Free press march 1 3, 2018 issue

Meet Amy ‘MiMi’ Wentz, co-founder of Richmond Black Restaurant Experience

Richmond Free Press

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VOL. 27 NO. 9

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

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celebrat ing o u r 2 6 t h A nniver s ar y

March 1-3, 2018

Metropolitan Business League continues growing services, membership a half century after founding

50 years and counting

By Bonnie Newman Davis

Four days after Christmas, Floyd E. Miller II was in the Metropolitan Business League’s offices at 707 W. Main St. preparing for “a new year and new opportunities for new sources of funding” for the league through grants, foundations and fundraising events.

Mr. Miller, who became executive director of the 50-year-old MBL last August, also wants to ensure that millennials join and stay active with the organization. He believes that the MBL’s junior board, whose members range in age from 24 to 32, will help lure younger members.

Founded in 1968 by a handful of influential, middle-aged Richmond business owners, the MBL was created to increase opportunities and profits for African-American businesses.

Today the league, which has grown to more than 400 members, remains largely focused on supporting small, minority and women-owned businesses.

Want to go?

The Metropolitan Business League is holding its annual awards dinner and reception to celebrate the success of its members, partners and area business leaders.

When: 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, March 2 Where: Hotel John Marshall, 101 N. 5th St. Tickets: $80 to $90 for MBL members; $115 for non-members Details: www.thembl.org or (804) 649-7473

In announcing Mr. Miller’s appointment, Sharon Dabney-Wooldridge, chief executive officer of the janitorial service KleaneKare Team Inc. and an MBL board member, said the league is “well positioned for Floyd to take us into the next decade of growth.”

Mr. Miller is the former senior director of urban programs for the Special Olympics Virginia. At the MBL, he succeeds the late Oliver Singleton, who led the league from 2003 until his death nearly two Please turn to A4

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Petersburg youths treated to ‘Black Panther’ courtesy of Trey Songz

By Ronald E. Carrington

Grammy nominated R&B singer Trey Songz and his Angels with Heart Foundation treated 100 Petersburg youngsters to the smash hit “Black Panther” last week at the movie theater at Southpark Mall Park.

T h e l u c k y and happy teens and children are participants in the PeTrey Songz tersburg Parks & Leisure Services’ Let’s Move! after-school program, the Petersburg Boys and Girls Club and the boys and girls basketball teams and the girls softball team from Petersburg High School.

“They saw a 3D version of the film,” said Tami Yerby, director of Parks & Leisure Services and Petersburg’s volunteerism coordinator. “It was a great experience to see the mesmerized looks on their faces Please turn to A4

New street sign to honor Free Press founder A new street sign is being put in place at 5th and Franklin streets to honor Raymond H. Boone Sr., the late founder and publisher of the Richmond Free Press.

A public ceremony to unveil the sign will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, March 8, in the lobby of the Imperial Building, which is home to the weekly newspaper Mr. Boone launched in 1992. The building, located at 422 E. Franklin St., sits at that Downtown corner.

Richmond City Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson will lead the ceremony. She won council support to post the honorary street sign bearing the name of Mr. Boone, who died in 2014.

Put Schools First offers $650M plan to modernize city schools

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Courtesy of Petersburg Parks & Leisure Services

Treyvion Hall finds an artistic way to thank Petersburg native Trey Songz and his Angels with Heart Foundation after receiving free tickets and snacks last week to see the movie “Black Panther.”

The volunteer Put Schools First committee is rolling out a plan that calls for spending $650 million to modernize all of Richmond’s public schools — with a goal of having 19 completed within seven years and the remaining buildings done within 12 years.

The Free Press obtained a copy of the 27-page draft of the proposal that outlines about 100 ways to cut or reapply $21 million in city spending — 3 percent of the city’s current $681 million budget — in order to generate needed funds to repay the borrowing that would be required.

The plan calls for replacing buildings already on the Richmond School Board’s list, such as George

Wythe High and George Mason and construction costs.

Greene elementary schools. It also Paul Goldman, chairman of Put would renovate or replace a host of Schools First and who led the sucother buildings, including the Rich- cessful effort to pass a referendum mond Technical Center to upgrade calling on Mayor Levar M. Stoney career training and Fox and Stuart to create a fully funded plan to elementary schools. modernize city schools As proposed, the $370 without a tax increase, million first phase of the confirmed on Wednesday plan would provide for that the documents are the one of the largest single first draft of the commitinvestments in school tee’s proposal. building construction Mr. Goldman said the since the city’s public plan presents the city’s schools were created in leaders and residents with Mr. Goldman 1869. a fundamental choice: “Do To be published within a few we improve the oldest, most decrepit days, the proposal directly chal- and obsolete schools in the state or lenges notions that tax increases do we continue to make excuses are the only way the city can obtain for failing to do what is right for a stream of new revenue to cover additional borrowing for school Please turn to A4

City Council OKs expensive NFL training center refinancing

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Taxpayers cannot escape paying for the Washington pro football team’s summer training camp, a reluctant Richmond City Council has decided.

By a 6-3 margin, City Council members gave the green light Monday to the administration’s plan to refinance $8.6 million to cover the remaining debt on the Leigh Street training camp complex that also includes medical offices of the Bon Secours Health System.

The plan allows City Hall to borrow $8.5 million to pay off a short-term loan that comes due Sept. 1, along with an additional $100,000 to cover the cost of issuing 15-year bonds.

