November 5 7, 2015 issue by Richmond Free Press

‘Toruk’ soon to fly in Richmond

VOL. 24 NO. 45

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

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NOVEMBER 5-7, 2015

Cooper wins in squeaker 48 votes propel minister to Henrico School Board seat By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III won a narrow 48-vote victory in the four-way race for the Fairfield District School Board seat in Henrico County — the area’s hottest contest for a local office. Rev. Cooper, 41, pastor of Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church and board president of a nonprofit health network, barely got by Tara Adams, 43, a financial services employee at Capital One and a longtime PTA volunteer and schools advocate. The minister, who was two votes behind, pulled ahead of Ms. Adams after absentee ballots were counted in Tuesday’s election. He received 166 absentee votes to 116 for Ms. Adams, more than enough to secure the win. Overall, Rev. Cooper received 5,092 votes to 5,044 for Ms. Adams, who knocked on thousands of doors and had the backing of her pastor, the Rev. Lance Watson, who leads Saint Paul’s Baptist Church, one of the area’s largest congregations. The Rev. Marcus D. Martin, pastor of New Bridge Baptist Church, was a distant third with 1,015 votes. The Rev. Pierre Green, pastor of Poplar Mount Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, who was appointed to fill the seat after Lamont Bagby was elected to the House of Delegates last summer, waged a write-in campaign. More than 280 write-in votes were cast. “I’m humbled by the result and grateful for the support of the voters and for everyone who made calls, knocked on doors and donated,” Rev. Cooper said Wednesday. He said his top priorities would be to make sure all of the district’s schools are accredited and “to continue to find ways to reduce disparities in student discipline and academic performance.” Meanwhile, a disappointed Ms. Adams refuses to concede. She hinted Tuesday night she likely would seek a recount if the state Department of Elections preliminary results are confirmed. Because she lost by less than 0.5 percent, the county must cover the cost if she files for a recount. Meanwhile, John W. Montgomery Jr. won a third term repPlease turn to A4

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

The Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III, left, receives congratulations from Henrico Delegate Lamont Bagby after Tuesday’s election results showed both men were victorious. Rev. Cooper won a close race to represent the Fairfield District on the Henrico School Board. Delegate Bagby, who won re-election Tuesday to the General Assembly, previously held the Fairfield seat.

Republicans retain control of Va. Senate By Jeremy M. Lazarus

By Jack White

Please turn to A4

Beginning in March, Richmond Public Schools will provide free dinners to students at eights of its schools in underserved communities. Those students also will be given backpacks containing free meals to take home for the weekend and extended school breaks such as holidays and inclement weather closings. During the summer, those students’ families will get $60 food cards each month to help buy meals for the children. It’s all part of a two-year pilot program designed to end childhood hunger in which Richmond and seven other Virginia school districts were chosen to participate. The 3-6-5 Project to End Childhood Hunger — an initiative championed by Virginia First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe — is funded through an $8.8 million Please turn to A5

Please turn to A4

For more than two hours after the polls closed Tuesday, Democrat Daniel H. Gecker held a commanding 3,000-vote lead and appeared to be headed for victory in the 10th Senate District that includes a chunk of Richmond’s West End and South Side. Then votes from Powhatan County, a Republican stronghold, finally were reported, crushing any hopes the 59-year-old

Graying NAACP rallying to recover from obstacles A session dedicated to the hot-button topic of police community relations at the 80th Annual Convention of the Virginia State Conference NAACP starkly illustrates the dilemma that confronts Linda Thomas, the newly elected president of the venerable civil rights organization. On stage at last weekend’s conference in Richmond sat four high-ranking officials of law enforcement agencies in Richmond, Petersburg and Henrico County. In the audience were roughly 100 NAACP veterans from across the state, almost all in their 50s or older. Only a small handful were teenagers and people in their 20s, the age groups most likely to be caught up in a violent confrontation with police. While the hourlong session was spirited and informative, there was little if any mention of Black Lives Matter, the movement that has electrified a new wave of activism among African-American and other youths across the nation. The sense of disconnection between the graying veterans attending the conference and the passionate protests of young people in the streets was almost palpable. In fact, the only significant mention of the youthful movement during the three-day convention came during a fiery address by TV commentator Roland Martin to the 300 people who attended the convention’s Freedom Fund Banquet on Saturday night. The organization’s leaders are painfully aware of the generational divide and its troubling implications for the future of the NAACP. “We don’t have the kind of soldiers, supporters and workers within the NAACP that we had 30 years ago,” said Jack Gravely, interim executive director of the state conference. “We have missed a generation of young folk by not bringing them in, training them and putting them in leadership positions.” “There’s a void,” adds Mr. Gravely. “You need young legs, young ideas. You need young minds; you need the technology they bring. They would be a tremendous complement to those of us who’ve been out there for a few years. There’s no doubt

businessman and other Democrats had of winning the seat and regaining control of the state Senate. By a more than 3-1 margin, Powhatan voters carried Republican Glen H. Sturtevant Jr. to victory in the battle to replace retiring Sen. John C. Watkins, a GOP stalwart. The final tally from preliminary results: Mr. Sturtevant, 27,659 votes, including 7,317 from Powhatan. That was 1,471 more votes than the 26,188 votes Mr. Gecker received, including 2,205 from Powhatan. Two other candidates in the race, Marleen K. Durfee and Carl R. Loser, received a combined total of 1,663 votes. “From the bottom of my heart, I could not have done this without each and every one of you here and the countless volunteers and supporters from across the area,” Mr. Sturtevant said at his victory party at a West End restaurant. The outcome in this and other races means the state Senate will remain narrowly in Republican hands by a 21-19 margin — a setback for Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who had put his prestige on the line in trying to win back the Senate for his party. Notable results included wins by three Mr. Sturtevant women in the Richmond area who are replacing men in the Senate, Democrat Rosalyn R. Dance, 16th District, and Republican newcomers Amanda F. Chase, 11th District, and Siobhan S. Dunnavant, 12th District. In the contests for the House of Delegates, Republicans maintained their dominance in the lower chamber, but lost their veto-proof majority of 67. Instead, the GOP will have 66 members when the new General Assembly session begins in January. Democrats lost one House seat in Northern Virginia, but picked up two others in that region to increase their total to 34. For Mr. Sturtevant, the Senate win represents a big launch to a promising political career. The 33-year-old lawyer is now in his first term on the Richmond School Board, and his quick move to the state Senate assures him rising star status and opens prospects of future runs for statewide office. At his victory party, he said, “I won’t let you down,” promising to be “a voice and a vote for lower taxes, a more account-

Free dinner for students in pilot program By Joey Matthews

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Cornell W. Brooks makes a point as the national NAACP president addresses a luncheon audience last Saturday during the 80th Annual Convention of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP in Downtown.

Initiative to combat disproportionate school discipline By Jack White

Elijah Coles-Brown, a diminutive but prodigiously precocious fifth-grader, was one of the stars at the Virginia NAACP convention last weekend in Richmond. At the tender age of 11, he already has embarked on a high-profile career as a motivational speaker. Last year, he was also the focus of unwelcome attention as an especially outrageous example of the harsh disciplinary policies that have made Virginia a

Related story on A4

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Gov. Terry McAuliffe, seated center, restores the voting rights of two felons who are rebuilding their lives, Chanté Hamlin, seated left, and Bobby Jack Blevins, seated right, during the state NAACP convention last weekend. Looking on, from left, are interim state NAACP Executive Director Jack Gravely, state Attorney General Mark Herring, outgoing state NAACP President Carmen Taylor and Henrico Delegate Lamont Bagby.

prime example of the school-to-prison pipeline. According to his mother, Elijah was threatened with arrest by a school resource officer after a minor incident of roughhousing with a white student at Three Chopt Elementary School in Henrico County. He has since transferred to another school. His case was prominently featured in a TIME magazine article based on an analysis by the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity, which found that more students in Please turn to A5

Richmond Free Press

November 5-7, 2015

Local News

Richmond Public Schools hires new spokesperson

Leaves blanket the grass at 42nd Street and Stonewall Avenue in South Side — a familiar autumn scene in many areas of Richmond. Rake and blower time has arrived. In a move to save money, the city has pushed back its leaf collection and will limit it to one

Kenita Bowers is the new chief spokesperson for Richmond Public Schools. Ms. Bowers will direct communications efforts for the city’s 45 schools that serve nearly 24,000 students. She began her duties last month, according to Richmond Public Schools ofﬁcials. She comes to Richmond from Isle of Wight County, where she was the director of community engagement, media relations and legislative affairs for Isle of Wight County Schools. In addition to being the primary media contact at RPS, Ms. Bowers will lead the rollout of the “On the Road to Glory” campaign to accentuate the positive achievements of RPS. Ms. Bowers also previously served as the Ms. Bowers community affairs media coordinator and producer for WAVY-TV 10/WVBT Fox43 and was an adjunct professor at Hampton University’s Scripps Howard School of Journalism. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mass media from Hampton University and a master’s degree in public relations from Norfolk State University. Ms. Bowers succeeds Richard Davis III, who resigned from the position after three months on the job. — JOEY MATTHEWS

Cityscape Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

pass. The start date: Monday, Nov. 30. The collections will begin in neighborhoods in the North Side, adjacent to Downtown and in the near West End and continue across the city through early February. The work will be delayed if there are snowfalls.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

November 4 – November 10, 2015

Harvest

City Council Finance Committee recommends hold on property tax rate Take the money. That’s the recommendation of Richmond City Council’s Finance Committee chaired by Councilwoman Kathy C. Graziano, 4th District. At stake is a potential $6 million increase in revenue from the tax on residential and business property — Richmond’s biggest source of income. Property values have risen an average of 3.31 percent this year in the city, meaning that property owners on average will face bigger tax bills if most of the nine-member City Council follows the Finance Committee’s recommendation to hold the current tax rate at $1.20 per $100 of assessed value. The vote is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9. So far, Mayor Dwight C. Jones has stayed Ms. Graziano out of the debate. It’s enticing for the council to maintain the current tax rate at a time when revenues are tight and needs for schools and other budget priorities are growing. As a result of budget cuts the council already has imposed, council members are getting an earful from constituents over the slow pace of services. Pickups of tree limbs and other bulk trash have slowed, leaf collection is being cut back, potholes are taking longer to ﬁll and alley maintenance has been reduced. If, as expected, the council keeps the $1.20 rate intact, that essentially would represent a 3.3-cent increase in the tax rate because of higher average property values — and additional funds. With each penny of tax yielding a bit more than $2 million, the city’s 70,000 property owners collectively would pay an extra $6 million. By way of example, the owner of a house assessed at $100,000 last year would have paid $1,200 in tax. If the house value rose by 3.31 percent, the owner would pay an additional $39.60 in tax this year. By state law, when property values rise more than 1 percent, the city must roll back its tax rate to limit the increase in the property tax rate to no more than 1 percent unless the council votes to approve a higher rate. Proposals to reduce the rate to $1.17, $1.18 and $1.19, as well as one to maintain the $1.20 rate, are up for consideration, though the Finance Committee has recommended striking all the proposals except the one to maintain the $1.20 tax rate. The impact will be far from uniform. For example, assessments for homeowners in the city’s Museum District jumped an average of 63 percent, according to a report from City Assessor James D. Hester. Meanwhile, values of homes in the Riverview-Maymont area two miles away fell by 51 percent. — JEREMY M. LAZARUS

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November 5-7, 2015

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Richmond Free Press

A4 November 5-7, 2015

News

Program aims to dismantle school-to-prison pipeline By Joey Matthews

One hundred and forty-nine students were arrested in Richmond Public Schools during the 2014-15 school year, according to Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham. Of those, 59 were arrested for disorderly conduct, offenses that included not sitting down in class or using profanity toward a teacher, he said. The majority of those students were AfricanAmerican and some faced prosecution and possible time behind bars — a practice known as the school-to-prison pipeline. Now, instead of sending those students and others committing offenses such as larceny, minor vandalism and simple assault straight into the juvenile justice system, the Richmond Police Department is partnering with Richmond Public Schools and other agencies to launch a diversionary program called LIFE. The acronym stands for Law Enforcement Intervention

Focusing on Education. The pilot program is scheduled to begin after the winter holiday, Chief Durham said. It would offer some troubled students who might otherwise become entangled in the criminal justice system the LIFE alternative. “We’re flipping the script, if you will, in how we’re going to deal with our youths,” Chief Durham told School Board members at a recent meeting. “What we want to do is divert before we place charges,” he added. He said officials are working on completing funding for the program. Students would be referred to the program by school administrators, school security, school resource officers and parents. They would attend a 90-minute class once a week for nine weeks. In those classes, they would be taught life skills, including conflict resolution, drug and alcohol awareness, respect for others and about the dangers and consequences of being in a gang.

Initially, a total of 40 students would participate in the program, with 20 attending classes at locations north and south of the James River at yet-to-be-determined sites. Transportation would be provided for students to attend the classes. If students refuse to participate in the program or fail to complete it, then they could still be charged for the original offense. Parents also would be expected to attend three of the sessions. “Parental and family involvement is a key element” to the success of the program, Chief Durham said. A graduation ceremony would be held for those who complete the program. Students who do well in the classes and demonstrate improved behavior would be rewarded with gift cards for food, movies, stores and malls, Chief Durham said. He called the program “unprecedented,”

adding, “I know this is doable.” He said he and other police officers met with RPS officials to lay the groundwork for the program after the Center for Public Integrity released a report last spring that found that more students, including a disparate number of AfricanAmericans, are referred to the police and court systems in Virginia than any other state. The Washington-based nonprofit group found that 15.8 of every 1,000 Virginia students were sent to some part of the criminal justice system during the 2011-12 school year. Chief Durham and Richmond Schools Superintendent Dana T. Bedden said the longterm success of the program is contingent on administrators obtaining funding through new and existing grants and revenue sources. “We’ll all have to scratch and pull pennies from different pots of money,” Dr. Bedden said. “Right now, it’s all hands on deck pitching in to get this going,” he added.

