Richmond Free Press May 16-18, 2019

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VOL. 28 NO. 20

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Words matter Renter receives settlement from local landlord following racist, vulgar abuse and discrimination By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Winter Whittaker knew what to do when the wealthy white real estate owner called her “a dumb a** n****r” and “a black b***h” after she repeatedly and fruitlessly asked him to fix the leaking roof and other serious problems with the Meadowbridge Road home she rented from him on North Side. The New Jersey transplant recorded the bigoted rants.

And when landlord H. Dean Parsons dared the 47-year-old car dealership clerk and mother of two to sue him for failing to carry out his responsibilities, she bravely took him on. Armed with the recordings containing his hideous comments, she hired an attorney and prepared to sue him for $5 million for housing discrimination and other violations of Virginia’s landlord-tenant laws, including his failure to return most of her security deposit after she moved out when the lease ended.

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Graduation celebrations

MAY 16-18, 2019

Ms. Whittaker

That left Mr. Parsons with one apparent choice — to stroke a big check before Ms. Whittaker took her case to a judge and jury in Richmond with help from attorney Helen Hardiman, a Richmond-based housing discrimination specialist, and Daniel P. Watkins of Clare Locke LLP in Alexandria, who joined the suit as lead counsel for Ms. Whittaker without charge. The size of the check is unknown because of an agreement Please turn to A4

City Council approves 2019-20 spending plan, but with flaws By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

John Marshall High School students Denaisja Jones, 16, left, and Nikisha Flemming, 15, put finishing touches on a 13-week mural project at the North Side school titled, “The Voices of John Marshall.” The students participate in ART180’s after-school community program, with the mural designed and created by 15 students with the coleadership of local artist-volunteers Austin “Auz” Miles and Justice Dwight. It is one of 16 projects ART180 has throughout the city.

“We made it,” City Council President Cynthia I. Newbille said after the council approved the 2019-20 budget Monday night without discussion. There was no comment on the shaky nature of a spending plan that relies on one-time revenues, a raid on the city’s pension fund and the city’s first ever cigarette tax to cover expenses, and also depends on rising property values amid warnings from some Wall Street mavens about a coming recession. Overall, the $746.2 million spending plan that City Council approved increases city outlays by nearly 4 percent over the current budget. The budget package means city spending will amount to $3,272 for each the 228,000 estimated residents, or about $120 more per person in the fiscal year that begins July 1. As expected, the approved budget will deliver big wins for e school staff and city workers Deadli ner in the form of the largest pay t to reg is Ju n e increases in years, including in e to vot ections 5 percent for teachers and y El Primar other staff with help from the y state, and 3 percent for city Mon da 0 employees, except for police May 2 and firefighters whose pay was boosted previously. The deadline to register to vote in Virginia’s June 11 Richmond Public Schools primary elections is Monday, also garnered the nearly $18 May 20. million it had sought to pay Please turn to A4

Richmond food justice corridor gets boost with $250,000 grant By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Arthur L. Burton has spent more than three years organizing a food-based approach to uplift the health and economic prospects of poorer sections of Richmond, particularly in and around public housing communities. After bringing together volunteers to create four community gardens, he has spent the past 17 months lobbying state officials to back the initiative to make urban agriculture a centerpiece of enabling residents to improve their well-being and become more selfsufficient. The Kinfolk Community nonprofit he founded and leads is being strengthened with a $250,000 grant from the Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech. Mr. Burton hopes this is the first step to increased state and community support.

The initial grant is to enable Kinfolk Community, and the umbrella Community Unity in Action coalition of public and private partners, to continue developing a food justice corridor of vegetable gardens in the East End and near Downtown and to undertake other initiatives in the coming months. If all goes well, Mr. Burton said the salad greens, cucumbers and other items now growing in the gardens will be sold to a Richmond school kitchen for summer school meals or to a Church Hill store. Residents also may learn to can and sell the fresh items to boost their incomes. He said the coalition, which also includes the Richmond City Health District and insurance giant Anthem, is planning to host cooking demonstrations to help families create healthier meals from the fresh Please turn to A4

RRHA rolls back plan for Dove Court replacement units By Jeremy M. Lazarus

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

This 2013 photo shows a portion of the newly opened Highland Grove mixed-income apartment community in Highland Park that replaced the 60 units of public housing in what previously was known as Dove Court. The community that nestles Dove and 1st streets also replaced Carrington Gardens, a decaying privately owned apartment complex.

The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority may be pulling back from its promise of providing a replacement unit for each public housing unit it tears down. At least that is the case in the continuing development of the Highland Grove community in North Side, a redevelopment that was once cited as a model for the authority’s future communities when it was begun 12 years ago. Please turn to A4

Jeremy M. Lazarus/Richmond Free Press

Arthur L. Burton checks the fresh broccoli growing at the Willis Road garden, one of four gardens established by the Community Unity in Action coalition he leads to improve and raise overall prospects of low-income Richmond area residents.

Republican or Democratic primaries for candidates vying for the House of Delegates, the state Senate and a number of local offices are being held in 73 localities, including in the Richmond area. Area voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, June 11, to cast ballots in primaries for the Henrico County Board of Supervisors, the Henrico sheriff, the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, the Hanover County Board of Supervisors and for the 62nd District in the House of Delegates, and state Senate candidates in the 10th, 11th, 12th and 16th districts that include jurisdictions stretching from Richmond to Petersburg. If there is a Democratic and a Republican primary in your district, voters will be asked to choose which primary they would like to participate in. Virginia law also requires voters to show an acceptable photo ID in order to vote in person. That includes a Virginia driver’s license, a U.S. passport, a student photo ID issued by a college or university in Virginia, an employerissued photo ID or a photo ID issued by the Virginia DMV. To find out if there is a primary election in your district, contact your local voter registrar’s office or go to www.elections.virginia. gov. Voters also have until 5 p.m. Monday, May 20, to update their voter registration information in order to vote in the primary. Registration and updating information can be done online at vote.virginia.gov.


Richmond Free Press

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Local News

New home for CARITAS

This long vacant tobacco plant at 2220 Stockton St. is being transformed into a new home for CARITAS, a nonprofit that serves people who are homeless or struggling with substance abuse. The $27 million renovation will provide a new home base for the organization led by Karen Stanley, in addition to one of the area’s largest recovery centers for female addicts. When complete and opened next spring, the building will have 160 beds for women in recovery, plus 47 apartments for women moving into the next stage of their lives. Slices of life and scenes The building also will inin Richmond clude offices for most of the organization’s 80 employees, an emergency shelter, space for a furniture bank that helps low-income people furnish their homes and room for a workforce development program. Much of CARITAS’ support comes from area churches that offer shelter during the winter for the homeless population served by CARITAS. CARITAS will continue to operate a 214-bed men’s Healing Place, about a mile away at 700 Dinwiddie Ave. in South Side. CARITAS received Richmond City Council permission for the new project in January 2017. The nonprofit reached a major milestone in financing earlier this year when it secured $16 million in historic and New Markets Tax credits to cover much of the construction cost.

Cityscape

Work stopped on planned Downtown hotel By Jeremy M. Lazarus

For a decade, an eight-story building at 5th and Franklin streets was a city-backed nursery for small businesses. Multiple black-owned companies and other fledgling firms made their home in the Advantech building in seeking a foothold in the market before the city’s Economic Development Authority called it quits and sold the building. Nearly three years later, the building is a moldering, vacant hulk that is still awaiting conversion into a boutique hotel by its current owner, Shamin Hotels. Just after the $2.5 million purchase in October 2016, Shamin Hotel’s chief executive officer, Neil Amin, told Richmond BizSense, an online business news service, that the company planned to renovate the building into an 87-room Moxy Hotel by Marriott. But work has been stopped for months on the project, and neither Mr. Amin nor any other official of the Chester-based Shamin Hotels responded to a Free Press request for comment. According to Mark Olinger, the city director of planning and development review, the records show “a permit was issued in early 2018 for interior demolition.” And for months, a dumpster on Franklin Street in front of the building was being filled with broken Sheetrock and other debris. However, Mr. Olinger stated, “Work has stopped because (the owner) does not have an approved plan of development, which means (the owner) cannot get a building permit. “We have reached out to get the additional information we need from (the owner) to finalize the plan of development,” Mr. Olinger continued. “Once that is approved, we can move to finalizing the building permit.” When that will happen is not clear. A filled dumpster was finally removed on April 30. Before then, wind had blown paper and other debris onto the sidewalk. The removal followed a Free Press query to the city Department of Public Works about the permit allowing the dumpster to take up parking spaces in front of the building.

Photos by Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Oliver Hill Day

Lamont K. Barnes, left, program coordinator with the Richmond Department of Justice Services, receives the Unsung Hero Award from attorney James M. Nachman during the 22nd Annual Oliver Hill Day on May 10 at the Oliver Hill Courts Building. The theme: “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society.” The event honors the memory of Mr. Hill, a lawyer and civil rights icon whose successful legal battles against racial discrimination helped end the unconstitutional doctrine of “separate but equal.” It also honors those who, in the spirit of Mr. Hill, make outstanding contributions to the law, the City of Richmond and the state. Below, Mr. Hill’s son, Dr. Oliver W. Hill Jr., second from right, a professor at Virginia State University, was among the keynote speakers for the event hosted by the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. With Mr. Hill are, from right, his wife, Dr. Renee Hill, an associate professor at VSU, and her parents, retired Lt. Col. Nelson Bickley and historian Dr. Ancella Bickley. Other keynote speakers were former Richmond Circuit Court Judge Richard D. Taylor Jr. and University of Richmond law professor Jonathan K. Stubbs.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Promoter sues city over admissions tax By Jeremey M. Lazarus

Longtime Richmond area promoter Fenroy A. “Hosea” Fox wants a refund of the 7 percent admissions tax he has paid to the city during the past four years from ticket proceeds from concerts and events he has staged. In a lawsuit filed Monday in Richmond Circuit Court, Mr. Fox alleges that the city is not “applying the admission tax in a uniform manner” in violation of state law. He wants the court to order the city to return $84,751.90 in admissions taxes he has paid since 2015. His request, through his attorneys John

H. Click Jr. and Stephen A. Mutnick, is based on a claim that the city “forgave approximately $240,000 in admissions taxes” that Richmond-based Johnson Inc. failed to pay for the Richmond Mr. Fox Jazz Festival that the marketing company stages each August at Maymont. According to the suit, the city determined that the Richmond Jazz Festival and Johnson Inc. did not need to pay admissions taxes on paid tickets to the

event from 2012 to 2017. The suit alleges that the city Finance Department violated its own guidelines in determining the jazz festival was exempt from the admissions tax because it is held at Maymont. While the City Code exempts Maymont and other museums from having to pay the tax on the admission charged to enter, the city Finance Department guidelines state that the “admission charge for entry into a concert held at a museum is not exempt from collection,” according to the lawsuit. The City Attorney’s Office has not yet been served with a copy of the suit.

‘She the People’ brings town hall to Richmond on May 18 By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Aimee Allison wants “purple” Virginia to be an epicenter in elevating the political voice and voting power of black women and other women of color in the November battle by Democrats to win control of the Virginia General Assembly and the presidential election fight in 2020. Ms. Allison is founder and leader of the year-old national political group “She the People.” She will be in Richmond Saturday, May 18, to lead a town hall meeting to lay out an agenda and energize women of color to make their political strength felt in the coming political fights, including the selection of candidates in the Tuesday, June 11, party primaries. The town hall is open to the public and will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Claude G. Perkins Living and Learning Center at Virginia Union University, 1500 N. Lombardy St. “Virginia is a key state,” the 49-year-old California resident told the Free Press in a telephone interview May 2 as she prepared for the event. “As a Southern swing

state, Virginia is both driving and mirroring what is happening nationally. “Women of color are a core Democratic constituency who play a huge role in primary and general Ms. Allison elections,” Ms.Allison said. “There is no question that Democrats cannot win without their vote, and that Democrats have a real chance at winning control of the legislature and in advancing their numbers in Congress when they take up the issues that drive black women.” Ms. Allison, who is considered one of the architects of the 2018 “blue wave” that sent a record number of women of color to Congress, recently won attention with a presidential candidates forum in Houston that drew more than 2,000 people. Also the president of Democracy in Color, Ms. Allison hopes that at least 200 people from around Virginia will turn out for the Richmond town hall to consider the issues important to women of color

and want candidates to support. “We want to focus attention on the racial, economic, gender and social justice issues that are central to the lives of women of color,” saidAlexsis Rodgers, director of communications for Virginia Planned Parenthood, who is among those supporting the event. Ms. Allison said the issues range from easing restrictions on voting to paid family leave; raising the minimum wage, including that for restaurant workers; maintaining family health centers; and reducing high mortality rates among black and Native American women giving birth. “Women of color can be a powerful voting block if we stand together on issues of importance to ourselves, our families and our communities,” said Ms. Allison, who is planning similar forums in other swing states. Today, “one in five voters in primaries are women of color, and we are 25 percent of the voters in key swing states, such as Virginia, Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Arizona,” she said. “We need to use that voting power to create a more inclusive and just democracy.”

Richmond NAACP to host Housing Justice Symposium May 18 Concerned about rising rents and the hardships people face in finding an affordable place to live? That will be the focus of a Housing Justice Symposium sponsored by the Richmond Branch NAACP from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the Main Library, 101 E. Franklin St., it has been

announced. “Housing is a human right. But for too many families, that right is far from a reality,” the announcement states. “Rents are rising, landlords are getting richer while tenants are living on the brink of eviction and inadequate housing is affecting the mental and physical well being of our

communities.” Organizers said the symposium will be the opening event, with follow-up programs to be held to address potential solutions. The event is open to the public without charge. Details: alorah1675@icloud.com.

City backs off plan for former NFL player to operate youth football program By Jeremy M. Lazarus

City Hall has quietly backed away from a plan to allow former NFL star Michael Robinson to operate the city’s fall youth football program through his nonprofit, volunteer-led Excel 2 Excellence football program. Last season, the Henrico County-based E2E program managed the Junior or 14U program and sent the top team, the Powhatan Vikings, to the Snoop Dogg Football League Nationals in Los Angeles. It was the first time a Richmond team has competed in the entertainer’s youth football event. Mayor Levar M. Stoney announced the connection with E2E in May 2018. Mr. Robinson, a former running back with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco Giants and now an analyst with the NFL Network, said he was told that E2E would continue running the 14U program this year and also take on the remainder of

the football program that serves younger children. Instead, E2E will remain in charge of the 14U program, according Tamara Jenkins, spokeswoman for the city Mr. Robinson Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, which offers youth football and other sports through its recreation centers. “PRCF had a wonderful inaugural season for the 14U tackle football team with the Excel 2 Excellence league,” Ms. Jenkins stated in response to a Free Press query. “We will continue to partner with E2E for the department’s 14U tackle football team to play in their league this season,” she continued. “The remainder of the teams, flag, Junior Varsity Pee Wee, Pee Wee, and Midget, will continue to play in the PRCF league.”

Mr. Robinson, a former Varina High School and Penn State University football standout who also earned a Super Bowl ring with the Seattle Seahawks, created the E2E program after retiring from pro football in 2014. The league has partnered with a variety of suburban youth sports leagues in Henrico and nearby counties and has several thousand young people now playing. Mr. Robinson has wanted to partner with the city to allow urban youths to participate. The purpose of the program is to use the sport to help young people learn discipline, focus on academics and realize their opportunities to achieve success in life, Mr. Robinson has noted. Because only a tiny fraction of the young people who play football ever get to the pro level, Mr. Robinson has said, the purpose of his league “is to help youths from all walks of life develop into the healthy, educated leaders of tomorrow.”


Richmond Free Press

May 16-18, 2019

ARE YOU READY? CHECK OFF YOUR STORM PREP LIST

Stock up on non-perishable food, water, medicine, baby and pet supplies Buy a battery-operated radio, flashlights, fans and extra batteries Have extra cash on hand — ATMs might be down and banks might be closed Keep your gas tank full Help family and friends with a plan if they rely on electronic medical equipment Know how to safely use your generator Sign in to your online account at DominionEnergy.com and update your phone number

Follow us on and and bookmark the interactive power outage map at DominionEnergy.com to report and track your outage. For more tips, visit DominionEnergy.com/stormprep.

