Richmond Free Press March 26-28, 2020 edition by Richmond Free Press

VOL. 29 NO. 14

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

www.richmondfreepress.com

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Preddy D. Ray Sr., longtime affordable housing advocate, remembered

MARCH 26-28, 2020

Challenging times Threat of COVID-19 shuts down schools, businesses and non-essential services across Richmond and the state as the number of cases and death toll rise By George Copeland Jr.

Virginia is gearing up for a months-long undertaking to stop the threat of coronavirus as each day brings more news of new cases, deaths and measures from local and state authorities to combat the spread. So far, 391 positive cases of and 13 deaths from the virus have been confirmed across the state, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Arlington County, Fairfax County, James City County, Newport News, Poquoson, York County and Williamsburg so far are the

Related stories, photos on A3, A5 and B2 most impacted, the VDH reported, although Metro Richmond also has reported a rising number of confirmed cases and deaths. The Richmond area suffered its first losses this week when three elderly residents of Canterbury Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Henrico County were reported to have died on Tuesday and Wednesday as a result of COVID-19. About 1,600 Virginians have been tested by state and private labs so far, with health officials warning that the number of positive cases is likely to rise as testing capacity increases and community spread continues. “We are just at the beginning of this,” Gov. Ralph S. Northam Please turn to A4

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

City employees dressed in hazmat suits Friday to clean up Cathy’s Camp on Oliver Hill Way. The property that belongs to Virginia Commonwealth University is to be fenced off to prevent a return of a homeless encampment.

Cathy’s Camp razed, but people keep coming during pandemic By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Homeless people keep coming despite the destruction last week of Cathy’s Camp, the tent community in Shockoe Valley, and the relocation of its residents to area motels and hotels. As efforts are underway to expand shelter resources, and as courts and sheriffs halt evictions to keep homelessness from becoming worse amid the coronavirus outbreak, evidence from the camp indicates that some people are still in crisis. Even as a light rain fell Wednesday with the tents gone, at least seven people were sleeping under tarps in the driveway and

on the concrete sidewalk outside the adjacent but closed Annie Giles Community Resource Center on Oliver Hill Way, the city’s cold weather shelter that sits across from the city’s jail. The Giles Center opened Wednesday night, as required, as the temperature plunged below 40 degrees, offering floor mats to those who entered. However, Mayor Levar M. Stoney has so far rebuffed calls from advocates and legal aid lawyers to keep the building open during the day as a refuge for those without housing. Before the Please turn to A4

Richmond high school seniors will graduate, Kamras says

to protect the capacity of the health care system to look after the infected. Richmond Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras “As disruptive as this will be for students, families wants to assure families than high school seniors will and staff, I believe it’s the right decision given the graduate and other students will advance to the next health care crisis we’re facing,” Mr. Kamras said in a grade despite the closure of city schools being extended statement following the governor’s announcement. through the end of the school year. He also voiced concern about the potential negative Last week, Richmond Public Schools announced impact the shutdown may have. that all schools would be shut down at least until April “I am most concerned about those within our comMr. Kamras 13 to help stop the spread of coronavirus. munity who already struggle with the injustices that But on Monday, Gov. Ralph S. Northam ordered all K-12 come with poverty, institutionalized racism, and/or immigration schools in Virginia to be closed for the remainder of the academic Please turn to A4 year to minimize the speed at which the virus is spreading and By Ronald E. Carrington

VCU leads clinical trials on drug to treat COVID-19 Free Press staff report Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University are participating in a trial of an experimental treatment for patients with moderate to severe symptoms of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has spread around the world. Dr. Anrun Sanyal, a liver specialist and professor of internal medicine in the VCU School of Medicine, is leading human clinical trials on the anti-viral drug remdesivir that Gilead Sciences Inc. developed and that was used to treat Ebola. The idea of using it to treat coronavirus stemmed from its use on a man hospitalized with the virus in Washington in a last-ditch effort to save his life. “We feel it is extremely important that drugs to be used for this potentially lifethreatening disease be tested rigorously so we have good evidence of their efficacy as well as their safety,” Dr. Sanyal Dr. Sanyal stated in the announcement Tuesday. “We look forward to generating the data that hopefully will help lots of people who have this condition.” VCU is one of a handful of institutions in the United States to begin using the drug on humans. The first randomized, controlled tests in the nation began in February. Remdesivir has previously shown anti-viral activity against other coronaviruses like SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and MERS, Middle East respiratory syndrome, in vitro and in animal models. But clinical trials were never completed because of the lack of available study participants, and the investigational drug is not currently publicly available, VCU stated. The drug works by mimicking the appearance of part of the virus and infiltrating the enzyme that viruses can use to replicate themselves. It is designed to slow the infection of healthy cells in a patient’s body. “Our team members at VCU and VCU Health have been actively searching for ways to combat COVID-19, a virus that has disrupted our lives and the lives of those we serve,” said Dr. Peter Buckley, dean of the VCU School of Medicine, interim senior vice president for VCU Health Sciences and chief executive officer of VCU Health System.

Faces of leadership

Virginia Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver is on front line of fight By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Dr. M. Norman Oliver provides updates on Virginia’s response to the spread of coronavirus as Gov. Ralph S. Northam, left, looks on. Location: The Patrick Henry Building at Capitol Square on March 18 during Gov. Northam’s daily briefing for reporters.

“The health of our residents and the community is our top priority.” So said Dr. M. (for Mohammed) Norman Oliver as he faces his biggest test as Virginia health commissioner in dealing with the coronavirus that has upended normal life. A native of Detroit, Dr. Oliver, 69, is on the front line in the fight. As commissioner,

he deploys more than 3,700 public health workers in seeking to ensure Virginia has adequate resources to treat the infected, to identify those that the ill were in contact with, to increase testing for the disease and to spread accurate information to Virginians to help people protect themselves. A longtime professor of family medicine at the University of Virginia School Please turn to A4

Pandemic puts U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams in spotlight TriceEdneyWire.com and Free Press staff report

He has issued warnings about the dangers of e-cigarettes and gone on record supporting needle exchanges to limit disease related to opioid addiction. Now Dr. Jerome Adams, who was appointed by President Trump in September as the 20th surgeon general of the United States, is in the spotlight as Americans seek health information they can trust to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. In a teleconference last week, Dr. Adams, a

45-year-old anesthesiologist who served as the Indiana state health commissioner under then-governor and now Vice President Mike Pence, offered a matter-offact, straight-to-the-point introduction of himself to the NAACP and more than Dr. Adams 21,000 listeners. “Many of you don’t know me and, frankly, some of you don’t have a lot of trust in me or

this administration. So, I’m going to take just a quick moment to give you some background,” Dr. Adams began. “I personally grew up in a rural mostly white Southern community. I benefited from WIC, reduced lunch and other government assistance. All four of my grandparents died prematurely from chronic disease; my brother’s incarcerated due to his problems with and struggles with substance misuse; my mother had a major stroke last year; Please turn to A4

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

The bright side With school out and a breeze blowing, Noelle Sharp, 9, takes advantage of a sunny day to fly a kite last Friday in Byrd Park. The youngster was with her family at the park, the wide open spaces allowing for social distancing and fun.

March 26-28, 2020

Richmond Free Press

Local News

Cityscape

Slices of life and scenes in Richmond Construction continues on the new General Assembly Building going up at Capitol Square at 9th and Broad streets in Downtown. The 15-story building that will house offices for the 100 members of the Virginia House of Delegates and 40 state senators, along with committee hearing rooms, is expected to be completed in 2021. More than $300 million is being poured into the project, which includes renovation of Old City Hall that sits next door to the east and construction of a 500-car parking deck. This new legislative building was to be ready this year. However, the development hit a two-year roadblock during the tenure of former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who sought to use the project as a bargaining chip in an unsuccessful attempt to get the Republican-controlled legislature at the time to approve expansion of Medicaid. The project regained momentum in 2017 in the final year of Gov. McAuliffe’s term. Medicaid expansion was approved after Gov. McAuliffe left office in January 2018.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

City Council setting up procedures for public meetings online The Richmond City Council is moving to set up processes and procedures for holding online public meetings, including ways to gain resident comments on legislation, it was announced Tuesday. The nine-member governing body issued a statement after canceling Monday night’s scheduled in-person meeting following the announcement that a Richmond Police officer tested positive for COVID-19 and another who had been in contact with the officer had isolated themselves as a precaution. The council meeting was considered critical to extending the March 31 deadline for elderly and disabled people to file for property tax relief and approving Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s decision to provide $2.1 million to pay for temporary shelter for the homeless at area hotels and motels. Dr.. Newbille Mayor Stoney also had hoped to introduce legislation that would allow businesses to avoid penalties and interest for late filing of the monthly payments of various city taxes on businesses. “While critical Richmond government services continue to be delivered, nothing about the current event is business as usual and some services will understandably be affected by efforts to help protect our communities,” the statement from the council reads. “As we advance through this new normal together with changes in our daily lives and routines, thank you for your patience and understanding as Richmond endeavors to persevere.” — JEREMY M. LAZARUS

GRTC officials seek to limit ridership to essential trips Teens and younger children might have a harder time taking advantage of free rides on GRTC. On Tuesday, the bus company announced that unaccompanied minors no longer can ride the public transit buses unless they are dressed in work uniforms or can show proof of employment, such as a badge. Along with the ban, GRTC also has begun requiring customers to get off the bus at the end of their one-way trip and catch another bus to return. “No extended rides on a single vehicle will be allowed,” the company stated. The announcement, though, focused more on GRTC’s new effort to reduce the number of minors who are riding buses in groups for what the company considers non-essential trips. How enforceable the new policy is remains a question mark, a GRTC spokeswoman Ms. Timm said, but GRTC expects most young people will follow the new policy. “Immediately after suspending fares March 12, our ridership jumped by several thousand trips a day,” Julie Timm, GRTC’s chief executive officer, noted. “Some were kids out of school with energy to burn, and some were people wanting to enjoy the beautiful spring weather. But some were budget-conscious people looking for employment, making trips to the grocery store or going to the doctor,” she continued. “While overall daily ridership is still well below normal levels, we are imposing additional measures to ensure those who desperately need our service during this crisis will have it,” while also trying to ensure passengers can maintain social distance as the government and health officials recommend, Ms. Timm stated. Along with the other new polices, GRTC is seeking to encourage passengers to space themselves out to one person per row to meet government guidelines, except for families riding together. “While it’s completely counter to our normal lives to beg people not to ride, that is exactly what we are doing,” Ms. Timm stated. “Serving the community’s very real and very essential mobility needs during this crisis is a juggling act. Please, save our service for those who need our service.” — Jeremy M. Lazarus

Duncan resigns as head of RRHA By George Copeland Jr.

He came from Illinois brimming with optimism about leading the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. But less than a year later, Damon E. Duncan is stepping down as chief executive officer of the public housing agency for more than 10,000 low- and moderateincome city residents. Mr. Duncan announced his resignation last Friday, but RRHA stated in a news release that he would stay on for 60 to 90 days to help the agency transition to new leadership before departing. He stated in the news release that his decision, while “not made lightly,” would allow him to spend more time in Georgia with his family. “I’ve worked to create a culture at RRHA where ‘family comes first,’ ” Mr. Duncan said, “and in this instance I need to be true to my own message – I need to put my own family first.” Mr. Duncan led the housing authority in Elgin, Ill., for seven years before taking over in Richmond in April 2019. His arrival appeared to signal more consistent leadership for the authority that has gone through several directors in the past decade. Mr. Duncan took the reins from Orlando C. Artze, who served as interim CEO after the resignation of T.K. Somanath in February 2018. Mr. Somanath stepped down in the midst of criticism over RRHA’s slow pace of handling boiler breakdowns during the winter that had left hundreds of its apartments in Creighton Court in the East End and the five other large public housing communities without heat. RRHA’s Board of Commissioners, in the midst of a transition itself, expects to begin the search for a new chief executive officer that could last beyond Mr. Duncan’s departure date. Mr. Duncan arrived with the stated

goals of leading the transformation of public housing and improving the agency’s operational structure. Based on his work in Elgin to change public housing into a voucher-based program of subsidized housing, he was considered the right man to steer RRHA’s continuing effort to redevelop its public housing communities into mixed-income neighborhoods. Despite Mr. Duncan’s promises to move more quickly to get developments underway, projects for new home development continue to be stalled. Meanwhile, Mr. Duncan and the agency have faced fire in Mr. Duncan recent months over the redevelopment of Creighton Court in the East End and the start of replacing of some of its aging units with new apartments. Without any public announcement, the RRHA stopped leasing vacant units in Creighton Court, while at the same time stepping up evictions of residents who failed to pay rent after finding that RRHA had done a poor job of collecting before he arrived. Public backlash from residents, housing advocates and public officials led Mr. Duncan to place a freeze on all housing evictions, a moratorium that has been extended twice past its initial Jan. 1 end date and that could continue as long as coronavirus is a threat. Mr. Duncan also was part of discussions with the Virginia Housing Justice Project, a coalition of housing advocates and lawyers, to develop solutions to help residents with debts to avoid eviction. The first of these solutions, a repayment agreement process for people owing money, began in early February and is scheduled to end May 1. Mr. Duncan’s tenure also raised ques-

tions about the transparency of RRHA, as housing advocates and residents found sudden changes in meeting agendas and limits on how many people could attend the public meetings. Advocates would not be the only ones to raise the issues with this. Last year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development spiked a $30 million grant for the redevelopment of Gilpin Court, citing RRHA’s lack of community involvement in the plan. HUD also rejected RRHA’s annual plan for failing to include the community. Despite efforts, criticism over a lack of communication and public trust remained an undercurrent of Mr. Duncan’s tenure. Earlier this month, Gov. Ralph S. Northam signed a bill sponsored by Richmond state Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan that would require public housing agencies to inform residents of any demolitions a year before they are to begin. Sen. McClellan cited the apparent lack of communication to residents of the planned demolition of about one-third of Creighton Court in preparation for new development. The bill was signed over the objections of Mr. Duncan. “It’s a difficult job,” City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray, 2nd District, said this week, pointing out many of the longstanding problems within public housing and the RRHA that she said need to be addressed. “There are no easy tasks in the RRHA,” Ms. Gray said. “Everything is a challenge.” On a high note, the RRHA recently received more than $700,000 from HUD through the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency—Service Coordinators program, the largest grant of its kind in the city and possibly the state. The grant is to be used to help public housing residents with household finances, savings and job readiness skills.