Cooper Republicans retain control of Va. Senate wins seat Continued from A1

Continued from A1

resenting the Varina District on the Henrico School Board, winning 55 percent of the vote to overcome a challenge from the Rev. Ralph S. Hodge, pastor of Second Baptist Church of South Richmond. In other local races of note, Shannon L. Taylor was a Democratic bright spot in Henrico in which a red Republican tide swept most county offices in Tuesday’s election. Ms. Taylor, 47, won her second term as commonwealth’s attorney or chief prosecutor, overcoming a challenge from Republican rival T.H. “Tony” Pham, 42, legal counsel to the Richmond Sheriff’s Office. The only Democratic winner for a countywide office, she piled up big margins in the eastern Fairfield and Varina districts and held her own in more Republican areas to the north to win 56 percent of the vote to 43.7 percent for Mr. Pham. In her victory statement, she thanked voters and promised to continue to ensure “that criminals are behind bars, that those suffering from addiction get treatment, that juveniles have an opportunity to get on the right track and that those with mental illness get the help they need.” Meanwhile, Republican Sheriff Michael L. “Mike” Wade won his fifth term, racking up 64 percent of the vote to defeat challenger James Layne, a Capitol Police lieutenant. Separately, Republican Heidi S. Barshinger defeated Democrat Tinesha M. Jackson to win the race for county Circuit Court clerk to replace the retiring clerk, Yvonne Smith. In races for the Henrico Board of Supervisors, Democrat Frank J. Thornton, 74, easily won a sixth term representing the Fairfield District. The retired Virginia Union University French professor won by a nearly 4-1 margin over his challenger, real estate broker John Dantzler, who ran as an independent. The only other Democrat, the Rev. Tyrone E. Nelson, pastor of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church in Richmond, was unopposed for a second term representing the Varina District. However, Republicans overcame challenges in two other districts to maintain party control of the five-member board. The third Republican, Patricia O’Bannon, was unopposed in the Tuckahoe District. In Chesterfield County, Democrat James M. “Jim” Holland, 63, won a third term representing the Dale District on the Board of Supervisors. The owner of an accounting business, Mr. Holland won 60 percent of the vote to fend off a challenge from Republican G. Cliff Bickford. With Republicans sweeping the other four seats, Mr. Holland, the lone AfricanAmerican on the board, also will be the lone Democrat when the board is sworn in in January.

able government and education reform.” Mr. Gecker could only consider what might have been for him. The developer has served two terms on the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors and two terms on the county Planning Commission. He waited until around 11 a.m. Wednesday morning to concede the election. He congratulated Mr. Sturtevant “for his win in a close and hard-fought campaign. I believe deeply that the issues we ran on will, in time, reflect the majority of voters in this area — especially health care, equal access to education and finding ways to end gun violence.” While Powhatan sealed his fate, a review shows Mr. Gecker actually lost because too many Richmond voters sat out the election. Mr. Gecker won the city by a 2-1 margin, 12,946 votes to Mr. Sturtevant’s 5,768 votes, according to state Department of Elections preliminary results. However, only 36 percent of Richmond’s 52,635 voters in the district cast ballots, compared with 39.4 percent in Chesterfield, which went to Mr. Sturtevant by 3,500 votes, and 52 percent in Powhatan, which went to Mr. Sturtevant by 5,100 votes. Based on his city margin, Mr. Gecker would have offset the

Powhatan vote and narrowly won if at least 41 percent of Richmond voters went to the polls, or about 2,000 more people than the 19,177 who actually did. Meanwhile, Democrats can celebrate holding on to retiring Sen. Chuck Colgan’s seat in Northern Virginia. There, Democrat Jeremy McPike, director of general services for the City of Alexandria, held off a furious charge from Republican businessman Harry J. “Hal” Parrish. New Sen. Lynwood W. Lewis Jr., D-Accomack, also helped the Democratic cause in winning his first full term over Republican challenger Richard Ottinger in the 6th Senate District in Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore. Gary McCollum cost the Democrats when he misrepresented his military record, an issue that helped vulnerable incumbent Sen. Frank W. Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, to win re-election in the 7th Senate District. For some, Election Night was easy. That was the case for Petersburg Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance, who waltzed to victory. Her opponent, lawyer Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey, had withdrawn from the contest, although his name was still on the ballot. “I am very pleased and humbled,” Sen. Dance said after winning by a 3-1 margin and capturing all six localities

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Democratic candidate Daniel H. Gecker, seated center, talks with supporters Tuesday night at a Shockoe Bottom restaurant while awaiting late election results from Powhatan County. With the county last and late to report, Mr. Gecker conceded the 10th Senate District race on Wednesday to Republican Glen H. Sturtevant Jr., a Richmond School Board member.

in the 16th Senate District, including Richmond’s East End and South Side. Sen. Dance, who had replaced former Sen. Henry L. Marsh III of Richmond, praised the volunteers and supporters who assisted her and promised to fight for an increase in the state’s minimum wage and to be “a voice for my bosses — the people of the six localities that I represent.” Meanwhile in the 11th Senate District, Ms. Chase, who upset veteran Sen. Stephen Martin in the Republican primary for the Chesterfield seat, easily overcame a challenge from Democrat E. Wayne Powell to secure her first term. In the 12th Senate District, Dr. Dunnavant defeated Democrat Deborah M. Repp and independent candidate Robert “Scott” Johnson to claim her first term

in the Henrico-Hanover Senate seat Walter Stosch is giving up after 24 years in office. Incumbents won most of the other area races, including two members of the Richmond delegation to the General Assembly. Democratic Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan cruised by independent Stephen J. Imholt to win her sixth term representing the 71st District, while Republican Delegate G.M. “Manoli” Loupassi won his fourth term representing the 68th District by again defeating Democrat Bill K. Grogan and independent candidate Michael K. Dickinson. Four other members of Richmond’s General Assembly delegation were unopposed for new terms: Henrico state Sen. A. Donald McEachin, and Delegates Betsy B. Carr, 69th District; Delores L. McQuinn,

70th District; and Lamont Bagby, 74th District. Delegate Bagby’s challenger, David Lambert, had his name on the ballot, but had withdrawn from the contest. Meanwhile, Democrat Sheila Bynum-Coleman fell short in her long-shot bid to unseat Republican veteran Delegate Riley E. Ingram in the 62nd District. He was elected to his 13th term in the district that includes parts of Chesterfield and Henrico counties. In the Petersburg area, Lashrecse D. Aird, a former chief of staff to Sen. Dance, was unopposed in winning her first term for the 63rd House District. She will take the seat of Joe Preston, who gave up the delegate seat to unsuccessfully challenge Sen. Dance in a Democratic primary last summer.

Graying NAACP rallying to recover from obstacles Continued from A1

his position. At 24, Mr. Dillard was elected president of the Norfolk branch, making him the youngest in the state and among ing the percentage of unmarried adults now the youngest branch presidents exceeds the percentage of those who are. The in the nation. most recent data indicates only 44 percent of Even Mr. Gravely is a repeat adults are married, the smallest percentage ever, performer. He first served as meaning a majority of adults either live alone Virginia’s NAACP executive or live with someone out of wedlock. director from 1976 until 1985, In other issues, delegates called on the state when he resigned to work as a to restore full funding for public schools and to special assistant to the Arlington bar judges and prosecutors from owning stock County manager. He went on in companies that manage or operate jail and to become the first director of prison facilities. diversity at the Federal ComHowever, the delegates did not consider any munications Commission, a resolutions concerning special needs children special assistant to the late and concerns about their rights being violated national NAACP Executive by public schools. Director Benjamin L. Hooks Four people demonstrated outside the state and assistant to the president NAACP convention Friday and Saturday seekof National Public Radio for ing to raise the issue, claiming a lack of action affirmative action. on the part of the state NAACP. — JEREMY Though Ms. Thomas and M. LAZARUS other leaders of the state NAACP agree that Mr. Gravely has performed impressively around the state continued.” In some ways Ms. Thomas’ elec- in a difficult role, his future with the tion — and Mr. Gravely’s selection organization remains unclear. “We need to restore operations and as interim executive director — are powerful signs of the state conference’s management to fully staffed levels and inability to enlist fresh new leadership. carry out the agenda set by the memThe self-described, full-time volunteer bership,” says Ms. Thomas. “I certainly activist from Bowling Green already has think that some reorganization, some served two terms as state conference reprioritization and some rethinking of president, from 2003 to 2007, a term as how we operate and how we use social state secretary in 2013, and as director media are in order.” The sooner those tasks are completed of administration in 2014. As director of administration, she helped to re-open the the better, NAACP members say, because state office last year before being ousted African-Americans in Virginia still face in April by the Executive Committee, enormous challenges, from battling racially discriminatory school discipline her contract not renewed. “Re-electing her is a back to the future policies to restoring the civil and voting move,” said a 40-something NAACP rights of more than 200,000 Africanmember from Northern Virginia. As the American felons to eliminating police Free Press has reported, she was little heard brutality. It’s a task, said Mr. Gravely, that will require the best efforts from all from during her previous posts. Ms. Thomas won the weekend elec- generations of black Virginians, not only the graying veterans of the NAACP. tion by two votes. “We can’t afford to get comfortable, Two other statewide officers, Treasurer Sylvia Wood of Richmond and Secretary reading the press releases about our LaSalle J. McCoy of Chesterfield, are victories in the past,” he said. “We’ve also holdovers. Only Vice President Joe come a long way, but we’ve still got a W. Dillard Jr., 26, of Norfolk is new in long way to go.”

NAACP delegates approve resolutions

about it.” Ms. Thomas said, “We really Gay people would be protected from disneed to find a way to connect with crimination on the job and in their personal lives the 20-somethings and 30-someif the Virginia State NAACP has its way. things. Their focus needs to be Delegates to the civil rights organization’s our strategic focus.” 80th state convention voted Sunday to urge Officials said they wanted to Gov. Terry McAuliffe to expand civil rights include representatives of Black law to add sexual orientation to the categories Lives Matter in the session but that now include race, color, religion, gender where unable to connect with and national origin. them. The state NAACP has supported previous The need for youthful enunsuccessful efforts in the General Assembly ergy and social media savvy to extend civil rights protections to gay state is all too evident. The state employees, but this apparently is the first time NAACP’s website is out of date the group has gone on record. and contains no information In another resolution, the delegates also about the state convention. The urged state and local governments and private latest posting on the organizacompanies to extend health insurance and tion’s Facebook page is dated other benefits to people living together as a March 23, 2010, more than five couple, whether gay or straight. years ago. The resolution reflects Census data showSuch technological snafus are among the reasons why many delegates complain about are sound, but he would not provide any a lack of effective communication from numbers to support his claim. the organization’s leadership to its rank A widespread dissatisfaction with the and file. That problem became much state conference’s malaise was clearly worse, some delegates say, because of a major factor in Ms. Thomas’ defeat internal disarray that erupted after the of previous state NAACP President former state executive director, King Carmen Taylor of Hampton, who was Salim Khalfani, was ousted by the seeking re-election. board in early 2014 for reasons that “Linda has the leadership skills we have never been publicly explained. need to get back on track,” said one The organization went without an NAACP insider. “There have been too executive director until Mr. Gravely, many times recently when the NAACP the host of a lively Richmond radio was AWOL — absent without leadertalk show, agreed in April to serve for ship — on important issues. She won’t a year while a permanent replacement let that continue.” is recruited. Ms. Thomas, too, disputes the wideSince then, said Mr. Gravely, he has spread perception that the state conferfocused on reopening the state NAACP ence has been adrift since Mr. Khalfani’s office and rebuilding the membership’s departure. morale. “The oversight of the Executive Com“We just opened the state office again mittee continued along with the advocacy, about six months ago after it was closed lobbying and fundraising efforts of the for over a year,” said Mr. Gravely. “We’re units and branches,” Ms. Thomas said. getting back up and running. We’re not “Those workers at the unit level are the ready for the 100-yard dash, but we are heartbeat of the Virginia State Conferdoing better than just walking.” ence NAACP. Despite the closure of the He says that membership is strong office and the challenges of staffing, the and that the state conference’s finances work of both the state office and the units

Richmond Free Press

November 5-7, 2015 A5

Local News

Historic inauguration at UR

Dr. Ronald A. Crutcher, center, receives the sterling silver Presidential Chain of Office at the University of Richmond from President Emeritus Edward L. Ayers and Dr. Kristine A. Nolin, university marshal and associate professor of chemistry. With his wife, Dr. Betty Crutcher, right, and daughter Sara proudly in attendance, Dr. Crutcher was inaugurated Oct. 30 as UR’s 10th president. He is the first African-American to lead the private, liberal arts university since it was founded in 1830. Events included an inaugural luncheon, a symposium on equity in higher education and a homecoming concert. Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

City schools’ All-City Jazz concert Nov. 5

Richmond Public Schools is hosting its second annual All-City Jazz Concert at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Richmond CenterStage, 600 E. Grace St. in Downtown. The concert is open to the public without charge and will feature about 20 students from city high schools, according to a RPS release. Acclaimed jazz gospel trumpeter Syreeta Thompson, known as “The Trumpet Lady,” also will perform. The concert will feature such jazz favorites as “Memphis Blues,” “Night in Tunisia,” “Little Sunflower” and “Talk is Cheap.” Prior to the concert, Ms. Thompson will hold a master class with students. The performance can be viewed online at www. richmondcenterstage. com/content/richmondcenterstage-live-streamingevent.

Pilot program to provide free dinner for students Continued from A1

grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Richmond Schools Assistant Superintendent Tommy Kranz told School Board members at Monday’s work session at City Hall that about 6,000

Continued from A1

Virginia are referred to the police and court system than in any other state and that African-American, special needs and disabled students are disproportionately affected. That report, published in April, sparked widespread outrage from organizations such as the NAACP and deeply embarrassed public officials in the Old Dominion, including Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Last Friday, the governor chose the 80th Annual Convention of the Virginia State Conference NAACP in Richmond as the venue for announcing a new initiative designed to dramatically decrease student suspensions, expulsions and

Free Press wire report

COLUMBIA, S.C. The 16-year-old African-American female student who was violently slammed, tossed and dragged across a classroom floor by a white school resource officer suffered multiple injuries during the incident, her attorney said. Todd Rutherford told The New York Daily News last week that his client suffered injuries to her face, neck and arm during the Oct. 26 incident at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, S.C., that also resulted in her arm being put in a cast. Conflicting reports circulated, including comments from Mr. Rutherford, about whether the student recently was orphaned and lives in foster care. On Monday, Richland County, S.C., school officials said the 16-year-old and Niya Kenny, 18, who also was arrested after she intervened on behalf of her classmate, would not face school discipline and were free to return to class. Mr. Rutherford did not say if the teenager plans to return to school. However, Ms. Kenny has no intention of going back to Spring Valley High, attorney Simone R. Martin said. “Her family is considering other options at this time, but has not made a final decision with regard to her future education plans,” she said. Both students still face criminal misdemeanor charges of disturbing schools. Cellphone videos captured by students in the classroom that went viral show former Sheriff’s Department Officer Ben Fields flipping the teenager backward to the ground in her desk, then tossing her several feet across the classroom. One video shows the girl striking at the officer as he grabs her. School officials said the classroom teacher and an administrator asked the officer to remove the student from class after she looked at her cellphone during class and refused their orders to leave the room. Mr. Fields was fired two days after the incident. The unidentified school administrator who called the officer is on paid leave, school district spokesperson Libby Roof said. The mathematics teacher, who also was not identified by school officials, has been moved to another class, she added. A substitute teacher handling the math class is expected to continue in that role until the civil rights investigations underway by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office are finished, Ms. Roof said.

referrals to law enforcement. The new approach, titled “Classrooms not Courtrooms,” will put special emphasis on reducing police referrals for nonwhite and disabled students. “The disproportionate use of school discipline on African-Americans and students with disabilities is totally unacceptable here in Virginia,” Gov. McAuliffe declared. “We cannot have our schools viewed as hostile environments where children are branded as criminals.” He said state Secretary of Education Anne B. Holton and Brian J. Moran, state secretary of public safety and homeland security, will begin working with local schools officials around the state to create new training programs for police officers who are assigned to schools.

