Richmond Free Press March 25-27, 2021 edition

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Firsts in Boston B2

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VOL. 30 NO. 13

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

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Meet board chair of Virginia Museum of History & Culture B3

MARCH 25-27, 2021

High cost of defense Everett L. Bolling Jr. tries to piece his life back together after winning in court but losing everything in a murder case By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Eight months ago, Everett L. Bolling Jr., 37, seemed to have it all. He was running a successful used car dealership near George Wythe High School on South Side. He was married, owned a home in Chesterfield County and believed he was living the dream. But his world came crashing down when he suddenly found himself in handcuffs and accused of first-degree murder in Richmond. The father of five had been having an affair. When his pregnant 31-year-old girlfriend was found shot to death April 9 in her car in the city’s East End, police and the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office targeted him as the only person with the motive and opportunity to commit this crime. Please turn to A4 Regina H. Boone for Richmond Free Press

City students, families, teachers adjust to new styles of learning during a year with pandemic By Ronald E. Carrington

Her middle schoolers, she explained, work independently and don’t require the amount of oversight as the younger ones. They have five classes every other day, which they like, she said, and are earning As and Bs.

Living a year under

COVID

their creative skills to keep students’ interested and engaged for several hours using 21st century technology. Even as teachers have worked during the months of the pandemic to make virtual learning positive and effective,

Tisha Erby has four children attending Richmond Public Schools. There’s 3-year-old Emanuel who is in Summer Hill Elementary’s pre-school; Elijah, 5, a kindergartner at J.L. Francis Elementary; and Lamar, 11, and Christopher, 13, sixth- and seventhgraders, respectively at the new River City Middle School. They love virtual learning, Ms. Erby said. And they are thriving. Ms. Erby is home with them every day. It sometimes drives her insane, she said, because she also has a 1-year-old, Tristan, who cries when she pays more attention to the other children. But even Tristan, enjoys the school activities of the older children, Ms. Erby said, especially physical education, movement or Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press dancing. That’s when Tisha Erby keeps things moving and the learning going for her four school-age sons he tries to imitate his in their family’s home. The living room has been turned into a vibrant classroom, with siblings, she said. desks and laptops for each of the boys. They are, from left, Emanuel, 3, a pre-schooler Since March 6, 2020, at Summer Hill Elementary; Christopher Jr., 13, a seventh-grader at River City Middle when Richmond schools School; Elijah, 5, a kindergartner at J.L. Francis Elementary; and Lamar, 11, a sixthwere shut down because grader at River City Middle. Seated in a high chair in the room, but not pictured, is yearof COVID-19, the fam- old Tristan, who was working on his own activities given to him by his mom. ily’s South Side home has been turned into its own schoolhouse, While she is happy with all of her some students are suffering under social with Ms. Erby sitting between Emanuel children’s progress, she is not happy isolation, family stress and technology and Elijah to make sure they are not about their ability to wander around the that doesn’t always work. distracted from their schoolwork. internet exploring websites not associRichmond School Board members, She also says the two elementary ated with their classes, playing games, administrators, teachers and parents alike children interact online with their class- listening to music and getting into other also are worried about education gaps mates and teacher using Chromebooks distractions that take them from their created by the year under COVID-19, provided by RPS while doing a lot with RPS instruction. and what it may mean for students’ future hands-on writing, music and dance at The older boys, she said, also prefer success, particularly once schools reopen home. being in school and socializing with for in-person learning in the fall. “My 3-year-old was typing all of friends. At the School Board’s March 15 the time until I made sure he learned to The past year under COVID-19 has meeting, Tracy Epp, RPS’ chief academic print. Now he is always printing verses been an adjustment for the thousands of officer, presented results from the Photyping,” she said. “I see my daily hard Richmond students and their families, as work paying off.” well as for hundreds of teachers using Please turn to A4

Free COVID-19 testing

Free community testing for COVID-19 continues. The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations: • Thursday, March 25, 10 a.m. to noon, Diversity Richmond, 1407 Sherwood Ave. in North Side. • Thursday, April 1, 1 to 3 p.m., Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd. Drive-thru testing.

Appointments are encouraged by calling the Richmond and Henrico COVID-19 Hotline at (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by registering online at https://bit.ly/RHHDCOVID. Testing will be offered while test supplies last. The Virginia Department of Health also has a list of

Please turn to A4

New coalition offers blueprint for more affordable housing By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A coalition of Richmond groups is advancing a policy agenda they hope can be a blueprint for City Hall’s efforts to reduce evictions and make affordable apartments and homes more available. The coalition includes the Partnership for Smarter Growth, Richmond for All and the Virginia Poverty Law Center, and plans to launch its efforts to gain government and public support for the proposals next Monday, March 29. As outlined in a 17-page plan, key proposals the coalition wants to see enacted include: • Creation of a program to supplement rents of poor households to prevent evictions and increased homelessness; • Ensuring individuals and families facing eviction have access to a lawyer by beefing up city support for legal aid; • Mandating one-for-one replacement of any public housing that is slated for demolition and replacement to prevent a reduction in housing for poor families; • Upgrading the Richmond 300 master plan and any future zoning laws to include affordable housing; and • Making it easier for affordable housing developers to purchase public property at a lower cost to boost the number of units they can create. The coalition is the latest to weigh in on an issue that has continued to gain attention in the city and suburbs. With home prices and apartment rents soaring, affordable housPlease turn to A4

PayPal names new award for Richmond legend Maggie L. Walker By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Trailblazing businesswoman Maggie L. Walker sought to empower women in her pioneering efforts in business and banking in Richmond at the turn of the 20th century. Inspired by her story, online payment system giant PayPal is creating an award named for the legendary Richmonder. The award is designed to honor inspiring minority women Mrs. Walker — Black, Asian, Latino, Native American and others — who are leading and advancing economic empowerment as Mrs. Walker did, the company has announced. The first two winners of the annual award are to be announced in August, also known as National Black Business Month, PayPal stated. The honorees will include an established leader with an inspiring career who will receive the Maggie Lena Walker Achievement Award and a $50,000 stipend and an up-and-coming individual who is leading change who will receive the Maggie Lena Walker Emerging Leader Award and a $20,000 stipend, according to the company. While the initial winners will be from the United States, the company plans to expand the award to the global community in the future. PayPal consulted with the family before moving ahead Please turn to A4


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Richmond Free Press

March 25-27, 2021

Local News

Tax amnesty application deadline March 31 A monthlong tax amnesty program for Richmond property owners will expire next Wednesday, March 31. And at this point, only a small fraction of the 4,332 property owners who are delinquent have jumped at the opportunity to pay their tax debt or set up a payment plan and eliminate the penalties and interest that have built up, the city Department of Finance has reported to City Council. As of March 19, only 150 people had submitted a tax amnesty application that included payment of the entire amount or a partial payment with a request for a payment plan, according to the department. The final count could go higher as the department completes work with other taxpayers who have filed. Still, it is unclear whether the final numbers from the current amnesty will reach the total from four years ago in the number of participants or in the collection of overdue taxes. The department noted that in 2017, 618 property owners took advantage of a two-month amnesty period to entirely clear their delinquency or create a payment plan. At the time, there were 5,667 owners with payment delinquencies, the department added. Applications that can be filled out online and downloaded can be found at RVAStrong.org/taxamnesty. Applications also can be picked up at City Hall. People also can request contactless dropoff or pickup by calling 311, the city’s assistance program, officials stated. Completed applications can be mailed to Real Estate Tax Amnesty Program, 900 E. Broad St., Room 100, Richmond, Va. 23219 Further assistance and information: RVAStrong.org or dial 311 for customer service.

Procrastinators rejoice! The deadline for filing federal and state income tax returns has been moved to Monday, May 17. Ordinarily, federal tax returns are due April 15, and state returns are due on May 1. However, in a silver lining because of the pandemic, the Internal Revenue Service and the Virginia Department of Taxation both provided an extension. The main benefit is for those who will owe the federal or state governments. Many who are due refunds already have filed, in part to more quickly receive the new $1,400 federal stimulus payment or to get the $1,800 in payments that were awarded last year, but which some have still not received.

Advocates hope to speed up state legalization of marijuana By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Wednesday, April 7, could be a big day for advocates of marijuana legalization. Henrico Delegate Lamont Bagby, chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, confirmed last week that he and other “legislators are working with Gov. Ralph S. Northam” to prevent a three-year wait. The bill that passed the General Assembly and was sent to the governor for his signature calls for adult possession of an ounce or less of marijuana to become legal as of July 1, 2024. In comments to the Richmond Crusade for Voters summarizing the action at the legislative session that ended in early March, Delegate Bagby said the current effort focuses on crafting gubernatorial amendments to be presented at the General Assembly’s April 7 veto session that would make possession of small amounts of marijuana legal in about 100 days, on July 1. Other amendments could impact the treatment of youths who are found to be in possession of marijuana and when people could legally grow a few plants at home. Proposed changes in the marijuana bill would be among the most significant legislative changes to be considered during the veto session. Virginia already is on track to become the first Southern state to legalize marijuana, but the legislature put off the change until 2024 allow a new regulatory agency to be set up and begin issuing licenses for retail stores, producers and distributors. Last year, Gov. Northam signed legislation that removed criminal penalties for adults found in possession of small amounts of marijuana. Such possession now carries a civil penalty of $25. However, advocates argue that Black people, who were arrested at four times the rate of white people when marijuana possession was a crime, are now receiving more civil summons and fines than other groups. The governor is now regarded as the last hope for those who argue that penalties should be eliminated entirely for adults when it comes to possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Cityscape Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

These two scooter riders get a reading of 12 mph on the digital traffic sign as they travel carefully in a bike lane. Location: Semmes Avenue near Cowardin Avenue. The sign is moved to different locations around town to try to get drivers to reduce their speed. The sign flashes when a passing vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit, but these scooter riders were going too slow to trigger a reaction. Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

City Public Defender’s Office gets award, no pay supplement By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The Richmond Public Defender’s Office received high praise Monday night from City Council. But the council’s recognition award for the 25 attorneys led by Tracy Paner did not come with any promise of city-paid salary supplements for the underpaid lawyers who represent 85 percent of the defendants facing jailable criminal charges. The award to the office was issued as City Council also voted 7-2 to clear the way for a proposed development of 67 units of affordable apartments across the street from Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church in Jackson Ward, despite opposition from the area’s civic group and some neighbors. Salary supplements for public defenders were not included in the budget plan for the 2021-22 fiscal year that Mayor Levar M. Stoney presented to City Council. The mayor, however, did propose an increase in the salary supplement that the city provides the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, currently led by Colette W. McEachin, who is seeking re-election. Under Mayor Stoney’s proposal, the salary supplement for the city prosecutor’s office would grow from $4.6 million to around $5 million, adding to the money the state pays to Mrs. McEachin’s staff. Public defenders, whose state pay averages around $53,000 year, make about 40 percent less than the prosecutors they face because of the city supplements, according to figures from the city Public Defender’s Office. A year ago, the mayor and City Council agreed that the disparity needed to be addressed, and the proposed budget included

$351,000 as a first step in providing a city supplement that was to grow to more than $1 million over three years. But the proposed pay supplement for public defenders Ms. Paner disappeared after COVID-19 arrived. It was among the $44 million in expenditures the council slashed before approving the 2020-21 budget that went into effect July 1. The supplement for Mrs. McEachin’s office remained largely untouched. The council issued its regrets but indicated that the salary supplement proposal would be revisited during this year’s budget season. It is one issue that the council is considering as it reviews the mayor’s budget plan. Fifth District Councilwoman Stephanie A. Lynch, who proposed the recognition award, has submitted a budget amendment to equalize the pay of public defenders and prosecutors. The Public Defender’s Office has requested the council amend the budget to provide nearly $1.1 million for salary supplements to bring their staff closer to parity with prosecutors’ pay. In the view of the public defenders, the “unequal balance of resources in the mayor’s proposed budget undermines his claimed commitment to equity in Richmond.” In other business, City Council approved lifting a deed restriction on a small part of a 1.5-acre block of property bounded by Cameo, Duval, Price and Jackson streets

Statue of segregationist Harry F. Byrd Sr. to be moved in July from Capitol Square The statue of Harry F. Byrd Sr., a former Virginia governor, U.S. senator and arch-segregationist, is to be removed from Capitol Square in July, thanks to a bill signed into law March 18 by Gov. Ralph S. Northam. The bill, introduced last year by Delegate Jay Jones of Norfolk and passed by the General Assembly earlier this year, requires the state Department of General Services to remove the statue and store it until the General Assembly “determines and directs the statue’s final disposition.” The measure goes into effect on July 1. According to the DGS, the estimated

cost to remove the statue from Downtown is $250,000, with another $7,000 annually to store it. The budget includes $257,000 for those efforts. Mr. Byrd was the Delegate Jones architect of “Massive Resistance” in Virginia and the South to thwart the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 decision ordering the racial integration of schools and finding the doctrine of “separate but equal” unconstitutional. To

Vigil for shooting victims About 100 people gathered for a candlelight vigil last Saturday at the Richmond Korean Presbyterian Church on Broad Rock Boulevard in South Side in remembrance of the eight people shot and killed in March 16 attacks at three Atlanta area spas by a lone white gunman. Six of the victims were women of Asian descent. Authorities apprehended the 21-year-old gunman, who authorities said claimed he had a “sexual addiction.” He has been charged with murder, but not with hate crimes. Mourners at the vigil denounced hate crimes and violence. A week later on Tuesday, a 21-year-old gunman in Boulder, Colo., shot and killed 10 people at a grocery store.

resist the court’s order, Virginia shut down public school systems in several localities rather than integrate. “Racism and its symbols should never be celebrated or put on display in public spaces,” Delegate Jones said in a statement following the bill’s signing. “While we still have a long way to go, this is a step in the right direction on our path to healing.” “To me and a lot of folks, Harry Byrd is incredibly visceral,” Delegate Jones said during a Senate committee meeting in February. “All the things he did to keep Black people as second class citizens, or worse, is not a legacy we want to highlight.”

UR discussions seek healing from history By George Copeland Jr.

Regina H. Boone/ Richmond Free Press

where the Better Housing Coalition plans to develop a three-story, affordable apartment complex. BHC purchased the land from a development group that had left the property idle for 13 years. Janis Allen, president of the Historic Jackson Ward Association, led a coalition of nearby property owners who urged that the council reject the request in a bid to force BHC to reconsider and develop affordable homes as originally envisioned for the property, or at least on a small portion of it. Second District Councilwoman Katherine Jordan, who represents the area and had sought to negotiate a compromise since taking office in January, voted against lifting the restriction. So did 4th District Councilwoman Kristen N. Larson, who argued that the views of the community’s council representative should be respected. Bolstered by other speakers who supported the development, the other seven council members found the idea essential to adding additional affordable housing to serve people with annual incomes ranging from $18,000 to $53,000. Third District Councilwoman AnnFrances Lambert said the crisis of housing affordability is all too real. “It’s like 25,000 houses are on fire at one time,” she said, in noting the city needs 25,000 suitable units with price tags that fit the budgets of teachers, police officers and other workers. She joined others in bemoaning the rise in Richmond home prices and apartment rents that already are too high for many or are forcing households with incomes of $50,000 a year or below to spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

Amid a growing controversy over the names of buildings on the University of Richmond campus, college associates joined students and a national and local audience Tuesday night in an online discussion on how to approach Confederate memorials, the history they represent and healing from that history. The hourlong discussion, hosted by UR’s Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, was the first in the multi-part, multi-college “Journeys to Justice” series on social justice issues set to run through April 23. While Tuesday evening’s discussion was slated to focus on the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Richmond’s Monument Avenue, the ongoing backlash around the university’s decision to keep two building names tied to a slave owner and a staunch segregationist — the Rev. Robert Ryland and Douglas Southall Freeman, respectively — colored much of what was covered. “How can we move people to think beyond myths and consider the whole of us, not just part of our society?” asked Dr. Lauranett L. Lee, a historian and UR visiting lecturer. “How can we tell a story that is truly more inclusive and truly speaks to where we have been and where we are going?”

