Norfolk State left for the MEAC in the 1990s. Doors have opened: Much has changed since 1952, when Black athletes were little more than an afterthought on the national sports scene. That year, the Minneapolis Lakers won the NBA, the New York Yankees won the World Series, the Detroit Lions won the NFL and the University of Kansas won the NCAA basketball title, all without a single Black player on their rosters. The talent displayed in CIAA tournaments in the early years helped form a bridge from mainstream America to a more integrated society.

George Wythe’s Deshawn Goodwyn has star power on and off court During these toughest of times, Deshawn Goodwyn has been a beacon of light for George Wythe High School basketball. Gifted in so many ways, the 6-foot-5, 182-pound senior has put on an unforgettable performance in an otherwise forgettable season for the Bulldogs. Wythe finished the season with a 3-16 record. The son of Reginald Goodwyn and Katrinia Murray Bledsoe, Goodwyn wears No. 0 for Coach Willard Coker. He will be remembered as among the top 3-point shooters in state history. In three seasons, he hit the bottom of the nets with nearly 300 three-balls. “Deshawn stepped right in as a freshman for us,” Coach Coker said. “He was determined to be the best at what he did best—shooting the three.” It has been challenging, however, to say the least for a program that won the State 2A title in 2015. Coach Coker’s program never fully recovered from the pandemic restrictions. All Richmond Public Schools teams opted out of the 2020-21 for safety concerns. “We just didn’t have the firepower,” Coach Coker said. “We never bounced back.” The Bulldogs played with seven or eight players much of the season and were down to six during its game at Powhatan in a surprise victory. Every George Wythe opponent concentrated its defense on making life as difficult as possible for Goodwyn. “Deshawn has been box and one’d, double teamed and face guarded every night,” Coach Coker said. Still, the relentless Bulldogs averaged about 23 points—high of 44 points against Clover Hill High School—while hitting about 40 percent from beyond the arc. Deshawn finished with about 1,000 career points in just three seasons. Every shot he takes is heavily contested. “Defenses have been crazy,” Goodwyn told the Free Press. “Seems like they’re always throwing two (defenders) at me.” There’s much more to Good-

wyn than just hoops. While he plays for George Wythe High School, he attends Franklin Military Academy where he is vying for valedictorian honors with a 4.56 GPA. On top of that, he scored a whopping 1,310—on a 1,600 scale—on his SAT college admissions exam. Because Franklin Military Academy has no athletic teams, Goodwyn is free to play for his South Side neighborhood school, George Wythe. But there’s more, much more. On Sundays, he serves as the pianist for Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church on 2nd Avenue in Highland Park. “Deshawn is wonderful,” said the Rev. James M. Arsenault. “It’s a combination of his natural talent and having grown up listening to our music in the congregation.” Goodwyn attended All Saints Catholic School until seventh grade. His mother serves as office manager for Saint Elizabeth. Neither of Goodwyn’s parents plays the piano, nor has he had any formal training. He is self-taught. “I pretty much learned how through YouTube,” Goodwyn said. He’s not the kind of teenager bullies might want to rough up, either. Don’t try stealing

his lunch. In 1994, his father won a world karate championship in Trinidad. Goodwyn has trained with his father at home and also at the Downtown YMCA, where Mr. Goodwyn has served as an instructor. Goodwyn’s nearly historic shooting aim from distance doesn’t come by accident. “During the off-season, I might put up 500 jump shots a day,” Goodwyn said. “I’ll stay after practice and shoot

Adonis Lattimore wins wrestling championship Adonis Lattimore is the State Class 6 wrestling champion. He’s also a champion of the phrase “no excuses.” Born without full legs and only one finger on his right hand, the senior at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach captured the state crown Feb. 19 at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Competing at 106 pounds, Lattimore finished the season with a 32-7 record after defeating Korlan Tran of Lake Braddock High School in Burke, 5-1, in the state finals. “Really, if you work hard, you can do anything, even win the state championship without legs,” he told the media.

Photos by Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Deshawn Goodwyn, a 6-foot-5 senior at Franklin Military Academy who plays for George Wythe High School, is among the top 3-point shooters in state history. With a 4.56 GPA, he is being recruited by Ivy League schools. A self-taught musician, he also plays piano during Sunday morning Mass, below, at Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church in Highland Park.

another 250.” Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog. Helping polish his jumper has been Brandon Holley, a shooting star on George Wythe’s 2015 state title squad. Chipping in with ball-handling advice has been Maurice Coleman, another 2015 star. Recruiting has been a surprisingly light. His most serious offers have come from Yale and Cornell universities of the Ivy League, and Emory & Henry

University, a NCAA Division II school. There are at least three reasons for a lack of college interest. He missed his entire junior year due to the pandemic. Then he suffered a serious concussion last spring that took him away from the AAU circuit. “I was bedridden for three months,” he recalled. Also factoring in is his late growth spurt. He sprouted from an even 6-foot as a sophomore to his current 6-foot-5. And lastly, the struggling, undermanned Bulldogs have been unable to attract much attention this winter. It’s not uncommon nowadays for athletes to change schools, chasing the greener grass. Not so with Goodwyn. “We have a great relationship with Coach Coker,” said Mr. Goodwyn, who serves as an assistant coach. According to Goodwyn, “I was going to be loyal to the school that has given me so much.” As lights go, you won’t find one much brighter than No. 0 for the Bulldogs.

Charley Taylor, NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver, dies at 80 Charley Taylor, among the first Black stars to play for the Washington NFL team, died Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. He was 80 and residing in Sterling in Northern Virginia, not far from his gridiron exploits at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium. Mr. Taylor, named to the NFL Charley Taylor Hall of Fame in 1984, ranks with the greatest wide receivers of all time. Between 1964 when he was named NFL Rookie of the Year and retirement in 1977, he had 649 receptions for 9,110 yards and 79 touchdowns. Also utilized at running back by coaches Bill McPeak, Vince Lombardi and George Allen, he carried the ball 442 times for 1,488 yards and another 11 touchdowns. Following an All-American career at Arizona State University, Mr. Taylor, a native Texan, was the NFL’s third overall draft pick in 1964. When Mr. Taylor arrived in Washington in 1964, the franchise was still just dipping its toes in the water as far as hiring Black players. In 1962, Washington was the last NFL team to integrate, 16 seasons after the league broke the color line in 1946. In 1962, Washington made Syracuse University running back Ernie Davis the first overall draft pick. Davis was then traded to Cleveland for another Black star, Bobby Mitchell. Like Mr. Taylor, Mitchell was a receiver/running back combination. Mitchell, another Hall of Fame selection who died in 2020, played with Washington from 1962 to 1968. Mitchell and Mr. Taylor gave quarterback Sonny Jurgensen and Washington perhaps the best set of deep-threat receivers in the sport’s annals.

