Richmond Free Press May 11-13, 2023 edition

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond’s new budget is set to go on July 1 after winning unanimous approval from City Council on Monday night.

While issues such as services for the homeless and the adequacy of staff at city recreation centers were left unaddressed, Council President Michael J. Jones and his eight colleagues expressed delight that they had speedily wrapped up their review and put the new budget in place without contention and in collaboration with Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration.

“We covered all of council’s priorities,” Dr. Jones, 9th District, said outside the meeting, pointing to increased investments in neighborhoods, government employees, infrastructure and families and children.

Among the highlights, the new budget includes more than $20 million to provide city workers who are unionizing with hefty pay raises up to 8 percent and other incentives.

The spending package also includes a $21 million increase in the local contribution for the city’s public schools, boosting the total to a record $221 million, as well as funding to improve service and expand hours of operation of public libraries and increase after-school programming.

In addition, $7 million was appropriated to improve parks and recreation offerings and $21 million was provided to replace an aging fire station in South Side. Another $21 million is to be invested in improving streets and traffic safety and $215 million has been set aside to enable the school system to build a new George Wythe High School and rebuild William Fox Elementary School.

The budget also addressed another council priority – affordable housing. The approved budget supports Mayor Stoney’s request for authorization to borrow $10 million in the new budget and in each of the next four budgets to support development of more

Green light shines on Diamond District

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The huge plan to redevelop

67 acres of publicly owned land around The Diamond baseball stadium has a green light — despite questions about the soundness of its financial structure.

With promises of a bonanza of jobs and revenue, City Council gave a unanimous thumbs-up Monday night to the projected $2.44 billion project, clearing the way for the largest public-private development ever contemplated in Richmond history.

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VP’s visit

The $3 billion budget City Council approved earlier this week includes $215 million that has been set aside for the school system to build a new building to replace George Wythe High School on Richmond’s South Side, and to rebuild William Fox Elementary in Richmond’s Fan District. Fox, which caught fire and was gutted during a three-alarm blaze in February 2022, has started to undergo roof work. Earlier this week various City officials gathered to assess the work and provide updates to news media. Fox is expected to reopen for the 2025-26 school year.

Wilder urges firing of state diversity official, VCU president

By George Copeland Jr.

On Tuesday, former Gov.

L. Douglas Wilder called on Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin to replace Chief Diversity Officer Martin D. Brown over remarks declaring the state’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion “dead.”

He also called for a state investigation into a $75 million payment made by VCU Health to back out of a master lease for a failed redevelopment plan, and urged Virginia Commonwealth University’s Board of Visitors to fire VCU President Michael Rao over this decision.

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Vice President Kamala Harris was in Richmond on May 6 in honor of Small Business Week and to highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to uplifting small businesses. Please see coverage on A5.

Jury finds Trump liable for sexual abuse

By Larry Neumeister, Jennifer Peltz and Michael R. Sisak

The Associated Press NEW YORK

A jury found Donald Trump liable Tuesday for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, awarding her $5 million in a judgment that could haunt the former president as he campaigns to regain the White House.

The verdict was split: Jurors rejected Ms. Carroll’s claim that she was raped, finding Mr. Trump responsible for a lesser degree of sexual abuse. The judgment adds to Mr. Trump’s legal woes and offers vindication to Ms. Carroll, whose allegations had been mocked and

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The Associated Press

E. Jean Carroll, center, walks out of Manhattan federal court, Tuesday, in New York. A jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing the advice columnist in 1996, awarding her $5 million in a judgment that could haunt the former president as he campaigns to regain the White House.

“I’m here to represent concerns that have gone on a bit too long being unanswered,” Gov. Wilder said. “Along with other leaders like myself, we want and demand accountability, and answers on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth.”

“Both the issue of Brown and VCU show it is essential that we have leadership that hears and understands and represents the needs of the people.”

Gov. Wilder previously called for Mr. Brown’s firing last week, after the latter gave a speech at Virginia Military Institute during an employee training program in April declaring DEI a thing of the

past, and not conducive with Gov. Youngkin’s vision for the office.

“Let’s take a moment right now to kill that cow. DEI is dead,” Mr. Brown said. “We’re not going to bring that cow up anymore. It’s dead. It was mandated by the General Assembly, but this governor has a different philosophy of civil discourse, civility, treating — living the golden rule, right?”

VMI was the subject of an investigation into structural racism by the Northam administration, and was part of policy initiatives that led to the creation of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion that Gov. Youngkin would

later rename and Mr. Brown now leads.

Mr. Brown’s statements led to criticism from Virginia lawmakers and the state NAACP. Sen. Scott Surovell of Fairfax and House Minority Leader Don Scott Jr. of Portsmouth also

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Free Press wins 18 awards in annual VPA contest

Free Press staff report

The Richmond Free Press continues its 30-year tradition of award-winning excellence.

The newspaper was recognized with 18 awards, including five first place awards, in the annual Virginia Press Association competition in writing, photography, news presentation and advertising.

The contest for work published in 2022 was judged by members of the Tennessee Press Association. The winners were announced during a ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in Short Pump.

First Place April Coleman – Entertainment ad-Lightfoot 60th wedding

Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Sarah Garland Jones Center for Healthy Living’s “Passport to Wellness,” a day of health-centered

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

J.C. Poma to lead Chesterfield’s sports tourism expansion efforts

Free Press staff report

J.C. Poma will become Chesterfield County’s first-ever executive director of sports, visitation and entertainment. His appointment was effective May 1.

Sports tourism is a multibillion dollar business in the U.S. and plays a significant role in bringing visitors and revenue to Chesterfield. According to county records for fiscal year 2022, Chesterfield hosted 63 sports-related events that drew more than 250,000 attendees and generated $34.4 million in direct economic impact and $1.28 million in direct local tax revenue.

“Tourism is a vital element of our ongoing work to increase commercial tax revenue and reduce our reliance on residential property assessments,” said Kevin Carroll, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “Thanks to our mutually beneficial partnership with Richmond Region Tourism, Chesterfield has built a reputation as an attractive destination for visitors. We’re pleased to add J.C. to our team and are confident he’ll help take us to the next level.”

“Having someone with J.C.’s experience and relationships in a leadership position will help us bring it all together and build on our strong record of success,” County Administrator Joe Casey added.

Mr. Poma comes to Chesterfield from Richmond Region Tourism. Over the past seven years, he worked his way from sports development manager to vice president of community relations for the region’s official destination marketing and tourism organization. As part of the senior leadership team, he was able to develop connections within the U.S. tourism industry as well as the many stakeholders across the Richmond region. Honored in Style Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 last year, Mr. Poma serves as an advisory board member for the United States Sports Congress and is on the board of directors for the Sportable Paralympic Sports Club.

Margaret O. Daramola is Virginia’s poet laureate

Free Press staff report

Margaret O. Daramola has been named the Commonwealth of Virginia’s new poet laureate. Ms. Daramola was born in Nigeria and will be awarded a bachelor’s degree in English from Hampton University on May 14 during the university’s graduation ceremonies.

At Hampton Ms. Daramola is on the Dean’s List, vice president of the African Student Association and a member of HU’s Pre-Law Society. She also was awarded the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship and Student Poet initiative award. The honorary position of poet laureate of Virginia serves a term of two years.

“I had the privilege of hearing Ms. Daramola first-hand at the investiture of Hampton University’s President Darrell Williams this past March and was greatly impressed by her presence and passion,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin in announcing Ms. Daramola’s appointment. “Virginians will be honored to have such a talented poet represent us as laureate. I have always believed that the promise of Virginia’s future is represented in young adults like Margaret. Suzanne and I look forward to Margaret blessing Virginians across the Commonwealth with her incredible gift.”

RPD names LGBTQ+ community liaison

Free Press staff report

The Richmond Police Department has named Capt. Kimberly Mooney as the Department’s LGBTQ+ community liaison (lesbian, gay, transgender and queer/questioning community). The mission of RPD’s LGBTQ+ community liaison is to facilitate conversations and strengthen relationships with the community as well as increasing awareness, training and knowledge of inclusiveness within the department.

“We all deserve safe spaces. We all deserve a world of trust, a world where we all belong. The Richmond Police Department is committed to those goals,” said Capt. Mooney. “I am

thrilled, as the new LGBTQ+ liaison, to be able to work with the community to help us all achieve them.”

In noting Capt. Mooney’s appointment, Interim Police Chief Rick Edwards said “Richmond is a diverse city and it’s important we’re proactive to ensure we hear from all voices within the community we serve. Capt. Mooney has been a valued leader within our department for more than 18 years and as our LGBTQ+ liaison I’m confident she will foster those partnerships that are vitally important to our mission at RPD.”

Capt. Mooney has a history of advocating for LGBTQ+ residents through various community forums and has worked collaboratively with members of Diversity Richmond. She leads the LGBTQ+ Awareness course for all RPD sworn officers and recruits, facilitating conversations to ensure officers are allies and are able to create a safe space for others to approach any police officer within the department.

The James River Association broke ground on the James A. Buzzard River Education Center Monday, May 8, at 2825 Dock St. along the James River. Attending the ceremonial groundbreaking was Virginia Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles, left, James River Association President and CEO Bill Street, Mayor Levar M. Stoney and Richmond City Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille. The state-of-the-art facility will serve as a catalyst for river education, environmental awareness and community connection, said Mr. Street. However, there was no mention of the James River’s Indigenous name, Powhatan, nor the Native Americans,

Cityscape Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

the Powhatan tribe, who lived below the Fall Line (Richmond) when the Jamestown colonists arrived in 1607. The Powhatan River then was named the James River after King James I of England.

Mayor Stoney, in his remarks, did note the James River’s “instrumental role” in Virgina’s history.

“We know a number of great stories about how the river brought Abraham Lincoln down here, but also we know the story it played in the slave trade here as well. The good, the bad and the ugly. It’s my hope that every child in this city learns about the river and has a healthy respect for the river and the power of this natural resource that we have right in our backyard.”

Rep. McClellan named to Biden-Harris Campaign National Advisory Board

Free Press staff report

U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan is among the team of Democratic leaders who will help deliver President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ message and engage voters across the country, the Biden-Harris 2024 re-election campaign said yesterday in announcing its National Advisory Board.

Rep. McClellan is one of 50 leading voices in the Democratic Party to be named to the Advisory Board, which is chaired by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Board members will participate in regular media interviews, assist with fundraising efforts and events, leverage their networks

and platforms to amplify the campaign’s message to voters, and engage directly with voters through grassroots efforts and events in key battleground states.

“I am excited to join the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign National Advisory Board, and work in Virginia and across the country to get out the vote in this critical election,” Rep. McClellan said. “President Biden and Vice President Harris have delivered for the American people, from getting the economy back on track to passing landmark legislation and defending democracy. I’m looking forward to working with Democratic leaders from across the country to help President Biden and Vice President Harris win in 2024.”

Rep. McClellan was elected in February in a special election for the 4th Congressional District. She previously served for 18 years in the Virginia General Assembly.

Starting date nears to replace George Wythe

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The first construction work on a replacement for the aging George Wythe High School could begin by late summer.

Richmond Public Schools last week posted a request for bids for initial site work for the school to be built on the grounds of Wythe in the 4300 block of Crutchfield Avenue in South Side.

RPS planned to replace the high school since 2021, only to be delayed when Mayor Levar M. Stoney and City Council refused to transfer funds to enable design work to proceed. Despite shrinkage in enrollment at the secondary level, RPS was forced to agree to the council’s demand to build the school for 1,800 students before the money was released.

The initial work, according to the May 1 posting, will involve removing, relocating and replacing a 72-inch storm New

water line with an 84-inch line, providing temporary stormwater draining, replacing existing sewage lines and clearing and grading the site.

Bids are due by 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, according to Melissa Chasteen, interim RPS procurement and property management director.

At the same time, according to Superin-

tendent Jason Kamras, the final designs for this initial work are to be submitted to the city for approval, along with results of soil boring tests. That approval is a last hurdle to starting this crucial preliminary work.