Candidates emerge in Richmond mayor’s race and other city contests By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The initial candidates are starting to emerge in the race for Richmond offices despite the unprecedented disruptions from coronavirus that are impacting every aspect — from collecting signatures to get on the ballot to fundraising and knocking on doors to meet voters. In the mayor’s race, incumbent Levar M. Stoney already has filed all the paperwork to run for a second term, according to a list the city Voter Registrar’s Office has compiled. So has one little known challenger, Tracey McLean, a businesswoman, actress and mother of 10 children, the office noted. Also, Councilwoman Kim B. Gray, 2nd District, who announced her candidacy for mayor early this month, has filed most of her paperwork. Two others who could enter the race, but have most or all of the paperwork, are Paul Goldman, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party, and lawyer Justin Griffin. There is still time for candidates to get in any of the city races. The filing deadline is Tuesday, June 9, for candidates seeking to run in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, election. On the City Council front, races have begun to shape up in several of the districts. In the 1st District, Michael Dickenson, who failed to qualify for the ballot in 2016, is preparing to challenge incumbent Councilman Andreas D. Addison, who has not filed any paperwork. The registrar’s

list also shows Michael Gray has filed a statement of organization. In the 2nd District, where Ms. Gray is giving up her seat, the lone candidate to file initial paperwork is Katherine Jordan, secretary of the Richmond Green City Commission, the list shows. In the 3rd District, with incumbent Chris A. Hilbert stepping down, three people are now listed as candidates, though their filings are incomplete. They are barber Willie Hilliard; Ann-Frances Lambert, daughter of the late former Richmond state Sen. Benjamin J. Lambert III, and Elaine Summerfield, who runs Richmond Opportunities Inc., a nonprofit arm of the city’s housing authority. Milondra Coleman, president of the Richmond Education Association, also has indicated an interest in running again for the seat, but the city Voter Registrar’s Office has not received any paperwork. In the 6th District, Allan-Charles Chipman, a community organizer, is not shown as filing any paperwork, although he has said he is preparing to run against incumbent Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson, who has filed initial paperwork from her. In the 8th District, community volunteer Amy Wentz has filed to run against incumbent Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, who filed her paperwork in January, the registrar’s list shows. In the 9th District, Adrian Preston, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2008, has filed a statement of organization to run against first-term incumbent Councilman Michael J. Jones, who has not filed any paperwork.

No challengers have emerged in the three other districts. Fourth District incumbent Councilwoman Kristen N. Larson has filed her paperwork. Incumbents Stephanie A. Lynch, 5th District, and Council President Cynthia I. Newbille, 7th District, have yet to begin the process, according to the list. The Richmond School Board, which turned over completely in 2016, is expected to have greater stability. At this point, only two members, Dr. Patrick Sapini, 5th District, and Felicia Cosby, 6th District, are not expected to seek re-election. In the 5th District, three first-time candidates are now listed as competitors, Jennifer Aghomo, David F. Jones and Stephanie Rizzi. In the 6th District, Lynette Plummer and Deon Wright have filed candidate paperwork, according to the registrar’s list. At least two incumbent School Board members, Jonathan Young, 4th District, and Dawn C. Page, 8th District, will face challengers, the list shows. In the 4th District, Deanna Fierro has filed to run against Mr. Young, who has submitted his paperwork. In the 8th District, Dana Sally Allen has submitted paperwork to challenge Ms. Page, who also filed, the list shows. The registrar’s list does not show any filings from the five other incumbents on the School Board who are expected to seek re-election: Elizabeth Doerr, 1st District; James “Scott” Barlow, 2nd District; Kenya Gibson, 3rd District; Cheryl Burke, 7th District; and Chairwoman Linda Owen, 9th District.

Richmond Free Press

March 26-28, 2020

Local News

Businesses adjust to social distancing, governor’s executive order on COVID-19 down this week to do a thorough deep cleaning for its 32-person Anita Hill-Moses, an entreprogram. preneur and natural hair stylist, “We are being proactive is among the thousands of small and cautious because we want businesses in the Richmond area our participnts and staff to be feeling the effects of the coronasafe and stay healthy,” Mrs. virus outbreak and lockdown. Lewis said. Her business, B.A.D. Braids “We are taking every preand Dreds Inc. located in Midcautionary measure – social lothian, services natural hair, distancing and adhering to specializing in all forms, lengths, all of the mandated measures textures and styles. from the Commonwealth—to As the pandemic continues, make sure everything is done she has adjusted her business properly.” so her clients can be safe when She said the nonprofit center they come in to get their hair is looking for additional restyled. sources for seniors while they “Business has been a seesaw,” are at home for the week. Ms. Hill-Moses said. “Originally, “Clearly, the coronavirus people were calling canceling outbreak affects us,” Mrs. Lewis their appointments.” said. “We need all of the help To address her customers’ we can get because we are a concerns and apprehensions, nonprofit and we still have to Ms. Hill-Moses implemented pay for lights and utilities.” many of the state and federal Meanwhile, several medical guidelines regarding COVIDprofessionals are using technol19, including frequent and thorogy to provide services to their Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press ough cleaning of the salon and patients. requiring clients to wash their Marvin Smith, 52, hopes for customers at his shop, The Barbershop on2, at 420 N. 2nd St. in Jackson Ward. He only Dr. Rashida Gray Gordon esallows one customer in at a time and sanitizes everything regularly. hands when they arrive. tablished her psychiatry practice With four stylists working, there are only six patrons in the Essential retail businesses, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, six months ago in Henrico County. She has about 70 patients salon at any one time, Ms. Hill-Moses said. And while avoiding banks, gas stations, pet and feed stores and hardware and auto who are becoming comfortable transitioning from in-person apclose contact is difficult in the hair business, they use masks and parts and repair shops, are exempt. pointments to face-to-face interactions on social media. surgical gloves to protect themselves and their customers. “Since people are anxious about being outside and wanting to All public and private gatherings of 10 or more people also “Once we put those measures in place, business started to are prohibited through that time, according to the order. have social distancing, being on a computer screen is comfortpick up,” she said. Marvin Smith, 52, owner of The Barber Shop on2 in Historic ing,” Dr. Gordon said as she worked from her home. On Monday, Gov. Ralph S. Northam ordered all non-essential Jackson Ward, has been sterilizing everything as he lets in one Before COVID-19, she said she had a few college-age patients recreational and entertainment businesses to close effective 11:59 customer at a time. that used social media for their sessions with her. p.m. Tuesday through April 23, including movie theaters, bowling However, with the pandemic and some people in self-quarantine, He said the shop was busy early in the week as customers tried alleys, museums, racetracks, arcades and amusement parks. Beauty to get in for a haircut before the governor’s order took effect. patients couldn’t get to her office, she said. salons, barbershops, spas and other personal care businesses that “The world is adjusting. Today, we are experiencing something On Tuesday, he was working solo. would not allow compliance with social distancing guidelines “I’m taking more naps than cuts,” he said. “But we’re going a little different, which could be a little uncomfortable or a little also are to be shut down under the governor’s order. awkward, as well as managing the technology,” she said. “This to be all right. We will get through this.” Restaurants, food courts, breweries, wineries and farmers For Carnell Lewis, executive director of the South Richmond is an adjustment for my older patients and me.” markets can remain open only for take-out and delivery. Regina H. Boone contributed to this story. Adult Day Care Center at 1500 Hull St. in South Side, shut By Ronald E. Carrington

Starting as a pastor in the midst of a pandemic By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Dr. Rodney D. Waller conducts the 11 a.m. service Sunday in a largely empty sanctuary at First African Baptist Church in North Side. Following the guidelines, only 10 people were allowed to attend, with other congregants able to watch a live stream at their homes.

Churches change their sermon delivery, tithing methods for mandated guidelines By George Copeland Jr.

Churches across Richmond have undergone a substantial transformation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic as state and national officials have forced them to adopt a new paradigm. For Dr. Rodney D. Waller, senior pastor of First African Baptist Church, the transition from delivering sermons to a packed and eager congregation to a sparse ensemble inside the North Side church and others largely following via video stream on social media and the church’s website has been an adjustment. “This week has been a change,” Dr. Waller said. “However, we view this the same way as if we are challenged with inclement weather. We are just challenged with a longer period of an alternate worship approach.” First African Baptist Church is just one of many area churches that have turned to alternate means to continue their ministry. Some have gotten creative, with The Tower Ministries, a Pentecostal church in South Side, hosting outdoor services that allow for a communal feel while maintaining social distancing and limits on the number of people gathered as recommended by health officials and government authorities. By and large, however, churches seem to be relying more on the online space to continue services. This wider usage of streaming video also extends to other weekly meetings and discussions essential to church operations, from Bible study to diaconate meetings and daily prayer. “The pandemic that is the coronavirus is real,” said Dr. Adam L. Bond, pastor-elect of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Jackson Ward, in a video to his congregation outlining future plans. “Our nation will feel its impact beyond these immediate circumstances. The challenge before us now is how we reinvent how to gather as a family of faith.” But some church operations, such as outreach services, are not so easily adapted to cell phone and laptop screens. While most churches have canceled community-focused groups and events, others like St. Philip’s Episcopal Church are looking to maintain food pantries and community

breakfast, with an increased focus on hygiene that will allow them to serve Richmond’s vulnerable without risking their health. “This is a fluid situation so we will let you know as things change,” wrote Rev. Marlene E. Forrest, priest-in-charge of St. Philips, in a post on the church’s website. “We share in the uncertainty and tenuousness of this time, and we ask for strength of mind, body and spirit.” Another question confronting congregations is how to handle tithes, offerings and other financial contributions. That question goes beyond whether to continue to accept cash and checks or switch to online payment options, but how to use the money collected when the ministry groups activities typically supported have been canceled for weeks or even months. Churches are pointing their congregation to services like Givelify, Paypal and their church website for ways to contribute, in addition to by the U.S. Postal Service. The money, by most accounts, will be held to handle the churches’ normal expenses and outreach services, with no real change, regardless of how long the coronavirus’ presence lasts. “We plan to allocate funds to our budget line items to handle our responsibilities as usual,” Dr. Waller said. “This pandemic does not exclude us from being faithful to our obligations.” While this week seems to have been a smooth transition for most churches given the circumstances, that may not last. Major events are on the horizon for the Christian community, with Palm Sunday on April 5 and Easter Sunday on April 12. Both typically involve a level of celebration and contribution that may be more difficult because of the pandemic. If Dr. Waller’s statements are any indication, most churches are still working out the details. “As we look at Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, we have not made or finalized any plans,” Dr. Waller said, “as we wait to see the status of this coronavirus effect on this city and the nation.” For now, many of Richmond’s churches are left to hope for the best, plan for the worst and act on faith.

He also has worked with church officials, such as the Finance Committee chairperson, “I never imagined I would start my ministry Alesia Gibbs, and the current and past chairs of in the midst of a pandemic,” Dr. Joshua L. the diaconates, Lorraine Claiborne and Beverly Mitchell said. Wynn, to enable the congregation to continue But that’s the case for the 33-year-old Bal- their support through online donations. timore native and graduate of Virginia Union “We are moving,” he said, noting that one University’s seminary who has just been tapped congregant already is ensuring the Facebook to be the seventh pastor of Thirty-first Street page is updated. He said the next step would Baptist Church in Church Hill. involve creating small teams to supMostly recently the minister to port the online operations while “I youth and college students at a megafocus on creating content.” church in Houston, Dr. Mitchell is When he arrives in mid-April, Dr. scheduled to formally take the pulpit Mitchell, who has earned attention on Easter Sunday, April 12. for his 2018 book, “Black Millenials The church, located at 823 N. and the Church: Meet Me Where I 31st St., was officially organized Am,” will take over from the Rev. 105 years ago. Alvin Campbell, a retired Henrico Dr. Mitchell “Increasingly, it looks like my County schoolteacher and associate first Sunday preaching will be in an empty minister, who has served as interim pastor for sanctuary,” Dr. Mitchell told the Free Press, the past two years following the retirement of based on what he heard during a conference Dr. Morris G. Henderson in January 2018. call Monday between Gov. Ralph S. Northam Thirty-first Street, which traces its roots to and faith leaders. 1875 and its actual founding to 1915, received Dr. Mitchell is a prime example of how 117 applications for the pastor’s position and ministers and their congregations are seeking winnowed them down to six finalists, according to adjust to the emergency conditions caused to Dr. Peyton McCoy, a consultant on business by the COVID-19 pandemic. and leadership strategies. Undaunted and showing the energy, initiaDr. McCoy said a VUU seminary professor tive and caring that made him the top choice encouraged the church to invite Dr. Mitchell to of the search committee and the congregation, apply. She said Dr. Mitchell quickly moved to Dr. Mitchell said despite being more than 1,000 the top of the list based on his ability to relate miles away, he has begun working with the to people, his preaching ability and his experichurch’s lay leaders and congregants on keeping ence as a youth minister at the 15,000-member the church’s 450 members together. Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston “Every crisis calls forth our creativity,” where he has overseen a staff of 10. said Dr. Mitchell, who is the son of the Rev. Dr. McCoy said Dr. Mitchell impressed Marlow L. Mitchell, pastor of Rising Sun everyone during his three-day visit to Richmond Baptist Church in Washington. in early February with his ability to connect The closure of church buildings to help with people and with his sermon. “None of stop the spread of coronavirus “is acceler- the other finalists came close,” she said. ating restructuring in some of the ways we Dr. Mitchell has been with Wheeler Avconnect that are important to 21st century enue Baptist Church since 2013. He and his ministry,” he said. pediatrician wife, Dr. Lori Mitchell, moved The graduate of Howard University who to Galveston, Texas, after he graduated earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees from VUU’s divinity school in 2012 so she in ministry at VUU, said that in the past week, could start medical school at the University he has helped the church link with Facebook of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The and its live video streaming that allows for couple now has a year-old son. interaction with people with computers and “I didn’t know anything about Thirty-first smart phones. Street,” he said when he was first approached, He said the church’s Facebook page has but said he found himself increasingly attracted been dormant since 2017, but the new capa- as he went through the process. bility means “we can do fresh things.” When he visited in February, he said, “I He said he worked with Carolyn Brown, found a group of loving people and a church chair of the Trustee Board, to set up the new with a beautiful sanctuary and a greater potential Facebook.com/31sbc to link congregants to to be a blessing for the community and the remote worship. Richmond area.” The church also has set up a connection He said he was impressed that the church through FreeConferenceCall.com to enable has long had a Boy Scout troop as part of its those without such equipment to call in to commitment to young people, has a commulisten to services. nity garden to provide fresh food and operates Dr. Mitchell provided the first test in a feeding operation for those in need. leading two services last Sunday in which he “The church has laid a good foundation,” urged his listeners not to miss what God is he said, “and has a potential for growth, not offering as a result of the crisis and to stay just as a place of worship, but as a greater calm, connected and committed. resource for everyone from young people to On Tuesday night, he led a Bible study via seniors in the community and the Greater Facebook and conference call. Richmond area.”