The governor wants schools to curb their reliance on subjective offenses such as disorderly conduct, which has resulted in arrests in some cases for such minor infractions as refusing to sit down in class. Such efforts already are underway in several Richmond area school systems. In Richmond, officials are working on a diversion program whose goal is to keep youngsters charged with minor offenses in class instead of pushing them into the juvenile justice system. Henrico County has moved away from the zero-tolerance policy that got Elijah into hot water. “I’m glad these changes are taking place. I didn’t do anything wrong, but I was made to feel unsafe by the people at my school. No child should ever have to feel that way,” Elijah said.

by the U.S.D.A. School Board Vice Chair Kristen Larson, 4th District, called the program “very exciting,” but said she was concerned providing the meals at the end of the school day could “seep into our academic day.” Mr. Kranz said officials are still formulating the logistics of when and how to dispense the meals to the students. He said options included feeding them late in the school day or packing the meals so the students could eat them on their buses or at home. Richmond Public Schools already provides free breakfast and lunch to all of its nearly 24,000 students through the federal program known as the Community Eligibility Provision. Separately, Mr. Kranz also said the first-ever installation of salad bars at 20 schools should be completed by mid-December. On Tuesday, RPS launched its “Be There” campaign to inspire more parents to get involved in their children’s educational efforts. For more information: web.richmond. k12.va.us/AboutRPS/BeThereRPS. aspx.

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Initiative to combat school discipline

Injuries plague S.C. student hurt by school officer

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Editorial Page

November 5-7, 2015

Post-election download The voters have spoken, and we congratulate the winners of Tuesday’s General Assembly elections and local contests in Metro Richmond. With Democrats losing in several key state Senate races, Republicans will retain control of the upper chamber of the state legislature. Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, will have his work cut out for him during the remaining two years of his term. The Republican-controlled General Assembly has shot down many of his progressive initiatives in the past, including expansion of medical coverage for the most vulnerable and uninsured in the state and common sense gun control efforts. January ushers in a critical session of the General Assembly because the state’s biennial budget will be considered. Where we put our money reflects our priorities. And we urge all lawmakers — Democrats and Republicans alike — to work together for the highest good of the people of Virginia, including the least of those. Health care, or the lack of it, can devastate families emotionally and financially. Expanding Medicaid to cover thousands of now uninsured Virginians would boost the health and health outcomes for scores of people, bring hundred of millions of federal dollars into the state and ease the burden of compensated care now shouldered by hospitals across the commonwealth. Having the federalstate program cover the uninsured would be a win-win for everyone involved. We also look to the governor to continue to find avenues by which he can skirt the obstacles to progress and continue to make positive change in Virginia.

Voting, change and school discipline In this space, we often sound a clarion call about voting and the impact of even a single vote. With that in mind, we call your attention to the Henrico School Board contest in the Fairfield District. In that squeaker of a race, the Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III won by a mere 48 votes. We look forward to Rev. Cooper’s service on the School Board, particularly the tough questions he can raise and the change his leadership can usher in. And we hope that his opponents, Tara Adams, the Rev. Marcus D. Martin and write-in candidate Pierre Green, will roll up their sleeves and work with him to address the school system’s crucial issues, chiefly to equalize funding for services and facilities in Eastern Henrico and to end disparate discipline for students of color and disabled students across the county. Change starts at the ballot box. But it takes many pulling together in the same direction to make it happen. Our children are too important, and their needs too great, to tank this opportunity because of large egos, petty rivalries or hurt feelings. The cellphone video of the vile takedown last week of a 16-year-old student at Spring Valley High School in South Carolina by a school resource officer showed the world the uncut, unfiltered cruelty meted out on children of color each day in schools across America. It also underscored the urgent necessity for school board members and sincere, untiring advocates to map a cohesive strategy in Henrico, Richmond, Chesterfield and across the state to shut down the school-to-prison pipeline. Virginia has been called out in a recent national investigation by the Center for Public Integrity for having the highest rate of children — children — being treated like criminals and turned over to the police and courts for minor incidents at schools. Henrico County was one of the locales highlighted — or more truthfully, shamed — for handing their students over to police for incidents that traditionally were handled by teachers and principals. Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham recently noted that of the 149 students arrested during the 2014-15 school year, 59 were for disorderly conduct, such as not sitting down when told or using profanity toward a teacher. We are turning our children into criminals. While they need discipline, jailing is not the lesson they need. We are criminalizing them for our own failure as parents, teachers and administrators. And we are causing permanent damage to many youngsters whose lives can be misshapen forever by treatment and punishment totally out of line with the infraction. We applaud Gov. McAuliffe and his special ops team — state Education Secretary Anne B. Holton and state Public Safety Secretary Brian J. Moran — who are seeking to change this detrimental pattern. The governor’s initiatives announced at the state NAACP convention last weekend are a solid first step, particularly better training for school resource officers. We also strongly support the collaboration between Chief Durham and Richmond Schools Superintendent Dana T. Bedden to tackle the problem in Richmond with a diversion program for students called LIFE. While we’d like to see another acronym used — this one has criminal connotations — we hope School Board members and child advocates alike will monitor the progress.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Historical stereotypes feed unequal treatment In 2011, Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, executive director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, published his book, “The Condemnation of Blackness.” I would suggest it as required reading for anyone interested in historical dynamics that have led to our contemporary position of asserting that Black Lives Matter. Dr. Muhammad sat for an interview with noted journalist Bill Moyer. He gave his insight on why, from the inception of the Republic to the present, African-Americans were the recipients of disparate and unjust treatment. He said: “Thomas Jefferson penned ‘Notes on the State of Virginia’ in 1787, which was … one of the first scientific arguments for why black people should be treated differently from whites, by virtue of their racial inferiority. “In other words, the scientific notion that black people were fundamentally different, whether it was in hair texture or in body

odor, which is all part of Thomas Jefferson’s analysis, gave birth to the enduring justification that even in America, even in a place that represented a tradition of republicanism in the world, the first modern democracy, that

E. Faye Williams you could actually reconcile freedom and slavery, as long as the people who were enslaved were not equal citizens, were not made of the stuff of equal humanity.” Later in that interview, he discussed his understanding of law enforcement and criminal justice in the United States: “It tells you something about the invention of the criminal justice system as a repressive tool to keep black people in their place .... It’s still with us, because ultimately, as a social problem, crime has become like it was in the Jim Crow South, a mechanism to control black people’s movement in cities.” As I reflected on the treatment of the black teen at the hands of the South Carolina deputy, my thoughts went back to that interview. I grieved in the thought that, in the face of

overwhelming evidence, a significant portion of our population cannot see the disparate and, frequently unjustified, brutal treatment of African-Americans in circumstances that would have elicited an altogether different response had the “suspect” been white. Regardless of the infraction, I challenge any reasonable adult to justify the excessive force used by former Officer Ben Fields to gain control in that classroom. I challenge any adult, black or white, to imagine the same force used against a similarly situated white female teen. What is all too clear, in our society, is that all black people have been stereotyped and characterized by too many law enforcement officials as dangerous criminals. Without regard for age or gender, black people are perceived as lethal threats to public order and to law enforcement officials. Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner and Michael Brown stand in evidence of this fact. Without regard to whom he dated, the important questions are, “What thought process did Officer Fields use to justify his actions against that teenage girl? Was he in such fear for his life

Controlling our own story In war, one of the first things the enemy does is destroy his adversary’s ability to communicate within its ranks. Chaos likely ensues if a fighting force cannot communicate internally. Individual soldiers end up doing their own thing, left to their own devices. They make decisions based on their individual situations and in their individual interests. This allows the enemy to come in and pick them off one by one, using false information and propaganda, instilling fear of being captured or killed, or by making the individual feel abandoned and left with no hope of victory. If the ability to communicate is maintained within a fighting force, it strengthens the group and provides confidence, assurance, and cohesion. Considering our penchant for sound bites, 140-character tweets and listening to great speeches but not analyzing them and taking appropriate action, communication among black folks has largely been reduced to little more than noise. And it’s getting worse. Black newspapers used to be our main communication organ. But as the demand for electronic access to news has increased, newspapers have nearly become obsolete in some circles. Books also were a great source of communication. But now we are so intellectually lazy that books have become passé and just something to brag about having on our bookshelves. Now we rely on Twitter and Facebook for our news.

in 2013, up 8 percent from the 38 they owned in 2011.” The point here is the necessity for black people to own more communications outlets in order to control and disseminate pertinent information to black people. How? Establish syndicates that could purchase more outlets; form an alliance of affluent and conscious black James Clingman people to purchase communications outlets and produce programs to empower rather large degree. Black ownership of radio than dumb-down black people. stations has drastically de- Increase support of black-owned creased in the past 20 years. media and their advertisers by Aside from a couple of great black consumers; leverage the black-owned Internet wire support of black readers, listenservices, black-oriented sites ers and viewers of black media are not black owned. And two by insisting on more than just of the three longstanding black mind-numbing, idiotic portraymagazines, Essence and Ebony, als of black folks. These simple have been reduced to fashion tactics could strengthen our lines and entertainment, leaving of communications. Accessibility, accountability Black Enterprise to carry the load of informing black folks and acceptability are essential elements to a strong and relevant on economic issues. According to a June 2014 arti- media presence within black cle in TV News Check, “Whites society. Most of us understand owned 1,070 full-power com- and even admit we are in a war, mercial TV stations in 2013, behind enemy lines, and fighting up 14 percent from the 935 for respect and empowerment. they owned in 2011. Racial That being the case, why are we minorities owned 41 of the content with having our lines of U.S.’s 1,386 full-power com- communication controlled by mercial TV stations in 2013, others? If we are reluctant to up 32 percent from the 31 they acquire more conscious media owned in 2011 — but only nine outlets, the least we can do is hold of those stations were owned those who purport to be “black by African-Americans during media” accountable by refusing 2013, down 18 percent from to accept the trashy caricatures the 11 they owned two years of black people and the negapreviously, according to a study tive portrayals of black life that of station ownership released by bombard us every day. Without control of commuthe FCC…” The FCC report also found nications, an army is severely that “Asians owned 19 full- handicapped. We had better get power TV stations in 2013, up 73 rid of our negative channels of percent from the 11 they owned communications, shore up the in 2011. Hispanics or Latinos positive ones and create more owned 42 full power TV stations of our own. Newspapers, radio, Internet, and television are the four dominant means of communications today. Black people still own a few hundred newspapers, many of which are struggling from week to week because black folks do not subscribe nor do black businesses buy ads to any

The Free Press welcomes letters Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Sheila Anderson casts her ballot Tuesday at her polling place at Thirty-first Street Baptist Church in the East End.

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

that he could rationalize throwing her across the room like a rag doll?” There seems to be no plausible answer to either question. Fortunately, the student didn’t suffer any life-threatening injuries. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about potentially life-altering injuries to her psyche. Lest we ignore her classmates, we must anticipate that this was a life-changing experience for them, as well. Foreshadowing where society is today, Dr. Muhammad spoke with great enlightenment: “Why race matters today ... is really about saving black people. And this is a colorblind public safety agenda because no white community in America would tolerate this kind of treatment in the name of public safety in its communities, period.” “There’s no moment in time … where race is not a primary factor in the treatment of black people.” We must stop tolerating this kind of behavior! Dr. Williams is national president of the National Congress of Black Women Inc.

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Richmond Free Press

November 5-7, 2015

Letters to the Editor

Virginia needs plan to address environmental injustices For decades, civil rights activists in the United States have fought systemic injustices in many forms by calling out discrimination and unequal treatment under the law. While there’s still much work to be done, there has been laudable progress made. Nonetheless, many low-income communities and people of color experience a form of social inequality often overlooked — the quality of air we breathe. While pollution affects nearly everyone, environmental health experts and community activists have drawn attention to the fact that pollution is not evenly distributed in society. Research has shown that low-income and communities of color are more likely to live near air-polluting power plants and heavy traffic areas and therefore are more likely to be overburdened by unhealthy and toxic air emissions. According to the American Lung Association, nearly half of Americans live in counties that have unhealthy levels of dirty air. And those living under the shadows of smokestacks and breathing the worst air anywhere in this country are disproportionately people of color. The NAACP found that almost 40 percent of the 6 million Americans living in close proximity to a coal plant are people of color, while a separate study found that 68 percent of AfricanAmericans live within 30 miles of a polluting coal-fired plant.

These power plants release dangerous toxins into the air, including ozone, particulate matter and mercury that put newborns and the elderly in grave danger. Coal plants also are the leading source of carbon pollution, a key contributor to climate change. Environmental science and health experts overwhelmingly consider climate change the greatest environmental threat we face. If we don’t limit the amount of carbon pollution pumped into the air, we will see more storms like Hurricane Katrina, more severe droughts like the one currently crippling California and higher temperatures that boost smog levels and trigger asthma attacks. Like pollution, these impacts will not be felt equally. The Environmental Justice movement has highlighted the importance of the relationship between social justice and environmental quality, and this movement can play an important role in Virginia. Some potentially good news is that the Environmental Protection Agency recently issued the Clean Power Plan, which places the first-ever federal limits on carbon pollution for power plants. While not without its limitations, the Clean Power Plan is nonetheless the biggest step the United States has ever taken to address climate change, with each state taking responsibility to be part of a broader solution. It also is one of the most important actions we’ve taken to reverse the long-standing trend

of environmental injustice. We helped organize an environmental justice panel Oct. 26 at the University in Richmond, in a city that has been named the No.1 asthma capital in the nation for four out of the last six years. We shared stories about pollution in our community and grappled with the reality that, sadly, there is no current robust environmental justice movement here to tackle these issues. Sharing space, discussion and engagement with people in the Richmond community helped us confirm what we already knew: Folks are concerned about environmental justice issues and want to do something about them. We urge Virginia to start clearing the air by developing a plan that will fully address the environmental justice concerns in the Clean Power Plan. Gov. Terry McAuliffe already has made it clear that Virginia will develop a plan to reduce carbon pollution and create new jobs by buoying the fast-growing clean energy sector. There’s no time to waste. Reducing pollution and working to address climate change is our moral imperative, with consequences that will play out where we live, work and play. We believe that fighting environmental injustice can — and must — be part of the larger struggle to ensure voting rights, fair pay, affordable health care and the other hallmarks of equality. What we need — and urgently — is clean air for all.