The cost to taxpayers: $750,000 a year, or $11.25 million

in principal and interest, according to the request from Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration.

That’s a big difference from a deal that was sold to City Council in 2012 when then-Mayor Dwight C. Jones promoted the idea for a training camp, which opened in 2013. At that time, the council was told there was no risk to borrow $10 million from funds for school maintenance and the jail because the training camp would be paid off in five years.

But the revenue from the camp, located behind the Science Museum of Virginia, and other elements has fallen far short of the advance projections. While Bon Secours paid for naming rights at the camp, the Richmond Economic Development Authority spent much of the money developing a park and completing the building’s second floor that has remained largely vacant.

Council members appeared poised to postpone a vote for 60 days in order to have more time to review the new borrowing plan.

But the prospect for delay ended when Lenora Reid, the city’s chief financial officer, disclosed a problem not mentioned previously when she and other officials discussed the plan for the bond issue with a City Council committee during three meetings since December.

If the council failed to approve the bond sale, Ms. Reid said that Mayor Stoney would have to recognize the debt and include its repayment in the city’s 2018-19 budget plan he is to present to City Council next Tuesday, March 6.

“We don’t have $8.6 million of operating funds” to devote Please turn to A4

A2 March 1-3, 2018

Richmond Free Press

Local News

Above, people get wet during the annual “Shiver in the River” winter festival Saturday in Downtown near Historic Tredegar.

Right, Mal Nanayakkara, left, and James Sinnie wade in the James River during the event sponsored by Keep Virginia Beau-

RRHA heating problems, repairs continue

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Three steps forward and one step back.

That’s how it seems to be going for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority in dealing with the heating problems afflicting nearly 10 percent of its 4,000 public housing units.

Even as RRHA reports progress in restoring heat to 78 units in Creighton Court and to 333 other units elsewhere in its properties, RRHA now is dealing with a fresh problem: An aging boiler failed in Fairfield Court, cutting off heat to 20 apartments in three buildings.

In contrast to previous problems, RRHA appeared to move with lightning speed to address the new problem.

The failure occurred Feb. 22, according to Orlando Artze, the authority’s interim chief executive officer.

Mr. Artze The 20 affected families immediately were offered hotel accommodations, although only one family accepted, Mr. Artze said. Most received temporary portable space heaters, he said, and temperature readings showed all of the units remained above 65 degrees.

Meanwhile, a replacement boiler was quickly ordered and is expected to be in place by Friday, March 2, he said.

“The top priority is to install the new boiler and to keep residents informed,” Mr. Artze said.

Meanwhile, as of Feb. 23, electricians had installed new baseboard heaters in 37 Creighton Court units, Mr. Artze said. “We are on schedule to complete all 78 units by March 29.”

He said the response from tenants who have moved back into Creighton Court “has been positive since they are able to adjust the heat at each baseboard unit, which was difficult if not impossible for them to do” with the radiators.

The units did not have thermostats to control the heat from working radiators, which often generate so much heat tenants report having to open windows.

RRHA also reported in early February that the heat was out in 333 other units.

As of Feb. 9, RRHA staff had restored heat to 161 of those units, Mr. Artze said.

He said that RRHA heating, ventilation and cooling and maintenance staff spent recent weeks assessing the causes of the heating problems in the remaining 172 units.

Those assessments are now complete, he said, and repairs began this week.

Cityscape Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

Photos by Ayasha Sledge

tiful to raise money for its programs to beautify Richmond and the state, reduce littering and increase recycling. The wintry dip capped a program that also involved volunteers picking up trash along the riverbank and participating in a 5K Walk-Run.

City Council votes to expand bulk and brush pickup

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond residents can now dispose of used mattresses, old sofas, broken chairs and worn-out kitchen tables, along with brush and tree limbs from their yards, at no additional charge.

A divided Richmond City Council voted 5-4 Monday night to expand the bulk and brush program to include items that previously were banned.

Bobby Vincent, director of the Department of Public Works, told the Free Press that collection of such items would “begin immediately,” although the department’s website has yet to be changed to reflect the new policy.

The department deploys nine trucks to pick up bulk and brush trash on the same day that recycling items are scheduled to be picked up from residences every two weeks.

Until now, residents either had to haul mattresses and furniture to the city’s landfill transfer stations; pay a $100 fee for a trash truck to make the pickup — or $50 more than the city fee to pick up stoves and refrigerators; or wait for a twice yearly neighborhood cleanup.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration opposed expanded service, with support from four council members, Council Vice

President Cynthia I. Newbille, 7th District; Michael J. Jones, 9th District; Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District; and Reva M. Trammell, 8th District.

Mr. Vincent objected to the change, but gave the council no indication that the expanded program would require additional funds.

Council member Kim B. Gray, 2nd District, led the charge to change the City Code and include mattresses and other household goods. Discarded furniture and mattresses had been collected before the program was revamped in December.

Last May, council approved Mr. Vincent’s plan to buy nine specialty collection trucks, hire 15 extra employees and raise the trash collection fee by 80 cents a month to pay for biweekly service.

At the time, Ms. Gray said she was unaware that the collection of mattresses and furniture would not be included. When Mr. Vincent rolled out information about the plan before the start of the program, she began raising concerns.

