Remember to set your clocks back one hour before retiring Saturday, Nov. 6. Eastern Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday as Eastern Standard Time resumes.
Meet this week’s Personality B1
Richmond Free Press © 2021 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
VOL. 30 NO. 45
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
www.richmondfreepress.com
ee Fr
Fr ee
Fall back
NovembER 4-6, 2021
Dems defeated
In a nail-biting race, Republicans sweep Tuesday’s election for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, and flipped the Democratic-controlled House of Delegates from blue to red By Jeremy M. Lazarus
So much for Virginia turning blue. With a record-breaking turnout in a governor’s election Tuesday, political newcomer Glenn A. Youngkin swept to a narrow but decisive victory over former Gov. Terry R. McAuliffe, who hoped to be only the second governor since 1869 to serve two terms. The 54-year-old Republican’s vic-
Election coverage on A5, B6
Photos by Andrew Harnik/Associated Press
Republican Gov.-elect Glenn A. Youngkin happily tosses a signed basketball to supporters at his victory party in Chantilly in Fairfax County after narrowly winning the hotly contested race with former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and third-party candidate Princess Blanding.
tory, which came with the backing of former President Donald Trump, will end eight years of Democratic control of the Governor’s Mansion. It also makes Mr. Youngkin a rising star in the GOP given his ability walk the political tightrope between Trump supporters and suburban residents and gain votes from both factions of the party. With most voters casting a straight party ticket, Mr. Youngkin’s win also enabled a GOP sweep for the state’s top three offices. Winsome E. Sears secured the No. 2 post of lieutenant governor — the Please turn to A4
Lt. Gov-elect Winsome E. Sears waves to the Republican crowd as she prepares to deliver her victory speech at the post-election party in Chantilly. Behind her is her husband, Terence. Mrs. Sears defeated Democratic Delegate Hala Ayala to become the first woman to win election to the state’s No. 2 post.
Former Gov. A. Linwood Holton, a Republican whose actions helped break down racial barriers in the state, succumbs at 98
Please turn to A4
By Jeremy M. Lazarus
The people have spoken: Richmond will not become a gambling mecca. In another shock to the city’s political leadership, voters rejected the $565 million casino, hotel, park and entertainment center that Black media giant Urban One had proposed to develop next door to the Philip Morris tobacco factory in South Side off the Bells Road exit of Interstate 95. The still unofficial tally from Tuesday’s election shows 39,824 no votes, or 51.1 percent, to 37,999 yes votes or 48.8 percent. While Mayor Levar M. Stoney and others expressed disappointment at the defeat, others were celebrating. “We won. Amazing upset!” Paul Goldman, a political strategist who crusaded against the casino, wrote after the results came in. Quinton Robbins, political director for the community organizing group Richmond For All, said the win “puts a stop to politicians using exploitative economic development to further their political careers.” In a view that resonated with voters, he stated that the casino
By Jeremy M. Lazarus
When a federal court in 1970 ordered Richmond students to be bused to integrate public schools, new Virginia Gov. A. Linwood “Lin” Holton Jr. showed his support by enrolling his four children and having them attend majorityBlack schools. In a now famous photograph, Gov. Holton, a Republican, is seen escorting his 13-year-old daughter, Tayloe, to her first day of class at predominantly Black John F. Kennedy High School in the East End. Today, that daughter is a physician in Syracuse, N.Y. Among his accomplishments as the state’s chief executive, Gov. Holton also insisted on hiring a diverse staff, becoming possibly the first governor to integrate the office. He also ensured that Black people and women had increased
Casino referendum fails in close no vote
Please turn to A4
Photo by Librado Romero/The New York Times/Redux
In a public show of support for the racial integration of Virginia’s public schools, Gov. A. Linwood Holton escorts his daughter, Tayloe, to the first day of class at Richmond’s John F. Kennedy High School, a majority Black school, in September 1970.
Richmond Police school resource officer balances helping kids with rising gospel career By Jeremy M. Lazarus
The world is starting to listen to Mervin D. Mayo sing. The veteran Richmond Police officer who serves as a school resource officer is fast becoming a gospel sensation. More than 70,000 people currently follow him on YouTube and tune in to listen to his weekly offerings. Bookings also are pouring in, and he has had to call on a friend with a management company to handle the flood. Mr. Mayo, a tenor, is now on the road almost every weekend to preach and sing at churches across the country, accompanied by his supportive wife, Mechelle Mayo, a middle school counselor for Richmond Public Schools. And later this month, Tyscot Records, an Indianapolis-based Black-owned gospel recording label, will release his first single, “Best Friend.” A burly, bearded man, Mr. Mayo is doing his best to take the heightened attention in stride. However, he said that for a kid from Creighton Court, it has been an amazing ride.
Mr. Mayo
“I never expected anything like this,” said the 46-year-old Mr. Mayo, who is well known among Richmond Public Schools students whom he has served and mentored in his dream job as a resource officer for 13 years, first at Huguenot High and currently at the Richmond Alternative School. His celebrity in the gospel world happened suddenly. Also an ordained minister, Mr. Mayo has been posting videos of himself singing gospel for years on YouTube, but attracted few visitors. That changed on March 4, 2020, when he did a cover of Marvin Sapp’s “The Best in Me.” He
posted it, went to sleep and woke up to find everything had changed. Someone in the gospel industry saw the video and sent out an alert to followers to tune in. Mr. Mayo said he got a call from the person, but said he had no idea of the individual’s influence until he felt the impact. He said 5,000 people had watched the video, and the number kept soaring as the video went viral. Now nearly 20 months later, Mr. Mayo attracts tens of thousands of listeners on his weekly YouTube posts. But the new-found attention also has created a tug-of-war between his two careers – being a resource officer and being a singing minister spreading the gospel. He doesn’t want to give up either. Mr. Mayo said that he wanted to become a police officer to be like the two men who ensured he followed a positive path. Violence and temptation were all around him as he grew up in public housing, and he credits Officers Curtis Simmons and Gerald Tuck, who were assigned to the Please turn to A4
Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
‘Trunk or Treat’ It was a sweet Halloween for Richmond youngsters, including 6-year-old Timothy Townes, who attended “Trunk or Treat” hosted by Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church last Saturday in the church parking lot at 1408 W. Leigh St. in the Carver community. The youngsters enjoyed trick or treating by going from trunk to trunk of cars and vehicles decorated for the event and supplied with loads of treats. Here, Barbara Burton, a church member who dressed as an “urban farmer,” hands out candy from the stash in her trunk.
Free COVID-19 testing, vaccines Free community testing for COVID-19 continues. The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations: • Thursday, Nov. 4, 1 to 3 p.m., Gilpin Resource Center, 436 Calhoun St. • Tuesday, Nov. 9, 9 to 11 a.m., Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd., drive-thru testing. • Wednesday, Nov. 10, 9 to 11 a.m., Eastern Henrico Recreation Center Pavilion, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave. Appointments are not necessary, but can be made by calling the Richmond and Henrico COVID-19 Hotline at (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by registering online
Please turn to A4
Richmond Free Press
A2 November 4-6, 2021
Local News
Photos by Regina H. Boone /Richmond Free Press
The former Baker Elementary School in Gilpin Court has been reAs part of its plan to privatize public housing, RRHA teamed with Entermodeled and is now a 50-unit apartment complex serving low-income prise Community Development to create 149 other units for tower residents seniors with modern appliances, gleaming countertops, hardwood floors in Highland Park and in The Rosa Apartments, a new complex at 1st and and a fitness center. Slices of life and scenes Duval streets in Jackson Ward. All told, Enterprise has invested more than in Richmond Gov. Ralph S. Northam, center, joins Brian McLaughlin, president $40 million to create replacement units for those who live in Fay Towers. of Enterprise Community Development’s community development diviResidential units represent a big change for the Baker property that sion, and other dignitaries to cut the ribbon at the grand opening Oct. 28 for the new had been a school site since 1871. According to the city school system, this building complex at 100 W. Baker St. opened in 1940 as a replacement for the worn-out original. Closed as an elementary The $15.8 million renovation is the last of three projects that have emptied nearby Fay school in 1979, the building was renamed for a former principal, Katherine L. Johnson, Towers, a 200-unit high-rise that the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority and was used as an alternative school for troubled middle and high school students until operated and expects to market for affordable housing. 2013 when RPS vacated the building.
Cityscape
New city-backed shelter open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., regardless of weather By Jeremy M. Lazarus
November is ushering in a dramatic expansion of shelter services for the homeless in Richmond. The revamped service backed by City Hall now is operating from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily through mid-April, no matter the weather, with those being sheltered served dinner and getting a bag lunch when they leave. For now, the city’s shelter is located at the Quality Inn Central, 3297 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. near The Diamond baseball stadium, according to the shelter operator, Commonwealth Catholic Charities, or CCC. The expansion of service partly fulfills the dream of advocates such as Rhonda Sneed of Blessing Warriors and City Councilwoman Stephanie Lynch, 5th District, who have been lobbying the city for creation of a space to serve the unsheltered in all seasons. With city backing, the CCC shelter operation is offering services that go well beyond the mandate that City Council has imposed. That mandated policy requires the city to open a cold-weather shelter when the forecast is for the temperature, including the wind chill factor, to be at 40 degrees or below. In the past, the city’s overflow winter shelter did not serve food. CCC began operations Monday at the motel and announced that those seeking shelter no longer have to pre-register or arrive by a certain time. People are being told if they show up, they will have a place to sleep even if is after 9 p.m. The nonprofit also has counselors to interview willing people about their housing options, including long-term shelters or rehousing. Twelve other nonprofits in the Richmond area operate shelters or provide housing services to those who have no place to live, according to the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care. The Quality Inn will continue to be used until CCC completes the renovation of its Housing Resource Center, 809 Oliver Hill Way in Shockoe Valley. Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration, with City Council approval, steered $1.8 million in federal funds to CCC to enable the organization to develop a 75-bed space for use as a year-round shelter.
Heytens confirmed for seat on 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Free Press staff report
The lawyer who won the legal battle to bring down the giant state-owned statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue is on his way to the federal bench. Toby J. Heytens, Virginia’s solicitor general, secured U.S. Senate confirmation Monday to become a judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court Mr. Heytens of Appeals, which is based in Richmond. Nominated by President Biden on the recommendation of Virginia’s U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, Mr. Heytens will fill a vacancy on the 15-member court that was created when Judge Barbara M. Keenan took senior status in August. As the state’s solicitor general, Mr. Heytens successfully led the 14-month fight by the state Attorney General’s Office to uphold Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s authority to remove the Lee statue, which many considered the largest symbol of white supremacy in Virginia. The statue came down after the state Supreme Court agreed with Mr. Heytens’ arguments that a handful of property owners who opposed the statue’s removal could not prevent the state from taking it down. The statue, which had stood for 131 years, no longer expressed state views, Mr. Heytens argued. Mr. Heytens served as solicitor general for three years, handling cases and appeals to the state’s highest court. He resigned recently and returned to the faculty of the University of Virginia School of Law as he awaited the U.S. Senate’s decision on the court appointment.
City Council poised to maintain current real estate tax rate By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Richmond City Council is poised to reject any cut in the real estate tax rate in the face of soaring property values that have boosted the amount property owners must pay. The decision to essentially raise the tax on property owners as a result of increased valuations is expected to become a done deal at the council’s next meeting on Monday, Nov.8, amid projections from City Assessor Richie McKeithen that the value of city real estate will continue to skyrocket and double within 10 years. His projections suggest Richmond property values could hit a historic $63 billion by 2032, up from the latest re-evaluation for the 2021-22 tax year that pegged the total value of property for tax purposes at $31.7 billion. The latest value is $3.7 billion higher, or an increase of 13 percent increase, than the 2020-21 assessed value. In part, the decision is being fueled by City Council’s concern to have sufficient money for various needs, most notably to cover the cost of overhauling and increasing the pay of firefighters and police officers, who now are among the lowest paid in the Richmond region. The projected cost: More than $12 million a year. Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration is strongly backing maintaining the current real estate tax rate of $1.20 per $100 of assessed value. The administration asserts it needs every penny of real estate tax – one of the most significant revenue sources for the city—to maintain a balanced budget and also to address unmet city needs. The push to prevent any erosion is the tax rate is being made despite the unexpected influx of $200 million in federal pandemic relief funding and a projected $22.3 surplus from the 2020-21 fiscal year. The stage was set for keeping the current rate at the Oct. 28 meeting of City Council’s Finance and Economic Development Committee led by Councilman Michael J. Jones, 9th District. The committee, which includes Councilwomen Kristen N. Larson, 4th District, and Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District, approved
a recommendation to the full council to kill a proposal from Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, 8th District, to cut the tax rate. The action by the committee virtually ensures the measure to maintain the current rate will be on the consent agenda for noncontroversial items that have close to unanimous support. During the committee meeting, Lincoln Saunders, the city’s chief administrative officer, noted the current budget was built on the $1.20 tax rate and pointed to a projection from the city’s Budget Department that the city would need to shave nearly $20 million from spending plans in the current 2021-22 budget to maintain a balanced budget. Ms. Trammell has argued that the current rate is becoming unaffordable to many lower-income homDr. Jones eowners and proposed that the council roll back the rate to $1.135 per $100 of value. That $1.1135 rate, she stated, would ensure the city would receive about the same amount of real property tax that had been included in the 2021-22 budget, while also giving owners some relief and moving the city closer to the significantly lower property tax rates in neighboring Henrico and Chesterfield counties. On a $100,000 home, Ms. Trammell’s proposal would have reduced the tax payment from $1,200 this year to $1,135, a $65 dollar savings. The council needs to vote at its single meeting in November to set the rate so the city’s Finance Department can generate the bills for property owners who must pay the first half by the mid-January deadline. Ms. Trammell did not attend the Oct. 28 committee meeting to defend the reduction, but her proposal set off alarm bells in Mayor Stoney’s administration. The $1.20 rate has been in place since 2007. At the time, it represented a 13-cent reduction from the previous rate of $1.33 per $100 and dropped the city’s tax rate
to its lowest level since property taxes first began being collected around 1870 to support the new state-mandated public school system and the development of school buildings. Absent City Council action to set a higher rate, the city’s property tax rate would automatically roll back to $1.071 per $100 based on the most recent increase in property values. The rollback rate set by the state is designed to provide the city with a 1 percent increase in income from the tax compared with the previous year. In response to Ms. Trammell’s proposal, Jason P. May, city director of budget and strategic planning, expressed the administration’s view in a memo to the committee. While such a reduction might not “create any immediate financial hardships or difficult budget decision,” he stated, he noted the lower rate would reduce property tax collections and reduce the city’s ability to meet immediate needs. For example, Mr. May cited the $289 million total price tag for addressing the long-deferred maintenance of the city’s 80 buildings, including planning, design and construction. Mr. May noted that in the 10-year period between 2019 and 2029, the city has budgeted only $20.5 million to deal with deferred maintenance, with another $23 million in the following 10 years. That proposed total of $43.5 million over 20 years is only a small fraction of the need, and is separate from the cost of replacing worn-out school buildings. Mr. May also cited a projected cost of $142 million to replace aging vehicles in the city fleet and the $105 million needed to maintain bridges in the city. He also cited a need for the city to spend a projected $60 million over five years to adjust public safety salaries and invest $265 million to shore up the city’s retirement system and health insurance program as well as its self-insured fund. “The proposed rate decrease will reduce the city’s projected property tax revenues by $70.8 million over the next three years and $304 million over the next 10 years,” Mr. May wrote.
