Richmond Free Press © 2019 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
VOL. 28 NO. 26
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
www.richmondfreepress.com
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Meet national president of National Negro Golf Association B1
JUNE 27-29, 2019
Arthur Ashe Jr.
‘A true champion’
Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
Streamers fly as the new Arthur Ashe Boulevard street signs are unveiled last Saturday by David O. Harris Jr., nephew of Arthur Ashe, left, City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray and Mayor Levar M. Stoney at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
Thousands celebrate dedication of Arthur Ashe Boulevard By George Copeland Jr.
Local, state and national figures joined a crowd of thousands Saturday at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture to celebrate the official renaming of Arthur Ashe Boulevard. “Today we celebrate a true champion in Richmond, not just a champion on the tennis court, but on the world stage for civil rights and for racial equality,” Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney said. The dedication, which saw the unveiling of new street signs for Arthur Ashe Boulevard, was the culmination of efforts over
two decades to honor the tennis trailblazer and international human rights activist, with City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray, 2nd District, proving to be instrumental in the success of the latest effort when City Council approved the renaming in February.
More stories, photos, A4, A5, A8 and B2 Similar efforts failed in 1993 and 2003. Ms. Gray joined Mayor Stoney and Mr. Ashe’s newphew, David O. Harris Jr. of Henrico County, in unveiling the new signs. The tarps were pulled off to loud booms of two cannons
that fired purple streamers into the air. The crowd, on its feet with cellphones and other cameras, cheered and photographed the historic moment. “One should never forget — our efforts together are epic,” Mr. Harris said in his remarks to the huge crowd that stretched from the museum’s lawn to the boulevard itself. Mr. Harris was a leading figure behind the renaming effort, his words Saturday guided by his uncle’s example in advocating for inclusivity and denouncing bigotry. Please turn to A4
New police chief promoted from the ranks By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
Richmond’s new police chief, William C. “Will” Smith, addresses the media Wednesday at a news conference announcing his appointment to chief from interim chief.
Six police chiefs have come and gone since William C. “Will” Smith joined the Richmond Police Department as a patrolman in 1995. Now after rising through the ranks, the 51-year-old Richmond native will face the challenge of leading the perennially short-handed department in seeking to prevent and solve the crimes that plague the city and its residents. Mayor Levar M. Stoney Wednesday named Chief Smith the city’s 19th police chief after watching him handle the department for the past six months as interim chief.
The decision drew cheers and applause during an afternoon news conference at the department’s Grace Street headquarters and statements of praise from two former chiefs, including his predecessor, Alfred Durham, who had encouraged Chief Smith’s appointment before he left in December. Considered one of most significant appointments the mayor can make, the decision was announced as the department sought to chase down a suspect in a high-profile hit-and-run case from earlier in the day that left one dead and three injured in Shockoe Bottom in the aftermath of an
Mayor introduces measure to ban guns from city buildings, parks By Jeremy M. Lazarus
Mayor Levar M. Stoney wants to ban guns from city buildings, parks, recreation centers and other community facilities. Joining in the Democratic effort to make gun control an issue in the General Assembly elections in November, Mayor Stoney introduced legislation to City Council on Monday that would make it illegal for anyone to “carry any firearm” into city-
owned spaces, except for police officers, city-hired security guards or military personnel who are on duty. Mayor Stoney made it clear that the ban, if approved by Mayor Stoney City Council, could become effective only if the Republican-
controlled General Assembly agrees to restore local authority to impose such a ban. That authority was stripped away from local governments nearly 20 years ago. The mayor told reporters at a Monday news conference that he wants to get the legislation on the books so the city would be ready if the legislature lifts the ban. That is more likely to happen if Democrats
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras has quietly undermined a Richmond School Board effort to crack down on the serious problem of chronic absenteeism by students. The board’s current policy eliminates course credits for high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors who had 18 days
or more of unexcused absences. But the superintendent only eliminated course credit for students who missed more than 30 days without having a serious medical condition or other similarly significant issue that kept them from attending school. While administration officials and School Board Chair Dawn C. Page denied any change in the policy, the Free Press obtained a June 19 email from Mr.
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Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press
New to the game Darien Threatts, 2, channels his inner Ashe during a tennis skills session for children last Saturday at Battery Park in North Side. Friends of Battery Park collaborated with several other groups to put on the celebration at the park’s Arthur Ashe Tennis Courts.
Anne Holton new interim president of George Mason Free Press staff, wire report
Kamras to the School Board that spells out the modification he made without first obtaining board approval. “Though our board policy allows credit removal after 18 absences, we only denied waivers for students who had more than 30 absences,” Mr. Kamras wrote, suggesting the policy provided discretion.
She has been called “First Lady,” “Your honor,” “Madame Secretary” and now “President.” Anne Holton, wife of Virginia’s U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, has been named interim president of George Mason University in Northern Virginia. Ms. Holton The university announced June 20 that Ms. Holton, who has been a visiting professor at George Mason since 2017, will lead the school beginning Aug. 1. She will be the university’s first female president. The 61-year-old Ms. Holton, an attorney by profession, has had a long life in the public eye. She is the daughter of former Gov. Linwood Holton and grew up, in part, in Richmond in the Executive Mansion and attended Richmond Public Schools during the early tumultuous days of school busing in the early 1970s. She attended Mosby Middle School in the East End and
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Waiver expansion undermines RPS absenteeism policy By Jeremy M. Lazarus
argument at a club. Essentially, the mayor chose stability over change in removing the interim label from Chief Smith’s title and handing him the leadership reins instead of hiring someone from outside as previous mayors and City Councils have done. The new chief is to receive a $5,000 raise to start at $160,000. He will be formally sworn in at a ceremony at a later date. Chief Smith indicated that he is not planning any changes in the department’s leadership that he inherited and has installed since taking over from former Chief Durham, who departed to become the National Football League’s chief of security. A soft-spoken man known for his steadiness and responsiveness, Chief Smith is the first Richmond officer who