A4 March 26-28, 2020

Richmond Free Press

News

Challenging times as city and state shut down Continued from A1

said during the daily news briefing Wednesday afternoon. “We’re not talking about weeks, we are talking about months. And we are going to see these numbers, unfortunately, continue to rise.” In response, state and local authorities have announced new steps in a bid to halt the spread and the potential overloading of health care facilities. Many of the new guidelines were part of an executive order Gov. Northam signed Monday closing all K-12 schools in Virginia for the rest of the academic year, shutting down recreational businesses and adding restrictions on others that serve the public, enforced in whatever way localities deem necessary. Education officials are waiving most of the requirements for seniors to graduate, including requirements for passing certain standardized end-of-course tests. Local school boards also have discretion to make decisions. “These are truly unprecedented times,” Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said in a message Wednesday to students, families and staff following Gov. Northam’s announcement. “RPS may be officially closed, but we are always open to support you in any way we can.” The governor also ordered the closure of movie theaters, bowling alleys, racetracks, swimming pools and other recreational and entertainment businesses. Also required to shut down are personal care shops like barbershops, beauty parlors and nail salons that cannot comply with social distancing guidelines of 10 patrons or less and for people to remain 6 feet apart. Grocery stores, pharmacies and banks, which are deemed essential, can remain open. The construction industry also can remain in full operation, as can food manufacturers and others engaged in production regarded as essential. Other outlets, including restaurants, can stay open for take-out and delivery only. State parks will become day-use only starting Friday morning. For his part, Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney stated Tuesday that failure to practice social distancing in the city’s parks could lead

to the city closing them and the James River Park System. He said there can be no groups playing games like basketball and pickleball or just hanging out, including at Texas Beach and other spots along the river. “We believe we can tackle this crisis, but we can only do it together,” the mayor said. Following up on the state Supreme Court’s decision to halt lower courts from ordering evictions, Mayor Stoney also announced that Richmond Sheriff Antionette V. Irving has agreed to shut down the unit that conducts evictions. He has also called on the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority to extend its public housing eviction freeze beyond May 1. “Responding to this challenge with speedy and just action requires compassionate decisionmaking on all levels,” Mayor Stoney said. “No one should lose their home in the middle of a pandemic.” Virginia also is exploring ways to get more people qualified as doctors, nurses and personal care assistants. The state is reworking licensing procedures, discussing bringing in medical students and urging retirees and others with military or other training to join the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps. Gov. Northam also announced that state officials are looking at potential sites for temporary hospitals to be constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “should the need arise.” He said while the need for bed space for COVID-19 patients is adequate now, the demand is expected to grow and outpace current hospital capacity. “We see that coming,” the governor said. The University of Virginia Health System has offered newly developed tests to hospitals across the commonwealth, while the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System announced Wednesday the development of its in-house tests for patients who have severe symptoms of COVID-19 and require hospitalization. Both tests will expand the capacity to test for COVID-19, with VCU hopeful for same-day results. U.Va. currently is able to perform more than 100 tests daily and offers up to 50 tests a day for other hospitals and patients that meet

Dr. Oliver is on front line of fight Continued from A1

of Medicine, Dr. Oliver has led the Virginia Department of Health for nearly two years. He became acting commissioner in April 2018 after Dr. Marissa Levine resigned the top post, and two months later, Gov. Ralph S. Northam named him as commissioner. Dr. Oliver runs a department that promotes public health in a state that the website QuoteWizard has named the best prepared among the 50 states to deal with disasters and public health emergencies, based on public health funding, water security, patient safety programs and hospital preparedness rates. On Feb. 7, a month before the first case of coronavirus was diagnosed in Virginia, Dr. Oliver declared the virus a public health threat. He joined the governor on March 12 in issuing a state of emergency as the number of cases in the Commonwealth began to grow exponentially. He has been an essential part of the pandemic task force that supports Gov. Northam’s orders increasing shutdowns of schools, business and public and private concerns in a bid to block the spread of coronavirus. As Dr. Oliver seeks to deal with this threat to public health, he is surrounded by seasoned veterans who have dealt with past contagions and emergencies, including Dr. Parham Jaberi, deputy commissioner for public health and preparedness; Dr. Laurie Forlana, deputy commissioner for population health; Dr. Lilian Peake, the state epidemiologist; and Robert W. Hicks, deputy commissioner for community health and local health departments.

Dr. Oliver’s focus in medicine has been on increasing equity in health care, with emphasis on removing the racial discrimination, biases and prejudices that too often underlie differences in care. He is credited with leading the transformation of the U.Va. Hospital clinics into patient-centered practices and with helping other physicians understand the impact that implicit biases can have on service to those who are ill or injured. A former medical journalist, he shifted gears and entered medical school at age 40. He graduated from the Case Western Reserve University’s medical school in Kent, Ohio, where he studied family medicine and also earned a master’s in medical anthropology. His first experience as a physician was treating people in rural Alaska. In 1998, after two years, he left Alaska to become a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at U.Va. He later was appointed to an endowed professorship and rose to become chair of the department in which he served as a teacher and physician for 17 years. He joined the state Health Department in 2017 as the deputy commissioner for population health, which focuses on identifying diseases and their spread. As a member of the leadership team at VDH, he has sought to use his research and experience to raise awareness and understanding of the health disparities that are fueled by racial and ethnic biases and to develop effective interventions to reduce or eliminate them. He has continued to make that a goal of his work as commissioner.

U.S. surgeon general in spotlight Continued from A1

and I’m currently on eight different medications myself,” he said. “I know what it’s like growing up poor, black and with minimal access to health care,” Dr. Adams continued. “And I’m personally experiencing the lifelong impacts that stem from that. “I want you all to know I don’t affiliate with a party and I didn’t take my current job, which pays a whole lot less than being an anesthesiologist does, for political reasons. I’m a Christian and I believe God doesn’t put you where you’ll be comfortable. He puts you where he needs you to be.” A native of Orange, N.J., Dr. Adams grew up in rural St. Mary’s County, Md., on his family’s farm. Interested in the sciences, he attended the University of Maryland Baltimore County on a full-tuition scholarship and earned dual bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and biopsychology. He went to Indiana University School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine internship and his residency in anesthesiology in Indiana. In 2000, he earned a master’s in public health from the University of California, Berkeley. He spent two years in private practice at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, Ind., and served as an assistant professor of anesthesiology at Indiana University before being appointed Indiana state health commissioner in 2014. “Our issues as people of color are too important to go four years without representation in the highest levels of government,” he said on the teleconference. “And I have personally had

faith that I am put where I am most needed. “That said, I spent my life fighting and will keep fighting for the poor, the disadvantaged, the people of color. And I, along with the other health officials on the coronavirus task force … want you to hear it from me. I hope I can earn your trust.” Dr. Adams’ words were timely given that his boss, President Trump, early on publicly dismissed the coronavirus pandemic as a “Democratic hoax.” Now the administration has declared a national emergency and President Trump and top federal medical experts, including Dr. Adams, are front and center almost daily at news briefings with the latest updates on the health crisis. The key now is mitigation, Dr. Adams said during the teleconference. “Mitigation means limiting the impact within our communities by social distancing and also protecting the most vulnerable,” he said. During this period of quarantine and social distancing, Dr. Adams suggested connecting with friends and loved ones through FaceTime and Skype to continue social connections. He also recommended Americans “establish buddy systems” and check on elderly and vulnerable people by phone to make sure they are alright. “Connections can give people strength to keep up and fight a national threat,” he said. While he acknowledged that this can be a stressful time, he said resources to help manage stress and anxiety are available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at www.coronavirus.gov and the federal Disaster Distress Helpline at (800) 985-5990.

clinical testing guidelines, with results available in under two hours. While the breadth and scope of containment efforts expand, there are areas where Virginia officials have less control. Gov. Northam said Virginia has put in a second request for medical supplies from the national stockpile, having already distributed supplies received from its first request at the start of the week. The need for personal protective equipment for medical professionals and first responders is high, Gov. Northam said, with states “literally competing” against each other for medical supplies as prices soar. “Allowing the free market to determine availability and pricing is not the way we should be dealing with this national crisis,” Gov. Northam said, calling for the federal government to take control to create more orderly production and distribution as has occurred during past wars. While a $2 trillion relief package is working

its way through Congress, President Trump is undermining the social distancing message. Rejecting the view of health experts, he suggested this week that normal life could resume after Easter Sunday, April 12. Gov. Northam, a physician, and other medical experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe the worst of the coronavirus, and the most serious impact on medical systems across the nation, is yet to come. Gov. Northam also urged Liberty University in Lynchburg to reconsider its choice to reopen its doors to students. While the governor has no authority to force the private university to close, he called on the school’s leadership to follow the example of publicly supported schools and shift to an online program entirely. “We have heard too many mixed messages around COVID-19, and this is yet another example,” Gov. Northam said. “Our message has been clear, and it will continue to be clear — stay home unless you have to leave for essential reasons.”

Cathy’s Camp razed

Continued from A1

tents came down, the Stoney administration, at the insistence of 2nd District Councilwoman Kim B. Gray and others on City Council, opened the building for a few days to allow camp residents to use the bathrooms and wash their hands. But that practice ended March 20 after camp residents were relocated and their tents were removed. Once the camp residents were gone, city employees, some dressed in hazmat suits, cleared away all of the tents and personal items, leaving only the grass in the large area beside the Giles Center where the tents once stood. Large signs posted at the site state that the area has been cleaned up to protect against the spread of coronavirus and that the area will be fenced off. “It’s heartbreaking,” resident Burney Makk said as he packed his belongings in plastic bags last Friday and waited for a volunteer to take him and others to the Rodeway Inn near the airport. “This is our home, and they are destroying it in the name of safeguarding us from the virus,” said Mr. Makk, 46, a disabled construction worker who lived at the camp during the winter as his most affordable option. “We’re safer here. No one was sick from the virus, and we had each other,” he said. “But no one wants to listen to us.” He was among the final 13 people transferred. At least three people declined to move and were left. Others have come since. Rhonda Sneed, co-founder

and leader of Blessing Warriors RVA, an all-volunteer support group for the homeless that helped establish the camp, continues to bring food and water to those who remain. She also visits dozens of others who have been moved. Neither the city nor Homeward, the regional umbrella group for homeless services, has issued final numbers about how many people were relocated. About 75 people occupy about 60 rooms at the Rodeway Inn in Henrico County near the airport, with smaller groups housed at the Massad House Hotel in Downtown, the Diamond Inn & Suites next to The Diamond in North Side, a Super 8 in Henrico County and a motel in the Midlothian area. The move was disruptive but the initial kinks appear to have been worked out, particularly the delivery of meals. Dr. Arlene Simmons of Chesterfield County, who runs the nonprofit Humanitarian Ambassadors of America, said she is arranging to provide at least two meals a day to the 75 people who at the Rodeway Inn. The Stoney administration created a $2.1 million fund to cover housing and meal costs at least through April 3. The money is flowing through Homeward. Mr. Makk, like others who were moved, is concerned that once the free lodging ends, everyone will be looking for a new tent location. “We’re working to find additional shelter and program space, something that would be good for two to three months at least,” said Kelly King Horne, Homeward’s executive

director. That would allow the individuals and case managers more time to focuses on their challenges and on finding solutions, she said. Currently, she said, virtually all of the existing housing for the homeless, including permanent, transitional and emergency housing, is crammed. About 1,300 individuals are being housed, not including those recently removed to hotels, according to Homeward data. She expressed relief that evictions have been put on hold. Ms. Horne also said she is working with federal and state partners to obtain resources that could be matched. Along with the city, she said a host of partners and volunteers are stepping up to keep homeless people safe from coronavirus. “Given what we know, many of those who are served are older and have chronic health issues that make them more susceptible,” she said. She said she is unaware of any former residents of Camp Cathy or other people being sheltered who have tested positive for the virus. Still, she is trying to arrange for a separate space where anyone who tests positive may be quarantined. Already, she is planning for the fall. There are worries that, even if COVID-19 dies down in the summer, it could return in the fall like the flu, potentially creating another wave of homeless. “Homelessness was a crisis before the pandemic,” she said. “This only makes it more of a challenge.”

Seniors will graduate, Kamras says Continued from A1

status,” Mr. Kamras said. “This extended closure will only amplify these injustices.” During the closing, Mr. Kamras said, all RPS employees will continue to get paid, have full benefits and receive the support they need to navigate these difficult times. A spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Education also stated that Gov. Northam and Dr. James F. Lane, the state superintendent of public instruction, want to ensure that students who are on track to graduate this year will graduate on time. Mr. Kamras and other RPS officials met with VDOE officials on Tuesday about graduation, course credits, grades and other concerns. In a statement issued earlier Tuesday, Dr. Lane released guidelines to help school systems and families. “I hope the flexibility that I am announcing today will help students and teachers as they cope with the deep disappointment of having their time together unexpectedly cut short and of not being able to enjoy the recognitions and celebrations that should be a part of every student’s graduation experience,” Dr. Lane stated. According to the VDOE guidelines, current high school seniors in the following categories will be able to graduate on time despite the closure: • Seniors enrolled in a course for which they need a standard or verified credit in order to graduate (verified credits are earned by passing a required course and also passing the associated Standards of Learning test); • Seniors who have successfully completed a course required for graduation, but have not yet earned the associated verified credit; and • Seniors who had not passed a required student-selected SOL test. Dr. Lane stated that school divisions have flexibility in awarding diplomas to students in the following categories, but additional coursework may be necessary: • Seniors enrolled in or who had completed a course leading to a career and technical education, or CTE, credential necessary for a

standard diploma but have not yet earned the credential; • Seniors who have not yet completed a United States and Virginia history course; • Seniors who have not yet completed a fine or performing arts or CTE course; • Seniors enrolled in the second of two sequential courses; and • Seniors who have not completed an economics and personal finance course. Mr. Kamras said his administration is working on the implications for each senior and his or her family within RPS. In addition, Mr. Kamras emphasized in an interview with the Free Press, “students in other grades will not be held back.” He said, however, that the state will require that RPS document students’ completed work, whether that work is through online learning and/or physical lesson packets, additional instructional time this summer, a longer 2020-21 school year or other measures. He said student learning packets are available for pickup at the RPS food distribution locations. He advised parents to keep their children’s work packets as a demonstration of the lessons they have completed. He also said RPS is getting more laptops and hotspots for internet access for students’ homes for online learning. He said this will give teachers a greater ability to track consistently student academic progress. Additionally, VDOE has delegated authority to RPS on how to handle course grades and GPAs for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. “We are going to have some discussions about how to approach those issues,” Mr. Kamara said. “The questions are do we turn all of the courses student were in to “Pass/Fail” or do we take whatever grade they have when we closed? We have not determined that yet. “These options and recommendations will be presented to the School Board soon,” Mr. Kamras said. He said RPS will devote a section of its website to gathering feedback from students, families and staff.