A10 February 24-26, 2022

Richmond Free Press

February 24-26, 2022 B1

Richmond Free Press

Section

Happenings

Personality: Dr. Arcelia ‘CC’ Jackson Spotlight on board president of Mental Health America of Virginia Dr. Arcelia “CC” Jackson is bringing a caring, thoughtful approach to the issues and stigmas surrounding mental health in the Richmond community across her multiple disciplines and roles. An ordained minister and licensed professional counselor, Dr. Jackson in late January took over the helm as board president of Mental Health America of Virginia, a nonprofit organization working with recovery, wellness and healing, the tenets behind its educational peer-run programs. “Every day I work with people who are in acute mental health crises and make a determination as to whether these people will benefit from the resources of community mental health agencies or they require a higher level of support that may require hospitalization,” Dr. Jackson says. “I meet amazing people who may be having the worst day of their lives and remind them of the possibilities of hope.” While the New York native has served on MHAV’s board of directors for the last five years, her experience in human services spans decades. For more than 20 years, Dr. Jackson has served the well-being of the community through her expertise in health and religious matters. She has her own counseling service in Henrico County, Changing by Choice, and is the assistant pastor at Seventh Street Memorial Baptist Church, where her husband, Rev. Micah Jackson, is pastor. With her work, Dr. Jackson has been able to see and address the kinds of mental health issues that MHAV works to resolve. “I see the need daily for the stigma of mental illness to be demolished, and for those persons who need support to receive compassionate and com-

prehensive supportive services,” Dr. Jackson says. The many ways she interacts with the Richmond community has allowed Dr. Jackson to also gain insight into how the broader community perceives mental health and the stereotypes that have developed around it. For the African-American community in particular, Dr. Jackson seeks to build more empathy when it comes to mental health and move “beyond the religious and ideological stigma that our community has embraced” that leads some to regard mental health issues as a sign of weakness. “Mental health,” she says, “should be addressed as intentional and vigorously as medical health.” Dr. Jackson and MHAV already are planning for Mental Health Awareness Day in May and the organization’s annual Art Auction and Victory for Mental Health program scheduled for the fall. “For 85 years this organization has advocated for the mental health of all Virginians, and for over five years I have been a part of a diversified board that understands the importance of our advocacy,” Dr. Jackson says. “We are consistently committed to ensure the best of mental health care and support for all Virginians.” Meet the newest leader in local mental health support and this week’s Personality, Dr. Arcelia “CC” Jackson: No. 1 volunteer position: Board president, Mental Health America of Virginia. Occupation: Licensed professional counselor; certified substance abuse counselorresident; and CEO of Changing By Choice. Date and place of birth: April 23 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Where I live now: Henrico County. Education: Bachelor’s in religious studies and bachelor’s in criminal justice, Virginia Commonwealth University; masters of divinity, Virginia Union University; master’s in clinical mental health counseling, South University; and doctorate in health care administration, Virginia University of Lynchburg. Family: Husband, Rev. Micah Jackson, pastor of Seventh Street Memorial Baptist Church, where Dr. Jackson serves as assistant pastor; and two adult children, Aaron and Melanie, who, along with their spouses, have given them four grandbabies. Mental Health America is: A nonprofit organization committed to supporting those in need of mental health services. When and where founded: Founded in 1909 in Connecticut, the national office is now in Alexandria, Va. Mental Health America of Virginia was founded

in March 1937. Founder: National founder, Clifford W. Beers; local founder, Dr. Beverly Tucker was the first board president, and his name is familiar to many as the Tucker Pavilion of Chippenham Hospital honors his work in psychiatry. Mental Health America of Virginia: Is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit mental health organization working with recovery, wellness and healing as the foundational tenets behind our educational peer-run programs. We are the state-level representative for a national network that includes four community-based affiliates in Virginia. Mission of MHAV: Mental Health America’s work is driven by its commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; integrated care, services and supports for those who need them; with recovery as the goal. When elected MHAV board president: Jan. 28 for a twoyear term. Historical significance of election: There are no current records to indicate there ever being an African-American to hold the position of president of MHAV. No. 1 goal or project as board president: To normalize seeking mental health supportive services being as intentional and frequent as medical care. Strategy for achieving goals: To use every opportunity to bring awareness to the importance of maintaining mental health. Mental health is: The act of being cognizant of how your mind

is processing how you think, feel and how you subsequently will behave; and knowing when to stop and let your mind rest. Mental health care for Black Virginians is: Pressing beyond the religious and ideological stigma that our community has embraced about having mental health issues being a sign of weakness or demonic possession and understanding that stereotypes that were perpetuated in our community were the result of not understanding how the mind works. In many cases, it may have been meant to protect the person, but it caused more harm than good. It no longer has to be a secret! Mental health should be addressed as intentional and vigorously as medical health. COVID-19’s continuing impact on mental health care is: Causing us to reflect and seek clearer understanding between our medical and mental health and understanding that this connection is worth exploring and understanding as it relates directly to one’s overall health. How to access services provided by MHAV: MHAV has many online resources and on-demand webinars that can be completed in the comfort of one’s home. There are also some upcoming live webinars that are available beginning in April. Registration: www.mhsva.org Our Warm Line is: Our PeerRun Warm Line is available for those who may need encouragement with general mental health support and those struggling with addiction in the Richmond area. The local office is available 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, and 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The number is (866) 400- 6428. Other helpful resources: (888) 273- TALK (8255) and the local Community Services Board for the jurisdiction in which a

FROM HAMPTON ROADS TO HENRICO & BEY ND. VPM 6x10

Watch starting February 24 vpm.org/focalpoint

person lives. A perfect day for me is: A day when all of my family is in the same room and the room is filled with food, laughter, children screaming and the house is a complete mess. How I quiet my mind: I love to listen to nature sounds and meditate. My daily self-care routine is: Daily affirmations, taking time to check in on emotions, taking naps and always finding a reason to laugh. What I am learning about myself during the pandemic: I’m learning how to set boundaries and implement self-care for myself even as I serve others. Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: I love watching animated movies! Quote that inspires me: “The greatest sources of our suffering are the lies we tell ourselves.” — Dr. Elvin Semrad. Every day I wake up and live my life in truth and work to be my authentic best self. Friends describe me as: Real. At the top of my “to-do” list: Take a vacation! Best late-night snack: Applesauce. Best thing my parents ever taught me: The power of selfsufficiency. Persons who influenced me the most: Apostle Olive C. Brown and Dr. Patricia Gould-Champ. Book that influenced me the most: “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma” by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. What I’m reading now: “A Promised Land” by former President Obama. Next goal: Write my second book.