Appointments available for COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 Thousands of area youngsters are now eligible to be inoculated against COVID-19 after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the green light for youngsters ages 5 to 11 to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Those ages 12 and older already have been cleared to receive the vaccine. Richmond and Henrico health district officials said the smaller dose for 5- to 11-year-olds is available now at pharmacies, pediatricians’ offices and at the Community Vaccination Center and area health hubs. Appointments are required for young-
sters, officials stated. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, or an adult age 18 or older who can verbally confirm the parent’s permission has been given for the child to be vaccinated. The Richmond Raceway at 600 E. Laburnum Ave. will be open 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 6, as a Community Vaccination Center. The operation then will move Monday, Nov. 8, to the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center, 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. in Richmond by The Diamond baseball stadium. The Ashe Center clinic will be open 10 a.m. to 7:30
p.m. Monday through Saturday. Area vaccination hubs are open 3 to 6 p.m. every Tuesday at Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd.; 1 to 4:30 p.m. every Wednesday at the Eastern Henrico Recreation Center, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave.; 1 to 4:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Richmond Health District Cary Street Clinic, 400 E. Cary St.; and 9 a.m. to noon every Friday at the Henrico West Health Department Clinic, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive. Appointments may be made online at vax. rchd.com or by calling (804) 205-3501.
Correction Dr. Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn has been director of the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University for 14 years. An article about the institute published in the Oct. 28-30 edition contained incorrect information about the length of her tenure at the helm. The Free Press regrets the error.
Welcome to the garden
Photos by Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
Expert gardener Duron Chavis, above, welcomes visitors to the official opening of the Sankofa Community Orchard last Saturday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the city-owned site at 309 Covington Road in South Side. Two acres of green space that previously wasn’t used has been turned into a lush garden with more than 80 fruit trees, colorful murals by local artists, benches for meditation, open spaces for yoga and gatherings and a covered outdoor kitchen. Participants wandered through the garden and learned more about the products, services and programming planned for the site. Mr. Duron, the lead volunteer on the project, said fresh fruit grown at the orchard will be available free to everyone. The project is designed to boost healthy living and eating while offering more park space in South Side.
Richmond Free Press
November 4-6, 2021 A3
The Burying Ground Memorialization Committee at the University of Richmond
seeks to connect with ancestral families with ties to enslavement on the land where UR now sits.
DESCENDANT COMMUNITY CONSULTANT and committee member, Mrs. Brenda Dabney Nichols,
a dedicated public historian and descendant, has identified and spoken with several members of the following families connected to the history of this land:
Bradford Burleigh/Burley Burrell Carter
Fleming/Parrish Holmes/Homes Leecost/Lecost/Le cost Lewis
Overton Pryor/Prior Warden/Worden
Descendant advice is critical in shaping the design for the permanent memorial UR will install to honor the enslaved burying ground. Those with ancestral ties to these families are invited to please join us.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: Meet and greet and design conversation
hosted by Mrs. Nichols and the Committee Saturday, November 13, Noon–3 p.m., Registration onsite Pilgrim Journey Church 7204 Bethlehem Road in western Henrico
Design conversations for descendants and UR
• Friday, November 12, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., via Zoom • Tuesday, November 16, 9–10:30 a.m., via Zoom • Wednesday, November 17, 6:30–8 p.m., University of Richmond campus Register at equity.richmond.edu/inclusive-history/next-steps For more information on the research visit: equity.richmond.edu/inclusive-history/report
Richmond Free Press
A4 November 4-6, 2021
News
Dems defeated Continued from A1
first woman and first woman of color to do so—and Republican Delegate Jason S. Miyares, a Cuban American, won attorney general. He bested Mark R. Herring, who has held the attorney general’s post for eight years and hoped secure a third term. Unofficial results indicate more than 3.2 million votes were cast on Election Day and in early voting. That is 500,000 more than in the last gubernatorial election in 2017, and about 1.3 million votes less than were cast in Virginia in the 2020 presidential contest. Mr. Youngkin captured 1.65 million votes, or slightly more than 50 percent, according to preliminary results that show him with a 79,000-vote lead over Mr.
McAuliffe, who also set a record with 1.57 million votes. Mr. McAuliffe received 500,000 more votes than in 2013, when he won the governorship. It also beat the record 1.4 million votes current Democratic Gov. Ralph S. Northam received in 2017. Liberation Party candidate Princess L. Blanding received only about 22,500 votes that were too few to affect Tuesday’s result. Delegate Hala S. Ayala, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, and Attorney General Herring both set records for their vote totals as well in their second-place finishes. Both Mr. McAuliffe and Mr. Youngkin raised nearly $60 million apiece, setting a record for spending in a governor’s race, with Mr. Youngkin providing
Free COVID-19 vaccines Continued from A1
at https://bit.ly/RHHDCOVID. Testing will be offered while test supplies last. COVID-19 testing also is available at various drug stores, clinics and urgent care centers throughout the area for people with and without health insurance. Several offer tests with no out-of-pocket costs. A list of area COVID-19 testing sites is online at https://www.vdh. virginia.gov/richmond-city/richmond-and-henrico-area-covid-19testing-sites/ 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 walkup COVID-19 vaccines at the following locations: • Through Saturday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Community Vaccination Center, Richmond Raceway, 600 E. Laburnum Ave., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Mondays through Saturdays beginning Monday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Community Vaccination Center, Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center, 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Thursday, Nov. 4, 1 to 4:30 p.m. – Richmond Health District Cary Street Clinic, 400 E. Cary St., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Friday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to noon – Henrico West Health Department Clinic, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Saturday, Nov. 6, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – We Care Health Equity Fall Festival 2021, Fairhills Apartments, 1329 Coalter St., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Tuesday, Nov. 9, 3 to 6 p.m. – Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Wednesday, Nov. 10, 1 to 4:30 p.m. – Eastern Henrico Recreation Center, 1440 N. Laburnum Ave., Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. • Friday, Nov. 12, 9 a.m. to noon – Henrico West Health Department Clinic, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Children ages 5 to 17 may only receive the Pfizer vaccine. Appointments are required. Appointments also are required for booster shots. Appointments may be scheduled online at 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. The Chesterfield County Health District is offering vaccines and booster shots at the following location: • Community Vaccination Center, Rockwood Shopping Center (in the former Big Lots store), 10161 Hull Street Road, Midlothian. The center is open 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged by going to www.vaccines.gov or call (877) VAX-IN-VA. Those who are getting a booster shot should bring their vaccine card to confirm date and type of vaccine received. The Virginia Department of Health reported on Wednesday 1,435 new positive cases of COVID-19 around the state during a 24-hour period, bringing the cumulative total to 930,679 cases statewide. There have been a total of 38,966 hospitalizations and 14,052 deaths. The state’s seven-day positivity rate was 5.5 percent. Last week, it was 5.9 percent. Among the state’s population of children under age 12 who were not able to be vaccinated until this week, roughly 170,000 cases, 1,180 hospitalizations and 16 deaths have been reported since the pandemic began. On Wednesday, state health officials reported that 63 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, while 70.2 percent of the people have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Roughly 622,855 people have received booster shots or third doses of the vaccine. State data also show that African-Americans comprised 22.5 percent of cases statewide and 24.8 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 13.9 percent of cases and 5.9 percent of deaths. As of Wednesday, Richmond reported a total of 24,119 positive cases, 945 hospitalizations and 354 deaths; Henrico County, 34,610 cases, 1,257 hospitalizations and 718 deaths; Chesterfield County, 39,897 cases, 1,176 hospitalizations and 552 deaths; and Hanover County, 11,879 cases, 366 hospitalizations and 196 deaths.
$20 million to his campaign. Though stinging, the Republican victory represented the restoration of a familiar four-decade pattern in this state—the election of a governor from the opposite party of the sitting president. Mr. McAuliffe’s 2013 victory after President Barack Obama’s reelection was the only break. Based on a survey, the AP found that men, rural and small town voters and white evangelicals were squarely with Mr. Youngkin, while Mr. McAuliffe was the choice for Black voters, moderates, college graduates and voters under age 45. A wealthy former co-chief executive of the Carlyle Group investment firm, Mr. Youngkin promised to get to work quickly, saying he would “work in real people’s time, not government time.” The Virginia vote was widely regarded as an early referendum on Joe Biden’s presidency, and along with results from New Jersey, where Republicans also
were doing well, sent shockwaves through Democratic ranks ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Mr. McAuliffe, who easily beat four opponents in a June primary to become the Democratic standard bearer, appeared to hold a 15-percentage point lead over Mr. Youngkin when the contest began, according to early polls. But that lead began to shrink, and as the election loomed, most analysts suggested that trends favored Mr. Youngkin and Republicans. Republican internal polls by late September were suggesting their candidates could sweep. Mr. McAuliffe, at the time, said he expected the race to be close, but still expected to pull it out as he had in his first run for Virginia’s chief executive. What is clear is that Mr. McAuliffe’s campaign of trying to tie Mr. Youngkin to Mr. Trump did not work well enough and did not turn off
Youngkin voters. Democratic achievements in expanding voting rights, legalizing marijuana and abolishing the death penalty got far less attention, although Mr. McAuliffe repeatedly warned that the state government’s ability to safeguard abortion and the expansion of voting rights could be at risk in a Youngkin administration. Unlike Mr. McAuliffe, who had major Democratic figures such as former President Obama campaign with him in the state, Mr. Youngkin largely campaigned alone, portraying himself as a Virginian and promising tax cuts and a better economy. “I’m not a politician. I’m a homegrown Virginian, and I’ve spent the last 30 years raising my family, serving in our church, building business and creating jobs,” he stated on his website. “I’m guided by my faith, my values and unshakeable belief that Virginia should be the best.”
During the campaign, he was successful in tapping into conservative parental resentment against public school systems as he promised to ban teaching of critical race theory, which isn’t taught in schools. “From the farms of the Shenandoah Valley to the docks and shipyards of Hampton Roads to the coalfields in Southwest Virginia, from the banks of the James River to the memorials in Arlington National Cemetery, this is our Virginia to build together,” Mr. Youngkin said. Mr. McAuliffe could not immediately reach Mr. Youngkin, but left a voicemail concession, his campaign later said. Despite being held at armslength, Mr. Trump sought to take credit. In a statement, he noted that his supporters turned out in force, adding, “Without you, (Mr. Youngkin) would not have been close to winning. The MAGA movement is bigger and stronger than ever before.”
Casino referendum fails in close no vote Continued from A1
“will not grow our city’s economy, but instead will rob working people of their livelihood. For the casino to succeed, Richmond residents will need to lose the bulk of $300 million a year. Casinos will not be our salvation.” Alfred C. Liggins III, president and CEO of Urban One, said he and his mother, Cathy Hughes, the company’s chair, “accept the will of the Richmond residents.” Describing himself as “extremely disappointed,” he called the casino project’s defeat a “huge, missed opportunity for Richmond residents to have a tourist attraction that would have provided the financial resources to improve schools and roads as well as enrich the lives of its citizens.” He said Urban One “has been a part of the fabric of Richmond for the last 22 years, and we will continue our tradition of serving the community.” The media giant has 63 radio stations, including five in Richmond. During the campaign, Mr. Liggins touted the project’s benefits, including the creation of 1,500 jobs paying an average of $55,000 apiece and the $500 million in new revenue the city would gain in the first10 years. He has indicated that he might ask the General Assembly to allow a nearby locality to Richmond to
consider a casino. Richmond is the only city to reject a casino among the five localities selected by the General Assembly to have a casino. In November 2020, voters in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Danville and Bristol overwhelmingly backed plans for gambling resorts in their communities. The vote was huge disappointment for Mayor Levar M. Stoney and his administration that had strongly backed the proposal as a win for the city. The project also had the support of at least eight of the nine members of City Council. According to the state Department of Elections’ unofficial results, Urban One and its partners who had pumped more than $2 into its campaign took an early lead, with majority support from those who had voted early by mail and in person. The casino also won outright majorities in the city’s 8th District where it was to be located, as well as in the 6th and 9th districts and appeared to have narrowly won the 7th Districts, where four of the seven precincts provided majority support. The project lost after no voters piled up huge margins in much of the city west of U.S. 1. Rejection voters swept the 10 precincts in the 1st District and the eight precincts in the 2nd District; claimed seven of the eight precincts in the 4th District
and captured five of the seven precincts in the 5th District. The 3rd District’s 10 precincts split 5-5. “From the beginning, we said the people would decide,” Mayor Stoney stated after the vote. “They have spoken, and we must respect their decision. Heading into the election, the casino forces appeared to have the upper hand. Three weeks before the vote, a poll commissioned by opponents indicated that 60 percent of voters were likely to support the development. With support from former grocer and banker James Ukrop and his own resources, Mr. Goldman said he pushed to create ads for social media, particularly YouTube, featuring statements from a diverse group of residents, ranging from Viola O. Baskerville, a former state secretary of administration former member of the House of Delegates; to activists Chelsea Higgs Wise and Allan-Charles Chipman, School Board member Kenya Gibson and former City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto. He said the ads, which were posted just a few days before the vote, garnered more than 2 million views and appeared to reach people who are wedded to their cellphones and ignore traditional TV, radio and direct mail ads, which were heavily relied on by the casino campaign.
