Richmond Free Press November 10-12, 2022 edition

Richmond Free Press ‘Wakanda Weekend’ B2

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Remembering Rev. Calvin Butts B3

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

As of Wednesday, the out comes of Senate races in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada and 53 houses races in various states were still unknown, ac cording to the New York Times and other websites tracking election results.

What is clear from results in Virginia and across the country, the red tide that was supposed to give Republicans control of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate did not materialize, according to a wide array of analysts.

That’s a big win for President

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Biden. According to election data, first-term presidents with low approval ratings generally see their party lose 20 to 40 seats in the house and five to 10 seats in the Senate, but this

Voters in three states enshrined the right to an abortion in their constitutions Tuesday night while marijuana legalization won in two more states.

Analysts called it a big night for abor tion protections.

State constitutional amendments to

year Republicans appear likely to have far smaller gains, if they gain at all.

The Old Dominion, where the tallies are virtually done, is an example. Republicans went

protect women’s reproductive freedom appear to have won in Vermont, Michigan and California, according to unofficial results.

At the same time, anti-abortion proposi tions were defeated in two bedrock Repub lican states, Kentucky and Montana. Meanwhile, voters in Maryland and Missouri approved legalizing marijuana,

into the election with high hopes of picking up three House seats held by Democrats.

Instead, Republicans gained only one seat, as a result of Republican State Sen. Jen Kig

boosting to 18 the number of states that have taken that step. Virginia is on that list. However, legalization lost in three other states, Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Colorado voters went even further. Un official results indicate that a proposition to decriminalize psychedelic drugs and mind-altering mushrooms passed.

‘We can no longer remain silent’ Coalition wants Bon Secours to increase investments in area’s poor communities

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Sparked by a New York Times expose, a new coalition hopes to rally the East End community to pressure nonprofit Bon Secours Mercy Health to rebuild critical care services at Richmond Community Hospital and better meet the health needs of low-income communities.

An arm of Richmond Together, the 25-member Richmond Coalition for Health Care Equity will launch its lobbying campaign with a community meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at Mt. Olivet Church, 1223 N. 25th St.

The church is just a few blocks from the

hospital located at 28th Street and Nine Mile Road.

Clarence McGill, a member of the coali tion’s leadership team, said the key goal is to generate support for the group’s demands for Bon Secours to change the way it uses huge sums it generates from a federal 340B drug discount program that it benefits from through its ownership of the hospital.

The coalition’s demands include having Bon Secours dramatically increase its investment in the hospital and in health care in poorer areas of the region and put priority on hiring city residents and on contracting with Black- and women-

Report finds profound pandemic impact on Virginia education

Virginia’s teacher work force is smaller, unhappier and less qualified than before the COVID-19 pandemic, Vir ginia’s nonpartisan legislative watchdog agency stated in a report Monday that urged the state to boost funding to address the issue.

Staffers of the Joint Leg islative Audit and Review Commission, or JLARC, also told lawmakers that in addi tion to previously reported declines in academic achieve ment, school staff are experi encing more student behavioral problems and mental health issues.

“We all knew in our hearts and from our personal experi ences that COVID-19 had un believably terrible impacts on our families and on our children. And now, as we all just heard, we have hard data — cold hard data — telling us that we are in crisis,” Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera told lawmakers after the presenta tion in Richmond.

To compile its report on the

owned businesses and social enterprises.

The coalition was aroused by the New York Times article in September that alleged that Bon Secours had reduced services at the hospital, including shuttering an intensive care unit that led to the heart and lung specialists, as well as other physicians dealing with major organs.

At the same time, the article alleged the hospital chain used the facility as a cash cow for its suburban and rural operations.

The article noted that Bon Secours was generating more than $100 million a year in income from a 340B program that allows it to buy expensive drugs for cancer and other ail ments at discounted prices through Richmond Community and charge full price to insurance companies at any of its locations.

Bon Secours has stoutly defended its work Please turn to A4

Trailblazer

Bettie Elizabeth Boyers Cooper’s actions spurred City’s full school desegregation

Steve Helber/The Associated Press

Virginia Education Secretary Aimee Rogstad Guidera, shown during an event at the Capitol last January in Richmond, responded Monday to Virginia’s nonpartisan legislative watchdog agency report noting that Virginia’s teacher workforce is smaller, unhappier and less qualified than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:

The courageous plaintiff, who won a little-remembered federal lawsuit that enabled the first Black students to enter previously all-white public schools in the city, died Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. She was 94.

Known affectionately as “Sister” and “Big Mama,” her life was celebrated Friday, Oct. 21, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Wit nesses in Henrico County.

The New Jersey trans plant who grew up in Rich mond became fed up with segregation when her daugh ter, Daisy Jane, had to ride a bus four miles to and from Carver Elementary School rather than attend the whitesonly Westhampton Elemen tary School that was within walking distance, said Ms. Cooper’s granddaughter, Kelly Johnson-Crowder.

A professional seam stress, Ms. Cooper took action at a time when Massive Resistance was in full swing in Virginia to block imple mentation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954

Please turn to A4

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

• Thursday, Nov.

RICHMOND

Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Hundreds of Richmonders voted before noon Tuesday at Precinct 510 in South Richmond on Election Day. Meanwhile, Rae Cousins, below left, campaigns for incumbent congressional candidate A. Donald McEachin in the 800 block of 31st Street near in Church Hill on Tuesday. Rep. McEachin, a three-term Democratic congressman, defeated Republican Leon Benjamin for a second time since 2020 by garnering 63.8 percent of votes compared to Mr. Benjamin, who secured 36.2 percent votes.

Let’s do the split

Barack Obama Elementary School students Shaliya Johnson, 10, a fourthgrader, left, and Aaminah Sineus, 9, a third-grader, where shown the “banana split,” push by program leader, Mone “Miss Mo” Jones on Tuesday, Nov.8. Schools were out due to Election Day, so the students spent time at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond Northside Club at 3601 Branch Ave.

The battle for Congress remains up in the air, with vote counting still underway in numerous states and a final determination whether Demo crats or Republicans secure a majority in one or both houses potentially still weeks away.

Veterans Day closings

In observance of Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11, please note the following for the City of Richmond, city of Petersburg, and counties of Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield: Government offices

Local government offices in the cities of Richmond and Petersburg, and the counties of Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover will be closed.

State and federal offices will be closed.

Courts Closed.

Public schools Open for Richmond, Henrico County and Chesterfield County public schools.

Public libraries and Library of Virginia Closed.

Trash and recycling Collections will be on a regular schedule. Refuse collection by the Henrico Department of Public Utilities will be delayed to Saturday, Nov. 12.

Banks, credit unions and

other financial institutions Closed.

U.S. Postal Service No delivery.

Department of Motor Vehicles customer service centers Closed.

Malls, major retailers, movie theaters Varies; inquire at specific locations.

ABC stores All stores will operate on a regular schedule.

GRTC GRTC operates a normal weekday schedule though there will be no express service. All CARE standing reservations are canceled that day, and the GRTC Administrative Office will be closed.

Free Press office: Open.

Veterans Day in Chesterfield

Chesterfield’s Robious Elementary School students will show appreciation for local veterans Friday, Nov. 11, when fifth-grade classes unveil floats that honor each branch of military service during a student parade. After the parade, a short musical program will be presented for guest veterans in attendance, followed by an interview session with the veterans.

Pictures of students and their family members who served in the military will be posted on a Wall of Honor at the school. Robious previously has recognized Veterans Day through annual murals and performances.

Robious Elementary students also will collect items for patients at McGuire Veterans Hospital, including gloves and hats, and are making cards to celebrate and thank them for their service.

Events begin at 9:30 a.m. at the school, 2801 Robious Cross ing Drive.

Open enrollment at RPS

Parents and guardians of K-12 Richmond Public Schools students now may enroll in the school system’s lottery process, called Open Enrollment, through Feb. 1, 2023.

The purpose of the lottery is to enable families to request that their children attend a preferred school out of their zoned area. This includes all elementary schools; all middle schools (except Franklin Military Academy), the STEM Academies at Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Henderson Middle Schools and Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts; Armstrong, Huguenot, John Marshall, George Wythe and Thomas Jefferson High Schools; and Richmond Virtual Academy.

Offers to attend out-of-zone schools are determined through a random lottery each spring. Availability varies by school and grade depending upon school capacity, staff, and in-zone enroll ment. RPS does not provide transportation for students attending out-of-zone schools.

For rising ninth-graders, acceptance through an application process is required for Specialty Schools and Programs and Re gional Governor’s Schools. Check the RPS website as deadlines and application requirements for the various schools differ. For more information, and to apply, visit the school district’s site at rvaschools.net

Clarence ‘Bucky’ McGill honored

Back in 1970, longtime Richmond resident Clarence “Bucky” McGill was among eight Black football players at Syracuse University who boycotted the season to protest the treatment they and other players were receiving.

Today, when Mr. McGill attends home games at the JMA Wireless Dome, he can see himself and his seven former teammates prominently featured in oversized murals in the stadium. The murals were recently unveiled.

“I was overwhelmed when I first saw what had been done,” he said. “I never expected that.”

The boycott in which he participated came after the eight players spent two years urging the athletic department to hire a Black assistant coach and to improve academic support and medical care for all of the football team members.

The eight were initially suspended, then reinstated, but they refused to play until their concerns were addressed. The university found that the athletic department had engaged in institutional racism against the players and recommended changes that altered the program.

Thanksgiving giveaway at Southside Center

The 5th Annual Turkey Giveaway will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Southside Community Center, 6255 Warwick Road. This is project of 9th District City Coun cilman Michael J. Jones, who already has stated that tickets for the event have been distributed.

Cityscape

Construction continues at Virginia’s Capitol Square as seen here last month. The Capitol Visitor Center has been closed to the public since May 2 for numerous projects.

According to a press release from the Department of General Services, the closure is expected to continue until next month, during which time the historic Capitol will remain open.

All visitors must use the west entrance to the Capitol, where they are screened upon entry. Buses, tour groups and other large multiple-passenger vehicles can unload on the eastern-most lane of 9th Street near the Capitol Square vehicular entrance at Grace Street. Individuals who need accessibility accommodations and are arriving via a passenger vehicle can call (804) 389-5338 and arrange for drop-off inside Capitol Square.

It is advised that all Capitol Square visitors should stay clear of fenced con struction areas for safety reasons.

The subterranean Visitor Center opened in 2007 and includes two large event/meeting rooms, a café, gift shop, exhibit space, and a media room. The closure of the Capitol Visitor Center is necessary for DGS to safely complete both critical waterproofing and tunnel construction projects.

City requests applications for Coliseum-area development

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

City Hall is taking a fresh step in trying to replace the Richmond Coliseum nearly four years after it was shuttered.

In a bid to get started, the city has issued an invitation to developers to submit applications by Dec. 20 to take on redevelopment of the Coliseum block bounded by 5th, 7th, Leigh and Marshall streets.

The request follows the award of the separate 68-acre Diamond District project that involves the redevelopment of largely city-owned property in an around the Diamond baseball stadium a few miles west on Arthur Ashe Boulevard.

The city is teaming with its Economic Development Authority and the Greater

Richmond Convention Center Authority in seeking to get new development underway near City Hall on property once earmarked for the failed Navy Hill project.

The new request focuses on 9.4 acres on which stands the vacant arena, the historic Blues Armory, remnants of the long gone Sixth Street Marketplace and bits of park space.

Leonard Sledge, city director of eco nomic development, said the goal is to find a developer willing to demolish the coliseum and create a mixed-used devel opment anchored by a major hotel. The request urges responders to consider a mix of affordable and market-rate apartments or condos, retail stores, restaurants and office space, plus a gathering space at the center for community festivals and events.

While this action has begun, there still remains plenty of land near City Hall that remains vacant.

Mr. Sledge has not explained why his department has failed to issue requests for development for other blocks of property, including property at 6th and Grace streets and 4th and East Broad streets that remain parking lots.

He and his department also have so far failed to advance a proposal to turn city-owned parking garages near City Hall into platforms for development of affordable apartments.

He also has not responded to questions about the status of the Public Safety Build ing at 500 N. 10th St., which was sold to a private group for redevelopment that has yet to get underway.

Richmond Community High School graduate receives national scholarship

By Holly Rodriguez

Morghan Williams, a Richmond Com munity High School graduate who is a first-year student at North Carolina A&T, is one of 25 students in the United States to be awarded $10,000 through the Sallie Mae Fund’s Bridging the Dream Scholar ships for High School Seniors.

The scholarship is offered in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and Ms. Williams competed with more than 1,000 applicants in the selection process.

When Ms. Williams received an email notifying her that she was one of the win ners, she suspected it might be a SPAM message. She decided to respond and see what happened.

“I had talked about it to my mom, teach ers, counselors — just about everybody,” she told the Richmond Free Press over the phone, after an hours-long study session with classmates.

The responding email made it clear that the message was legitimate and she would be a recipient.

“This scholarship was the last one I needed to be able to attend my first year of college without getting into debt,” Ms. Williams said. As a dual-enrollment graduate

in Community High School’s Class of 2022, she earned enough college credits as a high school student to enroll in her first year as a sophomore instead of a freshman.

Ms. Williams said she learned about the scholarship through Partnership for the Future, a program that works with collegebound high school students with limited resources, connecting them with college preparatory courses, personal development workshops, one-onone counseling, and college savings plan information.

Antoine Oakley, the director of govern ment and community relations for education lender Sallie Mae, said Bridging the Dream Scholarships have existed since 2014, but after George Floyd’s death, the company wanted to demonstrate a commitment to helping low-income students of color who have limited resources.

“Sallie Mae Fund’s goals have always been helping students and families achieve the dream of a higher education,” he said. “We upped our game by wanting to help them through college and immediately after.”