Richmond Free Press

March 26-28, 2020

Photo Feature

Impact on Richmond

From Downtown theaters to church services, the coronavirus and its spread are creating unprecedented change. That includes a call to end pickup basketball games at Richmond parks and recreation centers and to stop group gatherings along the James River. Rides on GRTC buses also are affected. These scenes capture some of the impact on the city and its residents.

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Above left, the marquee at the Dominion Energy Center tells the story: The theater at 6th and Grace streets is closed for concerts and shows until further notice. Right, reporters listen as Mayor Levar M. Stoney warns people on Tuesday that the city will shut down parks and other outdoor spaces if people don’t stop gathering in groups to play basketball and other games or continue to congregate at the river.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Dr. Ruth I.G. Moore, 84, and congregants practice social distancing as she preaches at an outdoor service Sunday on the grounds lot of The Tower Ministries at Cowardin and Perry streets in South Side. Right, the cover over a fare machine at the GRTC Pulse station at City Hall reflects the company’s decision to end fare collection to enable people to have free access to stores, doctors and other critical services.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Left, the 500 block of East Grace Street in Downtown is deserted, with similar desolate landscapes across the area as people stay home. Right, the Waffle House at 1309 W. Broad St. advertises it’s only offering carry-out service in obedience of Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s executive order this week allowing restaurants to offer only take-out, curbside or delivery service.

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

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Richmond Free Press

Saucer magnolias in The Fan

Editorial Page

March 26-28, 2020

Choose wisely The worst of times can bring out the best in people.

That’s what we are seeing in many parts of the Richmond area and around the nation as people cope with the coronavirus that has changed life as we know it. Among the scores of small and large acts of kindness: A local pizza shop donates food to first responders, hospital workers, grocery store workers and others on the front lines. Nurses at assisted living facilities that are closed to all visitors use FaceTime and WhatsApp to call family members so they can see and hear their loved ones during the lockdown. Richmond Animal Care and Control opens a pet pantry outside its Chamberlayne Avenue office for people to pick up pet food and cat litter at no charge. People also are donating pet food and treats to the pantry. Restaurant owners and workers start a fund to help their laid off colleagues when unemployment benefits aren’t enough to pay the bills. Horse racing betting parlors around the state, which have been shut down under the governor’s latest COVID-19 orders, are shifting their kitchens to provide a collective 20,000 “grab and go” meals to front line workers during the pandemic. Local craft stores are teaching people how to make face masks for their own use or for others. Amazon offers free audiobooks for schoolchildren now learning from home. Superstar Rihanna is donating $5 million through her Clara Lionel Foundation for personal protective equipment, medical supplies and equipment for front line health workers to accelerate COVID-19 testing in Haiti, Malawi and other countries and to food banks serving the elderly and at-risk communities around the United States. These actions remind us of our interconnectedness and the importance, particularly now, of checking on and helping in some way family members, friends, neighbors and others — even people we don’t know. Our actions, our decisions, about staying home, avoiding gatherings, maintaining social distance, covering our coughs and sneezes with a tissue or in our elbow and washing our hands frequently can make a difference in the overall health of the Richmond area and how quickly we get on the other side of this pandemic. Unfortunately, there are always insensitive and selfish people who have little regard for the public good. Take for instance, Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, who invited the more than 1,000 students back to the Lynchburg campus on Tuesday following spring break, saying they can take their online courses on campus. An ardent Trump supporter, Mr. Falwell doesn’t believe in the advice of medical experts or good public health. Then there’s U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who made use of the Senate gym’s pool, attended a Republican luncheon and kept working at the Capitol while waiting for his coronavirus test results, which turned out to be positive. That’s how we get community spread of COVID19. His test results led two other senators to go into self-quarantine. Then there are the out-and-out profiteers — the price gougers intent on making big bucks for scarce and desperately needed face masks, disinfecting wipes and other items. These rogues need to be caught and prosecuted, along with U.S. Sen. Richard M. Burr of North Carolina and three other members of Congress who collectively sold millions of dollars in stock before the market crashed while telling their constituents the pandemic wasn’t going to hurt the economy. As we gather our wits and our faith to get through the coming days, we offer these words of reflection currently circulating on social media: May we who are merely inconvenienced, Remember those whose lives are at stake. May we who have no risk factors, Remember the most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury of working from home, Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent. May we who have flexibility to care for our children when their schools close, Remember those who have no options. May we who have to cancel our trips, Remember those that have no safe place to go. May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market, Remember those who have no margin at all. May we who settle in for a quarantine at home, Remember those who have no home. As fear grips our country, Let us choose LOVE.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Opportunity in crisis

“Far too many AfricanAmericans still struggle to lead healthy and economically secure lives. This is due to the long-standing effects of racism, which touches all AfricanAmericans re g a rd l e s s of socioeconomic status. These effects can be reversed, but it will take real commitment and systemic change. It shouldn’t have taken an international pandemic to prove to America’s leaders what civil rights activists have known all along: A system in which people can’t afford to seek medical care and are forced to go to work sick is a recipe for national disaster.— Jamila Taylor, director of health care reform and senior fellow of The Century Foundation At every point along our health care and economic systems, black Americans are more vulnerable to the most serious effects of the coronavirus crisis. We are more likely to have underlying health complications, like asthma. Our complaints are

less likely to be taken seriously by medical professionals. We are less likely to receive treatment for our complaints. Even with treatment, we are less likely to experience positive outcomes. The high level of disparity erodes black Americans’ trust in the health care system. Although the Affordable Care Act extended health in-

Marc H. Morial surance to 2.8 million AfricanAmericans, 9.7 percent remained uninsured in 2019 compared with 5.4 percent of Caucasians. Outof-pocket health care expenses represent 20 percent of household income for black families, compared with 11percent for white households. Several months ago, researchers found that a process used to guide health care decisions for millions of people was beset with racial bias, drastically underestimating the needs of the sickest black patients. According to the Washington Post: The algorithm wasn’t intentionally racist — in fact, it specifically excluded race. Instead, to identify patients who

would benefit from more medical support, the algorithm used a seemingly race-blind metric: How much patients would cost the health care system in the future. But cost isn’t a raceneutral measure of health care need. Black patients incurred about $1,800 less in medical costs per year than white patients with the same number of chronic conditions; thus the algorithm scored white patients as equally at risk of future health problems as black patients who had many more diseases. Because of systemic barriers, African-Americans receive less health care — so the algorithm identified black patients as less in need of care, creating a vicious cycle of neglect. We cannot allow this neglect to continue in the face of a deadly pandemic. We must insist that testing and treatment are available in underserved, low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, and that the care is commensurate with that offered in other communities. The nation’s two-pronged response — delivering health care and economic relief — presents a unique opportunity to address bias and disparity

Do your job, FDA While on lockdown to save our neighbors from a lonely death from the disease called COVID-19, many of us have turned to movies. I beg you not to rent “Pandemic,” “Contagion” or “28 Days Later.” Try “Harriet” instead. Harriet Tubman was the epitome of bravery and courage in the face of insurmountable odds. Her escape from slavery and returning again and again into the belly of the beast to save others should inspire us all. The health professionals working day and night to care for an ever increasing number of sick patients make me proud to be a doctor. And kudos to the grocery store workers, postal workers, police and many others who are performing essential jobs with a smile. This is the time for positive action, not panic. While scientists are furiously experimenting with possible vaccines, the virus is sprinting from country to country despite travel restrictions. There are likely among us “healthy carriers” of the virus who have no signs or symptoms of the disease but can infect others. So if COVID-19 is here for a while, the world has to look to effective treatments of afflicted individuals today, not a year from now. Some researchers seem to have found a strong contender. Separate studies from a major medical center in France and jointly from South Korea and China have found that inexpensive, readily available antimalarial drugs chloroquine phos-

phate or hydroxychloroquine are an effective treatment. But the Federal Drug Administration is dragging its feet despite the president’s urgings to approve the drug for anti-viral use. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the White House’s adviser, has

Dr. Marilyn M. Singleton dismissively called the studies “anecdotal,” meaning “based on or consisting of reports or observations of usually unscientific observers.” In 2004, separately a Belgian virologist and our Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that chloroquine inhibited SARS-CoV growth in primate cells when given before or after exposure to the virus. Human trials could not be done because, thankfully, the SARS epidemic had just ended. Fast forward to February. In South Korea, these drugs were given by physicians and scientists in the COVID-19 Central Clinical Task Force. These studies showed “certain curative effect” with “fairly good efficacy.” Further, patients treated with chloroquine demonstrated a better drop in fever, improvement of lung CT scan images and required a shorter time to recover compared to parallel groups. More promising is a study of 36 patients actively ill from COVID-19 by a noted research team from France. Of the 20 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine alone, 70 percent had no detectable virus within six days. Those treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, an antibiotic with some anti-viral action, had a 100

percent success rate. Yes, the study is small, but these are extraordinary times. On March 22, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the FDA is allowing New York state to start a trial of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. Let’s move on this! Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are approved by the FDA for malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. The FDA is well aware that physicians prescribe plenty of drugs that are “off label,” that is drugs approved by the FDA for other conditions. Indeed, one-fifth of all prescriptions are off label. For example, aspirin was approved for pain relief, but had many years of off-label success for the prevention of heart attacks before the FDA finally approved the off-label use. Bayer began by donating 3 million tablets to our government. More companies are stepping up. Novartis has pledged a global donation of up to 130 million hydroxychloroquine tablets, pending regulatory approvals for COVID-19. Mylan is increasing production in West Virginia to make 50 million tablets. Teva is donating 6 million tablets to hospitals around the United States. For context, each patient treatment would use up to14 tablets. Do your job, FDA, and protect the public. Approve hydroxychloroquine now for COVID-19. Meanwhile, physicians may legally prescribe these drugs because they are approved for other indications. The writer, a board-certified anesthesiologist in Oakland, Calif., is the immediate past president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

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

and to begin to build a more equitable system. The National Urban League is leading the effort to shape the nation’s response so that the communities hardest hit by the crisis are not overlooked. We are working with congressional leaders to ensure that coronavirus response legislation takes racial equity into account — not just in the wake of the crisis, but permanently. Black families need access to quality, affordable health care — not just now, but all the time. Schoolchildren need broadband access — not just now, but all the time. Workers need paid sick leave, paid family leave and unemployment compensation – not just now, but all the time. Times of crisis expose the cracks in an institution’s structure. Now is the time to repair them. The writer is president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League.

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Richmond Free Press

March 26-28, 2020 A7

Letters to the Editor

General Assemblyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s criminal justice reform just the first step Bishop Desmond Tutu once said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is only one way to eat an elephant: One bite at a time.â&#x20AC;? Gov. Ralph S. Northam took a bite out of the bloated, corrupt behemoth that is the American criminal justice system by signing a crucial piece of parole reform legislation into law. House Bill 35, sponsored by Delegate Joseph C. Lindsey of Norfolk, makes a person eligible for parole after serving 20 years of a sentence for a felony offense or multiple sentences if that personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crimes were committed as a juvenile. Any time our elected officials champion progressive, evidence-based, socially conscious criminal justice reform, we should applaud it. To do so is an act of integrity and courage when such efforts are inevitably met with accusations of being too soft on crime and thereby making Virginians less safe. Those charges do not align with actual evidence, which shows that many

â&#x20AC;&#x153;tough on crimeâ&#x20AC;? policies of the past five decades actually may have created conditions that make recidivism more likely, not less. Additionally, our current methods are exorbitantly expensive, have led to overcrowding that puts both inmates and correctional facility employees at risk, continue to perpetuate rampant racial bias and discrimination, and disproportionately burden vulnerable communities. Under such dire circumstances, any reform feels like an exciting step, but we must not stop there. If we hope to see meaningful change, we must take a seat at the table and start taking bites out of this problem ourselves by advocating for further criminal justice reform and insisting that our representatives do the same. OLIVIA WILLIAMS Richmond

Personal health guidelines are good for many â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nasty bugsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; School closings, sporting event cancellations, food hoarding. We live in a new coronavirus-induced world. Yet some personal health facts remain unchanged. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers good advice for preventing community spread and personal infection: Apply social distancing, sanitize surfaces, wash your hands, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t touch your face. But, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more. Does anyone wonder why uncounted numbers of infected people develop no symptoms and only 20 percent of symptomatic people require hospitalization? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because they have an effective immune system able to fight off the virus. But the CDC does not talk about that, perhaps for fear of offending powerful animal food industries.

Fortunately, good advice on boosting our immune system is readily available on the internet from trusted sources like WebMD and Healthline. And the advice is always the same: â&#x20AC;˘ Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits and leafy greens. â&#x20AC;˘ Refrain from dairy, other fatty animal products and sugar-laden foods. â&#x20AC;˘ Maintain daily exercise of 30 to 60 minutes. â&#x20AC;˘ Minimize your stress level and get adequate sleep. Did I mention that this advice works great for all other nasty bugs as well? RICK TUSCADERO Richmond

Kudos to Rep. Spanberger and others for standing up for environmental protections Even as the Trump administration continues its reckless push to dismantle important environmental safeguards that protect public health, members of Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s congressional delegation continue to stand up for clean air, clean water and public lands. In the League of Conservation Votersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;2019 Environmental Scorecard, nine members of Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s congressional delegation scored 97 percent or higher. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud of my representative, 7th District Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, for standing up for the environment in 2019. Her near-perfect score of 97 percent reflects her commitment to acting to address the climate crisis and protecting her constituentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; public health from harmful pollution. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud, too, of both of Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U.S. senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, for scoring 100 percent on LCVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scorecard for their efforts in the U.S. Senate to stand up for our environment and oppose reck-

less appointments like Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, who has no place running the Environmental Protection Agency. The climate crisis isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to go away by itself. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to take leadership at all levels of government to address this threat.

