L
EGACY Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.
WEDNESDAYS • Feb. 3, 2021
INSIDE School diversion and inclusion plan - 3 How Trump admin changed the U.S. - 4 Newport News FD honored in pilot- 6
Richmond & Hampton Roads
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Inside Biden’s executive orders on racial equity STACY M. BROWN
NNPA - In arguably the most direct assault on systemic racism by any American President since Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, President Joe Biden made a bold case for equity. On Tuesday, Jan. 26, President Biden signed a series of executive orders – many of them striking right to the heart of American racism. In doing so, the President made the case that righting centuries-old wrongs is not just about people of color. The President stated that all Americans should fight against white supremacy, discrimination, and racism. “For too long, we’ve allowed a narrow, cramped view of the promise of this nation to fester,” the President said. “One of the reasons I’m so optimistic about this nation is that today’s generation of young Americans is the most progressive, thoughtful, and inclusive generation that America has ever seen. And they are pulling us toward justice in so many ways.” The address quickly stood as the most presidential America has seen in more than four years. “President Biden continues to keep his comments to Black America in the first few days of being the 46th president of the United States,” National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., noted.
Susan Rice, President Biden’s domestic policy adviser, discusses his racial equity agenda at the White House. PHOTO: Getty Images “His speech today on racial equity, equality, and racial justice is a speech that will go down in history as a courageous stand by the president of the United States. By him saying that now is the time to end systemic racism in America is a profound statement. Hopefully, the majority of Americans will respond with positive action to move our nation forward to a more perfect union.” In his address, President Biden outlined several actions and how he intended to begin the process of gaining back “the soul of our nation.” The orders included addressing the history of discriminatory housing policies, directing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to correct this systemic problem. The President ordered the
Department of Justice not to renew contracts with private prisons. He recommended the federal government respect Tribal sovereignty and condemned racism toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. “Today, I’m directing federal agencies to combat the resurgence of xenophobia, particularly against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, that we’ve seen skyrocket during this pandemic,” Biden declared. He also said he would push Congress to enact the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. “Unity and healing must begin with understanding and truth — not ignorance and lies,” Biden uttered. “We need to restore and expand the Voting Rights Act named after [Congressman] John Lewis.”
Remaining on the theme, the President discussed the police killing of George Floyd, noting that it was a turning point in many Americans’ views on race and justice. “It was the knee on the neck of justice,” President Biden observed. “And, it wouldn’t be forgotten.” The President said the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately impacted people of color. He also called the insurrectionists who violently raided the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 “thugs” and “white supremacists.” The attack was spurred by former President Donald Trump and his refusal to accept defeat at the hands of President Biden, whose description of the rioters deferred significantly with the former President who told the insurrectionists, “we love you.” President Biden also rescinded Trump’s 1776 Commission, which focused on so-called patriotic education. “I’ve rescinded the previous administration’s harmful ban on diversity and sensitivity training and abolished the offensive, counterfactual 1776 Commission. Unity and healing must begin with understanding and truth, not ignorance and lies,” the President remarked. Throughout the presidential campaign season, President Biden pledged to do his part in the fight against systemic racism in America. One of the Jan. 20 executive
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The LEGACY
2 • Feb. 3, 2021
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PETITION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR APPROVAL OF ITS 2020 DSM UPDATE PURSUANT TO § 56-585.1 A 5 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2020-00274 •Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominion”) has applied for approval to implement new demand-side management (“DSM”) programs, extend one DSM program, expand the eligibility requirements for certain previously-approved DSM programs, and to revise its Riders C1A, C2A, C3A, and implement a new Rider C4A, by which Dominion recovers the costs of its DSM programs. •Dominion requests a total of $78,119,830 for its 2021 Riders C1A, C2A, C3A and C4A. According to Dominion, this amount would decrease the bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by $0.10. •A Hearing Examiner appointed by the Commission will hear the case on June 8, 2021, at 10 a.m. •Further information about this case is available on the SCC website at: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case. On December 2, 2020, Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominion” or “Company”), pursuant to § 56-585.1 A 5 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”), the Rules Governing Utility Rate Applications and Annual Informational Filings of the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”), the Commission’s Rules Governing Utility Promotional Allowances, the Commission’s Rules Governing Cost/Benefit Measures Required for Demand-Side Management Programs, the Commission’s Rules Governing the Evaluation, Measurement and Verification of the Effects of Utility-Sponsored Demand-Side Management Programs, and the directive contained in Ordering Paragraph (4) of the Commission’s July 30, 2020 Final Order in Case No. PUR 