Dr. Lee

Mr. Palmer

Dr. Lee, who co-authored reports on the Westham slave burial ground located on UR’s campus, led the discussion with Brian Palmer, an award-winning freelance journalist whose work appears in the Richmond Free Press and who is a visiting assistant professor of journalism at UR. Much of the discussion and the questions raised by the audience focused on the disparities present in Richmond’s history, from the lack of memorials to women to the lack of care given to African-American cemeteries compared to Confederate burial grounds. Participants also questioned the narrative built around the Lee statue’s unveiling in 1890 and how protests around the statue and in Richmond last summer were met with an outsized show of force by police. When it came to rethinking these memorials, Dr. Lee and Mr. Palmer suggested approaching future monuments as icons to ideas and values rather than to people

and using communal moments of music, poetry and dance as a way to build new, inclusive narratives. They also pointed to the idea of treating memorials as an end product of a greater effort to address the damage wrought by injustice, alongside changes in education and in-depth public discussion. Speakers also stressed the need for those in positions of power to look at challenging times as opportunities to engage community concerns, instead of conflicts in need of management. “Yes, there is a parallel AfricanAmerican narrative, but it’s the narrative of Richmond,” Mr. Palmer said. “In order to create the dominant narrative, you had to remove Black people. Douglas Southall Freeman was part of that process to manage us into particular positions. “What if you stopped managing? What if you started embracing?” he continued. “It may mean that you lose certain kinds of your power, but you gain a new power, a new legitimacy with the people. That, to me, is just tremendously powerful.” The series continues at 6 p.m. Friday, March 26, with the online panel “Border Stories: Immigration and Humanitarian Work” hosted by the Harvard University Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship. Details: https://engage.richmond.edu/ events/journeystowardjustice.html


Richmond Free Press

March 25-27, 2021

Actions

Speak

Louder Words have value, especially when they are used to make a promise. But the most important thing about a promise is the action you take afterward. At Dominion Energy, we believe in taking action – to deliver on our commitment to help people, communities, and the environment.

COVID-19 Response and Support In response to the pandemic’s economic impact, Dominion Energy has stepped up to meet the needs of our customers. We suspended all service disconnections for non-payment to provide uninterrupted, reliable service 24/7. We have given more than $1 million to support coronavirus relief efforts by the American Red Cross and other nonprofits, to help our communities in need.

Social Justice and Higher Education At Dominion Energy, we believe higher education is critical to addressing centuries of institutional racism. That is why we have committed $35 million to our initiative supporting historically Black colleges and universities, and to minority student scholarships. In addition, we have allocated another $5 million to promote social justice and community building.

Solar and Wind Energy To build a cleaner energy future, we have added more than 3.5 million solar panels throughout Virginia, helping to make us America’s third largest in solar. In addition, we are developing the largest offshore wind project in the U.S., which will produce enough energy to power 660,000 homes by 2026.

EnergyShare® For years, our EnergyShare® program has helped our neighbors across Virginia, assisting individuals and their families with bill payment and energy saving upgrades. As of today, the program has helped more than 858,000 people. In 2020, we expanded the EnergyShare® program to assist those impacted by the coronavirus with an additional $500,000 to help provide energy bill relief for small businesses, nonprofits, and houses of worship throughout Virginia.

Lower Rates And to help residential customers, we have kept our rates more than 10%* below the national average.

Turning promises into reality is what defines us. That is why we are proud to invest in what we believe in, and what we know is important to you.

*Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, as of 1/26/2021

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Richmond Free Press

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News

Everett Bolling tries to piece his life back together Continued from A1

Two months after her running car and body were found, Mr. Bolling was behind bars at the Richmond City Justice Center. He was charged with the pre-meditated fatal shooting of Francesca Harris-Scarborough and her unborn child on Blakey Street in the city’s East End, more than three miles from her South Side residence. DNA testing proved she was carrying his child. On March 12, though, after a weeklong court battle, a Richmond jury found Mr. Bolling not guilty and he walked out of court a free man. According to his defense lawyers, Shannon Dillon and Alex Taylor, prosecutors never offered the jury proof that Mr. Bolling owned or had access to the .45-caliber weapon that was used, but never found by police. A doorbell video showed a male figure who was the apparent killer, but it was too grainy to provide any identification. A small amount of DNA left on the passenger-side door handle of her car was found to exclude him. Prosecutors also presented evidence tracking a cell phone, but never linked possession of the phone to Mr. Bolling, his lawyers said. Though Mr. Bolling is celebrating his victory, the churchgoing Richmond native, like everyone else who goes through the criminal court grinder, is having to deal with the upheaval and loss that the arrest caused. Winning in court came with a huge price tag, a significant

punishment in itself that he must deal with. Police and prosecutors cannot be sued for bringing a case, even if they get it wrong. That price includes the loss of his home, his business and his savings, along with family togetherness. “I’m having to start over,” he said about dealing with fallout that is just as severe as if he had been convicted. The only saving grace is that he was found not guilty of the crime and wasn’t locked up for years. Even before trial, Mr. Bolling said he paid a price. An arrest for murder ensured that his face and the charge were broadcast on local news reports and printed in the daily newspaper. The result: “My reputation and character were called into question” by those who knew him, he said, despite his assertion that he had no part in the killing. And the costs to him from the arrest just kept mounting. According to Tracy Paner, director of the Richmond Public Defender’s Office, people who spend as little as three days in jail can lose their jobs, their possessions and their ability to handle the world. Mr. Bolling is a prime example of what happens when detention lasts longer. He spent eight months in the Richmond City Justice Center awaiting trial, which cut off his income. Though his wife worked, she could not afford the mortgage on their home, which then went into foreclosure. She was forced to find a more affordable place for her and their children. “It’s been a great strain on the family,” Mr. Bolling said. “They had to get a new place.”

City students, families, teachers adjust to new styles of learning during a year with pandemic Continued from A1

nological Awareness Literacy Screening, or PALS, for elementary students between fall and winter 2020-21. She said the report showed an average 8 percent drop in kindergarten growth in letter sounds; a 10 percent drop in proficiency in letter sounds; an 8 percent drop in reading proficiency; and a 7.4 percent growth in spelling for first- and second-graders. Many teachers and families are supported, however, by Stay RVA, a solutionoriented, action-based organization of parents and others who help by delivering equipment to students — computers, instruments, worksheets or textbooks. For students learning to play music in band and orchestra classes, teachers many times must meet them at their homes or at school to repair instruments.

On the positive side, art instructors said they have a variety of media platforms that help teach and support students on their level of performance. These platforms help teachers and students work together in real time, in large or small groups, in a shared electronic space. They said the technology was not available to them before the coronavirus shutdown. While many art instructors said they are looking forward to schools reopening for in-person learning this fall, they want to make sure some of the technology and virtual platforms return to school with them to enhance future instruction. RPS parent Amy Wentz said she listens to her 6-year-old daughter Zoe’s virtual classroom interaction every day. The teacher, she said, is bilingual in English and Spanish and proficient in the new teaching technology. She said she has witnessed the students

Free COVID-19 testing Continued from A1 COVID-19 testing locations around the state at www.vdh.virginia.gov/ coronavirus/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-sites/. Want a COVID-19 vaccine? Seniors ages 65 and older who live in Richmond or Henrico County can call the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts COVID-19 hotline — (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to schedule a vaccine appointment. Others who want a vaccine should contact the statewide COVID-19 Vaccination Pre-Registration System at vaccinate.virginia.gov or by calling 877-VAX-IN-VA, or (877) 829-4682. The statewide call center is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week to help people pre-register by phone or to answer questions about the vaccine. The call center has English- and Spanish-speaking agents and a call-back service to help people in more than 100 other languages. Additionally, TTY service is available to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. With at least 25 percent of Virginia’s population having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, Gov. Ralph S. Northam announced Tuesday the loosening of some pandemic safety restrictions in the Commonwealth. Beginning Thursday, April 1, the cap on social gatherings will be raised to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. The current caps are 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors. The guidelines also encompass weddings, the governor stated. Additionally, entertainment venues can open up to 30 percent of

— from various ethnic backgrounds and with various skills — having fun learning at J.L. Francis Elementary. “Their growth has been amazing,” Ms. Wentz said. She said she is amazed to see Zoe’s classmates help each by doing little things — letting each other know when to turn the mute button on or off — and how they communicate with their teacher. “Since September, Zoe’s class has gone from knowing only sight words to reading chapter books. “My Zoe likes virtual learning and doesn’t want to go back to the classroom.” However, Ms. Wentz, who works from home, said she is aware that everyone isn’t thriving in the virtual school environment. She said she regularly participates in School Board Zoom meetings and keeps up with the daily communications from the RPS administration.

capacity, up to 500 people, while outdoor venues can open up to 30 percent without a numerical cap, according to the governor’s order. Recreational sports venues will be capped at 30 percent occupancy both for indoor and outdoor facilities, under the guidelines. The changes don’t apply to restaurants, gyms, salons and bars. And those who attend events or go to the venues must still wear face masks and follow other COVID-19 safety protocols. State health officials reported Wednesday that more than 3.2 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the state, with 1.1 million people fully vaccinated, or 13.1 percent of the state’s residents. The Richmond City Health District opened its latest mass vaccination center at Celebration Church in South Side. The site opened on Tuesday, with 861 people receiving vaccines. The center will be open once a week for now, with the goal of vaccinating 800 to 1,000 people with each clinic. State officials reported 608,704 cases of COVID-19 statewide on Wednesday, along with 26,037 hospitalizations and 10,143 deaths. Virginia’s seven-day positivity rate has been holding at 5.6 percent over several days. Last week, it was 5.4 percent. According to state data, African-Americans comprised 21.9 percent of cases statewide and 24.5 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 16.7 percent of cases and 6.5 percent of deaths. Reported COVID data as of Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Cases Hospitalizations Deaths Richmond 15,453 741 239 Henrico County 22,675 953 566 Chesterfield County 24,999 845 388 Hanover County 7,106 258 147

PayPal names new award for Richmond legend Maggie L. Walker Continued from A1

a community employment initiative. The city also has put up a statue to with award. Mrs. Walker at Adams and Broad streets, “This is incredibly exciting,” said Liza the entry to the Jackson Ward community Mickens, a descendant of Mrs. Walker, where she was a powerhouse before her who remains best known as the first Black death in 1934. woman to found and serve as president of But nationally, Mrs. Walker remains a U.S. bank. little known and underrepresented in the Ms. Mickens serves as the family’s pantheon of American businesswomen, spokeswoman and will be part of the Ms. Mickens said. Her multiple efforts selection committee. to advance civil rights and “We are ecstatic to see women often go unmentioned, Maggie Walker’s legacy so she said. embraced,” she said. “A lot of people know about A champion of women’s her chartering a bank,” Ms. Mickrights herself and co-founder ens said. “But her contributions to of VoteEquality that continues women’s rights and her political to push to enshrine equal rights work are less well known.” for women in the U.S. ConThat includes Mrs. Walker’s stitution, the 23-year-old Ms. Ms. Mickens efforts to secure voting rights for Mickens believes such national women or the fact that she was attention for her great-great-grandmother the first Black woman to run for statewide is long overdue, particularly for the work office in 1921, a year after women secured Mrs. Walker did to empower women as the vote, Ms. Mickens said, noting that the leader of the Independent Order of Mrs. Walker ran for superintendent of St. Luke. public education on the Lily Black ReIn Richmond, Mrs. Walker is well publican ticket. known. Her Jackson Ward home is a As grand secretary of the Order of St. national historic site run by the National Luke, Mrs. Walker led the fraternal society Park Service and buildings and streets are in opening a department store a few doors named for her, as are a community land from where her statue now stands and in bank that develops affordable housing and producing a newspaper, along with creating

a bank. She filled a majority of the posts with Black women. She also helped lead a boycott of the Richmond trolley system after seating was segregated by race. The boycott bankrupted the company. She also was a founding member of the Richmond Branch NAACP to help fight for civil rights when government-enforced racial segregation was in full flower, Ms. Mickens noted. Dan Schulman, PayPal’s chief executive officer, considers Mrs. Walker a prime example of the impact one person can make and an ideal example for the company in seeking to honor modern sheroes. “At a time when Black people in the United States were denied opportunities for wealth creation, Maggie Lena Walker made it her life’s mission to advocate for economic independence in her community,” he stated in explaining why the award is named for her. “Her story is one of perseverance, dedication and bravery,” Mr. Schulman continued. “In this spirt, we are honoring Mrs. Walker and her contributions through this award program that recognizes women who are leading and advancing economic empowerment in underserved communities.”

His ties to his wife remain strained, though she supported him in court. Since his acquittal, he has been living with a relative as he begins to rebuild. While incarcerated, his company defaulted on the leased car lot on Midlothian Turnpike which he had operated for nine years. Mr. Bolling, a slender, bearded man with an infectious laugh and easygoing manner, appeared to check all the boxes for pretrial release, a process that the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office has long supported to reduce disruption to people’s lives before their case goes to court. A family man, he could demonstrate strong ties to the community along with his self-employment. He also was active in a local church and could point to community activities, including being regularly called on by officials to bring positive messages to inmates at the city’s Juvenile Detention Center as well as the Justice Center. And though he had served time in 2002 on a drug possession conviction, he already had his civil and voting rights restored and had not been charged or convicted of another criminal offense since, a claim supported by online court databases that do not list any misdemeanor or felony charges under his name between 2002 and the 2020 murder charge. However, a Richmond judge rejected a bail request based on arguments from Katherine Groover, the assistant commonwealth’s attorney who prosecuted the case. Armed with certainty that Mr. Bolling was rightly arrested, Ms. Groover argued that Mr. Bolling should remain locked up because of the seriousness of the crime. She also argued that Mr. Bolling was a flight risk as he had a history of out-of-state business travel and church-related mission trips. In jail, Mr. Bolling said he passed the time by reading and offering a class on starting and operating a business for inmates on his tier. Then there was the cost of legal representation from his two attorneys, who teamed up to handle what the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office described as a complex circumstantial case. Mr. Bolling said he is grateful for the experience and knowledge his lawyers brought to his case. He praises their ability to counter key commonwealth witnesses and for showing the jury through their arguments and cross-examination that the commonwealth had failed to prove its case. But private lawyers do not come cheap. The Richmond Public Defender’s Office would have taken his case without charge, but Mr. Bolling said he believed he needed the kind of veteran lawyers who need to be paid. Mr. Bolling said the lawyers’ bill tops $60,000. “I had to use up my savings,” he said. Paying attorneys “was definitely not how I planned to use that money,” he said. He also had to sell the remaining inventory on the car lot to raise the lion’s share of the money. Still, he has a debt to them that he needs to pay off. Now that he is free, his goal is to get back into the used car business as quickly as possible. “It’s going to take time,” Mr. Bolling said. “I’m doing everything I can to put this behind me.”