Medicare open enrollment runs through Dec. 7

DR. MARY FINLEY-BROOK Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment University of Richmond

Earlier this year, Medicare celebrated its 50th anniversary. For half a century, older Americans and other beneficiaries have set out each fall to choose their Medicare coverage for the year ahead. Nearly 53,000 people in the Richmond area are part of this annual rite of passage for Medicare beneficiaries. During the summer, we asked 1,000 older adults to share their perspectives on the milestones in Medicare’s evolution that have been the most meaningful as part of a survey called the Medicare Made Clear Index. Their top three milestones? The addition of coverage for preventive services coupled with annual wellness visits was the most popular choice, selected by 17 percent of respondents. Prescription drug coverage was the runner-up, chosen by 14 percent of survey respondents. The ability to access Medicare coverage through private health plans came in a close third with 13 percent of respondents. The more than 19 million Americans who were the first to enroll in Medicare back in 1965 had just one simple choice to make — to sign up or not. The open enrollment experience is vastly different

DR. TRAVIS L. WILLIAMS Environmental Sociologist Richmond

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for today’s beneficiaries, who have many options to consider, thanks in large part to those milestones that broadened the scope of available plans, benefits and services. While the options mean that beneficiaries are able to select a plan or combination of plans suited to their unique health and budget needs, navigating through them during the open enrollment period can sometimes feel overwhelming. People should know that resources are available to

make the process of shopping for Medicare coverage easier to manage. For example, the Plan Finder on Medicare.gov is a great tool for comparing competing plans. In Richmond, Senior Connections, the Capital Area Agency on Aging also can help. As Medicare celebrates its golden anniversary, I encourage Richmond beneficiaries to pay tribute to this important program by taking full advantage of open enrollment that runs through Dec. 7.

Explore your options and choose Medicare coverage that will support your health and financial goals in 2016. STEVE KING Nashua, N.H. The writer is the CEO of United Healthcare Medicare and Retirement Northeast.

QUAN WILLIAMS Policy Associate New Virginia Majority KENDYL CRAWFORD Conservation Program Co-coordinator Virginia Chapter, Sierra Club

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Main Street (Route 5) Bridge Replacement over Railroad City of Richmond Willingness to Hold a Public Hearing

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is proposing a bridge replacement of the Main St. (Rt. 5) bridge over the Norfolk Southern railroad. The road will be closed and a detour will be in place during construction. Review project information at VDOT’s Richmond District Office located at 2430 Pine Forest Drive in Colonial Heights, 23834-9002, 804-5246000, 1-800-367-7623, or TTY/TDD 711. Please call ahead to ensure the availability of appropriate personnel to answer your questions. If your concerns cannot be satisfied, VDOT is willing to hold a public hearing. You may request that a public hearing be held by sending a written request to Joe Fecek, P.E., project manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond District, 2430 Pine Forest Drive, Colonial Heights, VA 23834-9002 or Joe.Fecek@VDOT.virginia.gov on or prior to November 16, 2015. If a request for a public hearing is received, notice of the date, time and place of the hearing will be posted. 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 have questions or concerns about your civil rights in regards to this project or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact the project manager listed above. State Project: 0005-127-957,P101, B630, C501, R201

Richmond Free Press

A8 November 5-7, 2015

Sports

Stories by Fred Jeter

VUU, VSU clash on Saturday

Panthers eyeing tournament bids

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

World Gymnastics champion Simone Biles, left, and second place winner Gabby Douglas show off their medals after the women’s all-around final competition Oct. 29 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Simone Biles wins 3rd world championship Free Press wire report GLASGOW, Scotland Simone Biles reigns as the queen of gymnastics. The 18-year-old American continued her dominance by winning her third straight world championship, beating Olympic champion and teammate Gabby Douglas last week at the gymnastic competition in Glasgow. Biles is the first woman to win the all-around title three years in a row at the world championships. The only other three-time winner, Romania’s Larisa Iordache, did not win in consecutive years. Biles looked more vulnerable this year. She took a step on her vault landing — where she normally sticks — and had a bobble on the balance beam. But her mistakes were so minor and the difficulty of her routines so great, no one could catch her. Again. Biles scored 60.388 to edge out Douglas, 19, by 1.083 points for the overall title. It was her biggest margin of victory in any of her three titles. Iordache scored 59.10 to take the bronze. The victory added to Biles’ reputation as the best ever. The Columbus, Ohio, native left Scotland with four gold medals (team, all-around, floor and beam) to go with a bronze on the vault — boosting her world championship medals to 14, the most ever by an American woman, and her gold medal total to 10, the most for a female gymnast. “I just keep blowing my own mind because, yes, there are goals that I have and then I dream of it and then I make it a reality,” Biles said of her victory. Douglas, meanwhile, became the first reigning Olympic all-around champion to win a medal in the world championships since the Soviet Union’s Elena Davydova in 1981.

In Hollywood, where movies are made and fantasy thrives, it is common for underdogs to overcome impossible odds to triumph and celebrate. But Richmond isn’t Hollywood. And football in Central Virginia isn’t fiction. And endings aren’t necessarily happy ones. The cold, hard facts are that Richmond’s five public high schools have struggled mightily on the gridiron this autumn, mostly against much larger schools. Starting this week, the RVA-5 had a combined record of two wins and 36 losses against non-Richmond opponents. Few games are close. The five schools have been outscored by 1,060 points — 1,614 to 554 — heading into the 10th week of a disturbing season. And it could be worse. Often, a “running clock” is implemented in the second half to shorten games and lessen the anguish. Background: For decades, Richmond schools competed in districts against county schools with considerably higher enrollments. Armstrong, and previously John F. Kennedy high schools, were in the Capital District with schools in Eastern Henrico and Hanover counties. John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson high schools were in the Colonial District with Western Henrico County

All goals remain possible for Virginia Union University as it prepares for its final regular season football game Saturday against Virginia State University in Ettrick. The Panthers can still win the CIAA Northern Division championship with a victory over the Trojans at Rogers Stadium, coupled with a Bowie State University loss at Elizabeth City State University. That set of results could send VUU to the CIAA Championship Game on Nov. 14 in Durham, N.C., against either Winston-Salem State or Fayetteville State universities. VUU’s CIAA opportunities improved this week when athletic conference officials revealed more about “nullifications” and how they may impact the procedure of determining champions. It also was clarified that in football, unlike in basketball, a team’s overall CIAA record takes precedence over the CIAA division record. In addition to conference opportunities, VUU remains a contender for the NCAA Division II playoffs that commence Nov. 21. The Panthers are ranked seventh in the latest NCAA Division II Super Region 1 poll. The top seven teams advance to the playoffs. VUU, now 7-2 overall, 5-1 in the CIAA and 3-1 in the CIAA Northern Division, kept pace last week, defeating Elizabeth City State University 43-31 at Hovey Field.

In North Carolina, VSU rallied from 15 points down in the second half to defeat Chowan University 32-28 last Saturday. With the victory, VSU’s record improved to 6-3 overall, 4-2 in the CIAA and 3-1 in the CIAA Northern Division. Meanwhile, Bowie State routed Lincoln University 57-3 to become 8-1 overall, 6-0 in the CIAA and 4-0 in the CIAA Northern Division. Bowie State has defeated both VUU and VSU, but the Bulldogs’ status remains dicey due to five games played with an ineligible player, quarterback Matt Goggans. While no official ruling has been made by either the CIAA or the NCAA, it is possible Bowie State’s CIAA wins over Livingstone College and Johnson C. Smith University will be nullified as opposed to forfeited. According to NCAA.org regarding Division II, a clean victory counts as 1.0 for purposes of calculating a school’s winning percentage. Nullification of a game reduces a victory to 0.023 of a full-fledged victory. If Bowie State wins this Saturday at Elizabeth City State, then Bowie State appears to have the Northern Division title clinched even if VUU wins this Saturday. A Bowie State loss and VUU victory would send the Northern Division title decision to a series of tiebreakers.

Virginia Union University’s Jerome Robinson breaks away from an Elizabeth City State University defender in the Panthers’ 43-31 home win last Saturday at Hovey Field.

James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Games Saturday, Nov. 7 Virginia Union University at Virginia State University, 2 p.m. kickoff, Rogers Stadium in Ettrick Bowie State University at Elizabeth City State University, 1 p.m. Chowan University at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, 1 p.m.

Adrian Ferguson, CIAA associate commissioner of media relations, said he does not see any set of circumstances that would make VSU the division champ, even if VSU defeats VUU. The first criterion for breaking a tie is a team’s overall CIAA winning percentage based on seven conference games. Ferguson says the CIAA will not make any specific rulings until Bowie State turns in a full report regarding Goggans. Bowie State has until its final scheduled game on Nov. 7 to file that information, according to Ferguson, who noted “penalties and fines” are a possibility. VUU is trying to reduce a complicated situation to a manageable goal. “We’re trying to keep tunnel vision. All that matters to us right now is winning the game Saturday at Virginia State,” said VUU second-year Coach Mark James. VSU defeated VUU in the regular season finale a year ago to advance to the CIAA championship and eventually to the NCAA Division II playoffs. VUU played the game with both its first- and second-string quarterbacks hobbled with injuries. “We’ve been thinking about that game an entire year,” said Coach James. VSU has changed its head coach since this time a year ago. Byron Thweatt replaced Latrell Scott as VSU coach last winter after Coach Scott departed for Norfolk State University. Emerging as an offensive standout for VSU has been Trenton Cannon, a transfer from Shepherd University. Cannon raced for 106 yards last Saturday at Chowan University and has 1,020 yards rushing for season. He is closing in on the Trojans’ all-time single season mark of 1,142 yards set in 2013 by Jordan Anderson. Challenging Cannon will be a VUU defense that ranks No. 1 in the NCAA Division II against the run and in overall fewest yards allowed. Overall, VUU is averaging 34 points and 434 yards total offense per game. VSU averages 25 points and 386 yards per game. Defensively, VUU allows just 199.3 yards per game while VSU has permitted 327. In a rivalry dating to 1900, VSU leads VUU 50-45, with nine ties. VSU has won the last two matches against VUU with Coach Scott on the sidelines. Coach James is 0-1 against the Trojans.

City high schools lose football games, but wins loom large for hoops season schools and Patrick Henry High School in Ashland. George Wythe and Huguenot high schools were in the Dominion District with Chesterfield County schools. That all changed — sort of — three years ago when the Virginia High School League realigned into conferences based on school enrollment. The five city schools were pared with Hopewell and Petersburg high schools in Conference 26, Division 3A. This year Spotsylvania was added to Conference 26. All the old county district foes are 4A, 5A and 6A. This year, Huguenot High, the Richmond school with the largest student enrollment, was placed in Conference 20, Division 4A, with similarly sized Powhatan, Monacan, Midlothian, Hanover and Dinwiddie high schools. The Falcons, however, do not play those Conference 20 opponents, preferring the old Dominion District slate. The fallout: Schools are not mandated to play conference foes. The new classification system doesn’t come into full effect until postseason playoffs.

The city schools have chosen to continue to play basically their old district schedules, passing on conference foes Hopewell, Petersburg and Spotsylvania high schools. Results have not been pretty. All five city high school athletic directors — Ksaan Brown at Armstrong, Lamont Davis at John Marshall, Bill Holt at Thomas Jefferson, Shea Collins at Huguenot and Shervi Barnes at George Wythe —were interviewed by the Free Press on this subject. Their explanations for maintaining the old schedules were similar. Here are some reasons given: Old rivals: It’s hard cutting decadesold ties with schools/coaches/athletic directors. City schools are fearful that if they sever football relations, they may lose those opponents in all other sports, particularly in basketball. Richmond’s schools are competitive — and even dominant — against county opponents in basketball, and the games draw large crowds. Transportation/travel time: Busing teams to play schools in the old district is rarely more than a half hour.

All schools want to avoid longer trips that might require late-night returns. Finances: City schools often share revenue, after expenses, when playing on the road. This provides valuable income. “It ranges from $1 to $3,000,” said George Wythe High’s Barnes of the Bulldogs’ road trips. “We’ve received close to $5,000 at times,” said John Marshall High’s Davis, who schedules games at Prince George every year with no return home match. “If we play at home, we lose money.” Armstrong High’s Brown says he has “requested” to play at homecomings in order to receive the larger gates on the road. Often when city schools play each other or at home against non-city foes, they wind up in the red. “It costs us $2,000 to run a football game,” said Thomas Jefferson High’s Holt. “On one of our Saturday games last year, we sold 72 tickets. Now figure that – 72 times $7. “It’s predicated on the almighty dollar.” Trying to schedule weaker/smaller

schools further from Richmond is no easy — or cheap — matter. “You can go broke chasing a victory,” said Davis. Possible games with Hopewell, Petersburg and Spotsylvania high schools are not viewed as profitable. Playing at home may increase the chance for victory, but often results in lost income. Only Huguenot and Armstrong have lights for night games, which garner higher attendance. Without lighting, Thomas Jefferson and John Marshall high schools play in the afternoon. Wythe, with no lights or permanent seating, has hosted only a handful of on-campus games since opening in 1960. There’s hope in hoops: The only sport in which city schools flourish against their old district foes is boys’ basketball. John Marshall boys won the basketball State 3A title in 2014 and George Wythe won the title for the 2015 season. City schools are a juggernaut in boys’ hoops also against Division 5A and 6A schools. So there is good news on two fronts. First of all, football is about to end. Phew. And second, basketball is about to commence. Hooray. “I call that get-back,” said Davis with a chuckle.

November 5-7, 2015 B1

Section

Dating made Easy

Richmond Free Press

Happenings

Personality: Zakia K. McKensey

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Date and place of birth: December 1972 in Richmond. Current home: Richmond’s North Side. Education: Completed the Centers for Disease Control’s Introduction to Sexually Transmitted Disease Intervention, as well as Advanced Sexually Transmitted Disease Intervention, and I am a certified HIV test counselor. I am currently working on an associate degree in human services.

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No. 1 objective of the foundation: To implement testing programs in the community and dispel myths about HIV and initiate positive conversations regarding HIV prevention and education in an effort to reduce rates of new HIV infections. Strategy to achieve this: Be visible to make the community aware of the services available, and lots of street outreach. Street outreach is important for an agency because it helps engage the community and builds a relationship with community members so they will feel comfortable accessing services. Our services are needed because: HIV/AIDS is still affecting our community. There are so many individuals who are lost to care or are clueless to their status due to lack of testing. Nationz Foundation wants to meet those individuals where they are and help them gain access to health care as well as make testing options more accessible to them. Programs we provide are: HIV testing, linkage to care, transportation services, food pantry, transgender sensitivity training and other education, prevention and holistic services. Our financial support comes from: Donations and kindness of community-minded

individuals. We have a GoFundMe account for donations through our website, www.nationzfoundationrva.org. We could do so much more if: We had the funding and manpower to get the work done. We want the word spread about the services we offer to the community to combat hunger, HIV and sexually transmitted infections. The No. 1 way to prevent HIV or STI’s is: To abstain from sex, but we know that people are having sex. To remain HIV/ STI free, use protection and get tested. The tests for HIV are painless and you can have your results in 20 minutes. In an effort to reduce sexually transmitted infection, we distribute condoms at local clubs and bars, as well as in the community. On a scale from 1 to 10, the HIV/AIDs problem in Richmond is: A 10 because people are afraid to get tested and there also are many people who have been diagnosed with HIV and are lost to care. By them not accessing care or afraid to test, this increases the rate of infection in the city. We are seeing an increase in newly diagnosed men who sleep with men between the ages of 18 and 35. Testing and linkage to care is important and Nationz Foundation is committed to linking newly diagnosed individuals to care, as well as attending medical appointments with the clients to offer support and encouragement. It is important for us to distribute condoms in the community because: Everyone may not be able to afford them and distributing them will help reduce rates of HIV and STIs. You can’t look at a person and tell if he or she is infected.