Mr. Kamras told the School Board that the contractor should be selected in June, and a contract awarded after city dollars supporting the work arrive July 1 when the 2023-24 fiscal year begins, certainly allowing the winning bidder to begin work within 30 to 40 days.

City Hall, with City Council’s approval, plans to provide $200 million through the Capital Improvement Budget for new school construction in the new fiscal year, plus an additional $15 million to cover a major part of the cost of rebuilding William Fox Elementary School in The Fan.

RPS has projected the replacement high school will cost around $155 million and would open by September 2027.

Photos by Regina H. Boone/ Richmond Free Press

Big dedication for Little Library

A Little Free Library was dedicated to the life and memory

of

Anthony J. Binga Jr. on May 6 at The Baker Street Apartments, 100 W. Baker St. Mr. Binga, who died at age 60 on Oct. 14, 2022, was a North Side Richmond native and resident. Passionate about contributing to communities in need of assistance, he was especially attached to the children and families of Gilpin Court. Also in attendance for the ceremony and unveiling was his mother, Thomasina Binga, seated center,

along with close friends of Mrs. Binga and her son.

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Congresswoman McClellan

Mr. Poma

Capt. Mooney

Ms. Daramola

New George Wythe rendering

Burn notice: Council approves Fire training in park

By Jeremy Lazarus

The Richmond Fire Department won its fight to replace 2 acres of lawn at the Hickory Hill Community Center in South Side with a concrete pad and a fire training facility where recruits can get experience dousing blazes.

Flouting its own policy goal of expanding green space, particularly in underserved Black and Latino areas, City Council ended the battle Monday night with an 8-0 vote to overturn the Planning Commission’s rejection of the proposal.

The vote was a triumph for 8th District Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, who backed the Fire Department over a coalition of civic associations who objected to the department’s takeover of space where local youths play soccer and where volunteers from a nonprofit had begun planting trees and designing a community garden.

First District Councilman Andreas D. Addison, a Planning Commission member who led the commission majority that rejected the Fire Department’s proposal, kept mum when the issue was considered and did not respond during the roll call vote.

Fire Chief Melvin Carter told the council that a new facility was needed to replace the crumbling, outdated facility in Eastern Henrico that no longer can pass inspection. His department secured a $500,000 grant to help cover the cost of developing the training facility. The funding needs to be used within two years. The facility will be three stories tall and be made from stacked shipping containers. Chief Carter said Hickory Hill was chosen after an extensive search for a location for the training center. Along with the training

Ms. Trammell Fire Chief Carter Mayor Stoney facility, he said the department is using the space inside the center for classroom and other training needs in cooperation with Parks and Recreation.

At this time, the department is training its largest class of 71 recruits, with about half training at Hickory Hill, he said.

The decision was a bitter pill for nearby

Honorary street signs for Davis, Dennis and Hamilton

only large public park in this section of city, which according to the state Department of Health, ranks high for asthma and chronic other diseases and in pollution from industrial outlets nearby.

Though Hickory Hill still has significant green space, the decision is a clear retreat by Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration on environmental justice and climate change policies that made the addition of green space a top priority.

In 2020, Mayor Stoney announced an expansion of parkland in South Side and claimed he was correcting the racist policies that had prevented sufficient green space and parks from being developed in that section of the city that has significant Black and Brown populations.

“Regardless of a child’s race, ethnicity, gender, family income or zip code, they should be able to walk down the street and spend a summer afternoon in a welcoming, verdant space,” Mayor Stoney said then. “Due to systemic racism, that’s not how our city was designed.”

Opponents consider him a hypocrite, willing to break his word at the first opportunity.

Free Press staff report

Over the coming weeks, three Richmonders will receive posthumous recognition for their contributions to the civic, religious and business life of the city.

Richmond’s 3rd District Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert will host an honorary street naming ceremony at noon Friday, May 12, in the 4300 block of Corbin Street, which has been designated to honor the late Juliette Stephens Hamilton.

Mrs. Hamilton worked with the Richmond Police Department as a school crossing guard and as a nurse’s aide at Richmond Memorial Hospital between 1955 and 1961. She received a degree in elementary education from Virginia State College for Negroes (now Virginia State University), later returning to enroll in a licensed practical nursing program and graduating in the top five in her class in 1962. For the next 20 years, Mrs. Hamilton worked as an LPN. She was a faithful member at Second Baptist Church and remained active in various civic organizations throughout her life, passing away at the age of 104 on Nov. 8, 2022.

The ceremony Councilwoman Lambert will host at the 900 and 1000 blocks of Overbrook Road at noon Wednesday, May 17, will honor Langston R. Davis Sr., who was president and chief executive officer of Richmond-based Davis Brothers Construction Co.

residents and environmental advocates who had sought to prevent the Fire Department from reducing the green space at the center, which is located next to a nationally certified bird sanctuary that a local family has created on their property.

Speakers told the council there were multiple other locations the new building could go rather than taking a piece of the

“This would never have happened in Bryan Park or Byrd Park,” said Monica Esparza, a community advocate who was a leader in organizing opposition to the Fire Department’s plan.

“But it seems to be okay when it comes to a park in a predominantly Black community,” she said. “And now it is Black leaders like the mayor and Chief Carter who say that’s a fine thing to do.”

Bus transfer center opening soon

Free Press staff report

The replacement GRTC transfer center in Downtown is projected to open around Thursday, June 15, the transit company has indicated.

GRTC stated Monday that most buses

will begin in mid-June using the new center located in a former parking lot for city employees bounded by Leigh, Clay, 8th and 9th streets, across from the John Marshall Courts Building. The new site will replace the current transfer center largely located along 9th

Street between Clay and Leigh streets. The current center also uses a portion of Leigh Street between 9th and 10th streets. GRTC has invested about $2.2 million to transform the parking lot into a transfer center, with work starting last September.

Jamestown Settlement to commemorate Jamestown’s founding

Free Press staff report

WILLIAMSBURG

Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th century Virginia, will present a full day of programs and live demonstrations Saturday, May 13, to commemorate the 1607 founding

lish agriculture. Presentations also will explore methods of English beer making and period cooking, as well as programs on English and Powhatan comparative weaponry and military tactics, including a pike drill and the firing of a 17th century falcon.

Courtesy

Indigenous Arts Day, beginning at 11 a.m. on May 13, will celebrate enduring legacies of Indigenous culture with traditional and contemporary art forms by Indigenous artists, including special outdoor performances of music and dance.

of Jamestown, America’s first permanent English settlement, and honor the enduring legacies and traditions of the Virginia Indians who have occupied the land for centuries.

Jamestown Day

Jamestown Settlement family friendly programs on May 13 will feature Jamestown Day with military salutes and maritime demonstrations. A 10 a.m. artillery salute will signal the departure of the Godspeed, one of the three re-created ships that brought English colonists to Jamestown in 1607, to show sailing maneuvers in the James River, weather permitting.

Visitors to the ships’ pier also can board the Susan Constant and Discovery and learn how sailors navigated the seas in the 17th century with a special program on celestial navigation and hauling cargo out of the ship’s hold. In the museum’s re-created fort and Paspahegh Town, visitors can enjoy programs on English and Powhatan trade, Powhatan games and recreation and Eng-

Indigenous Arts Day

Indigenous Arts Day, beginning at 11 a.m., will celebrate enduring legacies of Indigenous culture with traditional

and contemporary art forms by Indigenous artists, including special outdoor performances of music and dance. Clark Stewart (Chickahominy) will emcee performances on Jamestown Settlement’s mall, where a variety of Indigenous artists and craftspeople will display and demonstrate their work throughout the day, some of which will be available for purchase. In case of inclement weather, programs and vendors will move indoors. Red Crooked Sky American Indian Dance Troupe will lead the day’s performances with Stoney Creek Singers on drum, along with Nottoway flutist Nathan Elliott and Lakota storyteller Felicity Meza-Luna.

A new exhibition, “Tribal Truths,” opening May 11 through Sept. 10, will be on display during the event in the Elmon and Pam Gray Presentation Hall.

Jamestown Settlement, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, is located on Route 31 just southwest of Williamsburg, and adjacent to Historic Jamestowne, which also will commemorate Jamestown Day May 13. Parking is free.

Mr. Davis, who built the family-owned and operated firm into one of the region’s largest Black-owned commercial contractors, died Sunday, July 17, 2022, at age 80.

As commercial contractors, the company was involved in construction projects from Washington, D.C., to Georgia, including the Greater Richmond Convention Center, Richmond International Airport, the Altria Theater and the State Capitol.

The final ceremony will take place 1 p.m. Friday, May 26, on the portion of East Charity Street located between its intersections with North 1st Street and North 2nd Street. The block designated to honor the late Rev. Kenneth E. Dennis Sr. is just in front of Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church where he was pastor for nearly 34 years.

Rev. Dennis was a native of Miami, but he graduated from Virginia Union University and became a leader in Richmond’s religious life. In addition to serving Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, he acted as a grief counselor and chaplain for the city’s police department, taught classes as an adjunct instructor at VUU, and co-hosted the television program “Focus on Black Religious Life” for 15 years. Rev. Dennis died Feb. 18, 2021 at the age of 65.

Ms. Lambert

Mr. Davis

Ms. Esparza

Jamestown Settlement

Done deal: New $3B City budget signed and sealed

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income-restricted housing for lower-income residents — despite the hefty interest cost that will accompany that action.

As approved, the total budget package runs about $3 billion, including debt service, grants, internal funds, public education, capital improvements, utilities and general fund spending.

Most of the council’s attention was on the record $951 million general fund, the city’s revenue from taxes, grants, fees and other income from which departments are funded and city programs paid for.

That general fund total works out to $4,135 for each of the city’s 230,000 men, women and children, a 13.5 percent increase over the current budget in which the general fund provided $3,643 per resident — or about $492 less.

Amendments from the council involved increased funding for those they employ plus improvements to their City Hall office spaces. Council members also provided $150,000 to support the substance abuse program in South Side, and $30,000 to support a Farmer’s Market operation in Shockoe Bottom.

Seventh District Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille dropped her request for $3.5 million to provide a 5 percent bonus to retired city workers after the administration pledged to provide the funding from unexpended dollars that would become available after the current fiscal 2022-23 fiscal year ends June 30.

Overall, the governing body barely touched the budget plan that Mayor Stoney presented in March, which was built on maintaining current tax rates, while increasing the cost of utility service, including water, sewerage, streetlights, gas and stormwater control, a collective 9 percent.

During the budget review meetings, two members, 3rd District Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert and 6th District Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson, sought to increase the number of recreation staff in their districts.

On the homeless front, the council approved only $1.75 mil-

Free Press wins 18 awards

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Anniversary.

April Coleman – Small Space Ads-Dennis Brailey retirement.

Regina H. Boone – Personality or Portrait PhotoCentenarian C’est si bon.

Julianne Tripp – Picture Story or Essay-John Marshall Basketball State Champs.

Sandra Sellars – Sports Feature Photo-“Beat the Heat.”

Second Place

April Coleman – Small Space Ads-Telesheia Talbert memoriam.

Sandra Sellars – General News Photo-Reproductive Rights Rally.

Sandra Sellars – Pictorial Photo-Nature’s sculpture in West End.

Regina H. Boone, Sandra Sellars – Picture Story or EssayInauguration of Virginia’s 74th

Governor. Jeremy M. Lazarus – Feature Series or Continuing Story.

Jeremy M. Lazarus – Feature Writing Portfolio. Jeremy M. Lazarus – Government Writing. Third Place

April Coleman – Education

Churches and Organizations-

Church advertisements.

April Coleman – Entertain-

ment-Jazz Inside Out.

April Coleman – Small Space Ads-Union Baptist 46th

Pastor Anniversary.

April Coleman, Sandra Sellars, Aldore D. Collier –Combination Picture and Story: Intertwined history. Sandra Sellars – Breaking News Photo-William Fox School Fire.

Regina H. Boone – Sports

Feature Photo-Jermoine Royster.

Free COVID-19 vaccines

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Want a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot?