Since the revamped program went into effect, Mr. Vincent has cited a City Code provision to explain his decision. He said department workers would only collect such items if they were illegally dumped,

but would generally limit collection to the two yearly neighborhood cleanups Ms. Gray reiterated her argument Monday night that city residents are paying more for reduced service.

Both she and Councilman Parker C. Agelasto, 5th District, who was equally adamant about getting better service, pointed to an increase in household items that college students are leaving in alleys when they vacate their dorm rooms and apartments.

The majority voting to expand collection also included Council President Chris A. Hilbert, 3rd District; Andreas Addison, 1st District; and Kristen N. Larson, 4th District.

Ms. Gray said the change to collect such bulk items is aimed at ensuring a cleaner city, which Mr. Vincent and the Stoney administration said was the goal in creating the biweekly bulk and brush collection.

Ms. Gray said she was surprised at the opposition from representatives of four districts that long have experienced problems with discarded mattresses and furniture being left in alleys.

“Every council district has problems with these items. I am still puzzled that council members who are aware of the situation voted against better service for their constituents,” she said.

Public meeting March 1 on Henrico schools superintendent search The public will have an opportunity to tell Henrico officials what they want to see in a new Henrico schools superintendent at a meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at L. Douglas Wilder Middle School, 6900 Wilkinson Road.

The meeting is the first in a process announced by the Henrico School Board to replace Superintendent Patrick C. Kinlaw, who is retiring on June 30.

At Thursday’s meeting, participants will break into small groups to meet with their district’s School Board representative. After discussing the qualities they want in the

next superintendent, the entire group will reconvene to share info from the small group sessions.

A second public input session will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 8, at the New Bridge Learning Center, 5915 Nine Mile Road, following the School Board’s work session. Each speaker will have four minutes to address the board.

The Henrico School Board also has created an online survey in English and Spanish for county residents and other stakeholders to offer their opinions. A paper version of the survey also is available in the main offices

of Henrico schools and must be submitted before midnight on Wednesday, March 7.

The online survey can be found at www. surveymonkey.com/r/HenricoCountySearch or by going to http://henricoschools.us and looking under “Hot Topics.”

According to the School Board’s timeline, superintendent candidates’ applications will be accepted through April 10, with interviews to be scheduled later in April and May. The board expects to make a decision in May or June, with the new superintendent starting July 1.— RONALD E. CARRINGTON

Photos by Ava Reaves

The joy of reading Adults are spreading the joy of reading to area children. Left, Richmond Sheriff Antionette V. Irving reads to students at Overby-Sheppard Elementary School in North Side on Tuesday, while, right, Theodore Mosley reads to first-graders at Bellevue Elementary in Church Hill last Friday. Mr. Mosley was part of the 100 Men Read project of Mt. Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries. Sheriff Irving was taking part

in the annual Read Across America effort to read to children in schools and day care centers. The National Education Association sponsors the effort to promote reading and honor the late noted children’s author Dr. Seuss. Additional volunteers will read to children in Richmond Public Schools and other area schools and programs on Friday, March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss, the pen name of Theodor S. Geisel.

Richmond Free Press

March 1-3, 2018

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News

Metropolitan Business League continues growing at 50 Continued from A1

years ago.

An obituary published in the Richmond Free Press at the time described Mr. Singleton as “a genial man with a charitable heart and warm smile (who) connected many small businesses with larger ones to foster business development and expansion.”

Overseeing an average of about 150 MBL member businesses annually, Mr. Singleton also helped small businesses set up benefit packages for their employees and helped MBL members and non-members create business plans.

He also organized the Women Who Mean Business Summit, one of the largest conferences for professional and executive women in the region.

Mr. Miller acknowledges that following Mr. Singleton is no small feat, yet he says he is primed for the task. Mr. Miller, who grew up in New Kent County, said he, with the board’s assistance, intends to build on Mr. Singleton’s work, especially in developing corporate relationships.

With a current $375,000 operating budget and goals to boost membership by 30 percent and bring in $100,000 within his first few months, the MBL is “halfway there,” Mr. Miller said.

He attributes the organization’s growth to an “unbelievable” board that he says “is active and engaged in the process of being successful.”

Programs such as Women Who Mean Business will continue and corporate partnerships with Dominion Energy, Bon Secours and Capital One remain solid, he said.

• Carla P. Childs is the daughter of the late Garfield F. Childs Sr., one of the MBL’s founders. She was born in 1968, the same year that the MBL was created.

Ms. Childs recalled how her father’s life was consumed by the organization and other projects he believed would increase opportunities and profits for African-American business owners.

Their gains, he maintained, could then be reinvested into black communities,

she said.

Other MBL founding members include Neverett A. Eggleston Jr., M.A. Motley Sr. and the late Stafford Alvin Flowers. A yellowed newspaper clipping from 1968 includes Mr. Childs announcing the MBL’s formation to “implement the economic development of small businesses through larger developments and combinations of efforts to improve our total economy.”

The same article touts a $1 million loan from Richmond’s Consolidated Bank and Trust Co. and the U.S. Small Business Administration to help the MBL boost the “sagging economic life of the inner city.”

Gary L. Flowers, a Richmond radio talk show host and former field director for the national Rainbow PUSH Organization, said his father, in helping to start the MBL, recognized the chasm between black and white businesses.

He believed “an opportunity gap” was in place, Mr. Flowers said.

