February 16 18, 2017 issue

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Richmond Free Press © 2017 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

VOL. 26 NO. 7

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

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FEBRUARY 16-18, 2017

Out like Flynn Concerns grow amid reports that Trump campaign aides were in frequent contact with Russian officials before Nov. 8 election

Free Press wire reports

WASHINGTON President Trump is facing a deepening crisis over the relationship between his aides and Russia, with senior Republicans vowing on Wednesday to get to the bottom of the matter and Democrats demanding an independent probe. Amid rising unease among fellow Republicans in Congress less than a month into his presidency, President Trump sought to focus the attention on what he called criminal intelligence leaks about Michael Flynn, his ousted national security adviser. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that phone call records and intercepted calls showed members of President Trump’s presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the Nov. 8 presidential election. The report came nearly 24 hours after Mr. Flynn was forced to resign over conversations he had last December with the

Shake-up at City Hall leads to 4 dismissals By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Six weeks after taking office, Mayor Levar M. Stoney has begun shaking up the administration at City Hall. In a first step taken last week, he dumped four high-ranking executives from the administration of his predecessor, ranging from the tarnished director of public works Mr. Adediran to the long-serving fire chief. Mayor Stoney did not mention the names of the departed in his Feb. 9 announcement, instead simply naming those who would fill the positions on an interim basis. As yet, it is unclear what the administrative changes will mean for residents. Mayor Stoney stated that the city “was moving in a new direction” and that he was “excited to see” what the new leadership he installed Mr. Creecy “can do to improve our government and move our city forward.” The ousted include: • Emmanuel O. Adediran, director of public works; • Robert A. Creecy, fire chief; • Debra D. Gardner, deputy chief administrative officer, or DCAO, for human services, who oversaw social services, juvenile justice and parks and Ms. Gardner recreation; and • Johnny L. McLean, director of human resources. The mayor named Bobby Vincent Jr., deputy public works director and a 24-year city veteran, as interim director of the

Russian ambassador to Washington and misleading statements about them to Vice President Mike Pence. The New York Times, citing current and former U.S. officials, said U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they discovered Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee. The Kremlin has dismissed the reports as groundless.

According to the report, the officials conceded they had “so far” seen no evidence that Trump campaign officials had cooperated with Russian intelligence in Moscow’s efforts to influence the election in the president’s favor. The officials did not explain what the contacts were about. However, report of the frequent contact last year between Please turn to A4

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Kenneth Williams, CEO of Adult Alternative Program, plans to use students and young adults to renovate the vacant REAL School building at 4929 Chamberlayne Ave. under a lease agreement with Richmond Public Schools.

Contractor hopes vacant RPS building can teach students new lessons By Holly Rodriguez

When Kenneth Williams takes over the former REAL School building at Chamberlayne and Azalea avenues, he won’t be teaching students the typical reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, the 68-year-old contractor and owner of Williams Builders Plus will use the vacant building to teach young adults skills in construction. From simple skills needed to fix a broken window to installing toilets and sheetrock, Mr. Williams’Adult Alternative Program teaches basic skills and behavior modification for young adults ages 18 to 25 who are in need. Many have been released from jail and prison and are looking to re-enter the labor force, Mr. Williams said. The goal of the program is to help participants achieve Class C contractor certification for a career in the construction industry.

The Richmond School Board approved the award of a four-year lease agreement between Richmond Public Schools and the Adult Alternative Program for rehabilitation of the building at 4929 Chamberlayne Ave. “The four-year lease agreement will include no rental payment in the first year due to the costs Kenneth will incur to start renovations,” said Thomas Kranz, superintendent of support services for Richmond Public Schools. “Then, he will pay $500 per month for the next three years, at the end of which time we will assess what will happen with the building.” In 2007, REAL School students were moved from the single-story brick building to Henderson Middle School. RPS retained ownership of the building, which has been vacant since then. Mr. Kranz said leasing the building to Mr. Williams is a win for RPS students. The vacant building is costing the city’s

Please turn to A4

Détente reached after Oakley-Dolan showdown at The Garden By Fred Jeter

Former New York Knicks star Charles Oakley has a reputation of being a powerful man who doesn’t back down. James Dolan, owner of the NBA team, has a reputation of having paper-thin skin. Their extreme personalities clashed Feb. 8 at Madison Square Garden, resulting in an embarrassing situation that drew national publicity for all the wrong reasons. Oakley, a former Virginia Union University All-American — Class of 1985 — who played for the Knicks from 1988 through 1999, was confronted by a posse of security at New York’s Madison Square Garden during the first quarter of a Knicks-Los Angeles Clippers game. The robust 6-foot-8 Oakley was instructed to leave the building, as ordered by Dolan, who is executive chairman of The Madison Please turn to A4

Ava Reaves

Under a pagoda Xavier Judon, 2, and his mother, Melissa, strike a playful pose under a handcrafted pagoda set up for last Saturday’s ChinaFest! Year of the Fire Rooster. The family-oriented event took place at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Please see more photos, B2.

school system a couple of thousand dollars a year to maintain security and dispatch personnel to the property to investigate a reported problem or incident, such as a broken window. “We will save that money, which can go back into our budget for operating costs,” he said. “It’s not a lot of money, but every little bit helps.” Please turn to A4

Candidates sought for Richmond School Board’s 3rd District The Richmond School Board will choose someone to fill the vacant 3rd District seat on March 20. The appointee will fill the seat vacated by Jeff M. Bourne, who was elected last week to the Virginia House of Delegates. The person will serve until a special election is held in November. Candidates interested in being considered for the interim appointment must be registered voters and live in the city’s 3rd District. Applicants are required to submit electronically or by hard copy a letter of interest and a résumé, including home address and telephone number. The deadline for submission to Angela Lewis, school board clerk, is 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, at alewis@ rvaschools.net or 301 N. 9th St., 17th floor, Richmond, Va. 23219. Candidates will be interviewed by the School Board on Monday, March 13, when a public hearing also will be held to receive citizen comments on candidates. After the board makes its selection on March 20, the appointee is slated to take office on March 21. For more information or to submit an application for the seat, contact Ms. Lewis, alewis@rvaschools. net or (804)780-7716. — HOLLY RODRIGUEZ


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