New coalition offers blueprint for more affordable housing Continued from A1

ing has become a top agenda item for Mayor Levar M. Stoney and the City Council. The mayor has set a goal of having 10,000 new units of affordable housing developed in Richmond by 2030 and has committed to beefing up the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund to $10 million a year within five years to support the effort. Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities, a faith-based coalition known as RISC, is pressing for City Council to boost the trust fund to $10 million in a far shorter time to bring more resources to bear. The new coalition believes its recommendations could put policies in place to support increasing the numbers of affordable units. “It is essential that the City Council and Planning Commission focus their efforts on the small number of affordable housing tools that have the biggest impact,” said Stephen Wade, board vice president of Partnership for Smarter Growth. That includes the policy of replacing public housing units on a one-for-one basis, he said, using housing dollars to provide rental supplements and putting in place zoning that encourages affordable housing development. As others have found, the coalition sees evictions and housing affordability reaching a crisis level for a city where one in four households lives below the poverty line and where more than half of all households are earning less than the area’s median annual income that tops $80,000 a year for a family of four. Evidence of the crisis, according to the coalition, can be found in the eviction notices that yearly go out to nearly one-third of Richmond renters because they are delinquent on rent. While the majority are not evicted, Richmond still ranks among the top cities for its eviction rate. Prior to COVID-19 and the temporary moratoriums on evictions, up to 17 people a day were being evicted for having an average of $1,000 in past-due rent. For such families, finding replacement housing is an increasing challenge. According to the coalition, currently there are only 30 affordable housing units for every 100 households earning less than 30 percent of the area’s median income. For families making 50 percent of the area’s median income, there are only 63 units for every 100 such residents. The supply of such units is far below the demand. The result: More than half of Richmond’s households are cost-burdened for housing, meaning they pay more than 30 percent of income for housing, with Black and Latino households impacted to a greater extent than white households. The coalition is pushing for a more targeted approach from the government to help deal with the issue. Laura Wright of the Virginia Poverty Law Center noted that “local rent supplement programs provide financial assistance to families earning 30 percent or below of median income. “Such a program would pay the difference between their rent and what they are able to pay,” she continued. “This program, along with funding for housing attorneys to represent such families in court, is essential” to reducing evictions. Quinton Robbins of Richmond For All noted that any city policy agenda for affordable housing must include protecting the availability of affordable housing in the form of public housing. Such housing continues to be one of the key elements of providing safe and affordable housing for individuals and families at the lowest end of the income scale.


Richmond Free Press

March 25-27, 2021 A5

Activities during COVID-19: Know your risk level

COVID-19 most commonly spreads through close contact and can easily pass from one person to another. In general, the more closely you interact with others and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread.* Kids and families have experienced so much change during the pandemic – and we know it’s hard! But, it’s up to all of us to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Some of our everyday activities like visiting a friend’s house or playing basketball indoors might seem safe, but are they? Check out the risk levels below before you go!

How can you lower your risk? • Wear a mask** • Stay 6 ft. from people who don’t live in your home • Wash your hands

• Delay celebrations and large gatherings until after the pandemic • Get the vaccine when it becomes available to you

High risk • Not wearing a mask at all times in public** • Large gatherings (birthday parties, weddings, etc.) • Sleepovers at a friend’s house • Movie theaters • Visiting with older relatives indoors • Indoor sporting events • Eating indoors at a restaurant

Medium risk • Eating outdoors at a restaurant • Having dinner at someone’s house • Working out at the gym • Playing inside at a friend’s house, wearing a mask at all times • Outdoor gathering with 2-3 families • Going to the library

Low risk • Essential errands, wearing a mask (grocery store, bank, etc.) • Outdoor, distanced playdates • Doctor’s appointments • Other health care appointments, like occupational therapy • Getting takeout • Walking in the park

Little to no risk • FaceTiming friends • Playing with siblings who live in your home • Taking a family hike or bike ride • Exercising at home

*CDC.gov **Children under 2 and people with special needs who cannot remove the mask themselves or express trouble breathing should not wear a face mask. Content accurate as of February 18, 2021.

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chrichmond.org/covid-19

2/18/21 4:15 PM


Richmond Free Press

Soaring finch in Museum District

Editorial Page

A6

March 25-27, 2021

Good riddance to the death penalty Virginia has finally come down on the right side of the law with the abolition of the death penalty. With the stroke of a pen on Wednesday, Gov. Ralph S. Northam signed historic legislation abolishing the abhorrent and inequitable practice that has taken the lives of nearly 1,400 people in the Commonwealth since the 1600s. Virginia holds the record for executing the most people of any state, and is second only to Texas when it comes to putting people to death in modern times. Since 1976 when the U.S. reinstated the death penalty, Virginia has executed 113 people. We are encouraged by the sea change in Virginia that resulted in the General Assembly’s passage of legislation last month to end capital punishment. We believe the change was spurred in large measure by the racial reckoning across this nation springing from the videotaped murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis Police officer. Mr. Floyd’s death brought to light undeniable proof of the racism that permeates our policing and criminal justice systems. Virginia has been cited by the Death Penalty Information Center as an example of the historically racist and inequitable application of capital punishment. Robert Dunham, executive director of the center, called it a “historical extension of the racial hierarchy that produced slavery, lynching and Jim Crow.” The death penalty was long used as a tool for controlling the Black population during the centuries of slavery and long after. Analysis shows that even during modern times, a person arrested for a crime against a white person is three times as likely to face execution than if the victim is Black. In Virginia, that also is the case, according to the center. The records also show that African-Americans have been executed for a broader range of crimes than Caucasians. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, no white person was sentenced to death for any offense other than murder between the start of the 20th century to the 1970s, while 73 African-Americans were executed for rape, attempted rape and armed robbery, none of which resulted in death. In February 1951, Virginia executed five men on the same day. They were part of the case known as the Martinsville 7, in which seven African-American men were convicted and sentenced to death by all-white male juries for raping a white woman. Evidence now shows that most of the Martinsville 7, if not all, were innocent of the crime. Public sentiment against the death penalty has grown as people have become more aware of the number of death row inmates who have been exonerated based on DNA and other evidence establishing their innocence. At least 174 inmates on death row have been exonerated nationally since the 1970s, according to one report. With this shift in attitude, it is no surprise that Virginia now becomes the 23rd state — and the first in the South — to abolish the death penalty. Gov. Northam, a physician who has called the practice racist, ineffective and inhumane, said in a media interview that he decided it was time to act after examining statistics showing that Black people in the Commonwealth are many times more likely to face the death penalty. While the campaign to end the death penalty has been waged for years in Virginia, the legislation finally was able to pass this year because both chambers of the legislature are controlled by Democrats, and a Democratic governor signaled he would sign off on it. Advocates felt the time was ripe now because Democratic control of the General Assembly and the governor’s office possibly could change after November’s elections. We find it both frightening and fitting that Gov. Northam toured the death chamber at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt on Wednesday before signing the law ending capital punishment. The death chamber is a somber and ghoulish place even in photographs. Two men, Anthony Juniper and Thomas Porter, both AfricanAmerican, remained on Virginia’s death row. With Gov. Northam signing the bill into law on Wednesday, their death sentences are now converted into life in prison without parole. Going forward, we must remain vigilant to ensure that members of the Virginia General Assembly don’t try to return the Commonwealth to its inhumane, inequitable and racist past.

End the violence It may seem incongruous heralding the abolition of the death penalty during a time in which two mass shootings have occurred within the space of a week. But it is not. The separate mass shootings — one, at three spas in Metro Atlanta last week and the other, on Tuesday at a Boulder, Colo., supermarket — were carried out by 21-year-old men, both of whom clearly were in need of psychiatric help and one who may have a deep-seated hatred of Asian women. Both tragedies show this country is in need of help because we haven’t had the will or taken action to prevent these horrific situations through the decades, even as we claim to abhor them. The gruesome massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado took place April 20, 1999, while the shoot-up at an Aurora, Colo., movie theater took place July 20, 2012. Mass shootings have impacted communities from coast to coast in this nation — including at Virginia Tech in 2007 and the Virginia Beach Municipal Center in 2019. We continue to offer thoughts and prayers for the victims of these mass casualties and their families, but little has changed nationally to block access to assault-style weapons like the one used in Colorado, or the ease with which guns can be purchased as in the Atlanta case. We must change that. We call on the U.S. Senate to pass laws on universal background checks and gun safety measures already approved by the House of Representatives and to ban assault weapons that have no place outside of warfare. Background checks review a gun buyer’s criminal and mental health histories and may turn up factors that could bar someone from purchasing a gun. We also call for more funding for mental health in this nation. We ask President Biden to take executive action on these issues if Congress fails to act. The nation needs more than a consoler-in-chief. We need immediate action. With both the Senate and the House under Democratic control, the administration needs to use this opportunity to make change happen. Despite the Cherokee County, Ga., Sheriff’s Office spokesperson and others being tone deaf, we believe the shootings in Atlanta were hate crimes, with the shooter targeting Asian women. Six of the eight victims last week were Asian women. All forms of racism are fruit from the same poisonous tree, says Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor of New Orleans, in writing about this spate of violence. We all are victims when one is a victim. We stand in empathy and solidarity with our Asian sisters and brothers who have been the victims of violence. No one should be afraid to go to the store, to work, to school, to church, to the movies or the club and fear for their life. Black people, who have long been targets in this country, understand that fear. Let’s work together to end the violence.

‘A very bad day’ I have bad days, even very bad days, as we all do. Example: I woke up late on a day when I had an 8 a.m. meeting. Most days, I’m up before 6, but this day I just blew it. So I’m in a rush, and the new pair of pantyhose runs at the touch of my unmanicured nail. Gotta find a new pair. Go out to my car. No gas. Call an Uber. They late. When I get to my appointment, a scant 5 minutes late, I am met by the assistant of an anal man who says he has to reschedule because I am too late (5 minutes!) to accommodate. So I decide to get a coffee at Starbucks and meander to my lunch meeting, a few blocks away. But when I check my cell, I realize that my lunch meeting is canceled. I make my way home, frustrated and annoyed. A very bad day. I don’t go buy myself a 9 mm gun or drive by a bunch of places where the white men who have frustrated me are employed. I don’t kill a bunch of people. I don’t tell anyone there is some sexual obsession that drove me to insanity. Instead, I do what I often do when I am frustrated. I get some ice cream, preferably butter

pecan, and take a small spoon to the big pint. Maybe I have a unique cognac. Or I call out for some barbecue brisket and fried Brussel sprouts. Worst case scenario, I sit in front of my fireplace and shed a few tears for my man, recently departed, who always talked me out of frustration. I cannot understand why

Julianne Malveaux Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jay Baker, the spokesperson for the law enforcement group that captured a depraved murderer, would describe his actions as “a very bad day.” Of course, the captain has since apologized and was removed from his spokesperson duties. And of course, his boss has described his words as the source of “much debate and anger.” I guess Jay Baker just had “a very bad day.” But not as bad a day as Delania Ashley Yaun, 33; Xiaojie Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Paul Andre Michels, 54; Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; and Yong Ae Yue, 63, experienced. It was a white boy bad day that left eight people dead. This rude recounting of a massacre is the essence of white supremacy. You make it all about you. Eight people are dead, six of them Asian-American women.

And you had a bad day! Let me tell you about bad days. Vincent Chin, a Chinese American engineer, ran into some depraved white Chrysler employees on June 22, 1982. They blamed him, and folks like him, for the job cuts that Chrysler imposed due to Japanese imports (Chinese, Japanese, not the same thing). Mr. Chin was beaten to death, and his murderers got a $3,000 fine and three years probation. The message — Asian lives don’t matter. Or, more intersectionally, “other” lives don’t matter. Racist hate has racial dehumanization at its roots. You can’t lynch Black people unless you think they are something less than human. You couldn’t do that to your mother or brother or sister. You can’t sexualize and shoot Asian-American women unless you think they are less than human. Would you shoot your aunt or cousin to satisfy your sexual dysfunction? George Floyd had a “very bad day” when Derek Chauvin killed him with a nearly 9-minute knee to the neck. Sandra Bland had a “very bad day” when a rabid Brian Encina decided to arrest her for both a minor traffic offense and for her unwillingness to bow down in front of him. Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice had a “very bad day” when, just seconds after

Black farmers and COVID-19 relief If you ever begin to doubt that elections matter, think about Black farmers. The new COVID-19 relief law takes significant steps to address decades of shameful discrimination against Black farmers by the federal government. And that would not have happened without voters putting President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the White House and giving Democrats a majority in the U.S. Senate. The discrimination is well-documented. So is its devastating impact on Black farming families. Consider a few statistics. One hundred years ago, there were more than 925,000 Black-run farms. By 2017, that number had dropped by more than 95 percent. Today, less than 2 percent of farmers in the United States are Black, and 98 percent of farmland is owned by white landowners. Part of the problem is state laws that often force the sale of inherited farmland for pennies on the dollar. But this is not a problem confined to the Confederate states or the Jim Crow era. This is largely a problem of intentional discrimination by employees of the federal government. Bigoted bureaucrats and discriminatory policies at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Farmers Home Administration lending agency abused

Black farmers for decades. Black farms were falsely classified as unproductive. Farmers were unfairly denied loans that they were entitled to receive. The government stalled and buried their complaints about discrimination. Land was taken and given to white farmers. Senate Democrats reported recently that Black farmers in the South have lost more than 12 million acres of farmland since

Ben Jealous the 1950s. In 1982, the U.S. Civil Rights Commission said that the Farmers Home Administration’s unresponsiveness “hindered the efforts of Black small farmers to remain a viable force in agriculture.” During the 1990s, many farmers were cut out of meaningful help they should have gotten from lawsuit settlements. Official neglect and mistreatment of Black farmers continued into the 21st century. One study found that from 2006 to 2016, the federal government was six times as likely to foreclose on a Black farmer as on a white one. Last fall, U.S. Sens. Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand introduced the Justice for Black Farmers Act. It was designed to address and correct the discrimination that “caused Black farmers to lose millions of acres of farmland and robbed Black farmers and their families of hundreds of billions of dollars of intergenerational wealth.” And then the 2020 elections created powerful opportunities for Black farmers. During the

first week of the Biden-Harris administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture halted debt collection and foreclosure for thousands of farmers behind in federal loan payments, many of them Black. Newly elected Sen. Raphael Warnock — thank you, Georgia voters! — introduced the Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act, which became part of the COVID-19 relief legislation known as the American Rescue Plan. That measure, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, includes $10 billion to support agriculture. The law includes $4 billion in direct aid to get farmers out of debt. And it includes $1 billion to create and fund a commission to deal with the longstanding discrimination and inequity in USDA programs. And Sen. Booker has reintroduced last year’s bill, which would include a program for getting land into the hands of Black farmers. These long-overdue steps toward reversing generations of wrongdoing are not just the result of a single election. They are the fruit of decades of organizing by Black farmers and their advocates to document and challenge racist discrimination and injustice, and to get Black people and their allies to vote. Organizing and elections can change the world. Together we are making — and remaking — history. Let’s keep it up! The writer, a former president and chief executive officer of the NAACP, is president of People for the American Way and People for the American Way Foundation.

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sighting him, the much-maligned Timothy Loehmann (fired from another Ohio police department) executed him. Dylann Roof, the deranged white man who shot up Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., and killed nine people, had such a bad day that the men who arrested him took him to Burger King to get a sandwich. In other words, your bad day can result in my murder. Your sexual dysfunction becomes my problem. Your gross ignorance puts me at risk because I am a woman — Black, Brown, Asian or Native American. There is a genderized component to American racism, and this genderized component makes it OK for an intellectually vacuous law enforcement official to describe a vicious massacre as “a very bad day.” Bad for who? The writer is an economist, educator and writer.