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Richmond Free Press

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News

Renter receives settlement from local landlord following racist, vulgar abuse and discrimination Continued from A1

between Ms. Whittaker, her attorneys and Mr. Parson and his attorney, Thomas M. Wolf of LeClairRyan. But it was enough for Ms. Hardiman and Mr. Watkins to send news releases to the media announcing “an important settlement” by Mr. Parsons and his family real estate business, Intermont LLC. The settlement apparently did not bar Ms. Whittaker and her attorneys from sending to the media copies of the unfiled lawsuit detailing the nightmarish conditions that Mr. Parsons created for Ms. Whittaker and other black women tenants living in the allegedly deteriorating properties owned by Mr. Parsons and his family company. That information exposed the largely hidden, racist side of the prosperous Mr. Parsons and undercut a previous media portrayal of him and Intermont as a real estate success story through the ownership of 375 rental homes and apartments, largely in majority African-American neighborhoods. Instead, Ms. Whittaker’s video and audio recordings, as well as other documented complaints assembled by her attorneys, show that Mr. Parsons created his fortune by creating pain for tenants by allowing Intermont’s property holdings to deteriorate and then verbally browbeating those who complained, bombarding them with racist and vulgar demands that they move out.

A prime example is a recorded exchange between Mr. Parsons and Ms. Whittaker when she told him she would sue. “I don’t give a good godda**. You’re just another dumb a** n****r I got to go to court with, and I go to court every damn day with them,” Mr. Parsons is heard saying on the recordings. “It ain’t no big damn deal to me.” In another recorded exchange, Mr. Parsons tells Ms. Whittaker, “I hate renting to single black b****es. Just get the f*** out of my house.” In addition to Ms. Whittaker, the legal team had statements from three other renters who detailed the same pattern of racist abuse from Mr. Parsons when he was asked to repair broken toilets, water leaks and broken windows. Considered an extreme example, Mr. Parsons is just one of many owners who are taking advantage of rising rents to offer decaying properties to people desperate to find something affordable. Hundreds of renters have faced deplorable conditions and had their lives disrupted after city inspectors, responding to complaints, ended up condemning apartments when repairs were not made. The Flats at Ginter Park, Hawthorne Hall, Somerset Glen and Ashton Square are among the complexes that were, at one point, condemned by the city Department of Planning and Review’s Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement Division as unfit for human habitation, forcing tenants to move.

In the case of the Flats at Ginter Park and Hawthorne Hall, a Richmond judge last year forced the sale of the properties after the owners refused to take any action to repair a litany of problems, including a lack of heat and hot water. New owners are investing in renovations, and it is unclear whether those complexes and the others are now habitable. Mr. Parsons appears to have avoided such city enforcement actions. While efforts to obtain records on city inspections of Intermont properties were not immediately successful, Richmond court records showed no summonses for Mr. Parsons or his company for failing to make repairs. Ms. Hardiman said fair housing watchdog Housing Opportunities Made Equal, which has a track record of legally going after property owners who discriminate, was not involved in Ms. Whittaker’s case. Heather M. Crislip, president and chief executive officer of HOME, would neither confirm nor deny that Mr. Parsons has ever drawn the organization’s attention. In response to a Free Press query, she stated that HOME does not comment on its investigations, except when there is a positive outcome, and sometimes not even then. “We were outraged” by a published report on the Whittaker case and about “such shameful discriminatory statements,” she stated. She added that HOME welcomes information and complaints involving housing discrimination so they can be investigated.

City Council approves 2019-20 spending plan, but with flaws Continued from A1

for teacher salary increases and to cover the second year of Superintendent Jason Kamras’ turnaround plan. RPS also won budget support for borrowing $19 million to give school maintenance a significant one-time boost. Other beneficiaries include bus riders, with GRTC receiving $800,000 extra to improve service to a new Church Hill grocery store and extend service hours to areas of South Side. The council also agreed to borrow $15 million to beef up street paving — a one-time shot in the arm for the city Department of Public Works to address decaying streets — and approved a proposal to increase a city lending program aimed at assisting developers to create less costly housing from $2 million to $2.9 million. The biggest losers are smokers, and possibly employees of the convenience stores that rely on the sales of cigarettes. City Council is counting on raising $3 million from adding a 50-cent city tax to the price of a pack of cigarettes, with $600,000 to be sent to the Richmond City Health District to pay for programs to help smokers quit. Store owners warned City Council that customers will bypass them to buy smokes, gas and other products in nearby stores in Henrico and Chesterfield counties that do not have a local tax. The owners’ prediction: Sales and sales tax collections for the city would fall and the drop would force layoffs of 100 or more store clerks. “This is an investment in the city’s future,” Mayor Levar M. Stoney said Tuesday in cel-

ebrating approval of most of his priorities, despite having the council reject his proposal for a 9-cent hike in the property tax rate, the city’s most significant form of tax revenue. The council avoided a tax increase, not by Mayor Stoney shrinking the government, but by gaining recognition for a projected onetime increase in property taxes of about $6.5 million, based on a revised estimate of real estate tax values from City Assessor Richie N. McKeithen. Another $3 million came from approving 1st District Councilman Andreas Addison’s idea of offering incentives to get some of the 200 city workers who are eligible for retirement to leave so they could be replaced by newer, lower-paid workers. The only problem is the impact that proposal will have on the city’s struggling pension plan. In 2014, City Council approved a similar, two-year plan with the goal of generating $6 million in salary savings. The plan generated only about $3.5 million over the two years after about 132 employees retired, but it cost the city’s pension plan $15 million, according to Leo Griffin, executive director of the Richmond Retirement System. The city is spending about $790,000 a year to repay that cost, a bill that will take 20 years to pay off, he said. Mr. Griffin said the RRS, which has assets

of about $744 million, was not asked to evaluate the cost of the new plan, but he said he expects the assets of the system will take another hit with the latest program. The new program comes at a time when the system Dr. Newbille is paring its expectations for investment returns, Mr. Griffin said, and also changing its mortality projections to reflect that retirees are living longer. In a briefing for City Council on May 6, Mr. Griffin indicated the change is expected to drop the funded status of the system’s major benefit program from 65 percent to 60 percent, requiring the city to pay more in support each year as RRS seeks to reach a healthy level of funding, which is regarded as 80 percent to 90 percent. That is bad news for city retirees, who have not received a cost of living increase in at least a decade, and who have previously been told that such a COLA would depend on the system reaching at least an 80 percent funded status. Meanwhile, the council avoided taking steps to deal with the huge deferred maintenance issue the city faces. For example, the council followed Mayor Stoney’s lead and provided $19 million for replacing roofs, boilers and air conditioning systems and dealing with other problems in the city’s aging schools. But that was just for the 2019-20 school year, and the amount is far short of the $95 million

the School Board projected is needed. Through 2024, the mayor proposed and council approved spending $4 million in the 2020-21 budget year for maintenance, $3 million in the 2021-22 budget year, $2.5 million in the 2022-23 budget year and nothing in the 2023-24 budget year. In addition, as the mayor promised, he outlined a plan to spend an additional $650 million on new school construction through 2040, but that plan does not include money for maintenance of school buildings. The street paving program follows a similar pattern. Bobby Vincent, director of the Public Works Department, has outlined a need for a minimum of $110 million to resurface the city’s streets and a need for $225 million to overhaul the streets’ fabric. Council endorsed the mayor’s plan to provide $15 million in the 2019-20 fiscal year and also endorsed the mayor’s plan to cut that spending in each of the following four budget years to about $5 million a year. And that doesn’t count a host of other capital improvement projects that are unfunded. For example, Fire Chief Melvin Carter hoped to get a start on planning to replace outdated fire stations, only to see most of the money stripped away so that the council could use it to balance the 2019-20 budget. Councilman Michael J. Jones, 9th District, acknowledged as he reviewed council’s budget that “once again, we’ve kicked the can down the road” when it comes to dealing with maintenance and capital improvements. In his view, the council needs to come to grips with that problem.

RRHA rolls back plan for Dove Court replacement units Continued from A1

In a decision that could set a precedent, RRHA has decided not to replace 22 of the 60 public housing units in Dove Court that were bulldozed in 2008 at Dove and 1st streets to make way for a mixed-income community called Highland Grove. Instead of units for public housing, RRHA plans to turn those 22 units into affordable housing for people with annual incomes four to six times the average $10,000 a year income of public housing residents. The new homes would start at $185,00, officials said. Responding to a Free Press query, Damon E. Duncan, RRHA’s chief executive officer, stated, “I cannot speak” about any promises about one-for-one replacement of public housing units made before his arrival in March. However, he stated that “RRHA is committed to ensuring that all eligible residents affected by redevelopment continue to have HUD assistance at either the Dove site or any other

RRHA developments.” Highland Grove’s development, although it has taken far longer City Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson, the council’s champion than expected to get the single-family homes underway after the for public housing who has been involved with redevelopment completion of the apartments in 2013. planning for this section of the 6th District she represents, did RRHA is now engaged in winning city approvals for the not comment on the loss of the public housing units. subdivision that ultimately could have 139 to 155 new attached Built and managed by private developer Laurel Street, the and detached homes. Highland Grove community currently is comprised of 128 apartIf all goes well, RRHA could begin hiring contractors by early ment units, including at least 30 units for which RRHA pays next year to start installing streets and alleys and laying concrete the rent for families who qualify for public housing and meet pads for the first 33 homes to be built along Dove Street on land the landlord’s requirements. once occupied by the Virginia National Guard headquarters and RRHA also subsidizes rents in eight other units in High- armory that has been demolished. land Grove or in other communities as replacements for Dove Sales of homes would dictate the future pace of the proposed Court. development that would be on three sides of Overby-Sheppard That leaves the 22 units. Those units will no longer exist, Elementary School. according to RRHA. Instead, they are being rolled into a new RRHA plans to use $3.5 million left from a failed effort to subdivision being planned for the Highland Grove community build a replacement for Overby-Sheppard Elementary School to and offered to households making $46,000 to $65,000 a year. begin the work as it also seeks one or more housing developers to New single-family homes have long been part of the plan for undertake the single-family home portion of Highland Grove. BIRTH.BIRTHDAY.AWARD.GRADUATION.HONOR.ENGAGEMENT.WEDDING.ANNIVERSARY.LIFE.

Richmond food justice corridor gets boost with $250,000 grant Continued from A1

produce. “This has been a long road,” Mr. Burton said. “But finally, we have begun to make real progress.” The produce will come from gardens Kinfolk Community and the nonprofit partners oversee, including a fledgling garden that opened last year in Gilpin Court through efforts of the late Lillie Estes and others. Another garden is underway on the grounds of Faith Community Baptist Church in Church Hill, Mr. Burton said. Volunteers from groups such as Fit4Kids, the Richmond Food Justice Alliance and Faith Leaders Moving Forward as well as Richmond Public Schools planted a garden earlier this spring in the courtyard at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, he said, that is seen as a supplier to the school’s cafeteria. Mr. Burton also has created the largest garden on nearly an acre of family property off Willis Road in Chesterfield County. A longtime community organizer, Mr. Burton has sought to boost community self-sufficiency. He began more than six years ago in the Mosby Court community, where with support from a

$75,000 city grant, he launched a youth conservation corps and worked with residents to grow gardens beside their apartments. He also started a job search operation in Mosby Court that helped dozens of people secure work. After the grant ran out and funding dried up for the conservation corps, Mr. Burton started working on the food-based approach to community uplift with nonprofit and government agencies. He has refused to be discouraged at the slow pace of development, preferring to focus on the positive. “We need to look for the opportunities we have, rather than worrying about what we don’t have.” He sees many other initiatives lacking a strong connection with the low-income residents such efforts are supposed to help. Mr. Burton is hopeful the supportive connections he has made with Virginia Tech, the Virginia Department of Education and other agencies will result in additional financial support for an urban agricultural model he believes can ultimately change lives. “All of us who are involved hope the state’s investment will cause the city to be more serious” about supporting the work, he said.

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Richmond Free Press

May 16-18, 2019

African Americans tend to have more severe forms of Parkinson’s disease. And they’re less likely to seek treatment from movement specialists. If you or a loved one suffers from Parkinson’s disease, please contact VCU Health’s Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center today.

Parkinson’s Disease More than 500,000 people in the U.S. currently live with the disease. For those 65 years or older, Parkinson’s disease affects one out of every 100 people. Less commonly, it can start as early as age 40 or younger. Parkinson’s disease occurs when brain cells are damaged by a special protein called alpha-synuclein which collects in a deep part of the brain.

Symptoms: • • • •

Tremors Stiffness Difficulty walking Slowness of movement

Treatment for Parkinson’s disease:

VCU’s Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center at The Neuroscience Orthopaedic and Wellness Center offers access to: • • • • • •

Movement disorder neurologists and physician assistants Neuropsychologists Physical, occupational and speech therapy Social workers Imaging and laboratory services Treatment for other movement disorders such as tremors, dystonia, ataxia, restless legs syndrome, tic disorders and Huntington’s disease Opportunities to participate in cutting-edge clinical research studies

• •

Exercise, healthy diet and drinking plenty of water Physical, occupational and speech therapy Medications and procedures that fit your unique symptoms. Options include but are not limited to: · Carbidopa/levodopa · Dopamine agonists · MAO-B inhibitors · DBS surgery

To schedule an appointment call 804-360-4669. © 2019 VCU Health. All rights reserved. Sources: National Center for Biotechnology Information; Boston University School of Medicine; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society; Medtronic; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Richmond Free Press

A6  May 16-18, 2019

News

Drug testing backlog delays cases; defendants linger in jail By Marie Albiges The Virginian-Pilot

NORFOLK, Va. Deep inside a six-story, brown and tan state building in Norfolk, not far from the waterfront, you’ll find thousands of sealed bags stored in a locked vault. Each bag is labeled with a unique identification number and holds its own set of evidence — powders, tablets, capsules, injectables, patches, plants and liquids of all shapes, sizes and quantities — waiting to be examined. Scientists will eventually poke, prod, dilute and separate the substances to figure out what they are and if they are illegal. They’ll scribble notes about what they find in the course of their testing — prescription drugs, synthetic opioids or fentanyl derivatives, wrapped in a plastic baggies or stored in orange pill bottles — and present their results to law enforcement. But that process is taking months and tying up the criminal justice system as the state agency responsible for doing the testing, the Department of Forensic Science, struggles to keep up with the increasing number of cases submitted. The defendants facing charges for the seized drugs are also waiting — sometimes in jail — for the test results needed for their court cases to move forward. Without that record, trials are delayed, and prosecutors must decide whether to push to keep the defendant in custody — perhaps unnecessarily, if the drug turns out not to be illegal — or release them on bond while they wait for the testing. Letting a drug-addicted defendant out risks having them use again, which sometimes proves fatal. As of May 1, there was a backlog of 11,794 controlled substances cases, according

to a statistics provided by Linda Jackson, director of the state Department of Forensic Science. Drug submissions increased 27 percent between 2015 and 2018, and during that same time period, the backlog grew nearly 250 percent. And in fiscal year 2018, it took an average of four months for a scientist to finish testing evidence in a single case. Ms. Jackson said the main reason for the backlog is the significant rise in cases since 2015, and her department is doing its best to handle the increase by hiring more scientists and requiring overtime. ___ Not only has the labs’ work increased, but it has become more complicated. As the makeup of drugs seized has gotten more complex, identifying them takes more time, said Brian Meinweiser, controlled substances supervisor at Norfolk’s Eastern Laboratory. He added that there aren’t enough examiners to handle the backlog, and training a new one takes around 10 months. And the scientists already on the payroll spend hours a week testifying in court, which takes time away from the lab. Mr. Meinweiser considers it a success if the turnaround time is under three months in his lab. In April, the turnaround time for the four labs was 113 days — almost four months. He said his counterparts in the western and northern labs have been racking up cases — the Northern lab’s backlog is around seven or eight months — and the forensic science department transfers the cases across the state so each lab has around the same workload. In 2017, 28 percent of prescription opioid cases submitted to the department came from the Western part of the state,

Jonathon Gruenke/The Daily Press via AP

In this December 2018 photo, forensic scientist group supervisor Arthur Christy tests evidence for the presence of controlled substances at the Virginia Department of Forensic Science’s Eastern Laboratory in Norfolk.