Officer balances helping kids with gospel career Continued from A1
Creighton Court area, for staying on him and keeping him out of trouble. “Without them, I could easily have gone in a whole different direction,” he said. Mr. Mayo joined the Richmond Police Department soon after high school with a goal to become a school resource officer so he could help young people facing the same challenges and temptations he did. After a nearly three-year stint as a patrol officer and detective, he achieved his goal, and he said he remains committed. “I love what I do,” he said. Music has been equally important. Mr. Mayo said he started singing at Thirty-first Street Baptist Church when he was 9, but his love of music took off when he was a student at Armstrong High School. He said his music teacher, Dr. Carmen Ward, allowed him to learn to play the piano. Teachers remember him skipping class and finding him holed up in the choir room singing and playing. Dr. Ward also created a singing group for him and several other young men to compete in a talent show. He said the group became friends and kept singing. “We were pretty full of ourselves,”
he said. “We called our group ‘Charm,’ which stood for cool, handsome, attractive, romantic men.” During high school, he said the group was popular and appeared at a variety of school events. After high school, he said the group got more involved with church and singing gospel and took on a new name, “Changed.” The quintet of tenors, which included himself, Shawn Heckstall, Damion James, Marcellus Corbin and Antwon Fuller, also gained popularity, he said. Though part time, the group was regularly booked at churches and a host of other events in Virginia and other states. They also opened shows for touring artists, such as Shirley Caesar, Bishop Rance Allen and John P. Kee, he said. But after more than 15 years, he walked away, fed up, he said, with what he saw as the institutional hypocrisy he found in organized religion. He even gave up attending church, preferring to worship on his own. He said he was drawn back after meeting a minister-police officer, Anthony Franklin, founder and leader of the small nondenominational Truth Ministries, which operates from rented space in the 4700 block of West Broad Street. Mr. Mayo said he started by playing
for services and then became wholly committed after a few weeks. He said Rev. Franklin later ordained and licensed him to preach. And Mr. Mayo found an outlet on YouTube where he could share his singing gift with others. The sudden growth of his music career means that something might have to give, said Mr. Mayo, who, with his wife, is raising a blended family of three children. Now under the management of Baron L. Sorrell Jr., founder, president and chief executive officer of the Richmond-based God’s Glory Music Group Inc., Mr. Mayo is assured of having his travel and housing expenses covered and of receiving a fee for his appearances. To keep up, though, he said he has had to use up the vacation and leave time that he has accumulated as a city employee. At this point, he has been able to maintain both roles and is hoping that he will be able to serve as a police officer until he can secure his pension, now about eight years off. But if his single takes off and the success continues with additional recordings, then who knows, he said. For now, he said he is enjoying the best of both worlds.
Former Republican Governor A. Linwood Holton succumbs at 98 Continued from A1
opportunity to be hired for state positions. He is credited with launching the Governor’s School initiative to boost opportunities for talented and gifted students, creating a network of community mental health services and helping to get environmental regulation off the ground. Known as a down-to-earth, straight shooter who kept his promises, Mr. Holton was lauded for his efforts to bring reform to the state, particularly in race relations. He is being remembered following his death on Thursday, Oct. 28, at his residence in Kilmarnock in the Northern Neck. He was 98. In a joint statement, his four children focused on his role in matters regarding race, noting that “he walked (and bused) us to integrated public schools to show the world the way of justice. “When others balked at tearing down the barriers to employment and opportunities, dad led the charge in hiring a staff that represented all Virginians.” Born in Big Stone Gap in Southwest Virginia where his father ran a coal-hauling railroad, Gov. Holton served as a submarine captain in the Navy during World War II, and continued his service in the Navy Reserve for two decades later while practicing law in Roanoke.
At a time when segregationist Democrats held sway and the Republican Party was so small it could, as one analyst put it, “fit into a telephone booth,” he gained attention for his work in rebuilding the opposition party to battle the political machine of Democratic Sen. Harry F. Byrd Sr. By 1965, Gov. Holton, then 42, was known well enough to secure the GOP nomination for governor, earning name recognition statewide. He lost the race, however, to Democrat Mills E. Godwin Jr., a key lieutenant of Sen. Byrd. Four years later in 1969, Gov. Holton was back. And with support from the Richmond Crusade for Voters and newly empowered Black voters, he won an outright majority in Virginia to defeat Democrat William C. Battle, the son of a former governor, and two independent candidates for governor. He was the first Republican elected to the state’s top post in 83 years, breaking a string of 21 straight Democratic governors that dated to 1886. While Sen. Byrd’s political organization had collapsed after his death in 1966, Gov. Holton’s victory was regarded as clear evidence that the machine would no longer dictate policy. In their joint condolence statement, state Senate Republican Leader Thomas K. Norment of James City County and Senate Republican
Caucus Chair Ryan T. McDougle of Hanover County described Gov. Holton’s win as placing Virginia “at the leading edge of its southern neighbors” in two-party politics. “It’s a long way from Big Stone Gap to the Governor’s Mansion, but (he) made that improbable journey and Virginia is the better for it,” they wrote. Although he remained influential in Republican politics, Gov. Holton’s elective career ended after his four years as governor. After serving a year in Washington as an assistant secretary of state for congressional relations, he returned to Richmond to practice law. He joined Thomas W. McCandlish in founding a business-focused law firm that still bears both their names, McCandlish Holton. The firm took on several major civil rights cases, most notably after Gov. Holton’s son-in-law, Tim Kaine, a former Virginia governor and current U.S. senator, joined the firm. While he supported Republican moderates, such as the late former U.S. Sen. John W. Warner, Gov. Holton found himself increasingly at odds with Republican Party leaders over their growing right-wing views. He supported a series of Democrats for statewide office, including Sen. Kaine, and former President Obama. Sen. Kaine described Gov. Holton as “more
than a father-in-law. He was my friend and my public service role model. His courageous efforts to end racial discrimination in Virginia, born out of a deep religious conviction about the equality of all God’s children, made him a moral pillar for so many.” Gov. Ralph S. Northam ordered state flags lowered to half-staff until sunset Saturday, Nov. 27, and extolled his predecessor in a statement that noted Gov. Holton showed the state “how to embrace the future.” Survivors include Gov. Holton’s wife of 68 years, Virginia “Jinks” Holton, a former CIA intelligence analyst whom he married in January 1953. He also is survived by his four children, who have had their own substantial careers. Three became lawyers, including Sen. Kaine’s wife, Anne B. Holton, a former Richmond judge, former Virginia secretary of education and former interim president of George Mason University, where she continues on the faculty; Abner L. “Woody” Holton III, the author of three books; Dwight Holton, a former interim attorney general in Oregon; and Dr. Tayloe H. Lufton, who practices family and internal medicine in New York. Gov. Holton also is survived by 10 grandchildren.
Richmond Free Press
November 4-6, 2021 A5
Election Coverage
Sears makes history with election as lieutenant governor By Chip Lauterbach
Republican Winsome E. Sears will play a critically important role in the next four years at Virginia’s lieutenant governor. The former Marine who served one term in the Virginia House of Delegates is the first woman and first woman of color elected to the state’s second highest office. In that role, she will be next in line to run the state should the governor die or become incapacitated. She also will preside over the state Senate, a 40-member body that remains in Democratic control with a 21-19 split between Democrats and Republicans. Following Tuesday’s GOP sweep of the state’s top offices and the House of Delegates, Democrats view the state Senate as the last bastion of protection against highly conservative Republican measures on highly controversial issues, including abortion rights, that are likely to come before the body beginning with January’s General Assembly session. However, if just a single Democrat breaks rank to join the Republicans in a vote, the newly elected GOP lieutenant governor would cast the powerful tie-breaking vote. Virginia’s current lieutenant governor, Democrat Justin E. Fairfax, used that power more than 50 times, including casting the tie-breaking
Andrew Harnik/Associated Press
Lt. Gov.-elect Winsome E. Sears and her family watch Glenn A. Youngkin deliver his victory speech at the Republican election party in Chantilly.
vote to expand Medicaid in Virginia, increase the state’s minimum wage, legalize marijuana and marriage equality. Ms. Sears, a 57-year-old businesswoman who came to the United States at age 6 with her family from Jamaica,
campaigned on a conservative platform of supporting gun rights, which earned her an endorsement from the National Rifle Association; opposing abortion; backing vouchers for school choice and creation of charter schools; and protecting Virginia’s controversial
“right to work” laws, while opposing unionization. Her message won over a majority of voters. According to the state Department of Elections’ unofficial returns, Ms. Sears won 50.99 percent of the votes, or 1.65 million votes, to
defeat Democratic Delegate Hala S. Ayala, who received 48.9 percent of the vote, or 1.58 million votes. Delegate Ayala, a former cybersecurity specialist with the U.S. Coast Guard who identifies as an AfroLatina, used her own background as a former single mother struggling to make ends meet in a minimum wage job as a gas station cashier to push a platform of broader access to health care, women’s rights an gun safety. In a concession statement, Delegate Ayala congratulated Ms. Sears “on making history and paving the way for future women leaders who look like us.” “We may not be able to claim victory today,” she said, “but we know that the results of this election are simply a minor setback in our larger fight for progress.” In a victory statement on Wednesday, Ms. Sears said, the work of the state is too important to be stopped by divisions. “There are some who want to divide, but we must not let that happen,” Ms. Sears said. “What we are going to do now is be about the business of the Commonwealth. We have things to tend to. We are going to fully fund our historically Black colleges and universities. We’re going to have safer neighborhoods, safer communities and our children are going to get a good education.”
Miyares claims victory as first Latino attorney general in state history By Chip Lauterbach
In a close race, Republican Delegate Jason S. Miyares has ended Democrat Mark R. Herring’s eight-year tenure as Virginia’s attorney general, completing the GOP sweep of the top offices in the Commonwealth for the first time since 2009. Mr. Miyares, a Virginia Beach attorney who will become the first Latino attorney general in Virginia history, won a narrow victory with 50.3 percent of the vote, or 1.64 million votes, to Mr. Herring’s 49.2 percent of the vote, or 1.60 million, according to unofficial results posted by the state Department of Elections. “Virginia has spoken. We want safe streets, we want our police to be well trained and supported in the community and we want the rule of law respected. I intend on delivering on my campaign promises,” he said. Born in Greensboro, N.C., Mr. Miyares is the son of Cuban immigrants. He got his first taste of Virginia politics working
on the 2000 U.S. Senate campaign of George Allen. He has a bachelor’s in business administration from James Madison University, a law degree from the College of William and Mary Law School and later served as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Virginia Beach. “Fifty-six years ago, my mother fled Cuba with nothing but a dream, Mr. Miyares a dream for a better life for her family,” he said in a victory statement Wednesday. “Now I stand here today elected to be the attorney general of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the first-ever son of an immigrant and the first Latino ever to be elected statewide in the Commonwealth’s history. I’m humbled and honored this election is proof that the American dream is alive and well.”
His election signals a likely sea-change in the Office of the Attorney General, which, under Mr. Herring, has taken progressive stances on legal issues before the state and was on the front line in defending same-sex marriage, opposing white supremacist symbols on Monument Avenue and supporting limits on gun sales. Mr. Miyares is the polar opposite, and went after Mr. Herring during the campaign for vocalizing his support for the defund the police movement. In the General Assembly, Mr. Miyares has been pro-life, voted against legislation to abolish the death penalty in Virginia, opposed Medicaid expansion and voted against an increase in the state’s minimum wage. During the campaign, he ran on a platform of keeping Virginians safe by placing priority on supporting law enforcement. In a statement Wednesday after, Mr. Herring said he called Mr. Miyares to congratulate him and assure him that he and his team will help facilitate a smooth transition.
Republicans flip seven House seats, winning chamber control By Jeremy M. Lazarus
The red tide on Election Night washed away Democratic control of the House of Delegates after a brief two years of progressive reform. Republicans appear to have flipped seven House seats, including four currently held by members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus – Delegates Lashrecse D. Aird of Petersburg, Alex Q. Askew of Virginia Beach, Joshua G. Cole of Fredericksburg and Roslyn C. Tyler of Sussex County. Though results are still unofficial, the tallies appear to show that Republicans will hold 52 seats to 48 for Democrats when the next General Assembly session convenes in January. Analysts already are predicting that GOP control will dim prospects for further increases in the minimum wage and additional police reforms while opening the door to Texas-style proposals to limit abortion and tax rebates. If the results are confirmed, Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn, the first woman to serve as speaker, the highest post in the chamber, will return to being a regular member. She was chosen Speaker of the House when Democrats gained their first majority of 55 seats in 2019 after nearly two decades of Republican rule in the House of Delegates. Democrats still will hold a narrow 21-19 margin in the state Senate, but the margin is razor thin. Democrats also no longer will have a lieutenant governor to cast a tie-breaking vote in their favor, with Republican Winsome E. Sears poised to replace current Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax, a Democrat, as presiding officer. Ninety-one of the 100 House seats were
Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
The statewide Democratic ticket, from left, incumbent Attorney General Mark R. Herring; Delegate Hala S. Ayala, lieutenant governor candidate; and former Gov. Terry R. McAuliffe, seeking a second term, stumped together one last time Monday afternoon at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond’s North Side.
contested during this election. However, Republicans did not lose a single one of the 45 seats they already held, a contrast with Democratic losses. The Richmond area was generally a bright spot for Democrats. Voters awarded new terms to the Richmond area House contingent of Delegates Dawn M. Adams, Betsy B. Carr, Delores L. McQuinn,
Jeffrey M. Bourne and Lamont Bagby. Two Henrico Democratic delegates, Schuyler T. VanValkenberg and Rodney T. Willett, who were GOP targets, also beat back well-funded Republican opponents. Another bright spot for Democrats was the election of 26-year-old Nadarius E. Clark in the 79th House District. Mr. Clark, who had ousted a three-term white
incumbent in the Democratic primary, will make history as the youngest person to represent a House district and the first Black person to represent the 79th, which includes parts of Norfolk, Portsmouth and Chesapeake. But Democrats also suffered excruciatingly close losses. Delegate Tyler, 60, who had represented the sprawling 75th House District that extends from just below Petersburg to Emporia since 2006, won four of the localities in the district. But her GOP rival H. Otto Wachsmann Jr. appeared to prevail with a big win in Southampton County and victories in Sussex and Lunenburg counties. Delegate Aird, 35, who has served the 63rd House District since 2016, has not conceded as she waits for all votes to be counted, but her Republican rival, Kim A. Taylor, was leading by 741 votes in the unofficial results and claiming victory. Part of the class of 2019, Delegate Askew, 36, trailed his GOP opponent, Karen S. Greenhalgh, by 202 votes in unofficial results, according to results posted on the state Department of Elections website. Delegate Cole, 31, who had in 2019 flipped the seat in the Fredericksburg-Stafford County area held by a former Republican House Speaker William J. Howell, was losing to Republican Tara A. Durant by 696 votes, preliminary results show. The three other incumbent Democrats who appear to have been upset include Nancy D. Guy of Virginia Beach, Chris A. Hurst of the Blacksburg area and Martha M. Mugler of Hampton. Delegate Hurst had won in 2017, while the two women both won their first terms in 2019.
Election issues hamper voting in several places, but nothing major, officials said By George E. Copeland
Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
In an election marked by a huge turnout of more than 3.2 million voters, local election offices had their hands full Tuesday dealing with a variety of issues at the polls. Long lines emerged at several precincts in Chesterfield County, including at the Lifelong Learning Institute on Westfield Road in Midlothian, after the polling place ran out of ballots around 2:30 p.m. Election officials then opted to use an electronic voting machine typically employed for the disabled. A power outage also was reported at Spring Run Elementary School in Midlothian, but battery backups for voting machines and electronic poll books allowed voters to continue unimpeded, officials said.
An initial delay at Thirty-first Street Baptist Church in Richmond’s Church Hill led to the polling place opening 10 minutes behind schedule. In the early-morning darkness, there also were no signs guiding voters to the designated polling entrance. Instead, canvassers directed them to the entrance. A 10-minute delay also occurred at a precinct at Charles M. Johnson Elementary School on Bethlehem Road in Henrico County due to a medical emergency that needed to be resolved, state officials reported. And there were reports of jammed scanning machines, requiring technicians to be called in to fix the issue. By contrast, the election went smoothly throughout the rest of Metro Richmond.