He also never lost sight of Jackson Ward’s position for black businesses dating to the late 1800s, Mr. Flowers said.

Mr. Eggleston, whose father took over ownership in the mid-1930s or early 1940s one of the early hotels for African-Americans in Jackson Ward, said one reason the group started the MBL was because African-Americans weren’t allowed to join the Richmond Chamber of Commerce or the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Thus, when the MBL was created, he said, black business owners were eager to join the organization, which was linked to the National Business League founded in 1900 by Booker T. Washington.

In addition to the programs, training and networking that MBL provided, its members wanted a sense of unity, said Mr. Eggleston, who served on the NBL’s national board along with Stafford Flowers.

Mr. Eggleston, like many of the organization’s members, would go on to create several businesses.

Ms. Childs, who works for the city’s Department of Social Services, said her

Petersburg youths treated to ‘Black Panther’ courtesy of Trey Songz Continued from A1

as they saw superheroes on the screen performed by actors that looked like them.”

This is not the first time young people have been beneficiaries of Trey Songz’s commitment to the community. The Petersburg native, who started Angels with a Heart in 2010, has sponsored sneaker drives during the holiday season, free back-to-school haircuts and makeovers, pizza parties and field trips for youths in the city.

He quietly has been present at salons for kids’ makeovers, Ms. Yerby said, gone door-to-door delivering Thanksgiving turkeys to families and performed free concerts to celebrate the high school’s accreditation a few years ago.

The foundation also was created to encourage his fan club members, known as “Trey’s Angels,” to become positive forces in their communities. Fan club members across the country are called upon to give back — through random acts of kindness — by donating their time and efforts to support their respective communities.

Treating Petersburg youngsters to the movie and snacks on Feb. 22 was just his latest random act of kindness, Ms. Yerby said.

The Disney and Marvel Studios’ epic film is expected to continue to break box office records in its third week and surpass the $1 billion mark with worldwide ticket sales.

Clement Britt

Neverett A. Eggleston Jr., center, who helped found the Metropolitan Business League in 1968, stands with Carla P. Childs and Gary L. Flowers on the site of the organization’s original home on 2nd Street near Jackson Street in Jackson Ward.

father loved the fact that Richmond’s Jackson Ward community, known as the “Black Wall Street” of America during the early 1900s, was still home to so many black businesses when the MBL started.

“He wanted all of our money to be in our community,” she said. Union Mutual Savings and Loan, founded by Mr. Childs, was one of the financial institutions located in Jackson Ward, along with Consolidated Bank and Trust. Mr. Childs also had an interest in Smith-Madden Business College that also was located in Jackson Ward.

• Gladys Jackson Fleming was 17 and about to graduate from Richmond’s Armstrong High School when the MBL was founded. In 1984, her interior design and business background landed her at MBL as its executive director.

“My financial adviser (and later spouse) Jessie Fleming told me that it was time for me to give back to the community,” Mrs. Fleming recalled.

Her MBL leadership came five years before the City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co. case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that the City of Richmond’s minority

set-aside program, which gave preference to minority business enterprises in awarding municipal contracts, was unconstitutional. The high court found that the city failed to identify the need for remedial action to help minority-owned businesses and failed to show that other remedies to combat discrimination were insufficient, thus creating the need for a set-aside program.

Although the ruling had somewhat of a chilling effect for black-owned businesses, Mrs. Fleming and other MBL supporters forged ahead. The U.S. Minority Business Development Agency along with the Community Development Block Grant program helped the league establish two offices that eventually were merged into one site on Marshall Street, Mrs. Fleming said. Increased recruiting efforts led to an influx of new members. Construction no longer dominated the league’s membership base as more general service contracts came into play.

The opening of Richmond’s 6th Street Marketplace in Downtown in 1985 enabled the MBL to help several African-Americans and minorities establish businesses with the goal of revitalizing the city’s dying retail

environment. Although the 6th Street Marketplace is long gone, other MBL successes included assisting iconic business owners such as Langston Davis and Dwight Snead grow their companies.

“They grew in spite of the (U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Croson case) because they had financial backing through bonding companies,” Mrs. Fleming recalled. “Dwight Snead is now a major contractor, and he brings other minorities into the business.”

When Mrs. Fleming left the MBL in 1994, Lynda Sharp Anderson, a former executive, stepped in to lead the organization until 2003.

“MBL was ripe for opportunity, to take it from where it was to where I was able to carry it,” said Mrs. Sharp Anderson. “All the stars aligned and several corporations wanted to partner with black businesses. Minority businesses were flourishing and people were ready to do business.”

Many observers credit Mrs. Sharp Anderson’s “ability to bring people together” as being key to introducing corporations to MBL members, developing a business membership guide and creating the signature awards dinner that brings in highprofile speakers.

• Ms. Childs believes her father would be pleased with the MBL’s progress.

“He would say that we, as a community, need to come back together and work together and to keep capital in our community,” Ms. Childs said.

“Keep it basic and make yourself self-sufficient.”

A key to that is business ownership, Mr. Flowers said, which the MBL can help with.

“Young people should focus on entrepreneurship rather than turn their talents and intellectual properties over to others who don’t have their best interests at heart,” Mr. Flowers said. “Apps, algorithms, STEM courses should be the norm for millennials who should view the world as their oyster.”

Put Schools First offers $650M plan to modernize city schools Continued from A1

the children?