Richmond Free Press

B2 February 24-26, 2022

Happenings Piece of the pie: Joyebells gives back to community By Ronald E. Carrington

Joye B. Moore’s recipe for supporting the community is just as sweet and as her now famous Joyebells Sweet Potato Pies. Surrounded by a group of youngsters at the Northside Family YMCA on Old Brook Road Feb. 17, Ms. Moore presented a $25,000 check to the YMCA of Great Richmond to boost its after-school programs for children. The money, a donation on behalf of Ms. Moore’s company, Joyebells LLC, was from Sam’s Club USA, where Ms. Moore’s pies will be sold in all 600 locations by year’s end and her Joyebells Peach Cobblers will be launched by mid-year. Ms. Moore credited the YMCA in South Dallas, Texas, for providing a meal and a safe place each day for her and her sister, Cassandra Wheeler, Joyebells’ director of production, while they were homeless as teens as a result of child abuse. Ms. Moore said the staff was supportive and kept her from becoming a statistic. “Both of us had the opportunity to graduate high school on time” because a YMCA staff member

she called Ms. Tina encouraged and cared about her, asking every day if she had homework. Ms. Wheeler said, “We could depend on Ms. Tina because we knew she was going to be there every day.” Ms. Moore said it was “only appropriate” that the YMCA be the first recipient of Joyebells Charities. “I know what can happen at the YMCA,” she said. “This is a safe place with meals, encouragement and inspiration. The Y is creating a stairstep for the little Joyebells that don’t have inspiration at home for whatever reason.” She told the Free Press she hopes the donation can help “continue the after-school programs and expand the types of programs to enable children to learn.” Alexandra Moore, vice president of philanthropy for the YMCA of Greater Richmond, said the gift will enable the YMCA “to serve even more children in our after-school care programs, allowing parents to work and supporting families as they know their children will be cared for in a safe and enriching environment.”

Courtesy of YMCA of Greater Richmond

Joye B. Moore, founder and chief executive officer of Joyebells LLC, applauds as youngsters from the Northside Family YMCA display the $25,000 donation made by Sam’s Club on behalf of her company to support after-school programs at the YMCA of Greater Richmond. Ms. Moore was accompanied to the Feb. 17 check presentation by her sister, Cassandra Wheeler, left, Joyebells’ director of production. Accepting the donation is Abigail Farris Rogers, right, president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater Richmond.

Joyebells was started in 2019 by Ms. Moore, a sixth-generation baker using a family recipe passed down from her third great-grandmother. The business has expanded quickly from five independent grocery locations initially to Food

Lion stores in the Richmond area and more than 200 Sam’s Clubs in 19 states. She appeared on NBC’s TODAY show in late 2019, where her sweet potato pie tied for first place in a pie bake-off.

HOME of Virginia to host series of conversations on fair housing issues Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, a nonprofit fair housing enforcement, research, advocacy and policy organization working for equal access to housing for all people, is hosting a series of conversations about pressing housing issues in the state featuring experts in discussion with HOME directors. The series kicks off at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, March 3, with “Combating Segregated Housing Patterns,” and Monica Jefferson, HOME’s interim president and chief executive officer; Bryan Moorefield, HOME’s director of policy and research; and attorney Thomas Wolf, who worked on the landmark case HOME v. Nationwide. During the hour-

The exhibit “HOME & 50 Years of Fair Housing in Virginia,” which explores the impact of fair housing work by Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, is on view through April 15 at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia in Jackson Ward.

long discussion, they will talk about why segregated housing

patterns exist today and what can be done to combat them.

The series will be held at the Black History Museum &

Romance fraud: Looking for love in wrong place proves costly Associated Press

FALLS CHURCH, Va. For the victim, a 78-year-old man from Annandale, it started with an effort to find some companionship. He created an account on a social network called iFlirt, then made contact with someone identifying herself as a widowed woman in her 30s who seemed interested. As the online relationship grew, though, the scam started to emerge. The woman, who claimed to be from New York, said she was arrested while traveling to Germany to retrieve an inheritance of gold bars, and needed money to make bail. The man paid it, only to get another message that she was arrested a second time and needed even more money. In the end, the Annandale man, who is not identified in court papers, got taken for well over $500,000, the latest victim in a growing trend known as romance fraud. Romance scams reached a record high in 2021, increasing by nearly 80 percent from 2020, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission. During the past five years, victims have lost more

than $1.3 billion to such scams, the FTC said, more than any other category of fraud the agency tracks. Two of the people who scammed the Annandale man were scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 18 in federal court in Alexandria. Ghanaian nationals Linda Mbimadong and Richard Broni played relatively minor roles in the scam. Prosecutors describe them as “money mules” who never made contact with the victim themselves but helped receive and launder the money in return for a 5 percent to 10 percent cut of the proceeds. Prosecutors estimate that the scheme targeted multiple victims and raked in more than $42 million, much of it going go Ghana, where the scam was headquartered. In memos ahead of the sentencing hearing, Ms. Mbimadong and Mr. Broni, who were living in New York at the time of their arrest, apologized for their actions. “I have to express my ugly truth. I was selfish, ambitious and greedy for success,” Ms. Mbimadong wrote. JessicaAber, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, is

prosecuting theAnnandale man’s case. She said large numbers of romance scams go unreported because victims are embarrassed that they fell for tales like the one the defendants in this case spun, around widowed royalty and inheritances of gold bullion. But she said the scammers are sophisticated and patient in their approach, building rapport with targets over a matter of months before making their move. “These fraudsters know exactly how to play on people’s emotions,” Ms. Aber said in an interview. “They use third parties to try to validate the stories that are being spun.” Authorities take it seriously when complaints are made, Ms. Aber said. Her office has prosecuted multiple cases of romance fraud in recent years. Scammers are based both domestically and internationally, she said. Sometimes fraudsters spin exotic tales of international intrigue; other times, the approach is more mundane. Richard Dorpe, a Ghanaian national, portrayed himself as a balding 57-year-old white man from Virginia Beach named “Jerry Linus” on the “OurTime” senior dating website. He conned

a 68-year-old widow from Chesapeake out of more than $300,000, as well as items including clothes, a computer and jewelry. When she ran out of cash, she took out a home equity loan. Mr. Dorpe was sentenced to more than three years in prison last year by a federal court.

Cultural Center of Virginia, 122 W. Leigh St. in Jackson Ward, where people can attend in person for $6, or can listen to the discussion virtually for free. The $6 in-person ticket includes all day access to the Black History Museum, where people can view all exhibits, including “HOME & 50 Years of Fair Housing,” which explores the impact of fair housing work by the organization since its founding in 1971. The exhibit offers information on the events that led up to the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and highlights key victories in fair housing and desegregation in Virginia and across the nation. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination, a photo ID and a mask are required for entry into the museum. The series is part of HOME’s celebration of its 50th anniversary. Additional series topics and dates: • Thursday, March 17, 12:15 p.m., “The Black/White Homeownership Gap,” featuring former HOME client JoiE Boykins, Ms. Jefferson and Brenda Hicks,