I urge members of Congress to keep up their important work protecting our environment and standing up against the extreme attacks on clean air and water coming out of this misguided administration. SABRIAN ANAN Henrico County

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POSTPONED: I-64 On-Ramp Bridge over I-95 from Laburnum Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation City of Richmond* Public Hearing

The proposed project is a rehabilitation of the I-64 on-ramp bridge over I-95 from Laburnum Avenue in the City of Richmond. The project will require a detour during the entire duration of construction. The ramp to Laburnum Avenue will be closed in order to repair the bridge. Further, lane closures and reduction on I-95 northbound (below the bridge) are required intermittently. Review the project information at VDOTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Richmond District Office located at 2430 Pine Forest Drive in Colonial Heights, 23834-9002, 804-524-6000, 1-800367-7623 or TTY/TDD 711. Please call ahead to ensure the availability of appropriate personnel to answer your questions. Property impact information and tentative construction schedules are available for your review at the above addresses and will be available at the public hearing. Anyone with questions about the project can contact Evan Roberts, project manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, 2430 Pine Forest Drive, Colonial Heights, VA 23834-9002. You may also email your comments to Evan.Roberts@vdot.virginia.gov. Please reference â&#x20AC;&#x153;I-64 On-Ramp Bridgeâ&#x20AC;? in the subject line. VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact the project manager listed above. State Project: 0064-127-925, P101, R201, C501, B628 Federal Project: NHPP-064-3(509) UPC: 111303

Richmond Free Press

A8 March 26-28, 2020

Sports Stories by Fred Jeter

Remembering VUU’s glory days as NCAA champions There will be no national college basketball championships to celebrate this season. As unfortunate as that is, the pause in sports because of the coronavirus pandemic offers an opportunity to reflect on past glory. Close to home, Virginia Union University’s three NCAA Division II basketball championship titles under former Coach Dave Robbins are deserving of review. 1980 In Coach Robbins’ second season after succeeding Coach Robert Moore, the Panthers ran the table. Stars included guard Keith Valentine, who Robbins had coached at Richmond’s Thomas Jefferson High School. Valentine transferred to VUU from the University of North Carolina during Coach Moore’s final season on Lombardy Street. Senior guard Willard Coker went on to serve as Coach Robbins’ assistant coach for many years, and eventually succeeded him as head coach. The path: The Panthers won the NCAA South Atlantic Region at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County by defeating Mount St. Mary’s University and host UMBC. VUU then won the quarterfinal at a jam-packed Barco-Stevens Hall on the VUU campus, defeating New Hampshire College. At the Final Four held at the Springfield Civic Center in Massachusetts, VUU defeated Florida Southern College in the semifinals and New York Tech in the final. Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Valentine. All-Tournament: Larry Holmes, the Panthers’ center from Miami, Fla. Team’s final record: 26-4. Leading scorer (for the full season): Holmes, average of 20.0 points per game. Roster: Valentine, Holmes, Coker, Derwin Lilly, Dave Lewis, Michael Kinney, Tony Felder, Curtis Powell, Gerry McCants and Phillip Brown. 1992 VUU’s famed “Cleveland Connection,” responsible for the likes of Lamont Echols and Charles Oakley, rang the bell again in the form of 6-foot-10 Derrick “Big D” Johnson, who was among NCAA leaders in blocked shots and shooting percentage in 1992. The path: The Panthers rolled through the NCAA South Atlantic Region in Fayetteville, N.C., with wins over Albany State University of Georgia and Johnson C. Smith

Virginia Union 1980 starting lineup

University. At the Elite 8, again in Springfield, Mass., VUU defeated Kentucky Wesleyan College, California State University-Bakersfield and local favorite University of Bridgeport of Connecticut. Final record: 30-3. Leading scorer (full season): Walter Hurd, 14.7; Hurd finished with 2,124 points for VUU and Johnson C. Smith combined. Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Johnson. All-Tournament: Reggie Jones, from Richmond’s John Marshall High School. Roster: Johnson, Jones, Hurd, Warren Peebles, Robert McKie, Tim Davis, Troy Phillips, Mike Mathews, Aaron Gosa, Vance Harmon, Theo White, Sam Potter, Terry Henderson and Eric Greer. 2005 There was a strong Richmond area flavor to the Panthers’ roster 15 years ago, with Luqman Jaaber from George Wythe High School, Steve Miller from Huguenot High School, Duan Crockett from Thomas Jefferson High School and Ralph Brown from Monacan High School. Jaaber, the consummate floor leader, averaged 12 points, five assists and three steals and later became a VUU head coach. The Panthers flashed signs of greatness early on with a preseason victory at Virginia Commonwealth University. The path: The Panthers roll through the NCAA South Atlantic Region at Bowie, Md., by dispatching Catawba College of North Carolina, the University of South Carolina Upstate and host Bowie State University. Advancing to the Elite 8 in Grand Forks, N.D., the Panthers defeated Metropolitan State University of Minnesota, Lynn University of Florida and Bryant University of

VUU archives photo

Rhode Island. Final record: 30-4. Leading scorer (full season): Darius Hargrove from Brunswick, 15.8. Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Antwan Walton from Emporia. All-Tournament: Jaaber and Crockett. Roster: Walton, Jaaber, Crockett, Brown, Hargrove, Miller, Tevor Bryant, Lanrice Green, Chris Green, Arthur Kidd, Chris Moore, Quincy Smith, Justin Wingfield and B.J. Stevenson. u VUU was the fourth HBCU to win an NCAA title following Winston-Salem State of North Carolina in 1967, Morgan State University of Maryland in 1974 and Cheyney State University of Pennsylvania in 1978. Later, the University of the District of Columbia prevailed in 1982 and North Carolina Central University in 1989. u Years before HBCUs began making noise in the NCAA, they were perennial National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics powers. The NAIA, based out of Kansas City, began accepting HBCUs at its national tournament in 1953. NAIA champions from the HBCU ranks were Tennessee State in 1957, 1958 and 1959; Grambling State in 1961; Prairie View A&M in 1962; Central State of Ohio in 1965; Kentucky State in 1970, 1971 and 1972; and Texas Southern in 1977. There was notable talent on those NAIA championship teams. Future NBA players Dick Barnett and John Barnhill were with Tennessee State; Willis Reed with Grambling; Zelmo Beaty with Prairie View; and Travis Grant and Elmore Smith with Kentucky State.

VUU’s 1938-39 ‘Dream Team’ has its own story No conversation about Virginia’s Union University’s rich basketball tradition would be complete without mention of “The Dream Team” of 1938-39. With no on-campus gymnasium of their own (Barco-Stevens Hall would come later), Coach Henry B. Hucles’ Panthers shocked the hoops world. After going 18-2 and winning its first CIAA title (there was no tournament then), VUU traveled to New York City to take on undefeated NIT champion Long Island University in a pair of exhibitions. Neither the NCAA nor the NIT invited historically black colleges to their tournaments at the time. Playing at Harlem’s Golden Gate Arena, Long Island won the first game 61-50, but VUU prevailed in the second, 36-28. The Panthers were generally regarded as being among the top squads in the nation, regardless of color or classification. It was about that time that JET Magazine writer Simeon Booker coined the name “Dream Team.” The Panthers also were affectionately called the “Jumpin’ Jive Five” and “Huc’s Boys,” a play on nickname of Coach Hucles. At home, the Panthers practiced at the Municipal Rec Center, sharing it with high school teams, and played games on the Mosque stage (now the Altria Theater) and at Blue’s Armory. Among the “Dream Team” stars was 5-foot-10 guard Bob Daugherty, a native of Buffalo, N.Y.

VUU archives photo

Daugherty scored 1,078 points in four seasons (1939 to 1942) at VUU, earning All-CIAA honors. Following a stint in the military during World War II, Daugherty signed a contract in 1946 with his hometown Buffalo Legion Bisons of the National Basketball League, a precursor to the NBA along with the Basketball Association of America. Daugherty was one of two African-Americans on the Bisons’ roster, along with Pop Gates from Clark University of Atlanta. Daugherty’s signing with a previously all-white pro squad deserves a spot in history. He was truly a racial pioneer. The NBA, which came into being in 1949, had no AfricanAmerican players until 1950, when Chuck Cooper, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton and Alexandria native Earl Lloyd made the rosters.

Injury not a setback for soccer standout who wins UR scholarship When an aspiring young athlete suffers a devastating setback, he or she has two choices: They can moan “Why me?” and cry a river so deep they drown in it. Or they can grit their teeth, tighten their laces and bounce back. Logan Anderson is bouncing back. The Glen Allen High School senior has determinedly overcome an ACL tear to regain full capabilities and earn a soccer scholarship to the University of Richmond. “She took it as a challenge,” Richmond United Coach Andy McIntosh said of Anderson’s determined comeback. “Not only is Logan an excellent athlete and player, she’s very driven.” During a practice session in February 2019, Anderson suffered a full tear to her right anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL. Making it worse, she is right-footed. There was no dilly-dallying. As soon as the injury was diagnosed, she began physical therapy—a month before her surgery. And the day after the operation, she returned to physical therapy and kept her foot heavy to the pedal for the next 10 months. So far, so good. “My knee feels great,” she told the Free Press. “I have a little tendonitis and I need to ice it after workouts. But I’m not wearing a brace.” The 5-foot-4 daughter of Chris and Linda Lambert Anderson of Western Henrico County missed her junior season at Glen

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Logan Anderson

Allen High, but returned toward the end of her club season with Richmond United in January. “Every time I see Logan play now, she looks better and better — more dangerous” as a scorer, Coach McIntosh said. Her senior season of soccer at Glen Allen High has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Anderson, who turns 18 in April, lines up at forward, the most offensive position. She combines speed, agility and welldrilled technical skills. Then there is something else. “I try and be creative,” she said. “I watch and develop an awareness of everyone on the field. I don’t want to be predictable.” Anderson was heavily recruited by numerous colleges prior to her injury. Once word got out that she would require surgery, the phone calls, letters and texts began to dwindle. “Everything went radio silent — that is, except for UR,” said her mother. “Richmond Coach Marty Beall realized her potential and kept checking up. UR kept a spot open for her.” Anderson wound up choosing UR over Ivy League Brown University in Rhode Island. There is much more to Anderson than kicking a ball around. At Glen Allen High, she is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish National Honor Society and the Math National Honor Society. Also, she serves as vice president of her senior class, while taking all Advanced Placement courses in Glen Allen’s Center for Education and Human Development. She hails from the well-known Lambert family of Richmond. Her grandfather was the late attorney Leonard Lambert Sr. Her parents are both attorneys, with her mother set to become a Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court judge in May. Her parents also were athletic. Her mother played tennis and softball at Douglas Freeman High School. Her father was a star athlete at Patrick Henry High School in Ashland and went on to play football at James Madison University. Logan’s 15-year-old sister, Kennedy, a Glen Allen freshman, is an up-and-comer on the soccer circuit. The object of the game of soccer is to score goals. Anderson’s goals at UR include more than just booting a ball into the back of the net, however. “I’m hoping to be a hospital administrator, which means I need to combine business administration and health sciences. That’s the end goal,” she said. Considering her proven history of not letting anything deter her, this knee surgery survivor appears a sure bet to attain whatever goals she seeks.

Stats show college players at the top of the game There is no official NCAA team champion this basketball season due to COVID-19, but there are many individual national champs. One, in fact, has a local address. Jacob Gilyard, the junior point guard for the University of Richmond, led the nation this season with 3.16 steals per game. The Kansas City native also averaged 13 points, five assists and three rebounds while helping the much-improved Spiders finish 24-7. Gilyard’s “thievery” on the court is a family trait. His dad, Rodney Gilyard, is the all-time steals leader at Ottawa University in Kansas. The Richmond area has a history of hard court burglary. Virginia Commonwealth University’s Briante Weber led the NCAA in steals in 2014 and former Highland Springs High School star Jay Threatt, playing for the University of Delaware, ranked No. 1 in 2012. Points parade: Marquette University senior guard Markus Howard won the NCAA scoring title with 27.8 points per game. The 5-foot-11 Howard, of Puerto Rican ancestry, finished as Marquette’s all-time scorer

Jacob Gilyard

Markus Howard

Kevin Marfo

with 2,761 points. Ranking third with 24.8 points per game was Hampton University’s Jermaine Marrow. Lord of the boards: Kevin Marfo, who led the nation with 13.3 rebounds per game for Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, is a man in demand. The 6-foot-8, 245-pound Marfo has entered the transfer portal and now is being heavily recruited as a graduate transfer. VCU is among the schools showing interest. Coincidentally, Marfo played against VCU in 2016-17 for George Washington University.

Kameron Langley

Osasumwen Osaghae

Block party: Florida International University senior Osasumwen Osaghae led the nation with 3.81 rejections per contest. Of Nigerian ancestry, the 6-foot-9 Osaghae was born in Miami, just 20 days after his parents arrived in the United States from Africa. Originally, he was a FIU walk-on under former Coach Anthony Evans, who also coached in the past at Norfolk State University. Pass master: North Carolina A&T State University sophomore Kameron Langley was the nation’s assists leader with 8.0 assists per game. The Greensboro, N.C., native had 12

outings with double-digit assists, with a high of 15 assists against Howard University. Sharpshooter: Had the NCAA Tournament gone on as planned, the University of Kansas likely would have been the No. 1 overall seed. A 7-foot, 270-pound reason for the Jayhawks’ success was senior center Udoka Azubuike, who led the nation with a 74.8 field goal percentage. Azubuike figures to be the NCAA’s all-time leader in field goal percentage, breaking the mark held by Tacko Fall. Nearly automatic: California State University-Northridge’s Terrell Gomez was the last player anyone wanted to foul this season. The 5-foot-8 junior from Los Angeles led the NCAA with .918 accuracy (109-115). For his career, Gomez is 260-for-292, or 89 percent. Long distance operator: Stefan Gonzalez was the man for the 3-point connection. The Cal State-Northridge senior made 83 of 174 tries for 48 percent. For his career that started at St. Mary’s University, he shot 45 percent beyond the arc. UR’s Nick Sherod ranked 10th this season at 44 percent.