“The mayor has said the children can’t wait,” Mr. Goldman continued. “This plan would bring an end to the broken promises our leaders keep making to the mostly African-American students who attend city schools. It is time to do what is educationally and morally right.”

The budget changes in the plan cover the spectrum, requiring belt-tightening in virtually every area of city government as part of what the plan calls a “shared sacrifice.” Spending reductions would affect every part of City Hall, from the city call center to the Mayor’s Office in order to free up funds to school construction.

Some of the proposed changes would shift money from previous uses. For example, the city has been providing $1.25 million a year to Altria as part of the deal to get the company to expand its operations here. Once those payments end, the money would go to fund school construction, according to the proposal.

Other ideas include $575,000 in cuts to the offices of the mayor, the city’s chief administrative officer and City Council. The proposal also would eliminate money to send city employees to conventions, cut back on strategic planning, pare spending by the School Board on high-level administrators and reduce money for arts and the Richmond Sheriff’s Office.

The proposal also calls for revamping city policies that limit borrowing and reduce the ability of the city to tackle the schools problem.

Mr. Goldman said those policies have been installed since 2014 with the goal of the city gaining a triple A bond rating, which is the top rating and just a bit better than the city’s current

AA+ rating. None of the city’s self-imposed limits are required by the state constitution or by state law, he said.

“Our leaders have tied their own hands and then lamented that their hands are tied so they can’t do anything,” Mr. Goldman said. “That has to change if Richmond is going to address this problem. Either we go for a Triple A bond rating or we go for Triple A schools. We can’t have both.”

Mr. Goldman said the historical record shows that segregationist Harry F. Byrd Sr. pushed policies that allowed Virginia to gain a Triple A bond rating, but at the cost of reduced spending on social services, roads and public education. In Mr. Goldman’s view, the city, no matter who is in charge, keeps choosing the Harry Byrd approach to avoid a major project to fix school buildings.

The plan also calls for selling school construction bonds that would spread payments over 30 years, like a home mortgage, rather than 20 years as is now typical of city borrowing. The proposal also calls for eliminating other policies when it comes to the proposed school construction bonds — such as the requirement to repay 60 percent of borrowing within 10 years, which requires more money up front.

By going big, Mr. Goldman said, the city would be justified in hiring architects and engineers to handle the design work in-house rather than paying millions to outside consulting firms.

Getting 19 schools done in seven years would be huge for the city. Richmond has built eight new schools since 1997, including four that were built under former Mayor Dwight C. Jones.

However, the School Board has reported that it closed 17 buildings in the same period, although

several have been reopened, such as the Summer Hill and Ruffin Road buildings.

Under the meals tax increase proposed by Mayor Stoney and approved by City Council on Feb. 12, four school are expected to be developed during the next five years. The tax increase on prepared foods and restaurant meals is expected to generate about $9 million a year, enough to repay $150 million in new borrowing.

That money is expected to provide funding for a new Elkhardt-Thompson Middle School and to replace Greene, George Mason and Woodville elementary schools, all in the 7th and 9th districts.

That would leave more than 30 buildings that need renovation or replacement. The mayor already has indicated there is little prospect of additional construction until after 2023.

By contrast, the committee plan’s first phase would ensure at least one school in each of the nine council districts would be replaced or overhauled, although some districts would get more.

Mr. Goldman confirmed the plan relies in part on obtaining state historic tax credits for the renovation of four schools, Albert Hill, Binford, Franklin Military and Fox Elementary, to reduce city costs.

The plan also indicates the list of schools could be expanded if it becomes possible to use energy savings as a stream of revenue to repay renovation costs, as the state and other school systems have done.

“There could be other savings. For example, the committee has yet to explore savings from solar tax credits if solar energy were used on some or all of the new and renovated buildings,” Mr. Goldman said.

City Council OKs expensive NFL training center refinancing Continued from A1

to covering the debt, Ms. Reid said Monday night, meaning a postponement would require the city’s budget staff to make unplanned spending adjustments.

While the city could have paid off the debt from savings to avoid $2.6 million in interest, Ms. Reid did not suggest that approach and no one on the council offered that idea.

“This is a rock and a hard place,” City Council President Chris A. Hilbert, 3rd District, said.

“This is a distasteful decision. We’re going to have to make the best of our ugly options.”

Mr. Hilbert also noted that a provision of the City Charter would bar the council from removing or reducing the debt if it were included in the mayor’s proposed budget.

Council member Kristen N. Larson, 4th

District, who initially wanted to delay a decision, ended up voting to approve the borrowing plan.

“I will not neglect my fiscal responsibility,” she said. “We have already committed to this debt.”

That didn’t faze Councilman Parker C. Agelasto, 5th District, who has been the leading voice on the council for dismantling the deal now in place between the NFL team and the city’s development arm, the EDA, which owns and manages the building.

Mr. Agelasto advocated for delay, noting that the council never had an opportunity to review or vote on the original deal signed by the team, Mayor Jones and the EDA. The deal, which expires in December 2020, gives the Washington team a veto over sponsorships that were to provide revenue and requires

the EDA to pay the team $500,000 a year in cash or city services in exchange for the team locating the camp in the city. The EDA has provided $2.4 million to the team in cash and services since 2013.

“The deal was rushed. The solution should not be rushed as well,” Mr. Agelasto said. “We need to take control over this problem project.