2019 00201, filed with the Commission its petition requesting (1) approval to implement new demand-side management (“DSM”) programs; (2) approval to extend the Company’s existing Non-residential Distributed Generation (“DG”) Program; (3) approval to expand the eligibility requirements for specific previously-approved DSM Phase VII and Phase VIII Programs in accordance with changes established in the Virginia Clean Economy Act (“VCEA”); and (4) approval of three updated rate adjustment clauses, Riders C1A, C2A and C3A, and a new rate adjustment clause, Rider C4A (“Petition”). In its Petition, the Company requests approval to implement 11 new programs as the Company’s “Phase IX” programs, which include a mixture of “energy efficiency” (“EE”) and “demand response” (“DR”) DSM programs, as those terms are defined by Code § 56-576. With the exception of the proposed House Bill (“HB”) 2789 (Solar Component) Program, the Company requests that the Commission permit the Company to operate the following proposed programs for the five-year period of January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2026, subject to future extensions as requested by the Company and granted by the Commission: (1) Residential Income and Age Qualifying (EE); (2) Residential Water Savings (EE); (3) Residential Water Savings (DR); (4) Residential Smart Home (EE); (5) Residential Virtual Audit (EE); (6) Non-residential Agricultural (EE); (7) Non-residential Building Automation (EE); (8) Non-residential Building Optimization (EE); (9) Non-residential Engagement (EE); (10) Non-residential Enhanced Prescriptive (EE); and (11) HB 2789 (Solar Component). The Company proposes an aggregate total cost cap for the Phase IX programs in the amount of $162 million. Additionally, the Company requests the ability to exceed the spending cap by no more than 5%. The Company “seeks authorization to spend directly for these programs for a reasonable amount of time before and after the approval period so that the programs can run for a full five years and then have additional time built in for launch and wind-down activities.” The Company asserts that the total proposed costs of the energy efficiency programs proposed in the Petition will be counted toward the requirement in the 2018 Grid Transformation and Security Act (“GTSA”) that the Company develop a proposed program of energy efficiency measures with projected costs of no less than an aggregate amount of $870 million between July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2028, including any existing approved energy efficiency programs. The Company further asserts that the total amount of spending proposed in this Petition on energy efficiency programs targeting low-income individuals, when combined with the Company’s prior requests for energy efficiency spending on such programs since the passage of the GTSA and VCEA, “consists of a proposal for approximately $53 million of the required 15% of the $870 million or $130.5 [million], excluding any amount of projected lost revenues.” The Company also seeks approval to expand the eligibility requirements for the following Non-residential DSM Phase VII and Phase VIII Programs, due to the VCEA’s changes to Code § 56-585.1 A 5 from an automatic exemption to an opt-out process for large general service customers and the change to the demand threshold from 500 kilowatts (“kW”) to 1 megawatt: Non-residential Lighting Systems and Controls, Non-residential Heating and Cooling Efficiency, Non-residential Window Film, and Non-residential Small Manufacturing. Such programs were originally designed such that eligibility was capped at 500 kW, consistent with the version of Code § 56-585.1 A 5 in effect at the time these programs were proposed and approved. Additionally, the Company seeks approval of a two-year extension of the existing Non-residential DG Program. The Company is not seeking additional funds under the current cost cap for this Program. Further, the Company requests approval of an annual update to continue three rate adjustment clauses, Riders C1A, C2A and C3A, and to implement a new rate adjustment clause, Rider C4A, for a Rate Year of September 1, 2021, through August 31, 2022 (“2021 Rate Year”) for recovery of: (i) 2021 Rate Year costs associated with its Phase II, Phase III, Phase IV, Phase V, Phase VI, Phase VII and Phase VIII Programs approved by the Commission in prior cases; (ii) calendar year 2019 true up of costs associated with the Company’s approved Phase II, Phase III, Phase IV, Phase V and Phase VI Programs; (iii) calendar year 2019 true up of costs associated with the Company’s Electric Vehicle Pilot Program; and (iv) 2021 Rate Year costs associated with the Company’s proposed Phase IX Programs. For Rider C1A, Dominion requests a total revenue requirement of $1,155,487. For Rider C2A, Dominion requests a total revenue requirement of $1,833,697. For Rider C3A, Dominion requests a total revenue requirement of ($7,904,620). For Rider C4A, Dominion requests a total revenue requirement of $83,035,266. The proposed total revenue requirement for Riders C1A, C2A, C3A and C4A for the 2021 Rate Year is $78,119,830. The Company proposes a general rate of return on common equity of 9.2% for the projected revenue requirement and true-up adjustment for the period of January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019. If the proposed Riders C1A, C2A, C3A and C4A for the 2021 Rate Year are approved, the impact on customer bills would depend on the customer’s rate schedule and usage. Interested persons are encouraged to review the Petition and supporting documents for the details of these and other proposals. TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Petition and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Petition and supporting documents. The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on the Petition. On June 8, 2021, at 10 a.m., the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing, with no witness present in the Commission’s courtroom, for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before June 4, 2021, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting. A public evidentiary hearing shall be convened immediately following the telephonic public witness hearing on June 8, 2021, or beginning