In 2020, Sallie Mae committed $4.5 million of funding over three years with a focus on “advancing social justice through education,” Mr. Oakley said. Of those funds, $3 million will go to scholarships that directly benefit students, and $1.5 million will go to nonprofits providing programs to help students achieve their higher edu cation goals. To date, Mr. Oakley said 53 scholarships totaling $500,000 in funding have been awarded to students.

As one of those recipients, Ms. Wil liams is focused on her career goals. She is studying kinesiology at N.C. A&T and plans to be a physical therapist for chil dren with disabilities after earning her doctorate. Her desire to go into the field is inspired by her younger brother, who was diagnosed with autism two years ago. He is now 3 years old, and Ms. Williams said she helped him learn to play basketball and soccer.

The scholarship is open to high school seniors from underserved communities who are Pell-grant eligible and have a 2.75 grade point average. Applicants are required to submit a video answering a question provided by the scholarship. Applications for the next round of scholarships will be available in January.

RPS fourth-grader presents at Yale University

By Holly Rodriguez

Elijah Robins, a fourth-grader at Mary Munford Elementary School, presented a science curriculum to the Yale National Initiative earlier this school year based on a Yale University-based science curriculum unit he learned under the instruction of Mary Munford teacher Valerie Schwartz, “There’s No “Space” Like Home.”

“I saw early in the school year that Elijah was very comfortable speaking in front of others and had a real presence about him,” she said.

The initiative “focuses on developing teachers’ content knowledge in the subjects they teach and on low-socioeconomic school districts.” Mr. Robins is on a

panel of four students repre senting English, science and math curricula being taught in K-12 schools across the country. Ms. Schwartz has represented Richmond as a Yale fellow in the program for several years, and coordinates the student panel. Mr. Robins is the first of her students to present on a unit she has instructed.

Richmond Public Schools is one of 11 school districts across the country selected to participate in the program. Teachers are required to apply to participate every year.

Adjustments in City’s pension plan may take six or more years

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

City Hall’s 4,200 retirees likely may wait years before seeing another cost-of-living adjustment in their pensions.

In a report to City Council on Monday, Leo Griffin, director of the Richmond Retirement System, projected that 2029 may be the earliest that cost-of-living adjustments are considered for enrollees in the defined benefit pension plan. The defined benefit plan provides a guaranteed pension that depends on the salary earned.

Mr. Griffin’s report suggested the city would be better off wait ing until 2033 to consider pension improvements. That is when the system is projected to be fully funded and the city’s yearly

contribution for the pension plan is projected to plummet 81 percent from around $55 million a year to $10 million a year.

Mr. Griffin’s projections assume that the system achieves an average annual 7 percent return on investments.

If that level of return is received, his report indicates that the system would cross the 80 percent threshold of funding in six years – the funding threshold the retirement system has set before any cost-of-living adjustment could be considered.

Cost-of-living adjustments are expensive, running about $6.2 million for each 1 percent increase. Retirees in the city’s defined benefit plan last gained a 1 percent upward adjustment in 2019 – the first in 11 years.

The state’s retirement system has annual cost-of-living adjust ments, a sharp contrast with the city, and one reason that the city and council continue to look into the idea of shifting its pension program to the Virginia Retirement System.

Most city employees are currently eligible for a 401K-style defined contribution plan which the city also invests $7 million each year. The pension is based on the investment results and is not guaranteed.

Firefighters, police officers and a few other employees are still able to enter the defined benefit plan, but most employees were cut off from doing so in 2006. Currently, 1,379 active city employees are in the defined benefit plan.

Regina H. Boone/ Richmond Free Press

Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

Ms. Williams

Mr. McGill

Elijah Robins

Youngkin appoints Brown and Roberts to administration

Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently announced appointees to two key roles within his admin istration.

Martin Brown was named chief diversity, opportunity and inclusion officer. He formerly served as commissioner of the Department of Social Services where he worked to improve the delivery of benefits and services to Virginia families, according to a news release. He also served under former Virginia Gov. Bob McDon nell as special advisor for reintegration of state

offenders, implementing a statewide program to reduce recidivism and provide support to children of incarcerated parents. A graduate of Howard University, Mr. Brown was previously a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a founding board member of the Gloucester Institute and an advisory task force member for Richmond City Health Department.

Cheryl Roberts was named as director of the Department of Medical Assistance Services. In her new role, she will focus on improving access and

stable health care delivery for 2 million Virginians. Ms. Roberts previously had direct oversight and leadership for the Managed Care Program, which provides maternal and child services, oral health care services and strategic planning for emerging health care issues. Before joining state govern ment, Ms. Roberts was chief operating officer for Virginia Chartered Health Plan and an assistant vice president of Emblem Health Inc. She earned her law degree from Rutgers Law School and has lived in Virginia more than 20 years.

Governor’s tutoring partnership to address learning loss

By Debora Timms

National test scores show Virginia students have experienced extensive learning loss in re cent years. A new program announced Nov. 3 by Gov. Glenn Youngkin seeks to help at-risk students recover.

VSU’s

Derrick

Scott

appointed to White House board

On Oct. 27, President Biden announced his intent to appoint Virginia State University’s Dr. Derrick C. Scott to the National Board of Education Sciences. Dr. Scott is the dean of VSU’s College of Natural and Health Sciences.

The board’s 15 voting mem bers advise the director of the Institute of Education Sciences and ensure the priorities of the Institute and the National Education Centers are consis tent with the organization’s mission.

Dr. Scott earned his bach elor’s in biology at VSU, a master’s in molecular biology from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in integrative biology from the University of South Carolina. As dean at VSU, his goals include leading VSU to high research activity status and creating more opportunities for minorities and women to enter science careers.

The initiative is a tutoring partnership be tween the Urban Leagues of Hampton Roads and Greater Richmond and four HBCUs: Norfolk State University, Hampton University, Virginia State University and Virginia Union University. It will employ HBCU students as tutors and mentors to high school and middle school students throughout their communities.

“We were pleased to have Gov. Glenn Youngkin announce the Urban League and HBCU Tutoring Partnership on the campus of the Norfolk State University,” said Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston,

president of Norfolk State University. “This is a great start to begin closing the learning gap that occurred during the pandemic and beyond. We are excited about the possibilities this partner ship will bring.”

Virginia Secretary of Edu cation Aimee Rogstad Guidera said the Urban League-HBCU Tutoring Partnership will ensure that every child is seen, supported and back on track for success.

Virginia Union University President Dr. Hakim J. Lucas agrees.

“Every university is seeing that students need more help after a pandemic that has been hard on everyone,” he said. “We also know that the seeds of success in college are planted long before students

arrive on campus, and that’s just one reason why Virginia Union University has commit ted to full-ride scholarships for public school students in Richmond and Henrico.

“The announcement ex pands this work even further, and we are proud to part ner with the Urban League and Governor Youngkin to help even more young people.”

Representatives of the Urban Leagues of Hampton Roads and Greater Richmond called the initiative a “huge step toward supporting underserved and marginalized children and young adults in the urban core cities” and one that will “connect resources and services for the most ‘at-promise’ students in Virginia.”

RAA, VHHA partner to donate ambulance and medical supplies to Ukraine

By Debora Timms

The Richmond Ambulance Authority will donate one of its ambulances (Unit 85) as part of the “U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine” nationwide effort.

RAA partnered with the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association to stock the ambulance with medical supplies donated from HCA Virginia, VCU Health and the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System before its journey to Ukraine.

“For more than 30 years, RAA has built an inter national reputation and relationships because of its innovative approach to EMS, as we’ve helped health care workers across the world create similar EMS systems in their home countries,” said RAA CEO Chip Decker at the donation event that took place at its headquarters on Nov. 4. “This felt like the perfect opportunity to help another nation in need with an innovative approach taken by Christopher [Manson]

and his supporters through an incredible effort we’re excited to be a part of.”

The idea for the initiative took root when Christopher Manson, OSF Healthcare’s vice president of government relations, and his 7-year-old daughter, Lily, were watching news coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Her question about how they could help led Mr. Manson to a conversation with the Ukrainian consul ate about what medical supplies his employer could donate. Ultimately, he found a way to send an ambu lance filled with supplies. This act evolved into “U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine,” and RAA’s ambulance is the 20th ambulance to be donated to the organization. It is scheduled to depart for Ukraine on Nov. 10.

Mr. Manson joined RAA and VHHA at the event,

Investing in Henrico County

invited to a Community Meeting

p.m Elko Middle School, 5901 Elko Road, Sandston, VA 23150 Learn more at DominionEnergy.com/whiteoak

“It is incredible

along with U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel, state and local elected officials and health care leaders.

to see Virginians leading the way in providing quality, accessible care to those in need,” said Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel. “I am humbled by the generosity of those who donated and inspired by the leadership of the Richmond Ambulance Authority.”

Dr. Scott

Mr. Decker

Dr. Adams-Gaston

Ms. RobertsMr. Brown

Dr. Lucas

Democrats defeat ‘red tide’ forecast by Republicans

Continued from A1

gans’ defeat of incumbent Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria in the 2nd Congressional District anchored by Virginia Beach.

With preliminary votes showing 291,000 votes cast, Sen. Kiggans, a former Navy pilot and nurse practitioner, was the choice of 52 percent of voters and Rep. Luria, a former Navy commander, the choice of 48 percent.

In Richmond and elsewhere across the state, the remaining six Democratic incumbents and four Republican incumbents retained their seats. That includes 7th District Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who won 52 percent of the vote and beat back a determined challenge from Donald Trump-supported Republican Yesli Vega, a supervisor in Prince William County who said before the vote that God had ordained her victory.

As anticipated, both Black members of the Virginia delega tion won re-election.

Fourth District Rep. A. Donald McEachin, 61, won 65 percent of the vote in the Richmond-Petersburg area to easily win a re match with his Republican challenger, the Rev. Leon Benjamin, and secure his fourth two-year term.

In a statement, Rep. McEachin thanked voters for “their con fidence in me” and pledged to remain dedicated and vigilant in fighting for Virginian’s priorities and values. “I will continue to work each and every day for a stronger economy, good-paying jobs and a lower cost of living. I will fight for women’s reproductive rights, human rights, reasonable gun safety laws, the protection of our democracy and the preservation of our planet.”

Meanwhile, in the 3rd Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, 75, of Newport News won his 16th term. He won 67 percent of the vote to defeat his younger Republican challenger, Terry Namkung.

Much of the post-election focus is on the U.S. Senate, which is the big prize, given the party that holds the majority has a major influence on appointments to the federal judiciary and other federal posts.

Before the election the Senate was split 50-50 with Demo cratic Vice President Kamala Harris enabling her party to hold the majority as the tie-breaker.

As of Wednesday, as unofficial results in most of the 35 races

Free COVID-19 vaccines

Continued from A1

205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for more information on testing sites, or go online at vax.rchd.com.

The Virginia Department of Health also has a list of COVID-19 testing locations around the state at www.vdh.virginia.gov/ coronavirus/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-sites.

Want a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot?

The Richmond and Henrico health districts are offering free walk-up COVID-19 and flu vaccines at the following locations:

• Thursday, Nov. 10, 1 to 4 p.m. - Richmond Henrico Health District, 400 E. Cary St., Pfizer for ages 6 months and older, Moderna for ages 6 months to 5 years old and ages 18 years and older, appointments encouraged.

• Monday, Nov. 14, 10:30 a.m. to noon - Creighton Resource Center, 2150 Creighton Rd., Flu shots, walk-ups only.

• Tuesday, Nov. 15, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. - Whitcomb Resource Center, 2106 Deforrest St., Flu shots, walk-ups only.

• Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2 to 4 p.m. - Henrico Health District West Headquarters, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive, Pfizer for ages 6 months and older, Moderna for ages 6 months to 5 years old and ages 18 years and older, Novavax and Flu shots, appointments encouraged.

People can schedule an appointment online at vase.vdh. virginia.gov, vaccinate.virginia.gov or vax.rchd.com, or by calling (804) 205-3501 or (877) VAX-IN-VA (1-877-829-4682).

VaccineFinder.org and vaccines.gov also allow people to find nearby pharmacies and clinics that offer the COVID-19 vaccine and booster.

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

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

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

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

The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are now offering bivalent Pfizer and Moderna boosters to children between the ages of 5 to 11 in clinics in the near future. Children in this age range will be eligible after at least two months since their last vaccine dose.

New COVID-19 cases in Virginia dropped by 3 percent during the last week, according to the Virginia Department of Health, and data from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association showed hospitalizations statewide increased by 1 percent.

Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover have remained at low levels of community COVID-19. No localities in Virginia are ranked at high community COVID levels, while 20 are ranked at medium.

A total of 954 new cases of COVID-19 were reported statewide Wednesday for the 24-hour period, contributing to an overall state total of 2,129,506 cases in Virginia since the pandemic’s outbreak. As of Wednesday, there have been 455,992 hospitalizations and 22,231 deaths statewide. The state’s seven-day positivity rate dropped to 8.1 percent on Wednesday. Last week, the positivity rate was 8.9 percent.

On Wednesday, state health officials reported that over 17 million COVID-19 doses had been administered, with 73.1 percent of the state’s population fully vaccinated at the time. State data also showed that over 4.6 million people in Virginia have received booster shots or third doses of the vaccine.

Among ages 5 to 11 in Virginia, 339,178 have received their first shots as of Monday, accounting for 46.8 percent of the age group in the state, while 297,867 children, or 41.1 percent, are fully vaccinated. In this age group, 54,196 children have received a monovalent booster, making up 7.5 percent, while 11,879 have gotten a bivalent booster shot, accounting for 4.2 percent of this group.