even though it only makes up 5 percent of the state’s population. That area also led the way in amount of methamphetamine submitted at 30 percent. Lt. Jason Robinson, who leads a regional drug task force from the Virginia State Police office in Wytheville, said that while meth submitted hasn’t decreased, the number of clandestine meth labs has dropped over the years. “People are still using meth. It’s just that they aren’t making it. It’s cheaper, more profitable to buy it,” he said over the phone. In the 15 Western counties he covers, opioids remain a problem, although Lt. Robinson said the state’s prescription monitoring program, which allows prescribers and phar-

Alabama outlaws abortion Free Press wire report

MONTGOMERY, ALA. Alabama’s Republican governor signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation Wednesday, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.“To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God,” Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement. The bill’s sponsors want to give conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court a chance to gut abortion rights nationwide, but Democrats and abortion rights advocates criticized the bill as a slap in the face to women voters. “It just completely disregards women and the value of women and their voice. We have once again silenced women on a very personal issue,” said Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, a Birmingham Democrat. Sen. Coleman-Madison said she hopes the measure awakens a “sleeping giant” of women voters in the state. But Republican pollster Chris Kratzer noted that there is no congressional district and likely no legislative district with enough swing voters to put Republicans at serious risk in the state. “The people who are outraged about this are not the people who are electing these guys, generally speaking, especially when we’re talking about the primary,” he said. The GOP-dominated Alabama Senate voted 25-6 to make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison for the abortion provider. The only exception would be when the woman’s health is at serious risk. Women seeking or undergoing abortions wouldn’t be punished. Senators rejected an attempt to add an exception for rape and incest. The amendment was voted down 21-11, with four Republicans joining Democrats. “You don’t care anything about babies having babies in this state, being raped and incest,” Democratic Sen. Bobby Singleton said on the Senate floor after the amendment’s defeat. “You just aborted the state of Alabama with your rhetoric with this bill.” Rep. Terri Collins, the bill’s sponsor, said

she believes the measure reflects the beliefs of the majority of the state electorate. “I’ve heard from lots of women in the state who are extremely pro-life, and they’re very supportive,” Rep. Collins said. Gov. Ivey acknowledged Wednesday that the measure may be unenforceable in the short term. The law is set to go into effect six months after being signed, but supporters expect it to be blocked by lower courts as they fight toward the U.S. Supreme Court. “The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur,” Gov. Ivey said. Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia recently approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. The Alabama bill goes further by seeking to ban abortion outright. Abortion rights advocates vowed swift legal action. “We vowed to fight this dangerous abortion ban every step of the way and we meant what we said. We haven’t lost a case in Alabama yet and we don’t plan to start now. We will see Governor Ivey in court,” said Staci Fox, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood Southeast. One mile from the Alabama Statehouse — down the street from the Governor’s Mansion — sits Montgomery’s only abortion clinic, one of three performing abortions in the state. Because of its location, the clinic sees a stream of patients from Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle because other clinics have closed. Clinic staff on Wednesday fielded calls from patients and potential patients wrongly worried that abortion was now illegal in the state. They were assured abortion remained legal in the state. “It’s been a lot of fear. A lot of people who are afraid they can’t get their procedure,” said Kari Crowe, a clinic employee and escort. “Abortion is OK!” read a banner paid for by abortion rights advocates that a plane carried as it circled the Alabama Capitol and Statehouse on Wednesday.

macists to track prescriptions, is helping reduce the amount of opioids seized. For Mr. Meinweiser, who has been with the department for 13 years, he sees the drug backlog steadying soon, at least in Norfolk. “There’s always something. You get caught up, something happens, and you fall behind again,’” he said. In 2017, cocaine and heroin were the most-submitted drugs in Region 5, which includes the Eastern Shore, all of Hampton Roads and seven counties immediately to the west. ___ Because examiners work on cases in the order they were received, the evidence brought in by police officers is given a case number and placed in storage until someone is ready to test it. An examiner starts by taking out the sealed bag of evidence, conducts an inventory and removes anything that won’t be tested. A 1998 state policy eased the burden on scientists by saying they don’t have to test items with residue, such as a smoking device, if there are accompanying weighable drugs in the case. The examiner weighs each piece — the weight could affect the type of charge the defendant receives — and compares it to a “standard,’” or a pure sample manufactured and purchased legally to serve as a benchmark in drug testing. As they work, the scientist is noting the substance’s color, markings, number of pieces, the container it’s in and what tests have been performed. If there are 15 tablets bearing different markings, for example, each one has to be tested. The evidence could also contain synthetic opioids or illicit fentanyl, each with a different chemical makeup. More and more, that’s what examiners like Mr. Meinweiser are seeing. The percentage of illicit fentanyl cases submitted rose 2,212 percent between 2013 and 2017, with the majority of such drugs coming from the Richmond area and Hampton Roads in 2017. “Because of the mixture, there’s obviously more drugs in there, more standards to run, and typically the mixtures we’re seeing with the opioids, there’s different fentanyl derivatives,” Mr. Meinweiser said. Sometimes, if the substance is especially complex, examiners have to custom order standards to compare the evidence to, which can take several weeks or months. Finally, after all the tests have been completed, the examiner finishes their notes, issues a “certificate of analysis’” for the prosecutor and investigating officer, seals up the evidence bag and returns it to the police. But in between the inventorying and the testing, examiners are often waiting to testify in court. A 2009 U.S. Supreme Court

ruling in the case of MelendezDiaz v. Massachusetts increased the number of witness subpoenas staff received, meaning more time spent out of the lab. The court said a defendant has the right to cross-examine the examiner who tested drugs. In the past, prosecutors often submitted the scientists’ written reports to juries without testimony. While Mr. Meinweiser said he’ll only spend 15 to 20 minutes on the stand, he’ll sometimes wait hours for his turn to testify. In 2017, the controlled substances staff received 7,360 subpoenas and made more than 500 court appearances, resulting in about 66 days away from the lab. And unlike Mr. Meinweiser, who enjoys a relatively short commute to any courthouse in Hampton Roads, some of his counterparts in Western Virginia sometimes have to drive hours to testify. To save time, the state department has asked for its examiners to be able to testify remotely via video. In a survey of law enforcement officials, attorneys and medical examiners last year, 68 percent said they’d be interested in allowing examiners to testify remotely. Ms. Jackson said defense attorneys were more likely to answer “no.” Elliott Bender, a Richmondbased criminal defense attorney, said it might work for bench trials but would be tougher to execute with a jury. “Anytime you have video testimony, it’s going to send a weird signal to a jury,” he said, adding jurors could have doubts about the examiner’s location and qualifications. ___ Mr. Bender said he has had clients sit in jail for seven or nine months, waiting for the evidence to be tested. In some of his cases, the evidence turns out not to be illegal drugs. “At nine months, your client is saying, ‘I want to go home,’” Mr. Bender said. When the backlog was over five months, Mr. Meinweiser got a lot of phone calls. “The judges didn’t want to hold people in jail that long,” he said. He said judges were conflicted, because they also feared letting defendants out of jail meant they could use again, and possibly overdose, before the lab results came back. Such a case came across the desk of Williamsburg-James City County Commonwealth’s Attorney Nate Green last year. With agreement from the defense, a judge released a defendant on bond and ordered him to attend a drug treatment program, but the defendant fatally overdosed on heroin before the examiner could issue a report. Mr. Green said while the defendant wasn’t a flight risk or a danger to the public, he was a danger to himself. “We’re not giving them the

death penalty by letting them out and letting them use heroin again and kill themselves,” he said. Delegate Mike Mullin, who works as a criminal defense attorney in Newport News, tells his clients that’s just how the judicial system works right now. “When someone’s waiting for trial on a charge like this, that could be their livelihood. That could be their reputation in society. That could be their feeling of security,” he said. “It’s not something that either side can sort of hurry up,” he said he tells defendants. “It’s just one of those things you have to deal with at the moment.’” Mr. Green said he has to carefully schedule preliminary hearings and grand juries, as there’s always a chance the certificate of analysis hasn’t been issued in time for a hearing. “It just makes us think about where on the assembly line of justice we should put this case,” he said. ___ To address some of the backlog, the department received money to hire six more forensic scientists in the fiscal 2019 budget. But it still wouldn’t be enough to manage the caseload. So in August, the governor agreed to let the department use an additional $1.66 million now that it wasn’t scheduled to get until 2020. It will go to hire an additional six scientists, two evidence specialists and two forensic administrative specialists; purchase two pieces of equipment needed to handle the increase; and pay to have some of the backlogged evidence tested at a commercial laboratory. About 380 cases have been outsourced so far, with 75 cases a week being sent out for analysis, Ms. Jackson said. Between the additional staff and the outsourcing, the department has been able to reduce the backlog by about 2,000 cases in five months. Still, the department is expecting a 10 percent increase in submissions in 2019, according to a 2018 annual forensic science department report. And, according to the 2018 annual report, the state is evaluating policy changes that would limit submissions and testing. And in the short term, there’s another solution: Making scientists work longer hours. In fall 2017 and 2018, the department required all controlled substances examiners to put in overtime. They did it again this year between Jan. 1 and May 30, this time asking for an additional 40 hours of work. “We have to worry about burnout in our job, too,” Mr. Meinwieser said. “We obviously have to get everything right, and if people are tired or they are burned out, it’s not going to help anything.”


Richmond Free Press

May 16-18, 2019

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Richmond Free Press

Daylilies in The Fan

Editorial Page

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May 16-18, 2019

Next up: Richmond Coliseum We are pleased that Richmond City Council swiftly approved its $746 million budget plan for 2019-2020 without further debate, rancor or issues. Richmonders — and other observers — will see and feel its impact in the coming months. The budget, which goes into effect July 1, offers a 3 percent raise for city employees, $16 million for road and sidewalk repairs, $800,000 for expanded GRTC bus service in South Side and the East End and millions more for Richmond Public Schools’ critical needs. We applaud City Council for keeping the city’s tax rate at its current level, although we will see modest monthly increases in our city water, sewer and gas bills. This budget also may give smokers the incentive they need to quit, with a 50 cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes sold in Richmond. By quitting the habit, smokers may save money and their health. We look now to the next big issue facing Richmond and the City Council — repair or replacement of the Richmond Coliseum. We hope council members will continue to delve deeply into the issues and financing of the project during their deliberations on this matter, which will change the Downtown landscape and may prove costly and detrimental to the city as a whole. From the information currently disseminated on the replacement proposal, we believe it would be better to spend $25 to $35 million for a Coliseum facelift than to spend $220 million or more to build a new facility. City Council must think about what would make better sense in the long run for Downtown, the city as a whole and the residents and taxpayers of the city. We dislike that the project, sought by Dominion Energy CEO Thomas F. Farrell II and friends, appears aimed at benefiting a few to the detriment of many. It is clear that city officials turned a blind eye — and closed the city’s wallet — to the needed repairs pointed out by experts in 2008. Is there any wonder why the Coliseum’s interior seems to be run-down 11 years later? Rather than building from scratch, we believe the city should refurbish the unique structure that graces our city center, so that we can move the Virginia Commonwealth University commencement back to its longtime location and attract the big acts and events that seek such venues. Our actions, while not hasty, must be swift, before newer venues, such as the Virginia Credit Union LIVE! mid-size, open-air amphitheater at the Richmond Raceway Complex in Henrico County, siphon off all the good shows and the dollars they put into local government coffers other than Richmond.

To the moon and beyond Whatever President Trump does is rightly met with skepticism. In addition to changing with the wind, he routinely lobs policies and proposals that are regressive, hurtful and often terrifying to populations who need help the most. (Examples: Think of President Trump’s efforts to roll back pre-existing condition protections in the Affordable Care Act and to push policies allowing children of undocumented immigrants to be separated from their parents.) So it is rare when we find ourselves in agreement with one of his proposals. Monday evening was one of those rare times. President Trump sent a 2020 budget amendment to Congress that would shift $1.9 billion in surplus Pell Grant money to fund other budget priorities. Among them would be an additional $1.6 billion to NASA to once again send American astronauts to the moon. Specifically, the additional funding is to facilitate a human landing near the lunar south pole by 2024, a target announced earlier this year by the administration. NASA officials said the mission would lead to a long-term, sustainable human presence on the moon. The money would be in addition to the $21 million already allocated to NASA for 2020, officials said. While we had concerns that money would be siphoned from the critically needed Pell Grant program that helps low-income students and families pay for higher education, officials from the federal Office of Management and Budget stated that no students or their grants would be affected by the change, and that the program remains sound financially. According to OMB officials, enrollment in the Pell Grant program has declined since 2011, leaving nearly $9 billion unspent. Further investigation may be needed into why enrollment is down, or whether Pell Grant enrollment guidelines should be changed. But in the interim, we believe shifting $1.9 billion of the surplus largely to help boost the space program is commendable. Here’s why: Funding the future in space is better than funding a border wall on Earth. Our working in space can help broaden our horizons and thinking and expand our capability for collaboration and alliances with other nations rather than building barriers that separate us. Many of the innovations we take for granted today were born out of NASA and the space race. Among them: • Pressurized air tanks originally designed for life support systems aboard spacecraft are now used to help firefighters breathe when they enter burning buildings. The same lightweight tanks are used to fuel city buses. • Thanks to NASA algorithms, first responders, explorers and drivers have precise GPS locations. • NASA technology enhances fitness workouts through exercise devices employing “weightless” technology that are widely available on the consumer market. • NASA innovations have become a crucial components in the area of health and medicine, including infrared ear thermometers, robotic arms used for surgery, robotics and shock-absorption/comfort materials used for artificial limbs and technology used in pacemakers. A collaboration between NASA and the late renowned heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey and others resulted in creation of a lifesaving heart pump for patients awaiting heart transplants. • Work at NASA has helped develop aircraft anti-icing systems, advanced radial tires and highway surface grooving to increase traction and driver safety. • Because of NASA, we have temper foam or “memory foam” mattresses and pillows, portable cordless vacuums, freeze-drying technology for food storage and reactors that use electricity “breathing” bacteria to clean wastewater and generate power at wineries and breweries. We believe continued investment in the space program will spawn infinitely more products, tools and devices that will become integral parts of our lives. July 20 will mark the 50th anniversary of man’s historic landing on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Commander Armstrong’s first steps on the moon were broadcast worldwide, with his words becoming immortal: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” That historic feat gave our country hope and inspired many young people to enter careers in science, mathematics and engineering. Hope and inspiration are two things our nation is in great need of today. We believe continued high-profile lunar and space exploration will propel America’s young men and women to even greater heights and lead our country to bigger and better things that can benefit people around the globe. As NASA states: Moon to Mars 2024!