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

Thursday, May 11, 2 to 4 p.m. - Cary Street, 400 E. Cary St., Bivalent Moderna boosters for age 6 years and older, Bivalent Pfizer boosters for age 5 years and older, Novavax primary shots for age 12 and older, JYNNEOS shots and Moderna/Pfizer baby bivalent boosters. Walk-ups welcome but appointments encouraged.

Tuesday, May 16, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. - Pending Health Brigade Event, Lucks Field: 1403 N. 20th St., adult COVID boosters; JYNNEOS shots and Hepatitis A vaccines. Walk-ups welcome but appointments encouraged.

Wednesday, May 17, 2 to 4 p.m. - Henrico West, 8600 Dixon Powers Dr., Bivalent Moderna boosters for age 6 years and older, Bivalent Pfizer boosters for age 5 years and older, Novavax primary shots for age 12 and older, JYNNEOS shots and Moderna/Pfizer baby bivalent boosters. Walk-ups welcome but appointments encouraged. People can schedule an appointment online at vase.vdh. virginia.gov, vaccinate.virginia.gov or vax.rchd.com, or by calling (804) 205-3501 or (877) VAX-IN-VA (1-877-829-4682). VaccineFinder.org and vaccines.gov also allow people to find nearby pharmacies and clinics that offer the COVID-19 vaccine and booster.

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

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

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

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

The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are now offering bivalent Pfizer and Moderna boosters to children between the ages of 5 and 11 in clinics in the near future. Children in this age range will be eligible after at least two months since their last vaccine dose. Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico County are at low levels of community COVID-19. No localities in Virginia are ranked at high community COVID levels, and none were ranked at medium as of last week.

A total of 114 new cases of COVID-19 were reported statewide Wednesday for the 24-hour period, contributing to an overall state total of 2,306,005 cases in Virginia since the pandemic’s outbreak. As of Wednesday, there have been 459,832 hospitalizations and 23,749 deaths reported statewide.

State data available at the time also shows that AfricanAmericans comprised 21.8 percent of cases statewide and 21.3 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 9.8 percent of cases and 3.7 percent of deaths.

As of Tuesday, Richmond reported a total of 60,505 cases, 1,321 hospitalizations and 548 deaths; Henrico County, 93,638 cases, 1,793 hospitalizations and 1,091 deaths; Chesterfield County, 100,894 cases, 1,789 hospitalizations and 875 deaths; and Hanover County, 29,339 cases, 953 hospitalizations and 349 deaths.

Compiled by George Copeland Jr.

lion for services, far short of the more than $4 million spent in the current fiscal year that will end June 30.

Hours before the council meeting, advocates for homeless persons were joined by 5th District Councilwoman Stephanie A. Lynch to decry the city’s closing of winter shelters on April 15, leaving people in dire straits on the street.

Ms. Lynch spoke poignantly of seeing families camped out on a median, with one featuring a sign pleading for diapers and milk for children. “We have failed them,” she said in supporting demands for the city to reopen shelters that closed April 15

and to pay for supportive case work and to re-house those who have no place to live.

Surprisingly, though, Ms. Lynch never introduced a budget amendment to increase city spending on such services and never advocated for any budget changes that would allow for increased spending in that area. According to city documents, City Hall spent more than $800,000 just in February to house more than 160 people a night in three winter shelters that were set up after private nonprofit shelters were full.

Green light shines on Diamond District

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Before the vote, the council was told that Richmond will gain a largely risk-free, transformative development that will create a small town on the property and enable the city to finally build a new minor league baseball stadium.

The council, which did not seek an independent financial analysis, was told the big project headed for the property on Arthur Ashe Boulevard is a grand slam that will bring home employment opportunities for city residents, $1 billion in new revenue to the city over 45 years and an impressive, well-designed mix of offices, retail stores and an 11-acre park along, with several thousand apartments and homes for all incomes.

Just as importantly, council was advised, Black businesses comprise 45 percent of the development team that also has agreed to a 40 percent goal of inclusion for Black- and minority-owned business in construction and future opportunities.

“This is a project that will impact the entire city,” Council President Michael J. Jones, 9th District, said as he joined his colleagues in endorsing a development initiative that was first conceived in 2005 by then-council leader William J. Pantele.

Building a new stadium has been a city goal for at least as long, with at least two previous attempts failing.

City’s moral authority

But one unanswered question is whether the city will have to attach a moral pledge to back the bonds that must be sold to raise the money to build the stadium. Though not legally binding, a community’s attachment of a moral obligation to a local revenue bond is designed to reassure buyers that their money would be repaid and that other funds would be appropriated to prevent any losses or default in promised payments.

The cost of the baseball stadium that is to anchor the Diamond District is projected to be $80 million, according to Leonard Sledge, city director of economic development.

And another $25 million must be spent to rebuild the current Sports Backers soccer and track stadium owned by Virginia Commonwealth University that occupies seven crucial acres, at a new location, Mr. Sledge told the council.

To raise the money just for the baseball stadium, he said that $118 million in 34-year bonds will have to be sold to investors, with additional bonds needed to be issued to cover the cost of the Sports Backers’ facility.

Those tax-exempt revenue bonds are to be issued through the city’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) or through a community development authority (CDA) that is to be established, Mr. Sledge said. The city would never be on the hook to repay those bonds, Mr. Sledge said.

Two financial experts whom the Free Press consulted, John Gerner and Paul Goldman, believe those bond offerings will be rejected without the city’s moral pledge to prevent a default.

Better known as a political strategist, Mr. Goldman said that Richmond, like localities across the country, “get everyone excited with the rosy description of the great project that will result. But bond buyers are not impressed by that,” he said. “They want a clear assurance they are going to be repaid. And they aren’t about to take a city’s word for it.”

Mr. Goldman said that the bond buyers have plenty of options, and he expects the stadium bonds to languish without a council vote attaching a moral obligation.

After all, he noted that the EDA and CDA have no real money of their own. If the city refuses to be involved, bond buyers will refuse to invest.

Then and now

Both he and Mr. Gerner expect a repeat of Richmond’s experience from 20 years ago when the city created the Broad Street CDA to sell $67 million in bonds to pay for improvements to the Downtown streetscapes.

Just as now, Mr. Gerner, a consultant on leisure and entertainment projects in this country and other parts of the world,

noted that, in 2003, council initially was told that the city would never be responsible for the bonds, which were to be paid off with revenues from parking garages.

But seven months later, the city’s administration led then by City Manager Calvin Jamison was back before the council pleading for approval of a moral obligation pledge after investors refused to buy the bonds otherwise.

The council approved the moral pledge after being assured “it would only be used if a dire situation happened,” Mr. Gerner noted.

The CDA “soon failed, even before the Great Recession began” after the parking revenue estimates proved faulty, Mr. Gerner continued. During Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ tenure, the city terminated the CDA and took over the bond payments to prevent a default.”

Mr. Gerner pointed out in his response that the stadium bond financing plan is far more speculative. “The current stadium financing plan assumes that the bondholders will buy revenue bonds based on speculative development with no existing payment stream to rely on,” he said.

In his view, “that is risky and different from the Broad Street CDA bonds that had existing parking revenue for support or the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority bonds that use hotel tax revenue or even the Navy Hill financing plan that used future incremental property tax from existing Downtown properties.

“I could not find an example of another municipality that used such an approach,” said Mr. Gerner, who was a key figure on a committee council created to analyze the Navy Hill project financial structure.

“A common approach is general obligation bonds” that pledge the full faith and credit of a local government, he said. Sometimes, he said, such bonds are backed by an irrevocable letter of credit from a major bank or financial institution, an approach he said the Richmond EDA adopted in the early 2000s to sell revenue bonds. “Henrico County also used this approach,” he said.

Wilder urges firing of state diversity official, VCU president

Continued from A1

have sent an inquiry to Attorney General Jason Miyares questioning whether Mr. Brown’s statements, and the changes he and Gov. Youngkin have made to the office, disregard the statute, obligations and process the role was created under.

Gov. Youngkin had previously defended Mr. Brown’s statement on Monday, saying that the push for diversity, equity and inclusion place focus on “equal outcomes for anyone at any cost” over equal opportunity, and had led to a situation where “excellence has been subordinated to equity.”

The Governor’s Office echoed that position in a statement that rebuffed Gov. Wilder’s urging, and said that “Gov. Youngkin will continue to advance equal opportunities — not equal outcomes — for all Virginians.”

“This is too important of an issue to

succumb to those seeking to cancel Chief Brown for challenging the groupthink of the progressive left’s pursuit of equity at any cost.”

Gov. Wilder’s response to Gov. Youngkin’s earlier defense of Mr. Brown was blunt: “I don’t think Gov. Youngkin has the experience or the knowledge or the wherewithal to be considered anywhere near an expert relative to diversity, inclusion or racism in Virginia.”

Gov. Wilder’s issues with VCU, meanwhile, are just the latest in a long line of confrontations and criticisms of the college, where he serves as a professor and namesake for its School of Government and Public Affairs. Last year, he briefly sued Dr. Rao and three other VCU officials for $5 million over actions that he alleged damaged his reputation.

Regarding the recent payment made by

VCU Health, Gov. Wilder stressed the need for transparency and outside examination by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission of the college’s decision. The $73 million payment had been given to a developer that had threatened to sue VCU Health over the failed redevelopment of the former site of the Public Safety Building in Downtown Richmond.

In a statement, VCU Associate Vice President Michael Porter defended the payment as an unfortunate but necessary choice made to avoid greater financial problems down the line for the university, and one that was made without relying on university funds or state revenue.

“We agree with Gov. Wilder that this financial outcome is disappointing,” Mr. Porter said. “But by late 2021, construction and other challenges made it simply impossible to build the original project.”

Jury finds Trump liable for sexual abuse

Continued from A1

dismissed by Mr. Trump for years.

She nodded as the verdict was announced in a New York federal courtroom only three hours after deliberations had begun, then hugged supporters and smiled through tears. As the courtroom cleared, Ms. Carroll could be heard laughing and crying.

Jurors also found Mr. Trump liable for defaming Ms. Carroll over her allegations. Mr. Trump did not attend the civil trial and was absent when the verdict was read.

Mr. Trump immediately lashed out on his social media site, claiming that he does not know Ms. Carroll and referring to the verdict as “a disgrace” and “a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time.” He promised to appeal.

Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, shook hands with Ms. Carroll and hugged her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, after the verdict was announced. Outside the courthouse, he told reporters the jury’s rejection of the rape claim while finding Trump responsible for sexual abuse was “perplexing” and “strange.”

“Part of me was obviously very happy that Donald Trump was not branded a rapist,” he said.

He defended Mr. Trump’s absence, citing the trial’s “circus atmosphere.” He said having Mr. Trump there “would be more of a circus.”

It was unclear what, if any, implications the verdict would have on Mr. Trump’s

third presidential bid.

He’s in a commanding position among GOP contenders and has faced few political consequences in the wake of previous controversies, ranging from the vulgar “Access Hollywood” tape to his New York criminal indictment.

His GOP rivals were mostly silent after the verdict, a sign of their reluctance to cross Trump supporters who are critical to winning the presidential nomination.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, one of the few vocal Trump critics in the race, said the verdict was “another example of the indefensible behavior of Donald Trump.” Ms. Carroll was one of more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or harassment. She went public in a 2019 memoir with her allegation that the Republican raped her in the dressing room of a posh Manhattan department store.

Mr. Trump, 76, denied it, saying he never encountered Ms.Carroll at the store and did not know her. He has called her a “nut job” who invented “a fraudulent and false story” to sell a memoir.

Ms. Carroll, 79, sought unspecified damages, plus a retraction of what she said were Mr. Trump’s defamatory denials

of her claims.

Jurors also heard from Jessica Leeds, a former stockbroker who testified that Mr. Trump abruptly groped her against her will on an airline flight in the 1970s, and from Natasha Stoynoff, a writer who said Mr. Trump forcibly kissed her against her will while she was interviewing him for a 2005 article.

The six-man, three-woman jury also saw the well-known 2005 “Access Hollywood” hot-mic recording of Mr.Trump talking about kissing and grabbing women without asking.

The verdict comes as Mr. Trump faces an accelerating swirl of legal risks.