As of Monday, 55,620 children from the ages 4 and under have received their first doses, making up 12.2 percent of the population in Virginia, while 40,944 are fully vaccinated, or 9 percent of the population. On Monday, fewer than 176,830 cases, 1,066 hospitalizations and 15 deaths were recorded among children in the state.

State data also shows that African-Americans comprised 22.1 percent of cases statewide and 22.9 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 11.2 percent of cases and 4.9 percent of deaths.

Reported COVID-19 data as of Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022

Cases Hospitalizations Deaths

Richmond 58,864 1,220 550

Henrico County 82,385 1,648 1,030

Chesterfield County 92,877 1,679 831

Hanover County 26,921 822 325

Compiled by George Copeland Jr.

became known, Democrats and their two independent allies ap peared likely to control 48 seats and Republicans 49 seats, with three races outstanding.

Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly continues to lead in Arizona, Democratic incumbent Senator Catherine Cortez Masto trails in Nevada and Democratic incumbent Sen. Ralph Warnock is headed to a runoff election on Tuesday, Dec. 6, with Republican

challenger Herschel Walker to decide the Georgia winner.

As for the 435-member House, the final outcome is still in flux. Democrats went into the election with 222 House seats to 212 for Republicans and three vacancies. A majority requires 218 seats.

At Free Press deadline, 206 House seats had been called for Republicans and 176 had been called for Democrats.

County voters approve bond issue for building, expansion projects

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Voters in Chesterfield and Henrico counties overwhelmingly approved the plans of each county to borrow hun dreds of millions of dollars for school, public safety, parks, libraries and other infrastructure needs.

More than 75 percent of the voters in Chesterfield endorsed a plan to sell bonds to borrow up to $540 million.

The biggest slice, $375 million, will

be used to build or expand schools, including a new high school in the county’s growing western side. The county also is proposing to borrow to replace four fire stations and improve four police stations; to build a new library and expand and replace two others; and to upgrade recreation and park facilities.

In Henrico, each of the four parts of a proposed bond package totaling $511.35 million was approved by 8 to

2 margins or better.

The lion’s share of the borrowed money, $340.5 million, is earmarked to build two new schools and renovate, rebuild or expand six other school build ings, according to the county.

The county also received voter au thorization to borrow another $170.85 million to improve fire and police stations, upgrade parks and recreation facilities and improve storm drainage and flood protection.

Coalition wants Bon Secours to increase investments in area’s poor communities

and its investment to deliver health care to the most vulnerable.

“To suggest that we don’t operate in full support of our important mission is without merit, and we take issue with such baseless allegations,” the company stated in response to the article.

Still, Bryan Lee, president of Bon Secours’ Richmond Community and St. Mary’s hospitals, recently told Richmondarea Congressman A. Donald McEachin, that the community served by Richmond Community Hospital “did not demonstrate sufficient need to justify retaining more comprehensive services.”

The Rev. Benjamin P. Campbell, a former member of the hospital community advisory council, said the council urged Bon Secours to transform Richmond Com munity into a first-class regional hospital but never got hospital executives to agree. “They paid no attention to us,” he said, preferring to invest in their mostly sub urban hospitals.

According to a Bon Secours spokes

person, Jenna Green, the hospital sys tem has increased emergency room and behavioral health services at Richmond Community, but added that VCU Health has a top trauma center located less than 2 miles away from Richmond Community that “continues to serve the higher acuity care needs of residents in the East End community.”

Nonetheless, Bon Secours has not ignored the hospital or the East End com munity, Ms. Green stated.

Bon Secours is currently investing $16.5 million in a new office building next door to the hospital to expand access to primary care and specialty services.

In addition, she stated Bon Secours has invested $9.8 million in improvements to the hospital since 2012, and is preparing to spend $5.3 million on upgrades, including 3-D mammography and telemetry services and a new suite to house a replacement MRI machine on the campus.

Bon Secours also has provided $18 million in uncompensated care at the hos pital, invested $11 million in community supports that impact health conditions,

such as affordable housing, job-creating businesses and after-school care, Ms. Green stated.

She also noted that the income derived from 340B has helped offset the nearly “the $330 million in losses Bon Secours has incurred since 2019 in providing physician and clinical services in Richmond.”

The coalition is unmoved.

In a statement issued in advance of the meeting, the coalition stated, “Sadly most of money generated through the 340B program was not re-invested back into the hospital or the surrounding neighborhood.”

The allegation that Bon Secours is “redirecting money from Richmond Community Hospital to subsidize wealthy suburban hospitals and clinics is especially shameful given the history of RCH, which was founded by Black doctors who were excluded from prac ticing at Richmond’s other clinics,” the coalition continued.

“As community members, we can no longer remain silent when one of our major institutions fails to make good on its moral commitments.”

Report finds pandemic impact on Va. education

Continued from A1

pandemic’s impact on public K-12 edu cation, JLARC staff reviewed academic research; conducted interviews and focus groups; analyzed data on school staffing, assessments and academic outcomes; and conducted a survey of all school divisions and a “representative” sample of school staff.

School district leaders overwhelmingly told the commission that the pandemic had made it more difficult to recruit and retain teachers.

In August, the Virginia Department of Education collected data from 111 school divisions and found about 3,300 teacher vacancies, which marked a 25 percent increase from what those divisions had reported in October 2021. A growing number of teachers are also either not fully licensed or out-of-field — meaning they are teaching a subject different than their area of certification — according to the report.

In responding to JLARC’s survey, teachers cited issues ranging from student behavior and mental health, to low pay, a “lack of respect” from parents of the public and a higher workload because of vacancies as contributing to lower job satisfaction, the report said.

District leaders thought “higher-cost, longer-term changes” like raising salaries, reducing class sizes and minimizing stan dardized testing would be most helpful in addressing those concerns, according to the report.

JLARC also highlighted problems with students who missed class or didn’t have the necessary internet access or technol ogy to fully participate in virtual learning during the height of the pandemic.

About 19 percent of students statewide were chronically absent — missing 10 percent or more days — in the 2021-2022 school year, only part of which was due to quarantining and illness, the report said.

After students returned to in-person learning, behavior was a major problem, school staff told JLARC, with most report ing that both the number and severity of behavioral issues had increased.

Half of school staff also reported that student anxiety or mental health were a “very serious issue,” the report said.

JLARC’s report analyzed data from state Department of Education surveys in 2021 and 2022 to find that 3 percent of middle school students and 4 percent of high school students indicated they had attempted suicide at least once. According to that same data, 10 percent of middle schools had contemplated it, as well as

13 percent of high schoolers.

The report, which found high vacancy rates for school psychologists, recommended that the General Assembly allow psycholo gists in other fields to become provisionally licensed for a school setting.

It also suggested that lawmakers: create and fund a temporary math instructional improvement program for elementary schoolers; provide temporary funding to hire more instructional assistants; and provide temporary funding for retention and recruitment bonuses, as well as tu ition assistance to help teachers get fully licensed.

Republican Del. Lee Ware, a retired teacher, said Monday’s findings were “appalling.”

Democratic Sen. Jeremy McPike told Secretary Guidera the state had been under-funding public education for two decades.

“I hope that there’s a substantial, mean ingful position by the governor in the budget to fund these schools,” he said.

Gov. Youngkin will release a budget proposal to lawmakers later this year that will serve as a starting point for the 2023 General Assembly session. He’s also previ ously called on school districts to get to work allocating previously unspent federal relief money earmarked for education.

Bettie Elizabeth Boyers Cooper’s actions spurred City’s full school desegregation

Continued from A1

and 1955 decisions in Brown v. Board of Education outlawing racial separation of schoolchildren.

Represented by civil rights attorneys from Hill, Tucker & Marsh, Ms. Cooper’s battle began in 1958 when she applied to the state’s new Pupil Placement Board to have her daughter, assigned to Westhampton.

However, the short-lived board, which reviewed 450,000 placement applications over three years, never assigned any Black students to a whites-only school.

Ms. Cooper refused to accept the deci sion, and her lawyers filed a federal suit seeking to overturn it. Two others who had initially been part of the case dropped out, but Ms. Cooper was adamant in ensuring the case went forward.

Her case became a slam-dunk after the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a separate case in 1960 that the place ment board violated the state and federal constitutions. That led the state to allow

localities to begin voluntary “freedom of choice” plans that enabled Black parents who sought to do so to send their children to previously whites-only schools.

It would take up to 11 more years be fore federal courts started requiring school districts to start busing white and black students to achieve integration.

Richmond, whose School Board was then led by future Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell, refused to implement even a voluntary placement policy until Ms. Cooper’s case was decided.

That came a year later in 1961, when U.S. District Court Judge Oren R. Lewis issued an order in favor of Ms. Cooper and other Black parents. Ms. Cooper’s daughter, at age 12, became the first Black student to take classes Westhampton Junior High School.

A year later, Daisy became the first Black student to attend Thomas Jefferson High School, according to an archived record at the Virginia Commonwealth University.

A graduate of Armstrong High School,

Ms. Cooper sewed pants, suits and sports coats for 18 years for Jefferson Manufactur ing Co., and later worked for 17 years for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles before retiring.

A resident of the Westwood community for most of her life, Ms. Cooper became well known for her efforts on behalf of the children of the West End neighbor hood. Although she never owned a car, she took children on day trips by public transportation, Ms. Crowder said.

She often opened her home to rela tives, friends and sometimes strangers who needed a temporary place to stay, Ms. Crowder said.

Ms. Cooper became a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1982 and was ac tive in proselytizing activities.

Along with her daughter, survivors include Ms. Cooper’s brother, Hamp An derson; sisters Beatrice Brown, Franceno Diggs and Lenny Thornton; four grand daughters; eight great-grandchildren; and 14 great-great-grandchildren.

FDA advisers meet on racial disparities in pulse oximeters

By Maddie Burakoff The Associated Press

NEW YORK

The clip-on devices that use light to measure oxygen levels in the blood are getting a closer look from U.S. regulators after recent studies suggest they don’t work as well for patients of color.

The devices, called pulse oximeters, usually snap onto a finger and are widely used in hos pitals around the globe to help guide treatment. At-home versions became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But several recent studies have raised con cerns that the pigmentation in people’s skin can throw off the readings. In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about possible inaccuracies after a study found the devices tended to overestimate Black patients’ oxygen levels.

“The fact that such a commonly used device could have any discrepancy at all was shocking to me,” said Michael Sjoding, a University of Michigan pulmonologist who led the study. “I make a lot of medical decisions based on this device.”

The FDA has convened a panel of experts to meet this week to discuss “ongoing concerns” about the devices, recommendations for patients and doctors, and ways to gauge accuracy.

Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, called racial disparities in these devices “of great public health

importance” at the beginning of the meeting Tuesday. He stressed the need to make sure medical devices are safe and effective for all the groups who use them.

Oxygen levels also can be measured by drawing blood out of an artery in the wrist. This method is still the “gold standard” for accuracy, but is a bit trickier and more painful so it can’t be done as often, said Leo Celi, a physician and MIT researcher who is studying pulse oximetry.

By comparison, pulse oximeters are quicker, easier and less invasive.

When the device snaps onto a finger, it sends two wavelengths of light into the skin, explained Rutendo Jakachira, a doctoral student at Brown University who is researching pulse oximetry. By measuring how much of that light is absorbed, the pulse oximeter estimates how much oxygen is flowing through the blood.

The problem: Melanin — a natural pigment responsible for skin tone — also absorbs light, Ms. Jakachira said. And if devices aren’t built with melanin in mind, the extra absorption can throw off their readings.

Mounting evidence suggests this seems to be affecting the pulse oximeters on the market.

Dr. Sjoding’s study found that compared to white patients, Black patients in the hospital were almost three times as likely to experience “occult hypoxemia” — meaning their oxygen levels calculated from blood draws were dan gerously low, but their pulse oximeter readings were still normal.

A health worker uses a pulse oximeter to check the oxygen saturation level of a patient after administering COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Gauhati, India. The clip-on devices that use light to try to determine levels of oxygen in the blood are getting a closer look from U.S. regulators after recent studies suggest they don’t work as well for patients of color.

Follow-up research showed these errors can have real impacts on health. When patients didn’t have their low oxygen levels recognized, it meant de lays in COVID-19 treatment, less supplemental oxygen and a higher risk of organ failure and mortality, according to several recent studies.

All of these outcomes affected patients of color more often, the research found. For many doctors, the idea that the tools they rely on could be adding to racial discrepancies came as a shock.

“These are fundamental vital signs that we use for patient care,” Dr. Sjoding said. “And so if the device is even a small bit less accurate in a particular group of patients, that’s going to have consequences.”

Small studies in past decades had hinted that skin tone might pose a challenge for the devices, but the concerns apparently “fell by the wayside,” said Johns Hopkins physician Ashraf Fawzy, who led one of the recent pulse oximeter studies. He and other doctors said they had never learned about racial gaps in pulse oximeters during their medical training.

But the COVID-19 pandemic brought more attention to the devices — and to issues of racial inequality in the health system.

“Now we’re more acutely aware of how health care disparities impact people of color,” Dr. Fawzy said. “We’re really motivated to actu ally solve these problems, and make health care more equitable for everyone.”

City approves funds to temporarily house homeless

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The first major cold snap is forecast to hit Richmond this weekend, but City Hall is still struggling to provide shelter for the homeless who have no where to go.

At best, the city will open two temporary shelters for single men and women, but will have no shelter opera tion for homeless youths or adults with children, Sherrill Hampton, director of housing and community development, told City Council.

Her admission came at a special meeting Monday where council cleared the way for the administration to spend $1.33 million in federal funds for shelter operations at two churches and two nonprofits.

But Ms. Hampton said it could be January before even one of those spaces was in operation.

“It is not right that women with children will be on the street,” said 3rd District Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert.