HOME’s director of counseling and education, on racial inequalities in homeownership rates, how it impacts long-term wealth building and HOME’s efforts to close the gap. • Thursday, March 31, 12:15 p.m., “Virginia’s Unstable Housing Environment,” featuring Dr. Kathryn Howell of RVA Eviction Lab, Ms. Jefferson and Michelle Jones, HOME’s director of housing stability, on Virginia’s eviction crisis. • Thursday, April 14, 12:15 p.m., “The Role of Fair Housing Organizations,” featuring Kent Willis, former HOME executive director, Ms. Jefferson and Shivaughn Ferguson, HOME’s director of fair housing, on the importance of fair housing organizations in today’s climate. Ti c k e t s f o r b o t h i n person and virtual attendance must be reserved at https:// w w w. e v e n t b r i t e . c o m / c c / conversation-series-at-theblack-history-museum147009. Details: HOME of Virginia at https://homeofva.org/50th/ or (804) 354-0641, or Black History Museum at (804) 780-9093. WĂƌŬƐ͕ ZĞĐƌĞĂƚŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ

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DIAMONDS • WATCHES JEWELRY • REPAIRS 19 EAST BROAD STREET RICHMOND, VA 23219 (804) 648-1044

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• Usher Badges • Clergy Shirts • Collars • Communion Supplies • CDs • Sermons-Spiritual Music

18 East Broad St., Richmond, VA 23219 • (804) 643-1987 Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. | Sunday Closed

HONORING GOD … AND SERVING PEOPLE THANKS TO YOU for over 67 years and looking for 67 more years.

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Richmond Free Press

February 24-26, 2022 B3

Obituary/Faith Directory

Carol Swann-Daniels, a trailblazer integrating Richmond schools in 1960, dies at 73 By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Sixty-one years have passed since Carol Irene Swann, 12, and her friend, Gloria Jean Mead, 13, blasted an opening in the racially segregated schools of Richmond. With parental support and encouragement, the two young girls began blazing a trail for others when they integrated the previously whites-only Chandler Junior High School in North Side on Sept. 6, 1960, and ushered in change for Richmond. That historic moment is gaining fresh attention following the death of the Carol Irene Swann-Daniels, a retired educator, on Valentine’s Day, Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, in New Brunswick, N.J. She was 73. Her compatriot on that momentous day died in 1997 at age 50 at her home in Nigeria, where she moved after marrying. The two were the first Black students admitted to an all-white school in the city, joining other brave young civil rights foot soldiers who integrated schools in other racially divided communities, mostly in the South. Today, in an era when students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds can enroll in any public school, it is Mrs. Swann-Daniels hard to realize how much courage it took for those girls to walk up the steps of the school building on Brookland Park Boulevard, now home to Richmond Community High School, and endure the physical and verbal abuse, insults and harassment in an attempt simply to get an education. At the time, it seemed akin to the Biblical Daniel entering the lion’s den. They were treated as pariahs at the school and the next academic year at John Marshall High School, which they also desegregated in 1961. “Football players would trip you in the hallways, and then you’d drop your books and when you’re picking them up, they’d say, ‘Look at the maid scrubbing the floor,’ ” Mrs. Swann-Daniels said during a videotaped interview about her experience. “They made paper airplanes and put pins in the end of them so if they flew around and hit you, then these pins would stick in you.” At Chandler, no white student would sit near them. At John Marshall, the only white student who would, she recounted, was the late Vaughn Elizabeth Bolton, whose parents were missionaries to Africa. “Lunch was horrible because they would throw things like half-filled milk cartons that, when they hit you, they’d splash all over you. So after lunch, you would be really covered with food,” Mrs. Swann-Daniels said. Other Black children would follow, along with lawsuits, busing mandates and new federal laws that would finally force Richmond to accept diversity in schools and the community, but the two girls suffered the slings and arrows of degradation in helping to make that happen. Both heroines went on to significant careers. Mrs. Swann-Daniels, after leaving Richmond to attend and graduate from Colby College in Maine, had a stellar career in New Jersey public schools, according to her family. She spent 15 years as a special education teacher, then became an expert in technology and spent the balance of her career equipping public schools with computers and other equipment before retiring in 2004. Dr. Gloria Jean Mead Jinadu also achieved, ultimately becoming a social work professor at the University of Lagos in Nigeria and a publisher of religious books before her death. Richmond has never recognized them for their heroism. No school buildings or streets are named in their honor, and their role in ending government-enforced, racial separation of schoolchildren in Richmond is not taught in RPS history classes. They proved their mettle six years after the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education had outlawed segregated schools. After five years of Massive Resistance by white people to the court order, Virginia found

Carol Swann, right, and Gloria Mead are accompanied on their walk to Chandler Junior High School on their first day on Sept. 6, 1960, by Ms. Swann’s father, Frank Swann, and Ms. Mead’s mother, Florence Mead. News reporters and city police detectives also were at the school on the first day.

Anderson Collection courtesy The Valentine

other ways to limit school integration. By 1960, Miss Swann and Miss Mead were among only 170 Black children enrolled in previously white public schools in the state, according to reports at the time. Still the tumult of the Civil Rights Movement was being felt in Richmond. Just six months earlier, sit-in demonstrations were going on in Downtown in a bid to end whites-only service at restaurants. On Feb. 22, 1960, 34 Virginia Union University students were arrested for seeking service at the lunch counter at Thalhimers department store. The two girls understood that they bore the hopes of thousands of Black families for a better education and an end to the overcrowded and poorly equipped schools their children were required to attend. They also carried expectations to “show that Black people were smart,” Mrs. Swann-Daniels said in the video interview. “People that I didn’t know would come up … and say, ‘We’re counting on you. You’ve got to show them.’ ” After it was announced that the now long defunct state student placement board had approved them to attend Chandler, the Swann and Mead families were subjected to repeated hate-filled phone calls and their girls’ parents faced harassment at work. While there were no crowds spitting and yelling at them when they entered the building as happened elsewhere, there was no escape from what Mrs. Swann-Daniels later described as “torture.” No one would sit near them during assemblies; in gym class,

Riverview

Moore Street Missionary

Baptist Church

1408 W. Leigh Street · Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 358—6403

Dr. Alonza L. Lawrence, Pastor

Via Conference Call (202) 926-1127 Pin 572890#

“The Church With A Welcome”

Virtual Sunday Morning Service on FACEBOOK and YouTube

Sharon Baptist Church 500 E. Laburnum Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222 www.sharonbaptistchurchrichmond.org (804) 643-3825 Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor

Sundays Morning Worship 10:00 A.M.

Back Inside

Good Shepherd Baptist Church 1127 North 28th St., Richmond, VA 23223 s Office: (804) 644-1402 Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, Pastor “There’s A Place for You”

2604 Idlewood Avenue Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 353-6135 www.riverviewbaptistch.org

“Your Home In God’s Kingdom”

Join us for worship online this week! We remain virtual this week due to the uptick in Covid cases in our community. Please stay safe and join us online at mmbcrva.org or Facebook.com/mmbcrva. Additional Opportunities to Engage with Us: *Faith Formation/ Church School (Sat. @ 9:00 AM) Zoom Meeting ID: 952 9164 9805 /Passcode: 2901 *Bible Study (Wed. @ 7:00 PM) Zoom Meeting ID: 854 8862 2296 *Give Via: http://mmbcrva.org/give Or through Givelify 2901 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 648-2472 ~ www.mmbcrva.org Dr. Price London Davis, Senior Pastor

mation/ Church School (Sat. @ 9:00 AM) ting ID: 952 9164 9805 /Passcode: 2901 y (Wed. @ 7:00 PM) ting ID: 983 8639 0975/ Password: 012563

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

“Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, Services Are Cancelled, until further notice; but, please join us, by visiting BRBCOnline.org or YouTube (Broad Rock Baptist Church).”