He’s fighting a New York criminal case related to hush money payments made to a porn actor. The state attorney general has sued him, his family and his business over alleged financial wrongdoing.

Mr. Trump is also contending with investigations into his possible mishandling of classified documents, his actions after the 2020 election and his activities during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Mr. Trump denies wrongdoing in all of those matters.

The jury awarded Ms. Carroll $2 million for Mr. Trump’s sexual abuse and $20,000 in punitive damages. For defamation, jurors awarded $1 million for Mr. Trump’s October statement, another $1.7 million for harm to Ms. Carroll’s reputation and $280,000 in punitive damages.

Mr. Trump

All about business

Vice President Kamala Harris visited Babylon MicroFarms in Scott’s Addition on Thursday, May 4, as part of the National Small Business Week celebration. The vice president met with small business owners, state and local officials to highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s investment in small businesses and manufacturing, citing them as the backbone of America’s economy and employing nearly half of all private sector workers. She commended Babylon Micro-Farms for its cutting-edge technology in efforts to help feed millions of people worldwide. Vice President Harris added that small businesses often struggle to access capital, and said the Biden-Harris administration has worked to increase access to capital in underserved communities.

Babylon Micro-Farms co-founder, Alexander Olesen, bottom right, discussed Babylon’s mission to empower businesses and communities to grow their own food on-site, year-round, using sustainable hydroponic indoor farming techniques that require 90% less water and no harmful pesticides. Mr. Olesen said such methods contribute to food security and the fight against climate change. He also said that the company received $150,000 in grant funding from the current administration, which has been instrumental in the company’s success.

State Delegate Don Scott, (middle) stands with members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, (from left to right) Dr. Pamela Newton, Tiffany Townsend, Tracy Thornton, Shauna Hooker, and Marian Martin, and USDA Farm Service Agency Outreach Specialist, Diane Lenoir Giles (far right).

New labyrinth in South Side

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

A new community labyrinth was dedicated Saturday at the headquarters of United Parents Against Lead, 4809 Old Warwick Road.

Every year on the first Saturday in May thousands of people around the globe participate in World Labyrinth Day, according to the World Labyrinth Day website, as a moving meditation for world peace and celebration of the labyrinth experience. Many “Walk as One at 1” local time to create a rolling wave of peaceful energy passing from one time zone to the next, and there are additional ways to participate. World Labyrinth Day is an annual international event founded by The Labyrinth Society in 2009. World Labyrinth Day in Educational Settings was initiated by the Australian Labyrinth Network in 2019 in collaboration with TLS. In Richmond, participants took part in a walk on World Labyrinth Day to open the new space that was funded with a $25,000 grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The labyrinth is now open to the public.

Zakia Shabazz, founder and leader of UPAL, said the next step is to plant fruit trees and install a raised-bed vegetable garden around the labyrinth to provide fresh produce for Richmond families and children.

Photos by Julianne Tripp

Jeremy M. Lazurus/Richmond Free Press

Where’s the money?

At least $2.4 million in city tax revenue appears to have gone missing.

That’s the additional funds the city was projected to have earned in fiscal year 2021-22 from owners of real estate who enjoyed years of tax abatements on redevelopment projects they undertook but who now must pay more because the abatements are expiring.

Under a 2020 ordinance that Mayor Levar M. Stoney proposed and the council approved, those so-called roll-off dollars from expiring abatements were to go to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund once the audit of that fiscal year was done.

The initial revenue of $2.4 million was to be a continuing stream of money that would flow every year and bring with it any additional money from other expiring tax abatements.

When the current 2022-23 fiscal year ends in June and after an audit, it is projected that an additional $3.7 million should be available for affordable housing, the $2.4 million plus an additional $1.3 million. The projection is that the funds would grow to more than $5 million a year before all abatements had expired.

Mayor Stoney’s office said that no ordinance to transfer the $2.4 million was introduced this year because that $2.4 million was replaced with $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan dollars the city received.

Fine, but that initial $2.4 million remains undesignated. It could be used for homeless services. It could be used to hire more recreation staff. It could be used for any other legitimate purpose where more money is needed.

No mention of that money was made in the completed audit for 2021-22. Those roll-off dollars were not even included on the list of earmarked surplus funds that is part of the audit.

You would think council members might be interested.

Yet none of the elected members who were advised by the Free Press about the missing money publicly asked what happened to those funds or proposed a different use, not even during the review of the 2023-24 budget the governing body just approved.

The Free Press also asked the Stoney administration, but as is all too typical, no one involved in city finances ever responded to a Freedom of Information Act request for an explanation.

That’s why we are using this space to ask the question: Where is the money, Mr. Mayor?

One diversity chief to go, please!

This week, former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder again demanded the removal of the state’s chief diversity officer, a man named Martin D. Brown, for comments made during a speech at Virginia Military Institute. During his talk at an employee training program, Mr. Brown, a Republican appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, referred to programs designed to encourage diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, as a bovine that had already gone to the slaughterhouse.

“Let’s take a moment right now to kill that cow. DEI is dead,” Mr. Brown said. “We’re not going to bring that cow up anymore. It’s dead.”

Our readers should know that we agree with Gov. Wilder’s polite calls for a replacement for Mr. Brown. We also agree with his assertion that Gov. Youngkin is far from an expert on the topics of diversity and inclusion. Filling this position with a person with knowledge and experience in the field was an opportunity for the governor to increase his understanding. But that didn’t happen. Instead, he attempted to disguise the department by changing its name and hiring a man with little experience in this field of study and who happened to be managing the Willow Lawn Chick-fil-A at the time according to his LinkedIn profile.

But let’s follow Mr. Brown’s reasoning, just for a moment. If diversity is dead in state government, then a former governor shouldn’t have to call for his removal. He should fire himself. After all, if diversity is dead, then what is he doing all day? Certainly, the state doesn’t need a chief commonwealth chief diversity, opportunity & inclusion officer if diversity, equity and inclusion are dead. That’s like having a chief in charge of rotary telephones or cigarette vending machines. Mr. Brown, you say diversity is dead. Prove it. Quit.

Just to be clear, we applaud and appreciate our food service workers, who work long and hard to feed a hungry nation. Many people have taken the skills they have learned serving the public and gone on to leadership positions in other careers, such as politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was a waitress and bartender, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who worked at McDonald’s and former President Obama, who scooped ice cream at Baskin-Robbins.

At Mr. Brown’s former place of employment, cows are the sacred mascots, encouraging customers to “Eat Mor Chikin,” but in his current job, he’s ready to (metaphorically) kill them and forget them.

Mr. Brown, it seems that you have forgotten what you learned at the franchise known for its hot sandwiches and the warm demeanor of its employees. Perhaps you could pick up a shift or two after you eliminate your position and re-educate yourself.

Don’t bother thanking us for this career advice. It was our pleasure.

Addressing lung cancer health disparities

The cancer field has made incredible progress in “molecules to medicine” – finding new ways to target and treat cancer and developing innovative treatments such as immunotherapies. But these advances alone are not going to solve persistent disparities in lung cancer, which disproportionately impact Black Americans.

Black men are about 12% more likely to develop lung cancer than white men. And Black Americans with lung cancer are 15% less likely to be diagnosed early, 19% less likely to receive surgical treatment, 10% more likely to not receive any treatment, and 12% less likely to survive five years compared to white Americans.

We need 21st century approaches to address these disparities; the solutions lie in three areas.

First, we need data and research that uncover why Black lung cancer patients have worse outcomes. While most cases of lung cancer are not related to inherited genetic changes, genetics and ancestry play a

role in how well cancer patients respond to treatment. Collecting and analyzing this type of data needs to be prioritized as we seek to develop effective treatments that improve outcomes for Black lung cancer patients.

Second, genetic information needs to be woven together with social drivers of health, which are

Dr. Robert A. Winn

the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age. I prefer “social drivers of health” versus the commonly used phrase “social determinants of health,” which infers unalterable destiny, as many of these variables can be addressed. We cannot look at biology and DNA without also considering an individual’s environment and zip code and neighborhood of association, what I call ZNA. High stress equals poorer health outcomes and more cancer. Dr. Lisa Newman at New York-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell Medical Center pioneered sophisticated analysis of how space and place impact DNA in Black women disproportionately dying of breast cancer. It’s time to apply this approach to address lung cancer in Black Americans.

Purging the voice,

Whether you’re a Republican, Democrat, or Independent, President Joe Biden needs to be re-elected regardless of whether you like him. During the 2020 presidential election, many people voted for President Biden simply because he was not Donald Trump. The upcoming election in 2024 looks to be a rematch between President Biden and Mr. Trump, with the risks and consequences being much greater than before.

While we often encourage voters to be informed and objective concerning election issues and candidates, the United States has never had a presidential party nominee indicted in a criminal case or one who publicly suggested that all rules, regulations, and articles within the Constitution be terminated. Normally, those two issues alone would be enough negative baggage to prevent any candidate from being considered a viable party nominee.

The Republican Party of today is not what they claim to be, placing the nation at risk. In accepting Mr. Trump as the presumptive party nominee, the GOP is knowingly choosing a person who was twice impeached, disrespected veterans, POWs, women, minorities, mocked the disabled, dishonored a “Gold Star” family, discredited the CIA, cheated vendors, perpetuated the birther conspiracy, is tied to past tax evasion fraud, a Trump University scam, union busting, housing discrimination, multiple bankruptcies, white su-

Third, we need to look beyond urban and suburban settings to rural settings and even further to frontier communities. With as few as six people per square mile, Black residents in these “data deserts,” are often overlooked. Many new cancer treatments are oral drugs, which means they can be sent to patient homes regardless of where they live. New genetic-based early detection platforms are increasing screening opportunities for rural patients and reducing the need to travel for this type of care. The more transportable screening and treatment becomes, the better we can design new models of “virtual” cancer care to support rural and frontier communities.

Black Americans located in rural parts of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina are the foundation for a new collaboration between Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center, and University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Through our unique Stand Up To Cancer Lung Cancer Health Equity Research Team, we are bringing together translational cancer research and social sciences to both innovate patient

will of the people

premacy, colluding with Russia, and nepotism, not to mention several pending investigations and a civil rape trial. With all of Mr. Trump’s personal and political baggage, he remains a powerful force due to the many Republican enablers covering

David Marshall

for him from their elected offices and the MAGA voters who see him as their cultural war champion.

Harris County, with its population of nearly 5 million people, is the largest county in Texas and the third most populous county in the nation. Its county seat is Houston, the largest city in the state and the fourth largest in the nation. Houston has become the most diverse city in the country. While the number of people in Harris County who identify as non-Hispanic white declined by nearly 3%, all other racial groups increased.

The changing demographics, along with the shifting electoral landscape of Harris County, is what scares the GOP. This once Republican stronghold, which now leans reliably Democratic, could turn Texas from red to blue in future presidential elections. Without Texas’ 38 votes in the Electoral College, the Republicans would be hard-pressed to win any future presidential elections without winning Texas.

Like 2020, the next presidential election is not about free and fair elections. The Texas Republican-controlled Senate passed a bill allowing the secretary of state to redo elections in Harris County, where several Democratic candidates gained strong midterm results. The

Democratic candidate edged out the closely contested race for Harris County judge, the highest position in the county. The bill applies to all counties with a population over 2.7 million, of which there is only one, Harris County. If the House passes the bill and Gov. Greg Abbott signs it, the party claiming to be about free and fair elections has provided a built-in contingency if the 2024 election results in Texas fail to go their way.

The Republicans are not the party of law and order when they constantly refuse to address the nation’s gun violence by supporting a responsible assault weapon ban. The country experienced another mass shooting, with eight victims killed in an Allen, Texas, mall. The GOP was not the party of patriotism when the Republican National Committee censured the two House Republicans who participated on the House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 attack.

Republicans are not the party of jobs creation when their proposed legislation to address the debt ceiling crisis includes eliminating over 100,000 American manufacturing jobs in the clean energy industry. Many of the jobs are in red states. If there is one word that describes the mindset of GOP leadership, that word would be purge. They are positioning themselves to purge votes, purge elected officials they disagree with, purge jobs, and remove the written history of Black Americans. The only way to effectively respond is to do our purging at the ballot box in numbers that cannot be disputed.