“We are not living up to our moral obligation to the most vulnerable in the city,” noted 5th District Council woman Stephanie A. Lynch.

“We have an onslaught of evictions and not even one site for the medically fragile and moms with kids.”

Richmond has long operated an overflow shelter when temperatures were predicted to be at 40 or below, primarily in North Side.

With private shelters largely full, the city, during a brief plunge in tempera ture last month, temporarily opened separate shelters for single adults at the Linwood Robinson Senior Center, 700 N. 26th St. in Church Hill, and at the United Nations Church, 214 Cowardin Ave. in South Side.

Those two locations are expected to be open again beginning Saturday, Nov. 12. Weather.com’s 14-day fore cast indicates temperatures at night, including wind chill, will fall below 40 Saturday and remain below 40 through Wednesday, Nov. 23, with at least three days at or near freezing.

Those two spaces are expected to accommodate 100 or fewer individu als, far short of the minimum of 150 beds that Ms. Lynch and others have estimated would be needed.

Most of the money that council approved is to be spent with Com monwealth Catholic Charities, which is to receive $121,000 to improve the space it plans to use and $944,000 to operate a 60-bed shelter through April and during the high heat and heavy rainstorms of summer.

However, CCC does not yet control the shelter space it planned to lease

in the Salvation Army’s building at 1900 Chamberlayne Ave., council was told.

Ms. Hampton said CCC and the Salvation Army are still in the process but have not inked a formal agree ment. She told the council she hoped that the lease arrangement would be formalized this week.

CCC, which previously expressed concern about the 60-bed limit, now says it is waiting for the city to provide a contract, as well.

The city, meanwhile, has not come up with additional operating funds to enable RVA Sister’s Keeper to open a 40-bed shelter for adults with children at 2807 Hull St. or for United Nations Church to operate a 30-bed shelter, even though that church is being used as a temporary space.

Lincoln Saunders, the city’s chief administrative officer, told council he

hoped to introduce a funding proposal by Monday, Nov. 14, the next council meeting.

Separately, a zoning issue could hold up the fourth location’s opening. City Council was told that the city had finally notified Fifth Street Baptist Church in North Side that it would need a special use permit (SUP) to be able to operate its proposed 30-bed shelter for more than seven days. The city began working with the church in July after it volunteered to provide shelter space, but waited until late October to give notice, council was told.

Ninth District Councilman Michael J. Jones expressed his frustration that a church that had put in a lot of work to help the city address the shelter issue “was not given all of the information that was needed.” Obtaining the SUP could take two months, officials said.

vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus

Associated Press file photo

Election results reflect diversity

The horse race between Democrats and Re publicans for control of Congress is attracting the most attention in the wake of Tuesday’s midterm election.

But one takeaway we’re enthusiastic about is the history-making that has taken place, notably for Black candidates, but also for white women, Latinos and others who also achieved unprecedented success.

For example, Maryland elected its first Black governor and first Black attorney general, while Pennsylvania elected its first Black lieutenant governor and its first Black female representative to Congress.

And a Florida congressional district has elected a 25-year-old Black man with Haitian and Puerto Rican roots, who will be the youngest representa tive in Congress.

With all the discussion about the attack on de mocracy, these results allow us to take heart about the future of our changing country.

We hope that Justice Clarence Thomas takes note, too. He recently said he didn’t get the meaning of diversity. Well, these results are what it looks like, Mr. Justice.

Among the results we celebrate is the election of Westley W.O. “Wes” Moore, 44, as the next Maryland governor. Sensible voters enabled Mr. Moore to easily defeat a Donald Trump-endorsed archconservative Republican by a whopping, though unofficial, 23-point margin.

An author and former Army captain who previ ously led a New York nonprofit, Mr. Moore cam paigned on eliminating child poverty and protecting women’s abortion rights.

When he takes office next year, he will be just the third elected Black governor of a state, with L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia being the first and Deval L. Patrick of Massachusetts being the second.

Mr. Moore ran with two other history-makers— U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown, now the first Black person to win election as Maryland’s attorney general, and Aruna Miller, an Indian-American who will be the first immigrant to serve as lieutenant governor in the Free State.

And we are excited that Florida Democrat Max well A. Frost is headed to Congress after defeating Black Republican Calvin Wimbish in the race to replace Rep. Val Demings as the representative for Florida’s 10th Congressional District in the Orlando area.

After his victory, Mr. Frost, a political organizer, quipped that the U.S. Constitution requires repre sentatives to be 25, “so I’m right on time.”

Separately, Democrat Austin Davis prevailed in Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor’s race and will be the first Black person to serve in that post. And Democrat Summer Lee deserves a “wow,” as well. She is on track to be the first Black woman from Pennsylvania to serve in the U.S. House after win ning in the state’s 12th Congressional District.

Black candidates also were featured in Senate races in several battleground states were considered key in the fight for control of the Senate.

In Georgia, incumbent Black Democratic Sen. Ralph Warnock, a pastor, appears to have defeated Black Republican challenger Herschel Walker, but they must face-off again in a runoff election on Tuesday, Dec. 6, because a third candidate siphoned off enough votes to keep Sen. Warnock from win ning outright.

In Florida, Rep. Demings, a former Orlando police chief who gave up her House seat to chal lenge Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, lost, as did Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who challenged incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, although it was oh so very close.

Black women for the first time did win the of fice of secretary of state both in California and Connecticut and will oversee elections for those two states.

Meanwhile, California also elected its first Latino senator and its first Filipino-American attorney general.

White women did well, too. Alabama elected a woman to the U.S. Senate for the first time while Arkansas, Massachusetts and New York elected their first female governors.

Arkansas and Massachusetts also elected their first female lieutenant governors and are the first states poised to have women serving concurrently in both offices.

Maura Healy, the Massachusetts attorney general who won the governor’s race, also will be the first openly lesbian person to serve as a state’s elected chief executive.

Hopefully, these are signs that the American promise that “all men (and women) are created equal” still embodies some truth amid the sharp political divisions of our era.

Democracy matters, even after elections

In his highly publicized speech on the perils facing American democracy as midterm Election Day approached, President Biden was largely preaching to the choir. The sermon needs to be preached, but is anybody listening?

Democracy matters. Free and fair elections are what Amer ican democracy is all about or, at least, are sup posed to be.

But, unfor tunately as a sitting president struggling to hold onto his Democratic Party’s narrow edge in Congress, President Biden makes a less-than-perfect advocate.

Speaking at Union Station, just blocks from where a mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to disrupt the transfer of power, the embattled president was too easy for Republicans and persuadable independents to dismiss, even on the critical issue of the survival of democracy.

Of course, a president can’t choose the time when urgent is sues must be addressed and these are urgent times.

Threats against members of Congress and their families have risen more than tenfold since the Trump election in 2016, accord ing to the U.S. Capitol Police, which registered more than 9,625 such threats last year alone.

Before the speech, on the same day that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was attacked in

the couple’s San Francisco home, a bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and other agencies warned of a heightened threat from domestic violent extremists and potential attacks on political candidates, election officials and election workers.

Worse, election denialism is rampant, particularly on the

Clarence Page

Republican side. More than 370 Republican candidates have questioned and, at times, outright denied the results of the 2020 election despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, accord ing to a monthslong New York Times investigation.

All of this mayhem—and feared mayhem to come—is based, as President Biden said, on “a lie that fueled a danger ous rise in political violence and voter intimidation over the past two years.”

“In this moment, we have to confront those lies with the truth,” the president said. “The very future of our nation depends on it.”

Powerful words. I hope we’re listening.

Unfortunately, the value of American democracy has itself become a tragically partisan issue as each party finds ways to call the other a bigger threat.

President Biden’s speech ignited a spirited round of the “You’re another” game as the

Republican National Committee called President Biden’s speech “Desperate and dishonest,” even before it was delivered.

“Joe Biden promised unity,” the RNC statement said, “but has instead demonized and smeared Americans, while making life more expensive for all.”

Well, as demonizing, smear ing and dividing go, members of the Grand Old Party have not been slouches. Following their party line, Republicans scoff at President Biden’s alarm over democracy as little more than a distraction from their own poll-tested issues: crime and inflation.

Granted, crime and inflation are very important issues, real issues that hit Americans where we live, or try to live.

But can we hear some solu tions? Even serious sugges tions?

I’ve seen this political dance too many times. It’s fine to push a hot-button issue like crime or inflation, but political campaigns seldom have room for serious factfinding or problem solving.

Without hearing any specific remedies, beyond those—like, say, mass incarceration—that create as many problems as they solve, I can’t help but wonder whether this issue will disappear, as so many others have, after Election Day.

But who cares about issues? Campaigns are all about winning, preferably with some ethical behavior in mind, although some people seem to think that’s too

Black excellence needed again in baseball

The Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros competition in the recent 2022 World Series was the first time since 1950 that there was not a single American-born Black player on either team’s 26-person ros ter.

“I don’t think that’s something that baseball should really be proud of. It looks bad,” Astros Manag er Dusty Baker told the Associated Press. “It lets people know that it didn’t take a year or even a decade to get to this point.”

Compare 2022 with 1979 when Willie Stargell and Dave Parker were among 10 Black players on the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates championship team. Long considered America’s national pastime, baseball was helpful in leading the way to integration in 1947 with Jackie Robinson becoming the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. This occurred years before the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which ended legalized racial segrega tion in public schools.

Today, baseball is not the game of choice for most inner-city youths. The choice easily is basket ball or football. Baseball is mainly a white suburban sport, which is supplemented on the professional level by foreign labor.

This disparity was decades in the making. On Dec. 18, 2019, shortly after signing his nine-year, $324 million dollar contract to pitch for the New

York Yankees, Gerrit Cole stood at a podium at Yankee Stadium and thanked Curt Flood. Just as Jackie Robinson was a Black player who forever changed the sport of baseball, the same was true with Curt Flood. There was a period of time when most players had jobs during the offseason to

W. Marshall

make ends meet.

When Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan broke into the major leagues in 1966, he spent the winter months working at a gas station. Every MLB player had in his contract what was known as ‘the reserve clause,” which bound players to their teams. Contracts, which were limited to one season, “reserved” the team’s right to retain the player for the next season. The players, even superstars, had no leverage to negotiate better deals.

After the 1969 season, the St. Louis Cardinals decided to trade Curt Flood to the Philadelphia Phillies, but he refused to move to what he called “the nation’s northernmost Southern city.” Mr. Flood wrote to MLB Commis sioner Bowie Kuhn explaining why he refused to accept being traded. “I do not feel that I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes,” Mr. Flood wrote. “It is my desire to play baseball in 1970 and I am capable of playing. I have received a contract offer from the Philadelphia club, but I believe I have the right to consider offers from other clubs before mak ing any decisions. I, therefore, request that you make known

to all the major league clubs my feelings in this matter, and advise them of my availability for the 1970 season.”

Mr. Kuhn denied the request. Knowing he would be blacklisted as a player and as a future coach or manager, Mr. Flood still made the decision to sue Mr. Kuhn and MLB arguing that the league’s control over players’ employ ment violated federal antitrust law and workers’ rights. Over the next few years, the Supreme Court ruled against Mr. Flood in a 5-3 vote. In 1975, a loophole was found in the reserve-clause language that didn’t require going to court. As a result, an arbitrator ruled in favor of the players which meant the end of the reserve system and the beginning of what we now know as free agency. Thanks to Curt Flood’s bold courage and sac rifice, players’ wages, benefits, pensions and working conditions dramatically improved.

When baseball free agency increased players’ salaries, one response by MLB teams was to increase their efforts in other countries such as the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Cuba when seeking the Jackie Robin son-type players who possessed the same combination of speed and power The Latin American pipeline provides MLB with a lucrative investment because they have historically been able to sign players who are desperate and see baseball as their only means of escaping poverty. In other words, it’s a source of cheap labor.

The writer is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author “ God Bless Our Divided America.

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.

much to ask.

Even on the democracy issue, as one recent poll found, Donald Trump, the GOP’s de facto leader these days, is viewed as a major threat to democracy, but the rest of the GOP? Not so much.

In a recent New York Times/ Siena College poll, 45 percent of Americans regard Mr. Trump as a “major” threat to democracy, while just 28 percent say the same of his party.

Yet, to Democrats’ dismay, that 28 percent figure is smaller than the 33 percent who view the Dems themselves as a threat to democracy, despite a lack of any comparable evidence of recent at tempts by Democrats to overturn an election.

Mere suspicions don’t count, folks, no matter how deeply felt they may be. Imperfect as it may be, we need to protect our democracy, while we still have one.

The writer is a syndicated columnist and senior member of the Chicago Tribune edito rial board.

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Birds of a feather flock together

Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s true beliefs and positions are infa mously hard to pin down. After all, Gov. Youngkin’s ability to say one thing while dog-whistling another is what got him elected governor of Virginia. For those of us interested in uncovering what Gov. Youngkin really stands for, this means we must look to the people with whom he chooses to endorse.

Last month, while I was leading the House Democrats in a special legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly, Gov. Youngkin was in Maine headlining a campaign event for Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage. Unlike Gov. Youngkin, who never held any type of elected office before running for governor last year, Mr. LePage has already served as governor of Maine from 2011 to 2019. As a result, there is more than enough evidence from his time in office to tell us exactly who Mr. LePage is: An unabashed racist whose record should discredit anyone who chooses to support him, our gov ernor included.

In 2016, Mr. LePage blamed Maine’s opioid epidemic on “guys by the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty” who “come up here, they sell their heroin, then they go back home. Inciden

Fall Line Trail Northern Section Design Public Hearing

Tuesday, November 15, 2022, 5 7 p.m.

Elmont Elementary School Gymnasium 12007 Cedar Lane, Ashland, Virginia 23005

Inclement weather dates: Thursday November 17 2022, 5 7 p.m. VDOT Richmond Di strict Office, 2430 Pine Forest Drive, South Chesterfield, Virginia 23834.