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Richmond Free Press

March 25-27, 2021 A7

Letters to the Editor

Support the For the People Act To the American People: We write to you today as citizens who love this country and care deeply about its future. And right now, the most important thing we can do to protect that future is to rise together in support of the For the People Act currently before the Senate — the most significant piece of legislation to strengthen our democracy since the Civil Rights movement. On Jan. 6, a violent mob laid siege to our nation’s Capitol, determined to overturn the results of a presidential election that their preferred candidate lost. It was a shocking and outrageous assault on our democracy — and a sobering reminder that we can no longer take our system of self-government for granted. In the months since, a new president and vice president were sworn in and some insurrectionists are not facing justice for their roles in that historic day of shame. Yet we cannot act as if the threat to American democracy has passed. Already this year, in state houses across the country, more than 250 bills spread across 43 states have been introduced to further weaken our democracy and make it more difficult for Americans to vote. These bills seek to make it harder to register to vote and cast a ballot by limiting early and mail-in voting and setting up more barriers that particularly impact Black, Brown and young people. Some of these undemocratic measures already have become law, with others surely to follow. What’s happening is this: After more Americans than ever voted in the last presidential election, some state leaders believe that silencing them is the only way to maintain their grip on power. They’re hoping to choose their voters, rather than the other way around. And if we

and after work, and increased access to voteby-mail, so no American has to decide between making their voice heard and earning a living, taking care of their family or staying safe during a pandemic; • Make Election Day a national holiday, making it easier for more Americans to cast a ballot; • Restore the right to vote for people with felony convictions, which disproportionately impacts minority communities; • Strengthen federal criminal penalties for those who misinform and intimidate people at the polls; • Overhaul our campaign finance system to give ordinary Americans a greater voice in the political process and afford a more diverse array of people the opportunity to run; and • Ban partisan gerrymandering and discriminatory voter purges. We applaud the House for passing this bill, and now we urge the Senate to follow suit and do its part to protect our democracy. And if that means eliminating or instituting meaningful reform to the filibuster — a relic of Jim Crow and an arcane chamber rule increasingly abused to create gridlock and forestall progress — the Senate should act. We cannot continue to allow the will of the majority of Americans to be overshadowed by an oppositional few fixated on maintaining power. Because make no mistake, as a recent poll showed, large majorities of Americans support this bill across

as Americans stand idly by — if we wait for others to act or we refuse to do so with anything other than clear purpose and full-hearted patriotism — they will succeed. Our nation was founded on the idea that as citizens, we should be able to determine our nation’s destiny. Generations of Americans have rightly organized, marched and died to defend that ideal and expand voting and civil rights to women and minorities ­— a story that continues to this day. Today, the moment calls for us to take up that patriotic call to protect and expand those rights once again. And that’s why we must rally behind the passage of the For the People Act. This bill is not about choosing one party or one issue over another. It is about commonsense reforms and best practices that make our democracy more open, more fair and more inclusive. It is about reaffirming our founding principle that we can chart our own course as a nation. The For the People Act is about moving closer to the America we aspire to be — a land of opportunity where every voice is heard and valued. Among the tremendous progress it promises, this bill will: • Expand automatic voter registration, adding as many as 50 million people to voter rolls; • Expand same-day and online voter registration for federal elections, which are especially important for young people and first-time voters; • Allow for pre-registration for 16- and 17year-olds, so that when they get their driver’s license, they also are registered and ready to vote when they turn 18; • Require two weeks of early voting for federal elections, including on the weekends

Pentagon—publicly shamed by the television news networks during live coverage of the attack — was finally forced to send in National Guard troops in response to the domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump psychopaths, who insist they were following then-President Trump’s demands. Lt. Gen. Flynn was on the phone call in which the request for National Guard assistance initially was denied. Cop-killing conservatives like Lt. Gen. Flynn belong in prison, not in uniform. A court martial will be unnecessary once Lt. Gen. Flynn is dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army, which should

have happened on Jan. 7. He should have been arrested and jailed without bail awaiting trial on charges of sedition and facilitating the capital murder of a police officer. There will be no presidential pardon this time for this Flynn brother. Lt. Gen. Flynn needs to be tried publicly and transparently as soon as possible in a civilian court of law, as opposed to the usual Defense Department cover-up of crimes committed by those in command. An inexplicable delay of 3 hours and 19 minutes only means one thing—Lt. Gen. Flynn is guilty.

As the only candidate for Governor in the Virginia Senate, Jenn is creating historic progress for all Virginians. Passing the Voting Rights Act of Virginia which eliminates barriers to voting due to racial discrimination and proactively protects the right to vote. Making Virginia the first state in the South to repeal the ban on abortion coverage through plans offered on the health exchange. Ensuring that people with mental illnesses and developmental and intellectual disabilities are not needlessly and unjustly trapped in the criminal justice system. Extending more worker protections to domestic workers through the Virginia Human Rights Act. Ending the death penalty in Virginia.

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Pentagon’s Flynn needs to be charged in Jan. 6 attack U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Charles A. Flynn needs to be taken into custody immediately by the FBI for facilitating the right wing domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. People should contact FBI Headquarters in Washington and tell the FBI to arrest Lt. Gen. Flynn as an accessory to the murder of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. Lt. Gen. Flynn is the younger brother of convicted felon and fellow insurrectionist traitor Michael T. Flynn, the former national security adviser for Vladimir Putin’s puppet, former President Donald Trump. On Jan. 6, 3 hours and 19 minutes went by before traitor Trump’s intransigent

party lines — including more than half of Republican voters. So today we call on Americans of conscience and goodwill to join us in taking a stand for voting rights and to put the power more firmly in the hands of the people. We urge every American to remember how it felt to watch as our Capitol was desecrated earlier this year — and to channel that outrage into patriotic duty. We are asking you to join us by calling on your Senators to pass the For the People Act immediately — you can join our efforts right now at www.WhenWeAllVote.org. Just as those who came before us turned the crack of a baton or the spray or a firehose into a Voting Rights Act; just as those who turned literacy tests, poll taxes and other forms of discrimination into organized, concrete and hopeful action on behalf of their votes, we too can make our mark on history. We too can right wrongs in our time and pave the way for those who come after us. We can do so much better as a country. But we’ll never be able to do it alone. Now is our best chance to protect and strengthen our democracy and put power back where it belongs — with the people. We ask you to stand with us.

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Richmond Free Press

A8  March 25-27, 2021

Sports Coverage Stories by Fred Jeter

NSU wins, only to be crushed by NCAA’s Goliath, Gonzaga U. Norfolk State University was the only one of five Virginia schools to record a victory at the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Carrying the state banner, the Spartans defeated Appalachian State 54-53 in a First Four match March 18 in Bloomington, Ind. That set up a David versus Goliath showdown last Saturday between NSU and Gonzaga, and Goliath more than lived up to its national headlines and ranking. With the world watching on TV, the No. 1 seeded Gonzaga routed the No. 16 seed NSU Spartans 98-55. Gonzaga led 4323 at halftime. This was to be expected. Gonzaga entered the game as a 34-point favorite, but NSU had won its previous seven games

and was fired up for the occasion. NSU did have its moments in the early going. The Spartans led 9-6 early on and 11-10 with 12:41 left in the first half. “I think we let the moment get away from us a little bit,” NSU Coach Robert Jones told the media. “We put the pressure on ourselves instead of it being on them because, honestly, there was no pressure on Coach Jones us, but we played like there was.” Devante Carter and Kyonze Chavis had 12 points each, but the Spartans shot just 31 percent (19 of 62) from the field and were out rebounded 45-22.

Gonzaga hit 14 of 27 3-pointers, with Corey Kispert draining six of nine. Four of the five NSU starters — Carter, Chavis, J.J. Matthews and Kashaun Hicks — are seniors, but would have the option of returning next season. NSU’s Jalen Hawkins, a 6-foot-2 junior from Bronx, N.Y., had 24 points in the win over Appalachian State and added eight points against Gonzaga. Junior Joe Bryant, MVP of the MEAC tournament, will be counted on heavily in the upcoming 2021-22 season. NSU now has finished 17-8 overall under Coach Jones. The Spartans were regular season co-champs in MEAC North and won the MEAC Tournament for the first time since 2012.

‘March Madness’ turns to ‘Spring Sadness’ for VCU Rams By Fred Jeter

season and advanced to the A-10 Tournament final before losing to St. Bonaventure in Dayton. Virginia Commonwealth University traveled to the The Rams continued to prosper despite losing two key NCAA Big Dance hoping to kick up its heels and stay guards off the bench during the final month. Tre Clark for a while. dropped out of school and KeShawn Curry took a leave Instead, the Rams slipped and fell before the music of absence to attend to personal matters. This placed ever started, and headed straight home. an added burden on freshman point guard Ace Baldwin March Madness became Spring Sadness. and he did not back down from the challenge, playing Multiple positive COVID-19 tests among the nearly 40 minutes per game. VCU contingent denied the Rams a chance to Looking ahead: Under Coach Rhoades, play Oregon in what was supposed to be a first the Rams should be loaded in 2021-22. The round matchup last Saturday in Indianapolis. team has just two seniors, Corey Douglas No. 10 seed VCU versus No. 7 Oregon in the (4.5 points per game) and Levi Stockard West Region was ruled a “No contest,” with the (6.5 points per game). Most of the firepower Oregon Ducks advancing essentially by forfeit. returns. Oregon had been a 5.5-point favorite. Worries: Hyland blossomed into a powerful It’s anyone’s guess where the Rams picked force as a sophomore and NBA scouts took up the coronavirus. Roger Ayers, who officiated Coach Rhoades notice. His name has popped up in several at the VCU-St. Bonaventure Atlantic 10 ConNBA mock draft predictions, likely as a second ference championship game March 14 in Dayton, Ohio, round selection. He also would be a candidate for the tested positive for COVID-19 this past week. Gatorade League. “I would not speculate in any way, shape or form of Reinforcements: Joining the Rams next season will who had it,” said VCU Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin. be two highly touted, three-star freshmen, 6-foot-9 Jalen “It certainly wasn’t because of bad behavior on our side DeLoach from St. Louis and 6-foot-5 Nick Kern from whatsoever. So it’s brutal. That’s the only way I can Lilburn, Ga. describe it.” Caribbean calling: The Rams will be tested early Rams Coach Mike Rhoades called the abrupt ending next season in the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island “devastating” and “a heartbreaking moment in (players’) in The Bahamas, Nov. 24 through 26. young lives.” Other entries are Baylor, Arizona State, Auburn, The NCAA’s decision to forego the game because of Michigan State, Connecticut, Loyola-Chicago and health risks was handed down about three hours prior to Syracuse. tipoff following NCAA officials’ consultation with the The aftermath: There have been hundreds of COVIDMarion County Public Health Department in 19 interruptions this hoops season, including Indiana. There were two positive tests several involving VCU. on Friday and there was fear the The Rams missed out on a If an analyst illness was “spreading.” The tournament in Charleston, S.C., were to grade the state of team didn’t specify if the and a trip to the University Virginia on the NCAA Basketball positive tests came from Tournament, it wouldn’t be much of Tennessee due to posihigher than a “D.” players or other team tive tests on at least one The Commonwealth was successful personnel. team involved. in getting five teams into the Big Dance, Looking back: Also, an A-10 but the teams were mostly unsuccessful This was a smileygame against Daupon arrival in Indiana. face story with vidson was postThe results: a tearful finish. poned due to Norfolk State University defeated Appalachian Despite the positive tests. State 54-53 on March 18 in the First Four before dismal ending, Another game losing to Gonzaga 98-55 last Saturday. the Rams went with Fordham Virginia Tech lost to Florida 75-70 in overtime 19-7 after being last Friday in the first round. was canceled. Liberty University lost to Oklahoma State 69-60 picked to finish The differlast Friday, also in the first round. ninth in the Atence is there was The University of Virginia lost to Ohio University lantic 10. time to resched62-58 last Saturday in the first round. Led by A-10 ule and make And Virginia Commonwealth University Player of the amends for those was eliminated last Saturday due to positive Year Nah’Shon setbacks. But the COVID-19 tests. The Rams never took the “Bones” Hyland, NCAA was final. court against Oregon, which advanced the Rams were secThe Rams never got unopposed. ond in the regular on the dance floor.

Virginia schools out of the running

Corey Kispert

Jalen Suggs

Gonzaga in pursuit of perfect record The Gonzaga Bulldogs, aka the “Zags,” are seeking admission into one of college basketball’s most revered fraternities—The Undefeated Club. There have only been seven undefeated NCAA Division I basketball champions and four have the same initials, “UCLA.” The UCLA Bruins enjoyed four perfect seasons while the University of San Francisco, the University of North Carolina and Indiana University recorded one each, all long ago. There hasn’t been an undefeated team since Indiana in 1976, when President Gerald Ford was in the White House, “Rocky” was premiering on the silver screen and Bob McAdoo was leading the NBA in scoring for the Buffalo Braves. A private Catholic university in Spokane, Wash., Gonzaga improved to 28-0 Tuesday by eliminating Oklahoma 87-71 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in the West Region in Indianapolis. Coach Mark Few’s squad features two likely NBA first round picks in senior Corey Kispert and freshman Jalen Suggs. Prior to dominating the West Coast Conference, Gonzaga scored early season wins over heavyweights Kansas, Auburn, West Virginia, Iowa and Virginia. That enabled Gonzaga to surge to the top of the polls. The Few Crew never let up on the gas, averaging 92 points per game. Named after Jesuit saint Aloysius Gonzaga, the school needs four more wins to ring the loudest bell in the NCAA’s tallest tower. Meet “The Undefeated:” San Francisco, 1955-56, 29-0: Coach Phil Woolpert; Led by NBA superstars-to-be Bill Russell and K.C. Jones, the Dons defeat Iowa 83-71 in the NCAA final in Evanston, Ill. North Carolina, 1956-57, 32-0:

Coach Frank McGuire; All-American Lenny Rosenbluth spurred the Tar Heels’ 54-53 overtime win over the University of Kansas led by Wilt Chamberlain in a NCAA final played in Kansas City. UCLA, 1963-64, 30-0: Coach Johnny Wooden; Walt Hazzard, Gail Goodrich and Kenny Washington are among the Bruins who help rout Duke 98-73 in Los Angeles NCAA final. UCLA, 1966-67, 30-0: Coach Wooden; Sophomore Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) averaged 30 points and 16 rebounds; Bruins beat Dayton 79-64 in the final in Louisville. UCLA, 1971-72, 30-0: Coach Wooden; Bill Walton, Keith Wilkes, Henry Bibby, Swen Nater and Larry Farmer led the way as the Bruins topped Florida State 81-76 in the final in Los Angeles. UCLA, 1972-73, 30-0: Coach Wooden; In the NCAA final in St. Louis, Walton scored 44 points (21-for-22 shooting) as the Bruins topped Memphis State 87-66. Walton and Wilkes were named first team All-Americans. Indiana, 1975-76, 32-0: Coach Bobby Knight; Scott May, Quinn Buckner, Bobby Wilkerson and Kent Benson lead the Hoosiers to an 8668 win over Michigan in the final in Philadelphia. There have been other near misses. Indiana State, featuring Larry Bird, finished 33-1 in 1979 after losing to Michigan State and Magic Johnson in the NCAA final. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels were 34-0 in 1991 before losing to Duke in the Final Four. In 2014, Wichita State won 35 straight games prior to falling to Kentucky in the Final Four. Kentucky won 35 straight games in 2015 before being upset by Wisconsin in the 2015 Final Four.