Practicing safe sex and access to testing are the sure ways to reduce rates. Nobody knows: I’m very critical of myself and set high standards for myself. I’m my worst critic. Best late-night snack: Barbeque wings from 7-Eleven baked hard. I unwind by: Watching TV with a glass of wine or traveling with family and friends. I am most motivated by: My passion to help others and make a difference for my community. I love the city of Richmond and I want to make a difference and leave a legacy that will continue to be a help to those in need long after I am gone. Three words that best describe me would be: Outspoken, determined and passionate, three characteristics of an amazing advocate. What makes me laugh most: Is my coworker Zina Boyd Thompson. Her spirit is infectious. We laugh all the time and it’s awesome. The person who influences me the most is: Shawn Patrick McNulty. He saw something in me more than 15 years ago and he introduced me to the field of HIV prevention and education at Fan Free Clinic. He has mentored me as well as offered advice and assistance and has inspired me to believe that I can be and achieve anything I set my mind to do. Another friend, J.J. Smith, has influenced me to eat better, drink more water and be more aware of my weight and change my eating habits to live healthier and longer. I am currently reading: “Grant Writing for Dummies” by Dr. Beverly A. Browning. If I had more time: I would travel more and spend more time with my family. My next goal is: To get the DiamonDs • Watches JeWelry • repairs 19 East Broad strEEt richmond, Va 23219 (804) 648-1044

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Zakia K. McKensey says she is taking her life-saving message of HIV prevention, cancer awareness and a healthier lifestyle “to the streets.” In order to do so more effectively, the transgender woman says she formed the nonprofit Nationz Foundation in May. It operates under the theme: “We Aim to Inspire.” The organization held a grand opening last month at its headquarters at 1200 Bentley St. on North Side. Among Nationz’s outreach efforts, Ms. McKensey says she and other volunteers proactively are “disseminating information and safe sex items to combat the virus.” Ms. McKensey says they have distributed more than 3,000 condoms in the community. “We have programs that make access to testing (for HIV and communicable diseases) easy,” she says. She currently serves in a volunteer capacity with Nationz. She works full time as a disease intervention specialist at the Richmond City Health District. She says fighting HIV and cancer are personal battles for her. “A good friend of mine died from HIV and my grandmother and aunt passed away from cancer,” Ms. McKensey says. “Many friends of mine also are dealing with this virus, and having conversations about it will help to educate the community and erase the stigma related to it.” Nationz also opens a food pantry on the first and third Friday of each month and posts job fairs and other community news on its Facebook page. Ms. McKensey says she is seeking more volunteers to assist the nonprofit, and encourages those interested to come by the group’s headquarters. Let’s meet this week’s Personality, Zakia K. McKensey:

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B2 November 5-7, 2015

Richmond Free Press

Happenings M’Bock, a noted performing arts and cultural exchange center in the West African nation. During a performance Entertainment giant Cirque du Soleil is workshop, he was spotted by a young just days away from premiering its newest woman visiting from Canada. creation, “TORUK – The First Flight,” a “She said, ‘You must join Cirque groundbreaking visual spectacle inspired du Soleil,’ ” Mr. Grazai explained. “I by James Cameron’s award-winning 2009 knew about Cirque Du Soleil for many motion picture “AVATAR.” years and thought, ‘One day, if there “TORUK” is coming to the Richis an opportunity.’ ” mond Coliseum Nov. 27 through 29, He left Africa at 21 and moved to and will enthrall and engage local Belgium and then France, where he audiences with its integration of art worked for 11 years perfecting his craft. and technology. When he saw a Facebook post that The Richmond Free Press was inCirque du Soleil was calling for artists, vited last week to Shreveport, La., for he flew to Canada and immediately was an early look at final rehearsals and accepted into Cirque’s bank of artists. preparations, wardrobe designs, sets However, no role was offered. and the state-of-the-art special effects Three years passed before Mr. Grazai that make “TORUK” a unique visual answered a call for TORUK. Cirque needed experience. a traditional drummer. It was the inroad The 35 performers used in this show he needed. He was offered a part. are double the normal number of artists “I was very excited,” he said. “I saw in Cirque productions. the movie two times. It is what I feel “It is also the first time that an actor about community — about how we can has been miked and speaks,” said Milive together and help each other.” chel Lemieux, who wrote and directed That feeling was shared by Mr. “TORUK” with Victor Pilon. This is Lemieux. the creators’ fourth collaboration with “‘AVATAR’ touched billions of the Canada-based company founded in Photos by Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press people,” Mr. Lemieux said. “Its message 1984. The duo also has worked with taps into a collective consciousness that Cirque du Soleil’s productions “Michael Colorfully costumed artists, center from left, Guillaume Paquin (Entu), Giulia Piolanti (Tsyal) and Gabriel Jackson ONE,” “Midnight Sun” and Christo (Ralu) go through final rehearsals last week in Shreveport, La., for “TORUK – The Final Flight,” the says we are all connected, that we should protect the planet and unite despite our “DELIRIUM.” latest Cirque du Soleil production. The show, inspired by the award-winning movie “AVATAR,” will run the differences. And it expresses this idea in a In “TORUK,” the performance area Friday, Nov. 27, through Sunday, Nov. 29 at Richmond Coliseum. way that even a child can understand.” essentially is a fabric that serves as a “TORUK” is a continuation of the canvas for multimedia projections that same theme of the importance of comtake the audience to the lush jungles of munity and how, when we unite as a the planet Pandora, where the Tawkami people, anything — even the impossible clan lives. Some of the video projec— can be accomplished. tions flow beyond the set and into the Thanks to innovative and interactive audience, allowing spectators to feel like technology, audience members will not they are on the planet, too. Characters be asked to put away their cellphones speak in the Pandoran language of Na’vi. during the show. Cirque du Soleil has Additional narration is in English. create an app that allows the production Being huge fans of the film, Mr. Lemieux and Mr. Pilon didn’t want to simply to take limited control of your cellphone retell the story on stage. Nor did they want to do anything to interfere with an Want to go? during the performance if you download “AVATAR” sequel. a free app prior to the show. So they decided to reach back. And after conferring with Mr. Cameron, they cre“TORUK – The First Flight” Throughout the show, the registered ated a storyline based 3,000 years before the events depicted in the movie. “TORUK” performance and ticket phones will prompt audience members finds Pandora in a state of crisis and introduces us to three new heroes. information: Richmond Coliseum for their participation. For example, When a natural disaster threatens to destroy the sacred Tree of Souls, three teens — at www.richmondcoliseum.net during a dramatic scene where the three Ralu, Entu and Tsyal — decide to attempt the unthinkable to save their world. Upon or (804) 780-4970 heroes are surrounded by Viperwolves, learning that Toruk, a giant flying predator that rules the Pandoran sky, can help save the face of selected phones will depict the tree, they journey far and wide to secure the assistance of this feared beast. glowing wolf eyes. Those audience members will be prompted to turn the phones While “AVATAR” focused on the Omaticaya tribe alone, “TORUK” introduces outward so that the audience appears to be surrounded by the vicious animals. audiences to five additional clans, thus the large cast. Participation also will have its rewards. The app provides behind-the-scenes “If you’re going to depict a clan, it would be a little difficult to do so without information, access to a special creators’ page and a special free gift. It also offers people,” Mr. Pilon joked. citizenship to Pandora. One of the performers is Ivory Coast native Daudet Grazai, 36, who has double The show’s creators are hoping that audiences will identify with the theme and duty in the production. He performs a drum solo during one of the tribal scenes Ivory Coast native Daudet and serves as a substitute for one of the main characters. His artistic versatility Grazai uses his drumming its heroes. and acrobatic skills in the “We hope the audience will attach to the story and characters and feel that they, propelled his two-decade journey to the Cirque du Soleil stage. too, can accomplish the impossible in their lives,” Mr. Lemieux said. In 1995 at age 16, the drummer and acrobat secured a spot at Village Ki-Yi production. By Thomas Kidd

Cirque du Soleil to bring new show to Richmond

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Richmond Free Press

November 5-7, 2015

Faith News/Directory

Bishop Curry is first African-American leader of U.S. Episcopal Church The Associated Press

BALTIMORE Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, installed Sunday as the first African-American leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church, urged Episcopalians to evangelize by crossing divides of race, education and wealth. Bishop Curry used the example of his own mother being given communion at a white Episcopal parish before desegregation, and how that act persuaded his father to join the denomination, and eventually become a priest. “God has not given up on the world and God is not finished with the Episcopal Church yet,” Bishop Curry said during a joyous ceremony in the Washington National Cathedral. Bishop Curry, 62, succeeds Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who was the first woman in the post and is ending her nine-year term. He served about 15 years as leader of the Diocese of North Carolina before he was overwhelmingly elected last summer as presiding bishop. He grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., and earned degrees from Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y., and Yale Divinity School. The New York-based denomination was the church of many Founding Fathers and now has about 1.9 million members. Episcopalians are struggling with shrinking membership and ongoing tensions with fellow Anglicans around the world over the Episcopal support for gay marriage. Bishop Curry will represent the U.S. church in January at a meeting of national

Anglican leaders addressing the splits in their fellowship. As the ceremony began Sunday, Bishop Curry rapped on the cathedral door with a wooden staff — a custom that symbolizes the ushering of a new leader into its halls, both physical and metaphorical. Bishop Jefferts Schori passed her staff to Bishop Curry, transferring the responsibility of leadership. Those assembled in the cathedral erupted in cheers. “It is an understatement to say we live in a deeply complex and difficult time in the life of the world,” Bishop Curry said. “This is a time when again it is an understatement to say there are challenges before the church and communities of faith. This is a time of difficulty and hardship for many. A time of goodness and joy for others. And a time when we must even find ways to save the mother earth, who is the mother of us all.” Bishop Curry’s historic installation comes at a time when fewer Americans than ever are affiliating with a religious group, and the Episcopal Church and other liberal Protestant groups, along with some conservative churches, have been struggling with dwindling membership. Bishop Curry has said he hopes to raise visibility of the church in “positive and genuine ways” and focus on recruiting newcomers to the order. Bishop Curry also takes over at a time of increased focus on racial issues in America and the Episcopal Church. In 2008, Bishop Jefferts

Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry speaks during his installation service Sunday at the Washington National Cathedral, where he became the first African-American leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church.

Schori held a national service of repentance to apologize for the church’s complicity with slavery, segregation and racism. Bishop Curry has said that he will continue to grapple with the church’s past. Bishop Curry told those in the cathedral that, “evangelism is sharing the faith that’s in you, and listening and learning from the faith that’s in someone else,” he said. “It’s about listening and sharing, it’s a relationship where God can get in the mix,” he said.

Fire On Fridays begins this week at Saint Paul’s

Marker dedication Nov. 7 for First Baptist Centralia

Saint Paul’s Baptist Church will begin its annual Fire On Fridays worship services Nov. 6 at the church at 4247 Creighton Road in Henrico County. An optional $9.95 dinner will precede the first three services on Fridays in November at 5:30 p.m. The Rev. E. Dewey Smith, pastor at The House of Hope in Atlanta, is sched-

First Baptist Church Centralia will dedicate a state historical marker this weekend celebrating the founding of the church in Chesterfield County 152 years ago. The public ceremony to unveil the marker will begin 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at 4412 Centralia Road, Chester. Church Deaconess Jane Jiggetts Baskerville will preside over the program at the site where the original congregation built the first sanctuary in 1867. The church is now located about 2 miles away at 2920 Kingsdale Road. The state-approved marker notes the church got its start two years after the Civil War ended when “African-American members of nearby Salem Baptist Church separated and founded Salem African Baptist Church.” “The new congregation held worship services under a brush arbor before constructing a building here on a one-acre tract deeded in 1869 by members of the mother church. The congregation soon changed its name to First Baptist Church (Centralia).” The church moved to its current location in 1963. Speakers at the ceremony will include the church’s pastor, Dr. Wilson E. B. Shannon, church member and member of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors James M. Holland, the Rev. J. Elisha Burke of the Baptist General Convention and Dr. Jennifer Loux of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

uled to preach at 7 p.m. Nov. 6. National gospel recording artist Travis Greene also will perform. The remaining Fire On Fridays schedule follows: Nov. 13: The Rev. Jamal Bryant, pastor at Empowerment Temple Church in Baltimore, is scheduled to speak. Nov. 20: The Rev. Frederick D. Haynes

Baptist Church

“Lord, give us the people no one else wants”

2003 Lamb Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222

Worship Service 11 a.m. Every Sunday

Dr. Arthur M. Jones, Sr., Pastor (804) 321-7622

COME CELEBRATE WITH US!

PASTOR’S 37TH ANNIVERSARY

Laburnum Elementary School

500 Meriwether Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222

Dinner served following service

Sunday, November 15, 2015 11:15 a.m. Guest Preacher: Rev. Archie German Music: Gospel Chorus 3:00 p.m. Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. Emanuel C. Harris & Jerusalem Baptist Church

FREE

★ We

JAZZ CONCERT David Hoggard and Friends

E P I S C O PA L C H U R C H

2900 Hanes Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222 (804) 321-1266 • www.stphilipsrva.org

Tickets: $15 per person Refreshments to be served

Salute Our Veterans ★ Community-Wide Thanksgiving dinner November 22, 2015

Manakin-Sabot, VA

Fri., November 6, 7-9pm

III, pastor at Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, is to speak. National recording artist William Murphy also is to perform. Nov. 27: The Rev. Paul Morton, pastor at Changing a Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church in Atlanta, is to speak. For more information on Fire On Fridays: www.myspbc.org or (804) 643-4000.

City Park Church

Triumphant

fÑÜxtw à{x jÉÜw

ST. PHILIP’S

He described how his father reacted when he and his mother had been allowed to drink from the same chalice being passed among white parishioners. “He was dumbfounded,” Bishop Curry said. “Years later, he would say he joined the Episcopal Church because he really hadn’t imagined that could happen in America. He said any church where blacks and whites drink out of the same cup knows something about the Gospel, I want to be a part of.”

To advertise your church events in the Richmond Free Press call 644-0496

2p.m. until 4p.m.