Come see the proposed plans for the northernmost section of the Fall Line Trail. The proposed project includes the development of 4.8 miles of a shared use path that will connect the proposed Longdale section of the Fall Line Trail in Henrico County to the existing Trolley Line Trail in the Town of Ashland following along the historic Richmond Ashland Trolley line corridor The Fall Line Trail Northern Section design has been developed following two Location Public Hearings that were held in May 2022 Property impact information, relocation assistance policies and tentative construction schedules will be available for your review at the public hearing.

Review meeting materials and give your input on the proposed design of the Fall Line Trail Northern Section, extending from the Town of Ashland to just south of the Chickahominy River The planned improvements include the development of a ten foot wide shared use path with two foot graded shoulders on each side. Give your written or oral comments at the hearing or submit them no later than November 30, 2022, to Mr. Roy Soto, P.E., P.M.P., Virginia Department of Transportation c/o Fall Line Trail, 2430 Pine Forest Drive, Colonial Heights, VA 23834 or email them to FallLine@VDOT.Virginia.gov Please reference “Fall Line Trail Northern Section Design Public Hearing” in the subject line.

tally, half the time they impregnate a young, white girl before they leave.”

When criticized for his remarks, Mr. LePage doubled down, saying: “Let me tell you something: Black people come up the highway and they kill Mainers. You ought to look into that.”

At a later press conference, his baseless bile turned into a call to action: “When you go to war... the enemy dresses in red and you dress in blue, then you shoot at red,” he said. “You shoot at the enemy … and the enemy right now ... are people of color or people of Hispanic origin.”

In 2011, after refusing to attend any Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day events, Mr. LePage told the Maine NAACP to “kiss my butt.” In 2014, he blamed “illegals” for high HIV rates.

In 2017, after publicly questioning U.S. Representative John Lewis’ knowledge of African-American history, Mr. LePage said, “The NAACP should apologize to the white people, to the

Have a heart

In the Richmond Free Press Nov. 3-5 edition there was an ar ticle about sheltering the home less. Thanks goes out to Rhonda Sneed and her organization for working 10 to 14 hours a day delivering food, blankets and clothes to the unsheltered.

She stated that the food demand has doubled due to the number of people they are find ing and they are being stretched thin. Ms. Sneed also stated that City Hall is not rushing to fill the shelter gaps. Many of us, whether we realize it or not, are one or two paychecks from falling into homelessness.

The weather is getting very cold out there and city officials need to deal with this matter expeditiously. They need to use the same energy that is be ing exerted in trying to get the proposed casino put back on the referendum, even though the majority voted against it.

Personally I do not see this happening. The homeless people are human beings, too, and need our help. Ms. Sneed and other organizations like hers cannot do everything, even though they are doing their best and we thank them. The problem dealing with the homeless has been identified so let’s do something about it before it’s too late. Please have a heart.

ERNEST PARKER JR. Richmond

people from the North for fighting their battle.”

Gov. Youngkin’s presidential political ambitions have led him to deviate from the Christian values that he once espoused. He wants to maintain the support of Qanon conspiracy theorists and Jan. 6 insurrectionists without taking on the labels himself. But Gov. Youngkin shows us who he really is through the people he is willing to fundraise and campaign for, people like Mr. Lep age. The governor’s endorsement and financial support of Mr. LePage reveal his own values are aligned with that candidate’s hateful rhetoric.

DELEGATE DON SCOTT

The writer is the Virginia House Democratic Leader. Quote sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37204837 https://specialprojects.pressherald.com/lepage-quotes/

3 women to referee World Cup matches in Qatar

By Stephen Wad The Associated Press

TOKYO

Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita knows that being one of three women picked to officiate matches at the World Cup — the first time a woman will be in charge on the game’s biggest stage — is not simply about soccer.

Stephanie Frappart of France and Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda must be of the same mind. They are in a pool of 36 referees listed for Qatar — the rest are all men. FIFA also has also named three female assistant referees in a pool of 69: Neuza Back of Brazil, Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico and Kathryn Nesbitt of the United States.

Yamashita is aware that her selection put the focus on Japan’s low ranking on most measures of equal pay for women, and in global studies of gender equality.

“I would be very happy if women could play an active role in sports in this way, and if sports and especially soccer could lead this,” Yamashita said in an interview with The Associated Press. “In Japan, there is still a long way to go in the world of soccer (regarding participation of women), so it would be great if this could connect to the promotion of female

participation in different ways, not only in soccer or in sports.”

All three have worked men’s matches, and their World Cup debut comes in a Middle Eastern country where the role of women is closely prescribed.

Frappart is the best known and has already worked men’s games in World Cup qualifying, and the Champions League. She also handled the 2019 Women’s World Cup final, and refereed this year’s men’s French Cup final.

Yamashita has worked games in Japan’s men’s league, and has also been in charge of the Asian equivalent of the men’s Cham pions League. She was also a referee at last year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Earlier this year, Mukansanga became the first woman to referee an Africa Cup of Nations match, leading an all-female officiating team.

“As always, the criteria we have used is ‘quality first’ and the selected match officials represent the highest level of refereeing worldwide,” said FIFA referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina, who worked the 2002 World Cup final. “In this way, we clearly emphasize that it is quality

that counts for us and not gender.

“I would hope that in the future the selection of elite women’s match officials for important men’s competitions will be perceived as something normal and no longer as sensational.”

Yamashita said the difference in the men’s and women’s game was, of course, speed. But not simply that some men might run faster.

“It’s the speed, but not just the play ers’ speed,” she told the AP. “Not the ball speed. It’s just the game speed. It means for me I have to make quicker decisions — more speed.”

Then there’s the stress, the largest stage, and the attention she is certain to generate at the World Cup.

“Of course, I think the pressure is huge,” she said, “and I think I have a lot of responsibility. But I am really happy to take this duty and pressure, so I try to take it positively and I try to be happy.”

VUU, VSU basketball to travel near and far Teams’ itinerary lists Connecticut, Virgin Islands

By Fred Jeter

Basketball fans can enjoy two for the price of one Nov. 11-12 at Virginia State University’s Multi-Purpose Center.

Host VSU and Virginia Union will represent the CIAA vs. Millersville and Shippensburg from the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference.

The Trojans will play Millersville Fri day, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m., and Shippensburg Saturday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m.

VUU will play Shippensburg at 6 p.m. on Nov. 11 and Millersville at 5 p.m. on

Nov. 12.

VSU’s non-conference slate will include two other tournaments. It will play host to Carolina University of Winston-Salem and UNC-Pembroke Nov. 26-27 in the Thanksgiving Classic.

Then, from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2, the Tro jans will ring in the New Year in the Young Entrepreneurz (YES) HBCU Classic in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

VSU will play Edward Waters (Fla.) in the first round. Other schools in the three-day event are Fisk, Kentucky State, Tusculum, West

Virginia State, Livingstone and Clinton. Virginia Union is also booked for some long trips.

The Panthers will play in the Chris Paul HBCU Classic Nov. 15-16 in Uncasville, Conn. A day later, VUU will play ClarkAtlanta in the first round and either J.C. Smith or Xavier (La.).

From New England, the Panthers will travel to Atlanta for the CIAA/SIAC Chal lenge that takes place Nov. 18-19. VUU will play Albany State, Ga., in the first round and LeMoyne-Owen the second day.

Curry scores 47, Warriors beat Kings to end 5-game skid

By Cameron Salerno The Associated Press

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SAN FRANCISCO

Stephen Curry scored a season-high 47 points, knocking down seven 3-pointers, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings 116-113 on Monday night to snap a fivegame losing streak.

“Steph was breathtaking,” Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s one of the greatest players of all time. He plays well on so many nights… this even seemed like something special for him.”

Andrew Wiggins had 25 points and Klay Thompson added 16 for the Warriors before Curry made two free throws with 1.3 seconds left to secure the win.

Draymond Green added 11 points, eight rebounds and six as sists. Green threw down a dunk with 37 seconds left to stretch the Golden State lead to three.

Curry, Thomp son, Green and Wiggins returned to the lineup after not playing against New Orleans on Friday.

Thompson is not playing on backto-back nights be cause of his anterior cruciate ligament and Achilles tendon injuries in 2019 and 2020. Green is under similar limitations because of a back injury suffered last season.

Curry was being rested because of elbow soreness and Wiggins because of a sore left foot.

De’Aaron Fox had 28 points and six assists for Sacramento (3-6), which had a chance to tie before Kevin Huerter’s missed 3-pointer on the final possession.

“I feel bad for our guys,” Mike Brown said on the final posses sion. “It’s tough being a Sacramento King.”

Malik Monk had 24 points, six rebounds and four assists off the bench. Domantas Sabonis added 19 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

After the Kings went down 12 early, Sacramento closed the first quarter on a 14-2 run. The Warriors opened the second half on 13-2 run to cut it to one point with 8:24 left in the third.

“I really liked our energy in the second half,” Kerr said. “It just felt like we were making our presence… we did enough to get it done.”

Sacramento lost to Golden State 130-125 on Oct. 23, which was highlighted by an 89-point first half from the Warriors. Golden State plays in Sacramento on Sunday.

Jeff Chiu/The Associated Press

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates Monday after shooting a 3-point basket against the Sacramento Kings during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco.

Yoshimi Yamashita

Stephanie Frappart

Salima Mukansanga

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Virginia Union University has won nine football games on the field. Now it must play another kind of game – the waiting game.

Following the Panthers’ con vincing 33-21 win at Virginia State, they must cool their heels until Sunday, Nov. 13 to hear their fate regarding the NCAA Division II playoffs.

VUU (9-1) will almost surely be named to the seventeam, Super Region 2 field as perhaps a third, fourth or fifth seed on Nov. 19.

That could mean a possible home game or maybe a trip to Pensacola to face West Florida (2019 national champ) or per haps to Wingate, N.C. There are other possibilities with some games left to be played.

In the meantime, CIAA Northern Division champ Chowan is headed to Salem on Nov. 12 to face Southern winner Fayetteville State for the league title.

The non-HBCU Hawks are going ahead of VUU due to their head-to-head victory over the Panthers. VUU has never played in the CIAA champion ship game in Salem.

Air Union: Jahkari Grant to John Jiles might be the best aerial combination since wings and feathers.

VSU had no answer for the Panthers’ duo in Ettrick. Before a surprisingly small crowd of 1,134, Grant connected with Jiles five times for 116 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, Xzavier Hines,

Ephraim Moore and William Davis made interceptions to thwart the Trojans’ upset hopes.

On the ground, Damontay Rhem was here, there, and ev erywhere, making 16 tackles.

VSU finishes 6-4, a major improvement over last year’s 3-6. The future is filled with sunshine for Coach Henry Frazier’s program.

u Marquee attraction - Jada! Reporters are running out of ad jectives to describe sophomore

The 5-foot-8 rocket man in shoulder pads added 132 yards and his 19th rushing TD against VSU. Byers finishes the regular season with a best-in-nation 1,856 yards on the ground with 19 TDs.

Another undersized ball carrier, Danny Woodhead, set

Jeremy Pena wins twice as Series’ MVP

Jeremy Pena is sitting atop of baseball’s highest mountain.

The rookie shortstop was named MVP after helping Houston to a World Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Astros won the Series, four games to two, on Saturday, Nov. 5.

Pena, a 25-year-old native of the Domini can Republic, hit .400 for the six games with 10 hits, 15 total bases and some brilliant glovework.

The son of former big-leaguer Geronimo Pena was also MVP of the ALCS against the New York Yankees.

Pena becomes just the third rookie to win the Series MVP, following Los Angeles’ Larry Sherry in ’59 and Miami’s Livian Hernandez in ’97.

It was also a long-overdue relief for the Astros’ 73-year-old Manager Dusty Baker. The former Richmond Brave was mak ing his 12th trip to the postseason with no World Series title to show for his decades-long efforts.

Baker played parts of the ’69,’ 70 and ’71 seasons for the R-Braves at old Parker Field.

Among all the majority-white colleges playing basketball, VCU has perhaps the longest association with HBCUs.

Morgan State will be the Rams’ next foe Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Siegel Center. Tipoff is 7 p.m.

The visiting Bears from Baltimore have a player familiar to VCU. Lewis Djonkam, a 6-foot-9 graduate student, played for VCU in 2017-18 before transferring to Radford and playing three seasons.

In turn, VCU features Adrian “Ace” Baldwin out of Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy. Now a third-year starting point guard, the 6-foot Baldwin holds the keys to the Rams’ engine.

As a junior he averaged 12 points, four rebounds and six assists, and is a preseason All Atlantic-10 pick.

When old-timers think of Morgan State, the name of Marvin Webster invariably pops up. The 7-footer, known as “The Human Eraser,” led the Bears to the NCAA Division II title in 1974 before embarking on to a brilliant NBA career.

VCU’s first HBCU opponent was Maryland State, Dec. 21, 1968.

The lengthy list of HBCUs to face VCU includes Virginia Union, Virginia State, Norfolk State, Hampton, North Carolina A&T, Bethune-Cookman, Prairie View, among others.

The Howard Bison, who played at VCU in 2016, will return to the Siegel Center on Dec. 11, a Sunday, to face the Rams.

the all-time, D-2 single season rushing record with 2,756 yards for Chadron, Neb., State in 2006. Woodhead went on to a long NFL career. Many believe Byers has the skills to do the same.

With another game or more left, Byers has the all-time CIAA rushing record in his sites. That mark of 1,889 was set in 1995 by Winston-Salem’s Richard Huntley. The Rams’ legend went on to play six NFL seasons.

Numbers don’t lie: Coach Alvin Parker’s Panthers have enjoyed arguably the most dominant season in VUU

annals.