After video backlash, NCAA addresses inequities at women’s and men’s tournaments Free Press wire report

SAN ANTONIO The NCAA’s inequities in women’s sports are showing. And the NCAA officially, embarrassed mightily on social media, moved quickly to try to clean up the problems. Last Saturday, just a day after the NCAA was heavily criticized for not having an adequate facility for the women’s teams to lift weights and work out during the NCAA Tournament, the organization created a fully stocked workout room at the convention center in San Antonio near the practice courts. The NCAA originally told teams in a manual that there wouldn’t be a weight room facility until after the second round when only 16 teams would remain. But that changed after a tweet from Stanford strength Coach Ali Kershner and a video from Oregon’s Sedonia Prince went viral with nearly 16 million views showing off a single rack of dumbbells and yoga mats for the women’s teams playing in Texas, while the men had a fully stocked exercise room before the start of their tournament in Indiana. That set off a backlash con-

demning the inequities between the men’s and women’s tournaments that drew the attention of NBA and WNBA players as well as former coaches. The men had a fully stocked weight room before the start of their tournament. NCAAbasketball administrators apologized to the women’s basketball players and coaches and NCAASenior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt vowed to do better during a Zoom call Friday morning. “I apologize to the women’s student-athletes, coaches and committee for dropping the ball on the weight room issue in San Antonio, we’ll get it fixed as soon as possible,” Gavitt said. The NCAA said that the workout items shown in Prince’s video were never intended to be the weight room, but just some equipment for teams to use while they waited to get onto the practice court as it was being sanitized. Now teams can sign up for 45-minute blocks of time to work out in the new weight room. There are heavier weights as well as squat racks, benches and exercises balls. The NCAA brought in a few of the teams’ strength and conditioning coaches to ensure that the new

Above, the NCAA’s well-equipped weight room for men’s basketball teams, below, the subpar weight room for the NCAA’s women’s basketball team.

area was up to their standards before the start of the women’s tournament on Sunday. But during Gavitt’s Zoom call, other differences were raised: There are 68 teams in the men’s field, 64 in the women; and the NCAA pays for the men’s National Invita-

tion Tournament, but not the women’s NIT. “The field size and NIT, those would be decisions made in conjunction with membership,” Gavitt said. “Those are not decisions we could make independently. They are good questions and it’s timely to raise

those issues again.” Players also raised questions about the gift bags they received compared to the ones that the men were given. The NCAA told The AP that the value of the bags was equitable. Despite the apology, South Carolina women’s basketball Coach Dawn Staley blasted the NCAA and president Mark Emmert over the disparity in social media posts. “There is no answer that the NCAA executive leadership led by Mark Emmert can give to explain the disparities,” Staley posted to Twitter on Friday night. “Mark Emmert and his team point blank chose to create them! The real issue is not the weights or the ‘swag’ bags. It’s that they did not think or do not think that the women’s players ‘deserve’ the same amenities of the men.” Staley’s team is a No. 1 seed at the tournament. NCAA leaders also apologized about food issues at the women’s tournament and said they, too, were being addressed. Emmert said the differences in COVID-19 testing between the men’s and women’s tournaments were due to different testing providers in Indiana and Texas.

To Staley, words weren’t enough. “We cannot as leaders of young women allow Mark Emmert and his team to use us and our student-athletes at their convenience,” Staley, 50, wrote. “Every team here in San Antonio has earned and deserves at a minimum the same level of respect as the men. All the teams here dealt with the same issues as the men’s teams this season, yet their ‘reward’ is different.” A discussion has started among the conference commissioners and the NCAA on how to avoid this in the future. “I hope it opens a broader examination of how we invest, support and make decisions in the sport of basketball at all levels within our system,” America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen said. “There are complexities and tensions to be sure. But moments like this should force us to re-examine how we got here. This isn’t just about dumbbells or swag bags. This is about our fundamental expectations for fairness and equity and ensuring the outcomes of our decisions can meet those standards to deliver a quality experience for our student athletes.”


Richmond Free Press

March 25-27, 2021 B1


Richmond Free Press

B2 March 25-27, 2021

Happenings Comedian Micah ‘Bam-Bamm’ White celebrates 25 years in the business with benefit show By Ronald E. Carrington

Micah ‘Bam-Bamm’ White

For two and a half decades, Micah “BamBamm” White has been using his comedic talent to contribute to the Richmond community. The Birmingham, Ala., native got his start in March 1996 at a lounge in Alabama at an event hosted by comedian and radio personality Rickey Smiley. He moved to Richmond in September 1996 to be closer to his dad and stepmother. Since then, the entertainer who has performed on the national comedy club circuit, at local venues, with big-name comedians and on former national radio host Tom Joyner’s annual cruise, has used his time and his talent to give back locally. In addition to making donations, he serves on boards of several nonprofit organizations that enrich the Richmond community and help young people realize their dreams. As Mr. White celebrates his 25th anniversary as a stand-up comedian, he keeps the community at the forefront. Half of the proceeds from his virtual, live 25th Anniversary Comedy Celebration are being donated to Richmond area nonprofits. The anniversary comedy performance will be livestreamed 7 p.m. Sunday, March 28, through the Innovators Stream platform. Tickets are $14.99 and may be purchased at https:// innovators.stream/programs/mbbw25. Among the organizations that will benefit are Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond, Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth and Backpacks

of Love. His style is clean, “feel good” humor. “Feel good humor is not demeaning where someone has to be the butt of the joke,” Mr. White said. “It’s a sense of positive energy that does not crack on people or put them down. “It’s like dancing in the middle of a pep rally” or, in his most requested joke, imitating and contrasting the band from a historically Black college or university during halftime at a college football game versus a halftime show by a band from a predominantly white institution. Mr. White discovered humor was entertainment as a high school student in Alabama. That discovery turned into a stand-up comedy routine he performed at the local lounge. He got regular jobs at local talent shows and wanted to make performing a career. It wasn’t well received by many in his family. They wanted him to go the typical career route of attending college and finding a secure, 9-to-5 job. The blessing to pursue his own path came from his grandmother. “My grandmother, Eddie Lee Prowell, told me, ‘If comedy is what you want to do, do it,” Mr. White recalled. “She also told me to stay out of trouble and make a plan.” That summer of 1966, one of the members of the Black Chippendales saw Mr. White’s routine at an open mic night in Birmingham. That led to him being invited to be the opening comedy act for the Black Chippendales as the group traveled throughout the southeast.

Mr. White’s comedic skills and opportunities grew. By 2010, he was on the road 45 weeks a year spreading humor across the country. Mr. White also began touring with comedian Gary Owen, a friend and regular on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show,” a hugely popular nationally syndicated radio program that was on radio stations across the country from 1994 until Mr. Joyner stepped down in late 2019. Mr. White’s comedy appearances on the show opened the door for other national gigs, including on Mr. Joyner’s annual cruise. Around the area, he performs at the Richmond Funnybone Comedy Club & Restaurant, the Virginia House of Comedy in Virginia Beach and emcees for concert events around Metro Richmond. That return on Richmond investing in him has sparked Mr. White to initiate several projects, including an intensive, eight-week job preparation course for people incarcerated at the Richmond City Justice Center called “RCJC Has Talent.” The program also offers support and information on the restoration of rights process. “I have traveled the world, become an entrepreneur, been asked to be in positions to help make decisions that change the world, performed for millions of people, taught entertainment at universities,” Mr. White said. “God always makes a way,” Mr. White said, noting that’s what he tells students he meets. “So don’t be discouraged when others around you don’t understand your dream.”

Boston’s new mayor marks historic ‘firsts’ leading city Free Press wire report

BOSTON Boston has a new mayor. Kim Janey, who took office on Monday, became the first African-American and first woman to lead the city. Mayor Marty Walsh resigned Monday evening to become President Biden’s labor secretary. As president of the Boston City Council, Ms. Janey stepped into the role of acting mayor and had a ceremonial swearing-in Wednesday. Mr. Walsh, the latest in a long line of largely Irish-American Boston mayors stretching back the better part of a century — with one notable ItalianAmerican exception — said he welcomed the change. “History will be made tonight,” Mr. Walsh said earlier Monday evening. “We’re an extremely diverse city from different backgrounds and different nationalities and different skin colors. I think it’s a good

thing for our city. I think it’s a great thing for our city.” Mayor Janey took to Twitter to wish Mr. Walsh well following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate. “Congratulations on your confirmation, Secretary Walsh. You are a proud son of Dorchester who will bring our city with you,” she tweeted. “The working people of America will benefit greatly from your passion. “Now, we look ahead to a new day — a new chapter — in Boston’s history,” Mayor Janey, a fellow Democrat, added. Mr. Walsh said for the past two months he has had regular meetings and conversations with Mayor Janey. The two have also held extensive planning sessions, he said. “Together the council president and myself and our teams have worked diligently to ensure a smooth transition,” he said. By any typical political stopwatch, Mayor Janey’s rise has

Mayor Janey

been lightning quick. She was first sworn in as a city councilor three years ago. Although Mayor Janey, 55, is holding the office only on an interim basis, she’s widely seen as hailing a new chapter in Boston’s political history. Those actively seeking the office include three women of color — current city councilors Michelle Wu, Andrea Campbell and Annissa Essaibi George. John Barros, who is of Cape

Verdean descent, and state Rep. Jon Santiago also are running. Mr. Barros served as chief of economic development under Mr. Walsh. Mayor Janey has a long history of activism in Boston, with deep roots in Roxbury, the heart of the city’s Black community. Her grandfather, Daniel Benjamin Janey, was a member of Twelfth Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King

Jr. worshipped while attending Boston University. Her father was one of only eight Black students to graduate from the city’s prestigious Boston Latin School in 1964. While spending time in her great-grandmother’s home in the city’s South End neighborhood, Mayor Janey also was exposed to the city’s political culture as she watched a neighbor — Black community activist and former state Rep. Mel King — launch a bid for mayor in 1983, losing to Ray Flynn, an Irish-American city councilor. During the second phase of Boston’s tumultuous school desegregation era, Mayor Janey would recall the rocks and racial slurs she said were hurled at her as an 11-year-old riding the bus to the largely white neighborhood of Charlestown. She would later take part in a program that allowed her to attend school outside the city. Mayor Janey began her

career in advocacy with Massachusetts Advocates for Children, pushing for policy changes she said were aimed at ensuring equity and excellence for public school students in Boston. In 2017, she won a 13candidate race and became the first woman to represent her district, which includes most of Roxbury, parts of the South End, Dorchester and Fenway areas of the city. Although she hasn’t said if she’ll run for mayor in the fall, there is precedent for an interim mayor using the temporary post as a stepping stone to winning the seat outright. When former Mayor Raymond Flynn stepped down to become President Bill Clinton’s ambassador to the Vatican, then-city council president Thomas Menino stepped in as interim mayor in July 1993, won the mayoral election later that year, and served in the office longer than anyone in the city’s history.

Illinois city 1st in U.S. to offer Black residents reparations Associated Press

EVANSTON, Ill. Using tax money from the sale of recreational marijuana, the Chicago suburb of Evanston has become the first U.S. city to make reparations available to its Black residents for past discrimination and the lingering effects of slavery. The Evanston City Council on Monday voted 8-1 to begin making good on its pledge to distribute $10 million over the next 10 years with the distribution of $400,000 to eligible Black households. Each qualifying household would receive $25,000 for home repairs, down payments on property, and interest or late penalties on property in the city. The move by the Illinois community comes as hundreds of communities and organizations across the country are considering providing reparations. In Evanston, besides revenue from a 3 percent tax on the sale of recreational marijuana, a small portion of the money — $21,340 — is coming to the city in private donations. Qualifying residents must either have lived in or been a direct descendant of a

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Black person who lived in Evanston between 1919 to 1969, or that person’s direct descendant who suffered discrimination in housing because of city ordinances, policies or practices. Also, residents who also experienced discrimination due to the city’s policies or practices after 1969 can qualify. Alderman Robin Rue Simmons, who proposed the program that was adopted in 2019, said groups in support of reparations have offered pro bono legal assistance if the program is challenged in court. “This is set aside for an injured community that happens to be Black, that was injured by the city of Evanston for anti-Black housing policies,” Ms. Simmons said. At the same time, Ms. Simmons suggested that the money is just a start to right the wrongs of the past. “We all know that the road to repair and justice in the Black community is going to be a generation of work,” Ms. Simmons said. “It’s going to be many programs and initiatives, and more funding.” The City Council acted after dozens of citizens addressed the body and the plan

received some pushback from several. Alderman Cicely Fleming, the lone vote against the plan, said she supports reparations, but what the City Council was debating is a housing plan that is being called reparations. She said the people should dictate the terms of how their grievances are repaired. Ms. Fleming described the program as paternalistic, and it assumes Black people can’t manage their own money. Other communities and organizations considering providing reparations range from the state of California to cities like Amherst, Mass.; Providence, R.I.; Asheville, N.C.; and Iowa City, Iowa; religious denominations like the Episcopal Church; and prominent colleges like Georgetown University in Washington. The efforts, some of which have been underway for years, have gained momentum in the wake of the death of George Floyd in police custody last May in Minneapolis. President Biden has even expressed support for creating a federal commission to study Black reparations, a proposal that has languished for decades in Congress.

Genevieve Bookwalter/Chicago Tribune via AP

In this Nov. 25, 2019, file photo, Alderman Robin Rue Simmons, 5th Ward, proposes a reparations fund during a City Council meeting in Evanston, lll. Using tax money from the sale of recreational marijuana, the Chicago suburb of Evanston has become the first U.S. city to make reparations available to its Black residents for past discrimination and the lingering effects of slavery. Ms. Simmons proposed the program that was adopted in 2019.


Richmond Free Press

March 25-27, 2021 B3

Happenings

Personality: Dr. Pamela Kiecker Royall Spotlight on first woman board chair of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture Dr. Pamela Kiecker Royall is breaking ground in her newest role as the first female board chair for the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, a leadership post to which she was elected in January. And she is intent on making sure that the museum on Arthur Ashe Boulevard is “relevant and meaningful for diverse audiences.” “I considered it a great honor, especially to be the first woman in this role,” says Dr. Royall when asked why she accepted the role. “I believe in the museum’s mission and expanded vision for serving all Virginians.” Her major goal for her two-year term is supporting that expanding vision to make VMHC’s collections, exhibitions and programming and preservation efforts more inclusive and representative to reflect the history and legacy of all Virginians. So far, that work has included exhibitions and programming that have widened the scope of the topics VMHC has spotlighted. In June 2019, VMHC hosted thousands of people for the public dedication ceremony of the street’s renaming to Arthur Ashe Boulevard. The late civil rights icon, Congressman John Lewis, spoke at the event, which also opened the museum’s exhibit, “Determined: The 400 Year Struggle for Black Equality.” The exhibit commemorated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in Virginia in 1619. The museum also has developed a partnership with the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia in Jackson Ward to help catalog, digitize and securely store some of their collections. It also has an ongoing research effort to help uncover the names and stories of enslaved Virginians for its archival materials for a database. That project is called “Unknown No Longer.” Dr. Royall says the museum, which is undergoing an extensive, $30 million renovation, also has added a new curator position to focus on underrepresented communities and is currently searching for its first manager of partnership and community engagement. “I see being named the first woman to serve as chair as an important and concrete example of the evolving and dynamic nature of our organization,” Dr. Royall says. “The VMHC

is taking the best of its past and growing to better serve Virginians today and for generations to come.” Meet museum leader and this week’s Personality, Dr. Pamela Kiecker Royall: No. 1 volunteer position: Board chair, Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC). Date and place of birth: Nov. 7 in Luverne, Minn. Where I live now: Prestwould, right across the street from Monroe Park in Richmond. Education: Bachelor’s in religion, Carleton College; MBA, Minnesota State University; and Ph.D. in marketing and social psychology, University of Colorado-Boulder. Occupation: Head of research, EAB, for 20 years; formerly university professor of marketing. Family: My family in Minnesota, my father will be 92 next month; my late husband Bill’s family in Virginia, including my mother-in-law, who will be 103 next month! VMHC’s mission: To connect people to America’s past through the unparalleled story of Virginia. By collecting, preserving and interpreting the Commonwealth’s history, the museum links the past with the present to inspire future generations. When and why VMHC was founded: The Virginia Museum of History & Culture was founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical Society. Older than the Smithsonian Institution and half of the states of our nation, this organization has devoted nearly two centuries to collecting and preserving the artifacts of our past to share the far-reaching history of the Commonwealth of Virginia with the world. VMHC is: A nationally respected museum and research organization that cares for one of the largest history collections in the United States, totaling nearly 9 million items. VMHC is important because: It is the only institution dedicated to telling the whole story of Virginia, welcoming more than 100,000 guests annually and reaching hundreds of thousands of students across the state and beyond. When elected board chair: January 2021.