Richmond Free Press
Brownie bites on South Side
Editorial Page
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November 4-6, 2021
True test comes the day after A wise person once said that the true measure of character is not what happens when you win, but what you do when you lose. For Virginia Democrats, the coming days and weeks will reveal their true mettle after Tuesday night’s stunning defeat of former Gov. Terry R. McAuliffe, Delegate Hala S. Ayala and Attorney General Mark R. Herring in the contest for the state’s top three offices and in races for a continued majority in the House of Delegates. The watershed gains of 2017 and 2019 that led to Democratic control of the governorship and the statehouse for the first time in more than 20 years are now water under the bridge. Virginians woke up Nov. 3 to find that Republican Glenn A. Youngkin, Winsome E. Sears and Delegate Jason S. Miyares will be the next governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, respectively, and that Republicans will hold a majority in the 100member House of Delegates. Make no mistake: When Mr. Youngkin, a Trump acolyte, took the stage shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday to declare victory and said, “We will change the trajectory of this Commonwealth and we will start that transformation on Day 1,” he was not kidding. We may not recognize Virginia in the next few years with a Republican governor who has pledged to start shifting public dollars to charter schools; eliminate any COVID-19 vaccination and mask mandates; block any teaching of America’s true racist history from the classroom, along with books by authors who make white children and their parents uncomfortable; protect police officers from prosecution; and dismantle abortion rights. Despite being a political neophyte, Mr. Youngkin had the skill to keep poisonous former President Trump physically out of Virginia, even as he capitalized on Mr. Trump’s many verbal endorsements and used racially tinged rhetoric to energize his base. The big questions now: What will Mr. Trump expect in return for his support? And what will Gov.-elect Youngkin be prepared to deliver? We shudder to think how that will play out. Certainly, this sudden political shift in Virginia has Democrats shaken and fearful. More than 1.3 million people who voted for Mr. McAuliffe are uncertain now about the future. The pundits, party echelon and commentators reinforce that apprehension by looking to tag who and what are responsible for such a miserable loss. We believe, however, that this is neither the time for blame nor tears. Rather, what is needed now is a clear-eyed and honest evaluation of how Democrats lost this election and a game plan for how to proceed. Whether it is litigation to protect voting rights, women’s rights and education from the coming GOP assaults, or isolation by the slim majority of Democrats who will still hold the power in the state Senate to block offensive pieces of legislation, we have got to be ready. This is a time to be strategic, to use the best minds and the best methods to prepare for what is coming and to take action defensively and offensively to keep Virginia moving—even slowly—in an inclusive, progressive and positive direction. This is where the real work begins, and the true people of character and leadership will rise to the top.
No dice We are disappointed that Richmond voters did not approve the referendum for a casino within the city. We believe Urban One and its leaders, Alfred C. Liggins III and Cathy Hughes, offered a solid plan and exciting vision with their proposed ONE Casino + Resort for Richmond’s South Side. Unfortunately, a majority of Richmond voters were not on board with the vision. And the effort to bring the privately funded development and jobs, along with financial benefit, to the city has been sidelined for now. We hope Mr. Liggins and Mrs. Hughes will not give up on Richmond. We believe a casino may be in the cards in the future. And although the campaign was an expensive one, we hope Urban One will regroup and renew their efforts for a casino project — and get the green light from voters in the months ahead.
Déjà vu for 2022? It was great to see former President Obama in Richmond campaigning with former governor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe on Oct. 23. He reminded me of a college pep rally cheerleader in some ways, encouraging people to get out and vote for Mr. McAuliffe and do it now since Virginia has early voting. The cheerleader description is not meant to be disparaging. Except for the gray hair he joked about, President Obama appeared youthful and energized as he moved around the stage, voice booming. He also seemed wise as he talked about what is at stake in Virginia, nothing less than our democracy. Virginia went blue in 2020, with President Biden carrying the state by 10 points. Since then, though, President Biden’s approval ratings have plummeted. If Democrats lose governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey on Nov. 2, that may bode ill for 2022 congressional elections. Democrats already hold a very narrow margin in the House of Representatives. Historical patterns suggest that the president’s
party is likely to lose seats in midterm elections. If Democrats lose more than four seats, they lose control of the House. The 2022 electoral outcomes hinge on turnout, which is why redistricting is a matter of extreme concern and why the voter suppression measures Republicans are introducing in state after state may influence electoral outcomes. Voter turnout will
Julianne Malveaux make the difference between whether Democrats can maintain majorities in the House and Senate, but Democratic enthusiasm, over the top in 2020, may be muted in 2022. President Biden made big promises during the 2020 campaign. Among other things, he told Black voters that he had our backs. What can activists tell Black voters in 2022? Will people who yearn for economic security, better jobs and voting rights be satisfied if all President Biden and his team can say is “We tried”? Republican intransigence and the rigidity of Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have resulted in alterations to President Biden’s ambitious Build Back Better legislation. The free community college proposal already has been withdrawn. Will voters
be left with enough to motivate them to vote in 2022? President Obama came into office in 2009 with lots of legislative ideas. He pushed the Affordable Care Act hard and it passed, expanding health care opportunities for tens of millions of our citizens. But he advocated for that legislation during a recession when many people were more eager for jobs than for health care. The two go together, but jobs are a priority in the middle of a recession. The result? Flawed Republican messaging, combined with general electoral malaise, turned a Democratic Congress into a Republican one. President Obama spent the next two years fighting folks who promised to make him a one-term president. He got much less done than he might have, and Republicans set the stage by their opposition for the victory of the 45th president. That former president would love to make a comeback, and although Republicans know better, many are rallying around him. Will the 2022 elections set the stage for a recidivist comeback? Our nation seems hopelessly divided. Republicans are increasingly extremists and Democrats are both apathetic and estranged. Progressive Democrats have allowed the great to get in the way of the good, insisting on
GOP blocking this generation’s Voting Rights Act Across the country, Republican state legislators have been busy imposing new voting restrictions and devising corrupt redistricting schemes to give their party more power than they could win under a fair system. Republicans in the U.S. Senate protected that wrongdoing again in October by using filibuster rules to stop federal voting rights legislation from coming up for debate. This is political obstruction of justice, and President Biden and Senate Democrats must not allow it to stand. One day before Senate Republicans made it clear that they have no interest in protecting the right to vote or a healthy democracy, 25 religious and civil rights leaders and voting rights activists were arrested in front of the White House. Hundreds more joined us in solidarity as we marched, sang, prayed and demanded stronger leadership from President Biden. We know that President Biden is a supporter of voting rights. His stirring speech at the National Constitution Center called voting rights the test of our time and brought moral clarity to our cause. Now we need presidential action that matches the urgency of President Biden’s words and the urgency of our time. In the eight years since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the federal Voting Rights Act, doz-
ens of states have erected new barriers that target voters who are Black, brown, female and young. A flurry of new laws was introduced this year after record voter turnout contributed to the defeat of President Trump and the loss of Republican control in the Senate. The new wave of voter suppression is a direct response to
Ben Jealous last year’s expansive voter participation. These laws do more than undermine democracy. They defile it. Rather than celebrating efforts to broaden citizen participation, they seek to squelch it. Rather than expand the franchise, they seek to narrow it. The Freedom to Vote Act would reverse many of the new anti-voter laws. It would expand access to voting by mail and early voting, make voter registration automatic and make Election Day a federal holiday. Together, these measures will increase access to voting for working people, Black and brown voters, women and people with disabilities. The bill also will end abusive partisan redistricting and help stop billionaires from buying our elections. All 50 Senate Democrats support the Freedom to Vote Act, as does Vice President Kamala Harris, our nation’s first woman vice president, who is prepared to cast the 51st vote. But Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has demanded that his colleagues keep that vote from happening. They are preventing
the will of the people from being realized. With voter suppression and partisan redistricting threatening next year’s elections, we don’t have time to wait. The Freedom to Vote Act must become law now. President Biden must use all his personal influence and the power of his office to protect voting rights. He must publicly call on Senate Democrats not to let Republicans resort to the tactics of Jim Crow and succeed in blocking voting rights protections for our generation. Those of us who have gathered at the White House are keenly aware of the generations of activists who put their bodies on the line to secure and expand the right to vote, including suffragists who faced beatings for having the audacity to demand the right to vote for women, and activists who risked and sometimes gave their lives to protect Black Americans’ right to vote. And we know the essential role that presidential leadership has played in overcoming resistance to voting rights. This is a time for the “good trouble” that the great John Lewis called for at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. We will be back at the White House throughout the fall, in greater numbers, to demand that President Biden do what it takes to get voting rights legislation onto his desk and signed into law this year. The writer, a former national president and chief executive officer of the NAACP, serves as president of People for the American Way.
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things that have no possibility of passing in the Senate, tanking legislation before it is even introduced. Progressives aren’t entirely wrong to insist on a higher minimum wage, expanded health care, child tax credits and economic relief. Still, politics is the art of compromise. How do we compromise on our fundamental rights, like our voting rights? Bravo to President Biden for backing off his embrace of the filibuster, but have his comments—and not actions— been too little, too late? If the electorate is not motivated by these first months of the Biden administration, will they be inclined to vote in 2022? If they aren’t, we are dealing with 2010 déjà vu. And if that déjà vu returns the former grafter and morally bankrupt president to office, the entire nation will suffer. The writer is an economist, author and dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State University, Los Angeles.
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Richmond Free Press
November 4-6, 2021 A7
Commentary
Variety of scams targeting all people of color Just as the annual holiday season of shopping and celebrating nears, a major federal financial regulator released new research detailing how communities of color not only are targeted by well-known types of predatory lenders, but new forms of fraud seek to exploit consumers in the throes of the COVID19 pandemic. Published by the Fede r a l Tr a d e Commission, “Serving Communities of Color” summarizes the agency’s five-year effort focused on the financial ills imposed upon communities of color. Since 2016, the FTC filed more than 25 actions alleging conduct that either targeted or disproportionately impacted communities of color. Cases challenged unlawful practices by auto sellers, forprofit schools, money-making opportunities, student debt relief schemes and more. Beyond these financial transactions, the report also notes that many of the payment methods used by Black and Latino consumers provide fewer fraud protections, such as debit cards, cash and money orders. Although credit card payments afford greater consumer protections, very few complaints filed with FTC by people of color involved this type of payment. “What has become abundantly clear based on research and experience is that fraud, as well as certain other business practices, have a disproportionately negative impact on communities of color, as compared to White communities,” the report stated. “An examination of 23 FTC cases shows that predominantly Black communities are overrepresented in the pool of consumers who lost money.”
For example, in June, the FTC and the state of Arkansas jointly filed a lawsuit against a scam operation that explicitly appealed to Black applicants who were suffering financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit alleged that the “Blessings in No Time” program was in fact a pyramid scheme that falsely promised members
Charlene Crowell investment returns as high as 800 percent. The alleged scam’s minimum “investment” required $1,400, but some members paid as much as $67,700. The Texas-based defendants also falsely assured participants they wouldn’t lose money and could withdraw at any time with a full refund, according to the report. More recently, the FTC on Oct. 15 stopped a prison calling scheme that deceived family and friends of incarcerated individuals with marketing and advertising that promised unlimited minutes on call plans to keep in touch with loved ones while in-person visits were suspended due to COVID-19. Instead, no call time was ever provided. The defendants, inmatecall.com and inmatecallsolutions.com, posed as companies authorized to provide calling services to prisons and jails to bolster the credibility of their false claim. A federal court order now requires that all duped consumers be notified and bans the defendants from future activities. When these financial losses are combined with the effects of a national racial wealth gap that found Black people have only 22 cents for every dollar of wealth held by whites, it becomes disturbingly clear how deceptive and predatory lending significantly diminishes
the ability of Black consumers to effectively manage their financial lives. Just as redlining limited where Black people could live, today’s predatory lending, like fringe financial services, restricts the ability of Black communities to build wealth. For example, approximately twice as many consumers in predominantly Black communities, compared to that of white consumers, purchased student debt relief programs and payday loans. But the two top complaints filed by Black consumers with the FTC were credit bureaus (21 percent) and impersonator scams (12.5 percent). In 2020 alone, the FTC filed or resolved seven debt collection cases against 39 defendants and obtained $26 million in judgments for harmed consumers.
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The meeting will be held in a presentation style format with opportunities for the public to provide both verbal and written comments. This format allows VDOT to review the through truck restriction process, discuss schedule, and highlight current recommendations. Presentation 5:30-5:45 p.m. 6:30-6:45 p.m. Citizen Comments 5:45-6:15 p.m. 6:45-7:30 p.m. ** Two (2) minutes will be allotted for each citizen comment. Written comment sheets may also be submitted via mail no later than December 16, 2021. ** Review the through truck restriction studies and recommendation at VDOT’s Ashland Residency Office, located at 523 N. Washington Highway in Ashland, 23005, 804-585-3600, 1-800-367-7623 or TTY/TDD 711. Please call ahead to ensure the availability of appropriate personnel to answer your questions. You may also find the materials on the Hanover County public website (https://www.hanovercounty.gov), located under the “Wegmans Project Information” tab. Provide your written or oral comments at the meeting or submit them no later than December 16, 2021 to Phillip Frazer, Ashland Assistant Resident Engineer, Virginia Department of Transportation, 523 N. Washington Highway in Ashland, 23005. You may also email your comments to phillip.frazer@vdot.virginia.gov. Please reference “Through Truck Restrictions in Hanover” in the subject line. VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact the project manager listed above.
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the FTC has brought multiple enforcement actions against auto dealers for deceptive tactics that include advertised prices that were never available to prospective buyers, falsifying financial information in sales, false and/or misleading information and unfair practices. Identity theft was discovered in cases where scammers often gain credibility by posing as someone official. For example, one defendant marketed prepaid cards to Black and Latino customers, allegedly saying their cards were like Visa or MasterCard. Instead, consumers either could not use the cards or lost all the money they loaded onto them. For consumer advocates, these and other recent findings on financial abuses confronting consumers of color deserve even more aggressive enforce-
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Other types of predatory and deceptive lending include debt collection, bank lending and auto sales and financing. The agency also found evidence of fraud in health care, identity theft, as well as alleged jobs and money-making opportunities. For many consumers, car purchases and financing represent the second-largest consumer transaction after housing costs. Ample evidence of blatant discrimination against Black, Latino and Native American car buyers included false information on the applications and contracts and deceptive ads in Spanish. “Research indicates that consumers of color experience discrimination in the sale and financing of cars, and often pay higher prices as a result,” stated the report. During the past five years,
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ment, particularly at the federal level. “Never in United States history have Black and other families of color experienced a fair financial playing field,” Ashley Harrington of the Center for Responsible Lending testified before the House Financial Services Committee during the spring. “And the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated existing disparities,” she told the congressional committee. “In fact, in many cases, white families will have 5.5 times more savings than Black families to financially withstand the pandemic.” The evidence of financial abuses is ample. The nation needs a new reckoning to correct the wrongs. The writer is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending.