The Northsiders are averag ing a whopping 43.9 points, among the nation’s best. The Panthers have rung up 225 first downs to the opposition’s 169 and have outgained their foes, 4,167 yards to 2,825.

Coach Parker, a former VUU standout running back and assistant coach, was clearly the ideal choice to become the school’s 27th head coach.

In four seasons, “Dr. Coach” is 30-10 overall and 21-5 in CIAA. He’s delivered the meat and potatoes. All that’s missing is some postseason ice cream and cake.

Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams takes helm at Auburn

There is an abundance of Black players in the Southeastern Con ference, but only one Black head coach.

And even he wears the “interim” tag.

Carnell “Cadillac” Williams last week became the first Black head coach at Auburn University, and the first at any of the 14 SEC schools in the past two years.

Williams was named interim head coach following the firing of Bryan Harsin. The Tigers had four remaining games when Harsin was dismissed.

Williams had been serving as Auburn’s run ning backs coach under Harsin.

“This gives me goosebumps,” Williams said

in his introductory presser.

Known as “Cadillac” during his smooth-running college and NFL playing days, Williams is the all-time second leading rusher in Auburn his tory, after Bo Jackson.

Williams went on to play in the NFL with Tampa Bay and St. Louis, scoring 21 pro TDs.

The new Auburn coach will be in the national spotlight Nov. 26 when the team travels to Alabama for the Iron Bowl, among the sport’s top at tractions.

Auburn’s performance that day could de termine Williams’ future as its head coach. If Williams is not retained, Deion Sanders (now at Jackson State) might be a candidate.

VCU graduate named to U.S. National Blind Soccer Team

Richmonder Antoine Craig has shown his considerable speed for years as an elite track sprinter.

Now he’s channeling that quickness to the soccer field.

Craig, who is almost completely blind, has been named to the first U.S. National Blind Soc cer Team. He was selected following a tryout in Chula Vista, Calif.

The team will compete in the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles. There will be numerous lead-in events prior to LA. This will be the first time the U.S. has competed in blind soccer competition at the Paralympics.

Craig has been a dominant force for years as a 100-and 200-meter sprinter at paralympic competitions throughout the U.S. and interna tionally.

According to his online biography, Craig earned a psychology degree in 2016 from Vir ginia Commonwealth University, and a master’s in rehabilitation and mental health from VCU in 2021.

Stories by Fred Jeter

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Virginia Union University’s Said Sidibe, left, made a reception to set up a one-yard touchdown run for Jada Byers, above, when VUU beat Virginia State University 33-21 last Saturday at VSU.

scatback Jada Byers, who is the likely CIAA Offensive Player of the Year and a contender for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the nation’s top Division II player.

Coach Williams

Jeremy Pena

Antoine Craig

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Personality: John Michael Joyce

Spotlight on president of the Richmond branch of the ToolBank network

For the last four years, John Michael Joyce has been a help ing hand for the many commu nity services in Richmond.

The board president of the Richmond branch of the ToolBank network is intent on the organization becoming more integral to not-for-profit groups by providing rental equipment and other resources to groups still recovering from COVID-19.

“Our organization is just coming out of the pandemic, and really ramping back up as corporate and community volunteerism sees a renewed passion,” Mr. Joyce says. “I want ToolBank to become a household name to anyone in Richmond, and the first thing people think of when facing the question ‘how am I going to get this project done?’”

Originally coming to Vir ginia from his native Canada in August 2004, Mr. Joyce heard about ToolBank in 2019, after a friend invited him to the group’s warehouse for its an nual fundraising party.

Mr. Joyce joined Richmond ToolBank later that year. Be coming part of this group as a virus loomed made the organi zation’s work much harder. Yet his enthusiasm for ToolBank’s role never waned.

“When I heard about what the ToolBank does for Rich mond, I was blown away that I had never even thought about the unique gap it was address ing,” says Mr. Joyce when asked why he got involved with the group. “I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Elected board president last December, Mr. Joyce has focused his one-year term on raising public awareness of ToolBank in Richmond. He has leaned on the talents of the employees, volunteers and board members he works with to accomplish this, trusting their experience as part of the group to ensure success in this mission.

Mr. Joyce acknowledges that goals met during his board presidency may be tough to measure. The pandemic has resulted in a drop in donations and resources for ToolBank, but also led to increased work as they stored, provided and built necessary items such as face masks, hand sanitizer and outdoor accommodations for those in need.

However, there have been some promising results in rais ing Richmond ToolBank’s profile so far. In particular, Mr. Joyce points to ToolBank’s “Hammers and Ales: Party with a Purpose” event last summer at Brown’s Island, which he lauds as a big success. The event drew its largest attendance to date.

Mr. Joyce intends to con tinue his board service with Richmond ToolBank once his term ends.

“It has been a very rewarding experience to get more involved with the ToolBank, as well as an experience that has helped a lot with personal growth,” Mr. Joyce says.

“It is remarkable how much must go on behind the scenes to allow the ToolBank to have the impact on the Richmond community that it does, and I’m glad to have such amazing fellow board members and Tool Bank employees or it wouldn’t be possible.”

Meet a leader bringing aid to those who aid Richmond and this week’s Personality, Michael Joyce:

Volunteer position: Board president, Richmond Tool Bank.

Occupation: Emergency medi cine physician and associate professor, Virginia Common wealth University.

Date and place of birth: Mis sissauga, Ontario, Canada. Where I live now: Rich mond.

Education: Longwood Uni versity and VCU School of Medicine.

Family: Wife, Stephanie, and children, Hugh, 4 and Cora, 2.

Richmond ToolBank is: A nonprofit organization that em powers the Richmond network of volunteers by providing tools, equipment and expertise to volunteer organizations at littleto-no cost, allowing them to maximize the impact they have on our community. We maintain a warehouse of tools including landscape tools, construction equipment, power tools, hand tools, tables, chairs, tents and more. Organizations that want to accomplish a project but don’t necessarily have the ability to buy, store and maintain tools can utilize our inventory, saving them time and money that they can instead use to advance their mission even further.

When and why founded/ founders: The organization started from the realization that access to tools often limited volunteer organizations from accomplishing all their goals, and by taking away that barrier there was an exponential impact factor on the community. The Richmond ToolBank is one of eight affiliates of ToolBank USA that reach across the United States. The Richmond ToolBank was formally established here in 2013 after a two-year market research and needs assessment was conducted. Our founding board president was Clayton Crouch, who led the founding board of directors through a vital phase of raising startup funds and hiring our first executive director, Trey Bearden. While we fall under the branding um brella of ToolBank USA, the Richmond ToolBank is a true Richmond nonprofit with all of our funding, governance, and leadership based locally.

Why I got involved: When I heard about what the ToolBank does for Richmond, I was blown away that I had never even thought about the unique gap it was addressing. It is genius! Take the time, cost and effort of tool ownership off the plate of those that already have enough going on, and let them focus on what they want to accomplish with that time and money instead! I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.

Why I accepted board presi dent position: I was fortunate to be nominated and elected board president, and felt it was a great opportunity to expand on my commitment to the ToolBank’s core mission. While this type of role was new to me, I knew I could lean on other leadership positions I have held in my professional life to be successful and continue our positive trajectory.

Number one goal as board president: Advance our mission through continued exposure of our mission and services to the community. Our organization is just coming out of the pandemic, and really ramping back up

as corporate and community volunteerism sees a renewed passion. A lot of organizations that would greatly benefit from our services are not even aware of the ability to partner with us.

I want ToolBank to become a household name to anyone in Richmond, and the first thing people think of when facing the question, “How am I going to get this project done?.”

Strategy for achieving goals: Lean on those with experience! The ToolBank could not be what it is without the amazing team of employees, volunteers and board members that keep the place going, and I knew that empowering those individuals to help us build up our mission would be the most important thing I could do.

Most important thing we have done since we began: There are too many things to count, and it wouldn’t be fair to pick one over the other. Every organization that we have helped, partnered with, or been involved with has an important role on the com

munity. The sum of all these efforts is so much bigger than the individual accomplishments.

Biggest hurdle faced: Like many organizations, the global pandemic really put our organization to the test. Our mission is based on groups getting together and doing good with our tools, and events that were appropriately put on pause. Correspond ingly, donations and rev enue were down, and we needed a way that we could continue to put our resources to use for the city. We were sitting there with this huge warehouse space and all the tools you could imagine, while the people of our community were at a time of great need. I was very proud of the ToolBank operation pivoting to initiatives like mask distribution, hand sanitizer storage and delivery, as well as safe volunteer events. Our building change program is a unique and one-of-a-kind program that allowed us to use our tools and workspace to build picnic tables, benches and tables to place in community spaces. In a time where outdoor space was essential, our team found a way to provide that space. Initially we started by send ing kits of materials and tools to groups to build, and then expanded to multiple builds in the warehouse, and eventually building outdoor classrooms for all the city elementary schools. We are constantly expanding this program to keep up with the demand for people want ing to get together in public spaces!

Tool borrowing is: Just the start. We don’t just want a tool in everyone’s hand, but in hands that know how to use

the tools properly, safely and effectively

Who is eligible to borrow: Anyone who wants to use our tools to perform charitable good for their community, our city and surrounding counties. As long as you are not using our tools for business or personal use, then you are eligible! Member ship is free.

How volunteers can get in volved: Multiple ways: Volun teers can help with build events at the ToolBank, they can help with events in which we partner, or they can get involved through affiliate organizations already using our tools. Visit our website for more information!

Richmond ToolBank partners with: All nonprofit and chari table organizations that have a use for tools in the city, (includ ing) neighborhood associations, civic organizations, schools, faith-based organizations and city agencies.

Upcoming events: Don’t miss our annual “Hammers and Ales: Party with a Purpose” event on Browns Island (next year in June)!

This is a free, family friendly open event where we build picnic tables, benches and get the word out about our organization, coupled with great music and food! But before that, stop by our warehouse and get to know our organization, and learn how we can help you help Richmond!

A perfect day for me is: Tak ing my family to the river, cooking a big meal for friends, and watching the kids swim and play.

What I am continuing to learn about myself during the pandemic: The importance of slowing down and enjoying the moment. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Something about me that people may not know: I came to Virginia from Canada on a golf scholarship — with aspi rations of playing on the PGA tour! Maybe the senior tour is still a chance!

A quote that inspires me: “Question everything.”

My friends describe me as: Hopefully they would describe me as a good friend, who is always willing to lend a hand, or just spend time together.

At the top of my “to-do” list: Finish all the half-finished proj ects around the house!

Best late-night snack: (Real) poutine from a food truck in Canada.

The best thing my parents ever taught me: The value of commitment. If you commit to do something it is important that you meant it and see it through.

The person who influenced me the most: My dad.

Book that influenced me the most: “Complications: A Sur geon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science” by Atul Gawande.

What I’m reading now: “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know” by Adam Grant.

Next goal: Finish the year with a smaller to-do list than I started with!

BY LAUREN GUNDERSON AND

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Entrepreneurs host ‘Wakanda Weekend’ to support ‘Black Panther’ sequel, showcase Black excellence

By Karyn Cook

Marvel Comics fans everywhere fell in love with “Black Panther,” the 2018 superhero film based on the character of the same name.

Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film starred the late Chadwick Boseman (as T’Challa/Black Panther), Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o and Angela Bassett.

A hit at the box office, grossing more than $1.3 billion worldwide and breaking plenty of box office records, the film garnered seven Academy Award nominations and walked away with three: for music, costume design (won by Hampton Uni versity graduate Ruth Carter), and design production. “Black Panther” was the first superhero film to receive a Best Picture nomination, and the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to win several categories.

This weekend, “Black Panther” fans are gearing up for another dazzling display of “Black excellence” as its sequel, “Wakanda Forever” hits theaters. Front and center will be a group of Rich mond event organizers who will host a “Wakanda Weekend.”

The organizers have booked three theaters at the Bowtie Theater on Arthur Ashe Boulevard, with an option to book a fourth, if ticket sales continue at the current momentum.

Richmonder Renee V. Johnson, one of the event organizers, said the team began planning the activities as soon as the sequel’s release date was announced two months ago.

‘Wakanda Weekend’ lineup

The nearly one dozen Black-owned businesses that will be showcased during “Wakanda Weekend” on Friday and Saturday include dancers, artists, photographers, and business establishments, along with the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, and Drums, No Guns, a nonprofit dedicated to gun violence awareness.

Admission to the private screening of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” on Friday is $35. The “Wakanda Weekend” passport includes a souvenir gift, discounted snacks, preferred entry for other weekend events, and a 5:30 p.m. dance performance by Ezibu Muntu African Dance and Heritage Foundation prior to the movie, according to event organizers.

Saturday will feature a lecture by Dr. Grace Gipson, professor of African-American Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, at the Black History and Cultural Center of Virginia. Her topic is “A Journey to Wakanda: Telling Our Black Future Stories.”

Also on Saturday, Justin Young, a graphic designer and artist, will host paint events featuring custom “Black Panther” portrait options at his Paint N’ Sip space in Regency Mall.

The Lion’s Den Cigar Lounge, BRUN Whiskey and Cigar Lounge, and Main Street Steakhouse will host parties after the movie screenings throughout the weekend.

In addition, Michelle Roane, owner of My Twisted Wrist jewelry, created a souvenir bracelet reminiscent of “kimoyo beads,” as featured in the first “Black Panther” movie, along with “Black Panther” -themed accessories for Croc shoes.

Connie McGowan, owner of the House of Photography by Connie & Co. in Stony Point Fashion Park, hosted a photoshoot

Excited about the positive Black representation and strong characters featured in “Black Panther,” Mrs. Johnson, a graphic designer who enjoys bringing together talented people, wanted to showcase Black excellence found in everyday Richmonders and entrepreneurs.