Why I accepted position: I considered it a great honor, especially to be the first women in this role. I believe in the museum’s mission and expanded vision for serving all Virginians. Significance of being named first woman board chair in the museum’s nearly 200-year history: I see being named the first woman to serve as chair as an important and concrete example of the evolving and dynamic nature of our organization. The VMHC is taking the best of its past and growing to better serve Virginians today and for generations to come. The role of the Commonwealth’s history museum is changing. We must continue our work in partnering with our community, bringing all voices into the conversation when planning exhibitions and programs, to reflect the beautiful and dynamic diversity only found in Virginia. No. 1 goal or project as VMHC board chair: To support the transformative work that is underway – all designed to communicate the important message that everyone is welcome, and to ensure our exhibits and programs are relevant and meaningful for diverse audiences. Inclusivity and the VMHC: The VMHC is making great strides to ensure that the museum is a place that represents all Virginians and makes everyone feel welcome. Behind the scenes, this focus is articulated through our new institutional values and vision, our renewed staff and the collective will of our Board of Trustees. Some

examples of our effort to provide a more dynamic and a more inclusive and thoughtful history of Virginia include exhibitions such as “Fresh Paint: Murals Inspired by the Story of Virginia;” “Determined: The 400 Year Struggle for Black Equality;” “Coming Out, Affecting Change;” “Mending Walls RVA;” and “Agents of Change: Female Activism From Suffrage to Today.” Similarly, programming such as “Created Equal,” “Becoming Citizens,” and “Agents of Change,” as well as partnerships with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Virginia Pride, Coming to the Table-RVA, The Black History Museum & Cultural Center and Initiatives of Change among others, show our dedication to improved community engagement and inclusivity. VMHC’s biggest challenge: At present, one of our greatest challenges is sustaining of rate of change/improvements in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike the other state museums, the VMHC doesn’t receive any government operating support. We survive through private donations and from people visiting — both adversely affected by the current health crisis. What makes VMHC inviting: I think our team members and their collective aspiration to welcome more and new people, and to fulfill our mission of preserving and sharing a rich and full history of Virginia, have given the museum long-needed new life and vibrancy. There is an energy now that we never had before, and it makes us far more inviting. Furthermore, an essential and top priority of our current major renovation, our campus will be far more welcoming and guest-centric when we re-open. We are investing heavily in providing more space to share more history, and more space for community convening. Black history and VMHC: We know well that Black history is Virginia history and American history, and we are doing more each day to tell a more meaningful and comprehensive narrative of our past. Large internal investments have been made to support our progress to date, and we have plans to

do more. We are focused on partnerships, collaboration and convening; we are expanding our collections to fill voids and to include underrepresented areas; we are dramatically expanding our programming to better reflect all Virginians. Among our most important partnerships during the past several years is our long-term relationship with the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, committed to the goal of sharing and caring for their museum collections. We are dedicating VMHC staff support over several years to catalog, rehouse, digitize and securely store the bulk of their collections – a longstanding goal of theirs, and work our team is set up to readily handle. Also, our recent collaboration with the Library of Virginia will help amplify another important project of the VMHC, “Unknown No Longer,” which has been underway for many years. This is our massive, ongoing research effort to scour hundreds of thousands of archival materials to reveal the names and stories of enslaved Virginians previously neglected from public record. Our findings are now joined with similar work at the Library of Virginia, creating one of the largest databases of its kind. COVID-19 and the VMHC: The VMHC, unlike most of its peer institutions in Virginia and nationally, doesn’t receive regular operating support from the state. We survive through our own ingenuity and through the generosity of our members and supporters. While our normal revenues have dropped dramatically during the pandemic (amounting to more than $2 million in losses so far), most of our supporters remain with us. This, plus some much-needed, one-time support through a PPP loan, allowed us to protect all our staff. We had no COVID-related furloughs, layoffs or other reductions. Even more positive, our team was able to produce incredible virtual content that has allowed us to reach tens of thousands of people who we would otherwise be unable to serve. What I like most about Richmond: The “creative” community of art and artists. What I like least about Richmond: The hot and humid summer months! How I start the day: Ready for anything! (Up before 5

a.m.; hour walk beginning at 6 a.m.) Three words that best describe me: Disciplined, detailoriented, and sad (missing Bill terribly). Best late-night snack: I’m trying very hard not to eat after 8 p.m., but my go-to snacks are microwave popcorn and Honey Crisp apples. These apples were created in Minnesota at the ag school at the University of Minnesota! How I unwind: Watching TV. What I have learned about myself during the pandemic: I am totally comfortable spending time alone. Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: Bowl! Quote that I am most inspired by: “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” Not sure who said that, but I like it! At the top of my “to-do” list: I work my list every day, so the thing that is on the top is always new. That keeps me motivated. Best thing my parents ever taught me: It is gratifying to accomplish things. Person who influenced me the most: So hard to say. Right now, I’d say it was my husband, Bill. He certainly helped shape what my life looks like today — where I live, the work I do, the organizations I’m engaged with, etc. Book that influenced me the most: It was the first Nancy Drew mystery I read. My mother bought the entire series for me when I was in grade school. Reading the first one quickly taught me that I loved reading! What I’m reading now: “Witness to Grace: A Testimony of Favor” by Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, N.Y., and chair of the board of Virginia Union University. Dr. Richardson is my friend and fellow VUU trustee! Next goal: To get vaccinated so I can visit my family in Minnesota!

Pandemic art: Prettying up the walls for Zoom calls By Colleen Newvine Associated Press

NEW YORK If you’ve been watching experts and commentators appearing on television from their homes, their increased attention to decor might look familiar: In the early days of lockdown, they, like many of us, sat in front of blank white walls, while now their homes frequently display prominent artwork. “Cinderella has nothing on these people,” said Claude Taylor, who created the Room Rater Twitter account with his fiancée, Jessie Bahrey. “I don’t think art is even something people thought of in April.” Room Rater scores speakers’ setups on a 10-point scale for details like lighting and camera level. Good artwork can boost a score. For example, Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson scored a 10/10 for appearing on “Morning Joe” in front of artwork by his wife, Avis Robison. It seems many Americans who are stuck staring at their walls have decided the pandemic gives them a good reason to pretty them up. My first hint at an uptick in art spending came last summer. When businesses shuttered and laid off employees in March, we braced for my artist husband’s sales to plummet. For a while they did. But then, his numbers didn’t just return to normal. They spiked. I thought it might be an anomaly. My husband, John Tebeau, illustrates beloved bars; maybe people were buying his bar art because they missed their favorite watering holes? But then friends who work at a framing shop said they were as busy last fall as at Christmas. Artists we know said they, too, were selling more than usual. Online arts marketplace Etsy confirmed the trend. Comparing March-December 2020 to the same nine months in 2019, Etsy reported: • A 95 percent increase in searches for wall art. • An 80 percent increase in searches for stained glass window or wall hangings. • A 46 percent increase in searches for sculptures. Etsy doesn’t release data on actual sales. It’s fair to assume at least some of those searches were daydreams that never led to

purchases, if my own time scrolling through listings for upstate houses I have no intention of buying is any indication. Adobe Analytics does track purchases online, and those numbers are even more dramatic: Average daily sales of “art goods,” which includes sculptures, artworks and frames, increased 134 percent between the pre-COVID-19 months of 2020 and last fall. Comparing September and October 2019 to the same two months in 2020, average online daily sales increased 109 percent. Adobe’s analysis of e-commerce sales includes 80 of the 100 largest online retailers in the United States. Atiba T. Edwards has just the combination of experience to explain what’s happening. He worked in banking for several years and is also the co-founder of the arts nonprofit FOKUS, which offers arts education, hosts art events and publishes an online magazine. Mr. Edwards noted that many people who kept working dur-

ing the lockdown suddenly weren’t spending money on travel, going out to restaurants or movies or getting babysitters. They were probably home more than ever before, so they might have redirected some of that discretionary income to art. Mr. Edwards is an example himself. He loves and appreciates art, but in the before times, he left his Brooklyn apartment early in the morning, went to work as chief operating officer of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, then got home late after coaching basketball or going to an art event. Now he works more at home and misses seeing art at work and elsewhere. “I have hung six pieces in the last three months,” he said. “People are seeing the benefit of surrounding themselves with beauty.” Mr. Edwards has worked with hundreds of artists as executive director of FOKUS, trying to create accessible art experiences in nontraditional spaces. He believes the traditional art show or gallery experience feels intimidating to someone who doesn’t feel knowledgeable about art, while social media algorithms can serve up artists to peruse with no pressure to buy. “The newcomer can look at art at home and not have the feeling of it being unwelcoming,” he said. Higher unemployment rates caused by the pandemic mean many people don’t have the money to buy art now. But for some of those still working, buying art also can be an attempt to help support others. “I had people reaching out to buy a piece of art to save my gallery,” said Eden Stein, owner of Secession Art and Design in San Francisco, which sells the works of about 70 creators. “That money not only supported my family, it supported the artists and their communities.” Ms. Stein said making art sales during the pandemic has felt a little like a wedding reception: She has reconnected with friends and clients from throughout the gallery’s 13-year history. Typically, Ms. Stein would host two or three events a month, while foot traffic to nearby restaurants and a music venue next door would also bring in new visitors. Instead, for the last year, she has talked to many buyers by phone or arranged visits by appointment. “This year has been really personal,” Ms. Stein said. “If you can’t hug people, selling a piece of artwork feels a little like that.”


Richmond Free Press

B4 March 25-27, 2021

Obituaries/Faith News/Directory

Environmentalist Dr. Charles K. Price dies at 82 By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Dr. Charles Kemper Price, who led the effort to transform an ignored North Side area long used as a dumping ground into a walking and biking trail and spearheaded efforts to preserve natural areas in Richmond, has died. Dr. Price, who had been battling illness, died Thursday, March 11, 2021. He was 82. He is best known for the creation of the Cannon Creek Greenway, a 1.9-mile trail that runs along Richmond-Henrico Turnpike between Valley Road and Brookland Park Boulevard in a predominantly Black community. “It wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for him,” said 6th District Richmond City Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson, who celebrated Dr. Price and his work last October by placing an honorary street sign bearing his name on a stretch of the 10-foot-wide trail off Dove Street. The trail largely runs by the creek and its steep ravine, which had become a favorite place for people to illegally throw tires, mattresses and other rubbish. Ms. Robertson said that early in her tenure on City Council, she considered seeking to close the narrow road to stop the dumping. She said Dr. Price persuaded her to allow him to lead a community effort to restore and improve it as a green space. He initiated volunteer cleanups with conservation and civic groups that ultimately pulled 20 tons of trash from the ravine

Bishop J. Drew Sheard named new presiding bishop of Church of God in Christ Religion News Service

A Detroit bishop of the Church of God in Christ has been named the new presiding bishop of the nation’s largest historically Black Pentecostal denomination. Bishop J. Drew Sheard, husband of gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard of The Clark Sisters, was elected last Saturday by the COGIC General Bishop Sheard Assembly, the denomination announced. “To be elected to serve as the presiding bishop for the church in which I was born, raised and have learned and served all my life, is a dream and desire that can only be fulfilled by God’s loving grace and guidance,” Bishop Sheard, the prelate of COGIC’s Michigan North Central Jurisdiction, said in a statement. Bishop Sheard, 62, succeeds Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., who announced in October he would not seek another term as COGIC presiding bishop after serving for 13 years. “The opportunity to serve such an extraordinary organization at our highest recognized level of priesthood is beyond humbling,” Bishop Sheard added. “With complete excitement and joy, I look forward to serving the Lord’s people.” A former math teacher, Bishop Sheard is the senior pastor of the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ, where he has served since 1988. His father also was a bishop. Bishop Sheard, who was elected by COGIC’s legislative body, was formerly the chairman of the denomination’s Auxiliary In Ministries Convention and the president of its International Youth Department. He has chosen Bishop Jerry W. Macklin of California and Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten Sr. of Missouri to be first and second assistant presiding bishops, respectively. The installations of the new presiding bishop, general board and general officers will be held at a later date. The Church of God in Christ, which has its headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., was founded in 1907. Millions of members attend some 10,000 churches in more than 112 countries.

Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church

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

Dr. Alonza L. Lawrence, Pastor

and creek bed. With city help, Dr. Price also gained the support of the Army National Guard to clear the first stretch of the trail in 2012 as a summer training exercise for its engineers. With advocacy on council from Ms. Robertson and growing support within the city, Mayor Dwight C. Jones began earmarking city and federal funds to fully develop this link of the Capital Region Bike Trail. A retired educator, Dr. Price also initiated the Cannon Creek Work/ Study Program with the Richmond Dr. Price City Justice Center and the Workforce Development Program with the city Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. The two programs provide jail inmates and those released with employable groundskeeping skills, according to horticulturist Harris Wheeler and city employee John Harris, who both have been involved in maintaining the trail’s landscape. Born in Berryville in Northern Virginia, Dr. Price began a career in education after graduating from the University of Richmond. He later earned a master’s degree from the College of William & Mary and a doctorate from the University of Virginia. He began as a teacher in Portsmouth Public Schools, rose to

Lela Saberna Morris, longtime RPS personnel specialist, succumbs at 97 By Jeremy M. Lazarus

“She was a strong-willed woman who served as a beacon of strength,” her son said. Lela Saberna Morris spent more than 40 As the result of her own experience, “she years as a teacher and personnel specialist encouraged me and my sister to carry on with Richmond Public Schools, despite life’s adversities.” but her road to a career in educaMrs. Morris’ focus on tion was harder than most. overcoming barriers to achieve As a teenager before World a goal and her service to RPS War II, Mrs. Morris commuted is being remembered following 20 miles daily on a bus to get her death Tuesday, March 16, her high school education when 2021. She was 97. Fauquier County refused to Family and friends celoffer a secondary program to ebrated her life Tuesday at African-Americans, said her Scott’s Funeral Home Chapel. son, Alvin S. Morris. She was buried in Forest Lawn Mrs. Morris Mrs. Morris embraced the Cemetery. challenge after her mother, Jannie Strother Mrs. Morris joined the RPS faculty Stuart, organized a community bus service to around 1948 and initially taught at the carry her daughter and other Black teenagers former Randolph Junior High School. She to the only available high school located in was tapped to lead the business department Manassas in Prince William County, Mr. at John F. Kennedy High School, which Morris said. opened in 1968. The building has since been Mrs. Morris would go on to earn her renamed Armstrong High School. undergraduate degree in 1946 from Virginia After earning her master’s degree from State College, now university. And after Montclair State University in New Jersey, marrying in 1947, Mrs. Morris began her she was promoted to assistant principal career with RPS teaching business and of Thompson Middle School and then to English classes. supervisor of RPS personnel.