“MAKE IT HAPPEN” Pastor Kevin Cook

Rev. Dr. Stephen L. Hewlett, Pastor

7M\XL &ETXMWX 'LYVGL 8LIQI 1SFMPM^MRK *SV 1MRMWXV] 6IJVIWLMRK 8LI 3PH ERH )QIVKMRK 8LI 2I[ A 21st Century Church With Ministry For Everyone

We Embrace Diversity — Love For All! Come worship with us! Back Inside Sundays Join us for 10:00 AM Worship Service Live on Facebook @sixthbaptistrva Live on Youtube @sixthbaptistrva Or by visiting our website www.sixthbaptistchurch.org

https://youtu.be/qqzhnIEQyQc for inspirational messages from Pastor Smith

Virtual Worship February 27, 2022 @ 10:00 A.M.

Broad Rock Baptist Church

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Sunday School – 9:30 AM Sunday Services – 11:00 AM

they were given bright pink bowling shoes so that no white student would later wear them. They faced daily contempt and derision from classmates, Mrs. Swann-Daniels recounted. When they entered high school, there was a third Black girl, Brenda Williams Jones, Mrs. Swann-Daniels recalled. The trio shared rides to school and stayed together in the halls. Teachers and administrators weren’t particularly supportive, Mrs. Swann-Daniels said. One of her high school history teachers told the class that President Abraham Lincoln’s grant of freedom to Black people during the Civil War was a mistake. Before her death, Mrs. Swann-Daniels expressed concern that the sacrifices she and her classmates endured did not result in greater progress. “There was so much hope in the Black community that integration, at least in public school, would usher in a new day, that things would be different. “I feel very discouraged,” Mrs. Swann-Daniels concluded. “We really pushed and pushed to get that rock up the hill, and now it’s going backwards.” Survivors include her husband, Jeffrey Daniels of North Brunswick, N.J.; a daughter, Shaate Swann of Cherry Hill, N.J.; and a sister, Sharon Swann of Maricopa, Ariz. Mr. Daniels said his late wife wished to be cremated and her ashes scattered off the coast of Nova Scotia, where they planned to live. A memorial service may be held in Richmond at a future date, he said.

400 South Addison Street Richmond, Va. 23220

(near Byrd Park)

Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs, Pastor

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

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

Richmond Free Press

B4 February 24-26, 2022

Legal Notices

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PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN the undersigned Frederick John Andrews LV WKH EHQHÀFLDU\ IRU FREDERICK JOHN $1'5(:6 ZKR KDV PDGH DYDLODEOH DQ $IÀGDYLW 1RWLFH RI /LDELOLW\ 5HJDUGLQJ 7UHVSDVV )HH 6FKHGXOH DQG 5HPHG\ IRU Personal Protection from Federal/ State/County/City/ Municipal/Corporation Employees/Agents/ Individuals. 3OHDVH HPDLO PLGDWOHQW#JPDLO FRP IRU DOO EXVLQHVV LQTXLULHV Richmond, Virginia City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Monday, March 14, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following ordinance: Ordinance No. 2022-036 To amend and reordain Ord. No. 80-260-81-41, adopted Mar. 9, 1981, as previously amended by Ord. Nos. 81-152-138, adopted August 24, 1981, 84-110-83, adopted May 29, 1984, 89-318-295, adopted Nov. 13, 1989, 2006-26-52, adopted Feb. 27, 2006, 2006-260-263, adopted Oct. 23, 2006, 2012-163-164, adopted Oct. 8, 2012, and 2017169, adopted Oct. 9, 2017, concerning the Beaufont Oaks Community Unit Plan, to amend the use of the parcel known as 400 Hioaks Road to allow for an expansion of the multifamily development known as “Beaufont Towers” located on the parcel known as 7015 West Carnation Street and also known as 350 Hioaks Road. This meeting will be held through electronic communication means pursuant to the current ongoing declaration of a local emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic confirmed by Res. No. 2020-R025, adopted March 16, 2020, and as permitted by section 2.2-3708.2(A)(3) of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. This meeting will be open to participation through electronic communication means by the public and closed to in-person participation by the public. Less than a quorum of Richmond City Council will assemble in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, and most Council members and other staff will participate by teleconference/ videoconference via Microsoft Teams. Video of the meeting will be streamed live online at the following web address: https:// r i c h m o n d v a . l e g i s t a r. com/Calendar.aspx. To watch the meeting’s live stream at the web address provided, find and click the link that reads, “In Progress” in the farthest right hand column entitled, “Video”. The agenda for the Richmond City Council meeting is accessible through the City’s legislative website at the following web address: https://richmondva. legistar.com/Calendar. aspx. To view the agenda at the web address provided, find and click the link that reads, “Agenda” associated with the March 14, 2022 Richmond City Council Formal meeting listed in the calendar. Interested citizens who wish to speak at the Richmond City Council meeting will be given an opportunity to do so by following the public participation instructions provided on the March 14, 2022 Richmond City Council Formal meeting agenda. Citizens are encouraged to provide their comments in writing to CityClerksOffice@rva. gov in lieu of commenting by teleconference or video conference. The person responsible for receiving comments in writing is Candice D. Reid, City Clerk. All comments received prior to 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 14, 2022, will be provided to Council members prior to the meeting and will be included in the record of the meeting. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at https://www.rva.gov/ office-city-clerk. Candice D. Reid City Clerk