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Commemorate Brown decision by adequately paying teachers Sixty-five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Brown v. Board of Education case that the doctrine of “separate but equal” was unconstitutional. The ruling ended legal segregation in public facilities, but it did not necessarily accomplish its goals in terms of school desegregation. Indeed, Richard Rothstein, the historian who is a distinguished fellow at the Economic Policy Institute and at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, wrote in 2014 that black students are “more racially and socioeconomically isolated” than at any time since 1970, when this data was first available. After the Brown ruling, there were some integration gains through school busing and magnet schools. But the South resisted Brown, and a second case ordered desegregation “with all deliberate speed.” I attended a segregated school in Moss Point, Miss., in 1969, 15 years after the Brown v. Board of Education decision. In 2016, Cleveland, Miss., finally closed its segregated black high school and renamed Cleveland High School, the white school, Cleveland Central High School. Now, the district is in court because a young black woman was denied the salutatorian honors she earned so that a young white man, with a lower GPA, could have

the honor. Yes, the Brown v. Board of Education case made history, but it was an imperfect tool to tackle racial inequities in the public school system mainly because these inequities are anchored in residential patterns and funding sources. When schools are funded with property taxes, those

Julianne Malveaux who live in wealthier districts will simply have better education, perpetuating inequalities. It has been trendy to blame teachers for unequal education outcomes, even as these teachers’ responsibilities expand with increased regulation, test-taking and unrealistic requirements around engagement with parents and others. A school district in South Carolina, for example, requires that teachers respond to parents’ emails within 24 hours. The burden of one teacher’s 10 to 12 hour days became so onerous that she quit her teaching job in the middle of the school year. Many questioned her commitment to children, but she fought fiercely to maintain her sanity and some semblance of a quality of life. Teaching is not supposed to be trench warfare. It is supposed to be joyful for both students and teachers. There is nothing more gratifying than to watch children gleefully grasp a concept, read a page, solve a math problem or give a speech. But that sense of gratification is diminished when

bureaucracy chips the joy away, or when a teacher has to take on outside work to pay her bills. Teachers have made national headlines as they seek supplemental income, driving for Uber or Lyft, moonlighting as food servers, taking on side jobs as tutors and living two or three in an apartment meant for one to save money. Those who teach really have to want to do it. They earn about a quarter less than their counterparts who have the same education, according to the Economic Policy Institute. We have been underpaying teachers for at least the last two decades. So the nonsense we celebrated during the week of May 6, Teacher Appreciation Week, is a charade. If you want to appreciate teachers, pay them! Don’t offer folks two-for-one burritos at Chipotle or other food fringes when what teachers need is fair pay. Don’t give teachers apples and faux appreciation when the teachers who graciously accept your apples and recognition are hustling outside the classroom to make ends meet. Teachers are striking all over the country, even in places like West Virginia where we would least expect it, because they are desperate to be valued. Paying them less than they are worth is disrespectful. Offering half price burritos and other nonsense is hypocrisy at its highest. The Brown v. Board of Education decision changed the law, but not the structure of racial gaps in education. And it did not foresee the many ways that those who

Pass Equal Rights Amendment We get so consumed with stuff about the train wreck in the White House that we forget or miss important things going on in the nation and the world. Well, something good and historic happened in Congress a few days ago. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler held a hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment. T h a t should be so ordinary that it shouldn’t even make the news. Yet, it had been 36 years since such a hearing had taken place. This wasn’t even a vote to make the ERA law, but women were actually excited that a hearing was held. It was only a hearing, yet it was historic. I had the honor of being one of several speakers at the news conference that followed the hearing. Women actually celebrated the fact that the issue got a hearing. As much as we talk about equality in this country, and as much as some of our leaders go around the world preaching to leaders in other nations about human rights, women in this nation still don’t have equal rights in the U.S. Constitution.

But women aren’t giving up. It’s time for women to stop asking to be a part of the Constitution. We must demand our rights. Women must demand the current Congress to make us a part of the Constitution or elect people who are willing to do so. We must not continue to accept second class citizenship. Women brought millions of

Dr. E. Faye Williams other women to the Women’s March on Washington in January 2017. We must bring millions more in 2020. We need more of our sisters to heed the words of Abigail Adams when she wrote her husband, President John Adams, a letter that said: “I long to hear that you have declared an independency and, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice

or representation.” Where is that spirit among more women today? We’ve asked too gently. Most often, we hear the gentler form of Abigail speaking to her husband to “Remember the ladies,” but she said more and sounds like she had a lot in common with former First Lady Michelle Obama, who was very influential in her husband’s life. The ERA did pass in the 1970s, but didn’t get enough state votes to ratify the amendment when an arbitrary deadline was placed on passage. If 94 percent of the people support equality for women in the Constitution, what is it that prevents passage? I fear that too many women don’t understand that we cannot successfully bring a case that is gender based in federal court. The ERA would give us that right. The ERA gives us the real possibility of succeeding in federal court with cases of hate crimes against us evident in so much derogatory and misogynist rap music. In the case of black women, we’d have a shot at winning on both race and gender. We have as much to gain with the ERA as anyone. Let’s get more involved in its passage soon! The writer is national president of the National Congress of Black Women.

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.

deliver the educational product, our nation’s teachers, have been disrespected and disadvantaged by the structural indifference to classrooms that serve poor and black students. Sixty-five years after the Brown decision, the achievement gap is persistent. Our nation’s wealth gap is a function of that achievement gap, and the treatment of our nation’s teachers is connected to the wealth and achievement gap. When we commemorate Brown v. Board of Education, we must embrace the importance of adequately compensating teachers. In embracing our teachers, we support the children they are teaching and guiding. In ignoring issues of fair teacher compensation, we are utterly abandoning our children. The writer is an economist and author.

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Richmond Free Press

May 16-18, 2019

A9

Letters to the Editor

Khalfani for new state director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s attempt to address the blackface culture that is part of America’s DNA is a start to the healing that is required to regain trust and respect for the Commonwealth of Virginia as it seeks to become one in reality and not just a political slogan. The governor and Attorney General Mark R. Herring, who both admitted to wearing blackface in the past, were acting out Scale 1 on Allport’s Scale of Prejudice and Discrimination. Scale 1 is Antilocution, which is when a majority group freely makes jokes about a minority group in terms of negative stereotypes and negative images. The majority doesn’t look at this as harmful, even though it sets the stage for more severe outlets for prejudice, according to the scale. The governor is creating a new position of state director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to create a bridge that will

eliminate the blackface culture and truly establish diversity, equity and inclusion. But it can happen only if Gov. Northam and the Commonwealth are sincere. That is why I recommend hiring King Salim Khalfani to fill that role. As the former executive director of the Virginia State Conference NAACP and in other roles, he has represented the community in addressing the very issues and responsibilities that the director will be charged with handling. Mr. Khalfani would bring 30 years of experience and knowledge of collaborating with five different governors. That would be an asset as he works with agencies in adopting and amending state practices. He would ensure there is transparency and oversight during the process. Change is needed. The Commonwealth Disparity Study

USA: The “Wild, Wild West” Never could any of us have imagined we would witness as many mass shootings like the one May 7 in Colorado. There have been more than 450 mass shootings in 2019 alone. It appears we are learning to be complacent and accept it when our political figures simply say, “We are sending our prayers to the victims and families.” Yet they go back to their cozy congressional, state and local offices under the protection of law enforcement and debate for the 70th time what to do with health care or dictate what a women should do with her body, and do nothing about gun violence. But that is no surprise when we allow antiquated laws to remain in place that allow the Electoral College to put a person in the White House who wasn’t elected by the majority of the people. We also stand by and let the person who holds the highest office in this country to not be charged criminally for his acts that also involve accusations of sexual assault against more than 20 women. There are other political officials holding office who have been accused of crimes

but, who like their leader, never brought to justice. People walk around schools, malls, stores, restaurants, etc. with weapons at their side. Persons of color are constantly assaulted and killed by police officers. The officers go to court and walk out free with no accountability. Most of them feel empowered and entitled to go back and do it again. Many of us now fear the blue light we see in our rear view mirror. Do you feel threatened that if the police stop you, you may not go home tonight and, instead, end up on a cold slab in the morgue? If you are tired of flipping the channel or turning to the next page in the newspaper or magazine, will you run for office, get actively involved in political affairs or speak out to bring awareness? It will take all of us to shut down the “Wild, Wild West” this United States has become. We must stand up for life, liberty and justice for all. PATRICIA A. BROWN North Chesterfield

PUBLIC NOTICE

Project-based vouchers are a component of Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s (RRHA) Housing Choice Voucher Program. The voucher assistance is attached to a specific housing unit. Effective May 21, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (“RRHA”) will begin accepting preliminary applications for its Project Based Voucher waiting lists below. Waiting List Bedroom Size Property Address Church Hill North 1A 2 & 3 Bedroom 1611 North 31st Street Church Hill North 1B 1 & 2 Bedroom (must be 62 & over) 1611 North 31st Street

showed that 98 percent of state government contracts are awarded to white-owned firms, while only 2 percent of state contracts are split among firms owned by members of five minority groups. If the governor is sincere, he needs to hire a qualified person rather than a crony who would allow him to serve out his term without taking any action. That would be a waste and a shame. We now must wait to see how this plays out. This is an opportunity for Gov. Northam and the Democratic Party to get off the fence and in the game with the people they claim to represent. EARL BRADLEY Henrico County

Route 288 Chesterfield County Change in Limited Access Control Willingness for Comment The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) established limited access right-of-way for Route 288. A private developer has requested to relocate a portion of the existing limited access property line along Route 288 south between Powhite Parkway (Route 76) and Genito Road (Route 604) in Chesterfield County. The roadway and access to or from Route 288 will not be affected. The proposed change would affect approximately 1,280 linear feet of the existing limited access right-of-way along Route 288 with an average relocation distance of 27 feet. The relocated segment of limited access right-of-way would be parallel to existing Route 288 south and will maintain a continuous limited access control between Powhite Parkway (Route 76) and Genito Road (Route 604). No new access to or from Route 288 will be permitted as a result of this requested change to the limited access right-of-way. Citizens are encouraged to submit written public comment regarding this proposed change by May 24, 2019, to Adam Wilkerson, P.E., Central Area Land Use Engineer, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), 3301 Speeks Drive, Midlothian Virginia 23112. You may also email your comments to Adam.Wilkerson@VDOT.Virginia.gov. Please reference “Route 288 Limited Access Control Willingness Comment” in the subject line. The CTB will consider this request for proposed limited access change at a future meeting. VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact the team member listed above.

Miss Don'tDon't Miss One Word One Word Don’t Miss One Word

To apply for these or any other available waiting lists please visit www.rrha.com. If you are already on the public housing or HCVP waiting list and need to make address, income and/or family composition changes, please visit www.rrha.com. Changes will not be processed by the phone or in person. RRHA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for assistance with any part of the application process, please call (804) 780-4361.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Waitlist for the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), formerly known as Section 8, is currently CLOSED until further notice.

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

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Richmond Free Press

A10  May 16-18, 2019

Sports Stories by Fred Jeter

NBA playoffs down to final four

The NBA playoffs are down to the final four Siegel Center, McCollum broke his left foot, teams, with the games getting underway this ending his college career. week. No tears necessary. He has bounced back and The Western Conference finals between the has joined Damian Lillard as one of the NBA’s best Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail — and highest paid — back courts. Lillard makes Blazers continue with Game 2 at 9 p.m. Thursday, $28 million per year; McCollum, $25.8 million. May 16, at Golden State. The games are being There’s little wonder why Golden State has broadcast on ESPN. become the NBA’s dominant team. Two of the Top The Eastern Conference finals between the 9 playoff scoring averages of all time (dating to Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors con1947) belong to current Warriors players. tinue with Game 2 at 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 17, Kevin Durant, MVP of the last two playoffs, is at Milwaukee. Those games are being broadcast third on the career list with 29.22 points per game; on TNT. Steph Curry is ninth at 25.86 points per game. CJ McCollum The Trail Blazers’ CJ McCollum had probAnd in just four years coaching, Coach Steve ably the worst night of his basketball life in Richmond six Kerr already has three championships, sixth on the all-time list. years ago. In the Eastern Conference, with LeBron James no longer in In sharp contrast, he enjoyed perhaps his finest moment on the mix, some observers say Milwaukee’s Giannis AntetokounSunday, May 12, pacing the mpo, the “Greek Freak,” has Portland Trail Blazers to a emerged as the premier talent 100-96 win over the Denver in the East. Others insist it’s Nuggets in Game 7 of NBA the Toronto Raptor’s Kawhi Western semifinals. Leonard. The 6-foot-3 guard collected The jury can deliberate 37 points, hitting 17 of 29 shots, while Antetokounmpo faces and added nine rebounds as Leonard’s Raptors in the East. Playoffs Games Average the Trail Blazers overcame a Fans make a strong case either Michael Jordan 13 179 33.45 17-point first half deficit. way. Allen Iverson 8 71 29.73 The long-suffering Trail Leonard has averaged 31 Kevin Durant 9 138 29.22 Blazers’ fans are hopeful Mcpoints during the playoffs and Jerry West 13 153 29.13 Collum can maintain the hot hit the game-winning shot as LeBron James 13 239 28.92 Elgin Baylor 12 134 27.04 hand in the Western Confertime expired in the Raptors’ George Gervin 9 59 26.98 ence Finals against the NBA Game 7 win May 12 against Hakeem Olajuwon 15 145 25.90 flagship franchise Golden State the Philadelphia 76ers. Steph Curry 7 102 25.87 Warriors. Antetokounmpo boasts a Kobe Bryant 15 220 25.64 McCollum, who also had 27.4 playoffs average and is a Source: Land of Basketball.com (through games of May 11, 2019) games of 30 points and 41 top contender for league MVP. points against Denver, was a The 6-foot-11 native of Athens NBA coaches with most championships senior at Lehigh University in dazzles in every aspect of the • Phil Jackson, 11, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers Pennsylvania and the NCAA’s sport. • Red Auerbach, 9, Boston Celtics leading scorer when he traveled What’s missing here? For • John Kundla, 5, Minneapolis Lakers to Richmond on Jan. 5, 2013. the first time since 2010, “King • Pat Riley, 5, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat • Gregg Popovich, 5, San Antonio Spurs In the first half of Lehigh’s James” (either with Cleveland • Steve Kerr, 3, Golden State Warriors game against Virginia Comor Miami) isn’t in the Eastern monwealth University at the Conference playoff mix.

NBA’s All-Time Playoff Scoring Averages

WEstern Conference Final

Eastern Conference Final

Golden State Warriors

Portland Trail Blazers

Milwaukee Bucks

Toronto Raptors

Regular season record: 53-49 Playoffs: Defeated Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1; Defeated Denver Nuggets 4-3 Home Court: Moda Center in Portland, Ore. Coach: Terry Stotts, seventh season (325-249 record regular season; 12-29 playoffs) Leading scorers (playoffs): Damian Lillard, 29.8 points; CJ McCollum, 24.5; Enes Kanter, 13.0; Rodney Hood, 10.3; Seth Curry (Steph’s brother), 7.9 NBA Championships: One, 1977 (The 1977 Trail Blazers featured Bill Walton and the University of Virginia’s Wally Walker and Old Dominion University’s Dave Twardzik.)

Regular season record: 60-22 Playoffs: Defeated Detroit Pistons 4-0; Defeated Boston Celtics 4-1 Home court: Fiserve Forum in Milwaukee, Wis. Coach: Mike Budenholzer, first season (60-22 regular season; 8-1 playoffs) Leading scorers (playoffs): Giannis Antetokounmpo, 27.4 points; Khris Middleton, 19.1; Eric Bledsoe, 16.0; George Hill, 12.1; Malcolm Brogdon, 10.0 NBA Championships: One, 1971 (with Richmonder Bobby Dandridge)

Regular season record: 58-24 Playoffs: Defeated Orlando Magic 4-1; Defeated Philadelphia 76ers 4-3 Home court: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada Coach: Nick Nurse, (58-24 regular season; 8-4 playoffs) Leading scorers (playoffs): Kawhi Leonard, 31.0 points; Pascal Siakam, 21.6; Kyle Lowry, 12.6. NBA championships: None (Take hear t “We Are North” fans; the Toronto Maple Leafs have won 13 National Hockey League Stanley Cup playoffs)

Regular season record: 57-25 Playoffs: Defeated Los Angeles Clippers 4-2; Defeated Houston Rockets 4-2 Home court: Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. Coach: Steve Kerr, fifth season (322-88 record regular season; 63-20 playoffs) Leading scorers (playoffs): Kevin Durant, 34.2 points; Steph Curry, 24.3; Klay Thompson, 18.3; Draymond Green, 12.6; Andre Iquodala, 11.8 NBA Championships: Six (counting two when the Warriors were in Philadelphia); been to four straight finals, winning three of the last four

14’s the charm for MLB pitcher Edwin Jackson Pitcher Edwin Jackson may need to glance at the front of his jersey to remind himself which Major League Baseball team he plays with. After signing with the Toronto Blue Jays on May 11, Jackson has become the most traveled player in the annals of the game. The Blue Jays are his 14th team in a career that started in 2003 with the Los Edwin Jackson Angeles Dodgers. Jackson and pitcher Octavio Dotel, who played ball from 1999 to 2012, had been tied for most teams with 13. Jackson, who was born in Germany to an American military family, pitched last season for the Oakland Athletics. He has a 104-123 career record, with a 4.36 earned run average and 1,456 strikeouts. He has pitched in 394 major league games. The 35-year-old was an American League All-Star with the Detroit Tigers in 2009 and hurled a no-hitter for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010.