The writer is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body.

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.

engagement strategies as well as collect DNA samples from Black men with lung cancer to address why they are disproportionately impacted by this disease. It’s this type of funding and collaboration that’s critical to addressing all cancer disparities. Inequities in lung cancer need to be addressed at all levels of the public health continuum. We need to test, refine and implement new 21st century approaches and ensure we’re harnessing all of the research and technology available to us. People impacted by lung cancer – especially our communities that are disproportionately affected – deserve no less.

The writer is director and Lipman Chair in Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center Leader, SU2C Lung Cancer Health Equity Research Team: Southeastern Consortium for Lung Cancer Health Equity.

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Black parents seek schools affirming their history amid bans

By Cheyanne Mumphrey

The Associated Press

DECATUR, Ga.

Every decision Assata Salim makes for her young son is important. Amid a spike in mass killings, questions of safety were at the top of her mind when choosing a school. Next on her checklist was the school’s culture.

Ms. Salim and her 6-yearold, Cho’Zen Waters, are Black. In Georgia, where they live, public schools are prohibited from teaching “divisive concepts,” including the idea that one race is better than another or that states are fundamentally racist.

To Ms. Salim, the new rules mean public schools might not affirm Cho’Zen’s African roots, or accurately portray the United States’ history of racism. “I never want to put his education in the hands of someone that is trying to erase history or recreate narratives,” she said.

Instead, Cho’Zen attends a private, Afrocentric school — joining kids across the country whose families have embraced schools that affirm their Black heritage, in a country where instruction about race is increasingly under attack. At Cho’Zen’s school, Kilombo Academic & Cultural Institute in an Atlanta suburb, photos of Black historical figures hang on the walls. And every single student and teacher identifies as Black or biracial.

In recent years, conservative politicians around the country have championed bans on books or instruction that touch on race and inclusion. Books

were banned in more than 5,000 schools in 32 states from June 2021 to June 2022, according to free speech nonprofit PEN America. Instructional bans have been enacted in at least 16 states since 2021.

Even when a topic isn’t explicitly banned, some teachers say the debates have caused them to back away from controversy. The situation has caused more Black families to leave public schools, opting for homeschooling or private schools that embrace their identity and culture. Public school enrollment of Black students between pre-K and 12th grade has declined each year measured in federal data since 2007.

“I think it is important to teach those harsh moments in slavery and segregation, but tell the whole story,” said Salihah Hasan, a teaching assistant at Kilombo Institute. “Things have changed drastically, but there are still people in this world who hate Black people, who think we are still beneath them, and younger children today don’t understand that. But that is why it is important to talk about it.”

Kilombo goes further, focusing on the students’ rich heritage, from both Africa and Black America. “I want him to know his existence doesn’t start with slavery,” Ms. Salim said of her son.

The private, K-8 school occupies the basement of Hillside Presbyterian Church just outside Decatur, an affluent, predominantly white suburb. Families pay tuition on a sliding scale, supplemented by donations.

Classrooms feature maps of Africa and brown paper figures wearing dashikis, a garment worn mostly in West Africa. In one class, the students learn how sound travels by playing African drums.

The 18-year-old school has 53 students, up a third since the start of the pandemic. Initially, more parents chose the school because it returned to in-person learning earlier than nearby public schools. Lately, the enrollment growth has reflected parents’ increasing urgency to find a school that won’t shy away from Black history.

“This country is signaling to us that we have no place here,” said Mary Hooks, whose daughter attends Kilombo. “It also raises a smoke signal for people to come home to the places where we can be nourished.”

Notably, the student body includes multiple children of public schoolteachers.

Simone Sills, a middle school science teacher at Atlanta Public Schools, chose the school for her daughter in part because of its smaller size, along with factors such as safety and curriculum. Plus, she said, she was looking for a school where “all students can feel affirmed in who they are.”

Before Psalm Barreto, 10, enrolled in Kilombo, her family was living in Washington, D.C. She said she was one of a few Black children in her school.

“I felt uncomfortable in public school because it was just me and another boy in my class, and we stood out,” she said.

Racial differences are evident to babies as young as three

months, research has shown, and racial biases show up in preschoolers. Kilombo provides a space for kids to talk about their race.

“I’m Blackity, Black, Black!” said Robyn Jean, 9, while spinning in a circle. Her sister, Amelya, 11, said their parents taught them about their Haitian American heritage — knowledge she thinks all children should have. “I want them to know who they are and where they come from, like we do,” Amelya said. “But in some schools, they can’t.”

Last year, Georgia passed a bill known as the Protect Students First Act, which prohibits schools from promoting and teaching divisive concepts about race. Elsewhere, bills that restrict or prohibit teaching about race- and genderrelated topics passed in states including Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. In other states, such as Arkansas, restrictions have come via executive orders.

Proponents say the restrictions aim to eliminate classroom discussions that make students feel shame or guilt about their race and the history and actions of their ancestors.

The bills have had a chill-

ing effect. One-quarter of K-12 teachers in the U.S. say these laws have influenced their choice of curriculum or instructional practices, according to a report by the RAND Corporation, a global policy think tank.

At Kilombo, daily instruction includes conversations about race and culture. Founder Aminata Umoja uses a Black puppet named Swahili to welcome her students, ask how they are doing and start the day with morals and values rooted in their African heritage.

The puppet might say:

“‘Let’s talk about iwa pele. What does that mean?’ and then one of the children will tell us that it means good character,” said Ms. Umoja, who teaches kindergarteners through second graders.

Teaching life skills and values, Ms. Umoja said, has its roots in freedom schools started during the Civil Rights Movement, in response to the inferior “sharecropper’s education” Black Americans were receiving in the South.

The school follows academic standards from Common Core for math and language arts and uses Georgia’s social studies standards to measure student

success. But the curriculum is culturally relevant. It centers Black people, featuring many figures excluded in traditional public schools, said Tashiya Umoja, the school’s co-director and math teacher.

“We are giving children of color the same curriculum that white children are getting. They get to hear about their heroes, she-roes and forefathers,” she said.

The curriculum also focuses on the children’s African heritage. A math lesson, for instance, might feature hieroglyphic numerals. Social studies courses discuss events in Africa or on other continents alongside U.S. history. When she was in public school, Psalm said she only learned about mainstream Black figures in history, such as Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman. Now, she said, she is learning about civil rights activist Ella Baker, journalist Ida B. Wells and pilot Bessie Coleman.

Said Psalm: “Honestly, I feel bad for any kids who don’t know about Black history. It’s part of who we are.”

Data journalist Sharon Lurye contributed reporting from New Orleans.

Photos by The Associated Press

Niambi Cameron, 9, celebrates with classmates in March after answering a question during a math lesson at the Kilombo Academic and Cultural Institute in Decatur, Ga., Above, Aminata Umoja of Lithonia, Ga., poses in March for a portrait with a puppet named Swahili in a classroom at the Kilombo Academic and Cultural Institute in Decatur, Ga. Ms. Umoja is an educator and the founder of the Kilombo Academic and Cultural Institute.

Stories by Fred Jeter

Embiid receives long overdue MVP

The NBA’s Most Valuable Player trophy is back in Philadelphia.

The 76ers’ Joe Embiid is this year’s winner in a close race with Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who had won the two previous MVPs with Embiid as runner-up.

Embiid, the league scoring champ, received 173 of 100 first place votes and 915 total points to Jokic’s 674. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was third.

This is the fifth straight season in which an international player has been crowned MVP.

Antetokounmpo, from Greece, won in 2019 and 2020 and Serbian Jokic in 2021 and 2022.

Embiid was born in Cameroon and is a graduate of the Basketball Without Borders developmental program co-sponsored by the NBA and FIBA.

He became the NBA’s second MVP to have been born in Africa. The first was Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994 with Houston.

In helping the Sixers to a 54-28 regular season record, Embiid averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocked shots. The 7-footer hit 54% of his field goal tries, including 33% beyond the arc.

Sixers’ previous MVP winners were Wilt Chamberlain in 1966, 1967 and 1968, Julius Erving in 1981, Moses Malone in 1983 and Allen Iverson in 2001.

The MVP is based on regular season play only.

VSU football has a ‘Rosey’ outlook

Brandon Rose won’t have to travel far to be issued a football jersey number at Virginia State University.

Thomas Dale High in Chester, where Rose is a senior, is just 9.5 miles from the VSU campus in Ettrick in South Chesterfield. If Rose can only do for the Trojans half of what he did for Dale, VSU’s Dr. Henry Frazier III will be a smiling coach on the sidelines.

Under Coach Kevin Tucker, Rose was a thorn in the side of Dale opponents this past fall.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Rose rambled for 1,702 yards (8.9 per carry) and scored a school record 28 touchdowns.

The 28 six-pointers broke the Dale record of 22 set by Rudi Johnson. From Dale, Johnson went on to star at Auburn and many seasons in the NFL.

Other Dale running backs who made it to the NFL were William Henderson and Ken Oxendine.

In his Dale farewell tour, Rose was named All-Region 6A South, All Metro and second team All-State as Dale advanced to the second round of the 6A playoffs.

He combines power with speed. Earlier this spring Rose clocked 11.2 in the 100-meter dash.

There is a vacancy of sorts in the VSU backfield. Last year’s leading rusher, All-CIAA Darius Hagans, has signed a free agent contract with the NFL Colts.

Rose may contend with Upton Bailey, and others, for carries at Rogers Stadium this fall. The Trojans open Sept. 2 at Norfolk State.

There is some history between VSU and Dale. The career rushing leader for the Knights is Nick Fleming, who went on to tote the pigskin for the Trojans.

Triple World Series champion Vida Blue dies

Vida Blue, a pitching star on the Oakland A’s three straight World Series titles (1972, ’73, ’74), died Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Tracy, Calif. He was 73.

Mr. Blue was a six-time All-Star and in 1971 won both the American League MVP and Cy Young Awards. That same season he was 24-8 on the mound with a 1.82 earned run average, 301 strikeouts and eight shutouts.

The left-hander hurled 24 complete games in 1971 and 143 for his career.

Mr. Blue’s 17-season career record, including stops in San Francisco and Kansas City, was 209-161 with a 3.27 ERA and 2,175 strikeouts.

He debuted with Oakland in 1969 at age 19. As a high school athlete in Mississippi, Mr. Blue starred as a football quarterback and passed up scholarship offers to the likes of Notre Dame and Purdue to pursue baseball.

Mr. Blue’s illustrious teammates on those championship Oakland teams included Reggie Jackson, Bert Campaneris, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers and John “Blue Moon” Odom, another Black pitching star.

Following retirement, Mr. Blue served as a radio/TV commentator for NBC Sports Bay Area that covered the Giants.

Journette is long ball launcher

Justin Journette represents power personified for Norfolk State University baseball. A freshman from Hermitage High, Journette has been a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dreary season for the Spartans.

Olympic gold medalist dies at 32

Tori Bowie, an Olympic and World champion sprinter, died recently at her home in Horizon, Fla. She was 32. Ms. Bowie’s body was discovered on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, following a police wellness check. No foul play was suspected. A native of Sandhill, Miss., she starred at the University of Southern Mississippi where she was a two-time NCAA long jump champ in 2011.

Switching her focus to sprints as a professional, Ms. Bowie took three medals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – gold in 4x100 relay, silver in 100 and bronze in 200. At the 2017 World Games in London, she won the 100 and was part of a 4x100 American relay victory.

Ms. Bowie’s personal bests were 7.11 for 60 meters, 10.78 for 100, 21.77 for 200 and 22 feet 8 inches in the long jump.

Alternating between third base and right field, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound slugger leads the team with nine home runs and 30 runs batting in, while hitting .281 for Coach Keith Shumate. Despite Journette’s long ball prowess, the Spartans were 9-34 overall as of May 6 and 6-17 in the Division I Northeast Conference. Due to a lack of MEAC baseball participation, MEAC members Norfolk, MarylandEastern Shore, Delaware State and Coppin State are competing in the Northeast with non HBCUs in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Journette has a way to go to challenge NSU’s all-time home run records.