City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the City of Richmond Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Monday, March 7, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. and the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing on Monday, March 14, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following ordinances: Ordinance No. 2022-039 To close, to public use and travel, a portion of East 30th Street located southeast of a 16-foot public alley that runs parallel to and southeast of Stockton Street, consisting of 4,104± square feet, upon certain terms and conditions. Ordinance No. 2022-040 To close, to public use and travel, a portion of Logandale Avenue located southwest of East 29th Street and northwest of Maury Street, consisting of 11,550± square feet, upon certain terms and conditions. Ordinance No. 2022-041 To close, to public use and travel, an alley in the block bounded by Richmond Highway, Afton Avenue, Columbia Street, and Bellemeade Road, consisting of 2,450± square feet, upon certain terms and conditions. Ordinance No. 2022-042 To authorize the special use of the property known as 615 North 30th Street for the purpose of a twofamily detached dwelling, upon certain terms and conditions.The City’s Richmond 300 Master Plan designates the future land use category for the subject property as Neighborhood MixedUse. Primary Uses: Single-family houses, accessory dwelling units, duplexes, small multifamily buildings, and open space. Secondary Uses: Large multifamily buildings, retail/ office/personal service, institutional, cultural, and government. The proposed density is approximately 28 units per acre. Ordinance No. 2022-043 To authorize the special use of the property known as 617 China Street for the purpose of up to two single-family attached dwellings, upon certain terms and conditions. The City’s Richmond 300 Master Plan designates the future land use category for the subject property as Neighborhood Mixed-Use. Primary Uses: Single-family houses, accessory dwelling units, duplexes, small multifamily buildings, and open space. Secondary Uses: Large multifamily buildings, retail/ office/personal service, institutional, cultural, and government. The proposed density is approximately 32 units per acre. Ordinance No. 2022-044 To authorize the special use of the property known as 4204 Hermitage Road for the purpose of an arts, education, and community center, upon certain terms and conditions. The City’s Richmond 300 Master Plan designates the future land use category for the subject property as Institutional. Primary Uses: Institutional, cultural, government, and open space. Secondary Uses: Retail/office/ personal service and multi-family. The meetings will be held through electronic communication means pursuant to the current ongoing declaration of a local emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic confirmed by Res. No. 2020-R025, adopted March 16, 2020, and as permitted by section 2.2-3708.2(A)(3) of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The meetings will be open to participation through electronic communication means by the public and closed to in-person participation by the public. Less than a quorum of Richmond City Planning Commission members and Richmond City Council will assemble in City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, and most members and other staff will participate by teleconference/ videoconference via Microsoft Teams. The meetings will be streamed live online at the following web address: https://richmondva. legistar.com/Calendar. a s p x . To w a t c h a meeting’s live stream at the web address provided, find and click the link that reads, “In Progress” in the farthest right hand column entitled, “Video”. The agenda for the Richmond City Council meeting is accessible through the City’s Continued on next column

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legislative website at the following web address: https://richmondva. legistar.com/Calendar. aspx. To view the agenda at the web address provided, find and click the link that reads, “Agenda” associated with the March 14, 2022 Richmond City Council Formal meeting listed in the calendar. Interested citizens who wish to speak at the Richmond City Council meeting will be given an opportunity to do so by following the public participation instructions provided on the March 14, 2022 Richmond City Council Formal meeting agenda. Citizens are encouraged to provide their comments in writing to CityClerksOffice@rva. gov in lieu of commenting by teleconference or video conference. The person responsible for receiving comments in writing is Candice D. Reid, City Clerk. All comments received prior to 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 14, 2022, will be provided to Council members prior to the meeting and will be included in the record of the meeting. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at https://www.rva.gov/ office-city-clerk. Candice D. Reid City Clerk

Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND MARIA-DORA MACHADO DE GONZALEZ, Plaintiff, v. PEDRO RENE GONZALEZ REQUENO, Defendant. Case No.: CL21-2988/6 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of the abovestyled suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the Defendant on the grounds that the parties have lived separate and apart, without any cohabitation and without any interruption, for a period of more than one year. It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that the Defendant, Pedro Rene Gonzalez Requeno, is not a resident of the State of Virginia and that his last known address is unknown, it is therefore ORDERED that Defendant, PEDRO RENE GONZALEZ REQUENO, appear before this Court on or before the 22nd day of April 2022, and do what is necessary to protect his interests in this suit. A Copy Teste: EDWARD F. JEWETT, Clerk I ask for this: Jesse Baez, Esq. (VSB #85986) Brooks & Baez 9100 Arboretum Pkwy., Suite 190 Richmond, VA 23236 T: (804) 570-7473 F: (804) 548-4215 Counsel for Plaintiff VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER BLONNIE LEE, Plaintiff v. BISMARK SEREBOUR, Defendant. Case No.: CL22000131-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who is a nonresident, appear here on or before the 12th day of April, 2022 at 9:00 AM and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Esquire VSB# 27724 Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ERIN SPENCER, Plaintiff v. AUSTIN SPENCER, Defendant. Case No.: CL22000376-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 4th day of April, 2022 at 9:00 AM and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 Continued on next column

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8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CHRISTINA JOELLE WILLIAMS, PLAINTIFF, v. CALEB RAMHEL WILLIAMS, DEFENDANT. CASE No. CL21-5418-6 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony, from the defendant, on the ground that the parties hereto have lived separate and apart continuously, without cohabitation and without interruption for more than one year. And it appearing from an affidavit that the whereabouts and address of the defendant are unknown and that he may not be a resident of Virginia, it is Ordered that the defendant appear before this Court on March 18, 2022, at 9:00 am o’clock pursuant to this notice and protect his interest herein. An Extract, Teste: E d war d F. J e w ett, Clerk

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INTEREST TO THE TRUSTEES OF SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF HAM, INC., Defendants. Case no.: CL21-6403-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to appoint a Special Commissioner to convey the Property identified in Exhibit A herein to Friends of Sons and Daughters of Ham, Inc., upon its agreement that it will restore and then maintain the cemetery located thereon in perpetuity. The successors in interest to the trustees of Sons and Daughters of Ham, Inc. are unknown to the petitioner. It is ordered that the fact of such petition be advertised, and notice is now given that on May 27, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. in the Henrico County Circuit Court, 4301 East Parham Road, Henrico, VA 232730775, the Court will hear evidence on this matter from any interested individual. I ask for this: Hugh T. Antrim, VSB # 14721 ThompsonMcMullan, P.C. 100 Shockoe Slip Richmond VA 23219 (804) 649-7545 (804) 649-0654 facsimile