Jackson’s travelogue, which includes two stints with the Washington Nationals: • Los Angeles Dodgers (2003-2005) • Tampa Bay Rays (2006-2008) • Detroit Tigers (2009) • Arizona Diamondbacks (2010) • Chicago White Sox (2010-2011) • St. Louis Cardinals (2011) • Washington Nationals (2012) • Chicago Cubs (2013-2015) • Atlanta Braves (2015) • Miami Marlins (2016) • San Diego Padres (2016) • Baltimore Orioles (2017) • Washington Nationals (2017) • Oakland Athletics (2018) • Toronto Blue Jays (present)

VUU finishes 8th in NCAA regional golf competition Virginia Union University’s golf team wasn’t blinded by the lights in its first venture in NCAA Tournament competition. The Panthers finished a strong eighth out of 20 entries at the 54-hole NCAA Atlantic Region competition in Greensburg, Pa. VUU posted a 311 overall score, 11 strokes off the champion,

Southern New Hampshire University. VUU’s Allan Day was 17th individually, with a 227 score for Coach E. Lee Coble’s Richmonders. Sergio Escalante was 43rd; Paul Meints, 53rd; and Trayvon Willis, 68th. The Panthers qualified for the regional competition by winning the CIAA golf title last month in New Kent County.

Quality vs. quantity in college baseball If readers can’t find many articles about black college baseball players in Virginia, there’s a good reason why. There are few African-American players to write about. If you add up all the black players at Virginia’s NCAA Division I schools, you’d barely collect enough to make a single lineup. This isn’t startling news. On the major league level, only about 10 percent of players are African-American, born in the United States. Trickling down to the college level, it’s less than 5 percent — not much different than such “suburban sports” teams as golf, tennis, soccer, lacrosse and swimming. Several of Virginia’s Division I schools have no black players on their approximate 30-man rosters. The exceptions would be HBCU Norfolk State University and outlier Longwood University in Farmville. Despite a lack of quantity, there is no lack of quality among black athletes gracing the college ballyards. Here’s a look at a few black players as conference tournaments near. Alsander Womack (Norfolk State University): The son of former big leaguer Tony Womack ranks with the MEAC’s most dominant performers. Through games of May 10, the 210-pound sophomore second baseman from Charlotte was hitting .394, with two homers, 10 doubles, 29 runs batted in and 10 stolen bases. Like father, like son. Tony Womack, a Danville native, played in the majors Alsander for 13 seasons and was a member of the Womack 2001 World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks. Brandon Henson (Virginia Commonwealth University): The fleet outfielder from Ohio adds plenty of pop to the Rams’ lineup. Starting about half the games, Henson was hitting .289, with five homers, five doubles and a triple, with 15 RBI. His five homers came in just 97 at bats; by contrast, Brandon team homerun leader Zac Ching has Henson six homers in 208 at bats. Before transferring to VCU, Henson set the career homer record at Sinclair College in Ohio. Anthony Forte (University of Richmond): The left-handed swinging junior outfielder from Illinois is power personified for the Spiders. At 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, Forte leads UR with 10 homers and 46 RBI. He also has 13 doubles, a triple and has been Anthony walked 30 times. Forte Cayman Richardson (University of Virginia): The versatile junior arrived in Charlottesville with glowing credentials. He helped Hanover High School to three straight state championships and was a first team, All-State shortstop as a senior. For U.Va., Richardson splits time between the infield and outfield while hitting .264 with 12 doubles. Cayman Jonah Seagears (Virginia Tech): Richardson From Gainesville, Fla., the freshman infielder chose baseball over football after having options in each. At Battlefield High School, he was an All-Region wide receiver, defensive back and punt returner. In 29 baseball games for Tech, including 10 starts, he is hitting .250 and promises to be a bona fide stolen base threat. Trevon Dabney (James Madison Jonah University): The freshman third baseSeagears man from Douglassville, Pa., needed no rookie internship in Harrisonburg. Offering power plus speed, Dabney is among the Dukes’ leaders in average (.305), homers (six), RBI (24), stolen bases (12) and in the dubious category of being hit by a pitch — 20 times. Brady Acker (George Mason University): The senior outfielder from Columbia, Md., is a four-season regular. Trevon Acker’s stats include a .291 average, Dabney six homers, 10 doubles, 17 RBI and 7-for-7 in stolen bases. Antwaun Tucker (Longwood University): The talented shortstop from Chase City has some impressive bloodlines that flow through Farmville. His uncle is former Lancer Michael Tucker, who played 17 seasons in the big leagues after being a first round draft choice in 1992. Tucker is living up to the family Brady name. He is hitting .296, has 12 steals Acker in 12 tries and is among the career leaders with 11 triples. Another Lancer with big league history is pitcher Pedro Astacio Jr., son of former big league hurler Pedro Astacio Sr. In all, Longwood has seven players of color, by far the most in the state, other than Norfolk State University. History lesson: The list of AfricanAntwaun American big league players coming Tucker through Virginia colleges is short, but impressive. The group includes Franklin Stubbs (Virginia Tech), Al Bumbry (Virginia State University), Brian Jordan (UR) and Larry Doby (Virginia Union University). Doby, who became the American League’s first black player in 1947, attended VUU in the early 1940s. He played Panthers basketball, however, not baseball.


May 16-18, 2019 B1

Richmond Free Press

Section

Happenings

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Personality: Dr. David Randolph II Spotlight on honorary chair of the 2019 Virginia Higher Education Fund ‘Jazz InsideOut’ annual benefit Dr. David Randolph II understands how having financial support can relieve a lot of the emotional stress students are under as they try to get through college, graduate school and professional school. As the 2019 honorary chair of the Virginia Higher Education Fund’s 8th Annual “Jazz InsideOut” fundraising benefit, he hopes people in the community will support the nonprofit’s efforts to help young people achieve their goal of higher education. VHEF, which was established in 2010 by Hampton University alumna Rose Giles, provides scholarships, emergency aid, books and mentoring to Virginia high school and college students who have experienced challenging life conditions or who are considered “at risk.” This includes students who live in low-income housing or have been homeless; first-generation college students; those with medical challenges and disabilities; and students who have experienced parental imprisonment, financial challenges as well as other adverse situations. “When I was in college — and part of the reason I am where I am — I was awarded an academic scholarship,” Dr. Randolph notes. As an undergraduate at the University of Richmond and throughout his medical studies at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, he received scholarships and financial support from his parents, says Dr. Randolph, a radiation oncologist at Johnston-Willis Hospital’s Sarah Cannon Cancer Center. That was a huge stress relief, he says. He didn’t have to graduate from college with a huge debt, especially as he faced a $200,000 price tag for continuing his education in medical school. “That financial cushion helped me get to the next level in my education and pushed me toward my professional goal of

becoming a doctor,” he says. VHEF is that stress reliever in helping others. Dr. Randolph learned about VHEF and Jazz InsideOut, the nonprofit’s annual fundraiser, from one of his patients. He says he volunteered in 2018 and also made a donation to the organization. He was asked to be the honorary chair for this year’s Jazz InsideOut benefit, which will be held 7 p.m. Friday, June 14, at the Claude G. Perkins Living & Learning Center at Virginia Union University, 1500 Lombardy St. The event, which already is sold out, features food, music by Cloud 9 Band and The Prentiss Project, line dancing with Kemel Patton and a silent auction with such items as a trip to Las Vegas, golfing, handbags and jewelry. “If I can help others not to have to worry with paying for their education and just be concerned with academics, it is the best way to give back,” Dr. Randolph says. He wants volunteers and donors, especially corporate donors, to know that contributing to VHEF is an investment in students. It is a confidence boost to students as it helps them to reach their educational goals. “It is like investing in a business,” he says. “You are not going to invest in a that business you think will not flourish.” By providing scholarship opportunities to “at-risk” students, it shows them “we believe in them enough to financially support their dreams and pursuit of higher education,” he says. “If students do well, they can bring their knowledge and skills back to help advance their community,” Dr. Randolph says. “That is the ultimate and best way to do it.” Meet education advocate and this week’s Personality, Dr. David Randolph II: Occupation: Radiation oncologist with the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center at Johnston-Willis Hospital.

potential youths who are in low-opportunity settings. Why I support VHEF: I find time to support causes I am passionate about and believe are making positive changes in the community. VHEF is an excellent example of this by making a real impact on youths at a vital time in their life. I benefited greatly by receiving an academic scholarship to college. I know how much of an impact this can make. I feel it’s my responsibility to help pay this forward.

No. 1 volunteer position: Honorary chair of the 2019 Virginia Higher Education Fund “Jazz InsideOut” annual benefit fundraiser. Date and place of birth: Sept. 10 in Lynchburg. Current residence: Richmond. Alma maters: Bachelor’s degree, University of Richmond; M.D., Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine; and radiation oncology residency, Wake Forest School of Medicine. Family: Wife, Dr. Morgan Randolph, pediatric oncology pharmacist at VCU Children’s Pavilion; parents, Dr. David Randolph, radiation oncologist, and Dr. Renita Walden Randolph, dentist; sister, Dr. Jessica Randolph, retina surgeon at VCU; and brother, Douglas Randolph, wealth manager at Baird in Lynchburg. Virginia Higher Education Fund’s mission: To increase higher education for and provide financial support to students who are considered “at risk” or have experienced adverse conditions. VHEF provides scholarships, book awards, dorm supplies and mentoring activities for high-

Why VHEF is important: VHEF recognizes how economic disparity can limit the potential of excellent students who are at a disadvantage solely because of the economic situation they were born into. VHEF helps level the playing field and provide students a chance for academic success that they otherwise might not have. Foremost objective of VHEF’s “Jazz InsideOut” benefit: To provide financial support for college-bound students who are in low-opportunity settings. We hope to raise $50,000 in 2019. We also partnered with JB Bryan Financial Group this year for our first College Prep Day, which was attended by more than 200 students and parents. Biggest challenge: Often the biggest challenge for small charities like VHEF is a lack of access to corporate executives and their resources, as well as a lack of access to major philanthropic giving circles. Without access, it is difficult to raise large sums of money for the students who are most in need of financial aid. However, VHEF and Jazz InsideOut are fortunate to have strong corporate stewards, both local and national, that recognize the impact of small charities. That is clearly evident in the 25-plus

Area agencies to host info session on foster parenting May 18 Interested in becoming a foster parent to a child in need of a home? To help educate and guide people, the nondenominational Area 10 Faith Community is joining public and private childhelping agencies to host a free information fair this weekend. The event will be held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the church, 2820 W. Cary St. “We are all coming together during Foster Care Awareness Month to address the ongoing need for foster families in the Richmond region,” said Alexa Hryciak, family development supervisor for United Methodist Family Services. The need is great, according to UMFS

representatives, with more than 5,300 children in Virginia in need of placement with caring families. “Working together with multiple agencies is one of the ways that we can educate the public about children in need,” said Jeanne Hollingsworth of Lutheran Family Services. “Our hope is that by uniting together to reach the community in a relaxed way, we will motivate families to consider ways they can serve those most vulnerable among us,” said the Rev. Joshua Lewis, an area pastor and foster family recruiter for UMFS. The event will allow people to meet with representatives of agencies and also see a traveling photographic exhibit of some of

the children waiting to be adopted through the Virginia foster care system. The list of participating agencies includes Intercept Health, Commonwealth Catholic Charities, Jewish Family Services, C2Adopt, HumanKind, HopeTree Family Services, First Home Care, Braley & Thompson, Extra Special Parents and The Bair Foundation. Representatives of area social services agencies also will be on hand. “The goal for all of us is to find safe and loving homes for children in crisis,” said Abigail Schreiner of HopeTree Family Services, “and this is one way to do that.” Details and advance registration: (804) 310-7572 or www.eventbrite.com.

sponsors for Jazz InsideOut who share our vision to educate our youths and help them achieve academic success. Why I am a radiation oncologist: Radiation oncology gives me the opportunity to provide local therapies that can cure and restore health for people suffering with a diagnosis of cancer. It uses technology that sounds like it is out of a science-fiction novel, like “photon beams,” to treat cancers that otherwise would not be treated. It also allows me a chance to develop personal bonds with my patients, which I find very gratifying. Being given the opportunity to help restore people’s health is one of the most impactful things I think you can ever do to help someone, and I am so grateful for that chance. Advice to someone aspiring to a career in the medical field: It is a long, challenging road but it is absolutely worth it in the end. How I start the day: Every day is a blessing and you have to make the most of it. A perfect day for me is: Spending time with my wife, my family and my dogs. Something I love that most people would never imagine: I’m a huge comic book nerd. A quote that I am inspired by: “You must never give into despair. Allow yourself

to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.” — Uncle Iroh in “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” The three words that best describe me: Dedicated, passionate and happy. If I had more time, I would: Volunteer even more with VHEF and Big Brothers Big Sisters, travel the world and adopt more dogs. My hero or heroine: My parents are my OG heroes, but my brother, Doug, and my sister, Jessica, are phenomenal human beings. They are brilliant, funny, kind to everyone they meet and dedicated to helping others — everything I want to be. Favorite jazz musician: Wynton Marsalis. How I unwind: Lifting weights and playing basketball. The best thing my parents ever taught me: With hard work and discipline, you can achieve anything. Book that influenced me the most: “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. Book I’m presently reading: “American Gods” by Neil Gaiman. Next goal: To be the best father I can be. My son, David Randolph III, is due May 31. DIAMONDS • WATCHES JEWELRY • REPAIRS 19 EAST BROAD STREET RICHMOND, VA 23219 (804) 648-1044

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B2 May 16-18, 2019

Richmond Free Press

Happenings VUU graduates more than 300; receives $2.5M gift from alum By Thomas Kidd

Virginia Union University celebrated milestones, legacies and the future during its 120th commencement last Saturday at Hovey Field on the North Side campus. To punctuate the occasion, award-winning actor, producer and humanitarian Danny Glover provided the keynote address and VUU President Hakim J. Lucas announced a $2.5 million gift to the university by Dr. Virginia B. Howerton of Maryland, a 1965 graduate who has spent more than 20 years as a consultant to government, businesses and nonprofit organizations. Dr. Howerton’s gift is the largest single gift from an individual in the university’s history, officials said. “The gift will allow us to fulfill a few of our dreams and goals,” Dr. Lucas said, including several strategic growth and development priorities, historic preservation on the Lombardy Street campus and full scholarships for qualifying students. “She is an angel for our students and she is making a major impact on Virginia Union University,” he said. A portion of her gift will go toward establishing the Howerton Scholars, a program to support incoming freshmen who reside in the city of Richmond, have a

at the University of the District of Columbia, plans to be actively engaged with the university and its students through mentorship. She also will be seated on the VUU Board of Trustees, officials said. At the commencement, Dr. Howerton was awarded the inaugural Doris and Steve Bullock Presidential Medal of Honor for her continual support of VUU and its students. Her magnanimous gift and lifelong dedication to assisting African-American students served as the perfect backdrop for Mr. Glover’s keynote address. The actor, whose film credits include the blockbuster “Lethal Weapon” franchise and the Oscar-nominated films “The Color Purple” and “Dreamgirls,” delivered an impassioned speech centered on the historical struggles of African people here and abroad. “We are still fighting for the liberation of African people worldwide and economic inclusiveness as a bold new frontier,” Mr. Glover, a graduate of San Francisco State University, told the more than 300 VUU graduates, family members and friends. “There are more than 200 million African descendants living in the Northern and Southern hemispheres of which 90 percent live in poverty.” The NAACP Image Award winner then cited the contributions of several VUU alumni who

At right, Barbara Radcliffe Grey, a VUU alumna and longtime director of the VUU Museum Art Galleries, is presented with an honorary degree from VUU President Hakim J. Lucas, left, and Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, chairman of the VUU Board of Trustees. During the ceremony, VUU’s president announced a $2.5 million gift from, above, Dr. Virginia B. Howerton, VUU Class of 1965. Officials said it is the largest single gift in VUU history.