at 10 a.m. on June 8, 2021, if no person signs up to testify as a public witness, to receive the testimony and evidence of the Company, any respondents, and the Staff of the Commission (“Staff”). Further details on the hearing will be provided by subsequent Commission Order or Hearing Examiner’s Ruling. The Commission has taken judicial notice of the ongoing public health emergency related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, and the declarations of emergency issued at both the state and federal levels. In accordance therewith, all pleadings, briefs, or other documents required to be served in this matter should be submitted electronically to the extent authorized by 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”). Confidential and Extraordinarily Sensitive information shall not be submitted electronically and should comply with 5 VAC 5-20-170, Confidential information, of the Rules of Practice. For the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, any person seeking to hand deliver and physically file or submit any pleading or other document shall contact the Clerk’s Office Document Control Center at (804) 371-9838 to arrange the delivery. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission has directed that service on parties and Staff in this matter shall be accomplished by electronic means. Please refer to the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing for further instructions concerning Confidential or Extraordinarily Sensitive Information. An electronic copy of the Company’s Petition may be viewed on the Commission’s website or may be obtained by submitting a request to counsel for the Company: Paul E. Pfeffer, Esquire, Dominion Energy Services, Inc., 120 Tredegar Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, paul.e.pfeffer@dominionenergy.com. On or before June 8, 2021, any interested person may file comments on the Petition by following the instructions on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments or by filing such comments with the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2020-00274. On or before March 12, 2021, any interested person or entity may participate as a respondent by filing, with the Clerk of the Commission at the address above or scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling/, a notice of participation in accordance with the Commission’s Rules of Practice. Notices of participation shall include the email addresses of the party or its counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Company. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2020-00274. For additional information about participation as a respondent, any person or entity should obtain a copy of the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing. On or before April 16, 2021, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission and serve on the Staff, the Company, and all other respondents, any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case, and each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service; and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2020-00274. Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice. The Company’s Petition, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing may be viewed at the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information. VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY d/b/a DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA
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Feb. 3, 2021 • 3
House committee approves diversity, inclusion changes to Governor’s School admissions OLIVIA TRIPODI CNS - A bill that seeks to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in Virginia Governor's Schools through changes in admissions processes, passed with amendments in a 5-3 party-line vote in the House Education Subcommittee. House Bill 2305, which was introduced by Del. Roslyn Tyler, D-Emporia, on Jan. 19, “requires the Board of Education to issue guidance on the governance of academic year Governor’s Schools, including communications and outreach practices, admissions policies, and guidelines on diversity, equity and inclusion training,” according to Virginia’s Legislative Information System. Atif Qarni, the Virginia secretary of education, said Monday that this much-needed and long-overdue legislation. “The lack of guidance has resulted in some of our larger Governor’s Schools to shut out students,” Qarni said in the subcommittee meeting. “This has created significant opportunity gaps.” Qarni attributed some educational opportunity gaps to limited communication and outreach efforts to inform parents about Governor’s Schools, current admissions policies, and pipelines. “This bill will create an opportunity for the Board of Education to look at all of these things holistically and put out thoughtful guidelines based on good model practices,” Qarni said. Qarni also emphasized the intent of engaging all relevant stakeholders, including local school boards and Parent Teacher Associations. Del. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, opposes the bill. “I think the way we increase
Atif Qarni the pipeline is not by putting in legislation that lowers the bar of an amazing Governor’s School, but instead, lifts up more students who can rise to meet that bar,” Davis said. In support of the bill, Del. Elizabeth Guzman, D-Woodbridge, responded to Davis’s stance and said: “Some statements were made here that if we diversify the admission process that it’s going to lower the bar of those schools. I don’t think that's accurate, and it actually sounded very offensive.” Del. David Bulova, D-Fairfax Station, also supported HB 2305. He explained how the bill would require guidelines, not regulations. Guidelines would give the Board of Education a chance to put together the best practices for diversity and inclusion, as opposed to state mandated regulations, which are harder for opposers to support. Voting for the bill were Bulova, Guzman, Del. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Sterling; Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico; and Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News. Opposed were Davis, Del. Roxann Robinson, R-Chesterfield, and Del. Bill Wiley, R-Winchester.