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

"APTIST #HURCH Sunday School – 9:45 AM Sunday Services – 11:00 AM

Also Visit Us On Facebook Sunday Service – 11:00 AM 2604 Idlewood Avenue Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 353-6135 www.riverviewbaptistch.org Rev. Dr. Stephen L. Hewlett, Pastor Rev. Dr. Ralph Reavis, Sr. Pastor Emeritus

Broad Rock Baptist Church 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).”

Zion Baptist Church (South Richmond)

400 South Addison Street Richmond, Va. 23220

(near Byrd Park)

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

$R +IRKLAND 2 7ALTON 0ASTOR

Worship Opportunities Join us for online streaming this Sunday at 10 AM. Visit our WEBSITE, look under “/NLINE 3ERVICES,” and access the “0ASTOR S -ESSAGE.” Bible Study Opportunities Thursdays: Virtual Bible Study session via Zoom, every Thursday at 7 PM. Email request to spbcoffice@stpeterbaptist.net; A new Meeting ID and password will be emailed weekly. Tithing Opportunities Download the Tithe.ly giving app for Apple and Android devices. Your gift is safe/secure and goes directly to our church. -OUNTAIN 2OAD s 'LEN !LLEN 6IRGINIA /FlCE s &AX s WWW STPETERBAPTIST NET

Thirty-first Street Baptist Church

Pastor Kevin Cook

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2006 Decatur Street, Richmond, VA 23224 ZBCOFFICE@VERIZON.NET • (804) 859-1985 or (804) 232-2867 Church Office Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor

You may join us on Facebook Live:

St. Peter Baptist Church

“MAKE IT HAPPEN”

Zion Baptist Church

Come worship with us!

Twitter sixthbaptistrva

Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs, Pastor

Mrs. Morris retired in 1991 as assistant director of human resources. “She hired more than 500 teachers for the school system,” her son said. Mrs. Morris maintained a busy schedule outside of school. In the 1970s, she served two years as president of the National Epicureans and was active in the social group’s Richmond chapter. She also was active in a local pinochle club and the Kiwanis Club of Richmond and was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Mrs. Morris also was a member of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Jackson Ward. However, for a period, she switched her church membership toAll Souls Presbyterian Church in North Side, where she served as an elder and taught Sunday School. She reunited with Ebenezer in 2009, her son said. He also noted his mother loved cooking, baking, entertaining and traveling. During her life, he said, she visited more than 30 countries and went on numerous cruises. Mrs. Morris was predeceased by her husband, Alvin W. Morris. In addition to her son, Mrs. Morris is survived by her daughter, Lela A. Morris.

We Embrace Diversity — Love For All! Sunday Service will not be held in our sanctuary. Join us for 11:00 AM Worship by going to our website www.sixthbaptistchurch.org

2IVERVIEW

Via Conference Call (515) 606-5187 Pin 572890#

school principal and then was tapped to be the first superintendent of the Virginia Rehabilitative School Authority, later the state Department of Correctional Education, which was charged with providing educational services for youths in state detention centers and adults in state prisons. After retiring, conservation became his passion. He was active in the Sierra Club and served as chair of its Falls of the James Group in Richmond and as chair of the state chapter. According to his family, Dr. Price overcame political obstruction, resistance and indifference in pursuit of his vision of green space conservation and environmental improvement. Among his achievements, he is credited with pushing City Council into approving a conservation easement for the James River Park System to protect it from development in perpetuity. He also led the Friends of Bandy Field for 23 years and successfully lobbied City Council to keep the land off Patterson Avenue in the far West End as a dog walker’s paradise after the one-time school site was eyed for development. A bench bearing his name is now located in Bandy Field. Before he died, he gained additional protection for Bandy Field by getting the council to authorize the Capital Region Land Conservancy to be a co-holder of the conservation easement now held by Friends of Bandy Field. Dr. Price was named a Richmond History Maker in 2012 by The Valentine and the Capital Region Collaborative. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Phyllis Price.

ance with Reverence Relev

Rev. Dr. Joshua Mitchell, Senior Pastor ❖

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic All regular activities have been suspended until further notice. Please join us on

Facebook or YouTube

10:30 a.m. Sundays 7:00 p.m. Wednesdays-Bible Study

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

For Sunday Services at 10:30 AM Bible Study, Wednesdays at 7 PM Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor Listeners can call: (508) 924-3234 Support us Online through the Givelify App

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”

Due to the COVID-19 Corona Virus All regular activities have been suspended until further notice. Visit https://youtu.be/qqzhnIEQyQc for inspirational messages from Pastor Smith “The Church With A Welcome”

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

PALM SUNDAY

Sunday, March 28, 2021 Morning Worship 10:00 AM Drive-In Service in our Parking Lot

See you there!

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

March 25-27, 2021 B5

Legal Notices 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, April 5, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. and the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing on Monday, April 12, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following ordinances: Ordinance No. 2021-074 To amend Ord. No. 2020248, adopted Dec. 14, 2020, which authorized the special use of the property known as 3310 East Broad Street for the purpose of a dwelling unit within an existing accessory building, to authorize a two-family dwelling with an accessory building containing one dwelling unit, upon certain terms and conditions. The property is situated in the R‑8 Urban Residential District. The Richmond 300 Master Plan designates the subject property for Neighborhood Mixed‑Use. Among the primary uses listed for this category are accessory dwelling units, duplexes, and small multi‑family buildings. Ordinance No. 2021-075 To authorize the special use of the property known as 2410 Ownby Lane for the purpose of a mixeduse building, upon certain terms and conditions. The property is situated in a M-2 Heavy Industrial District. The Richmond 300 Master Plan calls for a future land use recommendation for this property as Industrial Mixed‑Use. It is also located in the Greater Scott’s Addition Priority G r o wt h No d e w h i c h specifically notes dense mixed‑use development for the subject area. Ordinance No. 2021-076 To rezone the property known as 1001 German School Road from the R-3 Single-Family Residential District to the R-43 Multifamily Residential District (Conditional), upon certain proffered conditions. The City of Richmond’s Richmond 300 Master Plan designates this parcel for Neighborhood Mixed-Use land use. This category is characterized by highly-walkable urban neighborhoods that are predominantly residential with a small, but critical, percentage of parcels providing retail, office, personal service, and institutional uses. Ordinance No. 2021-077 To rezone the properties known as 600 Commerce Road, 602 Commerce Road, and 606 Commerce Road from the M-2 Heavy Industrial District to the TOD-1 Transit-Oriented Nodal District. The City’s Richmond 300 Master Plan designates these parcels as Destination Mixed Use. Such areas are defined as key gateways featuring prominent destinations, such as retail, sports venues, and large employers, as well as housing and open space. The meetings will be held through electronic communication means pursuant to and in compliance with Ordinance No. 2020-093, adopted April 9, 2020, as most recently amended by Ordinance No. 2020-232, adopted December 14, 2020. 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 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 April 12, 2021 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 “Formal Continued on next column

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Meeting Access and Public Participation Instructions” attached to the April 12, 2021 Richmond City Council Formal meeting agenda. Citizens are encouraged to provide their comments in writing to CityClerksOffice@ richmondgov.com in lieu of calling in. 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, April 12, 2021, 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 FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER FRED OFOSU-ANIM, Plaintiff v. LOUISA ANIM, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000988-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 3rd day of May, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect her 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 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER EBONIE DESILVA, Plaintiff v. WILLIE DESILVA, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000962-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 3rd day of May, 2021 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 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER OYERINOLA ONI, Plaintiff v. FOLASADE ROBINSON, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000822-00 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 28th day of April, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect her 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

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the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 28th day of April, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 21st day of April, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. and protect her 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

protect his/her interest on or before 05/17/2021, at 2:00 PM, Courtroom #4.

deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that FREDERICK H. MARSH, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ELSIE ABRON, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

Marilynne C. Poulson. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, MARILYNNE C. POULSON, who is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that INSURED TITLE AGENCY AND ESCROW COMPANY, an entity not listed in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, TRUSTEE of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 03-35977 on September 16, 2003, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that SHARON HORSTKAMP, Registered Agent for MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC, BENEFICIARY of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 03-35977 on September 16, 2003, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that MARILYNNE C. POULSON, INSURED TITLE AGENCY AND ESCROW COMPANY, an entity not listed in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, TRUSTEE of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 03-35977 on September 16, 2003, SHARON HORSTKAMP, Registered Agent for MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC, BENEFICIARY of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 03-35977 on September 16, 2003, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER JENNIFER WHITE, Plaintiff v. FRANK WHITE, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000856-00 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 28th day of April, 2021 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 VIRGINIA: IN THE HENRICO COUNTY GENERAL DISTRICT COURT RUTH ANN MEEKINS BROWN, Plaintiff v. T. LEE BROWN, Defendant. Case No.: GV21001849-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION February 5, 2021 On this day the Petitioner appeared by counsel upon an Affidavit and Petition for Order of Publication, pursuant to section 8.01-317 of the Virginia Code. It is hereby ORDERED that T. Lee Brown appear at the above named court and protect his interests on or before April 9, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. An Extract, Teste: Barbara C. Shaw, Clerk Shereka A. Banks, Esq. VSB #94317 FRIEDMAN, FRAMME & THRUSH, P.A. 6800 Paragon Place, Suite 233 Richmond, VA 23230 (804) 649-1334 (phone) Counsel for Petitioner VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING STUART DAVIS JEFFRIES, Plaintiff v. MARITTA ANN ELLIS, Defendant. Case No.: 760CL20002423-00-4 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce. It is ORDERED that Maritta Ann Ellis appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before April 16, 2021. An Exract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER WALLACE PRYOR, SR., Plaintiff v. BEREATHA SHARPEPRYOR, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000715-00 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 21st day of April, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. and protect her 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

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER DEMARCUS FERGUSON, Plaintiff v. TASHEKA FERGUSON, Defendant. Case No.: CL20001294-00 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

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ADEKUNLE ONALAJA, Plaintiff v. DEBORAH ONALAJA, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000690-00 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.

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VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER LISA MALLORY, Plaintiff v. KEVIN MALLORY, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000689-00 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 21st day of April, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. 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 jamonte cole rdss v. UNKNOWN FATHER nikki cole Case No. J-99157-06-00 J-99157-07-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of the Unknown Father and Nikki Cole (Mother) of Jamontae Cole DOB 09/04/2020, child. “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 defendants Unknown Father and Nikki Cole to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 09/13/2021, at 9:00 AM, Courtroom #4. VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re LEILIANA LYNNAE FELIX RDSS v. UNKNOWN FATHER, JENNIFER LYNN WARNER Case No. JJ097382-09-00, JJ097382-11-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) Unknown Father (Father) & Jennifer Lynn Warner (Mother), o f L e i l i ana Lynna e Felix, child, DOB 9/22/2019, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendants, Unknown Father, (Father) & Jennifer Lynn Warner (Mother), to appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his/her interest on or before 6/11/2021, at 10:20 AM, Courtroom #1.

PROPERTY VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. MARY E. WIGFALL, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-838 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 500 East Ladies Mile Road, Tax Map Number N000-1563/015, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Mary E. Wigfall. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, MARY E. WIGFALL, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that MARY E. WIGFALL, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. VENABLE PROPERTIES, LLC, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-1016 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2300 Venable Street, Tax Map Number E000-0425/029, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Venable Properties, LLC. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, VENABLE PROPERTIES, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that VENABLE PROPERTIES, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. T. WILDER CONSTRUCTION, INC., et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-1015 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2109 Richmond Street, Tax Map Number E000-0665/007, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, T. Wilder Construction, Inc. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, T. WILDER CONSTRUCTION, INC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that T. WILDER CONSTRUCTION, INC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. ORION DEVELOPMENT GROUP, LLC, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-950 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 1801 Fairfax Avenue, Tax Map Number S000-0456/012, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Orion Development Group, LLC, an entity not listed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, ORION DEVELOPMENT GROUP, LLC, an entity not listed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/ or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that ORION DEVELOPMENT GROUP, LLC, an entity not listed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re aa’mer lamont cooper RDSS v. UNKNOWN FATHER, antione smith Case No. JJ097382-09-00, JJ097382-11-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of the Unknown Father and Antione Smith (Father) of Aa’mer Lamont Cooper, child, DOB 01/12/2018, child, “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 and Antione Smith, to appear at the above-named Court and

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. JOHN DAVID SCHNEIDER, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-863 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 4024 Southampton Road, Tax Map Number C001-0426/010, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, John David Schneider. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, JOHN DAVID SCHNEIDER, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that JOHN DAVID SCHNEIDER, upon information and belief

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. IVAN A. STOVALL, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-6013 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 451 Milton Street, Tax Map Number N000-1456/008, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Ivan A. Stovall. An Affidavit having been filed that FREDERICK H. MARSH, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ELSIE ABRON, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property has not been located and has not filed a response to this action, and

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VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. SAMUEL ATSU, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-5337 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2417 Whitcomb Street, Tax Map Number E012-0224/006, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Samuel Atsu. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, SAMUEL ATSU, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to his last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that SAMUEL ATSU, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. ROBERT E. OWENS, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-5848 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2640 Pompey Springs Road, Tax Map Number C009-0526/056 Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Robert E. Owens. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, ROBERT E. OWENS, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that RREF ST-VA, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that ROBERT E. OWENS, RREF ST-VA, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. MARILYNNE C. POULSON, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-5785 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 4200 Narbeth Avenue, Tax Map Number C008-0836/018, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. ANTHONY WILLIAMS, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-5783 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3506 Florida Avenue, Tax Map Number N000-1371/006, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Anthony Williams and Althea Williams, Paulette Southerland, Andrea Williams and Brenda Baker. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, ANTHONY WILLIAMS, per information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and ALTHEA WILLIAMS, per information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that said owners PAULETTE SOUTHERLAND and ANDREA WILLIAMS, who have been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to their last known address, have not been personally located and have not filed a response to this action; that said owner, BRENDA BAKER, who is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that ANTHONY WILLIAMS, per information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, A LT H E A W I L L I A M S , per information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, PAULETTE SOUTHERLAND, ANDREA W I L L I A M S , B RE N D A B A K ER , a n d P a r t i e s Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Continued on next page


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Richmond Free Press

March 25-27, 2021

Sports Plus Stories by Fred Jeter Elgin Baylor, among the greatest and most exciting basketball players of all time, has died. Mr. Baylor was 86. He died Monday, March 22, 2021, of natural causes. His wife, Elaine, and daughter, Krystal, were by his side, according to a statement issued by the Los Angeles Lakers. “He was THE superstar of his era,” said Lakers owner Jeannie Buss. He also was ahead of his time. Among the first Black NBA stars, Mr. Baylor was Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan, thrilling fans and frustrating foes with his remarkable leaping, body control and shooting ability from all spots on the floor. The 6-foot-5 native of Washington, D.C., was an 11-time NBA All-Star and

NBA legend Elgin Baylor dies 10-time first team All-NBA pick. He played 14 NBA seasons, two with the Minneapolis Lakers and 12 with the team when it moved to Los Angeles. In 846 regular season NBA games, Mr. Baylor averaged 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. During a game against the New York Knicks in 1960, he became the first to score at least 70 points in a game when he struck for 71. Mr. Baylor holds the NBA record for most points in an NBA Finals game — 61 — against the Boston Celtics in 1962. Following retirement from playing after the 1971-72 season, Mr. Baylor

served four seasons as head coach of the NBA New Orleans Jazz and was the general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers from 1986 to 2009, winning NBA Executive of the Year in 2006. Following a brilliant career at Spingarn High School in Washington, Mr. Baylor went looking for colleges. There is an urban legend that Mr. Baylor visited and considered enrolling at Virginia Union University in Richmond. Thomas “Tricky Tom” Harris was the Panthers’ coach at the time. Known as a smooth recruiter, Coach Harris had attracted some of the nation’s premier talent such as “Jumpin’ ” Jackie Jackson and