3.0 or higher GPA and intend to major in English. Dr. Howerton, who chose to remain anonymous until Saturday’s announcement, is the owner of ViGar Enterprises Inc. and The Crimson Development Company. She also is co-owner and vice president of Winnar Enterprises Inc., a management consulting company. Officials said Dr. Howerton, who formerly served as project director for the dislocated worker program

have made meaningful strides in pushing the agenda of people of African descent around the world. He spoke about Randall Robinson, VUU Class of 1967 and founder of the Washington-based advocacy organization, TransAfrica, that has influenced U.S. foreign policy regarding African and Caribbean nations since the late 1970s. “TransAfrica played an essential role in the ‘Free South Africa’ Movement and thereby established itself

Photos by Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Award-winning actor and human rights advocate Danny Glover tells Virginia Union University graduates last Saturday to make their own “contributions to the cycle of history.”

as a premier non-governmental agency centered on the concerns of African descendants,” said Mr. Glover, who served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Program from 1998 to 2004, focusing on issues of poverty, disease and economic development in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. He also cited the late Dr. Wyatt T. Walker, a 1950 VUU graduate, for his work in civil rights; the late Judge Spottswood W. Robinson III, a 1937 VUU graduate, who served as chief judge of the District of Columbia U.S. Court of Appeals, for his legal advocacy; and Roslyn M. Brock, who earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in divinity from VUU and serves as chief advocacy officer for Bon Secours Mercy Health — all members of the VUU family who made their mark by bettering living conditions for black people here and abroad. “This is a power legacy for you to advance throughout your lives,” Mr. Glover said. “You can consider it your final assignment to complete — to make the world know the name Virginia Union University as you make your own contributions to the cycle of history.” Mr. Glover was awarded an honorary degree for his work in the performing arts and for being an advocate for human rights. Barbara Radcliffe Grey, a 1947 VUU alumna and longtime director of the VUU Museum Art Galleries, also was awarded an honorary degree for her love of art, education and the invaluable collection of artifacts she has acquired and cataloged for VUU. And Dr. Earl F. Miller, an alumnus of VUU’s Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, and dean of student affairs at VUU from 1972 to 1976, was awarded an honorary degree for his dedication to community, ministry and VUU. The Scott & Stringfellow Award, recognizing outstanding teaching, research and mentoring, went to Dr. Yung Suk Kim, associate professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at VUU’s School of Theology. The entire Panther family also recognized late VUU student Everett Allen Patterson, who died Wednesday, May 1, 2019, just weeks before his 55th birthday. Mr. Patterson earned a bachelor’s degree in cyber security. His wife, Deborah, and son, Everett Allen “Trey” Patterson III, marched with his classmates and accepted his degree.

VCU grads urged to turn adversity into strength By Leah Martin

This year’s graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University have redefined the American dream, university President Michael Rao told a packed audience in opening VCU’s commencement ceremony last Saturday. “Your scholarship, discoveries, advocacy and volunteerism are all redefining the American dream to be more inclusive and cognizant that we live in a world that has changed dramatically since writer James Truslow Adams penned the phrase in 1931,” President Rao said. “Proof of change taking place is in front of us and VCU is where the redefined American dream happens,” he said. Nearly 5,000 graduates received professional, graduate and undergraduate degrees and certificates at the university-wide ceremony, bringing the number of VCU alumni to more than 200,000, according to the VCU public affairs office. This year’s main ceremony took place for the first time at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The spring commencement had been conducted at the Richmond Coliseum since 1972. But with the future of the Coliseum now put on hold by the City of Richmond, events are no longer being scheduled there. VCU officials initially announced in October that the university-wide ceremony would be canceled because the usual venue wouldn’t be available. But after student protests, the decision was reversed. Saturday’s commencement had a different feel to it, with families and friends seated on the floor of the long, rectangular shaped Convention Center event space. But that didn’t deter graduates or attendees or dampen their spirit. “It doesn’t matter to me where the venue is. I am just so happy to be graduating,” said Jamari Blackwell of Hanover County, who earned a degree in kinesiology and health sciences. The keynote speaker, Andrew C. Florance, founder and chief executive officer of CoStar Group, urged graduates to turn adversity into strength. CoStar Group is a leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics and marketing services in the United States, Canada and several Western European nations. The company, headquartered in Washington, has its operations and global research headquarters in Richmond offices overlooking the James River in Downtown. As CEO of the company, he leads a team of more than 3,700 employees in 100 offices operating 25 companies, including CoStar, Apartments.com, LoopNet, BizBuySell.com and Lands of America. Mr. Florance told the audience about the adversity and major challenges he faced as a youngster growing up in Richmond. He was homeless at age 7, missing more than two years of school. The Richmond Police

Photos by Ava Reaves

Andrew C. Florance, founder and chief executive officer of CoStar Group, tells graduates about how his life changed from adversity to success during Virginia Commonwealth University’s commencement last Saturday. Nearly 5,000 students earned degrees from VCU. Commencement exercises were held for the first time at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Downtown because the Richmond Coliseum is closed.

took custody of him in 1971, one of the last times he would ever see his mother, he said. At age 12, Mr. Florance was admitted to a music school in New York City, where he said he learned the invaluable lesson of striving for perfection and loathing mediocrity. With the support of others, a little bit of luck, education and a lot of hard work, his life turned around and led him to where he is today. He founded CoStar Group from his dorm room as an undergraduate student at Princeton University. Last year, half a billion people from 70 countries used CoStar Group’s websites to rent, buy, analyze or finance a trillion dollars of real estate. “We all face adversity,” Mr. Florance said. “Adversity can set you back or it can be channeled as a source of strength and motivation. Your choice.” He said one teacher in particular, Gordon H. Clem, the late headmaster of Saint Thomas Choir School, made all the difference in his life.

“Do not wait. Today is an exceptionally good day to thank someone who has changed the trajectory of your life,” he told the VCU graduates. “The vast majority of great melodies are yet to be played, the majority of great paintings have yet to be painted, the majority of great companies have yet to be founded, and the most powerful ideas have yet to be imagined,” Mr. Florance told the graduates. “I captured a new idea that no one had thought of, and each of you still have exactly the same opportunity.” Mr. Florance was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters during the ceremony, recognizing his contributions to society through scholarship, humanitarianism, science, art and public service. Additionally, Sarah S. Izabel, a native of Brazil and member of the VCU Class of 2020, received the 2019 VCU Board of Visitors Award, which is given to an undergraduate student who represents academic achievement, leadership and service to the university and community. Miss Izabel, who is pursuing a double major in biology and psychology with the intent of earning a Ph.D. in neuroscience, is the mother of a young son and has used the challenges she has faced as opportunities to demonstrate determination, officials said. The honors student has received a research award from the National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program and serves as VCU’s representative to the State Council for Higher Education. As this year’s recipient, Miss Izabel will receive a one-year scholarship in the amount equal to in-state tuition and fees. The university’s Edward A. Wayne Medal, which honors those who have made outstanding contributions or provided exemplary services to VCU, was awarded to William “Bill” and Marsha C. Ginther and Paul A. Gross. The Ginthers also serve on the steering committee for the university’s “Make It Real Campaign.” Mr. Gross, a professor emeritus and former executive-in-residence in the VCU College of Health Professions, had a 30-year career in health administration that was capped by his work as president of the hospital division of Humana Inc. His philanthropic efforts for the university for more than 30 years include establishing the Paul A. Gross Distinguished Leadership Lecture series and the Paul A. and Veronica H. Gross Achievement in Nursing Award with his wife, Veronica. The Presidential Medallion, which recognizes extraordinary achievement in learning and commitment to the mission of VCU, was awarded to Dr. Francis L. Macrina, whose career at VCU has spanned more than 45 years. He was founding director of the Philips Institute for Oral Health Research and a former interim director of the Massey Cancer Center. He also served as the university’s vice president for research and innovation from 2005 to 2018.

Black History Museum to host documentary screening May 17 A documentary on the mass shooting at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C., will be screened in Richmond, followed by a community conversation with a daughter of one of the victims. The documentary, “Emanuel,” will be shown at 6 p.m. Friday, May 17, at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, 122 W. Leigh St. Rose Simmons, who lost her father, the Rev. Daniel Simmons, in the June 2015 massacre, will speak. The documentary by executive producers Stephen Curry and Viola Davis tells the story of the nine people who were killed and the survivors of the shooting that occurred as they attended a Bible study at the church. White supremacist Dylann Roof, who said he wanted to start a race war, was sentenced in state court to life without parole for the murders. He also was convicted in federal court of hate crimes and other charges and was sentenced to death. Now 25, Mr. Roof is incarcerated in a federal penitentiary in Indiana. The screening is free, but registration is required by contacting the museum at (804) 780-9093 or www.blackhistorymuseum.org.

Virginia Children’s Festival May 18 Arts, crafts, storytelling and other activities will highlight the Virginia Children’s Festival from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the historic African Burial Ground, 15th and Broad streets, it has been announced This is the fourth year that Melendona, an Afrocentric online shopping site for women, has hosted the free event for young people and their families. The menu of activities also includes drumming, face painting, vegetarian food and a variety of vendors offering information on everything from children’s books to home schooling, dance schools and yoga, according to the announcement. Details: Melendona@yahoo. com or (540) 318-3117.

Maggie Walker Governor’s School mural to be unveiled Saturday

The Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School will unveil and celebrate new murals paying tribute to the school’s namesake with a public ceremony noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the school, 1000 N. Lombardy St. The murals featuring the famous Richmonder who was the first African-American woman in the U.S. to found and lead a bank are the work of artist Colleen Hall and school alumni. Details: Ms. Hall, colleenphall@gmail.com, or Irvin P. Charles, groovealways@ icloud.com.


Richmond Free Press

May 16-18, 2019 B3

Looking forward to a cleaner future. We’re committed to reducing carbon emissions by 55% and methane emissions by 50% by 2030. To reach this goal, we’re using lower carbon sources like wind, solar, natural gas and nuclear. Because cleaner air is good for all of us.


Richmond Free Press

B4 May 16-18, 2019

Faith Directory

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Theme:

2IVERVIEW

“Remaining Faithful Women in Today’s Society�

"APTIST #HURCH 2604 Idlewood Avenue Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 353-6135 www.riverviewbaptistch.org Rev. Dr. Stephen L. Hewlett, Pastor Rev. Dr. Ralph Reavis, Sr. Pastor Emeritus

“Come and be blessed�

Speaker: Sergeant Carol Adams Founder of the Carol Adams Foundation

Pre-Women’s Day

Dr. Jeffery O. Smith, Pastor

Paint and Brunch Fellowship 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

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SUNDAY SCHOOL - 9:45 A.M. SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE 11:00 A.M.

Saturday, May 25, 2019

“Pastor and People United in Greater Ministry�

Cost: $25 per person

Theme: “Women Standing Firm In The True Grace of God� 2 Peter 3:17-18

UNION BAPTIST CHURCH 1813 E S VERETT

TREET

Women’s Day

Sunday, May 26, 2019 9:30 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Morning Worship and Fellowship Guest Speaker:

RICHMOND, VA 23224 (804) 231-5884

Rev. Dr. Michelle McQueen Williams Reception To Follow

REV. ROBERT C. DAVIS, PASTOR

St. Peter Baptist Church

Dr. Kirkland R. Walton, Pastor

Come and Join us in Worship as we Celebrate

Spring Revival 2019 h,ORD 7E ,OOK TO 9OU FOR /UR (ELP v s #HRONICLES

Monday, May 20, 2019 s Rev. Dr. Michael A. Sanders Mt. Olive Baptist Church - Bells Road, Richmond, VA

Tuesday, May 21, 2019 s Rev. Ralph S. Hodge Second Baptist Church, Richmond, VA

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 s Rev. Dr. Jerome C. Ross Providence Park Baptist Church, Richmond, VA Worship at 7:00 p.m. Nightly

2019 Homecoming & Revival Services Sunday, May 19th - Thursday, May 23rd Sunday, May 19th at 3 p.m. Speaker: Rev. F. Todd Gray

Fifth Street Baptist Church, Richmond, VA

Monday, May 20th - Thursday, May 23rd at 7 p.m. Revivalist: Rev. Dr. Rodney D. Waller First African Baptist Church, Richmond, VA

1111 Old Bon Air Rd, N. ChesterďŹ eld, VA 23235 • (804) 320-9638 Pastor Vincent T. Williams, Sr.

Zion Baptist Church

3HARON "APTIST #HURCH

Family and Friends Day SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019

Early Morning Worship ~ 8 a.m. Sunday School ~ 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship ~ 11 a.m. 4th Sunday UniďŹ ed Worship Service ~ 9:30 a.m. Bible Study: Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. & 7 p.m. Sermons Available at BRBCONLINE.org

“MAKE IT HAPPEN� Pastor Kevin Cook

7:30 PM Nightly Prayer and Praise - 7 PM MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 20TH MAY 21ST MAY 22ND Rev. Dr. Jerome Rev. Dr. Alonzo L. Rev. Dr. William E. C. Ross, Pastor, Lawrence, Pastor, Jackson, Sr., Pastor,

Upcoming Events & Happenings

Sunday Morning Worship

Fourth Baptist Church, Richmond

May 19, 2019 @ 10:30 A.M.

For Transportation, call the Church OďŹƒce

Good Shepherd Baptist Church Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, Pastor “There’s A Place for You� Tuesday Sunday 10:30 AM Bible Study 9:30 AM Church School 6:30 PM Church-wide Bible Study 11:00 AM Worship Service 6:30 PM Men's Bible Study (Each 2nd and 4th) (Holy Communion Thursday each 2nd Sunday) Wednesday (Following 2nd Sunday) 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting

11:00 AM Mid-day Meditation

Serving Richmond since 1887 &BTU #SPBE 4USFFU 3JDINPOE 7JSHJOJB r

WEDNESDAY 12:00 p.m. Bible Study 7:00 p.m. Bible Study

SUNDAY 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Worship Service

ALL ARE WELCOME

Spread the Word

To advertise your church

call 804-644-0496

Richmond Free Press The People's Paper

Women’s Day

Ebenezer Baptist Church Initial Sermon of Bro. Avi Hopkins 1858

¹4HE 0EOPLE´S #HURCH² March 24, 2019 @ 3:00 P.M.

216 W. Leigh St. • Richmond, Va. 23220

Join as We Celebrate this Important Tel: Us 804-643-3366 • Fax: 804-643-3367 Email: ebcofďŹ ce1@yahoo.com • web:of www.richmondebenezer.com Moment in the Life Our Church Family. Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m. Sunday Church School 9:30 a.m. Weekly Worship: Sundays @ 10:30 A.M. Service of Holy Communion Church School: Sundays @ 9:00 Every A.M. 3rd Sunday Service of Baptism 2nd Sunday, 11 a.m. Bible Study: On Summer Break Life Application Bible Class Mon. 6:30 p.m. Mid-Week Senior Fellowship Tues. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. “I refuse to acceptAdult the view that Wednesday Meditation & Bible Study Wed. 6:45 p.m. mankind is so tragically bound to Homework & Tutoring Wed. 4:30 p.m. the starless midnight of racism Scouting Program Wed. 6:00 p.m. and Bible war that the bright Thursday Study Thurs., 11:45 a.m.

For more information contact the church

Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs, Pastor

Barky’s

unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.� Rev. Dr. Price L. Davis, Pastor

Twitter sixthbaptistrva Facebook sixthbaptistrva

OPEN HOUSES May 25th 9am - 11am

June 1st 9am – 11am 400 South Addison Street Richmond, Va. 23220

(near Byrd Park)

(804) 359-1691 or 359-3498 Fax (804) 359-3798 www.sixthbaptistchurch.org drbibbs@sixthbaptistchurch.org

Usher Badges • Clergy Shirts • Collars • Communion Supplies • Much More!

18 East Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 • (804) 643-1987 Hours M-F 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sat. 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Honoring God ... and serving people THANKS TO YOU for over 64 years and looking for 64 more years

New Deliverance Evangelistic Church

1701 Turner Road, North Chesterfield, Virginia 23225 (804) 276-0791 office (804)276-5272 fax www.ndec.net

Remember... At New Deliverance, You Are Home! See you there and bring a friend.

Bishop G. O. Glenn D. Min., Pastor

Mother Marcietia S. Glenn First Lady

SUNDAY 8:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Service

WEDNESDAY SERVICES

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Hebrew 12:14 (KJV) www.ndec.net Tune in on Sunday Morning to WTVR - Channel 6 - 8:30 a.m.

Noonday Bible Study 12:00 p.m. (Noon) Sanctuary - All Are Welcome! Wednesday Evening Bible Study 7:00 p.m. (Bible Study)

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (NDCA)

SATURDAY

Accepting applications for children 2 yrs. old to 5th Grade

8:30 a.m. Intercessory Prayer

You can now view Sunday Morning Service “AS IT HAPPENS� online! Also, for your convenience, we now offer “full online giving.� Visit www.ndec.net.

We Pray God’s Richest Blessings for You & Your Family daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become in The New Year! a reality‌. I believe that Dr. Wallace J. Cook, Pastor Emeritus Rev. Dr. James E. Leary, Interim Pastor

2:00 PM

Ages 5 - 12

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’� – Micah 6:8

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

Speaker: Rev. Tracy Clark

Now Registering for Summer Camp 2019!