CITY PARK CHURCH OFFICE 8659 Staples Mill Road Henrico, Va. 23228 For more information contact Pastor Joe Ellison, Jr. at 804-937-1356 DR. JOE ELLISON, JR. or pastorjoeellison@yahoo.com Senior Pastor and Founder Like us on Facebook

Sun., November 8, 10:30am Men’s Day Service

WEEKEND

November 6-8,

Guest Speaker: Senator A. Donald McEachin, State Senator of Virginia 9th District

“Let us be doers of the word, not hearers only” 2015 James 1:17-22

Men’s Day Luncheon - Open to All

Sponsored by The Knights of St. Philip’s. Tickets available at the church office, 10am-3pm, M-F

All Proceeds go to the St. Philip’s Beautification Fund.

November 14-15, 2015

First Baptist Church of South Richmond Dr. Dwight C. Jones Senior Pastor

1501 Decatur Street, Richmond, Va. 23224 Phone (804) 233-7679 • Fax (804) 233-7683 www.fbctoday.org

y Celebra a t D

Iron Bridge Road Location Sundays 9:15 AM Hour of Empowerment Meadowbrook High School, 4901 Cogbill Road

Sundays 9:30AM on CW13

Rev. Dr. Freddie Haynes, Pastor Friendship West Baptist Church (Dallas, TX)

n io

YEARS of PASTOR & PEOPLE Celebrating Dr. Dwight C. Jones Sunday, November 8, 2015

Rev. Traci Blackmon, Pastor Christ the King United Church of Christ (Florissant, MO) President of the Ferguson Commission

▼

Al l

Hull Street Location Sundays 8:00 AM Early Hour of Praise 11:00 AM Morning Worship

Rev. Derik E. Jones Pastor

8:00 a.m. Guest Preacher: Dr. Rodney Waller

▼

Senior Pastor, First African Baptist Church

▼

9:15 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Guest Preacher: Dr. Bill Epps Senior Pastor, Second Baptist Church, Los Angeles, California

Richmond Free Press

B4 November 5-7, 2015

Faith News/Directory Larry Bland and Promise to perform at benefit

Jerome Reid/Richmond Free Press

Gospel music icon Dr. Bobby Jones, whose popular TV show “Bobby Jones Gospel” is in its 35th and final season on BET, shares a laugh with Barksdale “Barky” Haggins during a 2011 visit to Barky’s Spiritual Stores on Broad Street in Downtown.

‘Bobby Jones Gospel’ signing off the air Free Press staff, wire reports

For more than 34 years, people have watched “Bobby Jones Gospel” on the BET network for their Sunday morning inspiration. The show, led by the 76-year-old Grammy Award winner, features stirring performances and in-depth interviews. It has served as a springboard to fame for some of today’s leading gospel artists, including Yolanda Adams, Hezekiah Walker, Smokie Norful, Mary Mary and Kirk Franklin. It airs 9 a.m. Sundays and began its 35th season Oct. 12 with a show featuring gospel stars Shirley Caesar, Tye Tribbett and Richard Smallwood. Now, the long-running show is winding to its conclusion. BET announced earlier this year that this would be the last season for “Bobby Jones Gospel,” which premiered Jan. 27, 1980. “Oh my goodness, it’s like losing a child,” Dr. Jones, a Nashville, Tenn., native said in a recent interview. The show has been one of the most popular on BET since it began. It is BET’s longestrunning series and is credited with helping the network establish itself as one of the most popular on television. “Radio can only do so much,” said Dr. Jones, who also hosts a national gospel radio

show each weekend, about the secret to the show’s success. “Also, conventional television only airs gospel in the very early hours of Sunday morning,” he added. “BET gave us a platform to bring the music to major markets like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago in a way that hadn’t been done before.” Dr. Jones has had a storied career as a singer, producer, author and speaker. In 1984, he won a Grammy Award for the Best Soul Gospel Performance By A Duo Or Group with Barbara Mandrell for “I’m So Glad I’m Standing Here Today.” Dr. Jones also is the recipient of a Dove Award, three Stellar Awards and a presidential commendation from President George W. Bush. He got his start in television in 1976 as host of “Nashville Gospel” for WSM, now WSMV. In addition to his flagship BET show, he has hosted “Bobby Jones Next Generation” for the Gospel Music Channel and “Bobby Jones Presents” for the Word Network. Dr. Jones hosts two radio shows and an international gospel retreat in Las Vegas, and he is the author of two books: The memoir “Make a Joyful Noise: My 25 Years in Gospel” and “Touched by God.” He also leads the Nashville Super Choir, and he opened Visions, a recording studio in Nashville.

Sixth Baptist Church Theme for 2015: Becoming a Five-Star Church of Excellence I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

We Are Growing In The Kingdom As We Grow The Kingdom with Word, Worship and Witness

Young Adult Anniversary

Missionary

Baptist Church

SUNDAY, November 8, 2015

1408 W. Leigh Street • 358-6403

10:40 AM Worship and Praise 11:00 AM Divine Worship

Pastor

Message by Rev. Reginald Terry, Jr. Young Adult Minister First Baptist Church (South Richmond) 4:00 PM Gospel Truth Anniversary “I’ve Got … So Much To Shout About …” DON’T MISS IT!

Rev. Dr. Yvonne Jones Bibbs, Pastor

Moore Street

Twitter sixthbaptistrva

400 South Addison Street Richmond, Va. 23220

Facebook sixthbaptistrva

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

Mount Olive Baptist Church Rev. Darryl G. Thompson, Pastor

2015 Theme: The Year of Moving Forward



(near Byrd Park)

Sundays

8:00 a.m. Early Morning Worship 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Morning Worship

8775 Mount Olive Avenue Glen Allen, Virginia 23060 (804) 262-9614 Phone (804) 262-2397 Fax www.mobcva.org

Tuesdays

Noon Day Bible Study

Wednesdays

6:30 p.m. Prayer and Praise 7:00 p.m. Adult Bible Study

Dr. Alonza Lawrence

Sundays

Church School 8:30 A.M. Morning Worship 10:00 A.M.

Tuesdays

Bible Study 12 noon

Wednesdays

New Mercies Ministry 6:00 A.M. Youth Bible Study 6:00 P.M. Adult Bible Study 6:30 P.M.

Zion Baptist Church 2006 Decatur Street Richmond, VA 23224

1127 North 28th St., Richmond, VA 23223-6624 • Office: (804) 644-1402 Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, Pastor “There’s A Place for You” Tuesday Sunday 10:30 AM Bible Study 9:30 AM Church School 6:30 PM Church-wide Bible Study 11:00 AM Worship Service 6:30 PM Men's Bible Study (Each 2nd and 4th) (Holy Communion Thursday each 2nd Sunday) Wednesday (Following 2nd Sunday) 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting

11:00 AM Mid-day Meditation

Religion survey finds faith falling Reuters

Americans are becoming less religious, judging by such markers as church attendance, prayer and belief in God, and the trend is more pronounced among young adults, according to a poll released Tuesday. The share of U.S. adults who say they believe in God, while still high compared with other advanced industrial countries, slipped to 89 percent in 2014 from 92 percent in 2007, according to the Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape Study. The proportion of Americans who say they are “absolutely certain” God exists fell even more, to 63 percent in 2014 from 71 percent in 2007. The percentage of Americans who pray every day, attend religious services regularly and consider religion important in their lives are down by small, but statistically significant measures, the survey found. The trend is most pronounced among young adults, with only half of those born from 1990 to 1996 absolutely certain of their belief in God, compared to 71 percent of the “silent generation,” or those born from 1928 to 1945. Younger people also are less likely to pray daily, at 39 percent, compared to “silent generation” adults at 67 percent. Young adults also are much less likely to attend religious services, the survey found. On the other hand, 77 percent ofAmericans continue to identify with some religious faith, and those who do are just as committed now as they were in 2007, according to the survey. Twothirds of religiously affiliated adults say they pray every day and that religion is very important to them, the survey found.

Riverview

�

Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor

Baptist Church

Sunday Service 10 a.m. Church School 8:45 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study 7p.m. Transportation Services 232-2867 “Reclaiming the Lost by Proclaiming the Gospel”

Good Shepherd Baptist Church

Richmond gospel music icon Larry Bland and his quartet, Promise, are scheduled to perform a free concert 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, 1127 N. 28th St., in the East End, the church’s Scholarship Committee has announced. Proceeds from ads, memorials and donations will provide scholarship assistance to college students at the church. For more information on the concert: (804) 6441402.

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

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



Early Morning Worship ~ 8 a.m. Sunday School ~ 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship ~ 11 a.m. 4th Sunday Uniﬁed Worship Service ~ 9:30 a.m. Bible Study: Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. & 7 p.m. Radio Ministry: Sunday: 9:30 a.m. {1540 AM}

“MAKE IT HAPPEN” Pastor Kevin Cook

Saturday, November 7 • 6pm to 7:30pm

St. Peter Baptist Church Dr. Kirkland R. Walton, Pastor

Rev. Dr. Kirkland R. Walton

Come and Join us in Worship as we Honor & Celebrate

Thirty-first Street Baptist Church

everence e with e evanc R ing Dr. Morris Henderson, Senior Pastor bin ❖ o C Centennial Concert

Anniversary Celebration

Dr. & Mrs. Walton

Sunday, NOVEMBER 15, 2015 Worship Service at 10:00 am Preached Word delivered by:

Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr. Pastor Emeritus of Grayland Baptist Church

Ministry of Music by The Senior Choir, The S. H. Thompson Memorial Choir 2040 Mountain Road • Glen Allen, Virginia 23060 Office 804-262-0230 • Fax 804-262-4651 • www.stpeterbaptist.net

Celebrating 128 Years Theme: “Increasing Spiritual Growth and Knowledge as a Church”

Sharon Baptist Church

22 E. Leigh Street, Richmond, VA 23219 • 643-3825 thesharonbaptistchurch.com • Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2015 8:00 a.m. .... Morning Worship 9:30 a.m. .... Sunday School 11:00 a.m. ...Morning Worship

Message by Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor

FirstM iBaptist Church dlothian

Church School 9:45AM Worship 11:00AM

Tuesday

Bible Study 12 Noon

Wednesday Youth & Adult Bible Study 7:00PM Prayer & Praise 8:15PM

Van Transportation Available, Call 804-794-5583

1858

“The People’s Church”

216 W. Leigh St. • Richmond, Va. 23220 • Tel: 804-643-3366 Fax: 804-643-3367 • Email: ebcofﬁce1@comcast.net • web: ebcrichmond.org Sunday Worship Sunday Church School Service of Holy Communion Service of Baptism Life Application Bible Class Mid-Week Senior Adult Fellowship Wednesday Meditation & Bible Study Homework & Tutoring Scouting Program Thursday Bible Study



100th Anniversary Worship Service

Sunday, November 22, 2015 10:30 a.m.

Guest Speaker: Reverend F. Todd Gray Fifth Street Baptist Church

823 North 31st Street Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 226-0150 Office www.31sbc.org

11:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m. Every 3rd Sunday 2nd Sunday, 11 a.m. Mon. 6:30 p.m. Tues. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Wed. 7:45 p.m. Wed. 4:30 p.m. Wed. 6:00 p.m. Thurs., 11:45 a.m.

Dr. Levy M. Armwood, Pastor  Dr. Wallace J. Cook, Pastor Emeritus

New Deliverance Evangelistic Church

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

20 th NDEC Founders’

& Church Anniversary! Bishop G. O. Glenn D. Min., Founder Mother Marcietia S. Glenn First Lady

Sunday

Wednesday Services

4:00 p.m.

Rev. Pernell J. Johnson, Pastor

Ebenezer Baptist Church

❖

Guest Speaker: Reverend Dr. John Kinney Ebenezer Baptist Church, Beaverdam, VA ❖

13800 Westfield Dr., Midlothian,VA 23113 804-794-5583 • www.fbcm1846.com

Sunday

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Centennial Banquet

WEDNESDAYS 6:00 p.m. ..... Prayer Service 6:30 p.m. ..... Bible Study THURSDAYS 1:30 p.m. ..... Bible Study

Service Times

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

3:30 p.m.

30 th

during the 3rd installment of his

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

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Broad Rock Baptist Church

Men’s Ministry presents an Evening of Gospel Jazz

Senior Citizens Noonday Bible Study 12noon-1:00 p.m. Sanctuary - All Are Welcome! Bible Study Count: noonday Wednesday night 7 p.m. Prayer

Saturday

8:30 a.m. Intercessory Prayer

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

. Theme: , “Building Monuments for Present and Future Generations” “What Mean These Stones” Scripture: Joshua 4:21 - 24

Sunday, January 17 & 24, 2016 9:00 AM - NDEC Saturday, January 23, 2016

Banquet

The Omni Richmond Hotel

100 S. 12th St., Richmond, VA 23219

For more information and to purchase your banquet tickets go to: www.ndec.net Tune in on Sunday Morning to WTVR - Channel 6 - 8:30 a.m. Sunday TV Broadcast WTVZ 9 a.m. Norfolk/Tidewater Thursday & Friday Radio Broadcast WREJ 1540 AM Radio - 8:15 a.m.- 8:30 a.m.