March 26-28, 2020 B1

Richmond Free Press

Section

Happenings

Personality: Dawn-Marie Bey Spotlight on leader of nonprofit that provides free feminine hygiene products to homeless Stories on the plight of the homeless and marginalized can inspire feelings of sadness, empathy and solidarity. For attorney Dawn-Marie Bey, an article she read on social media sparked her to create Period Patch in 2015, an organization that provides feminine hygiene products to the homeless and displaced “to get them through those monthly rough patches with dignity.” “I shared the article on social media and just put out an open question to my network, ‘If I coordinate efforts to meet this need in our community, will you help?’” Ms. Bey says. “Once people commented that they would, I was off and running.” The Washington, D.C., native operates Period Patch with no paid or volunteer staff and no government support. Instead, hundreds of donors have generously sustained the nonprofit during the last five years, providing the products or the money to purchase the products. Ms. Bey handles the deliveries herself from her SUV, balancing her volunteer efforts with her work at the law firm she founded. She also sends supplies to Her Padded Truth, a sister organization in Hampton Roads. An estimated $4,000 to $5,000 worth of feminine hygiene products are taken quarterly to food pantries, church groups, Richmond Public Schools, area health and housing organizations and the city jail, among others. She says she knows Period Patch is making a difference when she sees empty shelves at the partner organizations when she makes the deliveries. She also receives feedback in the form of notes and emails from partner organizations that “relay to me the looks of relief on the faces of individuals when they see that these products are available. I am just so glad that we can relieve this worry,” she says. Ms. Bey also offers this email received from the director of the Welborne United Methodist Church food pantry: “Let me tell you about the young lady who is living in her car and came by to see if we had food she could eat easily without cooking or refrigeration. (And to complicate things, she has diabetes). She was being very careful in her choices, not wanting to take anything extra or something she couldn’t use. She came around the corner and saw the feminine products and

THAT bit of kindness stopped her cold and her eyes filled with tears. This is how much the Period Patch means to our guests. Thank you for what you do! I know it’s a lot of work but it is so appreciated!” The need for menstrual products hasn’t slowed down in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, Ms. Bey says. In the coming years, Ms. Bey wants to incorporate more volunteers into Period Patch’s sorting and delivery process. She’s also interested in pursuing grants to help the organization’s mission. A final goal, distributing reusable menstrual products such as period panties and menstrual cups, is hampered by both a “tremendous knowledge gap” and cultural assumptions surrounding women’s health that still need to be overcome. “There is still a stigma associated with periods,” Ms. Bey says. “This is changing — slowly — across the world. But this remains a topic that many do not wish to think about. This has got to change.” Meet an advocate for women’s health needs and this week’s Personality, Dawn-Marie Bey: Occupation: Attorney with Bey & Cotropia PLLC. I am the founding member and majority owner. What I do: I assist my clients with protecting and/or defending their intellectual property rights. A majority of my work involves seeking patent protection for inventions. No. 1 community involvement: Founder of the nonprofit Period Patch. Mission: We are a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping provide homeless, struggling and displaced menstruating humans with the products they need to get them through those monthly rough patches with dignity. Date and place of birth: March 30 in Washington, D.C. Current residence: Henrico County. Education: Bachelor’s in physics, Franklin & Marshall College; J.D., George Mason School of Law. Family: Partner, Chris, and two children, Clara and Oakley. When and why Period Patch was founded: An article about homelessness and periods was circulating on social media in

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late 2014. This article really hit a nerve with me and it prompted me to take action. The article definitely prompted me to think about what I might be able to do. I then shared the article on social media and just put out an open question to my network, “If I coordinate efforts to meet this need in our community, will you help?” Once people commented that they would, I was off and running. People who play a big role with me and specific roles they play: The donors! The Period Patch couldn’t operate without the many donors who have contributed both individually and collectively, e.g., through private donation drives, over the last five years. I am particularly grateful to the donors who donate on a monthly/quarterly basis either through automatic PayPal donations, via monthly shipments by mail, or just via consistent collections throughout the year. Some individuals have been doing this since we started five years ago. I also need to give a huge shout-out to my partner, Chris Cotropia, who set up the 501(c)(3), has made numerous delivery runs over the years and has even used his academic/legal research and writing skills to perform surveys and publish papers to highlight the need in our communities, schools, etc.

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If I had my way, this problem would be solved by: This is a tough question. Obviously providing these items for free to anyone who needs them is the best way to solve this problem. But requiring items in all bathrooms is a start. This includes schools, employers, government buildings, all bathrooms—public and private. Number of people helped: It takes so many people, from donors to distributors and their volunteers, to make these products accessible to those in need. It would be impossible to count. Why this situation goes unconsidered: There is still a stigma associated with periods. This is changing—slowly— across the world. But this remains a topic that many do not wish to think about. This has got to change. Impact of organization: I believe our partner organizations would say that the impact is high. I am fortunate to receive comments of gratitude directly when I make deliveries. Goal for next five years: To incorporate more volunteers into the sorting and delivery aspects of Period Patch. Many people want to help, but, honestly, I run a law firm and a

nonprofit, and I can only handle so much administration. But this is definitely a major goal. I would also like to apply for grants to help meet our needs. Finally, I would like to start offering reusable period supplies, like menstrual cups and period panties. But there is a tremendous knowledge gap that we will need to bridge and there are cultural norms that may not allow for the use of menstrual cups or tampons. Impact of new law requiring schools to provide products to female students without charge: My partner and I were active in helping to get this legislation through. It is a tremendous step in the right direction and I applaud the delegates and senators who kept at it over the last few years and the individuals and organizations who supported this legislation year after year. Even if the law states that schools are required to provide products, unless funds are also part of the deal, many schools will be unable to meet the requirement. Like the law requiring prisons and jails to provide products to inmates that was enacted last year, I suspect that many institutions will be unable or unwilling to provide them. So organizations like the Period Patch will likely continue to help meet this need. This topic is hard for many to talk about because: This has always been viewed as a girl’s problem. And girls are supposed to handle this problem discreetly. Just like so many things associated with the female body, childbirth, breast feeding, hair, etc., individuals with these parts are supposed to keep them hidden away. But

this is definitely changing. My 12 and 14-year-old children who both have female bodies are a lot more open about periods, so we are moving in the right direction. My view on ending the taboo: It is about time! How I start the day: With coffee. And then I usually have a handful of items lined up in my head to tackle. So I would say my outlook is often “determined.” A perfect day for me is: Finishing something. We all have so much on our “to-do” list, and I have a good day when I finish something on this list. At the top of my “to-do” list is: Raise my children to be independent, involved citizens of the world. How I unwind: I am definitely in the watch-a-show camp! Best late-night snack: I’m not a late-night snacker, but chocolate, if I must. A quote that I am inspired by: “Believe that what you do matters and will make a difference in people’s lives. You don’t have to save the world in one stroke but you can make a difference one person at a time.”—Anonymous Book that influenced me the most: “Shouting at the Sky” by Gary Ferguson. What I’m reading now: I am about to start reading “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace. If I’ve learned one thing in life, it is: Do not say, “I will never _____,” because you totally will. Next goal: Survive parenting two teens.

Giving Back to Women Network Presents

“Women’s Health and Wellness”

Latest mission achievement: We have never said “no” to any organization that needs our help. In fact, we were contacted last week, in the midst of this pandemic, by an organization that needed supplies and we are able to accommodate. Periods don’t stop for pandemics. How I handle distribution: I deliver quarterly over a threeto five-day timeframe using my SUV. We also send some supplies directly to a sister organization in the Hampton Roads area — Her Padded Truth. Amount of items distributed monthly, quarterly, yearly: I have never tracked this information with any specificity. I would estimate we distribute from $4,000 to $5,000 worth of products per quarter. How one can volunteer: The best way to volunteer is to coordinate a donation drive through an organization you are part of or in your community or neighborhood (e.g., book club, church, gym, school, work, sorority, etc.) Donation drop-off location or sites: 213 Bayly Court, Richmond, Va. 23229. Level of need: There’s a steady need, and as the word spreads, the need increases. What it would take to meet the need in terms of money: Currently, approximately $20,000 per year.

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Ministry; Celebration Church; Gray Haven; OAR of Richmond; Richmond Health Department; Henrico Health Department; Richmond City Justice Center via Restoration Fellowship; CARITAS; and Her Padded Truth.

Involvement of other nonprofits and churches: These organizations are directly involved as they distribute products directly to those in need: St. Joseph’s Villa; Goochland Cares; Safe Harbor; St. Thomas Episcopal Church Food Pantry; Welborne United Methodist Church Food Pantry; Richmond Public Schools; Virginia Supportive Housing; Crossover Healthcare

Photo by Capture Life Photography

Monica L. Ball, of Real Talk With Monica and Rising Towards Success, hosted the Giving Back to Women Network Presents ‘Women’s Health and Wellness’ event on March 6, 2020, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Capital One Café in Short Pump Town Center in Richmond, Virginia. The sold-out event, sponsored by Real Talk With Monica, Rising Towards Success and Capital One Café in Short Pump Town Center, focused on uplifting and educating women during Women’s History Month. During the event, food catered by Charles’ Kitchen and Phat Mamma’s Kitchen, information about the importance of women’s self-care and interactive quizzes about female pioneers were provided. Also, a panel of diverse business women were allowed to network with each other and share tips related to their fields of expertise. The event panel included the Keynote Speaker, Board-Certified Dermatologist and Dermatologic Surgeon Dr. Brittony Blakey of Affiliated Dermatologists of Virginia, located in Henrico. Dr. Blakey discussed her experience as an activeduty Army Dermatologist for eight years and offered helpful tips to attendees who asked about their skincare concerns. Other Spotlight Speakers on the panel included Donna Campen-Denson, “The Dynamic Diabetic,”

who uses her history with fighting Type II Diabetes for 20 years to teach other diabetics how to control their disease. Hairstylist, Regina Bailey-Newby, “The Wonder Woman of Hair” and CEO of La Vita Nova Salon, who emphasized her mission to help women “get their part in life,” and the significance of having a good relationship with your stylist. Nikki Carrington of CareMore Health emphasized self-care through her compelling story about how a stroke, caused mainly by stress, forced her to focus more on taking care of her health. The event also highlighted diversity through different cultures, with an international dance group, La Palma Dance, from Panama and a live cooking demo by Guyanese owner of Charles’ Kitchen, Chef Claudius Charles. A handful of attendees expressed their feelings about the event such as Tiffany Fateuse, who stated that Women’s History Month and gatherings such as this one are important to her because, “to do better and to advance, we have to know where we came from.” Another attendee, Alena Stewart, also voiced how the event impacted her by sharing that it taught her “a new healthy way of how to cook by listening to Chef Claudius Charles.” — WRITTEN BY JORDAN LEE

Real Talk With Monica and Rising Towards Success will continue to make a change in the community through their next event, which will focus on mother and daughter relationships with

Look out for

“Mothers and Daughters Let’s Talk 2!” Coming Soon

at Victory Theater, 7903 Midlothian Turnpike, North Chesterfield, Va. 23235 For more information about Real Talk With Monica, visit realtalkwithmonica.com or call 804-310-5055.

Richmond Free Press

B2 March 26-28, 2020

Happenings Selma Online offers free civil rights lessons amid virus Free Press wire report

RIO RANCHO, N.M. The first attempt of the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., in 1965 led to police violence against peaceful African-American demonstrators. The police beatings on what became known as “Bloody Sunday” generated anger across the nation 55 years ago this month and prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to push the Voting Rights Act through Congress. It was one of the most significant moments in U.S. history but remains almost absent from public schools’ social studies lessons. A new online project by the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University and a coalition of foundations hopes to change that. The center this month unveiled Selma Online — a free, online teaching platform that seeks to transform how the Civil Rights Movement is taught in middle and high schools across the country. The project uses footage from Ava DuVernay’s 2014 movie “Selma’” and attempts to show students how events in 1965 shaped voting rights. Harvard scholar and documentary filmmaker Dr. Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr. helped create an interactive website with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program and Left Field Labs. Its release comes as schools across the United States have closed because of the coronavirus and many students are in need of educational material at home.

“It’s perfect timing, unfortunately, because of the crisis we are in,” Dr. Gates said last week. “Not only is the timing optimal for teachers who are developing online lesson plans, but also for families.” Dr. Gates said the website can be broken up into quick lessons or over a semester. The idea for it followed the release of Ms. DuVernay’s film. William Lewis Jr., co-chairman of investment banking at New York City-based Lazard, and other black business leaders raised money so that 500,000 children in 33 cities could see the historical drama for free. The film follows Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., portrayed by David Oyelowo, as he and other civil rights leaders push for voting rights in Selma, Ala. Marches are soon met with violence by police, which eventually leads to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. After the success of the fundraiser for kids to see the movie, former Time Warner CEO Richard “Dick” Parsons reached out to Dr. Gates about developing the website using “Selma” to teach the history of voting rights and the Civil Rights Movement. “It was such a novel idea, I said ‘OK,’ ” Dr. Gates said. The Rockefeller Foundation soon awarded the project a grant. In 2019, organizers tested the website after years of development with teachers and students in schools in Chicago, Kansas, Kentucky, Alabama and California. Developers incorporated

AP Photo

Harvard Professor Henery Louis Gates, Jr. at an awards ceremony on campus in October 2019. Dr. Gates helped lead a new project launched in March 2020 by the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard and a coalition of foundations to bring online, interactive lessons about Selma and voting rights to students.

suggestions in time for the 55th anniversary this month. The website comes as educators in various states push for more lessons in ethnic studies amid demographic changes in public schools. In New Mexico, for example, scholars and teachers are working on getting Chicano studies

and Mexican American history into public high schools around Albuquerque. Dr. Gates said he sees Selma Online as a test run for similar projects around African-American history, including slavery. “You change the curriculum, you change civic behavior,” Dr. Gates said.