Ron Narcisse set the single season mark of 17 in 1985 and Mel Wearing established the career mark of 35 between 1986 and 1989.

Reid decides on Wake Forest

Efton Reid is taking his 7-foot frame and basketball talents from coast to coast.

A former Four-Star prospect at Steward School in Western Henrico, Reid is transferring from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Zags play in the West Coast Conference while the Demon Deacons are in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

This is his second transfer. Reid played as a freshman at Louisiana State before

moving to Gonzaga. His decision to sign with Wake came as a disappointment to VCU where he visited soon after the Ram’s former Coach Mike Rhoades left for Penn State and Ryan Odom came to VCU from Utah State.

Playing under former VCU Coach Will Wade at LSU, Reid averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game. His playing time fell off at Gonzaga,

a perennial national powerhouse. In just 4.7 minutes an outing, he averaged 2.1 points and 1.0 rebounds.

Reid’s 2023-24 eligibility remains in question at Wake. As a two-time transfer, he may have to sit out the upcoming season under NCAA sanctions. Reid is at least the second player from the Richmond area to go to Wale. Former John Marshall star Travis McKie scored 1,687 points for Wake from 2010 to 2014.

VIA to honor former Armstrong star

Native Richmonder Frank J. Smith will be among those inducted into this year’s Virginia Interscholastic Association (VIA) Hall of Fame.

The banquet will be June 23 at the DoubleTree By Hilton in Charlottesville.

Smith starred in football and baseball at Armstrong High and later was named MVP of the football team at Hampton Institute (now University).

He has enjoyed a sparkling, nearly half-century career in the financial services industry and is currently the president

and CEO of Sphinx Financial Group in Williamsburg. Other Class of ’23 inductees (and their VIA schools) include:

• Carl B. Jackson, Burley High, Charlottesville

• Eric “Duke” McCaskill, Huntington High, Newport News

•Alvin Puryear, Phenix High, Hampton

• Douglas Smith, Phenix

• Walter “Rock” Greene, Burley

• Thomas Hooker, Southside High,

Dinwiddie

• Louis Johnson, Parker-Gray High, Alexandria

• Mary Winston Jackson, Phenix

The VIA was the umbrella organization that governed extracurricular activities for the state’s Black high schools from 1954 to 1969.

Area VIA schools were Armstrong and Maggie Walker in Richmond, Peabody in Petersburg, Carver in Chesterfield, Virginia Randolph in Henrico, Carter Woodson in Hopewell and Gandy in Hanover.

The Associated Press

The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joe Embiid (right) is this year’s winner in a close race with Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who had won the two previous MVPs with Embiid as runner-up. Embiid and P.J. Tucker celebrate Sunday during overtime of Game 4 in an NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinals playoff series against the Boston Celtics in Philadelphia.

Brandon Rose

The Associated Press file photo

Tori Bowie, center, anchored the U.S. team to gold in the women’s 4x100m relay final during the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London. At left is Britain’s Daryll Neita, who took the silver.

Justin Journette

Vida Blue

In 2020, Jake Rowell found inspiration to help an underserved part of the Richmond community.

That year, the Norfolk native and co-owner of RVA Performance Training was asked to organize an exercise program with VCU Health at his gym as part of a Parkinson’s Foundation Community Grant. The experience proved to be a lasting one, and Mr. Rowell and others soon began to organize a separate group to serve the same clients and needs.

“Our coaches fell in love working with people with Parkinson’s disease,” Mr. Rowell says. “So we chose to create our own nonprofit when the grant completed to continue our work.”

Soon after, Mr. Rowell and his associates launched LiftPD as a new venture in helping those with Parkinson’s achieve healthy living through free exercise. The group became a registered nonprofit in October of 2021, and as with the VCU Health program, Mr. Rowell leads the program’s operations and guides its development.

As board president of LiftPD, Mr. Rowell balances the role with his commitments to RVA Performance Training and his expanding fitness business. The workload seems sizable, but Mr. Rowell carries it in stride, fully aware of the program’s positive impact for those living with Parkinson’s.

“I was able to see the clear impact training could have on quality of life and disease progression,” says Mr. Rowell when asked why he accepted the role. “I saw an opportunity to use my experience and position to support the local Parkinson’s community in the role.”

Sustaining LiftPD’s stability is a major focus and goal for Mr. Rowell, and the nonprofit uses RVA Performance Training’s employees, resources and space to operate.

Personality: Jake Rowell

Spotlight on LiftPD’s board president

The work involved is somewhat stymied by a lack of available, qualified staff and a full capacity of athletes with Parkinson’s. As such, Mr. Rowell and others at LiftPD gather support from Parkinson’s Foundation Community Grants, partnerships and private donations.

Their latest effort, LiftPD LiftOFF, which will be the organization’s first major fundraising event on Sunday, May 21. The fundraiser thus far has brought the nonprofit new partners and generated interest that will help address staff and spacing needs.

Nearly two years after its registration as a nonprofit, LiftPD continues to grow and into a to meet the needs of those with Parkinson’s disease. And while it continues to build out its operation, the results so far already echo what Mr. Rowell saw years ago when working with VCU Health — making clear the benefits of moving forward with this initiative.

“We routinely see our athletes make distinct progress both in and out of class,” Mr. Rowell says. “Our coaches have the distinct pleasure of working with people who can be impacted positively by their efforts in a big way.”

Meet a fitness leader bringing new care to the public and this week’s Personality, Jacob Lucas Rowell:

Volunteer position: Board president of LiftPD.

Occupation: Co-owner of RVA Performance Training with my wife, Kathryn Rowell. Month and place of birth: July in Norfolk. Where I live now: Hanover County.

Education: Bachelor’s in religious studies and bachelor’s in international studies, Virginia Commonwealth University.

Family: Wife, two children.

Parents who live in Hanover. I also have a brother, who lives locally, and a sister in Ohio.

LiftPD is: A registered nonprofit organization in Richmond dedicated to the pursuit of healthy living through exercise for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. We offer free small-group exercise classes for all levels of athletes in the Parkinson’s disease community. When and why founded: Received 501(c)(3) status October 2021. We were approached in 2020 by a member and physical therapist, Dr. Robert “Bobby” Hand to facilitate an exercise program through VCU Health as part of a Parkinson’s Foundation Community Grant. Our coaches fell in love with working with people with Parkinson’s disease, so we chose to create our own nonprofit when the grant completed to continue our work.

Founders: Our founding board members were our first coaches and organizers. Myself, Bobby Hand, Mia Thomas, Kathryn Lerman, Kat Edwards and

Caleb Redmond. Why the name:We chose the name “LiftPD” to represent in a concise, memorable way both our methods of training (Lift) and the population we are working with (people with Parkinson’s disease).

Parkinson’s disease is: A progressive neurological disease that primarily affects dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain.

Who does Parkinson’s disease typically impact: Middle-age to elderly people. The average age of diagnosis is 60, although some people are diagnosed as early as 40 years old.

Complications and/or symptoms of Parkinson’s disease: Resting tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement, and cognitive changes are the most common symptoms. LiftPD location: RVA Performance Training, 2522 Hermitage Road, Suite D, Richmond.

How I became involved with LiftPD: When we were initially approached by Bobby Hand via VCU Health to run an exercise program for people with Parkinson’s Disease, I naturally fell into an organizational role as the owner of the gym. When we formed our nonprofit in October 2021, I maintained that role to help facilitate the program. Why I accepted board president position: After we began our exercise program for people with Parkinson’s disease, I saw the clear impact training could have on quality of life and disease progression. I saw an opportunity to use my experience and position as the owner of RVA Performance Training to support the local

PLACES To go, PEoPLE To SEE

Parkinson’s community in the role of President of LiftPD.

Length of term: One year with automatic renewal.

Number one goal or project as board president: As a new nonprofit, my first major goal is to ensure that LiftPD is setup to operate in in a stable manner for the foreseeable future. My main project right now is the LiftPD LiftOFF, our first major fundraising event which will be on May 21.

Strategy for achieving goals: LiftPD requires an amazing, dedicated staff, funding to pay that staff, and established processes to help our staff and coaches operate effectively and consistently. We have hired and trained a passionate staff of coaches and administrators, including an executive director. We established an annual fundraising event, which is on track to exceed our fundraising goals and has helped us established new relationships in the community.

Number one challenge facing LiftPD: Our current challenge is that we are at capacity and can no longer accept new athletes. The biggest limiting factor is coaching availability and funds to pay those coaches. To run the program safely and effectively, we need a large number of coaches for each group exercise class. Coaches with experience with people with Parkinson’s is uncommon, so we work to find people that are passionate about working with Parkinson’s disease, and then training them to be able to perform well.

Ways I have witnessed LiftPD make a difference for participants: We routinely see our athletes make distinct progress both in and out of class. This often means regaining ability and function that has a direct impact on their quality of life.

How LiftPD operates for

Looking for something to do or new experiences in the months ahead? Here are just a few of the upcoming fun events and adventures:

RVA First Fridays

Organized by: The Downtown Neighborhood Association and Richmond Arts District

Where it takes place: Roughly throughout Richmond’s Arts District, running west to east on Broad Street from Laurel Street to 7th, and south to north from Franklin Street to Clay Street.

When it takes place: Generally from 5 to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of each month

Cost: Generally free, though certain vendors or participants may have their own prices for items

More information: www.richmondartsdistrict. org/rva-first-fridays

First Fridays at the VMHC

Organized by: Virginia Museum of History and Culture

Where it takes place: The Virginia Museum of History and Culture at 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

When it takes place: From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the first Friday of each month

Cost: Free after-hours admission to the museum, but separate pricing for drinks in the Museum Café and participating food vendors

More information : secure.virginiahistory. org/1912/1913

Manchester Manifest First Fridays

Organized by: Manchester Manifest and Crenius LLC

Where it takes place: South Side Richmond at 1309 Hull St.

When it takes place: From 5 p.m. to Midnight on the first Friday of each month

Cost: Free More information: www.instagram.com/manchestermanifest

The 23rd season of the Riverfront Canal Cruises

Organized by: Venture Richmond

Where it takes place: The Turning Basin at 139 Virginia St.

When it takes place: The 23rd season runs Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 7 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. that month, then from noon to 7 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays from May to September.

Cost: Tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for children between the ages of 5 to 12 years old and seniors 65 years and older, children age 4 or younger can ride for free. Tickets are sold on a first come, first serve basis in person and online up to 18 hours.

More information: www.venturerichmond.com/ our-services/riverfront-canal-cruises

Friday Cheers’ 38th Concert Season

Organized by: Friday Cheers

Where it takes place: Brown’s Island

When it takes place: Every Friday in May and June, starting Friday, May 5, to Friday, June 30, from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

Cost: All tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door, though children age 12 and under can attend for free.

More information: www.venturerichmond.com/ our-events/friday-cheers

Brambly Live: Prabir

Organized by: Virginia Museum of History & Culture and the Museum District Association

Where it takes place: Brambly Park, 1708 Belleville St.

When it takes place: Friday, May 12, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Cost: Free

More information: www.bramblypark.com/ calendar/brambly-live-prabir-1

Playing With Light

Organized by: Science Museum of Virginia

Where it takes place: Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 West Broad St.

When it takes place: Runs nearly every day except Mondays, from 9:30 a.m to 5 p.m., until Sunday, Aug. 20

More information: www.smv.org/explore/ things-to-do/playing-light/

200 Years, 200 Stories - An Exhibition

Organized by: The Library of Virginia

Where it takes place: The Library of Virginia, 800 E. Broad St.

When it takes place: On view daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Saturday, Oct. 28

Cost: Free

More information: www.lva-virginia.libcal. com/event/10024643

PopUp RVA at the Diamond

Organized by: PopUp RVA

Where it takes place: The Richmond Diamond 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

When it takes place: Every Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., until Saturday, Oct. 21

Cost: Free attendance, but individual vendor price varies

More information: www.popupmarketrva.com

participants: LiftPD provides free group exercise classes for those affected by Parkinson’s disease. Participants come to RVA Performance Training 2-3 times per week, train in groups of 10 athletes, and are coached by 3-5 coaches.