This shouldn’t be how we say hello ...or goodbye. It’s our reality right now. But it won’t be if we do what it takes to beat COVID-19. Vaccines are coming, but until enough of us are vaccinated, we all still need to wear our masks, stay at least six feet from others, and avoid indoor social gatherings. The more we slow the spread, the faster we’ll return to normal hellos … and fewer goodbyes. Learn more about vaccines and slowing the spread at cdc.gov/coronavirus
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4 • Feb. 3, 2021
Op/Ed & Letters
The LEGACY
How Trump’s presidency changed the U.S. MICHAEL DIMOCK & JOHN GRAMLICH Donald Trump stunned the political world in 2016 when he became the first person without government or military experience ever to be elected president of the United States. His four-year tenure in the White House revealed extraordinary fissures in American society but left little doubt that he is a figure unlike any other in the nation’s history. Trump, the New York businessman and former reality TV show star, won the 2016 election after a campaign that defied norms and commanded public attention from the moment it began. His approach to governing was equally unconventional. Other presidents tried to unify the nation after turning from the campaign trail to the White House. From his first days in Washington to his last, Trump seemed to revel in the political fight. He used his presidential megaphone to criticize a long list of perceived adversaries, from the news media to members of his own administration, elected officials in both political parties and foreign heads of state. The more than 26,000 tweets he sent as president provided an unvarnished, The LEGACY NEWSPAPER Vol. 7 No. 5 Mailing Address P.O. Box 12474 Richmond, VA 23241 Office Address 105 1/2 E. Clay St. Richmond, VA 23219 Call: 804-644-1550 Online www.legacynewspaper.com
real-time account of his thinking on a broad spectrum of issues and eventually proved so provocative that Twitter permanently banned him from its platform. In his final days in office, Trump became the first president ever to be impeached twice – the second time for inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the election he lost – and the nation’s first chief executive in more than 150 years to refuse to attend his successor’s inauguration. Trump’s policy record included major changes at home and abroad. He achieved a string of long-sought conservative victories domestically, including the biggest corporate tax cuts on record, the elimination of scores of environmental regulations and a reshaping of the federal judiciary. In the international arena, he imposed tough new immigration restrictions, withdrew from several multilateral agreements, forged closer ties with Israel and launched a tit-for-tat trade dispute with China as part of a wider effort to address what he saw as glaring imbalances in America’s economic relationship with other countries. Many questions about Trump’s legacy and his role in the nation’s political future will take time to The LEGACY welcomes all signed letters and all respectful opinions. Letter writers and columnists opinions are their own and endorsements of their views by The LEGACY should be inferred. The LEGACY assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Annual Subscription Rates Virginia - $50 Other states - $75 Outside U.S.- $100 The Virginia Legacy © 2020
answer. But some takeaways from his presidency are already clear from Pew Research Center’s studies in recent years. Trump’s status as a political outsider, his outspoken nature and his willingness to upend past customs and expectations of presidential behavior made him a constant focus of public attention, as well as a source of deep partisan divisions. Even before he took office, Trump divided Republicans and Democrats more than any incoming chief executive in the prior three decades. The gap only grew more pronounced after he became president. An average of 86 percent of Republicans approved of Trump’s handling of the job over the course of his tenure, compared with an average of just 6 percent of Democrats – the widest partisan gap in approval for any president in the modern era of polling. Trump’s overall approval rating never exceeded 50 percent and fell to a low of just 29 percent in his final weeks in office, shortly after a mob of his supporters attacked the Capitol. Republicans and Democrats weren’t just divided over Trump’s handling of the job. They also
interpreted many aspects of his character and personality in fundamentally opposite ways. In a 2019 survey, at least three-quarters of Republicans said the president’s words sometimes or often made them feel hopeful, entertained, informed, happy and proud. Even larger shares of Democrats said his words sometimes or often made them feel concerned, exhausted, angry, insulted and confused. The strong reactions that Trump provoked appeared in highly personal contexts, too. In a 2019 survey, 71 percent of Democrats who were single and looking for a relationship said they would definitely or probably not consider being in a committed relationship with someone who had voted for Trump in 2016. That far exceeded the 47 percent of single-and-looking Republicans who said they would not consider being in a serious relationship with a Hillary Clinton voter. Republicans, Democrats differed widely in their reactions to Trump’s words. Many Americans opted not to talk about Trump or politics at all. In 2019, almost half of U.S. adults
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P.T. Hoffsteader, Esq.