A Call To Justice For The Week

Weekly Worship: Sundays @ 10:30 A.M. Church School: Sundays @ 9:00 A.M. Bible Study: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 P.M.

11:00 AM Worship Celebration

Speaker: Rev. Juanita Harrison and Bethesda Baptist Church

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

Monday, May 20 thru Wednesday, May 22

1127 North 28th St., Richmond, VA 23223-6624 s Office: (804) 644-1402

)N 'OD S (OUSE !LL &RIENDS !RE &AMILY

Broad Rock Baptist Church

Psalm 85:6

Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church, Richmond

4HEME

Theme for 2018-2020: Mobilizing For Ministry Refreshing The Old and Emerging The New We Embrace Diversity — Love For All! A 21st Century Church Come Worship With Us! With Ministry For Everyone Sunday, May 19, 2019

8:30 AM - Sunday School x 10:00 AM - Morning Worship Message by: Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor

Spring Revival “Revive Us Sunday, May 19, 2019 Again�

Providence Park Baptist Church, Richmond

Sixth Baptist Church

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

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

Morning Worship, 10:00 AM Rev. Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr.

-OUNTAIN 2OAD s 'LEN !LLEN 6IRGINIA /FlCE s &AX s www.stpeterbaptist.net

“The Church With A Welcome�

LentenKing, Season —Martin Luther Jr. Mosby joins with the larger Christian Community in celebrating the Lenten season as a time of

ENROLL NOW!!! Our NDCA curriculum also consists of a Before and After program. Now Enrolling for our Nursery Ages 6 weeks - 2yrs. old. For more information Please call (804) 276-4433 Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm

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Richmond Free Press

May 16-18, 2019 B5

Legal Notices City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Monday, June 10, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, to consider the following ordinance: Ordinance No. 2019-130 To approve the Work Plan and Budget for the fiscal year ending Jun. 30, 2020, for the provision of services in the Downtown Richmond Special Service and Assessment Districts. (COMMITTEE: Land Use, Housing and Transportation, Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 1:00 p.m., Council Chamber) Interested citizens who wish to speak will be given an opportunity to do so. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at www.Richmondgov. com and in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Candice D. Reid City Clerk

City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, to consider the following ordinances: Ordinance No. 2019-118 To amend City Code ch. 2, art. IV, div. 1 by adding therein a new § 2-239, concerning value engineering, for the purpose of requiring value engineering for projects costing more than $5,000,000.00. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Thursday, May 16, 2019, 1:00 p.m., Council Chamber) Ordinance No. 2019-119 To amend Ord. No. 2018297, adopted Dec. 17, 2018, which created the Navy Hill Development Advisory Commission and announced the Council’s intent to hold public hearings, all for the purpose of providing for the Council’s consideration of a development proposal in the area generally bounded on the west by N. 5th St., on the north by E. Leigh St., on the east by N. 10th St., and on the south by E. Marshall St, to provide that the Commission shall furnish the Council with a final report no later than 90 calendar days following the date of introduction of the relevant ordinances instead of 90 calendar days following the date on which a majority of the Commission’s members are appointed. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Thursday, May 16, 2019, 1:00 p.m., Council Chamber) Ordinance No. 2019-125 To amend Ord. No. 2018057, adopted May 14, 2018, which adopted the Fiscal Year 20182019 General Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by increasing the amount of funds available for appropriation by $8,519,814.00 from various sources, transferring funds from various agencies and nondepartmental programs, and appropriated the additional funds available for appropriation and the transferred funds to various agencies and non-departmental programs. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Thursday, May 16, 2019, 1:00 p.m., Council Chamber)

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Ordinance No. 2019-127 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $1,000.00 from the PulsePoint Foundation; to amend the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Special Fund Budget by creating a new special fund for the Department of Emergency Communications called the PulsePoint Special Fund; and to appropriate the grant funds received to the Fiscal Year 20182019 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Emergency Communications’ PulsePoint Special Fund by $1,000.00 for the purpose of purchasing marketing materials to increase usage of the PulsePoint mobile applications designed to assist in cardiac arrest emergencies. Ordinance No. 2019-128 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer and the Director of Procurement Services, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute the third Contract Modification to Contract No. 16000022041 between the City and Manchester Marketing, Inc. T/A Seibert’s Towing for towing-related services and tow lot operation for the purpose of ratifying all acts of the City and Manchester Marketing, Inc. T/A Seibert’s Towing that were in accordance with the provisions of Procurement Services Contract Modification No. 2 for Contract No. 16000022041 since the adoption of Ord. No. 2018-255, adopted Oct. 8, 2018. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Thursday, May 16, 2019, 1:00 p.m., Council Chamber) Ordinance No. 2019-129 To approve the Work Plan and Budget for the fiscal year ending Jun. 30, 2020, for the provision of services in the Downtown Richmond Special Service and Assessment Districts. (COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development, Thursday, May 16, 2019, 1:00 p.m., Council Chamber) Ordinance No. 2019-131 To establish a residential permit parking district in the South Mulberry Street neighborhood. (COMMITTEE: Land Use, Housing and Transportation, Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 1:00 p.m., Council Chamber) Ordinance No. 2019-132 To establish a residential permit parking district in the Randolph neighborhood. (COMMITTEE: Land Use, Housing and Transportation, Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 1:00 p.m., Council Chamber) Interested citizens who wish to speak will be given an opportunity to do so. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at www.Richmondgov. com and in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Candice D. Reid City Clerk

City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the City of Richmond Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Monday, June 3, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. in the Fifth Floor Conference Room of City Hall and the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing on Monday, June 10, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, to consider the following ordinances:

Ordinance No. 2019-126 To rename the Bike Share System special fund as the Shared Mobility Device Program special fund; to amend Ord. No. 2018-058, adopted May 14, 2018, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Special Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by increasing estimated revenues from the permit program for the parking of shared mobility devices on sidewalks set forth in City Code §§ 24-125—24-132 and the amount appropriated to the Department of Public Work’s Shared Mobility Device Program special fund by $232,500.00 for the purpose of operating the permit program for the parking of shared mobility devices on sidewalks set forth in City Code §§ 24125—24-132.

Ordinance No. 2019-133 To amend Ord. No. 2011‑20‑32, adopted M a r. 1 4 , 2 0 11 , a s amended by Ord. No. 2013‑75‑57, adopted Apr. 22, 2013, and Ord. No. 2015‑20‑122, adopted June 8, 2015, which authorized the special use of the property known as 310 North 33rd Street for the purpose of the conversion of an existing building to a multi‑family dwelling with up to 50 units and principal commercial uses permitted on corner lots in the R‑63 Multi‑Family Urban Residential District on the property and outdoor dining, to authorize an additional dwelling unit, upon certain terms and conditions. The property is zoned R-63 Multifamily Urban Residential. The Master Plan recommends mixed‑use residential uses for the property. The primary recommended

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uses for this land use category are single‑, two‑, and multi‑family dwellings, live/work units and neighborhood serving commercial uses developed in a traditional urban form. No residential density is specified for this land use category. Ordinance No. 2019-134 To authorize the special use of the property known as 511 West Marshall Street for the purpose of a dwelling containing up to three dwelling units, upon certain terms and conditions. The property is situated in an R-6 Single-Family Attached Residential District. The City of Richmond’s adopted Pulse Corridor Plan designates a land use category for the subject property as Neighborhood Mixed Use. “Neighborhood Mixed use areas are cohesive districts that provide a mix of uses, but with a larger amount of residential uses than other mixed use districts. They are an urban, walkable environment with limited neighborhood oriented uses incorporated along key commercial corridors and at corner sites.” Low to medium density is specified for this land use category. Ordinance No. 2019-135 To authorize the special use of the properties known as 2417 Royall Avenue, 2420 Webber Avenue, and 2408 Webber Avenue for the purpose of a day nursery for up to 130 children, upon certain terms and conditions. The property is located in the R‑5 Single‑Family Residential Zoning District. The City of Richmond’s current Master Plan designates a future land use category for the subject properties as Single‑Family Low Density. Primary uses for this category include “…single‑family detached dwellings at densities up to seven units per acre. Includes residential support uses such as schools, places of worship, neighborhood parks and recreation facilities, and limited public and semi‑public uses. Ordinance No. 2019-136 To authorize the special use of the property known as 3115 Jefferson Davis Highway, for the purpose of a multi‑family residential dwelling containing up to ten dwelling units, upon certain terms and conditions. The subject property is located in the B-3 General Business Zoning District. The City of Richmond’s current Master Plan designates a future land use category for the subject properties as Mixed-Use (MU). Primary uses for this category include combinations of office, retail, personal service, general commercial and service uses and, in some cases, multifamily residential and dwelling units above ground floor commercial. No residential density is specified for this land use designation. Interested citizens who wish to speak will be given an opportunity to do so. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at; the Main City Library located at 101 East Franklin Street; and in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Candice D. Reid City Clerk

Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER PAMELA SMITH, Plaintiff v. HENRY SMITH, Defendant. Case No.: CL18003808-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear here on or before the 25th day of June, 2019 at 9:00 AM, Courtroom #2 and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER SHAMSU ABDUL-AZIZ, Plaintiff v. Continued on next column

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YAMINAH JACKSON, Defendant. Case No.: CL19001392-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 25th day of June, 2019 at 9:00 AM, Courtroom #2 and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown Father & Sara Andrews (Mother) to appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his/her interest on or before July 29, 2019, at 9:40 AM, Courtroom #4

and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that BYRON A. THORNTON, who per information and belief, died on April 4, 2019, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, MONTGOMERY O. THORNTON, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JUly 11, 2019 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940

CARTER, who is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that said owner, VICTORIA BROWN, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that DWAYNE BROWN, who may have an ownership interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” I T I S OR D ERE D that NATHAN CARTER, VIC T ORI A B RO W N , DWAYNE BROWN, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JUly 11, 2019 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940

described as 1207 Rear North 25th Street, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number E000-0561/035, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Lewis C. Dockery. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, LEWIS C. DOCKERY, JR, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that LEWIS C. DOCKERY, JR, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JUly 11, 2019 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER PAUL SAMUELS, Plaintiff v. HANNAH SCHWARTZ, Defendant. Case No.: CL19000203-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 25th day of June, 2019 at 9:00 AM, Courtroom #2 and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER IVY RIBEIRO, Plaintiff v. DOUGLAS MATTOS, Defendant. Case No.: CL19001393-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 25th day of June, 2019 at 9:00 AM, Courtroom #2 and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER DORIS ACKIMU, Plaintiff v. BRIAN MHLONGO, Defendant. Case No.: CL19000691-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear here on or before the 11th day of June, 2019 at 9:00 a.m., Courtroom 2 and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Counsel VSB# 27724 Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

CUSTODY VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Jayla & Jamal Andrews Case No. J-096170-08-09, J-096171-07,08 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) for Unknown (Father) and Sara Andrews (Mother) of Jayla Andrews, child, DOB 06/23/2018 & Jamal Andrews, child DOB 06/23/2018. “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re BRANDON SUMMERVILLE File No. J-095264-06-07 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Kyle Gaines (Father) and Unknown (Father), of Brandon Summerville, child, DOB 06/30/2017. “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendant Kyle Gaines (Father) and Unknown (Father) to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 6/17/2019, at 2:55 PM, Courtroom #4

PROPERTY VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. JESSIE HILTON, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL19-610 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 30 East 28th Street, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number S0001121/00, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Jessie Hilton, Armadella Day and June Burke. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, JESSIE HILTON, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, ARMADELLA DAY, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, JUNE BURKE, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that JESSIE HILTON, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, ARMADELLA DAY, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, JUNE BURKE, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JUly 11, 2019 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. BYRON A. THORNTON, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL19-1494 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2027 Maplewood Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number W0000891/004, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Byron A. Thornton and Montgomery O. Thornton. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, BYRON A. THORNTON, who per information and belief, died on April 4, 2019, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action, that said owner, MONTGOMERY O. THORNTON, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to his last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. NATHAN CARTER, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL18-3099 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3408 Delaware Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N0001265/009, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Nathan Carter and Victoria Brown. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, NATHAN CARTER, who is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that said owner, VICTORIA BROWN, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that DWAYNE BROWN, who may have an ownership interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” I T I S OR D ERE D that NATHAN CARTER, VIC T ORI A B RO W N , DWAYNE BROWN, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JUly 11, 2019 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. ETHEL C. SKINNER, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL19-391 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 109 East 17th Street, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number S0000236/009, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Ethel C. Skinner. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, ETHEL C. SKINNER, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to her last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that ETHEL C. SKINNER, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JUly 11, 2019 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. THEODORA PARHAM, et al. Defendants. Case No. : CL18-6177 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3124 4th Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N0000997/015, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Theodora Parham, Carole Allen Parham and Rose Parham-Jordan, the last being upon information and belief deceased. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, THEODORA PARHAM and CAROLE ALLEN PARHAM, who have been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to their last known address, have not been personally located and have not filed a response to this action; that said owner, ROSE PARHAM-JORDAN, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that H. P. RAPP, INC, an entity purged from the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Trustee of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 03-3380 on January 31, 2003, or its successor/s in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OF ATLANTA, an entity not appearing in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission or the FDIC, Beneficiary of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 03-3380 on January 31, 2003, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that T H EO D OR A PA R H A M , CAROLE ALLEN PARHAM, ROSE PARHAM-JORDAN, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, H. P. RAPP, INC, an entity purged from the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Trustee of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 03-3380 on January 31, 2003, or its successor/s in interest, FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OF ATLANTA, an entity not appearing in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission or the FDIC, Beneficiary of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 033380 on January 31, 2003, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JUly 11, 2019 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO OLIVIA J. GARLAND and LYNDEN P. GARLAND, SR., Plaintiffs, v. HARVEY KINNEY ESTATE, et al., Defendant. Case No.: CL19-1605 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is for the Plaintiff to quiet title to the real property located at 1017 Nash Road, Sandston, Virginia, 23150, in the County of Henrico, Parcel Identification Number 834-709-8523, Lot 24.5 acres (more or less), and for the Court to establish the Eastern boundary line to said subject Property. It appearing by affidavit that based on Plaintiffs research and the records currently readily available to them each of the heirs to the Harvey Kinney Estate (Respondent) last known address and social security number are not known, the present whereabouts of these individuals are unknown, and diligence has been used by the Plaintiff to ascertain in what county or city these individuals live in (if any), is without effect, it is ORDERED that the heirs to the Harvey Kinney Estate (Respondent) appear before this Court on or before June 3, 2019 and protect their interests herein. An Extract Teste: Heidi S. Barshinger, Clerk (804) 501-4765 Matthew A. Winer, Esquire Pagano & Marks, P.C. 4510 S. Laburnum Avenue Richmond, VA 23231 Tele: (804) 447-1002 Fax: (804) 562-5924 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HENRICO EDWARD J. OLIVIS, et al., Plaintiffs, v. HEIRS OF MITZI DEAN McLAUGHLIN, et al., Defendants. Case No.: CL19-1622 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this action is to quiet title in the name of Plaintiffs Edward J. Olivis and Beverly Daniel as to 2804 Sandy Lane, Henrico, Virginia 23223. It appearing by affidavit that the last addresses of Defendants Heirs of Mitzi Dean McLaughlin andParties Unknown (any other current or former owners, successors in title, heirs, devisees or lien creditors with an interest in this real estate) are unknown, that these Defendants’ present whereabouts are unknown, and diligence has been used by the Plaintiff to ascertain in what county or city these Defendants are located to no effect, it is ORDERED that these Defendants appear before this Court on or before June 3, 2019, and protect their interests herein. An Extract Teste: Heidi S. Barshinger, Clerk W. Mark Dunn, Esquire Shaheen Law Firm, P.C. 8890 Three Chopt Road Richmond, VA 23229 (804) 285-6406

AUCTION

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. NATHAN CARTER, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL18-3100 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3406 Delaware Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N0001265/010, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Nathan Carter and Victoria Brown. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, NATHAN

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. LEWIS C. DOCKERY, JR, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL19-1027 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly

NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION SPECIAL COMMISSIONER’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Pursuant to the terms of Orders of Sale entered in the Richmond Circuit Court, the undersigned Special Commissioner will offer the following real estate for sale at public auction at Motleys Asset Disposition Group, 3600 Deepwater Terminal Road, Richmond, Virginia on Wednesday May 22, 2019 at 3:00pm, or as soon thereafter as may be effected. The sale is subject to the terms and conditions below and any other terms and conditions which may be announced on the day of auction. Announcements made on the day of the auction take precedence over any prior written or verbal terms

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Richmond Free Press

B6 May 16-18, 2019

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of sale 2606 North Avenue N0000641006 City of Richmond v. Joseph Carrington, et al. CL17-2649 2626 Belt Boulevard C0090480034 City of Richmond v. Joseph Mills, et al. CL18-323 2112 P Street E0000468016 City of Richmond v. Barbara J. Rucker, et al. CL18-986 13 West Lancaster Road N0000598003 City of Richmond v. Thelma Green, et al. CL18-1268 912 North 21st Street E0000420004 City of Richmond v. Henry S. Cherry, et al. CL18-1569 1316 Nelwood Drive E0002402010 City of Richmond v. Irene Brown, et al. CL18-2112 504 North 26th Street E0000383011 City of Richmond v. Sallie E. Smith, et al. CL18-2522 1723 North 21st Street E0000938024 City of Richmond v. Glenn J. Sweeting, et al. CL18-2896 118 Lipscomb Street S0000150018 City of Richmond v. Clarence Tucker, et al. CL18-3207 1220 North 35th Street E0001273030 City of Richmond v. Fred Gorham, Jr., et. al. CL18-3237 2523 Coles Street S0090104020 City of Richmond v. Donald J. Both, et. al. CL18-3260 1505 Perry Street S0000202010 City of Richmond v. Joseph W. Dobyns, et. al. CL18-3447 1510 Spotsylvania Street E0000665025 City of Richmond v. Nicole G. Jones, et. al. CL18-3449 1237 North 37th Street E0001411018 City of Richmond v. Marvin Doughtie, et. al. CL18-3497 28 East 32nd Street S0001874022 City of Richmond v. Curtis L. Williams, et. al. CL18-3605 23 South Morris Street W0000399032 City of Richmond v. Mary S. Smith, et. al. CL18-3947 2810 Burfoot Street S0001121020 City of Richmond v. Leonard J. Byrd, et. al. CL18-3964 2803 Midlothian Turnpike S0000911048 City of Richmond v. Thelma Sor, et. al. CL18-4098 2101 Redd Street E0000604025 City of Richmond v. Jack Hines, et. al. CL18-4136 2005 Decatur Street S0000354015 City of Richmond v. Juanita Cousins, et. al. CL18-4270 2114 P Street E0000468015 City of Richmond v. Pearl Harris, et. al. CL18-4393 2611 Dale Avenue S0090301028 City of Richmond v. Robert L. Lewis, et. al. CL18-4868 1610 Spotsylvania Street E0000764012 City of Richmond v. Veora Jane Allen, et al. CL17-5821 2111 Ford Avenue E0000598022 City of Richmond v. Neal Kennedy, et al. CL18-351 2304 Creighton Road E0120294003 City of Richmond v. Joan M. Robinson, et al. CL18-1142 3000 ½ Q Street E0000627031 City of Richmond v. RVA Property 1, LLC, et.al. CL18-1520 2206 Ford Avenue E0000756007 City of Richmond v. Walter E. Stokes, et al. CL18-2053 2113 Ford Avenue E0000598023 City of Richmond v. Peace on Earth, etc., et.al. CL18-2349 1517 Bangle Drive C0090178004 City of Richmond v. Vernon E. Oliver, et al. CL18-2870 3125 Irvington Street C0090565004 City of Richmond v. Michael Whitlock, et al. CL18-3206 4024 McKay Avenue C0090398103 City of Richmond v. Derrick McLauren, et. al. CL18-3209 2319 Halifax Avenue S0000645022 City of Richmond v. Nellie S. Gillespie, et. al. CL18-3239 1512 West Leigh Street N0000676032 City of Richmond v. Cesar V. Coles, et. al. CL18-3273 817 Norton Street N0000517030 City of Richmond v. Willie D. Bullock, et. al. CL18-3448 229 Bermuda Road C0060422006 City of Richmond v. William Elam, Trustee, et.al. CL18-3452 3108 Q Street E0000722021 City of Richmond v. Florida

L. Steward, et. al. CL18-3507 620 North 21st Street E0000252005 City of Richmond v. Brenda J. Tolliver, et. al. CL18-3626 2811 Burfoot Street S0001123023 City of Richmond v. Leonard J. Byrd, et. al. CL18-3963 3712 Glenwood Avenue E0001663003 City of Richmond v. John Carter, et. al. CL18-4097 3315 Cliff Avenue N0001546033 City of Richmond v. Love Enterprises, et. al. CL18-4132 320 East Fells Street N0000377038 City of Richmond v. Abtelaziz Amro, et. al. CL18-4176 2601 Edgewood Avenue N0000637023 City of Richmond v. Letitia B. Johnson, et. al. CL18-4308 1009 North 2nd Street N0000086012 City of Richmond v. Bertha C. Fields, et. al. CL18-4484 2907 Hull Street S0001343012 City of Richmond v. Leroy Hatcher, III, et. al. CL18-5567

$1,931.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND JAMES JACKSON; CL18-2438-1 $342.10 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND IRA JONES; CL18-2405-1 $280.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DONNELL JOYNER; CL11-5795-1 $1,575 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TRAVIS MARROW; CL17-4391-1 $270.02 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ZYEJUAN REDD; CL17-5513-1 $2,952.10 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DEZMONIQUE TOWNES; CL18-1000-1 $641.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DOMINIQUE WALKER; CL10-3083-1 $1,626.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TIMOTHY WARD; CL10-1986-1 $656.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND CLEON WARE; CL17-3915-1 $439.00 UNITED STAES CURRENCY AND KHALICK WHITAKER; CL14-2531-1 $327.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DERRICK YOUNG; CL11-2510-1 $7,166.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND JORGE ZAMARRIPA-MUNOZ; Defendants. ORDER The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999). It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before August 2, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests. I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

ARCHER; CL18-2709-6 $213.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND WINSTON CHAY; CL18-1958-6 $330.00 UNITED STATES CURENCY AND CHARLES DELK; CL17-4224-6 $218.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ALFONSO GREENE; CL17-1009-6 $744.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND MATTHEW LAWSON; CL18-2987-6 $289.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ANGELO LONG; CL18-3731-6 $280.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND LATIF MACK; CL18-5601-6 $400.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND GILMER PUPU; CL18-1350-6 $1,416.01 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND LAMAR SMITH; CL11-2018-6 $353.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ESTEE WASHINGTON; CL14-1848-6 $14,680.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND RICKY WOOD, Defendants. ORDER The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999). It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before August 9, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests. I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

$301.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DOMINQUE ADAMS; CL17-1959-5 $1,335.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND NORMAN BOSWELL; CL18-2708-5 $1,272.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND WILLIE GREENE; CL10-2011-5 $7,000.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND GEORGE HARRIS; CL17-2820-5 $767.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ANTHONY LYNCH; CL18-1991 $731.21 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ERNEST MOORE; CL17-1480-5 $922.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ELIJAH SAMUELS; CL18-1022-5 $957.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TRE’VON SHRIVER; CL10-5345-5 $1,017.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND RAWLE STANTON; CL18-2986-5 $2,428.61 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ERIC WELLS; CL17-5107-5 $840.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND BRANDON WEST, Defendants. ORDER The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999). It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before August 8, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests. I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

(VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

Continued on next column

Continued on next column

TERMS OF SALE: All sales are subject to confirmation by the Richmond Circuit Court. The purchase price will include the winning bid plus 10% of the winning bid. High bidders will pay at the time of the auction a deposit of at least 20% of the purchase price, or $2500.00, whichever is greater. If the purchase price is under $2500.00, high bidders will pay in full at the time of the auction. High bidders will pay the balance of the purchase price to the Special Commissioner, and deed recordation costs, by a date and in a form as stated in a settlement instruction letter. Time is of the essence. If a high bidder defaults by not making these payments in full, on time, and in the required form, the Special Commissioner will retain the deposit, and may seek other remedies to include the cost of resale or any resulting deficiency. Settlement shall occur when the Richmond Circuit Court enters an Order of Confirmation. Conveyance shall be either by a special commissioner’s deed or a special warranty deed. Real estate taxes will be adjusted as of the date of entry for the Order of Confirmation. Most properties will be sold with a development agreement requiring high bidders to complete construction, repairs, or renovation necessary to obtain a certificate of occupancy from the City of Richmond within two years of settlement. Properties are sold “as is� without any representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, subject to the rights of any person in possession, and to all easements, liens, covenants, defects, encumbrances, adverse claims, conditions and restrictions, whether filed or inchoate, to include any information a survey or inspection of a property may disclose. It is assumed that bidders will make a visual exterior inspection of a property within the limits of the law, determine the suitability of a property for their purposes, and otherwise perform due diligence prior to the auction. T h e S p e c i a l Commissioner’s acceptance of a bid shall not limit any powers vested in the City of Richmond. Additional terms may be announced at the time of sale. Individuals owing delinquent taxes to the City of Richmond, and defendants in pending delinquent tax cases, are not qualified to bid at this auction. Bidders must certify by affidavit that they do not own, directly or indirectly, any real estate with outstanding notices of violation for building, zoning or other local ordinances. Questions may be directed to Gregory A. Lukanuski at greg.lukanuski @richmondgov.com / (804) 646-7949, or to Christie Hamlin at christie.hamlin@ richmondgov.com / (804) 646-6940. Gregory A. Lukanuski Deputy City Attorney Special Commissioner 900 East Broad Street, Room 400 Richmond, Virginia 23219

CURRENCY VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v. CL18-0776-1 $ 235.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND IREEF BOYD; CL18-4679-1 $699.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND LAMON COLEMAN; CL17-3771-1 $429.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND RUQUAN DOCTOR; CL18-2705-1 $803.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND CHAUNCEY DUCRE; CL16-182-1 $1,210.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND CORDERO HINES; CL12-3599-1

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v. CL18-2984-2 $909.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DAVON BAILEY; CL14-5081-2 $762.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND CURTIS CUTHBERTSON; CL18-2706-2 $334.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND EDWARD HARRIS; CL18-3728-2 $338.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ISIS HAYES; CL18-2302-2 $481.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND WILLIAM JEFFERSON; CL17-3567-2 $302.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND JACQUAN JOHNSON; CL18-1027-2 $286.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TRAVIS JOHNSON; CL18-4221-2 $650.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND JOHNATHAN MCKENZIE; CL17-4512-2 $443.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TRAVIS MILES; CL16-3987-2 $715.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TUSHAWN WALTERS; CL17-5232-2 $644.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND MARQUISE WILLIAMS, Defendants. ORDER The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999). It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before August 9, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests. I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v. CL18-0767-6 $528.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND AESHA Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v. CL18-1008-4 $766.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND CURTIS BASSETT; CL18-2992-4 $2,915.32 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DARLISHA DAVIS; CL13-2794-4 $679.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ALEXIS DOUGLAS; CL16-3443 $419.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TOMAR HARRIS; CL15-1798-4 $5,700.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND MARK HENRY; CL18-2707-4 $492.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ADAM JOHNSON; CL18-4674-4 $2,130.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND BILLY KING; CL17-2282-4 $588.67 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TONY MASSENBURG; CL17-4545-4 $751.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND JOHN ORTIZ; CL19-541 $263.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TOBIAS SMITH; CL18-4222-4 $780.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND RAMON THOMAS; CL17-5515-4 $9,996.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TUSHAWN WALTERS; CL17-2819-4 $338.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND SHAUMAS WYCHE, Defendants. ORDER The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999). It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before August 13, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests. I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v. CL17-2283-5 Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v. CL18-2710-7 $8,210.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND RICO ALBERT; CL18-2703-7 $1,655.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND JOEL ALICEA; CL17-2293-7 $4,089.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND KENNETH BANKS; CL15-2001-7 $281.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND COREY BROWN; CL13-1587-7 $1,827.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TREVON BROWN; CL14-2346-7 Bank Account AND CAMERON CRAWFORD; CL18-1993-7 $400.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DAQUAN TERRY; CL16-4907-7 $628.20 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND MARIO DAY; CL15-16-7 $1,885.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND COREY GARDNER; CL13-2250-7 $258.94 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND JONTAE HASKINS; CL11-2203-7 $850.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DONTE MASSENBURG; CL12-1062-7 $224.25 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND SHAYE ROBINSON; CL18-1024-7 $332.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND BOBI TAYLOR; CL10-3808-7 $5,615.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND LATANYA THOMAS; CL14F-2989-7 $1,224.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND BRIANNA VANCE; CL18-3732-7 $4,730.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND KYLE WEBB, Defendants. ORDER The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999). It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before August 19, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests. I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v. CL18-0501-8 $2,650.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND RAMEL ARMSTRONG; CL10-2305-8 $2,796.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND KEVIN BROWN; CL19-538 $1,626.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND KIP DICKENS; CL17-3226-8 $1,002.85 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND JAMAL HILL; CL16-181-8 $994.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND XAVIER HINTON; CL17-0395 $2,056.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND BRANDEN JONES; CL18-1352-8 $494.89 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND WILLIE REVISH; CL17-3770-8 $3,998.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND OLIVIA RICHARDSON; CL18-87-8 $11,281.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DUSTIN SHOENBAUM; CL12-2305-8 $459.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND CHARLES TALLEY; CL10-3809-8 $135.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND JAMES THOMAS; CL10-1993-8 $1,765.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND MELVIN THORNE; CL17-5786-8 $662.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ANTWANNETTE USANGA; CL18-2704-8 $572.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND SHAWN WASHINGTON; CL13-1581-8 $400.00 UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND ERICA YARBOROUGH, Defendants. ORDER The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999). It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before August 19, 2019, at 9:00 am in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests. I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Virginia Department of Corrections RFP #DOC-19-040, Optometry Services - Central Region

Contact: Nicole L. Hicks (804) 887.8224 or email: nicole.hicks@vadoc.virginia.gov

RFP #APD20190510, Term Contract for Support Services for Design-Build and Public-Private Partnership (P3) Programs, due May 24, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. http://www.virginiadot.org/business/ rfps.asp#AlternativeProjectDelivery

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Virginia Department of Transportation is requesting proposals to provide Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) Counseling and Psychological Fitness and Evaluation Services. A mandatory Pre-proposal Conference will be held at 10:00 AM on May 23, 2019. A copy of the RFP # 155319, may be downloaded frm the website: www.eva.virginia.gov Proposals must be received as stated in the solicitation.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES The Springfield Baptist Church of Meherrin, VA is Seeking A Pastor. Interested candidates please contact the Pastoral Search Committee Secretary Mrs. Janis T. Whitehead at m ) r m $ PS FNBJM KBOJTXIJUFIFBE!ZBIPP DPN CZ +VOF

Thank you for your interest in applying for opportunities with The City of Richmond. To see what opportunities are available, please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com. EOE M/F/D/V Senior Data Engineer: Job located in Richmond, VA: Participate in detailed technical design, development and implementation of applications using existing and emerging technology platforms; Provide input into architectural design decisions, develop code and ensure applications are available to customers. Performance tunes code to execute within expected parameters. Requires BS in Comp Sci, Eng or rel plus 5 yrs of exp in the job or rel. In lieu of BS plus 5 years of exp, employer will accept MS plus 3 years of exp. Send resume to Snag Holdings, Inc., Attn: Jessica Bennett, 4851 Lake Brook Drive, Glen Allen, VA 23060.

LICENSE Unique Blessings Catering & Events LLC Trading as: The Hidden Spot, 7485 Midlothian Tpke., North Chesterfield, Chesterfield, Virginia 23225 The above establishment is applying to the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) for a MB Caterer license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Janel Anderson NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-5523200.

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

804.358.5543 Bedros Bandazian

Associate Broker, Chairman

Raffi Bandazian

Principal Broker, GRI

2 % ! , % 3 4 ! 4 % s % 3 4

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Richmond Free Press call 644-0496 Follow the Free Press on @FreePressRVA @RichmondFreePressUSA


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