How to get involved with LiftPD: You can get involved with LiftPD by donating, volunteering to assist with classes, referring athletes, or sponsoring an event.

Upcoming LiftPD event: LiftPD LiftOFF on May 21 at Virago Spirits.

How I start the day: My days ideally start with meditation and excitement about the many things that need to be done each day!

The three words that best describe me: Dependable, purposeful, level-headed. Best late-night snack: A bowl of cereal!

How I unwind: Reading, working on cars.

A quote that inspires me: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” — Kurt Vonnegut.

At the top of my “to-do” list: Personally — to find more quiet time and the ever elusive “balance” in my life.

The best thing my parents ever taught me: My parents were always open to my personal and professional choices. They taught and encouraged persistence, while also acknowledging that it’s sometimes the right choice to change course.

The person who influenced me the most: My wife and children have influenced me more than anyone ever will. That level of love and shared experience will change you deeply and tell you much of who you are.

Book that influenced me the most: “Mindset” by Carol Dweck. The concept that our qualities are not fixed, and that skills can be cultivated through effort, has permeated through every facet of my personal and business life.

What I’m reading now:Right now I’m reading “Brief” by Joseph McCormack. When speaking to others, less is more, and it usually best to get straight to the point to make your point heard. I often find myself in complex or sensitive situations, so I find this concept very helpful.

Next goal: For LiftPD, my next goal is to successfully run the LiftPD LiftOFF and use our funds to expand our services and reach in the area.

Professionally, I am opening another gym nearby on Arthur Ashe Boulevard this fall called Westwood Athletics and looking forward to its successful opening.

Veteran church keyboard artist presents gospel show, despite health setback

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

One of Richmond’s biggest gospel shows ever is headed to Trinity Baptist Church in North Side to showcase Richmond’s best known performers.

The free show that will feature such well known singers as Cora Harvey Armstrong, Johnny Branch, Thomas “Bo” Cummings, Henrietta D. Gattison, Bubba Johnson and the Rev. Almeta Ingram-Miller is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, May 20, in the 1,000-seat sanctuary at 2811 Fendall Ave.

“Gospel Music Coming Home” is the brainchild of veteran church keyboard artist and gospel impresario Antonio L. “Tony” Winslow.

A former minister of music at Trinity, Mr. Winslow is taking on this project while still recovering from the stroke he suffered three years ago that paralyzed his left side and left him wheelchair-bound.

Refusing to lament his condition, the Richmond native instead is seeking to make his presence felt in creating a program to highlight and celebrate top area performers in the religious music field.

He said the vision of staging a huge gospel event highlighting fixtures in Richmond’s gospel scene came to him one night as he struggled with his life-altering physical condition.

“This is something I wanted to do, and this is something the community needs with all we’ve gone through with COVID,”

Grey Garrett is Virginia Rep’s Carole King

Free Press staff report

The Virginia Repertory Theatre has found its Carole King. Richmond theater actress Grey Garrett has been selected to play the award-winning musician in the regional premiere of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the November Theatre beginning Friday, June 23.

Virginia Rep announced her selection last Thursday. Ms. Garrett’s previous roles for the theater include parts in “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love” and “Murder, Croaker” and “Mamma Mia!,” the latter of which won her a 2023 Artsy Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical at the 14th Annual Richmond Theatre Community Circle Awards.

The musical will run from June 23 to Sunday, Aug. 6. Tickets can be purchased online at www.va-rep.org/_beautiful-carolenovember.html or by calling the box office at 804-282-2620.

said Mr. Winslow, who continues to play with one hand on Sundays at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.

them my friends,” he said. “They have all served Richmond well, are veterans in the gospel music life and should be given the honor they are due.”

Jeremy M. Lazarus/Richmond Free Press

Derby Day in Richmond

Several hundred people turned out last Saturday for the benefit Derby Day Party in Richmond to enjoy music, games, food and the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby and raise money for the Professionals Reaching Out to the Community (PROC). Leaders of the event included from left, Charmayne B. Vincent, chair of PROC; and the two co-chairs of the event, Janet Hawkes-Pleasants and Natalie Smith. Location: Bon Secours Training Center on Leigh Street. PROC is best known for sponsoring The Beautillion, an etiquette and leadership program for male high school students.

Arts in the Park

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Michael Morris and Shameka Massenburg check out greeting cards by photographer Adam N. Goldsmith Art during the 52nd Annual Arts in the Park event showcasing more than 350 exhibitors from throughout the country. Painting, pottery and ceramics, jewelry, furniture, photography, woodworking, glass, and more were featured during the May 6 event.

“This music celebration is a way of bringing unity and musical fellowship back into the community now that we are trying to find our way back to normalcy,” he said. “”After COVID shut down in-person worship, gospel music services and concerts that are a staple in the African-American community were dealt a blow. Live streaming and online services just weren’t the same.” His goal for the event is to restore gospel to its rightful place in a setting in which “we can come together to celebrate God, musical gifts he has blessed us with and the precious gift of life itself.”

Mr. Winslow also has enlisted a longtime friend, Rev. Gina Whitaker Cannon, founder and leader of GMC Ministries, to serve as the emcee.

“I am elated and honored to participate,” Rev. Cannon said. While there is no charge to attend, Mr. Winslow said attendees are encouraged to contribute funds during the event to enable him to cover the expenses he has incurred.

“I’m taking on this endeavor all alone. There are no sponsors,” said Mr. Winslow, who lives on a monthly government disability check and has gone forward nonetheless.

Mr. Winslow

Mr. Winslow said the musical extravaganza will include two choirs, a 40-member Gospel Legends Choir featuring top performers and a 25-member support choir.

The East End resident said he received a warm reception when he started presenting the idea to people he regards as legends.

“These are people I have worked with over the years for whom I have great love and respect, and I am blessed to call

Mr. Winslow, who will celebrate his 55th birthday the day before the concert, started his journey into religious music when his mother, noticing his interest in playing piano, signed him up for private lessons at age 8.

A graduate of Marshall-Walker High School, he has played at churches throughout the Richmond area, and performed at weddings and funerals.

His contributions include founding the Rejoice Community Choir. He also was a music consultant and customer service representative for decades at Barky’s Spiritual Store in Downtown.

“This concert is just the kind of event he is called on to do,” Rev. Cannon said.

Playwright aims to open hearts and minds with premiere production

By Debora Timms

Brittany Fisher left her native Virginia for New York in 2021 to attend Juilliard’s Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program. Now graduated, she is still based in New York, but she never stays away for long. Her family won’t let her.

“My whole family is still here and they definitely guilt me into coming back very often,” the playwright laughed during a recent phone interview. “My grandpa, who had a big hand in raising me, is 93. He’s my bestie, so I try to come back and see him as much as possible.”

This time, Ms. Fisher has an extra reason to be back in Richmond – the play she wrote. “How to Bruise Gracefully” has already won a 2021 Kennedy Center award and it was a finalist in the 2022/23 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition. Now it’s about to have its world premiere.

“This is my very first production, so it is very special to be able to share it with the Richmond community where I grew

Artful anniversary

up,” Ms. Fisher said. When the production by Cadence Theatre, in partnership with Virginia Repertory Theatre, opens on May 12, it will be a “full circle moment” for Ms. Fisher. The story was born during her participation in Cadence’s inaugural Chris and David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pipeline New Works Fellowship Program in 2018. As it grew, director Melissa Mowrey and actor Nena Nicole were involved in its first reading and now they’re part of taking it to the stage. Ms. Nicole, a Richmond native, spoke by phone about reprising the role of Vi, a young YouTuber with a secret. What starts as a typical day becomes an exploration

of trauma, resilience, human connection and bodily autonomy through the stories and experiences of women.

“There is an honesty and a truthfulness to the writing,” Ms. Nicole said. “I ultimately wanted to do this because Vi’s so real. I really resonate with her.”

Telling the story in that honest way was very important to Ms. Fisher – for herself, but also for the story’s potential to get people thinking and talking.

“I hope people will keep an open mind. I want them to see the call to action that’s in the play,” she added. “I believe if you see or hear a story that moves you, well that is the beginning ground for people to become an advocate for others.”

“How to Bruise Gracefully” will be presented at the Libby S. Gottwald Playhouse from May 12-21. For tickets or more information visit www.dominionenergycenter.com/events/detail/howto-bruise-gracefull y and use the code GRACE25 to get tickets for $25 (before fees). Special pricing is applicable to online purchases only.

Visitors and exhibition guests helped celebrate the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University on April 21. First-time ICA visitor Pamela Moye says her love for art drew her to the celebration, which featured short casual conversations, music, performances and new works. Since its opening in 2018, the institute at 601 W. Broad St. has become known for its innovative exhibitions, community connections and commissioning works from a diverse range of artists.

The Associated Press LOS ANGELES

A Los Angeles judge on Tuesday denied a motion for a new trial from lawyers for rapper Tory Lanez, who was convicted of three felonies in December for shooting hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the feet and wounding her.

Superior Court Judge Herriford rejected arguments from lawyers for Lanez that evidence was wrongly admitted at the trial he presided over. He said that the exclusion of the disputed evidence would not have made a difference at the trial.

Lanez, 30, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, will now be sentenced for convictions of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. He could get up to 22 years in prison and faces deportation to his native

Canada.

As he was led from the courtroom back to jail after a hearing on the motion a day earlier, he pleaded with Judge Herriford to help him, saying “I could be your son. I could be your brother.”

Motions for a new trial filed immediately afterward with the same judge are a common precursor to appealing to a higher court, which Lanez’s attorneys plan to do. The motions are very rarely successful.

Lanez’s lawyers asserted that a post from his Instagram account was improperly admitted into evidence. They said that Megan’s

testimony that Lanez urged her not to go to police because he was on parole and would be in serious trouble was both untrue and an improper allowance of prior bad acts. And they said DNA evidence that prosecutors used to argue Lanez was the likely shooter fell well short of industry standards.

Lanez’s attorneys were disappointed from the start of Monday’s all-day oral arguments on their motion.

They had an elaborate presentation prepared, complete with audiovisuals and witnesses, but Judge Herriford would have none of it, insisting instead on narrow legal arguments on the precise issues raised, the norm for such motions in California court.

They pleaded at length with Judge Herriford to allow them to present their arguments in the way they had planned.

“I feel that I would be ineffective if we proceeded,” defense

attorney Jose Baez said. “Mr. Peterson has the right to due process for which he is entitled.”

They moved on under protest, and later filed a motion to have the judge disqualified.

Lanez’s lawyers, who did not represent him at trial, said the attorney who did, George Mgdesyan, made mistakes in his case because he was given so little time to prepare before trial when the rapper’s previous attorney dropped out.

Megan Thee Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete, testified that Lanez fired a handgun at the back of her feet and shouted for her to dance as she walked away from an SUV in which they had been riding in the Hollywood Hills in the summer of 2020.

Mr. Mgdesyan said at trial that Megan was lying in her testimony, and Lanez had not pulled the trigger. He said afterward that there was not sufficient evidence to convict.

Brittany Powell/Richmond Free Press

Ms. Fisher

Ms. Nicole

Tory Lanez denied new trial in Megan Thee Stallion shooting

Tory Lanez, Megan The Stallion

Happenings

Pop, jazz and soul artist N’Kenge performs with Richmond Symphony

as African-American singers, whether it was in opera or pop or musical theater. So they’re very inspirational – and also inspirational to anyone who’s trying to pursue their dream.

Free Press: What can people who attend the show expect?

By Craig Belcher

Singer N’Kenge has a lot of ground to cover when she performs with the Richmond Symphony later on May 13. The Grammy-nominated New Jersey resident is paying homage to the music of legendary artists such as Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Leontyne Price, Diana Ross and Beyoncé with a special show called “Legends.” Fortunately, her storied career has uniquely prepared her for a concert like this, which features sounds from jazz, pop, soul and opera.