Netflix’s ‘Self Made’ tells story of America’s first female millionaire By Gary Gerard Hamilton Associated Press

do all of that without having the right to vote or the right to own anything because NEW YORK of her gender and color.” Madam C.J. Walker may be one of Mrs. Walker, whose maiden name was America’s most successful “pull yourself Sarah Breedlove, created and marketed hair up by your own bootstrap” stories, but products for African-American women in many people have never heard of her. the early 1900s. The four-part drama is However, that’s changing, thanks to the based on the book “On Her Own Ground” recent release of a Netflix limited series by author and journalist A’Lelia Bundles, starring Octavia Spencer. Mrs. Walker’s great“Self Made: Inspired by the great granddaughter. Life of Madam C.J. Walker,” Kasi Lemmons, who which also stars Blair Underdirected the film wood, who attended Petersburg “Harriet,” and diHigh School in Petersburg, Va., rector-producer DeTiffany Haddish, Bill Bellamy Mane Davis of the and Carmen Ejogo, tells the 2016 drama “Queen story of America’s first female Sugar,” both direct millionaire at the turn of the two episodes. 20th century. Her path to riches Although Ms. would be noteworthy in any era, Bundles said this has but it’s particularly impressive been a project “50 given the discrimination and years in the making” roadblocks African-Americans with many starts Madam C.J. Walker and women had to endure at and stops, it almost the time. failed this time as well. Ms. Spencer said “I knew about her since I was a little she nearly walked away from the project girl because my mother taught us about before basketball superstar LeBron James her. We were from humble beginnings and and his business partner, Maverick Carter, Madam was from humble beginnings,” said intervened. Both are executive producers Ms. Spencer. “She dictated her path in life, on the project, along with Ms. Spencer. and what an inspirational and aspirational “There were things that I felt that, in my story to use as an example for young people career, that I needed within my contract,” who were from nothing. ... She was able to said the Oscar winner. “Sometimes you

reach an impasse. And I am always prepared to graciously walk away, especially now, understanding my value as an actress, as a producer and understanding what will be required of me when I’m on set. “So I was graciously bowing out and LeBron and Maverick advocated for me. And it’s terrible that they had to, but they did. And that’s what we all need sometimes in the negotiating process. But you also have to be ready to say, ‘Thank you for thinking of me.’ ” Ms. Walker, who died in 1919 at age 51, was not only an extremely successful business woman, but a philanthropist as well. She gave generously to historically black colleges and universities and fought for anti-lynching laws. Ms. Bundles hopes that her great-greatgrandmother will serve as an inspiration to those who know about her and those who are just learning of her, and that everyone will dig even deeper into her story. “What has been meaningful for me in these many years of telling her story is to find the other dimensions — that she was not only a woman who was a pioneer of the modern hair care industry, but who employed thousands of African-American women and helped to create generational wealth,” Ms. Bundles said “She created a hair care company, but she used her money and her influence to make a difference in her community.”

Boosting the immune system to ward off coronavirus By Ronald E. Carrington

Medical experts say the coronavirus can particularly impact people age 60 and older, those with underlying medical conditions and whose immune systems may be compromised. A major question, then, is what can people do to boost their immune systems? The answer is simple, according to Dr. Alice Freeman, a nutritionist and founder and owner of Healthy Heart Plus in Henrico County. “Go back to the basics.” She recommends five steps: • Eat well • Get extra rest • Relax and stay stress free • Take vitamins • Use food as your medicine The key, Dr. Freeman said, is eating green vegetables every day – mustard or collard greens, string beans, green salads and sea moss. “The life of who we are is in our blood,” Dr. Freeman said. “Everything green from the water or the earth has the same essential nutrient, chlorophyll,

Dr. Freeman

which is like having a natural blood transfusion. Greens reoxygenate and strengthen our blood.” Green foods are the perfect natural boost to the immune system, she said. She cautioned people to cut back on processed foods and to “stay away from highly enriched sugar – cakes, pies and candy – because it will put your immune system to sleep for at least 48 hours.” Adequate sleep and rest bolster the body’s immune response to help fight off sickness. And exercise, napping and quiet time can help reduce stress that

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can impact the body. She recommends people stay hydrated by drinking alkaline water, which she said reduces the mucus in the body that carries bacteria and viruses. “If you cannot purchase alkaline water, use lemon water,” Dr. Freeman said. Fresh, hot lemon water each morning helps cleanse the liver, she said. When the liver is cleansed, the blood is healed, she said. She also recommends that families start gardens during the pandemic, either in their yards or in pots or hydroponically. “Anything coming from a seed will regrow itself without soil,” Dr. Freeman said. “Sweet potato, onions, lettuce and vegetables will regrow themselves.” She also recommended oatmeal and one or two fruits daily, as well as vitamins A, B and C for children in their developmental stages. Fresh fruits and vegetables have all the nutrients and minerals our bodies need, she said. She offered this soup recipe: Alkalizing and Healing Soup:

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• 3 celery stalks or bok choy • 3 carrots • 1 cup spinach leaves • Parsley • 1 large onion or 2 cloves garlic • 3 redskin potatoes • ½ teaspoon of herbal seasoning • 2 cups of water Cover with water in a soup pot. Let cook until broth has a rich flavor. Strain and drink. You may eat the ingredients. This healing broth is rich in beta carotene, potassium, sodium, iron and calcium.

Netflix via AP

Actress Vera Farmiga portrays former prosecutor Linda Fairstein in a scene from “When They See Us.”

Former prosecutor sues Netflix over Central Park 5 series Free Press wire report

NEW YORK Within one week, former Manhattan prosecutor Linda Fairstein has filed and lost a libel suit against Netflix and film director Ava DuVernay over her portrayal in the streaming service’s limited series about the Exonerated (formerly Central Park) Five case, which sent five African-American and Latino teenagers to prison for a crime they were later absolved of committing. Ms. Fairstein claimed in the lawsuit, filed March 18 and dismissed March 23 in federal court in Fort Myers, Fla., that the four-part series “When They See Us” defamed her by portraying her as a “racist, unethical villain.” “Most glaringly, the film series falsely portrays Ms. Fairstein as in charge of the investigation and prosecution of the case against the five, including the development of the prosecution’s theory of the case,” Ms. Fairstein’s lawyer, Andrew Miltenberg, said in a statement. “In truth, and as detailed in the lawsuit, Ms. Fairstein was responsible for neither aspect of the case.” Ms. Fairstein was the top Manhattan sex crimes prosecutor in 1989 when the five teenagers were charged with a vicious attack on a jogger in Central Park. The convictions were overturned in 2002 after convicted murderer and serial rapist Matias Reyes confessed to committing the crime alone. DNA linked him to it. Ms. Fairstein, who became a best-selling crime author after retiring from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, observed the teens’ interrogation but didn’t personally try the case. Ms. Fairstein was dropped by her publisher and resigned from several boards she served on after “When They See Us,” which dramatizes the events surrounding the trial, debuted last year. Netflix called Ms. Fairstein’s lawsuit “frivolous” and said in a statement, “We intend to vigorously defend ‘When They See Us’ and Ava DuVernay and Attica Locke, the incredible team behind the series.”

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Richmond Free Press

March 26-28, 2020

Obituaries/Faith News

Preddy D. Ray Sr., longtime affordable housing advocate who sought to keep people in their neighborhoods, dies at 69 By Jeremy M. Lazarus

In 1971, Preddy Drew Ray Sr. was among a group of nine Richmond college students who packed their bags and went to a Cincinnati conference on affordable housing and the role community groups could play. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We saw black people from all walks of life fighting to save their communities,â&#x20AC;? Mr. Ray stated in a 1995 Free Press Personality feature. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wondered why we werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doing the same thing in Richmond.â&#x20AC;? Inspired, the Richmond native and longtime Carver neighborhood resident would go on to found and lead the nonprofit Task Force for Historic Preservation of the Minority Community to fight gentrification through advocacy and through buying, renovating and selling houses at a reasonable cost to keep people in the community. While the Task Force ultimately would collapse and lead to recriminations, Mr. Rayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innovative efforts to use low-income tax credits and other financial tools in development drew the attention of other nonprofit housing groups and encouraged Richmond City Council to create a program using property taxes to stimulate renovation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was a leader and a visionary,â&#x20AC;? said longtime friend James

H. Elam, a veteran community organizer and past president of the now defunct nonprofit Church Hill Neighborhood Inc. that also engaged in housing improvement. Mr. Rayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts in housing and in other areas, including aiding in laying the foundation for the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, are being remembered following his death on Saturday, March 14, 2020, that ended his battle with multiple health challenges. He was 69. With only family members allowed, Mr. Ray was paid final tributes during a funeral on Saturday, March 21, at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Jackson Ward, where he was a member. A big man who played football at Armstrong High School and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, Mr. Ray began the Task Force in 1981. He got involved in the project after working as a substance abuse counselor, as a juvenile corrections counselor and as an employment training counselor at the Richmond OIC, or Opportunities Industrialization Center. Joined by community-minded people such as Mr. Elam, Umar Kenyatta and Carson Kittrell and a host of churches, Mr. Ray sought to â&#x20AC;&#x153;improve the quality

of life for low- and moderate-income people through housing.â&#x20AC;? Buoyed by a grant from the Ford Foundation, he began buying houses in Jackson Ward and Church Hill and worked Mr. with others to keep them affordable after renovation and improvement. In his view, it was important to emphasize the history to counter the view that property in black communities was worthless, which he felt triggered â&#x20AC;&#x153;black flightâ&#x20AC;? to the suburbs and the abandonment of once strong neighborhoods. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our effort must be to recapture the spirit of community,â&#x20AC;? he stated in the Personality feature. Outspoken and known for vigorously expressing himself in letters published in area newspapers, including the Free Press, he battled the urban renewal approach of the Richmond Re-

development and Housing Authority that involved demolishing and replacing decaying houses rather than renovating them. He pushed for banks and other regulated financial institutions to lend Ray in black neighborhoods as required under the federal Community Reinvestment Act. His work for affordable housing extended beyond Richmond. He served on the boards of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition and Low-Income Housing Information Service. According to his wife, Cassandra Calender-Ray, the longtime executive director of the adoption group Virginia One Church, One Child, Mr. Ray also was passionate about the need to create jobs and believed that the community had to benefit economically from development. The Task Force, however,

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became financially overextended by 1997 and lost the final 13 nonrenovated properties in bankruptcy in 2001 after an extended fight that for years kept creditors at bay, but drew criticism from neighbors who considered the decaying buildings a threat to their properties. He later developed the Housing Preservation and Development Corp. in a bid to continue the work, his wife stated in the funeral program, though his health challenges largely blocked that effort. While organizing the Task Force, the history buff also began a project called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Museum in a Trunk,â&#x20AC;? that collected photos, documents and memorabilia from families as part of creating a black-oriented museum, Mrs. Calender-Ray stated. When Carroll Anderson Sr. organized the Black History Museum in 1981, Mr. Ray became a founding board member. After shutting down the Task Force, he created the nonprofit Richmond Hiring Hall and busi-

Barkyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

ness incubator near Adams and Leigh streets in Jackson Ward as a center to connect people to jobs and provide space for start-up companies. He was unable to attract the resources to make it work and eventually closed it. While still with the Task Force, he was proud of playing a role in organizing the North of Broad Youth Group and the creation of one of the first community gardens in the city, both in Church Hill and both grassroots efforts, his wife stated. Mr. Ray also was passionate about cooking and baking and was a devoted jazz fan. He also was a longtime member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and was among the inaugural pledges of the VCU chapter. In addition to his wife, survivors include his son, Preddy D. Ray Jr.; a daughter, Maya E. Ray; three brothers, Obie A. Ray, Victor R. Ray and Waverly E. Ray; two sisters, Brenda Ray Taylor and Carolyn R. Solomon; and two grandchildren.

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Corine R. Farrar, veteran Richmond educator, dies at 90

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Veteran Richmond educator Corine Ransom Farrar was best known for helping elementary students master arithmetic and the rudiments of algebra. For 39 years, primarily as a Title I math instructor, Mrs. Farrar worked with students at the former Whitcomb Court and Maury elementary schools and Patrick Henry Elementary School to teach them how to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Her students often won a then-popular Richmond Public Schools â&#x20AC;&#x153;Math Wizâ&#x20AC;? citywide competition. A native of Norfolk and a graduate of Elizabeth City State University, Mrs. Farrar died Friday, March 6, 2020. She Mrs. Farrar was 90. Family and friends celebrated her life during a service Saturday, March 14, at Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Funeral Home Chapel in North Side. Outside of school, Mrs. Farrar loved to travel, bowl and play bid whist. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, The Drifters, The Wednesday Girls and The Birthday Friends. Mrs. Farrar attended, at various times, St. Peter Baptist Church and Mt. Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries. Survivors include her daughter, Kim Y. Farrar, and two granddaughters. Looking for

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Dr. Alonza L. Lawrence, Pastor

Sunday Service 11:00 AM On Facebook

g 151 years of Christian Se ratin r

vice eb 2901 CelMechanicsville Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 648-2472 ~ www.mmbcrva.org Dr. Price London Davis, Senior Pastor

Ebenezer Baptist Church 1858

Âą4HE 0EOPLEÂ´S #HURCHÂ˛

Please be advised that 2604 Idlewood Avenue all church acďż˝viďż˝es Richmond, Va. 23220 have been canceled through (804) 353-6135 www.riverviewbaptistch.org Saturday, March 28, 2020. Rev. Dr. Stephen L. Hewlett, Follow us on Facebook WeeklyPastor Worship: Sundays @ 10:30 for further updates. A.M. Sr. Rev. Dr. Ralph Reavis, Be safe. Be blessed. Church School: Sundays @ 9:00 A.M. Pastor Emeritus Bible Study: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 P.M.

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

Ebenezer Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor is suspending all regular activities and worship services indeďŹ nitely. Weekly Worship: Sundays 10:30 A.M. meetings and services have been All@activities, Please check our website, Church School: Sundays suspended @ 9:00 A.M. until the first Sunday in April, Bible Study: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 P.M. http://www.richmondebenezer.com unless otherwise notified. or our Facebook page

Broad Rock Baptist Church Dr. Wallace J. Cook, Pastor Emeritus â&#x20AC;&#x153;I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically Rev. Dr. Adam L. Bond, Pastor-Elect 5106 Walmsley Blvd., Richmond, VA 23224 a welcoming place bound to the starless midnight of racism and war thatâ&#x20AC;˘ the 804-276-2740 804-276-6535 (fax) to worship this week? bright daybreak of peace and brotherhoodwww.BRBCONLINE.org can never

Good Shepherd Baptist Church

Antioch Baptist Church become a realityâ&#x20AC;Ś. I believe that unarmed truth and

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Redeeming People for Gods Purposeâ&#x20AC;? Early Morning Worship ~ 8 a.m. Stop by & see whatGodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s God unconditional love will have the final word.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Due Corona All services Sunday SchoolVirus: ~ 9:30 a.m. 1384 New Market Road, Richmond, Virginia 23231 | 804-222-8835 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Martin Luther King,to Jr.the is up to at MMBC. Morning Worship ~ 11 a.m. at Broad Rock Baptist Church 4th Sunday UniďŹ ed Worship Service ~ 9:30 a.m. SERVICES are until further notice.â&#x20AC;? Biblecancelled, Study: Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. & 7 p.m.