Feb. 3, 2021 • 5
A path forward
With the handoff of power from one president to another, we enter this new phase of our national life in deep distress. We are divided and polarized, struggling to communicate reasonably with one another, and seemingly unable to find common ground on basic issues. Yet the path forward is neither new nor, really, difficult. We all know what needs to happen. We just need to do it. To heal as a nation, we need to return to our traditional ways of doing business. We need to rediscover our skills at negotiation and compromise. We must rekindle our understanding that many people contribute to our progress as a nation and that no one has an exclusive on wisdom. And perhaps more than anything, we need to reassure ourselves that we have the confidence and ability to solve our problems. We have done it in the past. We can do it again. I count myself among those who believe that President Trump’s misconduct should not be ignored—
that healthy democracies hold public officials accountable for their actions and do not just sweep them under the rug in the name of moving on. Representative democracies cannot function if political leaders try to overturn the results of a free and fair election when they do not like the result. At the same time, though, we badly need to focus on the tasks of governing. And by “we,” I mean all of us. Most of us will not have much impact on the future of social security or finding ways to provide affordable health care to every American, but we do bear responsibility for making our own little corner of the country work. We can look around our neighborhood, our community, our region, or our state, and do our best to make our system live up to its promise. For starters, this means that we resolve our differences without resorting to violence or trying to overthrow the system. Our representative democracy has its faults, but over the long sweep of our history it has served us well, evolving as public understanding evolves. In our system, we work to reform it, not to jettison it altogether. Lee H. Hamilton
Serious committment
President Biden’s executive orders to advance racial equity and support underserved communities is a significant signal to Americans that this administration is serious about its commitment to providing overdue relief for our community. These bold
actions represent the beginning of the administration’s policies towards redress for Black Americans who are disproportionately discriminated against when they’re seeking affordable housing, and it also represents a firm obligation to reforming our incarceration system by ending the Justice Department’s use of private prisons. “I am pleased that since his inauguration that President Biden has already begun to fulfill his commitment to tackling the systemic inequities that have been exacerbated by the previous administration. This is a new day in America. I, along with the members of National Action Network, look forward to continuing the work with the Biden administration to produce measurable outcomes that advance racial equity and create a fairer nation for all,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network. “The killing of George Floyd and others exposed a range of inequities, especially discriminatory police practices. We are hopeful that as President Biden rolls out the next stage for racial inequality stemming from his promise during his campaign to combat racial inequities, that we address issues regarding community policing and additional efforts to tackle other criminal justice issues urgently. Ebonie Riley NAN, Washington, D.C.
(from page 4) (44 percent) said they wouldn’t feel comfortable talking about Trump with someone they didn’t know well. A similar share (45 percent) said later that year that they had stopped talking politics with someone because of something that person had said. In addition to the intense divisions that emerged over Trump personally, his tenure saw a further widening of the gulf between Republicans and Democrats over core political values and issues, including in areas that weren’t especially partisan before his arrival. In 1994, when Pew Research Center began asking Americans a series of 10 “values questions” on subjects including the role of government, environmental protection and national security, the average gap between Republicans and Democrats was 15 percentage points. By 2017, the first year of Trump’s presidency, the average partisan gap on those same questions had more than doubled to 36 points, the result of a steady, decades-long increase in polarization. On some issues, there were bigger changes in thinking among Democrats than among Republicans during Trump’s presidency. That was especially the case on topics such as race and gender, which gained new attention amid the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements.