She has played the part of singer Mary Wells in “Motown: The Musical,” performed with jazz musicians Ornette Coleman and Branford Marsalis and the Czech Republic as “Susanna” in the opera “Le Nozze Di Figaro.” She also is the executive and star of an upcoming musical about actress Dorothy Dandridge.

“I like being busy. I do,” she said in a recent interview. “The idea is to be able to explore different genres of music, educate people and enrich people.”

N’Kenge talks about this special show, her

influences and the special guest she’s bringing to the stage.

Free Press: Considering the range of legendary vocal gifts that you’re referencing in your show, how do you prepare for a concert like this?

N’Kenge: My preparation is being able to choose the right arrangements that would best display and exhibit the styles of music that that legend had inspired in me. And rehearsing with the symphony before the concert, talking through the repertoire with a conductor. And also kind of having a concise stream line of story, from beginning to end, because it’s very, very important for me to be able to connect with the audience, not just through music, but through words and conversation.

Free Press: So what ties all these legends together, aside from them being a part of your show?

N’Kenge: These legends have been chosen because I talk about my journey as a young girl, being exposed to music, through the church and being mentored, various teachers, and finding my inspiration, through these different icons,

which I just admired so much and that kind of helped guide me. And so what’s great about these legends is that all of them had amazing talent, all of them persevered, despite all the odds and challenges that they faced coming up

N’Kenge: Expect to be in a journey experiencing various styles of music and honoring some icons who paved a path for so many women like myself to be able to walk on and – having fun. I want everyone to leave that hall just inspired and enlightened and wanting to party. You know we definitely have some dance, some Beyoncé and Whitney music that’s going to be closing the show out. So I absolutely would encourage them to dance in the aisles if it’s a song that they really love.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

In celebration of Mother’s Day. I am bringing a very special guest artist, which is going to be my daughter, Jahzara Martina and she’s 8 years old. She made her debut with the Fort Worth Symphony when I was performing my holiday concert there. And it was such a big success, and she loved it, that I am bringing her back to join me with the Richmond Symphony.

N’Kenge performs with the Richmond Symphony 8 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Dominion Energy Center. The conductor is Chia-Hsuan Lin. Tickets are $15-$85. richmondsymphony.com.

Mucha diversión

Poised and pretty the Panamanian Traditional Dance Group of RVA was among many performers May 6 during the 22nd annual Que Pasa Festival on Brown’s Island.

This was a new location for the festival that formerly took place on the Canal Walk. The switch didn’t matter as thousands of people came out to celebrate Richmond and the surrounding areas’ Hispanic and Latin American cultures.

Sponsored by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the annual festival showcases the diversity and beauty of Hispanic and Latin American cultures while highlighting local businesses, artisans, food vendors featuring Latino culinary delights and entertainers. Among the live artist exhibitions, homemade crafts and gifts were fun family activities in the Kids Area featuring educational installations with arts and crafts activities.

Photos by Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

N’Kenge

‘I want everyone to leave inspired, enlightened and wanting to party’

Jean Allen Eggleston remembered for her substance and style

By Debora Timms

Jean Allen Eggleston, a lifelong Richmonder, died on Monday, May 1, 2023, at the age of 89. She will be remembered as loving and supportive to her family, a loyal friend, a kind teacher and a fashionista.

“That is the one thing that always gets mentioned after saying what a good person she was – her love of clothes and fashion,” her son, Neverett A. Eggleston III said earlier this week by telephone. The truth of that can be seen in the comments posted in the online guest book at Scott’s Funeral Home, where more than one former student fondly remembered their stylish math teacher and her shoes.

Mr. Eggleston says his mother related her wardrobe choices to her early days of teaching. She attended Virginia State University, graduated from Virginia Union University and did her student teaching at James H. Blackwell

Elementary School. “All the teachers dressed up,” he recalls her saying. “When integration happened, she saw the white teachers didn’t dress up. They wore leisure clothes, which she wasn’t used to. My mother kept with what she knew. She always dressed for school.”

Mrs. Eggleston’s career as a teacher spanned from the 1950s to her retirement in 1995. In addition to Blackwell, she also taught at Randolph School and John Marshall High School.

ninth grade. The high school sweethearts married in 1957 and had two children together – their son Neverett, and daughter Jayne J. EgglestonVann. She took pride in being involved and supportive in their lives.

“I don’t think I could have asked for a more loving and supportive mother,” her son said. “Being a loyal friend meant a lot to her as well.”

Bernetta Washington – known affectionately as “Peanut.”

Her other passions involved her church and her garden. Mrs. Eggleston was a dedicated member of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church and an avid gardener.

“She loved to have her hands in the dirt. She could do it for hours and hours,” Mr. Eggleston said. “Even in her last days, she still wanted to get out there. She had a real love of the earth.”

Jean Allen Eggleston is survived by her husband, son and daughter, brother-in-law Judge Willard Douglas, four grandchildren –Eunique Davis, Sojourner Eggleston, Enyah Eggleston and Ashley Eggleston, and two great-grandchildren, Preston Eggleston and Nylah Eggleston.

Musician Marlon Cox remembered for his talent, personality and sense of humor

By Craig Belcher

Musician and entrepreneur

Marlon Jermaine Cox died on Saturday, April 29, 2023, after a suffering a medical emergency in early April. Mr. Cox, 49, was known for his musical endeavors as a solo R&B artist, as the producer of a gospel group featuring family members, “The Henley Family Gospel Singers, and working with artists such as Joi, Angie Stone and Raphael Saddiq. He also provided music for various film and television productions.

There was another side to the guitarist, however. Cox was enamored with monster trucks and their remote control toy counterparts, known as “RC trucks.” In 2013, he and his brother formed Showtime RC Motorsports, a remote control car club. Together, they created miniature monster truck events that featured music, fireworks and smoke machines. Their shows were featured on local television newscasts and they would eventually host events around the country.

“Nobody else was doing it at that level,” his brother, Rafael Cox, said. “And that kind of skyrocketed Showtime to the top. We became like the biggest RC event. ”

With friends and associates in the R&B and gospel industry, as well as a following in the RC car community, Mr. Cox’s funeral at Mimms Funeral Home on May 9 was a diverse gathering of more than 300 friends and family. The service was anchored by his music, particularly the gospel songs he

recorded with his family, “Do As You Will,” and “Done Deal,” their message and memories of the father of three.

Mr. Cox said his brother’s extensive amount of friends and associates was due to his brother’s infectious personality, kindhearted nature and sense of humor.

“He’s very consistent on making sure people didn’t feel like he didn’t have time for them,” he said.

“People love him.”

The Cox’s first cousin, R&B singer D’angelo, spoke briefly during the Tuesday service.

“Marlon, he was more than just my first cousin, he was my first friend,” he said and gestured toward Mr. Cox’s casket, flanked by his Gibson guitar and a miniature monster truck. “He was the best.”

Rafael Cox said he hasn’t decided if Showtime Motorsports will continue. Another relative, Ms. Twanda Cox, who sang at the service and previously recorded with Marlon Cox, promised to move forward with the music they were creating.

“His job is not done because each and every one of us – that had a song, or he wrote a song – we better keep singing that song,” she said.

Besides his brother, Marlon, Mr. Cox is survived by his mother, Mary Jane Cox, two daughters, Kaeja and Makayla Cox, and son Kaden Cox.

“BACK IN SERVICE” Our doors are open again every Sunday @ 11:00 am. Live Streaming Every Sunday At: BRBConline.org or YouTube (Broad Rock Baptist Church) “MAKE IT HAPPEN”

216 W. Leigh St., Richmond, Va. 23220 Tel: 804-643-3366 Fax: 804-643-3367

Sunday Church School • 9am (Zoom)

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

Wednesday Bible Study • 7pm (Zoom)

Growing up, Mrs. Eggleston lived with her grandmother on Allen Avenue in the West End and met her future husband, Neverett A. Eggleston, Jr., in the

Mr. Eggleston said his mother was hit hard by the recent deaths of two very close friends, her sister-inlaw Jane Douglas and Gail Fitchett. She took comfort in the sisterhood she had with other dear friends, Margaret Lawrence, his godmother Claudette Martin, and

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

“BACK IN SERVICE” Our doors are open again

“MAKE IT HAPPEN”

Pastor Kevin Cook

Funeral services will be held 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11, at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, 1720 Mechanicsville Turnpike. 1858 The People’s Church

Please visit our website Ebenezer Baptist Church Richmond, VA for updates http://www. ebenezerrva.org

Bond Pastor

Mr. Cox

Mrs. Eggleston

Fall Line Trail – Henrico Southern Section & Hilliard Road Safety & Mobility Improvements

Public Information Meeting Henrico, VA

The Henrico County Department of Public Works has scheduled an in-person, public information meeting for the Fall Line Trail –Henrico Southern Section, which includes five phases of the County administered Fall Line Trail (FLT). This meeting will also include the Hilliard Road Safety & Mobility Improvements project.

The meeting will be held at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Fall Line Trail – Henrico Southern Section phases will construct approximately 2.5 miles of 12-foot-wide paved multi-use trail from the intersection of Bryan Park Avenue and Lakeside Avenue to Lakeside Avenue and Brook Road. These projects are part of the 43-mile paved multi-use Fall Line Trail that connects Ashland to Petersburg.

The Hillard Road Safety & Mobility Improvements project will provide bicycle accommodation in each direction within the existing roadway of Hilliard Road between Lakeside Avenue and Brook Road. Project plans and schematics will be available to view, and County staff will be available to answer questions. Attendees will also have the opportunity to provide comments. If unable to attend in person, project information and comment forms for these projects are available online at:

FLT - Pedestrian Accommodations at Spring Park - https://henrico.us/projects/ flt-park-street/ FLT - Lakeside Community Trail, Phases 1-3 - https://henrico.us/projects/lakesidecommunity-trail/ FLT - Brook and Hilliard Trail - https:// henrico.us/projects/flt-brook-hillard/ Hilliard Road Safety & Mobility Improvements - https://henrico.us/projects/ hilliard-road-reconfiguration/

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to 24 CFR 903.17, that Virginia Housing will hold a public hearing on the Public Housing Agency (PHA) Annual Plan for FY 2024.

The hearing will be conducted virtually and in-person on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 1:00 pm. The address to attend in-person is Virginia Housing, 4224 Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060. To obtain the weblink to the public hearing, please send an email to Diana.Crosswhite@VirginiaHousing.com by 5:00 pm on June 21, 2023.

The proposed PHA Plan and information relevant to the hearing is available for review by the public by emailing Diana.Crosswhite@ VirginiaHousing.com or visiting our website at VirginiaHousing.com.

Written comments may be submitted prior to the public hearing by mail to the attention of: HCVP Sr. Policy & Training Officer, Virginia Housing, PO Box 4545, Richmond, VA 23220. Written comments not presented at the public hearing must be received by Tuesday, June 20, 2023.

Virginia Housing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), age, national origin, familial status, or disability.

Project Engineer in Richmond, VA. (Multiple positions available). Engineer, plan, & manage the full life cycle of projects involving the application of high-velocity thermalspray coatings to protect heavy industry equipment. Req. 60% travel to project sites throughout the U.S. Mail resumes to M. Cain, Integrated Global Services, Inc., 7600 Whitepine Rd., Richmond, VA 23237.

Pilgrim Baptist Church is seeking a pianist for Sunday service. Has to teach and play. Has to travel when the Pastor goes to other Churches. Contact the Church 804-643-9244 pbc2012@verizon.net

Freelance Writers: Richmond Free Press has immediate opportunities for freelance writers. Newspaper experience is a requirement.

To be considered, please send

Zion Baptist Church of South Richmond, Virginia is seeking a bi-vocational Pastor. He or she must have theological training and experience. In addition one must have a strong foundation in the Baptist Doctrine. Please submit resumes to: Zion Baptist Church, attention: Pastor Search Committee, 1923 Decatur Street, Richmond, VA 23224 or email to ZBCOffice@verizon. net Deadline: May 31, 2023. Contact number: 804-232-2867.

5 samples of your writing, along with a cover letter to news@ richmond freepress.com or mail to: Richmond Free Press, P. O. Box 27709, Richmond, VA 23261. No phone calls.