Mike Davis out of New York. Very few Black athletes were attending majority-white schools during that time. Most enrolled at historically black colleges and universities. But there was a more progressive mindset among the Western schools, where Mr. Baylor ended up. He first starred collegiately at the College of Idaho and later at Seattle University. As a Seattle senior, he led the nation in rebounding and sparked his team to the NCAA final. In 1958, Mr. Baylor and Guy Rodgers of Temple were the first two AfricanAmericans to be picked No. 1 overall in

the NBA draft. Rodgers was a territorial pick by Philadelphia, while Mr. Baylor was taken first overall by Minneapolis in the regular phase of the draft. San Francisco’s Bill Russell was the third overall pick, by Boston, in the 1956 draft. Kansas’Wilt Chamberlain was No. 1 overall, by Philadelphia, in 1959. Mr. Baylor and Russell were the first Black players named to the first All-NBA team in 1959. That same year, Mr. Baylor was selected NBA Rookie of the Year. In 1977, Mr. Baylor was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His jersey, No. 22, was retired by the Lakers and a statue of Mr. Baylor stands outside the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

3 time NFL Pro-Bowl guard Doug Wilkerson dies at 73

Doug Wilkerson

The San Diego Chargers had one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses in the 1970s, and Doug Wilkerson was a key cog in the attack. Mr. Wilkerson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and member of the Chargers’ Hall of Fame, died Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, at age 73 in Encinitas, Calif. Playing right offensive guard, Mr. Wilkerson was a powerful blocker for quarterback Dan Fouts and running back Chuck

Muncie. The offense was famously tagged “Air Coryell” (for Coach Don Coryell) and Wilkerson, nicknamed “Moosie,” wore jersey No. 63 and came to be known as “Route 63” for the way he cleared the way. Mr. Wilkerson helped San Diego to four playoff berths while starting 195 of the 204 games he played. An alumnus of E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville, N.C., and North Carolina

Central University, Mr. Wilkerson was among the most heralded athletes coming from a CIAA institution or historically Black college or university. He was the Houston Oilers’ first round draft pick (14th overall) in the 1970 NFL draft. He was soon traded to San Diego. Mr. Wilkerson was among the first, first round draft picks from an HBCU. Many of the future Hall of Famers of the day were lower round NFL picks. For example,

Roosevelt Brown (Morgan State) was taken in the 27th round; Buck Buchanan (Grambling) in the 19th; Willie Davis (Grambling) in the 15th; Leroy Kelly (Morgan State) in the eighth; Bob Hayes (Florida A&M) in the seventh; and Willie Lanier (Morgan State) in the second. Coming out of NCCU, Wilkerson was eyed as a “can’t miss” pick and he never disappointed. He was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Legal Notices/Employment Opportunities Continued from previous page

JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. JAY FOLSE, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL20-6088 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 1411 North 23rd Street, Tax Map Number E000-0709/024, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Jay Folse. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, JAY FOLSE, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to his last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that JAY FOLSE, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

BID COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA CONSTRUCTION BID ITB #21-2144-3JOK Replace Dry Pipe Sprinkler Systems at Arthur Ashe ES and Longdale ES Due: April 6, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. For additional information visit: https://henrico.us/ finance/divisions/purchasing/ solicitations/

To advertise in the

Richmond Free Press call 644-0496

VIDEOGRAPHER/ EDITOR Richmond, Virginia

The City of Richmond announces the following project(s) available for services relating to: IFB No. 210009267 HSIP City Wide Improvements Due Date: Thursday, April 8, 2021 @ 2:30 P.M. Receipt Location: 900 East Broad Street, Room 1104, 11th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219 Questions regarding the IFB shall be submitted no later than Monday, March 29, 2021 @ 3:00 P.M. Information or copies of the above solicitations are available by contacting Procurement Services, at the City of Richmond website (www.RichmondGov.com). Phone (804) 646-2670 or faxed (804) 646-5989. The City of Richmond encourages all contractors to participate in the procurement process. NOTE: Bidders choosing to submit bids through hand-delivery should allow extra time for delivery of bids. Due to COVID-19, hand-delivered bids will be accepted only during the hours of 9:00 A.M to 4:00 P.M. Monday through Friday at the 9th Street entrance to City Hall at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23221. Bidders choosing to hand-deliver bids must call Charles Garascia at 804-489-2670 when arriving at City Hall, and Charles Garascia will meet the bidder at the 9th Street entrance of City Hall to collect the submittal. Bids will not be accepted after the Due Date and Time listed above.

Amazon Drivers and Helpers

Thank you for your interest in applying for opportunities with The City of Richmond. To see what opportunities are available, please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com. EOE M/F/D/V ICMA-RC seeks a Sr. Test Automation Engineer: To lead teams test automation efforts ensuring established milestones for testing are met continuously & to product & technical ownerships satisfaction. Select appropriate test automation tools, applying latest techniques in automated testing including test data generation. Develop Automation Testing Framework and establish automation best practices, framework mode, and execution metrics. Reqs: a Bachelor’s degree in in CompSci, Comp. Info. Sys., or a related IT field, or foreign equiv.; 5 yrs’ exp. as Automation or So ware Engineer; & 2 yrs’ concurrent exp. using Selenium, WebAPI, Oracle, SQL, XML, Jenkins, AWS, Agile/Scrum, & Rally Job in Richmond, VA. Only applicants that send cover letter, CV, salary requirements & references to E. Malloy, Manager, Talent Management at emalloy@ icmarc.org will be considered.

TOURISM COUNSELOR (PART-TIME) Northern Virginia Gateway Welcome Center Ruther Glen, VA

Wanted

The Virginia Tourism Corporation is seeking a Tourism Counselor for its Virginia Welcome Center at Ruther Glen who is willing to work 8 to 12 days per month. The center is open 7 days per week from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. This individual will provide travel information and assistance to the traveling public, stock brochure racks, assist the welcome center manager with daily operations and perform }i iÀ> vwVi `ÕÌ ið

Local Delivery: $15/hr for Helper $16/hr for Driver

All candidates must apply through our website https://www.vatc.org/administration/ employment/. Application deadline: April 1, 2021.

16ft and 24 ft box trucks CDL NOT REQUIRED — PAID TRAINING

PLUS $250 BONUS 1st DAY Contact Reliable Logistic Services at: Drivemycareer@acceltalentgroup.com

VTC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics, or against otherwise µÕ> wi` ` Û `Õ> Ã Ü Ì ` Ã>L Ì ið Ì Ã 6/ ½Ã intent that its employment and personnel « V ià > ` «À>VÌ Vià V v À Ì > >«« V>L i federal, state and local laws and regulations Ài}>À` } ` ÃVÀ >Ì > ` >vwÀ >Ì Ûi action. Applicants requiring more information or requiring assistance may contact VTC Human Resources at 1-804-545-5634 or vtchr@ vedp.org. TDD 1-800-828-1120

BRAND ASSOCIATE Richmond, VA

The V irginia Economic Development Partnership is seeking a Brand Associate to assist in day-to-day graphic design projects for the Marketing and Communications Division. This position will be responsible for assisting team members in designing branded marketing collateral for VEDP, including, but not limited to, industry print pieces, presentation tools, event signage, business cards, letterhead, templates, and other promotional materials. All candidates must apply through our website https://www.vedp.org/about-vedp. Application deadline: Open Until Filled. 2 % ! , % 3 4 ! 4 % s % 3 4

804.358.5543

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

Bedros Bandazian

Associate Broker, Chairman

Raffi Bandazian

Principal Broker, GRI

VEDP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics, or against otherwise µÕ> wi` ` Û `Õ> Ã Ü Ì ` Ã>L Ì ið Ì Ã 6 *½Ã intent that its employment and personnel « V ià > ` «À>VÌ Vià V v À Ì > >«« V>L i federal, state and local laws and regulations Ài}>À` } ` ÃVÀ >Ì > ` >vwÀ >Ì Ûi action. Applicants requiring more information or requiring assistance may contact VEDP Human Resources at 1-804-545-5634 or vedphr@vedp.org. TDD 1-800-828-1120. Freelance Writers: Richmond Free Press has immediate opportunities for freelance writers. Newspaper experience is a requirement. To be considered, please send 5 samples of your writing, along with a cover letter to news@richmond freepress.com or mail to: Richmond Free Press, P. O. Box 27709, Richmond, VA 23261. No phone calls.

The V irginia Economic Development Partnership is seeking an experienced videographer and video editor to shoot highquality video on the Sony FS-7 Camera as we gather material for training and recruitment video projects that are fully customized to a client company’s unique processes, equipment, procedures, and standards. All candidates must apply through our website https://www.vedp.org/about-vedp. Application deadline: March 29, 2021. VEDP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics, or against otherwise µÕ> wi` ` Û `Õ> Ã Ü Ì ` Ã>L Ì ið Ì Ã 6 *½Ã intent that its employment and personnel « V ià > ` «À>VÌ Vià V v À Ì > >«« V>L i federal, state, and local laws and regulations Ài}>À` } ` ÃVÀ >Ì > ` >vwÀ >Ì Ûi action. Applicants requiring more information or requiring assistance may contact VEDP Human Resources at 1-804-545-5634 or vedphr@vedp.org. TDD 1-800-828-1120 ELEPHANT INSURANCE SERVICES LLC SEEKS ONE SENIOR DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR: Manage various database ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ĨŽƌ ĂƉƉů͘ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͘ ĞĮŶĞ͕ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ͕ ĂŶĚ ŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚ ŶĞǁ ĚĂƚĂďĂƐĞƐ ŝŶ ĐŽŶũƵŶĐƟŽŶ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ƐƚĂī͘ ZĞƋƐ͗ DĂƐƚĞƌ͛Ɛ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ ŝŶ ƉƉů ŽŵƉ ^Đŝ͕ ŽŵƉ ƉƉƐ͕ Žƌ ƌĞůĂƚĞĚ /d ĮĞůĚ͕ Žƌ ĨŽƌĞŝŐŶ ĞƋƵŝǀ͖͘ ϯ LJƌƐ ĞdžƉ͘ ĂƐ Ă ĂƚĂďĂƐĞ ĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƚŽƌ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ͖ ĂŶĚ Ϯ LJƌƐ ĐŽŶĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ĞdžƉ͘ ƵƐŝŶŐ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ ϮϬϬϴ ZϮͬϮϬϭϮͬϮϬϭϰͬϮϬϭϲ͕ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƵĚŝŽ ;^^D^Ϳ͕ njƵƌĞ ^ƚŽƌĂŐĞ džƉůŽƌĞƌ͕ njƵƌĞ WŽƐƚŐƌĞ^Y> ĂƚĂďĂƐĞ͕ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ /ŶĚĞdž dƵŶŝŶŐ ĚǀŝƐŽƌ͕ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ ZĞƉŽƌƟŶŐ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͕ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ /ŶƚĞŐƌĂƟŽŶ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͕ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ ŽŶĮŐƵƌĂƟŽŶ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ͕ /ĚĞƌĂ ^Y> ŝĂŐŶŽƐƟĐ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ͕ ,ŝŐŚ ǀĂŝůĂďŝůŝƚLJ dĞĐŚŶŝƋƵĞƐ DŝƌƌŽƌŝŶŐ͕ ůǁĂLJƐ KŶ Θ ZĞƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ͕ DŝŶŝŽŶ ĂĐŬƵƉ͕ 'ŝƚ,Ƶď ZĞƉŽƐŝƚŽƌLJ͕ ĂŶĚ WŽǁĞƌ^ŚĞůů͘ /Ŷ ƚŚĞ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞ͗ Ă ĂĐŚĞůŽƌ͛Ɛ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ ŝŶ ƉƉů͘ ŽŵƉ͘ ^Đŝ͕͘ ŽŵƉ͘ ƉƉƐ͕͘ Žƌ ƌĞůĂƚĞĚ /d ĮĞůĚ͕ Žƌ ĨŽƌĞŝŐŶ ĞƋƵŝǀ͖͘ ϱ LJƌƐ ĞdžƉ͘ ĂƐ Ă ĚĂƚĂďĂƐĞ ĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƚŽƌ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ͖ ĂŶĚ Ϯ LJƌƐ ĐŽŶĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ĞdžƉ͘ ƵƐŝŶŐ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ ϮϬϬϴ ZϮͬϮϬϭϮͬϮϬϭϰͬϮϬϭϲ͕ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƵĚŝŽ ;^^D^Ϳ͕ njƵƌĞ ^ƚŽƌĂŐĞ džƉůŽƌĞƌ͕ njƵƌĞ WŽƐƚŐƌĞ^Y> ĂƚĂďĂƐĞ͕ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ /ŶĚĞdž dƵŶŝŶŐ ĚǀŝƐŽƌ͕ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ ZĞƉŽƌƟŶŐ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͕ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ /ŶƚĞŐƌĂƟŽŶ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͕ ^Y> ^ĞƌǀĞƌ ŽŶĮŐƵƌĂƟŽŶ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ͕ /ĚĞƌĂ ^Y> ŝĂŐŶŽƐƟĐ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ͕ ,ŝŐŚ ǀĂŝůĂďŝůŝƚLJ dĞĐŚŶŝƋƵĞƐ DŝƌƌŽƌŝŶŐ͕ ůǁĂLJƐ KŶ Θ ZĞƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ͕ DŝŶŝŽŶ ĂĐŬƵƉ͕ 'ŝƚ,Ƶď ZĞƉŽƐŝƚŽƌLJ͕ ĂŶĚ WŽǁĞƌ^ŚĞůů͘​͘ :Žď ŝŶ ,ĞŶƌŝĐŽ s ͘ KŶůLJ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ ƐĞŶĚŝŶŐ ĐŽǀĞƌ ůĞƩĞƌ͕ s͕ ƐĂůĂƌLJ ƌĞƋƐ Θ ƌĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ ƚŽ <ĞůƐĞLJ WŽǁĞůů͕ ,ĞĂĚ ŽĨ ŵƉůŽLJĞĞ džƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ͕ ϵϵϱϬ DĂLJůĂŶĚ ƌ͕͘ ĞĞƉ ZƵŶ /͕ ^ƚĞ ϰϬϬ͕ ,ĞŶƌŝĐŽ͕ s ϮϯϮϯϯ ǁŝůů ďĞ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌĞĚ͘

DIRECTOR, FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING (#FA045)

Reynolds Community College, Richmond, VA The Director of Facilities Management and Planning directs all facets of facility planning, construction, renovation, maintenance and parking operations at the College. This position directs all programs of buildings and plant maintenance repair, custodial services, grounds maintenance, skilled trade services, renovation projects, new construction, space planning and related contract administration. The Director provides technical advice, support and assistance to college officials. Ensures compliance with building code requirements and local, state and federal jurisdictional requirements; and enforces building codes, fire codes and the Americans with Disability Act in renovation projects. Oversees the department’s budget and administrative functions; and acts as the Agency Transportation Officer for the college. Performs other duties as assigned by the Vice President of Finance & Administration. TYPE OF APPOINTMENT: Full-time twelvemonth administrative faculty-ranked appointment. Salary range: $67,932 - $103,700. Salary commensurate with the education and experience of the candidate. Application reviews will begin April 19, 2021. Additional information is available at the College’s Website: www.reynolds.edu/jobs AA/EOE/ADA/Veterans/ AmeriCorps/Peace Corps/ Other National Service Alumni are encouraged to apply.


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