6 • Feb. 3, 2021
The LEGACY
NNFD selected to participate in national community risk reduction pilot program The city of Newport News Fire Department has been selected by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to participate in the second phase of a pilot program to build a digital community risk assessment (CRA) tool. Aligned to NFPA’s Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development, the tool, or “dashboard,” enables community leaders to gain valuable insights and make data-informed decisions around fire prevention and other risk-reduction activities in their communities. As one of only 250 fire departments nationwide chosen to participate in this phase, Newport News Fire Department has free access to the dashboard, which includes customized visualizations (maps, charts, graphs) that illustrate each community’s risks and hazards across a variety of categories such as demographics, geography, building stock, economics, infrastructure, and event loss history. The dashboard also provides a snapshot of local capacity for risk reduction activities with information about public safety response agencies and community service organizations. “Access to accurate data will allow community risk reduction leaders to use insights and make informed decisions about where to focus efforts and resources,” said Karen Berard-Reed, community risk reduction strategist at NFPA. “While many fire departments have struggled to work with data sets, NFPA’s CRA tool will do the complex work behind the scenes to compile relevant data allowing stakeholders to create effective community risk reduction plans that incorporate five priorities - education, engineering, enforcement, economic incentives, and emergency response - in the
most impactful ways possible.” The first phase of the pilot project, which included participation from 50 fire departments across the country, helped identify features of the digital dashboard that will work effectively and those that need finetuning. During the second phase of the program, the NNFD will provide feedback around the use of dashboard to help continue refining and enhancing the digital tool. “We are excited to be participating in this important project,” said Robert Lee, Assistant Fire Chief of Community Risk Reduction for the Newport New Fire Department. “Not only will access to the tool give us invaluable information about our community’s needs, but it’s rewarding to know that using the tool will increase its effectiveness and help other fire departments in the long run.” Community risk reduction is a process that identifies and prioritizes risks and ensures impactful mitigation initiatives. Innovative technology, access to data, and a shifting focus on prevention have resulted in new energy around this process. Reflecting that momentum,
NFPA’s CRA tool works to help fire departments aggregate and
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President Joe Biden orders charged all federal agencies with reviewing equity in their programs and actions. President Biden demanded that the Office of Management and Budget analyze whether federal dollars are distributed equitably in communities of color. In his Jan. 26 orders, the president reinstated a policy from the Barack Obama administration that prohibited military equipment transfer to local police departments.
disseminate data that pinpoint where risks exist within a given community. The president noted the disturbing trends he and the rest of the country reckoned with in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others. The order prevented federal agencies from providing local police with military-grade equipment, which Ferguson, Missouri used, officers after police shot and killed an unarmed Michael Brown. The previous administration reinstated the policy to allow federal agencies to provide military-style equipment to local police. Like Obama, President Biden has said he also would attempt to eliminate the government’s use of private prisons where unspeakable abuses of inmates – mostly those of color – reportedly occur almost daily. “Our soul will be troubled as long as systematic racism is allowed to persist,” the President declared. “It’s corrosive, it’s destructive, and it’s costly. … We’re also less prosperous. We are less successful. We are less secure. We must change.”
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Feb. 3, 2021• 7
P.O. B
Request for Proposals Contract ID #: C00116161DB110 0081-086-834 PE101, C501 I-81 MM 48 Northbound Acceleration Lane Extension Design-Build Project
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is seeking proposals for I-81 MM 48 Northbound Acceleration Lane Please re Extension Design-Build Project from qualified and experienced If your re respondents with design and construction experience of highway facilities. The Project is located along I-81 northbound in Smyth County, Virginia. The purpose of the project is to improve safety and operations by extending the existing I-81 Exit 47 northbound on ramp approximately 3,900 feet from MM 48.1 to MM 48.8. The limits of the Project are from approximately 0.24 miles north of the I-81 NBL bridge over Rifton Dr. (F010) to approximately 0.1 miles south of the I-81 NBL bridge over Hutton Br. (Rte. 689) for a total length of approximately 0.79 miles. The work includes but not limited to: all work required to support the design and construction of: (a) roadway; (b) survey; (c) environmental; (d) geotechnical; (e) drainage, erosion and sediment control, and stormwater management; (f) utilities; (g) traffic control devices; (h) transportation management plan; (i) signage; (j) ITS components; (k) quality assurance and quality control; (l) construction Ser engineering and inspection; (m) stakeholder coordination and public outreach and (n) overall Project management. 409 E. Main Questions/clarifications regarding the Request for Proposals (RFP) should be submitted to Jeffrey A. Roby, PE, PMP, DBIA (jeffrey.roby@vdot.virginia.gov).
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Copies of the RFP and additional submittal requirements can be found at VDOT Project website at (http://www.virginiadot.org/business/ request-for-proposals.asp) and on Bid Express (bidexpress.com). The Department assures compliance with Title VI requirements of non-discrimination in all activities pursuant to this advertisement.
Thank you for your interest in applying for opportunities with The City of Richmond. To see what opportunities are available, please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com. EOE M/F/D/V
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