Richmond Free Press

November 5-7, 2015

Legal Notices/Employment Opportunities City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Monday, November 9, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, to consider the following ordinances: Ordinance No. 2015-102 As Amended To amend City Code § 74-72, concerning contracting for professional services by competitive negotiation, to revise the contractual limits applicable to contracts for architectural or professional engineering services for multiple projects, to provide for multiphase professional services contracts, to modify the monetary threshold for procuring professional services as a small purchase, and to otherwise conform the section to the requirements of the Virginia Public Procurement Act. Ordinance No. 2015-198 As Amended To amend City Code §§ 110-32, 110-33, 110-34, 110-37, 110-44, 110-45, 110-46, 110-51, 110-52, 110-57, 110-58, 110-62, and 110-66, concerning the regulation of taxicabs in the city, [and to repeal City Code § 110-56, which required holders of a certificate of public convenience and necessity to have a telephone listing,] for the purpose of partially implementing recommendations by the Capital Region Taxicab Advisory Board. Ordinance No. 2015-213 As Amended To amend ch. 42, art. I of the City Code by adding therein a new section numbered 42-16 for the purpose of requiring that the Chief Administrative Officer present certain financial [reports] synopses on a monthly basis. Ordinance No. 2015-231 To designate the 1900 Block of Princess Anne Avenue in honor of Alicia C. Rasin. Interested citizens who wish to speak will be given an opportunity to do so. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at www.Richmondgov. com and in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Jean V. Capel City Clerk

Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND BONITA ROSS, Plaintiff v. JERSON ROSS, Defendant. Case No.: CL12003758-00 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 8th day of December, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect his interests. An Extract, Teste: EDWARD F. JEWETT, Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ANGELO FAROUK, Plaintiff v. DENISE RASAKARIASY, Defendant. Case No.: CL15002441-00 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 4th day of January, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER JOSEPH EJELE, Plaintiff v. ELIZABETH EJELE, Defendant. Continued on next column

Continued from previous column

Case No.: CL15002425-00 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, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

Defendant. Case No.: CL15000155-00 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 10th day of December, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER TAMMY OWEN-CREWS, Plaintiff v. EDDIE CREWS, Defendant. Case No.: CL15002404-00 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, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JUAN PEREZ TORRES, Plaintiff v. SAMANTHA LEE PEREZ, Defendant. Case No.: CL15-4317 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is for the petitioner to obtain a divorce from defendant. It is ORDERED that the defendant, Samantha Lee Perez, whose last known address was 75 Hamilton Dr., Chester, Va. 23831 and whose whereabouts are now unknown, appear here on or before the 30th day of November, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. to protect her interests. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Susan Gerber, Esquire 206 DeSota Drive Richmond, Virginia 23229 (804) 741-3438 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER JOHN SUTTON, JR., Plaintiff v. CLAUDIA TOLLIVER, Defendant. Case No.: CL12001903-00 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 10th day of December, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER AUTUMN HUDSON, Plaintiff v. GILBERT RALLS, Defendant. Case No.: CL15-2342 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 10th day of December, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER CHERYL BROWN, Plaintiff v. OLIVER BROWN, Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND ADEKEMI ANIKE FAKULUJO, Plaintiff, v. OJEAFESE ASIKHIA, Defendant. Case No.: CL15-3545-4 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 separation for over twelve (12) months. It appearing from an affidavit that diligence was used by or on behalf of the plaintiff, without effect, to ascertain the location of the defendant, Ojeafese Asikhia, and that he cannot be found, it is ordered that the defendant appear before this Court before November 23, 2015, 2015, and do what is necessary to protect his interest herein. A Copy: Teste: EDWARD F. JEWETT, Clerk Benjamin S. Tyree (VSB#82745) Mark H. Schmidt (VSB #44521) Commonwealth Divorce PLLC 11712 Jefferson Avenue, Suite C478 Newport News, Virginia 23606-4406 Telephone: (540) 570-6814 Counsel for the Plaintiff VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER AUTUMN DAVIS, Plaintiff v. LORENZO DAVIS, Defendant. Case No.: CL15001529-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, who is a nonresident, appear here on or before the 2nd day of December, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER AMY SANCHEZ, Plaintiff v. JOSE SANCHEZ DE LUNA, Defendant. Case No.: CL15001488-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 25th day of November, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ANTONIA JONES, Plaintiff v. ROMA Jones, Defendant. Case No.: CL15002234-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground of living separate and apart without any cohabitation and without interruption for a period exceeding twelve months. It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 25th day of November, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure Continued on next column

Continued from previous column

Counsel for Plaintiff VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

CUSTODY virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt IN the COunty of Chesterfield Commonwealth of Virginia, in re aubrey strader addison hertsch ayden hertsch crystal & James Lacy v. emily strader Case Nos. JJ051300-06-00, 07-00 JJ056149-10-00, 11-00 JJ072869-10-00, 11-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Terminate the parental rights of Emily Strader and Dennis Hertsch, Jr., who are the parents of Addison Hertsch (DOB: 7/13/05) and Ayden Hertsch (DOB: 9/15/09); and, to terminate the parental rights of Emily Strader and Robert Scheetz, who are the parents of Aubrey Strader (DOB: 9/28/02), pursuant to Virginia Code Section 16.1-283. It is ORDERED that the defendant Emily Strader appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before 01/13/2016, 10:00 AM. Jeremiah M. Yourth, Esq. Owen & Owens, PLC 15521 Midlothian Tpke. Ste 300 Midlothian, VA 22113 virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt Of the City of Richmond Commonwealth of Virginia, in re KHALIL HAITI CARR, Juvenile Case No. J-84537-7 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Qhahhaar Simmons, the identified birth father of Khalil Haiti Carr and any other possible birth father of Khalil Haiti Carr, whose identity and whereabouts are unknown. It is ORDERED that the defendant Qhahhaar Simmons appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before December 22, 2015 at 11:00 A.M. Christopher M. Malone, Thompson McMullan, P.C., 100 Shockoe Slip, 3rd Floor Richmond, Virginia 23219 804-698-6231 virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt IN the COunty of Chesterfield Commonwealth of Virginia, in re sandra maribel ramirez v. esteban ovidio del valle Case No. JJ087910-01-00, 02-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: (1) Determine custody of Milton Josue Ramirez (DOB: 11/25/98), whose mother is Sandra Maribel Ramirez, pursuant to Virginia Code Section 16.1-241A3 (2) To make factual findings that will permit Milton Josue Ramirez to apply for special immigrant juvenile status with the United States citizenship and immigration services pursuant to section 101 (A) (27)(J) of the immigration and nationality act, 8 USC section 1101(A)(27)(J), 8 C.F.R. Section 204.11 It is ORDERED that the defendant Esteban Ovidio Del Valle appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his or her interests on or before 01/20/2016, 9:00 AM. Eileen P. Blessinger, Esq. Blessinger Legal, PLLC 7389 Lee Hwy, Ste 320 Falls Church, VA 22042 virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt Of the City of Richmond Commonwealth of Virginia, in re LAMONTE LEON CHARITY, Juvenile Case No. JJ085852-09-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Unknown, (Father), of Lamonte Leon Charity, child, DOB 11/14/2001, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown (Father), appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before January 13, 2016 at 9:40 a.m. Diane Abato, Esq. 730 E. Broad St., 8th Floor Richmond, Virginia 23219 804-646-3493

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ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this action is the adoption of Savannah Vershell Cronin, a child under the age of eighteen (18) years who is a “close relative” of Petitioners Ronald Clay Trent and Brenda Gayle Trent as defined by section 63.2-1242.1 of the Virginia Code. It appearing by affidavit that the last address of Phillip Stephen Cronin, the birth father, is unknown, that Phillip Stephen Cronin’s present whereabouts are unknown, and diligence has been used by the Petitioners to ascertain in what county or city Phillip Stephen Cronin is located to no effect, it is ORDERED that Phillip Stephen Cronin appear before this Court on or before December 1st, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect his interests herein. An Extract Teste: YVONNE G. SMITH, Clerk I ask for this: W. Mark Dunn, Atty. Shaheen Law Firm, P.C. 8890 Three Chopt Road Richmond, VA 23229 (804) 474-9418

-07-00,-08-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Determine custody and visitation of Briley Tetreault (DOB: 2/6/2015),whose mother is Ashley Petty, and whose father is purported to be John Harrington. It is ORDERED that the defendant John Harrington appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before December 14, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. Stephen Bloomquest, Esq. 5913 Harbour Park Drive Midlothian, VA 23112

Virginia, in re BRANDON CONWAY GODDIN NICHOLE GODDIN KNOTT v. Tanya goddin & Roberto bohorquez Case No. JJ056341-03-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Determine custody of Brandon Conway Goodin (DOB: 6/16/2000),whose mother is Tanya Tatiana Goddin. It is ORDERED that the defendant Roberto Bohorquez appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before December 14, 2015 at 11:00 A.M.

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO RONALD CLAY TRENT and brenda gayle trent, Petitioners. In re: Aubrey nethaniel cronin, Birth Certificate Registration No. 4305485 Registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Case No.: CA15-36 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this action is the adoption of Aubrey Nethaniel Cronin, a child under the age of eighteen (18) years who is a “close relative” of Petitioners Ronald Clay Trent and Brenda Gayle Trent as defined by section 63.2-1242.1 of the Virginia Code. It appearing by affidavit that the last address of Phillip Stephen Cronin, the birth father, is unknown, that Phillip Stephen Cronin’s present whereabouts are unknown, and diligence has been used by the Petitioners to ascertain in what county or city Phillip Stephen Cronin is located to no effect, it is ORDERED that Phillip Stephen Cronin appear before this Court on or before December 1st, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. and protect his interests herein. An Extract Teste: YVONNE G. SMITH, Clerk I ask for this: W. Mark Dunn, Atty. Shaheen Law Firm, P.C. 8890 Three Chopt Road Richmond, VA 23229 (804) 474-9418 virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt Of the City of Richmond Commonwealth of Virginia, in re JALEIGHA LYNETTE CARTER, Juvenile Case No. JJ090009-05,06 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Unknown, (Father), Shanelle Lavette Carter, (Mother), of Jaleigha Lynette Carter, child, DOB 10/14/2014, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown (Father), and Shanelle Lavette Carter, (Mother) appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before January 13, 2016 at 11:40 A.M. Diane Abato, Esq. 730 E. Broad St., 8th Floor Richmond, Virginia 23219 804-646-3493 virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt Of the City of Richmond Commonwealth of Virginia, in re JABARRIE LEE CARTER, Juvenile Case No. JJ090010-05, 06 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Unknown, (Father), Shanelle Lavette Carter, (Mother), of Jabarrie Lee Carter, child, DOB 12/09/2010, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendant Unknown (Father), and Shanelle Lavette Carter, (Mother) appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before January 13, 2016 at 11:40 A.M. Diane Abato, Esq. 730 E. Broad St., 8th Floor Richmond, Virginia 23219 804-646-3493

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO RONALD CLAY TRENT and brenda gayle trent, Petitioners. In re: SAVANNAH VERSHELL CRONIN, Birth Certificate Registration No. 2934107 Registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Case No.: CA15-37

virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt IN the COunty of Chesterfield Commonwealth of Virginia, in re briley tetreault, Catherine & matthew petty v. Ashley petty & john harrington Case No. JJ086654-06-00,

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VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HENRICO CARLOS ENRIQUE HERRERA MARTINEZ and SILVIA GUTIERREZ BERNAL, Petitioners. v. LUIS G. BARAHONA, Respondent. In re: Christopher Alexander Barahona Gutierrez (DOB 06/01/2009) Case No.: CA15-24 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to grant Carlos Enrique Herrera Martinez and Silvia Gutierrez Bernal, the Petitioners, an adoption of the minor child Christopher Alexander Barahona Gutierrez. WHEREFORE, affidavits having been filed that due diligence has been used without effect to ascertain the location of Luis G. Barahona, the Respondent, it is hereby ORDERED that LUIS G. BARAHONA appear before this Court on December 1, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. to protect his interests herein. An Extract Teste: Yvonne G. Smith, Clerk Mary Ashby Brown, Esquire Friedman Law Firm, P.C. 9620 Iron Bridge Road Suite 101 Chesterfield, VA 23832 (804) 717-1969 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HENRICO CARLOS ENRIQUE HERRERA MARTINEZ and SILVIA GUTIERREZ BERNAL, Petitioners. v. SERGIO ARRIAGA, Respondent. In re: Emily Arriaga Gutierrez (DOB 10/23/2004) Case No.: CA15-26 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to grant Carlos Enrique Herrera Martinez and Silvia Gutierrez Bernal, the Petitioners, an adoption of the minor child Emily Arriaga Gutierrez. WHEREFORE, affidavits having been filed that due diligence has been used without effect to ascertain the location of Sergio Arriaga, the Respondent, it is hereby ORDERED that SERGIO ARRIAGA appear before this Court on December 1, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. to protect his interests herein. An Extract Teste: Yvonne G. Smith, Clerk Mary Ashby Brown, Esquire Friedman Law Firm, P.C. 9620 Iron Bridge Road Suite 101 Chesterfield, VA 23832 (804) 717-1969 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER LINDSEY MICHELLE SMITH, Plaintiff v. MELVIN JAMES WALL, Defendant. IN RE: PEYTON ELIZABETH WALL, Case No.: CL15002228-00 Notice OF PUBLICATION The object of the abovestyled suit is to obtain a name change for minor child, Peyton Elizabeth Wall to Peyton Elizabeth Smith. It is ORDERED that the Defendant, Melvin James Wall, whose whereabouts is unknown, appear before this court on or before November 25, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. to protect his interest therein. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Mark B. Michelsen (VSB #30181) Batzli Stiles Butler, PC 3957 Westerre Parkway, Suite 400 Richmond, VA 23233 (804) 545-9800 (804 545-9805 (facsimile) mmichelsen@bsbfamilylaw.com virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt IN the COunty of Chesterfield Commonwealth of Virginia, in re fiona quinn paquette carolyn hayden v. alecia hayden & tyler paquette Case No. JJ083470-04-00 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Determine custody and visitation of Fiona Quinn Paquette (DOB: 8/6/2013),whose mother is Alecia Hayden. It is ORDERED that the defendant Tyler Paquette appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before January 11, 2016 at 2:00 P.M. Atty Stephen Bloomquest, Gal 5913 Harbour Park Drive Midlothian, VA 23112 virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt IN the COunty of Chesterfield Commonwealth of Continued on next column

virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt Of the City of Richmond Commonwealth of Virginia, in re SAVANNAH RINEHULTS, Case No. JJ079919-12 & 13 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of William Crawford (Father), and Amy Rinehults, (Mother) of Savannah Rinehults, child, DOB 2/09/2009, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendants William Crawford, (father) and Amy Rinehults, (mother) appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before March 16, 2016 at 9:30 A.M. Diane Abato, Esq. 730 E. Broad St., 8th Floor

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Richmond, Virginia 23219 804-646-3493 virgiNia: iN thE JuvENiLE aND DOmEstic rELatiONs District cOurt Of the City of Richmond Commonwealth of Virginia, in re Aiden marvin-carter flack, Juvenile Case No. J8613114,15,16,17,18 OrDEr Of puBLicatiON The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) of Michael Charity, (Father), Lavert Redd, (Father), Unknown, (Father), and Jamar Edmunds, (Father) of Aiden Marvin-Carter Flack, child, DOB 1/10/2012, “RPR” means all rights and responsibilities remaining with parent after transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person, including but not limited to rights of: visitation; adoption consent; determination of religious affiliation; and responsibility for support. It is ORDERED that the defendant Michael Charity, (Father), Lavert Redd, (Father), Unknown (Father), a nd J am a r Ed mu nd s , (Father) appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his/her interest on or before December 1, 2015 at 2:00 P.M. Angela Benjamin-Daniels, Esq. 730 E. Broad St., 8th Floor Richmond, Virginia 23219 804-646-3493

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The University of Virginia seeks a firm to provide: Chiller Removal/Salvage To view a copy of RFP FM110415 go to Procurement Services Site: http://www.procurement. virginia.edu/main/ publicpostings/RFP.html, or email: pur-rfp@virginia.edu

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TransiT sysTem

BUS OPERATORS

Starting Pay: $14.00 per hour Closes: December 4, 2015 GRTC Transit System is currently seeking qualified candidates, at least 21 years of age, with excellent customer service skills and a high school diploma for full-time Bus Operator positions. Applicants are required to have a Class B CDL License with Passenger Endorsement. Qualified candidates must have a five (5) point balance on their driving record and must be able to pass a background check, a preemployment drug test and a DOT physical. For a complete job description and to apply online, please visit www.ridegrtc.com. GRTC Transit System is an equal opportunity employer with a drug-free work environment that values diversity in the workplace.