We cannot just take over the bad debt. We have to take over the whole deal to get this resolved.”

Still, Mr. Agelasto mustered only the votes of council members Kim B. Gray, 2nd District, and Reva M. Trammell, 8th District, on the final vote.

Most agreed with council Vice President Cynthia I. Newbille, 7th District, that “this $8.6 million is a current liability” that needed to be dealt with.

Mr. Agelasto has introduced a resolution that seeks to put the council on record in calling on Mayor Stoney and the EDA to negotiate better terms with the team by the July 1 deadline or allow the team to leave when the current agreement expires in 2020.

In recent months, Mayor Stoney promised to gain better terms, but has yet to begin talks.

The council will not be involved in these negotiations.

Other council members who voted to approve the city’s refinancing plan included Andreas Addison, 1st District; Ellen F. Robertson, 6th District; and Michael J. Jones, 9th District.

Despite the vote, the council is asking City Auditor Lou Lassiter to audit the training camp.

Mr. Hilbert, Mr. Agelasto, and Ms. Gray have signed a request from Ms. Larson to make that happen.

Richmond Free Press

March 1-3, 2018

A5

News

‘Becoming Kareem’ coming to a city near you

By John Rogers Associated Press

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been a best-selling author, civil rights activist, actor, historian and one of the greatest basketball players who ever lived.

One thing Mr. Abdul-Jabbar has never been — at least not in public — is chatty.

“I’m not known for being a blabbermouth, you know?” the softspoken Mr. Abdul-Jabbar concedes with a smile, something else he was never particularly known for during his playing days. But, he adds, still smiling, his public can expect to see that change — and soon.

This fall, Mr. Abdul-Jabbar will embark on a cross-country tour as part of “Becoming Kareem,” a stage show in which he’ll discuss his life, answer audience questions and talk about the key mentors he says helped him achieve his goals. Among them: civil rights heroes Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his legendary college coach and lifelong friend John Wooden, and fellow superstar athletes Muhammad Ali and Wilt Chamberlain.

Cities have not yet been announced for the tour, which was inspired by the 2017 best-seller “Becoming Kareem,” a memoir of his years from childhood to age 24.

Inspirational, poignant, funny and occasionally heartbreaking, it recounts the coming of age of a bright and hard-working but painfully introverted kid, one who was always the tallest in his class.

And although he didn’t realize it

ketball. until looking closely at a class Mr. Abdul-Jabbar played photo taken in the third grade, on six NBA championship he was often the only black kid teams, was an assistant coach in class, a circumstance that in for two others, won a record later years would expose him six MVP awards and is the to repeated episodes of ugly leading scorer in NBA history racism, no matter his fame or with 38,387 points, a mark success, that would leave deep that has never been seriously emotional scars that sometimes challenged in the 29 years took decades to heal. since he retired.

So he kept his game face on, He has written more than both on and off the court, and a dozen books, ranging from persevered through setbacks children’s adventure novels and successes. to histories of prominent “I did the book because I African-Americans to crime thought that the process that novels featuring the advenI went through could be very tures of none other than Myuseful for young people right croft Holmes, older brother now,” Mr. Abdul-Jabbar told of Sherlock.

The Associated Press during “I enjoyed Sherlock Hola wide-ranging interview mes from when I was a kid,” recently at the offices of the he recalls, adding with a Skyhook Foundation, the robust laugh that, until high charitable nonprofit he created school, he actually believed several years ago to provide the master detective was a educational opportunities for real person. Learning that elementary schoolchildren, the Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press Sherlock Holmes was Arthur same group toward which he Author, activist and former NBA basketball Conan Doyle’s creation, he targeted his book. player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar poses at the concluded the author gave After its publication, sports Newport Beach, Calif., offices of the Skyhook short shrift to Mycroft and broadcaster Roy Firestone, a Foundation, the nonprofit he started several set out to fix that a few years longtime friend, suggested years ago to provide educational opportunities ago. His second Holmes book he share those experiences for elementary students. came out last year, and he’s directly with live audiences, telling him his words would not especially coming from someone who working on another.

“That and this tour will hopefully only resonate with young people stood an intimidatingly tall 7-foot-2.

“And that was very unfortunate,” keep me pretty busy,” he said as he sat today, but provide a chance for Mr. Abdul-Jabbar to clear up some lin- Mr. Abdul-Jabbar says softly now. “I in a chair in his spacious office.

It’s an office filled with memorabilia gering misconceptions dating to his think it kept me from a head coaching job and commercials and stuff commemorating not only his basketplaying days.

The clipped, seemingly curt an- because people wanted to assume ball career but his African-American roots and his work as a civil rights swers he often gave during postgame the worst.”

Not that he hasn’t had a storied advocate. Sitting near NAACP Image interviews, for example, frequently came across not as shy but as surly, life and career before and after bas- Awards are dozens of basketballs,

many autographed by members of the Showtime-era Los Angeles Lakers teams he helped lead to five championships in the 1980s. On the walls are posters of him launching his signature skyhook shot over the likes of Charles Barkley and guarding Bill Walton.

The sounds of jazz, the beloved soundtrack of Mr. Abdul-Jabbar’s life, play softly through the office until he silences them to talk. (His father, Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, whose name he shared before changing his in his early 20s upon his conversion to Islam, was not only a New York City police officer but a talented jazz musician.)