The result, she said, will be an event “designed to create an immersive, cultural experience of Black excellence.”

The two-day event also will allow local Black-owned businesses to shine a light on Richmond’s positive and strong characteristics existent for decades, she says, and to clap back at perceptions that there’s “nothing to do in Richmond,” she says.

“Putting the planning committee together was very organic;

we all are committed to the Richmond area and believe in the greatness that exists in this city we love,” she adds.

“There are so many great things happening throughout RVA and by showcasing some of the businesses and programs that exist we highlight and underscore Black excellence.”

Mrs. Johnson and another one of the event’s organizers, Connie McGowan, reached out to George “Brak” Braxton, someone they know is passionate about “Black Panther” history and creativity, to help organize the event.

A lifelong “Black Panther” fan, Mr. Braxton hosted a similar event for the first “Black Panther” film and was excited by the invitation to collaborate on this year’s celebration.

He remains in awe of Stan Lee, who created the Black Pan ther character.

“Imagine how it was received in 1966, when a white writer created a Black character who was faster, smarter, and better than his white counterparts. He and Jack Kirby were embracing ‘Black Excellence’ before we coined the phrase.”

Listening to Mr. Braxton, it is clear that he is in tune with the new film’s storyline.

“From the trailers, it looks like Wakanda is under siege and being controlled, which is something that the Black community is familiar with,” he says.

(Mr. Boseman, to the disappointment of many, is not in the film. He died of colon cancer in August 2020 at the age of 43.)

“The movie is looking to be the best film Marvel has ever made, and will be even more memorable than the first,” Mr. Braxton said.

Mr. Braxton says he is especially proud that many young children now have a superhero to look up to who looks like them. He hopes they will continue to watch the film for years to come.

“The Greeks have Zeus, the Norse have Thor, and we (Black people) have Black Panther,” Mr. Braxton says.

Toni Blue, a member of the planning committee and owner of the digital design and apparel company, the BluePrint, designed T-shirts for the event. She is excited about the representation of women the film will feature.

“I think it’s going to show how the Black family is matriar chal, the realization of that and how important it is to protect that,” she says.

“It’s going to highlight how women are capable of being leaders. We are not only nurturing and providers, but we are also protectors.”

All aglow

Author reaches back to family roots for children’s book

By Holly Rodriguez

The Great Migration was an exodus of 6 million African-Americans from the rural South to the North and the West between 1910 and 1970. Desiree Cooper’s parents were children of the Great Depression, and her family was among those who relocated to leave the trauma of the Jim Crow South.

“When we left, we were leaving white supremacy and Jim Crow behind, but not our fam ily,” Ms. Cooper said.

For 47 years, they have returned to the South dur ing the summer to visit family still living here. This tradition partially inspired Ms. Cooper’s children’s book, “Noth ing Special,” released in October.

The book tells the story of a little boy, Jax, who visits his grandparents in The South for the summer.

Illustrated by Bec Stone, the story that unfolds is of Jax and his grandfather, “Pop Pop,” spending time together and bond ing as they do some of his grandfather’s favorite activities.

A former attorney and journalist, Ms. Cooper said the book mirrors the relation

ship that developed between her grandson and her father when her family moved from Detroit back to Virginia to care for her aging parents. And the book itself evolved from an idea that was not working for Ms. Cooper.

“I’d been locked down in six years of caregiving,” she said.

“I was stuck in trying to write a memoir about my caregiving journey.”

A colleague at a retreat suggested that she write a children’s book instead.

“I spent the rest of the retreat working on ‘Nothing Special,’ with characters based on my dad and my grandson.”

Switching over from one genre of writing to another — from memoir to children’s books — may be a difficult transition for some writers, but not for Ms. Cooper. “I recognized the beauty of this story and wove it into the narrative itself, working with an amazing illustrator who was able to visually interpret it.”

Experience as a journalist and a flash fiction writer helped Ms. Cooper develop skills in writing concisely, she said. But, it took years for her writing career to begin.

A love of writing led Ms. Cooper to study journalism as an under graduate. She went on to enroll in law school and worked as an attorney for years before ever receiving her first professional writing assignment. Her path to becoming a published author has had twists and turns, but she said every bit of it was developing her skills as a writer and storyteller.

“You’ve gotta do some living to resonate with readers,” she said. “When I started working as a journalist, I was 56 years old and I realized that in my career, I had been educating myself about work and how people work; from working in a law firm, to distressed communities and classrooms in Detroit.”

She said her experiences have given her plenty to say, including sharing the rich African-American history of families who fled North and West out of fear years ago, but still call The South home.

“For people who haven’t had that expe rience, this is an intergenerational buddy book,” she said. “Many Black readers in particular will recognize the tradition embedded in the story — returning to The South in the summer to remain connected to family, to our roots.”

“Nothing Special” is available on Ama zon, Barnes & Noble, and other major book sellers’ sites.

Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Maymont’s 5th Annual Garden Glow, which ended Nov. 6, featured dramatic lighting that transformed the historic park’s architecture and gardens into an unforgettable experience for the whole community. Each evening after sunset, people of all ages gathered on the Carriage House Lawn, where the Glow Village featured cozy fire pits and refreshments. Garden Glow’s walking tour immersed guests in a natural landscape dramatically illuminated from within.

Ms. Cooper

Images released by Marvel Studios shows, right, Angela Bassett as Ramonda in a scene from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, and the new Black Panther, left.

Marvel Studios via The Associated Press

Connie McGowan photo

“Wakanda Weekend” organizers include, from left, standing: Left to right, Connie McGowan, owner/ photographer, House of Photography by Connie & Co.; Toni Blue Washington, owner, The Blue Print, LLC. Seated, from left: Marchelle Roane, owner, My Twisted Wrist; George ‘Brak’ Braxton, owner, EpiQ Holdings LLC; Renee Johnson, owner, The PenStops Here LLC.

for the Wakanda Weekend planning committee. Event organizers said donations will be made to all nonprofit organizations participating in the event. For more information, please contact Brak Braxton at Brax. Braxton@gmail.com.

Marvel Studios via The Associated Press

Rev. Calvin Butts, influential pillar of Harlem, dies at 73

The Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, who fought poverty and racism and skillfully navigated New York’s power structure as pastor of Harlem’s historic Abyssinian Baptist Church, died Oct. 28 at age 73, the church announced.

“The Butts Family and entire Abyssinian Baptist Church membership solicit your prayers for us in our bereavement,” the church stated on its website. No cause of death was given.

Rev. Butts began serving as a youth minister at Abyssinian in 1972 and was senior pastor there for more than 30 years. He also served as president of the State University of New York at Old Westbury, on Long Island, from 1999 to 2020.

His post at Abyssinian gave Rev. Butts one of the most promi nent pulpits in the U.S. The church traces its roots to 1808 when a group of Black worshippers who refused to accept segregation at the First Baptist Church of New York City left to form their own congregation. The church’s current home on 138th Street in Harlem is a massive Tudor and Gothic revival structure dedicated in 1923 and designated a city landmark in 1993.

Earlier pastors at Abyssinian included Adam Clayton Powell Sr. and his son Adam Clayton Powell Jr., the first African-American to be elected to Congress from New York. Rev. Butts was known for working with political leaders across the ideological spectrum.

In 1995, Republican Gov. George Pataki appointed Rev. Butts to two state boards that controlled economic development grants to businesses. That same year, Rev. Butts hosted then-Cuban leader Fidel Castro at Abyssinian, where the fatigues-wearing communist received a hero’s welcome.

Rev. Butts surprised many by endorsing Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, saying the endorsement “was not and is not and will not be come a race-based decision for me.” Rev. Butts later said he was “overjoyed” when President Obama was elected as the first Black president of the United States that November. Rev. Butts’ impact extended far beyond his church’s walls. In 1989, he established the nonprofit Abyssinian Development Corp. to develop moderate-income housing, retail, schools and other projects in the surrounding neighborhood.

Rev. Butts helped mobilize church leaders to support pro grams for AIDS patients in the 1980s and more recently set up a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Abyssinian to encourage community residents to get immunized against the virus.

“The kind of conspiracies we saw in the past were real but they do not exist about these vaccines,” Rev. Butts said last year in a reference to the racist history of episodes like the Tuskegee syphilis study that left many Black people mistrustful of medical authorities.

Rev. Butts courted controversy in the 1990s by preaching against violent and misogynist rap lyrics. He had parishioners bring recordings of the offensive music to church to be steamrolled in June 1993 but then ended up dumping the CDs in front of a Sony office in midtown Manhattan instead of smashing them.

“Rap is an extremely powerful art form,” Rev. Butts said at a debate with rapper Ice-T. “It comes from the creativity of African people. And anything that comes from our creativity is powerful, and it grabs. And therefore we want to make sure

Mabel Lighty, gifted math teacher, dies at 83

to

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Mabel Eunice Caster Lighty taught math to two genera tions of Richmond high school students and then went on to teach math for another 14 years at Reynolds Community College.

Described as an enthusiastic and energetic person, Mrs. Lighty earned accolades for her ability to help students master arithmetic basics and advanced math concepts, and for her willingness to tutor any student who still struggled.

“She taught with kindness,” said a longtime friend, Shirley H. Seay, a retired teacher and administrator for Richmond Public Schools. “Students who were having problems with math were sent to her because she knew just what to do. She was such a gifted math teacher.”

Mrs. Lighty’s ability as an educator and her talent for creating quilts and other items with large and small needles is being remembered following

her death on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. She was 83.

Family and friends paid final tributes to Mrs. Lighty Thursday, Nov. 3, at a memo rial service at Joseph Jenkins Jr. Funeral Home.

A Richmond na tive, Mrs. Lighty graduated from high school at age 16 and joined the faculty of Richmond Public Schools after gradu ating from Hampton University in 1959.

An RPS teacher for 38 years, she started out at a middle school in South Side and later moved to Maggie L. Walker High School, her high school alma mater.

Thomas Jefferson. Outside the classroom, “she coached the majorettes, and I coached the cheerleaders,” Ms. Gaines said.

“We had a great time.”

Mrs. Lightly retired from RPS in 1997 but continued to teach and tutor math at Thompson Middle School for a few more years before landing a spot at Reynolds Commu nity College.

Mrs. Lighty

She spent the final 25 years of her career teaching math at Thomas Jefferson High School.

Though small in stature, “she was a dynamic person who had the energy of two people,” said Paulette Bland Gaines, a retired RPS teacher who also taught at

Her family said that along with teach ing math classes, she created Math Central at Reynolds to provide a place where students who needed extra help could connect with a tutor. She finally retired in 2020 at age 80 after the pandemic hit and shut down public schools at all levels, Ms. Seay said.

Along with playing pinochle, her family said Mrs. Lighty loved to crochet, quilt and cross-stitch to create gifts for family members and at times

Mrs. Lighty also was 65year-member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Survivors include her hus band of 57 years, Lawrence H. Lighty Sr.; a son, Lawrence H. Lighty Jr.; a granddaughter and a great-grandson.

that as it grabs it also shapes in a constructive and redemptive way our young people to continue our progress against the evils that try to crush us.”

Tributes to Rev. Butts poured in following his death.

“He was a dominant faith and academic leader for decades,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement. “We knew each other for more than 40 years, and while we did not always agree we always came back together.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called Rev. Butts “a force for moral clarity, a voice for his Harlem community, a counselor to so many of us in public service” and said she was proud to call him a friend.

The man Gov. Hochul succeeded last year, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, called Rev. Butts “a man of substance and of values to whom the term ‘public service’ doesn’t begin to describe the impact he had on this city and this state.”

Rev. Butts was born in Bridgeport, Conn., and grew up in the New York City borough of Queens. He graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, then returned to the New York area and earned a master’s degree from Union Theological Seminary and a doctor of ministry degree from Drew University. He began his ministry at Abyssinian while in graduate school.

Like other churches, Abyssinian was forced to go onlineonly in the first months of the coronavirus pandemic and then gradually reopened.

The church hosted a private memorial service for the pioneering Black actor Cicely Tyson last year, with Bill and Hillary Clinton and Tyler Perry in attendance. Rev. Butts praised Ms. Tyson as an example of “an example of how we all might live.”

Rev. Butts’ survivors include his wife, Patricia, three children and six grandchildren.

Saint Paul’s Baptist Church hosts veterans’ brunch, Thanksgiving food distribution

The Saint Paul’s Baptist Church Veterans Celebration Brunch and the RVA Community Thanksgiving Food Distribution will occur on the following dates and times:

Veterans’ Celebration Brunch Saturday, Nov.12. 11 a.m. – 1p.m. The Saint Paul’s Baptist Church 4247 Creighton Road Richmond, VA 23223

Purpose: To honor veterans. There will be food, fun, photos, gifts, brunch, veterans recogni tion, a comedian, Franklin Mili taryAcademy’s Color Guard, The Purple Heart Truck, and more.

Details: www.myspbc.into/ vetscelebration

RVA Thanksgiving Community Distribution Thursday, Nov. 17. 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Richmond Raceway 600 E. Laburnum Avenue Richmond, VA 23222

Purpose: To provide Thanks giving to families in need in the community. This event is in partnership with 45 community partners.

Details: www.foodout reach@myspbc.org

Associated Press file photo

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., the Rev. Calvin Butts, and Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., are joined at podium by other church and community leaders from New York, in March 2010 on Capitol Hill. Rev. Butts welcomed generations of worshippers as well as politicial leaders from across the world at Harlem’s landmark Abyssinian Baptist Church.