TransiT sysTem

RepaiR shop foReman Closes: November 19, 2015

GRTC Transit System in Richmond, Virginia seeks a skilled individual to oversee mechanical repairs to vehicles (predominately diesel powered passenger busses, but includes some gasoline powered vehicles), both in a shop and during service calls to repair and/ or recover vehicles. High school diploma or equivalency certification required. Successful candidate must be willing and able to work a flexible schedule, to include nights and weekends. Qualified candidates must be able to obtain a valid CDL Learner’s permit Class B with a P Endorsement prior to employment. Candidates must have a good driving record with a point balance of five (5) and must be able to pass a background check along with a pre-employment drug test and a DOT physical. GRTC offers excellent pay and outstanding benefits. Those interested can view a comprehensive job description and apply online at www.ridegrtc.com. No paper applications will be accepted. GRTC is an equal opportunity employer with a drug-free work environment.

The City of Richmond is seeking to fill the following position: Library Associate I 03M00000402 Richmond Public Library Apply by 11/15/2015 Paralegal-(2) Positions (Real Estate & Litigation) 10M00000001 City Attorney’s Office Apply by 11/15/2015 Pipeline Technician I, Gas & Water Distribution Public Utilities 35M00000101 Apply by 11/15/15 Senior Legal Secretary 10M00000009 City Attorney’s Office Apply by 11/15/2015 Trades Superintendent, WTP Mechanical Division Public Utilities 35M00000213 Apply by 11/15/15 ****************** For an exciting career with the City of Richmond, visit our website for additional information and apply today! www.richmondgov.com EOE M/F/D/V

Richmond Free Press

B6 November 5-7, 2015

Sports Plus Stories by Fred Jeter

City cheerleading, football competitions start Nov. 5 The city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ youth tackle football playoffs and cheerleading competitions begin this week. The 30th Annual Cheerleading Jamboree is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Richmond Coliseum, 601 E. Leigh St. The football playoffs will kick off 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at community center sites throughout the city, as well as at the Bon Secours Training Center, 2401 W. Leigh St. The football game schedules can be found at www. richmondgov.com/parks or on the department’s Facebook page. No smoking is allowed at the Bon Secours Training Center. Also, fans will not be allowed to bring food or beverages into the venue. Vendors will have refreshments for sale. Spectators will need to bring their own seating. Parking is available on West Leigh Street. For more information: (804) 646-1087.

Dusty Baker named manager of Nationals

Johnnie B. “Dusty” Baker once hung his baseball cap in Richmond before becoming a successful big league player and manager. Baker was named Tuesday as manager of the Washington Nationals. In replacing Matt Williams in Washington, Baker, who is noted for his ever-present toothpick, becomes the only African-American manager currently in major league baseball. He spent parts of three seasons in Richmond en route to the majors. The power-hitting outfielder suited up at old Parker Field in 1969, when he was just 20 years old. He also played the 1970 and 1971 seasons with the Richmond Braves, then Atlanta’s AAA International

League affiliate. In 1971, he hit .311 in 80 games, with 11 homers and 41 RBIs. By 1972, the native Californian went to the majors to stay, accumulating 242 homers and 1,013 runs batted in while hitting .278 in 19 seasons with Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland. As a manager, he had 1,671 victories and 1,504 defeats in stints with San Francisco (1993-2002), Chicago Cubs (2003-2006) and Cincinnati (2008-2013). He was fired as the Reds’ manager following 2013. There has been at least one African-American manager every season since 1988. Before being fired by the Seattle Mariners, Lloyd McLendon was the only

African-American manager this past season. Baker inherits a Nationals team that was an under-achieving 83-79 in Williams’ second season. The Nats entertained serious World Series expectations entering the season. While in Richmond, Baker played under manager Mickey Vernon. Among his African-American teammates at the time were outfielder Ralph Garr, shortstop Leo Foster, first baseman Tommie Aaron and Cuban pitcher Luis Tiant. A footnote to Baker’s career is that he was in the on-deck circle in 1974 when Atlanta’s Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s record.

Associate for Communications and Outreach

Grants, Contracts & Information Manager (Program Administration Specialist II) Pay Band 5 Hiring Range — up to $55,000 depending on experience

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities Board is recruiting for a Grants, Contracts and Program Information Manager. This is a multifaceted position focused on quality assurance, program compliance, fiscal integrity, and complex information/database management and reporting. For job details and qualifications, visit https:// virginiajobs.peopleadmin.com/postings/26897. Submit cover letter, resume & required online application by Thursday, November 12. AAeeo/tdy/ReASonABle ACCoMModAtIon uPon RequeSt

HVAC superVisor mAintenAnCe speCiAlist (exterminator)

Exciting Career Opportunities!

Sr. Project Leader for Strategic HR Initiatives

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) seeks an accomplished professional to serve as Sr. Project Leader for Strategic HR Initiatives. This role spans the University organization, developing and implementing key Human Resources strategies and programs. The Sr. Project Leader reports directly to the AVP of Human Resources, and operates independently with little supervision. The Sr. Project Leader leads multiple teams across functions, with no formal supervision. Must have an advanced degree or training and work experience at a level that equates to an advanced degree. Bachelor’s degree in business, human resources, organizational development or related field (master’s degree strongly preferred); and extensive project management experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Application Process: To ensure consideration, nominations and applications, please visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/facjobs to apply. Virginia Commonwealth University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Freelance Writers The Richmond Free Press has immediate opportunities for freelance writers. Newspaper experience is a requirement. To be considered, please send 5 samples of your writing, along with a cover letter to editor@ richmondfreepress.com or mail to: Richmond Free Press, P. O. Box 27709, Richmond, VA 23261. No phone calls.

Join RRHA and make a positive difference in revitalizing communities and lives. Excellent benefits for full-time employees. Please visit the RRHA website www.rrha.com for complete details and to complete an on-line application. Drug Screen, background and DMV check required. EOE/D/V/F/M

Opening Soon in Short Pump, VA!!! The World’s Foremost Outfitter is expanding and seeking Retail Management professionals with a passion for the outdoors, to join our Short Pump, VA Retail Store, scheduled to open in Spring 2016.

Now Hiring Retail Managers Sr. Operations Manager (#25263BR) Sales Floor Manager (#25264BR) Club Manager (#25265BR) Marketing Manager (#25266BR) Customer Experience Manager (#25267BR) Inventory/ Receiving Manager (#25268BR) Firearms Manager (#25271BR) Hardlines Manager (#25269BR)

Softlines Manager (#25272BR) General Outdoors Manager (#25270BR) Gun Library Manager (#25205BR) Powersports Sales Manager (#25278BR) Powersports Service Manager (#25275BR) HR Field Specialist (Non-exempt) (#25281BR) Sr. APS (Non-exempt) (#25283BR)

We offer a competitive salary, affordable health benefits, 401k plan and generous merchandise discounts.

Apply online at www.cabelas.jobs Cabela’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks to create an inclusive workplace that embraces diverse backgrounds, life experience, and perspectives. Cabela’s shows commitment to the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces by providing meaningful, challenging career opportunities where military skills and experience may be applied. BGC and Drug Testing required.

Associate for Assessment Policy and Analysis

PoSITIoN: #00104 RoLE TITLE: N/A PAY BAND: UG HIRING RANGE: $65,000.00 - $80,000.00 UNIT/LoCATIoN: Richmond (City) – 760 CLoSING DATE: Friday, November 6, 2015, AT 11:59 P.M. Job Description: The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is the Commonwealth’s coordinating body for higher education. The mission, which is outlined in the Code of Virginia, is to advocate and promote the development and operation of an educationally and economically sound, vigorous, progressive, and coordinated system of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia and to lead state-level strategic planning and policy development and implementation based on research and analysis. The Council also seeks to facilitate collaboration among institutions of higher education that will enhance quality and create operational efficiencies and works with institutions of higher education and their boards on board development. SCHEV recently developed a statewide strategic plan for higher education, referred to as The Virginia Plan for Higher Education (see http://schev.edu/schev/StrategicPlan.asp). SCHEV seeks an Associate for Assessment Policy and Analysis to lead and implement a renewed Virginia assessment policy and to assist in quality improvement initiatives associated with The Virginia Plan. The Associate for Assessment Policy and Analysis will report to the Director of Academic Affairs and work closely with other units at SCHEV. The responsibilities of this positon include the following: leading and implementing revisions to the Virginia Public Higher Education Policy on the Assessment of Student Learning; working with institutions of higher education to develop a meaningful measure of quality in undergraduate education, including civic engagement of graduates and relevance to demand occupations; and working with institutions of higher education and external constituents (business, government, civic organizations) to build relationships that will foster valuable educational experiences for students of Virginia institutions. Minimum Qualification (s): Considerable experience in a higher education or government environment relevant to SCHEV’s work; working knowledge of current issues in assessment and quality improvement in higher education; exceptional written and oral communication skills; skilled at planning, project management, time management, decision-making, and organizational relationships; and proficiency with MS Office applications. High school graduate or equivalent.

POSITION: #00010 ROLE TITLE: N/A PAY BAND: UG HIRING RANGE: $65,000.00 - $80,000.00 UNIT/LOCATION: Richmond (City) – 760 CLOSING DATE: Friday, November 6, 2015, AT 11:59 P.M. Job Description: The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is the Commonwealth’s coordinating body for higher education. The mission, which is outlined in the Code of Virginia, is to advocate and promote the development and operation of an educationally and economically sound, vigorous, progressive, and coordinated system of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia and to lead state-level strategic planning and policy development and implementation based on research and analysis. The Council also seeks to facilitate collaboration among institutions of higher education that will enhance quality and create operational efficiencies and works with institutions of higher education and their boards on board development. SCHEV recently developed a statewide strategic plan for higher education, referred to as The Virginia Plan for Higher Education (see http://schev.edu/schev/StrategicPlan.asp). This plan is intended to be a roadmap for Virginia to become the best educated state by 2030. SCHEV seeks an Associate for Communications and Outreach to lead and implement activities in support of the goals of The Virginia Plan. The Associate for Communications and Outreach will report to the Director of Higher Education Innovation. The incumbent will be responsible for developing and implementing a communications plan that supports SCHEV’s mission, work, and The Plan. This includes the following: researching and regularly reporting to SCHEV and others on state and institutional initiatives to address the statewide goals for higher education; developing and managing a process for ensuring accuracy and timeliness of all communications; and developing tools to increase the effectiveness of communications as well as measuring success and impact of communications efforts. The incumbent will be responsible for writing, reviewing and proofreading communications materials to ensure accuracy, consistency of message, quality, and appropriate positioning; managing the development, distribution, and maintenance of all print and electronic media; preparing talking points, speeches, and presentation materials to support the agency director and executive staff; managing media contacts and responding to media and public inquiries; coordinating SCHEV’s Outstanding Faculty Awards Program; and assisting in all agency outreach activities, including conferences, special events and other major presentations. Minimum Qualification (s): Exceptional writing and editing skills with high attention to detail and ability to adapt a message for all media and audiences; considerable experience developing and managing written and visual content for policy development and implementation; considerable experience working in the field of public administration at a state level or in higher education; skilled at planning, project management, time management, decision-making, and organizational relationships; record of success developing and executing communications programs to support organization goals; and proficiency with MS Office applications. High school graduate or equivalent. Preferred Qualification (s): Bachelor’s degree in a field relevant to the requirements of the position; Master’s degree in relevant program a plus. Special Instructions to Applicants: This position is considered an exempt position with a contractual agreement. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia does not accept “See Resume” as a response to any question. Information on the application is the primary source used for screening the position. Failure to complete any section of the application may disqualify the application for further consideration. Applications should include complete work history, including periods of unemployment if applicable. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. To apply for this position, please go to https://jobs.agencies.virginia.gov “The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force.” Equal Opportunity Employer

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia 101 North 14th Street – 9th Floor Richmond, Virginia 23219

Public Meetings

Funding the Right Transportation Projects You are invited to share your input on transportation improvements during public meetings held by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. The meetings will begin with an open house, displaying a list of proposed local and regional projects that will be scored through a new prioritization process under a new law called House Bill Two (HB2). The open house will be followed by a town hall session, where you can engage in discussion and ask questions about the projects. There will be no formal comment period. Meeting Dates, Locations and Times Monday, November 2, 2015 4 pm to 6 pm Holiday Inn 3005 Linden Drive Bristol, VA 24202

Monday, November 9, 2015 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm The Kirkley Hotel 2900 Candlers Mountain Road Lynchburg, VA 24502

Thursday, November 12, 2015 5 pm to 7 pm Germanna Community College Center for Workforce & Community Education 10000 Germanna Point Drive Fredericksburg, VA 22408

Monday, November 16, 2015 6 pm to 8 pm NOVA District Office 4975 Alliance Drive Fairfax, VA 22030

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization Boardroom 723 Woodlake Drive Chesapeake, VA 23320 Wednesday, November 18, 2015 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm Holiday Inn Valley View 3315 Ordway Drive NW Roanoke, VA 24017

Thursday, November 19, 2015 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm Augusta County Government Center, South Boardroom 18 Government Center Lane Verona, VA 24482

Monday, November 23, 2015 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm Germanna Community College Daniel Technology Center 18121 Technology Drive Culpeper, VA 22701

Monday, November 30, 2015 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm Eastern Henrico Recreation Ctr. Strawberry Hill Ballroom 1440 North Laburnum Avenue Henrico, VA 23223

Meeting materials will be available at virginiadot.org/2015fallmeetings beginning November 2, 2015. Additional information regarding the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) will also be available. The STIP documents how Virginia will obligate its federal funds. If you cannot attend a meeting, please send your comments on highway projects to Infrastructure Investment Director, VDOT, 1401 E. Broad St., Richmond, Virginia 23219, or SixYearProgram@VDOT.Virginia.gov and on rail, public transportation and transportation demand management to Public Information Officer, DRPT, 600 E. Main St., Suite 2102, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or DRPTPR@drpt.Virginia.gov.Comments will be accepted until December 11, 2015. The Commonwealth is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of its services on the basis of race, color or national origin, as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need further information on these policies or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, please contact the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Title VI Compliance Officer at 804-786-2730 or the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s Title VI Compliance Officer at 804-786-4440 (TTY users call 711).

Preferred Qualification (s): Master’s degree in a field relevant to the requirements of the position (including, but not necessarily limited to: higher education administration, public administration, public policy, statistics); Doctorate or ABD and/or Faculty experience in higher education a plus. Special Instructions to Applicants: This position is considered an exempt position with a contractual agreement. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia does not accept “See Resume” as a response to any question. Information on the application is the primary source used for screening the position. Failure to complete any section of the application may disqualify the application for further consideration. Applications should include complete work history, including periods of unemployment if applicable. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. To apply for this position, please go to https://jobs.agencies.virginia.gov “The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force.” Equal Opportunity Employer

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia 101 North 14th Street – 9th Floor Richmond, Virginia 23219

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