1812 Fairfax Avenue S0000546004 City of Richmond v. Orchid, LLC, et. al. CL21-4215 3121 Falcon Road C0011092002 City of Richmond v. Kay Ann Strong, et. al. CL21-3356 816 Faye Street C0050760018 City of Richmond v. Kelson Creek, LLC, et. al. CL21-4105 1528 Floyd Avenue W0000608035 City of Richmond v. Steven C. Davis, et. al. CL21-2364 2111 Ford Avenue E0000598022 City of Richmond v. Neal Kennedy, et. al. CL18-351 316 German School Road C0050963034 City of Richmond v. Know Him For Yourself Ministries, et. al. CL20-5070 320 German School Road C0050963032 City of Richmond v. Know Him For Yourself Ministries, et. al. CL20-5071 104 West Graham Road N0000539027 City of Richmond v. Elizabeth Bernice Randolph, et. al. CL21-4217 2917 Grayland Avenue W0001279006 City of Richmond v. Russell Robinson, et. al. CL21-1013 1712 Greenville Avenue W0000785016 City of Richmond v. Lillie Virginia Green, et. al. CL20-3002 505 North Hamilton Street Unit L W0001704161 City of Richmond v. Peas & Queues, LLC, et. al. CL21-4219 2606 Hawthorne Avenue N0000635007 City of Richmond v. Emma W. Stafford, et. al. CL20-4114 3408 Hazelhurst Avenue N0001351008 City of Richmond v. Terry K. Cousins, et. al. CL21-2621 1649 Hopkins Road C0090199022 City of Richmond v. Charles Weir, et. al. CL21-3346 1818 Hull Street S0000241002 City of Richmond v. Brunson Contractors, LLC, et. al. CL21-4302 2212 Hull Street S0000570007 City of Richmond v. MWW, LLC, et. al. CL21-2642 2214 Hull Street S0000570006 City of Richmond v. MWW, LLC, et. al. CL21-2643 3406 Hull Street S0002453005 City of Richmond v. J Fam Entertainment, LLC, et. al. CL21-4303 5607 Jarvis Road C0060760018 City of Richmond v. Kelson Creek, LLC, et. al. CL21-4106 1830 Keswick Avenue S0071032003 City of Richmond v. Clementina Cruz Quintero, et. al. CL21-3340 450 East Ladies Mile Road N0001664014 City of Richmond v. Hybernia Hocker Wood, et. al. CL21-2985 2312 East Marshall Street E0000296017 City of Richmond v. Robert L. Acuff, III, et. al. CL21-2100 3503 Meadow Bridge Road N0001561024 City of Richmond v. Thurston W. Norman, et. al. CL21-4323 2912 Midlothian Turnpike S0001226004 City of Richmond v. Kelson Creek, LLC, et. al. CL21-4107 2307 Mimosa Street S0071229057 City of Richmond v. Up 2307 Mimosa, LLC, et. al. CL21-3348 700 Northside Avenue N0001154026 City of Richmond v. Shanae A. George, et. al. CL20-2367 1212 Oakwood Avenue E0000962016 City of Richmond v. Orchid, LLC, et. al. CL21-4304 2037 Orlando Road C0090372061 City of Richmond v. John Womble, et. al. CL20-67 2006 Parkwood Avenue W0000896019 City of Richmond v. David O. Green, et. al. CL21-3906 4200 Richmond Highway S0090221006 City of Richmond v. Malea, LLC, et. al. CL21-3628

3425 Sherbrook Road C0020156002 City of Richmond v. Carolyn Jones, et. al. CL21-4441 3 South Shields Avenue W0000942039 City of Richmond v. Robert Alan Jones, et. al. CL21-4433 2712 Southgate Street S0090500007 City of Richmond v. Henry Willis, et, al. CL21-4861 1710 Spotsylvania Street E0120333009 City of Richmond v. James Henry Roots, III, et, al. CL20-1651 1413 Vinton Street E0100197007 City of Richmond v. Roy F. Humphrey CL18-6178 419 Mitchell Street N0000222003 City of Richmond v. Christian Charities, Inc. CL22-122 TERMS OF SALE: All sales are subject to confirmation by the Richmond Circuit Court. The purchase price will include the winning bid plus 10% of the winning bid. High bidders will pay at the time of the auction a deposit of at least 20% of the purchase price, or $5,000.00, whichever is greater. If the purchase price is under $5,000.00, high bidders will pay in full at the time of the auction. High bidders will pay the balance of the purchase price to the Special Commissioner, and deed recordation costs, by a date and in a form as stated in a settlement instruction letter. Time is of the essence. If a high bidder defaults by not making these payments in full, on time, and in the required form, the Special Commissioner will retain the deposit, and may seek other remedies to include the cost of resale or any resulting deficiency. Settlement shall occur when the Richmond Circuit Court enters an Order of Confirmation. Conveyance shall be either by a special commissioner’s deed or a special warranty deed. Real estate taxes will be adjusted as of the date of entry for the Order of Confirmation. Properties are sold “as is” without any representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, subject to the rights of any person in possession, and to all easements, liens, covenants, defects, encumbrances, adverse claims, conditions and restrictions, whether filed or inchoate, to include any information a survey or inspection of a property may disclose. It is assumed that bidders will make a visual exterior inspection of a property within the limits of the law, determine the suitability of a property for their purposes, and otherwise perform due diligence prior to the auction. T h e S p e c i a l Commissioner’s acceptance of a bid shall not limit any powers vested in the City of Richmond. Additional terms may be announced at the time of sale. Individuals owing delinquent taxes to the City of Richmond, and defendants in pending delinquent tax cases, are not qualified to bid at this auction. Bidders must certify by affidavit that they do not own, directly or indirectly, any real estate with outstanding notices of violation for building, zoning or other local ordinances. Questions may be directed to Gregory A. Lukanuski at greg.lukanuski@ rva.gov or (804) 646-7949, or to Christie Hamlin at christie. hamlin@rva.gov or (804) 6466940. Gregory A. Lukanuski Deputy City Attorney Special Commissioner 900 East Broad Street, Room 400 Richmond, Virginia 23219

to Dane Terry Hilbert, Edward Salaneck, Sr., William Salaneck, Sr., Karen N. Hilbert, Ivan Hodich, Julia Hodich, Mary Hodich, Franklin H. Moore, John Ursulak, Frank Ursulak, Russell J. Hilbert, if any there be, the consorts of any of the said unknown heirs who are married, the lien creditors of the said unknown heirs, if any,) and other persons who may have an interest in the subject matter of this suit, whose names are unknown and are included in the general description of “UNKNOWN HEIRS and PARTIES UNKNOWN” Defendants. Case No.: CL22-152 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to sell a certain parcel of real property situated in Henrico County, Virginia, being originally owned by Dane Terry Hilbert and more particularly described as follows: All that certain lot, piece or parcel of land, with all improvements thereon and appurtenances thereto belonging, lying and being in Tuckahoe Magisterial District, Henrico County, Virginia, known and designated as Lot 6, Block A, on the Plan of Sterling Court made by Chas H. Fleet & Associates, Civil Engineers and Surveyors, dated July 10, 1956, recorded June 13, 1957, in the Clerk’s Office, Circuit Court, Henrico County, Virginia, in Plat Book 29, page 16, to which plat reference is hereby made for a more particular description of the property. Andre Stolar, Unknown Heirs, and Parties Unknown, devisees, and/or successors in title to Dane Terry Hilbert, Edward Salaneck, Sr., William Salaneck, Sr., Karen N. Hilbert, Ivan Hodch, Julia Hodich, Mary Hodich, Franklin H. Moore, John Ursulak, Frank Ursulak, Russell J. Hilbert, may have an interest in the property by deed, by inheritance, or by duly recorded liens. Affidavit having been made and filed that due diligence has been used without effect to ascertain the identities and/or locations of certain parties to be served, and that there are or may be persons whose names are unknown, interested in the subject matter of this suit; It is ORDERED that Andre Stolar, et al., if then living or if dead, their heirs, devisees, assigns, or successors in title, and other unknown heirs or parties who have an interest in the subject matter of this suit, who are proceeded against as Unknown Heirs and Parties Unknown, appear before Court on or before the 28th of March, 2022 to protect their interests, if any, in this suit. Enter: 1/27/22 I ask for this: Curtis D. Gordon, Esq., V.S.B. # 25325 Jason L. Shaber, Esq., V.S.B.96186 Kyle Roberts, Esq. V.S.B #95631 DANKOS, GORDON & TUCKER, P.C. 1360 E. Parham Road, Suite 200 Richmond, Virginia 23228 Telephone: (804) 377-7424 Facsimile: (804) 262-8088 Email: cgordon@ dankosgordon.com Email: jshaber@ dankosgordon.com Email: kroberts@ dankosgordon.com Counsel for Plaintiffs