The Associated Press

DivOrcE

virGiNiA:

iN THE circUiT cOUrT

FOr THE cOUNTY OF HANOvEr

LATiSHA SiMPSON-rOSS, Plaintiff v. SHAWN rOSS, Defendant. case No.: cL22002152-00

OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown appear here on or before the 21st day of December, 2022 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Esquire Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT FOr THE cOUNTY OF HANOvEr ANELiA vAUGHN, Plaintiff v. JOrDAN vAUGHN, Sr Defendant. case No.: cL22000708-00

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 13th day of December, 2022 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Esquire Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

virGiNiA:

iN THE circUiT cOUrT

FOr THE cOUNTY OF HANOvEr MicHELLE HArriS TEMPLETON, Plaintiff v. NATHAN TEMPLETON Defendant. case No.: cL22003118-00

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 7th day of December, 2022 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT FOr THE cOUNTY OF HENricO THErESA EvANGALiNA BUrWELL, Plaintiff v. THAD HArLEY BUrWELL, Defendant. case No.: cL21-5552-00

OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is for the Plaintiff to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the grounds that the parties have lived separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption, and with Plaintiff’s intent to terminate the marriage, for a period exceeding twelve (12) months, namely since January 9, 2014.

It appearing by affidavit that Plaintiff has no knowledge of the Defendant’s current address and Defendant’s present whereabouts are unknown and diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Plaintiff to ascertain in what county or city the Defendant is without effect.

It is accordingly

ORDERED that Thad Harley Burwell whose whereabouts are unknown, appear before this court on or before the 5th day of December, 2022 at 9:00 AM, and do what is necessary to protect his interests herein.

A Copy, Teste: HEIDI S. BARSHINGER, Clerk Richard J Oulton, Esq VSB #29640 America Law Group, Inc 8501 Mayland Drive #106 Henrico VA 23294 (804) 308-0051 Fax (804) 308-0053

virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT FOr THE cOUNTY OF HANOvEr rOBiN SHEAriN,

Plaintiff v. DEXTEr SHEAriN Defendant. case No.: cL22002971-00 OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown appear here on or before the 28th day of November, 2022 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT FOr THE cOUNTY OF HANOvEr BrET ALDEN, Plaintiff v. MAriLYN ALDEN, Defendant. case No.: cL22002972-00

OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months.

It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown appear here on or before the 28th day of November, 2022 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests.

A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

cUSTODY

virGiNiA: iN THE JUvENiLE AND DOMESTic rELATiONS DiSTricT cOUrT OF THE ciTY OF ricHMOND commonwealth of virginia, in re DEDricK J. PLEASANTS, iii rDSS v. FELiciA D. BrASWELL & UNKNOWN FATHEr File No. J-85790-15, 16 OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to: terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Unknown Father (Father), & Felicia D. Braswell (Mother) of Dedrick J. Pleasants, iii, child DOB: 2/13/2008, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with Parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: Visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support and that; It is ORDERED that the defendants Unknown Father (Father), & Felicia D. Braswell (Mother) to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 1/4/2023, at 2:00 P.M., cOUrTrOOM #5 (AKT)

PrOPErTY virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT OF THE ciTY OF ricHMOND JOHN MArSHALL cOUrTS BUiLDiNG ciTY OF ricHMOND, Plaintiff, v. TWO AviS iNc., et al, Defendants.

case No.: cL22-3793

OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 1804 Harwood Street, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number S0071133006, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Two Avis inc.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, Two Avis inc. who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to its 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.

i T i S O r DE r ED that Two Avis inc. and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUArY 12, 2023 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT OF THE ciTY OF

ricHMOND JOHN MArSHALL cOUrTS BUiLDiNG ciTY OF ricHMOND, Plaintiff, v. NATHANiEL JETTEr, Jr et al, Defendants. case No.: cL22-3790 OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2916 Garland Avenue, Tax Map Number N0000889011 , Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Nathaniel Jetter, Jr, and Dorothy E.W. Beal

An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, NATHANiEL JETTEr, Jr upon information and belief deceased , or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest and DOrOTHY E.W. BEAL, 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.

i T i S O r DE r ED that NATHANiEL JETTEr, Jr upon information and belief deceased or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest , DO r OTHY E.W. BEAL, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown , come forward to appear on or before JANUArY 12, 2023 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT OF THE ciTY OF ricHMOND

JOHN MArSHALL cOUrTS BUiLDiNG ciTY OF ricHMOND, Plaintiff, v. TWO AviS iNc, et al, Defendants. case No.: cL22-3791 OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3219 Dill Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N0051079006, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Two Avis inc

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, Two Avis inc. who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to its 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.

i T i S O r DE r ED that Two Avis inc and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUArY 12, 2023 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT OF THE ciTY OF ricHMOND JOHN MArSHALL cOUrTS BUiLDiNG ciTY OF ricHMOND, Plaintiff, v. TWO AviS iNc., et al, Defendants. case No.: cL22-3792 OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3221 Dill Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N0051079007, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Two Avis inc.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, Two Avis inc., who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to its 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.

i T i S O r DE r ED that Two Avis inc., and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUArY 12, 2023 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT OF THE ciTY OF ricHMOND JOHN MArSHALL cOUrTS BUiLDiNG ciTY OF ricHMOND, Plaintiff, v. DYNQUEST PrOPErTiES, LLc, et al, Defendants.

case No.: cL22-3664

OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3424 carolina Avenue, Tax Map Number N0001161001 , Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Dynquest Properties, LLc

An Affidavit having been filed that HEN rY ME r E, r egistered Agent for DYNQUEST PrOPErTiES, LLc, the owner of record of 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 O r DE r ED that HENrY MErE, registered Agent for DYNQUEST P r OPE r T i ES, LL c , the owner of record of said property, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUArY 12, 2023 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT OF THE ciTY OF ricHMOND JOHN MArSHALL cOUrTS BUiLDiNG ciTY OF ricHMOND, Plaintiff, v. TWO AviS iNc., et al, Defendants. case No.: cL22-3794 OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3901 Old Warwick road, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number c0080435052, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Two Avis inc

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, Two Avis inc., who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to its 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.

i T i S O r DE r ED that Two Avis inc., and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUArY 12, 2023 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

iN THE OF THE ric

JOHN T. GLASGOW; ANN HAZEL T. GLASGOW; MArY if deceased the heirs at law of John T. Glasgow, Annie C. Glasgow, Hazel T. Glasgow, Mary C. Glasgow; and the Unknown heirs, descendants, devisees, assigns, and/or successors in title to John T. Glasgow, Annie C. Glasgow, Hazel T. Glasgow and Mary C. Glasgow, if any there be, the consorts of any of the said unknown heirs who are married, the lien creditors of the said unknown heirs, if any, and other persons who may have an interest in the subject matter of this suit, whose names are unknown and are included in the general description of “UNKNOWN HE PAr

case No.: OrDEr The object of this suit is to claim title to a certain parcel of land situated in the City of Richmond, Virginia, being previously owned by John T. Glasgow, Annie C. Glasgow, Hazel T. Glasgow and Mary C. Glasgow, more particularly described as follows: No. 603 North 31st Street, designated as 603 on a plat of said adjacent parcel by T. Crawford Redd & Bro., dated

April 16, 1919, and recorded in the Clerk’s Office of the Chancery Court of the City of Richmond, Virginia in Deed Book 252 D, page 239.

The unknown heirs, descendants, devisees, assigns, and/or successors in title to John T. Glasgow, Annie C. Glasgow, Hazel T. Glasgow and Mary C. Glasgow, if deceased have or might have an interest in the property by deed, by inheritance, or by duly recorded liens.

Affidavit having been made and filed that due diligence has been used without effect to ascertain the identities and/or locations of certain parties to be served, and that there are or might be persons whose names are unknown, interested in the subject matter of this suit; It is ORDERED that the unknown heirs, descendants, devisees, assigns, and/or successors in title to John T. Glasgow, Annie C. Glasgow, Hazel T. Glasgow and Mary C. Glasgow, if living and if not living, their heirs at-law; and other unknown heirs or parties who have an interest in the subject matter of this suit, who are proceeded against as Unknown Heirs and Parties Unknown, appear before Court on or before December 13, 2022 to protect their interests, if any, in this suit.

I ask for this: Curtis D. Gordon, Esq., V.S.B. #25325

DANKOS, GORDON & TUCKER, P.C. 1360 East Parham Road, Suite 200 Richmond, VA 23228 Telephone: (804) 262-8000 Facsimile: (804) 262-8088 Email: cgordon@ dankosgordon.com Email: kroberts@ dankosgordon.com Counsel for Plaintiff virGiNiA: iN THE circUiT cOUrT OF THE ciTY OF ricHMOND JOHN MArSHALL cOUrTS BUiLDiNG ciTY OF ricHMOND, Plaintiff, v. SHEiLA A. ANDErSON, et al, Defendants. case No.: cL22-3550 OrDEr OF PUBLicATiON

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 826 North 35th Street, Tax Map Number E0000966001 , Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Sheila A. Anderson and charnelle E. Smith

An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, SHEiLA A. ANDErSON and c HA r NELLE E. SM i TH, 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, 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 O r DE r ED that SHE i LA A. ANDE r SON, c HA r NELLE E. SM i TH, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before JANUArY 12, 2023 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

begin at 8:30 a.m. The item for sale is 2020, Ford Escape, IFMCU0F64LUB77477, NO KEYS, NOT RUNNING. Payments shall be cash only, paid in full and all property must be removed on sale day unless arrangements are made prior with the Plaintiff. All property is sold “AS IS, WHERE IS” with no warranties.

ABc LicENSE rich Nail Lounge LLc Trading as: rich Nail Lounge LLc 1106 Hull Street richmond, vA 23224-4060

The above establishment is applying to the V IRGINIA A LCOHOLIC B EVERAGE C ONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY for a retail marketplace license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Mercedes Buck, Owner Date notice posted at establishment: November 3, 2022 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) 552-3200.

Notice of intent to Acquire Property: The Valentine Museum hereby notifies intent to acquire title to the objects listed below. There is no last known owner on record & this object will become the property of the museum after 65 days if no person can prove ownership of the property, pursuant to Code of VA § 55.1-2606.

FIC.029103.01-.50

Drawings OM.81 Music stand OM.68.14 Card table FIC.007760 Ship model FIC.016010, FIC.019034-5, FIC.030414, FIC.031506, FIC.031546-8, FIC.031552, FIC.031554-5, FIC.031558, V.63.01.53, X.52.01.06, X.61.35.08 Photographic prints X.2022.38.01-.22 Photographic prints & glass negatives FIC.020378, OM.137, X.55.05a-c Letters OM.160.01, .03a,b-05, .0709, .11-12a,b, .15a,b-16a,b Letters OM.160.17 Manuscript V.82.12.09 Cabinet photograph Library4351, Library4358 Books Please visit website or contact museum for information on how to make a claim: The Valentine Museum Rachel Asbury Cole, Collections Project Manager/Registrar 804-649-0711 ext. 329 rasburycole@thevalentine. org http://www.thevalentine.org/ collections/undocumentedproperty

cOUNTY OF HENricO, virGiNiA cONSTrUcTiON BiD iTB #22-2431-10JL Water Treatment Facility & Len Avenue Pump Station roof replacement Due: November 17, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.

For additional information visit: https://henrico.us/ finance/divisions/purchasing/ solicitations/ cOUNTY OF HENricO, virGiNiA cONSTrUcTiON BiD iTB #22-2432-10JL chamberlayne Heights and Three Fountains North Area (SH-48) Sanitary Sewer rehabilitation Due: December 14, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.

For additional information visit: https://henrico.us/

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

Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 2611 Bells Road is seeking a Full-Time Pastor. He or she must be deeply rooted in the Baptist doctrine. Having experience as a pastor is preferred. Theology training and having the desire to preach, teach, care for God’s people, and be guided by God is necessary.

The deadline for accepting resumes is December 2, 2022. Please submit a cover letter and resume to Mount Olive Baptist Church, Attn: Pastoral Search Committee, P. O. Box 37369, Richmond, VA 23234. No emails or hand deliveries will be accepted. This is an equal employment opportunity.

Part-Time Custodian 15 hours per week

Salary Commensurate with Experience

Mount Olive Baptist Church is seeking a part-time Custodian during the morning hours from Monday – Friday, 9 A.M. – 12 P.M. Duties include but are not limited to: opening and/or closing church buildings in accordance with scheduled activities and or events, keeping the church buildings and grounds clean Preferred candidate should possess previous custodian and/or sexton experience as well as experience in operating a floor buffer. A Criminal History Background Check is required.

This position will remain opened until filled. Applicants may pick up an application from the church office or submit a resume in lieu of an application to: Mount Olive Baptist Church, 8775 Mt. Olive Avenue, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060. The e-mail address is mstyles@mobcva.org, and the fax number is (804) 262-2397. For more information, please call (804)-262-9614 ext. 227

Application can also be filled out online at https://www.mobcva.org/job-openings

Senior Software Engineer – Capital One Services, LLC in Richmond, VA; Mult pos avail: Resp for overall tech design, dvlpmnt, modification, & implementation of comp apps using existing & emerging tech platforms. To apply, visit https://capitalone.wd1. myworkdayjobs.com/Capital_One and search “Senior Software Engineer” or “R157286”.

Lead System Architect, Pega: Richmond, VA/remote: Architecting & designing business applications using Pega PRPC & other Pega frameworks; Prov. architecture & design guidance to project teams develop BPM/BRE solutions using Pega. Reqs BA in Comp Sci, Info Sys or rel. fld + 5 yrs exp in the job off/w/ clt server design/devel. In lieu of BS + 5, employer will accept MA + 2 yrs of exp. Exp must incl design & implementation of PRPC-based solutions, incl leadership role in design to devel shared/reusable enterprise rules & workflow components w/I Pega; Send res to Julie Gibson, Estes Express Lines, 1501 N. Hamilton St., Richmond, VA 23230.