1127 North 28th St., Richmond, VA 23223-6624 s Office: (804) 644-1402 Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, Pastor â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A Place for Youâ&#x20AC;?

Tuesday Sunday 10:30 AM Bible Study Lenten 9:30 AM Church School SUNDAYSeason 6:30 PM Church-wide Bible Study 11:00 AM Worship Service 6:30 PM Men's Bible Study Mosby joins with the largerHChristian WORSHIP OUR â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10:00Community A.M. (Each 2nd and 4th) (Holy Communion in celebrating theCLenten time of AVAILABLE Thursday HILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sseason CHURCHas & aBUS MINISTRY each 2nd Sunday) Wednesday (Following 2nd Sunday) reflection, fasting & prayerful consecration. Join us

SUNDAY SCHOOL (FOR ALL AGES) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9:00 A.M. on the journey andTfollow along with our Lenten UESDAY Calendar atMwww.mmbcrva.org ID-DAY BIBLE STUDY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12 NOON WEDNESDAY MID-WEEK PRAYER & BIBLE STUDY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7:00 P.M. 8LIQI JSV 1SFMPM^MRK *SV 1MRMWXV] A MISSION BASED CHURCH FAMILY 6IJVIWLMRK 8LI 3PH ERH )QIVKMRK 8LI 2I[ EXCITING MINISTRIES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, A 21st Century Church We Embrace Diversity â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Love For All! YOUNG ADULTS & SENIOR ADULTS With Ministry For Everyone Come worship with us! BIBLE REVELATION TEACHING Sunday, March 29, 2020 DIVERSE MUSIC MINISTRY Service will not be held LOVING, CARING ENVIRONMENT 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting

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That Christmas

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New Deliverance Evangelistic Church

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in our sanctuary. Join us for 11:00 AM Worship by going to our website www.sixthbaptistchurch.org

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May 29 - 30, 2020

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(near Byrd Park)

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

Worship Opportunities Sundays: All Sunday services have been suspended for the remainder of the month. Join us for online streaming this Sunday at 10 AM. Visit our WEBSITE, look under â&#x20AC;&#x153;/NLINE 3ERVICES,â&#x20AC;? and access the â&#x20AC;&#x153;0ASTOR S -ESSAGE.â&#x20AC;? Bible Study Opportunities Thursdays: All Bible Study sessions have been suspended for the remainder of the month. 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

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In His Presence: Restored, ReNewed, and Ready for Warfare â&#x20AC;&#x153;No Fear, No Limits and No Excusesâ&#x20AC;?

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THIRD SUNDAY 10:30 a.m. Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church Higher Achievement 823 North 31st Street Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 226-0150 Office

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March 26-28, 2020

Legal Notices/Employment Opportunities City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL

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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 6, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. in the Fifth Floor Conference Room of City Hall and the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing on Monday, April 13, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, to consider the following ordinances: Ordinance No. 2020-089 To amend Ord. No. 2014222-204, adopted Nov. 10, 2014, as previously amended by Ord. No. 2018-328, adopted Jan. 14, 2019, which authorized the special use of the property known as 2319 Grove Avenue for the purpose of authorizing an expansion to an existing day nursery, to modify the fencing requirements for the rooftop play area, upon certain terms and conditions. The City of Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current Master Plan designates a future land use category for the subject property as Single Family Residential at Medium densities. Primary uses for this category are single family and two family dwellings, both detached and attached, at densities of 8 to 20 units per acre. Includes residential support uses such as schools, places of worship, neighborhood parks and recreation facilities, and limited public and semi-public uses. The current zoning for this property is R-6 (Single Family Attached Residential). Ordinance No. 2020-090 To authorize the special use of the property known as 2852 Hull Street for the purpose of a single-family detached dwelling, upon certain terms and conditions. The property is currently located in the B-3 General Business District. The City of Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Current Master Plan designates a land use category for the subject property as Single Family Low Density (SF-LD) which are primarily detached dwellings at densities up to seven units per acre. The density of the project is approximately 8 units per acre. Interested citizens who wish to speak will be given an opportunity to do so. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s page on the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Website at www.Richmondgov. com and in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Candice D. Reid City Clerk

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 6, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. in the Fifth Floor Conference Room of City Hall and the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing on Monday, April 13, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, to consider the following ordinances: Ordinance No. 2020-046 To rezone the property known as 2925 Garland Avenue from the UB Urban Business District and the PE-7 Brookland Park Boulevard / North Avenue Parking Exempt Parking Overlay District to the R-6 Single-Family Attached Residential District. The Master Plan calls for single-family medium density uses for the property. Primary uses are single-family and two-family dwellings, both detached and attached, at densities of 8 to 20 units per acre. Ordinance No. 2020-047 To amend and reordain Ord. No. 2003-375-337, adopted Dec. 8, 2003, which authorized the special use of the property known as 1100-1102 West Cary Street and 20-22 South Harrison Street for the purpose of certain enumerated uses in accordance with such ordinance, to allow an outdoor pergola, upon certain terms and conditions. The zoning of the subject property is R-63 Multi-Family Urban Residential. The City of RichmondĂs Master Plan designates the subject property for Single Family Medium Density land use. Primary uses are single family and two family dwellings, both detached and attached, at densities of 8 to 20 units per acre. Includes residential support uses such as schools, places of worship, neighborhood parks and recreation facilities, and limited public and semi-public uses. Ordinance No. 2020-048 To authorize the special use of the property known as 3412 R Street for the purpose of two single family attached dwellings and one single family detached dwelling, upon certain terms and conditions. The current zoning for this property is R-5 Single Family Residential. The City of RichmondĂs Master Plan designates the subject property for Single Family Low Density land uses which includes, single family detached dwellings at densities up to seven units per acre. The proposed density of the development is approximately 13 units per acre. Ordinance No. 2020-083 To amend Ord. No. 2019041, adopted May 13, 2020, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 General Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by re-appropriating a $1,352,558.00 portion of the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 fund balance excess, assigned by Res. No. 2019-R016, adopted Jun. 24, 2019, to the General Fund Cash Transfer for Capital Projects program, and to appropriate these transferred funds to the Fiscal Year 20192020 Capital Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amounts appropriated Continued on next column

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ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear on or before the 18th day of May, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 18th day of May, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

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to the Universal Access, Community Center Enhancements, Tredegar/ BrownĂs Island Accessible Walk Improvements, and RAA Building and Property Improvements projects by a total of $1,352,558.00 for the purpose of providing additional funding for those projects. Interested citizens who wish to speak will be given an opportunity to do so. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City ClerkĂs page on the CityĂs Website at www.Richmondgov. com and in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Candice D. Reid City Clerk

Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND ROCHELLE D. CARTERFENTON, Plaintiff v. OSWALD LLOYD FENTON, Defendant. Case No.: CL20-650-00-4 ORDER OF PUBLICATION Came this day the Plaintiff, upon her Complaint for divorce filed in the abovestyled case and her Affidavit for Order of Publication for service of the Complaint on the Defendant. The object of this suit is to put the Defendant on notice of the Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Complaint for divorce in the above-styled case. It appearing from Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Affidavit that due diligence has been used without effect to ascertain the location of the Defendant and that the Defendantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whereabouts are unknown, it is ORDERED that the Defendant is required to appear before this Court on or before April 24, 2020 at 9 a.m. to protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: EDWARD F. JEWETT, Clerk I ask for this: Benjamin R. Rand, Esquire (VSB# 78956) Blackburn, Conte, Schilling & Click, P.C. 300 W. Main Street Richmond, Virginia 23220 Telephone: (804) 782-1111 ext. 212 Facsimile: (804) 648-3914 brand@blackburnconte.com VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ERICKA PRINCE, Plaintiff v. ERIK PRINCE, Defendant. Case No.: CL20001098-00 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 18th day of May, 2020 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, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER MARSELLIS THOMAS, SR., Plaintiff v. DEBBIE THOMAS, Defendant. Case No.: CL18002544-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear on or before the 18th day of May, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER TONNY HENDERSON AKA TONY HENDERSON, Plaintiff v. MICHELLE TYLER, Defendant. Case No.: CL20000571-00 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 18th day of May, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER JAMES DABNEY, JR., Plaintiff v. ANGELA DABNEY, Defendant. Case No.: CL20001101-00 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 18th day of May, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER IRENE BROWN, Plaintiff v. GARY BROWN, Defendant. Case No.: CL20001102-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who is a nonresident of the Commonwealth of Virgainia, appear here on or before the 18th day of May, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ANISSA HOLMES, Plaintiff v. RICKY HOLMES, Defendant. Case No.: CL19000369-00

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER KEANNA HOOD, Plaintiff v. WILLIAM BARRETT, Defendant. Case No.: CL20001103-00 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

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER FRANK CANNON, JR., Plaintiff v. THERESA CARROLL GIVENS CANNON, Defendant. Case No.: CL20001043-00 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 29th day of April, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of

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Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER CANDICE YOUNG, Plaintiff v. CURTIS YOUNG, Defendant. Case No.: CL19001748-00 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 29th day of April, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

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ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Put defendant on notice of the plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s complaint for divorce. It is ordered that Hai Thanh La appear at the abovenamed court and protect his/ her interests on or before April 27, 2020 at 9 a.m. An Extract Teste: Heidi S. Barshinger, Clerk Sherri A. Thaxton, Esq., 4124 E. Parham Road Henrico, Virginia 23228 (804) 647-1199

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HENRICO REBECCA NGUYEN, Plaintiff v. HAI THANH LA, Defendant. Case No.: CL20-869

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER AMY DISNEY, Plaintiff v. TYREL DISNEY, Defendant. Case No.: CL20000792-00 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 20th day of April, 2020 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

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custodY CHESTERFIELD JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, in re ORTEGA LARA, WENDI SARAI SARA LARA PORTILLO, Plaintiff v. JOSE BENJAMIN ORTEGA ZAVALA, Defendant. Case No.: JJ098673-01-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to determin custody of Wendi Sarai Ortega Lara (DOB: 6/28/05), whose mother is Sara Lara Portillo, and whose father is Jose Benjamin Ortega Zavala, pursuant to Virginia Code Section 16.1241A3. Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whereabouts are unknown. It is ORDERED that the Jose Benjamin Ortega Zavala appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before May 11, 2020 at 9:00 AM. Soulmaz Taghavi, Esq. (804) 614-6920

BID COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA CONSTRUCTION BID ITB #20-1999-3JOK HVAC Replacements at Hermitage High School and Quioccasin Middle School Due: April 21, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. For additional information visit: https://henrico.us/ finance/divisions/purchasing/ solicitations/

INVITATION TO BID: Skanska USA Building is bidding select packages for the Alderman Library Project in Charlottesville, VA; these packages starting construction in summer of 2020. The project is 130,000 sq. ft. of new construction and 100,000 sq. ft. of renovation. BP-2 has been posted on 3/24/20 through Building Connected, including packages for Concrete, Miscellaneous Steel, Shoring of Excavations, Wood Window & Exterior Wood Restoration. Bids for these packages will be due by 4/23/20. For information/pre-qualiďŹ cation/ bid list information or other questions, please contact: Chris Rhodes: Chris.Rhodes@skanska.com 615 337 4823 Shane Wood: Shane.Wood@skanska.com 434 400 8523 John Kozlowski: John.Kozlowski@skanska.com 919 941 7934

The City of Richmond announces the following project(s) available for services relating to: RFP No. 200008615 Inmate Medical Services for Richmond City Justice Center Due Date: Tuesday April 28, 2020 @ 3:00P.M Receipt Location: 900 East Broad Street, Room 1104, 11th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219 Pre-Proposal Meeting: Wednesday April 8, 2020, at 1701 Fairfield Way, Richmond, Virginia. Questions regarding RFP shall be submitted no later than Thursday, April 16, 2020 Information or copies of the above solicitations are available by contacting Procurement Services, at the City of Richmond website (www.RichmondGov. com), or at 11th Floor of City Hall, 900 E. Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219. Phone (804) 646-5722 or faxed (804) 646-5989. The City of Richmond encourages all contractors to participate in the procurement process. For reference purposes, documents may be examined at the above location.

CONSOLIDATED PLAN PUBLIC NOTICE On Wednesday, April 15, 2020, from 10:00 am - 11:00 am, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will hold a virtual public hearing on items related to the Commonwealth of Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administering of the Consolidated Annual Action Plan for 2020-2021. This date is a change from the previously scheduled March 26th public hearing located at the DHCD Main Street Centre to address the need to socially distance and dampen the potential spread of COVID-19. The public hearing will be held via conference call and participants can join by dialing 1-202-955-0182 (local) or 1-866-845-1266 (toll-free). Once connected please enter the participant code, 37030485, followed by the # sign. The Consolidated Annual Action Plan for 2020-2021 includes goals and objectives for housing and community development; the projected use of funding; the method for distributing: $11,312,286 in HOME Investment Partnership funds $3,008,913 in Emergency Solution Grant (ESG) funds $1,224,634 in Housing for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) funds $4,432,124 in National Housing Trust Funds (HTF) $30,795,591 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds

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804.358.5543

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

Bedros Bandazian

The Plan is available online at the DHCD website,https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/ consolidated-plan. Copies of the plan document may be requested by calling (804) 371-7100, (804) 371-7122, or (804) 371-7084 TDD. Persons requiring special accommodations should call (804) 371-7110. The Department will accept written comments and testimony on the proposed 2020-2021 Action Plan through the close of business on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at the following address: Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Attention: Lyndsi Austin Main Street Centre 600 East Main Street, Suite 300 Richmond, Virginia 23219

Associate Broker, Chairman

Raffi Bandazian

Principal Broker, GRI

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

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