Richmond Free Press
A8 November 4-6, 2021
Sports
Stories by Fred Jeter
Courtesy of VUU Athletic Department
Virginia Union University quarterback Khalid Morris, left, gets coverage from the Panthers’ offensive line as he spots where to send the pass during last Saturday’s game against Elizabeth City State University.
James Haskins/Richmond Free Press
Virginia State University running back Darius Hagans jumps in for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter during last Saturday’s home game against Chowan University.
Game of the season: VUU Panthers take on VSU Trojans Saturday in long-standing rivalry Virginia Union and Virginia State universities open every season with the top goal of winning the CIAA championship. When that becomes unavailable, Coach beating each other emerges as the next best thing. In a rivalry dating to 1900, according to the VUU record book, the tug-of-war for area bragging rights resumes at 2 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 6, at Lanier Field at Hovey Stadium in Richmond. At stake will be a shot at second place—behind Bowie State University—in the CIAA Northern Division and, more importantly, pride. The VUU Panthers head into the finale with the power of momentum, having slammed Elizabeth City State University 44-14 in North Carolina last Saturday. The same can’t be said for the VSU Trojans, who are limping from last Saturday’s 38-30 home defeat to Chowan University. A few talking points ... In the beginning: Exploring deep in the VUU archives, it is learned that in 1900, Virginia State defeated Union 11-5 before about 200 fans on “The
Hill” in Ettrick. The two teams have been popping pads ever since. An exception was last year when the rivalry was put on hold because of the pandemic. L o o k i n g Barlow back: To finish the 2019 season, VSU defeated VUU 27-24 on an overtime field goal by Nick “The Kick” Woolfolk. The Panthers’ overtime possession ended in confusing disappointment. Everyone wasn’t on the same page and a futile fourth-down pass fell incomplete. Air raid: VUU signal caller Khalid Morris is back in the saddle after missing time with an injury. The graduate student from Thomas Dale High School was 14 for 27 for 298 yards and three touchdowns last Saturday at Elizabeth City State. He was never intercepted or sacked. Morris has the advantage of tossing to Charles Hall, the “Jersey Jet,” who ranks among the most dynamic receivers in the nation on any level. Hall led the NCAA Division II in yards per reception in 2019 and he hasn’t lost his touch. The junior had four catches for 131 yards against Chowan and is averaging 28 yards this season on 26 grabs. After trying out several quar-
VUU to retire jersey of the late William Dillon
William Dillon
William Dillon has not been forgotten at Virginia Union University. Mr. Dillon’s No. 42 jersey will be retired at halftime of the Panthers’football game this Saturday, Nov. 6, against Virginia State University at Hovey Stadium. Mr. Dillon died in 2017 at age 59. The Alpha Gamma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity will celebrate the special occasion with a VIP tent at the north
end of the stadium. A native of Detroit, “Dil,” as he was known to his legion of friends, was No. 42 for VUU on the gridiron from 1979 to 1982 under Coach Willard Bailey. Mr. Dillon was a three-time Associated Press Little All-American and two-time CIAA Defensive Player of the Year. He intercepted 30 passes as a Panther, including 16 during his sophomore season. Mr. Dillon’s individual stardom translated to team success. VUU was 36-8 during his four seasons and he helped the Panthers to their first four NCAA Division II berths. Mr. Dillon also was well known throughout the community as a prominent high school basketball official and star softball player.
terback candidates, VSU seems to have settled on Chauncey Caldwell, a junior transfer from North Carolina Central University. Caldwell was 14 for 28 for 213 yards Coach and two touchdowns last Saturday against Chowan, but was picked off twice and sacked three times. Slash ‘n’ Dash: Both squads showcase tailbacks with plenty of get-up-and-go. A freshman from New Jersey, 5-foot-7, 171-pound Jada Byers at VUU added 99 yards and three touchdowns to his tally in the win at Elizabeth City State. Byers has gone over 200 yards rushing in two games and ranks with the top freshmen ball carriers in all of HBCU football. It has been said that trying to get a grip on Byers is like trying to tackle the wind.
From Chesapeake’s Grassfield High School, VSU’s Darius Hagans is a threat carrying and receiving the pigskin. The 6-foot, 210-pound Hagans with power and Parker speed was dynamic against Chowan, rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown and snagging three passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Getting their kicks: The 2019 VUU-VSU game was decided by a kick and it could happen again. VSU’s Woolfolk, a brilliant all-round athlete out of Richmond’s Thomas Jefferson High, and VUU’s Brazilian born Jefferson Souza are three points waiting to happen. Woolfolk is 7-for-7 on field goals this season. Souza, a preseason All-American, is 4-for-8 but he has a “pro leg” by all accounts.
In conclusion: Both squads have been wildly inconsistent this season following the year layoff. VUU has a one-game winning streak, the home field advantage, a game-breaker extraordinaire in the “Jersey Jet” and a chance for a winning season.
On the Trojans’ side, VSU’s game against Bowie State was much closer than VUU’s and the team dreads a dreary ride home on Interstate 95 South from a stinging loss. Either way, the winner will party hearty while the loser can only moan, “Wait until next year.”
CIAA Northern Division standings Bowie State has clinched the CIAA Northern Division title. Fayetteville State University (6-0, 7-1) has won its fourth straight CIAA Southern Division crown and will finish the regular season at home Saturday, Nov. 6, against WinstonSalem State University. Bowie State and Fayetteville State will play for the CIAA Championship on Nov. 13 in Salem. CIAA Overall Bowie State University
6-0
8-1
Virginia Union University
4-2
5-4
Virginia State University
3-3
3-5
Elizabeth City State University
3-3
3-6
Chowan University
3-3
6-3
Lincoln University
1-5
1-8
VSU wins CIAA cross-country championship For the third time in the last four years, Virginia State University is the CIAA men’s cross-country champion. Under veteran Coach Wilbert Johnson, the Trojans prevailed Oct. 28 at the CIAA Championship at Green Hill Park in Salem. VSU’s Jalen Brownlee, a freshman from Tallahassee, Fla., finished third individually
in the 8K race over hill and dale. Elijah Johnson, a freshman from Brooklyn, N.Y., was fourth and Darrell Dyson, a sophomore from Manchester High School, was 10th. Bryce Jordan was 14th for VSU and Patrick Lewis, 16th. Shaw University’s Matthew Kiptum of
Kenya was first overall in 27:07. In team standings, VSU was followed by, in order, Bowie State University, Shaw University, Livingstone College, Virginia Union University, Fayetteville State University, Elizabeth City State University, Lincoln University and Johnson C. Smith University.
The 804 is representing in the NFL If Joe Burrow is the Cincinnati Bengals’ marquee leading man, then Quinton Spain should be high on the credits list of supporting athletes. From Petersburg High School where he starred in both football and basketball, Spain is now a starting offensive guard for the much-improved Bengals. The 6-foot-4, 330-pound Spain provided much of the protection for quarterback Burrow in its pecking-order-changing 41-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 24. Burrow, the former Heisman Trophy winner from Louisiana State University, was 23 for 38 for 416 yards and three touchdowns, and was sacked just once, thanks to Spain and the rest of the O-Line. Undrafted out of West Virginia, Spain played previously with the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills and went to Cincinnati last year to serve as one of Burrow’s onfield bodyguards. Spain is one of numerous home-grown Richmond/Tri-Cities standouts that football fans can follow each week in NFL action. Here’s at least a partial list of the 804’s “hometown heroes,” with high schools and colleges they attended. This list includes
only players who grew up in Richmond and the Tri-Cities areas. It’s a fluid list with rosters changing daily due to injuries and coaching decisions. Seattle SeaQuinton Spain hawks: Russell Wilson (Collegiate School; North Carolina State/ Wisconsin). Currently injured, but has been the Seahawks quarterback since 2012. Seattle Seahawks: Duane Brown (Hermitage High; Virginia Tech). Seahawks offensive tackle since 2017. Seattle Seahawks: Darrell Taylor (Hopewell High; Tennessee). Rookie linebacker. New York Jets: Morgan Moses (Meadowbrook High; Virginia). Offensive lineman since 2014. New York Jets: Mekhi Becton (Highland Springs High, Louisville). Second season offensive lineman. Dallas Cowboys: Maurice Canady (Varina High, Virginia). In first season as Cowboys’ cornerback.
Duane Brown
Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw (born in Petersburg; Virginia Tech). Vikings’ rookie offensive tackle. Philadelphia Eagles: Anthony Harris (L.C. Bird High; Virginia). Strong
safety. Philadelphia Eagles: K’Von Wallace (Highland Springs High, Clemson). Second season as Eagles’ free safety. Detroit Lions: Jalen Elliott (L.C. Bird High, Notre Dame). Second season safety. Cleveland Browns: Tim Harris (Varina High, Virginia). Cornerback. Tennessee Titans: Sharif Finch (Henrico High, Temple). Linebacker. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Wells (Hanover High, James Madison). Second year offensive lineman. Las Vegas Raiders: Clelin Ferrell (Benedictine, Clemson). Third season defensive end. Source: Pro Football Reference.com
November 4-6, 2021 B1
Richmond Free Press
Section
Happenings
B
At a time of reassessment for individuals, systems in Richmond and the world at large, Sheila E. Battle is at the forefront of a group fostering change through a unique method – inner work. The nonprofit is called The Innerwork Center. As the board president, Ms. Battle and other members are seeking to guide people on an inward path to selfawareness and self-discovery, leading to personal improvements that can better their lives and the lives of many. “We offer an opportunity to dive in and explore what matters most so we can bravely do the work that nurtures our souls,” Ms. Battle says. “Doing so ripples out into the community and creates a more compassionate city for all of us.” Founded in 1994 by Nancy Millner as Chrysalis, the nonprofit’s name change to The Innerwork Center in 2019 happened after a period of internal transformation during which the organization shifted from a small group of like-minded individuals to a larger coalition. That shift, according to Ms. Battle, required a name that brought greater clarity and focus to their mission in society and within the self. Ms. Battle was elected as board president last July. She has been a member of the organization for five years. She says she was inspired to join out of a desire “to explore spirituality outside of a traditional context.” In her new role, she works to see The Innerwork Center’s mission fulfilled and “to represent this powerful resource to our city and extend an invitation to learn, grow and heal together.” Ms. Battle is well versed in consulting and coaching. She also brought her skills to TEDxRVA in 2016 as a speaker. “We define compassion as seeing the suffering in yourself and others, and wanting to alleviate that suffering,” Ms. Battle says. “In a society that
Personality: Sheila E. Battle Spotlight on board president of The Innerwork Center
encourages us to run away from our humanity and the humanity of others, the purpose of our work is to show you how to run right toward it, even when it is hard.” That work is done at The Innerwork Center through free weekly drop-in groups, programs and seasonal retreats, with options for in-person and virtual participation. The center’s programs include mindfulness based stressed reduction, mindful self compassion and compassion cultivation training. The Innerwork Center is hosting “Coming HOME: Begin Within (A Sacred Space for Black & Brown People), noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Richmond Public Library Main Library, 101 E. Franklin St. “This sacred moment will focus on RE-member-ing who we are, while engaging in selfcare tools for the holidays. We are returning to our roots and reclaiming the foundations of our culture,” Ms. Battle says. Details are available on the nonprofit’s website: innerworkcenter.org/programs. While the center’s approach to community betterment is unique, Ms. Battle acknowledges that The Innerwork Center can’t do everything. “We can continue to do the outer work, but we must not let it limit us from what is going on inside ourselves,” Ms. Battle says. “While it is true that we must address our collective challenges, it is also true that the journey starts within. And the best place to start is right where you are.” Meet an insightful leader, advocate of mindfulness and this week’s Personality, Sheila E. Battle: No. 1 volunteer posi-
tion: Board president of The Innerwork Center. Occupation: Principal consultant, The Battle Station; and division of finance and administration, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Date and place of birth: Feb. 6 in Philadelphia. Where I live now: Chesterfield County. Education: Master’s in human services counseling. Family: Trinity and Zayin Battle are my heart split in two. Frank Battle is the gentle force that holds my heart together. The Innerwork Center is: A small but growing nonprofit in Richmond offering opportunities to explore mindfulness, creative expression, psychology and wisdom traditions. No. 1 goal as board president: To re-present this powerful resource to our city and extend an invitation to learn, grow and heal together.
How I plan to accomplish this goal: By sharing my personal experience with this organization and connecting the dots for those who are unaware of or curious about what we offer. What it means to do inner work: Innerwork is the intentional act of going beneath the surface of areas of this life. Of exploring our interior landscape and identifying what drives our thoughts, desires and behaviors. Of discovering and recovering parts of ourselves that need attention. We offer an opportunity to dive in and explore what matters most so we can bravely do the work that nurtures our souls. Doing so ripples out into the community and creates a more compassionate city for all of us. The Innerwork Center and racial equity: We are creating an organizational culture where everyone feels welcome to be their true selves. We recognize this cannot happen without explicit effort from our staff, board, faculty and volunteers. As an organization, we accept the responsibility of exploring and creating culturally competent and inclusive programs that hold our differences and our common humanity with both hands. Our trauma-informed facilitators are trained to create and hold space for difficult conversations. This ongoing process involves bringing in keynotes, speakers such as Ruth King and Dr. Larry Ward. These events allow us to gather diverse community leaders who are collectively working toward a more racially equitable community. What inner work Richmond needs to do: Continue pushing
for all Richmonders to begin within, knowing that we will always find truth and healing within the deeper parts of ourselves to better serve eachother and heal our city. The Innerwork Center is for: Everyone and anyone who feels they need to enhance their self-care and spiritual practice. We welcome everyone who is seeking more resources to add to their inner wellness toolkit. We are here to teach and support them in their journey. A perfect day for me: Our home is affectionately referred to as The Battle Station. Any day when the Battle Station is filled with family, friends and food, my heart overflows. What I am learning about myself during the pandemic: That my inner witness has more wisdom than outer influences. I just need to tap in. How I quiet my mind during challenging times: My primary spiritual practice is 15 Minutes of Grace. Solitude has been my greatest helper. No matter what is going on, foresight, insight and lessons to learn in hindsight are waiting for me in the silence. I have trained my soul to sit down and listen. Three daily self-care tips: 1 — I practice 15 Minutes of Grace every day. 2 — Gratitude is my recovery strategy no matter what! 3 — I embrace moments of awe and wonder and savor them. Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: I love it when I get to fade into the background unnoticed so I can observe others undetected or cheer for them ferociously! When you’re 6 feet tall and a speaker, people tend to believe that you always crave attention. For me, that is simply not true.