If not as shy as he once was, Mr. Abdul-Jabbar is still somewhat guarded in conversation, although he can be playfully funny as well.

Yes, he confi rms with a grin, it’s true that after President Trump sent him a name-calling note for criticizing him, he crumpled it into a ball and skyhooked it into a wastebasket.

Although Mr. Adul-Jabbar suffered from leukemia that’s now in remission and underwent quadruple bypass surgery three years ago, he does not look much different than he did during his playing days, appearing trim and athletic in Tommy Hilfiger jeans and an open-necked shirt.

“Well, you know, seeing how there is no alternative, I’ll take it,” he says of turning 70 last year. “But I don’t know about that ‘life begins at 40’ stuff. What happened at 40 is I started getting old.

“There is something wrong with that scenario,” he adds, laughing again.

Inequality persists 50 years after landmark Kerner Commission report Free Press wire report

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Barriers to equality are posing threats to democracy in the United States as the country remains segregated along racial lines and child poverty worsens, according to a study examining the nation 50 years after the release of the landmark 1968 Kerner Report.

The new report released Tuesday blames U.S. policymakers and elected officials, saying they’re not doing enough to heed the warning on deepening poverty and inequality as highlighted by the Kerner Commission a half-century ago. The report also lists a number of areas where the country has seen “a lack of or reversal of progress.”

“Racial and ethnic inequality is growing worse. We’re resegregating our housing and schools again,” said former U.S. Sen. Fred Harris of Oklahoma, a co-editor of the new report and last surviving member of the original Kerner Commission created by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967. “There are far more people who are poor now than was true 50 years ago. Inequality of income is worse.”

The new study, titled “Healing Our Divided Society: Investing in America Fifty Years After the Kerner Report,” states the percentage of people living in deep poverty — less than half of the federal poverty level — has increased since 1975. About 46 percent of people living in poverty in 2016 were classified as living in deep poverty — 16 percentage points higher than in 1975.

And although there has been progress for Hispanic homeownership since the Kerner Commission, the homeownership gap has widened for African-Americans, the report found. Three decades after the Fair Housing Act of 1968 passed, black homeownership rose by almost 6 percentage points. But those gains were wiped out from 2000 to 2015, when black homeownership fell 6 percentage points, the report states.

The report blames the black homeownership declines on the disproportionate effect the subprime crisis had on AfricanAmerican families.

In addition, gains to end school segregation were reversed because of a lack of court oversight and housing discrimination.

The court oversight allowed school districts to move away from desegregation plans and housing discrimination forced black and Latino families to move into largely minority neighborhoods.

In 1988, for example, about 44 percent of black students went to majority-white schools nationally. Only 20 percent of black students do so today, the report states.

The result of these gaps means that people of color and those struggling with poverty are confined to poor areas with inadequate housing, underfunded schools and law enforcement that views those residents with suspicion, the report states.

Those facts are bad for the whole country, and communities have a moral responsibility to address them now, said Mr. Harris, who now lives in Corrales, N.M. The new report calls on the federal government and states to push for more spending on early childhood education and a $15 minimum wage by 2024. It also demands more regulatory oversight over mortgage leaders to prevent predatory lending, community policing that works with nonprofits in minority neighborhoods and more job training programs in an era of automation and emerging technologies.

“We have to have a massive outcry against the state of our public policies,” said the Rev. William J. Barber II, a Goldsboro, N.C., pastor who is leading a multiethnic “Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival” next month in multiple states. “Systemic racism is something we don’t talk about. We need to now.”

The late President Johnson formed the original 11-member Kerner Commission as Detroit was engulfed in a raging riot in 1967. Five days of violence over racial tensions and police violence would leave 33 African-Americans and 10 white people dead, and more than 1,400 buildings burned. More than 7,000 people were arrested.

That summer, more than 150 cases of civil unrest erupted across the United States. Mr. Harris and other commission members toured riot-torn cities and interviewed black and Latino residents and white police officers.

The commission recommended that the federal government spend billions to attack structural racism in housing, education and employment. But President Johnson, angry that the commission members didn’t praise his anti-poverty programs, shelved

who shared his observations for the report. “But there are still some the report and refused to meet with members.

Alan Curtis, president of the Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation places where Native people live primitive lives. They don’t have and co-editor of the new report, said this study’s attention to access to things such as good water, electricity and plumbing.”

Like the 1968 report, the new study also calls out media orgasystemic racism should be less startling to the nation given the extensive research that now calls the country’s discriminatory nizations for their coverage of communities of color, saying they need to diversify and hire more black and Latino journalists. housing and criminal justice systems into question.

News companies could become desensitized to inequality if Unlike the 1968 findings, the new report includes input from African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and women who they lack diverse newsrooms, and they might not view the issue are scholars and offer their own recommendations. as urgent or newsworthy, said journalist Gary Younge, who also “The average American thinks we progressed a lot,” said Kevin gave input to the report.

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Richmond Free Press

Camilia in the West End

Editorial Page

A6

March 1-3, 2018

Settling the debt Like a weed sprouting from the crack in a sidewalk, the truth always comes out.

Take, for example, the rancid deal struck in 2012 by City Hall and the Washington NFL team for a Richmond training camp. City Council was left out of the negotiations between the team, former Mayor Dwight C. Jones and the city’s Economic Development Authority that resulted in construction of the Leigh Street training camp that is used by the team, at most, two to three months of the year.