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VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF HENRICO COUNTY FRIENDS OF SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF HAM, INC., Plaintiff, V. PERSONS UNKNOWN WHO MAY BE SUCCESSORS IN

NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION SPECIAL COMMISSIONER’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Pursuant to the terms of Orders of Sale entered in the Richmond Circuit Court, the undersigned Special Commissioner will offer the following real estate for sale at public auction at Motleys Asset Disposition Group, 3600 Deepwater Terminal Road, Richmond, Virginia on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 at 2:00 pm, or as soon thereafter as may be effected. The sale is subject to the terms and conditions below and any other terms and conditions which may be announced on the day of auction. Announcements made on the day of the auction take precedence over any prior written or verbal terms of sale. 2304 4th Avenue N0000610007 City of Richmond v. Asset Properties, LLC, et. al. CL21-3054 1426 North 19th Street E0000771012 City of Richmond v. Oliver C. Lawrence, et. al. CL16-3806 1200 North 21st Street E0000556018 City of Richmond v. Willie Davis, et. al. CL21-5067 1207 North 25th Street Rear E0000561035 City of Richmond v. Lewis C. Dockery, Jr., et. al. CL19-1027 1801 North 25th Street E0001084001 City of Richmond v. Xavier Keeton, et. al. CL21-3147 236 East 36th Street S0042766012 City of Richmond v. James R. Gause, et. al. CL21-4457 2401 Alexander Avenue S0080815058 City of Richmond v. Equity Trust Company, Custodian, et. al. CL21-3341 2403 Alexander Avenue S0080815057 City of Richmond v. Equity Trust Company, Custodian, et. al. CL21-3342 1816 Bainbridge Street S0000242001 City of Richmond v. Brunson Contractors, LLC, et. al. CL21-3819 2520 Belt Boulevard Rear C0090480026 City of Richmond v. Edward Bittner, et. al. CL21-3121 3100 Bradwill Road C0040575010 City of Richmond v. Milton G. Townsend, Jr., et.al. CL21-4117 2119 Broad Rock Boulevard C0090420014 City of Richmond v. Sheryl Taylor Simmons, et. al. CL21-2363 3601 Carolina Avenue N0001270010 City of Richmond v. Willie C. West, III, et.al. CL20-3992 2005 Chamberlayne Parkway N0000532009 City of Richmond v. Dominion Staffing, Inc., et. al. CL21-2667 2916 Cherokee Road C0040660038 City of Richmond v. Ernest E. Davis, et. al. CL21-2199 5029 Clarence Street S0060343005 City of Richmond v. Kelson Creek, LLC, et. al. CL21-4075 1604 Columbia Street S0071377003 City of Richmond v. Stella Clark, et. al. CL20-3075 2306 Creighton Road E0120294004 City of Richmond v. Lynn Vanesia Brooks, et. al. CL21-3055 4025 Crutchfield Street S0002917030 City of Richmond v. Edwin Maurice Beane, et. al. CL21-3611 3422 Delaware Avenue N0001265003 City of Richmond v. Gregory Mario McKoy, et. al. CL21-2644 1307 Enfield Avenue S0071177017 City of Richmond v. A & H Investment Properties, et. al. CL21-3667 1311 Enfield Avenue S0071177019 City of Richmond v. Helen K. Alvis, et. al. CL21-2197

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VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER JAQUELINE MEJIA, Plaintiff v. MICHELE MARCANO LOPEZ, Defendant. Case No.: CL22000174-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 17th day of March, 2022 at 9:00 AM and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

CUSTODY VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re AIDEN JAMES FORD RDSS v. MICHAEL JAMES STRASBURG, JR., Unknown father & TRACEY LEE FORD File No. J-100127-03-04-05 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Michael James Strasburg, Jr. (Father) Unknown Father (Father), Tracey Lee Ford (Mother) of Aiden James Ford, child DOB 08/2/2021 “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: Visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support and that: It is ORDERED that the defendant Michael James Strasburg, Jr. (Father) Unknown Father (Father), Tracey Lee Ford (Mother) to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 5/3/2022, at 2:40 PM, Courtroom #2 MCG. VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Henry le & maggie rodriguez RDSS v. Unknown father File No. JJ098676-07-00, JJ098677-07-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of Unknown Father of Henry Le, child DOB 06/17/2011 & Maggie Rodriguez, child DOB 10/16/2012. “TPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown Father to appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his/her interest on or before 05/27/2022, at 9:00 AM, Courtroom #1.

PROPERTY

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF HENRICO COUNTY HARRY SALANECK; MICHELE BUDICH OZKAN; THOMAS KUSPIS; RICHARD KUSPIS; GORDON T. NAIRN; M. JOHN NAIRN; PETER SALANECK; THEODORE SALANECK; JULIA SALANECK BRITT; JONI KUSPIS WEGNER; KENNETH NANNEY; GLENN NANNEY; JOHN SALANECK, III Plaintiffs, v. JOHN STOLAR, JR.; DEBORAH A. SHADE; LYNN STOLAR KOPSIE; MARY URSULAK GALLAGHER; THE COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA; ANDRE STOLAR; PARTIES UNKNOWN; and The Unknown heirs, descendants, devisees, assigns, and/ or successors in title

LICENSE AMP Up Experiences, LLC Trading as: AMP Up Experiences 2501 Monument Ave. Richmond, VA 23220-2618 The above establishment is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage C ontrol (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Internet Wine Retailer license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Marcie J. Walsh NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-5523200.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The University of Virginia VHHNV D ¿UP WR SURYLGH Captioning & Related Services - UVA-00063LP021722 KWWSV ELGV VFLTXHVW FRP DSSV 5RXWHU 3XEOLF(YHQW"WDE 3+;B 1$9B6RXUFLQJ2SHQ)RU%L G &XVWRPHU2UJ 89D WP VWPS RU HPDLO SXU UIS#HVHUYLFHV YLUJLQLD HGX

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to 24 CFR 903.17, that Virginia Housing will hold a public hearing on the Public Housing Agency (PHA) Annual Plan for FY 2022. The hearing will be conducted virtually on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at 1:00 pm. To obtain the weblink to the public hearing, please send an email to diana.crosswhite@ virginiahousing.com by 5:00 pm on April 1, 2022. The proposed PHA Plan and information relevant to the hearing is available for review by the public by emailing diana.crosswhite@ virginiahousing.com. Written comments may be submitted prior to the public hearing by mail to the attention of: HCVP Policy & Training Manager, Virginia Housing, P.O. Box 4545, Richmond, VA 23220. Written comments not presented at the public hearing must be received by Monday, April 4, 2022. Virginia Housing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or disability.