Quote that I am inspired by: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” — Audre Lorde “If I didn’t belong to you, I wouldn’t be here. If you didn’t belong to me, you wouldn’t have come. I am you and you are me, yet we forget this truth. My liberation is tied to your liberation and your liberation is tied to my liberation.” — Ruth King My friends describe me as: An intuitive listener who has never met a stranger. They also think I’m a global level Auntie. I adopt everybody! At the top of my “to-do” list: Play regularly. Read leisurely. Write freely. Listen effortlessly. Pray endlessly. Rest consistently and to intentionally breathe deeply as often as the day demands. Best late-night snack: Orville Redenbacher’s Movie Theater popcorn with Texas Pete hot sauce. Best thing my parents ever taught me: Book sense, without common sense, is a disaster waiting to happen. Person who influenced me the most: My parents, Edward and Joann McCarr. They were trailblazers in ways that I didn’t realize at the time. Even as ancestors, they are still teaching me new lessons and influencing how I move in the world. Book that influenced me the most: It is absolutely impossible for me to pick one book. Ask anyone, my home is a library. But right now, Toni Morrison and I are falling in love again. What I’m reading now: “You Belong: A Call for Connection” by Sebene Selassie; “Sula” by Toni Morrison; and “Soul Feast” by Marjorie J. Thompson. Next goal: To finish writing my second book, “The Emotional Wellness Toolkit,” and plan a romantic getaway with my amazing husband so we both can take a nap!
Richmond Department of Public Works
WE ARE HIRING
OVER 60 J OBS!!
Refuse Collectors Equipment Operators Refuse Truck Operators Maintenance Workers
DPW Hiring Event with possible on-the-spot job offers! Required: Bring valid driver’s license/CDL or photo I.D. for the on-site interview
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Main Street Station 1500 East Main Street Friday, November 12 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Save Time & Apply Online - Bring a Printed Copy of Your Application to the Event or Apply On-site at the Event Scan the QR Code for details and the link to the application OR Go to: rva.gov/public-works/DPW-hiring-event
Richmond Free Press
B2 November 4-6, 2021
Happenings David Lee gives behind the scenes look at brother Spike in new book Free Press wire report
NEW YORK When David Lee was growing up in Brooklyn, his older brother would drag him out of the house whenever he got the urge to make a film. “Spike would say, ‘You gotta come with me. I’m shooting something,’ ” says David Lee. “His early impulse was to document. The ’77 blackout, he went out and filmed. He would yank me and say, ‘Come on. Come on.’ ” In an artistic family (Spike and David’s father, Bill Lee, is a well-regarded jazz musician who scored several of Spike’s early films), David took up still photography. David, four years Spike’s junior, discovered photography when an upstairs tenant in their family’s brownstone taught him how to process 35mm black-and-white film. Spike, meanwhile, was already on his way as a movie director. And from the beginning, no one had a frontrow seat to the birth and evolution of the master American filmmaker like David. From Spike’s first feature film, “She’s Gotta Have It,” and ever since, David has been his brother’s on-set photographer. He was there to capture Spike, in a Jackie Robinson jersey as Mookie in “Do The Right Thing,” in the afternoon light of a Brooklyn street. He was there to photograph Denzel Washington lounging in the backseat of a convertible in “Malcolm X.” He was there for some of Chadwick Boseman’s last moments on film during the making of “Da 5 Bloods.” “Spike,” a new retrospective photography book to be published Nov. 17, is filled with images David shot over the years, with stills from Spike’s 35-plus films. It even comes complete with custom typography based on Radio Raheem’s “LOVE/HATE” brass knuckles from “Do the Right Thing.” It’s a hefty, glossy compendium of the still-unfolding career of one of cinema’s most clarion voices. It’s also an intimate story of family, with siblings on both sides of the camera: Spike as seen through his brother’s lens. “It’s kind of funny when your brother becomes famous,” David Lee, 60, said in a recent interview. “He’s always been my brother, but then he’s like a world possession somehow. People in Fort Greene would always talk to him as if they knew him.” And from the start, Spike understood something about self-promotion. Few filmmakers since Alfred Hitchcock have made themselves more recognizable to a movie-going public. As the unit photographer whose images are used in a movie’s marketing, David’s pictures helped create
Peabody Square Golf Tournament set for Nov. 20 in Petersburg By Ronald E. Carrington
The Peabody Academic Learning and Development Center, or PALDC, is having a benefit golf tournament to support the preservation and restoration of Petersburg’s former Peabody High School. The event, “Peabody Square Golf Tournament,” is designed to preserve Peabody’s historical significance as well as restore a building to house community educational programming for the Petersburg region. This is the kickoff for plans by the PALDC, in collaboration with the Peabody High School National Alumni Association, for a series of fundraisers for the preservation and restoration project. The golf tournament will be held Saturday, Nov. 20, at Dogwood Trace Gold Course, 3108 Homestead Drive in Petersburg. Former Peabody High School golf team members, who won consecutive Virginia Interscholastic Association state championships in 1963, 1964 and 1965 under Coach Carl Peal, will be recognized. Julian Green, co-chair of the PALDC board of directors, said Peabody Square is a restoration five buildings – some built in the 1920s—in the complex bounded by Halifax, Wesley and Jones streets and Lee Avenue. They include Peabody high and middle schools; the Williams building; a junior school previously used for children between ages 7 and 11; and the Giles B. Cooke Elementary school. “The assessed value of this campus of historic structures is $13 million,” Mr. Green said. The restoration and preservation will be an ongoing project and will cost in the millions, he said. Former state Sen. Henry L. Marsh of Richmond, whose district also included Petersburg, is a consultant and adviser on the project, Mr. Green said. “His mindset is to work for the betterment of children and their education. That’s the senator’s pride and joy,” he said. PALDC has sought since 2017 to use the building at 725 Wesley St. for an education-based community center where students and parents can engage in special afterschool and summer learning programs and training to enhance regional public school programs. The building used to be Peabody High School and was converted into a middle school in 1974. It was closed in 2017. Peabody originally was established in 1870 in the old First Baptist Church on Harrison Street in Petersburg as the school to educate African-Americans, and was one of the earliest publicly funded schools for Black people in Virginia. The George Peabody Fund and other sources lobbied for construction of a school building, which was erected in 1874 at a cost of $18,270, including a $10,000 grant from the City of Petersburg. The 12-room brick structure was officially named Peabody School in honor of George Peabody, a Massachusetts philanthropist. For information and registration for the Peabody Square Golf Tournament, contact PALDC at (434) 594-1744.
David Lee via Associated Press
Photographer David Lee, brother of filmmaker Spike Lee, appears on the set of the series “Godfather of Harlem.” A new photography book spanning Spike’s career brings together images shot by David, from the making of “Do the Right Thing” to “Da 5 Bloods.” It’s an intimate look at the filmmaker, as seen through his brother’s lens.
his brother’s iconography — including those Nike commercials with Michael Jordan. He fondly remembers an early trailer for “She’s Gotta Have It” where Spike sells the movie while hocking tube socks on Fulton Street. Many images — like that one of Mookie — David can’t always recall whose idea it was. “I don’t know if I did it or Spike said, ‘Take a picture of this or that.’ Spike always had this other awareness of promoting himself,” said David. “Spike entered the mainstream on his own terms.” That included, by way of his production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, far more diverse film sets than were seen elsewhere in the industry. David recalls Spike bringing lists of Black crew members, including himself, to the various guilds to get them inducted into unions. But the 40 Acres crew — many of whom have lasted since the late 1980s and early 1990s — also included Spike’s actual family. Their younger sister, Joie Lee, has appeared in at least nine of Spike’s films. Their younger brother, Cinqué Lee, has had various duties, including co-writing 1994’s “Crooklyn.” There are, David jokes, no business school graduates among the Lees. “From The Beginning I Have Kept It All In The Family, Thanks To God For Talent In The Lee Family,” Spike said in an email. But why would Spike Lee want a 360-page capstone to a movie career while still in the midst of it? Just during the pandemic, Spike Lee has released two features ( the Vietnam war drama “Da 5 Bloods,” the documentary “David Byrne’s American Utopia” ), been president of the Cannes Film Festival jury and begun prep-
ping a movie musical about the origins of Viagra. He also, like during the 1977 blackout, documented New York under the first wave of the pandemic in a short film. In the book’s first pages, Spike explains: “This Book Revisits All Da Werk I’ve Put In To Build My Body Of Work. Film Is A Visual Art Form And That Sense Of My Storytelling Has Been Somewhat Overlooked. Why Now, After All These Years? FOLKS BE FORGETTING.” For David, the book is a moment to reflect on how his brother’s body of work — once received as so incendiary by some — has only grown more prescient with time. When “Do the Right Thing” first debuted, some columnists famously predicted it would incite riots. “It shouldn’t have seemed revolutionary or such a startling conversation to start. It just really underscored the difference to me how white people and Black people, very broadly, view the different attitudes toward race relations,” David said. “White people seem eternally startled by Black outrage. It shouldn’t be a new story.” David doesn’t exclusively shoot Spike’s films. He has more than 90 credits. During a recent interview, he was in Pittsburgh for a Netflix film about the civil rights leader Bayard Rustin. And sometimes, their experiences of the past 35 years vary wildly. “I’m not sitting there courtside at the Knicks games,” David said, laughing. “I’m not palling around with the Obamas.” But flipping through “Spike” captures a filmmaker’s journey that starts out like a family photo album. There in a photograph of Spike’s film school graduation is David next to him, with a camera slung over his shoulder. That he’s been along on the ride ever since still astounds David. “There’s so much talent in front of you. It’s like a jazz trio. I’m in the band!” said David. “So much is laid out for me to try to capture.”
Somali love story sweeps contest for top African film prize TriceEdneyWire.com/Global Information Network
A Finish-Somali filmmaker has scooped the grand prize at the Pan-African film festival known as FESPACO in Burkina Faso. The head of the prize jury called the winning feature a courageous film. Director Khadar Ahmed’s film, “The Gravedigger’s Wife,” explores what people will do for love. It focuses on Guled, whose job it is to wait outside the hospital to bury the dead, and what he does to save his sick wife. “It is a beautiful film that tells a story with humanity,” Mauritanian film director Abderrahmane Sissako stated. Set in Djibouti, it details the struggles faced by Guled, played by Omar Abdi, when he learns he has to raise funds to pay for his wife’s treatment. His wife, Nasra, played by Yasmin Warsame, is dying of kidney failure. Ironically, as a gravedigger, Guled waits for the deaths of others in order to make the money that could mean his wife survives. Mr. Ahmed wanted to “tell this story with dignity, tenderness and compassion—all the qualities I’ve been raised with,” the director told the Guardian newspaper. Mr. Ahmed was born in Somalia but moved to Finland as a teenager. “I’m in awe. I’m speechless. Words cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for this type of love from the
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continent,” Mr. Ahmed wrote on Instagram. A rare, feature-length film in Somali, “The Gravedigger’s Wife” is also Somalia’s first entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the Academy Awards in the United States. His film was 10 years in the making. Mr. Ahmed wrote it a decade ago, but was determined to direct it himself and so had to learn how to be a director, the Guardian reports. As well as winning the prestigious award at FESPACO, known as the Golden Stallion of Yen-
nenga, Mr. Ahmed also received $36,000 in prize money. The Silver Stallion went to Haitian director Gessica Geneus for her film “Freda.” And the Bronze Stallion went to Tunisian director Leyla Bouzid for “Tale of Love and Desire.” The prizes were handed out at FESPACO’s closing ceremony in the Burkinabe capital, Ouagadougou. This was the 27th edition of the weeklong biennial event, the continent’s biggest film festival that celebrates films largely produced in Africa by Africans. DIAMONDS • WATCHES JEWELRY • REPAIRS 19 EAST BROAD STREET RICHMOND, VA 23219 (804) 648-1044
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Faith News
Catholic group pushes expedited sainthood for 6 African-Americans By Jonathan M. Pitts The Baltimore Sun
souri in the mid-1800s and baptized Catholic, became known as Denver’s “Angel of Charity” BALTIMORE for her work on behalf of that city’s poor. The process of recognizing saints in CatholiSister DeLille, a Black nun from New Orcism is so arduous that it can take generations, leans born in 1813, opened the first Catholic even centuries, to complete, but even the usually home for older adults and founded an order of slow-moving Catholic church can accelerate women religious in the face of opposition due matters when it wants to. to her race. In the cases of Mother Teresa of Calcutta The process of declaring a person is a saint and Pope John Paul II, for example, church involves several major steps. Five years or more officials waived a five-year waiting period after after candidates have died, their bishop can open their deaths to get the process started. an investigation to determine whether their life Now a group of Baltimore Catholics says it’s was sufficiently holy or virtuous. If a special time to expedite the cases of six other heroes Vatican department, the Congregation of Saints, of the faith. agrees, the candidate is deemed a “Servant of Parishioners of St. Ann’s Catholic Church, a God” and the case moves forward. predominantly African-American congregation If church researchers can verify one miracle in the East Baltimore Midway neighborhood, and the candidate has performed, he or she is “bethe two other churches in its pastorate, Historic atified,” and a second confirmed miracle can St. Francis Xavier and St. Wenceslaus, seek to mean sainthood. make the case that the church should immediAll six have been declared Servants of God, ately canonize six Black American Catholics. meaning they’ve passed the first major test along The candidates include Mother Mary Lange, a the road to sainthood. Mr. Toussaint, Rev. TolBaltimore nun who started and ran a school for ton and Sister DeLille also have been deemed Black children during the era of slavery. “Venerable,” placing them one miracle shy of beatification. Saints are thought to live near God in heaven, to be able to intercede with God and to be exemplars of godly behavior. That means the absence of an African-American saint leaves a gap in the spiritual lives of 3 million Black Catholics in the United States. Some in the archdiocese see Mother Lange Pierre Toussaint Thea Bowman the fledgling push as comporting with a larger effort on the part of the modern church to acknowledge, attempt to atone for and transcend a history that few modern observers would deny has long been stained by racism. Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, longtime pastor of the preRev. Tolton Julia Greeley Sister DeLille dominantly Spanish-speaking Sacred Heart of Jesus Church 1. Mother Mary Lange, a Baltimore nun who started and in Highlandtown and now urban ran a school for Black children during the era of slavery. vicar for the archdiocese, con2. Haitian American and former slave Pierre Toussaint, celebrated Monday’s Mass with who went on to became a successful business owner and philanthropist in New York. the Rev. Xavier Edet, leader of 3. Mississippi-born scholar-evangelist Thea Bowman. the St. Ann’s pastorate. 4. Rev. Augustus Tolton, a former slave who was Bishop Lewandowski points baptized and reared Catholic, was rejected on the basis out that priests, bishops, deaof his race by every American seminary he applied cons and nuns of generations to. He went to Rome to study and, in 1886, won the past were themselves among distinction of being the first Black priest in America. the Americans who enslaved 5. Julia Greeley, born enslaved in Missouri in the people. Their attitudes became mid-1800s and baptized Catholic, became known as baked into the foundations of Denver’s “Angel of Charity” for her work on behalf of that city’s poor. a faith whose seminaries often 6. Sister Henriette DeLille, a Black nun from New excluded Black students, whose Orleans born in 1813, opened the first Catholic home hospitals often barred Black pafor older adults and founded an order of women tients and whose congregations religious in the face of opposition due to her race. sometimes made Black worshippers sit in the back pews—when they were admitted at all. They used a special Mass at St. Ann’s Monday Mr. Moore, 69, grew up in a day and age night to advocate for the cause, and organizers when some of those practices were in effect. said they’ll also use the All Saints’ Day service When he attended predominantly white to launch a national letter writing campaign. Catholic churches as a boy, he said, his family They hope to collect signatures on letters from had to sit in the back three rows. It was required Catholics across the Archdiocese of Baltimore that white worshippers take communion before and beyond in the coming weeks, then bundle African-Americans, he said. them into a package to send to Pope Francis no Such slights confused a young man who was later than January. otherwise enthusiastic about his faith, especially Mother Lange, who died in 1822, and the the exceptional education he received in Baltiother candidates—including a Haitian Ameri- more’s Catholic schools. can former slave, Pierre Toussaint, who went “You can’t love the Gospels and treat people on to became a successful business owner and badly, but this church would somehow allow philanthropist in New York, and the Mississippi- people to practice Catholicism and racism at born scholar-evangelist Thea Bowman—had to the same time,” he said. overcome so much racism inside and outside Though the church eliminated those strictures the church during their lives that their cases over the years, progress in other areas came should be viewed as exceptional, said Ralph slowly. It took the Black Catholic Movement of E. Moore Jr., a St. Ann’s member helping to the 1960s and 1970s to press the case for ordainlead the effort. ing more Black Catholic priests and bishops, for The church has never made a Black American example. It was not until last November that Catholic a saint. the church raised an African-American prelate, “These strong and courageous people lived Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Washington, exemplary lives,” said Mr. Moore, a lifelong D.C., to the rank of cardinal. Catholic who is African-American. “They kept Delores Moore, who is not related to Ralph the faith through slavery and other forms of racial Moore, is another longtime parishioner at St. discrimination, even when they were considered Ann’s and, like Mr. Moore, is a member of its second class members of their own church. social justice committee. She said it has long “The church has broken the rules (for the been painful to face the fact that out of the more canonization process) before. It could do the than 10,000 men and women the Catholic church same again. We believe it should,” he contin- has canonized in its history—including dozens ued. “We’d like to see these ancestors of ours of individuals of African descent, 11 Americans be canonized.” and a record 899 by the current Pope Francis— The Mass included a procession into the not one is African-American. church by parishioners carrying oversized “It has always been an important issue,” portraits of the six candidates for sainthood— said Ms. Moore, who is African-American. Mother Lange, Mr. Toussaint, Ms. Bowman, the “But given what’s happening in our society Rev. Augustus Tolton, Julia Greeley and Sister with Black Lives Matter, the injustices we’ve Henriette DeLille—as a three-church choir sang, seen with George Floyd and all the other less“When the Saints Go Marching In.” publicized injustices that happen every day, we’re Rev. Tolton, a former slave who was bap- becoming aware that systemic racism happens tized and raised Catholic, was rejected on the throughout our society, and that, unfortunately, basis of his race by every American seminary includes our churches. he applied to. He went to Rome to study and, “Maybe it’s unintentional,” she said. “I hope in 1886, won the distinction of being the first so. But we need to put a spotlight on this.” Black priest in America. (The racial background Mr. Moore said they’ve waited long enough, of three brothers ordained earlier was not widely that the church should waive its usual requireacknowledged during their lifetimes. James, ments and recognize them as soon as possible Patrick and Sherwood Healy were the sons of as the saints they are. a Black woman who had been enslaved and “The church keeps saying, ‘We’re following the white man who owned her, according to the process.’ But if the process produces bad an essay by James M. O’Toole, a professor of results, maybe the process needs to be reconhistory at Boston College.) sidered,” he said. “We’re asking them to put Ms. Greeley, who was born enslaved in Mis- these six on the fast track.”
A. Linwood Holton, Jr.
u
A. Linwood Holton, Jr., former Governor of Virginia, died on October 28, 2021. A lifelong Virginian, he passed away peacefully at home at Rappahannock-Westminster-Canterbury (RWC) in Irvington.
A moderate Republican, Holton is widely seen as the founder of Virginia’s modern two-party system. In 1969, he assembled an alliance of business, labor, and the Black community, defeating the conservative Democratic machine that had ruled Virginia for nearly a century and becoming the state’s first Republican governor since Reconstruction. His promotion of civil rights was pioneering and defined his professional and personal life. He was best known for the integration of Virginia’s schools. While other southern governors had stood in schoolhouse doors, keeping Black children out, Holton escorted his children to formerly all-Black schools in 1970. As Governor he also created the modern Virginia cabinet, cleaned up Virginia’s rivers, replaced racist school textbooks, unified the Port of Virginia, and expanded funding for mental health. Holton was born in Big Stone Gap in 1923 to Abner Linwood Holton, Sr. and Edith Van Gorder, one of four children. He attended Washington and Lee University and Harvard Law School. He enlisted in the US Navy in WWII, entered the submarine corps, and participated in the post-war occupation of Japan. He practiced law in Roanoke, where he married Virginia ( Jinks) Rogers in 1953 and raised four children. Holton’s later work included leading the Center for Innovative Technology; helping create the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority; and practicing law at McCandlish Holton. He served on the boards of Amtrak; the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority; the Virginia Institute for Marine Science; the Miller Center at the University of Virginia (which he helped found); the College of William and Mary; Hampton University; and many others. He loved gardening and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay, and he loved and was so proud of his family. He and Jinks skied and played tennis well into their 80’s. Holton’s life was grounded in his faith. He attended Presbyterian churches across the state, where he variously sang in the choir; taught Sunday school; and served in leadership roles. In 2008, he published a memoir titled with his life’s motto, “Opportunity Time.” He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Jinks Holton; his children Tayloe Loftus ( Jon Loftus), Anne Holton (Tim Kaine), Woody Holton (Gretchen Schoel), and Dwight Holton (Mary Ellen Glynn); his sister, Harriet Jones; ten grandchildren; and numerous other relatives and friends. Memorial services will be held in Kilmarnock (for family and local friends) and in Richmond (for the public) on December 18 and 19, 2021 respectively. Further information will be available through Currie Funeral Home. The family thanks RWC, and especially Teresa Burrell, Maude Harris, and Jami Seagle for their loving care. Gifts in lieu of flowers may be made to the Linwood Holton Elementary School (via designation through the Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation) or to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Z
Richmond Free Press
B4 November 4-6, 2021
Faith News/Directory
Rev. Clementa Pinckey
Cynthia Hurd
Ethel Lance
Tywanza Sanders
Myra Thompson
Susie Jackson
Rev. Daniel Simmons
Sharonda Coleman-Singleton
Rev. DePayne Middleton Doctor
Families of 9 killed in Mother Emanuel AME Church massacre settle lawsuit over faulty gun background check Free Press wire report
WASHINGTON Families of the nine victims killed in the 2015 racist attack at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., have reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over a faulty background check that allowed convicted shooter Dylann Roof to purchase the gun. The $88 million deal, which includes $63 million for the families of the slain and $25 million for survivors of the shooting, was announced Oct. 28 in Washington and reported early to the Associated Press by Bakari Sellers, an attorney who helped broker the agreement. Mr. Sellers said the “88” figure was purposeful. It’s a number typically associated with white supremacy and the number of bullets Mr. Roof said he had taken with him to the attack. “We’ve given a big ‘F you’ to white supremacy and racism,” Mr. Sellers told the AP. “We’re doing that by building generational wealth in these Black communities, from one of the most horrific race crimes in the country.” According to the Justice Department, settlements for the families of those killed range from $6 million to $7.5 million per claimant. Survivors’ settlements are $5 million per claimant. Months before the June 17, 2015, church shooting, Mr. Roof was arrested on Feb. 28, 2015, by Columbia, S.C., police on a drug possession charge. But a series of clerical errors and missteps allowed Mr. Roof to buy the handgun he later used in the massacre. The errors included wrongly listing the sheriff’s office as the arresting agency in the drug case, according to court documents. An examiner with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System found some information on the arrest but needed more to deny the sale, so she sent a fax to a sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office responded it didn’t have the report, directing her to the Columbia police. Under the system’s operating procedures, the examiner was directed to a federal listing of law enforcement agencies, but Columbia police did not appear on the list. After trying the separate West Columbia Police Department and being told it was the wrong agency, the examiner did nothing more. After a three-day waiting period, Mr. Roof went back to a West Columbia store to pick up the handgun. The lawsuit for a time was thrown out, with a judge writing that an examiner followed procedures but also blasting the federal government for what he called its “abysmally poor policy choices” in how it runs the national database for firearm background checks. The suit was subsequently reinstated by a federal appeals court. “The mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church was a horrific hate crime that caused immeasurable suffering for the families of the victims and the survivors,” U.S. Attorney
Zion Baptist Church
2006 Decatur Street, Richmond, VA 23224 ZBCOFFICE@VERIZON.NET • (804) 859-1985 or (804) 232-2867 Church Office Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor
Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C.
Sharon Baptist Church
For Sunday Services at 10:30 AM Bible Study, Wednesdays at 7 PM Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor Listeners can call: (508) 924-3234 Support us Online through the Givelify App
Triumphant
Dr. Kirkland R. Walton, Pastor
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500 E. Laburnum Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222 www.sharonbaptistchurchrichmond.org (804) 643-3825
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Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor
Sunday, November 7, 2021 Morning Worship 10:00 A.M.
Holy Communion
Baptist Church
Baptist Church
1408 W. Leigh Street · Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 358—6403
Dr. Alonza L. Lawrence, Pastor
Sunday School – 9:30 AM Sunday Services – 11:00 AM Via Conference Call (202) 926-1127 Pin 572890#
All church ac�vi�es are canceled un�l further no�ce. Follow us on Facebook for “A Word from Moore Street’s Pastor” and weekly Zoom worship info. Drive-thru giving will be available the 1st and 3rd Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the church. (Bowe Street side) You also may give through Givelify. Be safe. Be blessed.
Baptist Church
Back Inside!
Riverview
You may join us on Facebook Live: Zion Baptist Church (South Richmond)
St. Peter Baptist Church
“The Church With A Welcome”
Moore Street Missionary
In person Sunday Service also on FACEBOOK and YouTube 2604 Idlewood Avenue Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 353-6135 www.riverviewbaptistch.org
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Rev. Dr. Stephen L. Hewlett, Pastor
Broad Rock Baptist Church
2003 Lamb Avenue Richmond, VA 23222 Dr. Arthur M. Jones, Sr., Pastor (804) 321-7622
5106 Walmsley Blvd., Richmond, VA 23224 804-276-2740 • 804-276-6535 (fax) www.BRBCONLINE.org
“Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, Services Are Cancelled, until further notice; but, please join us, by visiting BRBCOnline.org or YouTube (Broad Rock Baptist Church).”
“Due to the Corona Virus all services at Triumphant Baptist Church are suspended until further notice.” Join us on Sundays at 12 noon via Conference Call: 1(503)300-6860 Code:273149#
General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Since the day of the shooting, the Justice Department has sought to bring justice to the community, first by a successful hate crime prosecution and today by settling civil claims.” In 2017, Mr. Roof became the first person in the United States sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. Authorities have said he opened fire during the Bible study at the church, raining down dozens of bullets on those assembled. He was 21 at the time. The slain included the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church and a state senator, as well as other pillars of the community. They all shared deep devotion to the church and passed that faith along to their families, many of whom offered Mr. Roof forgiveness when he appeared in court just days after the attack. The FBI has acknowledged that Mr. Roof’s drug possession arrest should have prevented him from buying a gun. Speaking with AP in Washington ahead of last week’s news conference announcing the settlement, Mr. Pinckney’s eldest daughter recalled the night of the shooting and said she was committed to maintaining the legacy of her father, who died when she was 11. “I’ve done whatever I can to keep his memory alive and to carry on his legacy throughout my life,” Eliana Pinckney, 17, told the AP. “Just to make sure that the memories that I have with him can be shared with other people, so that other people are inspired by the life that he lived, and the life that he would keep living if he was still here.” The deal, which was reached earlier in October, is still pending a judge’s approval, Mr. Sellers said. “All nine of these families have been so strong and they deserve this closure,” Mr. Sellers said. “Of course we wanted more, but this is just, and this is justice, and finally, these families can say that they got it.”
Come and Join us in Worship for Our
MEN’S FELLOWSHIP Weekend
6DWXUGD\ 1RYHPEHU WK 10 a.m. – Men’s Fellowship Join us in person or via our Zoom/Facebook Live Bible Study church website and YouTube. Facilitator: Mr. Phil Jordan Guest Speaker:
6XQGD\ 1RYHPEHU WK 5HY 7LPRWK\ $ 3DUNHU 10 a.m. – Men’s Emphasis Sunday/ Colors: Black & White Male Chorus 52nd Anniversary 2040 Mountain Road • Glen Allen, Virginia 23060 2I¿FH )D[ ZZZ VWSHWHUEDSWLVW QHW
Good Shepherd Baptist Church 1127 North 28th St., Richmond, VA 23223 s Office: (804) 644-1402 Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, Pastor “There’s A Place for You”
+PJO VT BU ". FBDI TU BOE SE 4VOEBZ GPS JO QFSTPO XPSTIJQ TFSWJDF <RX PD\ FRQWLQXH WR OLYH VWUHDP RQ <RX7XEH *RRG 6KHSKHUG %DSWLVW &KXUFK 59$
https://youtu.be/qqzhnIEQyQc for inspirational messages from Pastor Smith
7M\XL &ETXMWX 'LYVGL 8LIQI JSV 1SFMPM^MRK *SV 1MRMWXV] 6IJVIWLMRK 8LI 3PH ERH )QIVKMRK 8LI 2I[ A 21st Century Church With Ministry For Everyone
We Embrace Diversity — Love For All! Come worship with us! Sunday Service will not be held in our sanctuary. Join us for 11:00 AM Worship by going to our website www.sixthbaptistchurch.org
“MAKE IT HAPPEN” Pastor Kevin Cook
Antioch Baptist Church
Thirty-first Street Baptist Church
“Redeeming God’s People for Gods Purpose”
1384 New Market Road, Richmond, Virginia 23231 | 804-222-8835
SERVICES
SUNDAY WORSHIP HOUR – 10:00 A.M. CHILDREN’S CHURCH & BUS MINISTRY AVAILABLE SUNDAY SCHOOL (FOR ALL AGES) – 9:00 A.M. TUESDAY MID-DAY BIBLE STUDY – 12 NOON WEDNESDAY MID-WEEK PRAYER & BIBLE STUDY – 7:00 P.M. A MISSION BASED CHURCH FAMILY EXCITING MINISTRIES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, YOUNG ADULTS & SENIOR ADULTS BIBLE REVELATION TEACHING DIVERSE MUSIC MINISTRY LOVING, CARING ENVIRONMENT
C
DR. JAMES L. SAILES PASTOR
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in g bin m o
ance with Reverence Relev
Rev. Dr. Joshua Mitchell, Senior Pastor ❖
The doors of the church are open for worship! No registration required. Join us in person or online on Facebook or YouTube
10:30 a.m. Sundays
823 North 31st Street Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 226-0150 Office
400 South Addison Street Richmond, Va. 23220
(near Byrd Park)
(804) 359-1691 or 359-3498 Facebook Fax (804) 359-3798 sixthbaptistrva www.sixthbaptistchurch.org
Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs, Pastor
Worship With Us This Week!
Parking Lot Worship November 7, 2021 @ 9:30 A.M.
Parking Lot or Virtual
Join us online at mmbcrva.org or Facebook.com/mmbcrva *Faith Formation/ Church School (Sat. @ 9:00 AM) Zoom Meeting ID: 952 9164 9805 /Passcode: 2901 *Bible Study (Wed. @ 7:00 PM) Zoom Meeting ID: 983 8639 0975/ Password: 012563
2901 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 648-2472 ~ www.mmbcrva.org Dr. Price London Davis, Senior Pastor
*Faith Formation/ Church School (Sat. @ 9:00 AM) Zoom Meeting ID: 952 9164 9805 /Passcode: 2901 *Bible Study (Wed. @ 7:00 PM)
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Richmond Free Press
B5 November 4-6, 2021
Legal Notices Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF Richmond Kirk rahsahn Taylor, Plaintiff v. toni nicole (Munn) taylor, Defendant. Case No.: CL21-3188-1 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Obtain a divorce a vincullo matrimonii or from the bonds of matrimony. It appearing from an affidavit that diligence is: that diligence has een used without effect, by or on the behalf of the plaintiff to ascertain in what county or city defendant is. It is ORDERED that Toni Nicole (Munn) Taylor appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before December 17, 2021. An Extract, Teste: EDWARD F. JEWETT, Clerk VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER LOVERINE SMALL WILLIS, Plaintiff v. CHARLES WILLIS, Defendant. Case No.: CL21003531-00 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 22nd day of December, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER LASHARNDA TRAPP, Plaintiff v. NATHANIEL TRAPP, Defendant. Case No.: CL21003012-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who has been served with the Complaint by posted service appear here on or before the 21st day of December, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Counsel The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, MONTGOMERY COUNTY FILE NO. 21 CVD 275 TERRENCE LITTLE, Plaintiff -vsMARGARET E. BETHEA, Defendant TO: MARGARET E. BETHEA TAKE NOTICE THAT: A pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above entitled-action and Notice of Service of Process by Publication began on October 28, 2021. The nature of the relief being sought is Absolute Divorce. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days after October 28, 2021 or December 7, 2021 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. This the 20th day of October 2021. SONYA L. WILLIAMSON ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF 111 COURTHOUSE SQUARE TROY, NC 27371 (910)576-0475 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER TALIAH ABRAMS, Plaintiff v. BRIAN RUSSELL, Defendant. Case No.: CL21003485-00 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 14th day of December, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: Continued on next column
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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 OLUWAGBEMISOLA OSIYOYE, Plaintiff v. MICHAEL SMITH, Defendant. Case No.: CL21003418-00 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 January, 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 GREGORY CARTER, Plaintiff v. TRACY CANNON, Defendant. Case No.: CL21003308-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 29th day of November, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER JESSICA AMADOR, Plaintiff v. JUSTYN AMADOR, Defendant. Case No.: CL21003334-00 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 1st day of December, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Attorney VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667
CUSTODY VIRGINIA: IN THE Hanover Circuit Court 7530 County Complex Road, Hanover, VA 23069 Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Michael Maglangit mangonon Jr., vs. Michael Maglangit Warley Case No. CL21003162-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Application for change of name (minor) It is ORDERED that Michael Mangonon appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before November 22, 2021 at 9:0 a.m.
Property VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. THE WHITE TRUST, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-3905 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 223 Mulberry Street, Tax Map Number W000-1157/030, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, The White Trust. An Affidavit having been Continued on next column
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filed that said owner, THE WHITE TRUST, HELEN E. WILLIS, TRUSTEE, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to her last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that THE WHITE TRUST, HELEN E. WILLIS, TRUSTEE, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. CAROLYN JONES, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-4441 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3425 Sherbrook Road, Tax Map Number C002-0156/002, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Carolyn Jones. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, CAROLYN JONES, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that CAROLYN JONES, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. XAVIER KEETON, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-3147 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 1801 North 25th Street, Tax Map Number E000-1084/001, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Xavier Keeton, Darinka D. Keeton, Romulo C. Keeton and Dana Hogan. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, XAVIER KEETON, ROMULO C. KEETON, and DANA HOGAN, who have been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to their last known address, have not been personally located and have not filed a response to this action; that said owner, DARINKA D. KEETON, who is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that XAVIER KEETON, ROMULO C. KEETON, DANA HOGAN, DARINKA D. KEETON, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
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LADIES MILE SQUARE APARTMENTS, LLC, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-3902 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2101 Harwood Street, Tax Map Number S007-1081/025, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Ladies Mile Square Apartments, LLC. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, LADIES MILE SQUARE APARTMENTS, LLC, Calvin Fisher, Registered Agent, which has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to the registered agent’s last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; that 39 FOREVER, LLC, Beneficiary of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 191040 on 30 May 2019, Nancy Ann Rogers, Registered Agent, which has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to the registered agent’s last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that LADIES MILE SQUARE APARTMENTS, LLC, Calvin Fisher, Registered Agent, 39 FOREVER, LLC, Beneficiary of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 19-1040 on 30 May 2019, Nancy Ann Rogers, Registered Agent, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 1905 Creighton Road, Tax Map Number E000-0953/020, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Brunson Contractors, LLC. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, B R U N SO N CO N T R A C T ORS , LLC, Dawoud Adeyola, Registered Agent, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to his last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” I T IS OR D ERE D that B R U N SO N CO N T R A C T ORS , LLC, Dawoud Adeyola, Registered Agent, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. ALESIA ARMSTRONG, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-3634 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 1319 Enfield Avenue, Tax Map Number S007-1177/023, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Alesia Armstrong and Morla Gordon. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, ALESIA ARMSTRONG, is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and has not filed a response to this action; that said owner, MORLA GORDON, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to her last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; that 39 FOREVER, LLC, Beneficiary of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 18-6186 on March 30, 2018, Nancy Ann Rogers, Registered Agent, which 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.” IT IS ORDERED that ALESIA ARMSTRONG, MOR L A G OR D O N , 3 9 FOREVER, LLC, Beneficiary of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Instrument Number 18-6186 on March 30, 2018, Nancy Ann Rogers, Registered Agent, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. DELORES ANN ALDRIDGE, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-4034 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 817 Chimborazo Boulevard, Tax Map Number E000-0966/019, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Delores Ann and Ralph Weaver. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, DELORES ANN ALDRIDGE, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that said owner, RALPH WEAVER, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to his last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; that HOUSEHOLD REALTY CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Beneficiary of a Credit Line Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Deed Book 344 page 124 on April 29 1993, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that DELORES ANN ALDRIDGE, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, RALPH W E A VER , H O U SE H O L D RE A LT Y COR P OR A T IO N O F VIRGINIA, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Beneficiary of a Credit Line Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Deed Book 344 page 124 on April 29 1993, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v.
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. BRUNSON CONTRACTORS, LLC, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-3610
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. LYDIA NORTH VALENTINE, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-3903 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 4507 Leonard Parkway, Tax Map Number W019-0233/004, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, name Lydia North Valentine and Corbin Braxton Valentine, III. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners,
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LYDIA NORTH VALENTINE and CORBIN BRAXTON VALENTINE, III, 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.” IT IS ORDERED that LYDIA NORTH VALENTINE, COR B I N B R A X T O N VALENTINE, III, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. ORCHID, LLC, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-3844 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2708 Midlothian Turnpike, Tax Map Number S000-1002/006 Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Orchid, LLC. An Affidavit having been filed that TANYA MICHELLE JUDON-WINSTON, Registered Agent for ORCHID, LLC, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to her last known address, has not been personally located and has/have not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that TANYA MICHELLE JUDONWINSTON, R e g i s t e r e d Agent for ORCHID, LLC, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. LARRY INGE, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-3398 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3305 Castlewood Road, Tax Map Number S008-0772/037, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Larry Inge. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, LARRY INGE, who has/ have been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to his/her/their last known address, has/have not been personally located and has/have not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that LARRY INGE, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. THURSTON W. NORMAN, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-4323 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3503 Continued on next column
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Meadow Bridge Road, Tax Map Number N000-1561/024, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owners of record, Thurston W. Norman and Dorothy Lee Norman. An Affidavit having been filed that said owners, THURSTON W. NORMAN, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and DOROTHY LEE NORMAN, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action; that ASSOCIATES FINANCIAL SERVICES OF AMERICA, INC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission listed, BENEFICIARY of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Deed Book 322 page 248 on October 28, 1992, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that THURSTON W. NORMAN, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and DOROTHY LEE NORMAN, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, ASSOCIATES FINANCIAL SERVICES OF AMERICA, INC, an entity listed as inactive in the records o f t h e Vi r g i n i a S t a t e Corporation Commission listed, BENEFICIARY of a Deed of Trust filed in the records of the Richmond Circuit Court at Deed Book 322 page 248 on October 28, 1992, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
briefly described as 505 North Hamilton Street, Unit L, Tax Map Number W000-1704/161, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Peas & Queues, LLC. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, PEAS & QUEUES, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/ or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that PEAS & QUEUES, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. UP 2307 MIMOSA, LLC, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-3348 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2307 Mimosa Street, Tax Map Number S007-1229/057, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, UP 2307 Mimosa, LLC. An Affidavit having been filed that VACONN CAPITAL, Registered Agent for UP 2307 MIMOSA, LLC, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that CAPITAL ONE A U TO F I N A N CE , I N C , a corporation listed as inactive in the records o f t h e Vi r g i n i a S t a t e Corporation Commission without records showing of a successor, which may be a creditor with an interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” I T IS OR D ERE D that VACONN CAPITAL, Registered Agent for U P 2 3 0 7 MIMOS A , L L C , C A P I TA L O N E A U TO F I N A N CE , I N C , a corporation listed as inactive in the records o f t h e Vi r g i n i a S t a t e Corporation Commission without records showing of a successor, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. PEAS & QUEUES, LLC, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-4219 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property Continued on next column
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. JMYI INVESTMENTS, LLC, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-3349 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2709 Rettig Road, Tax Map Number C004-0552/001, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, JMYI Investments, LLC. An Affidavit having been filed that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before DECEMBER 9, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949
LICENSE RichWine LLC Trading as: RichWine LLC 2601 Maury St Bldg 2 Rm F Richmond, VA 23224-3665 The above establishment is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage C ontrol (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Internet Beer Retailer/Delivery Permit – In State license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-5523200.
BIDS COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA construction bid ITB #21-2240-10EAR Outside Air Unit Replacement at Ridge ES & Springfield Park ES Due: November 18, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. For additional information visit: https://henrico.us/ finance/divisions/puchasing/ solicitations/ COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA construction bid ITB #21-2239-10EAR Outside Air Unit Replacements at Five Schools Due: November 17, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. For additional information visit: https://henrico.us/ finance/divisions/puchasing/ solicitations/
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Richmond Free Press
B6 November 4-6, 2021
Election Coverage Stories By Ronald E. Carrington
Mrs. McEachin
Sheriff Irving
Ms. Armstead
McEachin elected to four year-term as commonwealth’s attorney
Sheriff Irving beats back challenger with decisive re-election victory
Armstead wins another four years as city treasurer
Incumbent Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette W. McEachin will serve a four-year term as the city’s top prosecutor. Although unopposed in Tuesday’s general election, she received an overwhelming 97 percent of the vote, according to unofficial returns. The 65-year-old attorney defeated a Democratic primary opponent in June to clinch the party’s nomination. She served as the city’s deputy commonwealth’s attorney for 20 years before being appointed to replace her predecessor, former Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring, who stepped down in July 2019 to join a law firm. Mrs. McEachin then won a special election in November 2019 to finish the remainder of his term. “I’m pleased and honored to have the support of all those who voted for me and I hope to earn the support of those who didn’t,” Mrs. McEachin said when Tuesday’s results came in. “I’m very relieved that the election is over and I’m looking forward to working hard for criminal justice reform and protecting victims.” Mrs. McEachin has served during the last year on Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s Task Force to Reimagine Public Safety. She said during the campaign that she plans to create more programs protecting and supporting crime victims, reducing incarceration and recidivism and addressing the therapeutic needs of those suffering with mental health and/or substance abuse issues that lead to criminal behavior. She is the wife of 4th District Congressman A. Donald McEachin.
Richmond Sheriff Antionette V. Irving breezed past her opponent Tuesday to win re-election to another four-year term. Sheriff Irving, who has served in the office since January 2018, received 54,090 votes, or 76.2 percent, compared with 16,182 votes, or 22.8 percent, received by challenger Michael R. Dickinson, the owner and chief executive officer of BlackCat Events. The sheriff is chiefly responsible for overseeing the Richmond City Justice Center, maintaining the safety of the city’s courthouses, transporting inmates to court and other appointments and serving civil warrants and other court papers. Sheriff Irving won a close Democratic primary race in June, with her opponent claiming her lack of leadership was contributing to deputies leaving the department and a resulting staff shortage that created unsafe conditions and low morale. At the time, she acknowledged the high number of vacancies, noting they were due to the pandemic, retirements and staff leaving for higher paying positions in other jurisdictions. During the pandemic, she gained kudos from the Richmond Health District for managing the jail’s COVID-19 response. She also has focused on restorative justice measures and made efforts to give inmates the resources they need for successful re-entry into society.
Incumbent Richmond Treasurer Nichole Richardson Armstead was triumphant over challenger L. Shirley Harvey to win reelection Tuesday night. According to unofficial returns, Ms. Armstead won 41,020 votes, or 62.8 percent, to Ms. Harvey’s 23,555 votes, or 36.1 percent. This is the second time Ms. Armstead and Ms. Harvey have met at the ballot box. The two ran in a three-way contest for the office in November 2017. Ms. Armstead, who was a political newcomer at the time, won election then to her first four-year term as city treasurer. Ms. Harvey, who served on City Council from 1994 to 1996, has run unsuccessfully for several posts since then, including an initial run for city treasurer in 2013. Ms. Armstead has sought to expand the role of the Treasurer’s office to boost financial literacy among Richmonders and help residents connect with nonprofits for assistance with food, housing and utilities. The Treasurer’s Office is charged with collecting overdue state taxes, selling hunting and fishing licenses, paying city jurors, helping people fill out tax forms and notarizing documents. “Thank you for your support, vote and trust in me as your city treasurer for another four years,” Ms. Armstead said following her victory. “I am grateful for the opportunity to build upon the progress we have already made in the creation of the Office of Financial Empowerment and new service offering of Financial Navigators. “As we continue to recover from the financial impacts of COVID, it is imperative that we approach the next four years with a strategic purpose that will help advance our residents and ultimately the City of Richmond,” she said.
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By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Barbers and beauticians in the Richmond area did their part to encourage voting Tuesday. More than 45 shops teamed up with Philadelphia-based Shape Up the Vote to provide voting information and resources to customers, the nonprofit announced Monday. Among them is Patricia Gordon-Breggs,
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