The public — and City Council — were told at the time that the $10 million loan to build the camp would be paid over the course of five years with little risk.

But the naming rights and other revenue tied to the training facility’s development have failed to pay for the note, as was initially anticipated. A refinance, approved Monday night by City Council, puts city taxpayers on the hook for $750,000 a year for the next 15 years, for a total of $11.25 million.

That’s in addition to $500,000 the EDA has to pay the team each year in cash or services for spending a few summer weeks in Richmond.

The deal has proven to be a miserably shoddy one, now that the truth has come out. The city traded, in part, the future of our children’s education for a training camp for an out-of-town team.

Now that the truth has been revealed about the wretched conditions of many Richmond Public Schools buildings, the people and City Council realize the money would have been better spent repairing and replacing aging and decrepit schools.

We believe the next step is to sell the training facility or to turn the complex into a larger moneymaking venture for the city. While Bon Secours currently rents much of the building’s first floor for medical offices, we’d hate to see it become a big, empty barn sucking up tax dollars like Colonial Downs, the now-vacant horse racing track in New Kent County.

If no creative solutions are on tap, then get rid of the place, settle the debt and get this debacle behind us.

Having an impact The latest proof that the activism of the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., is having an impact: More than a dozen companies have announced during recent days that they are cutting ties to the National Rifle Association and gun manufacturers in the wake of the bloody Valentine’s Day mass shooting at the Florida school that left 17 dead and injured many more.

The list has grown since NRA executive director Wayne LaPierre’s speech last week at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, in which he called any effort toward gun control a move to “make you less free.” He also said he supports President Trump’s harrowing notion to arm teachers with concealed weapons.

It’s about time the nation wakes up to the fact that the NRA — with its millions of dollars in contributions to state and federal lawmakers — has been a major obstacle to securing even basic gun control measures, such as universal background checks for gun purchases and banning bump stocks used to turn semiautomatic weapons into automatic killing machines.

The passion and protests by the Florida students who were present when the massacre took place is starting to move mountains and push the country toward long-needed tougher gun laws. Add to that the growing voices of adults across the nation who are demanding change for the safety of their children.

Other activists continue to campaign for bans on semiautomatic weapons, like the ones used in the Florida school shooting and the October massacre outside a Las Vegas hotel, to pressuring public pension funds to sell their holdings in companies that manufacture or distribute guns.

A spokesperson for First National Bank of Omaha, which announced it will not renew a contract with the NRA to issue an NRA-branded VISA card, said “customer feedback” caused the bank to review its relationship with the NRA. Other big businesses said they will stop offering perks and discounts on their products and services to the NRA’s 5 million members. The businesses include Delta and United airlines; Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, National and Alamo rental car companies; Best Western Hotels & Resorts and Wyndham hotels; North American Van Lines Inc.; MetLife Inc., which offered auto and home insurance incentive programs for NRA members; and Chubb Ltd, which underwrites an NRA-branded insurance policy for gun owners.

On Wednesday, Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. announced that its retail shops will no longer offer assault-style weapons and will not sell guns to anyone under 21.

Many NRA supporters are threatening to boycott the companies that are taking this bold stand. But others say that once the various discounts are gone, there’s little benefit to being an NRA member.

NRA officials have called the walkout by its corporate partners a “shameful display of political and civic cowardice.”

We call it an audacious move by companies to send a strong and resolute message that the senseless bloodshed and gun violence plaguing this nation must stop, and that spineless lawmakers must act now to strengthen gun laws to protect the children and people of this nation, even if it means telling the NRA and its simple-minded supporters to step aside.

We must keep the pressure on — from the young protesters in Florida and across the nation to the longtime activists as well as the adults who are newly entering the fray.

Change is difficult, and people and organizations like the NRA will feel threatened. But for the safety of our children and the betterment of our communities, it is up to us to continue to push for stronger laws.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Courage, political will and gun control “This is our first task, caring for our children. It’s our first job.

If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right. That’s how, as a society, we will be judged.

And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we’re meeting our obligations? Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm?”

— Former President Obama, during 2012 prayer vigil for victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn.

Nearly 20 years ago, in the wake of what was then the worst school mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, I led a bipartisan group of mayors urging Congress to pass major gun reform legislation.

The Gun Violence Task Force of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, of which I was president, called for reforms, including

raising the minimum age for purchasing and possessing a handgun from 18 to 21, requiring background checks at guns shows and limiting gun purchases to one a month per individual.

As horrified as we were then, just after the Columbine shooting in 1999, we could not have imagined the next 19 years would bring not reforms, but even more lenient gun laws, another 200-

Marc H. Morial plus school shootings and more than 122 students, teachers and coaches slain.

The Everytown for Gun Safety nonprofit coalition, to which the National Urban League belongs, has tallied the number of school shootings so far in 2018 at 17. The number is disputed by those who believe accidental gunfire should not be counted, but what a tragic statistic over which to haggle.

Mass shootings garner headlines, but gun violence kills an average of 96 Americans every single day. We need reform at

every level.

The National Urban League supports: • A criminal background check for every gun sale. States that require background checks for all handgun sales see about half the rate of firearm deaths among domestic violence victims, law enforcement in the line of duty and suicides, and about half as much gun trafficking in cities.

• Renewal of the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, commonly known as the assault weapons ban. The AR-15 rifle, used in many of the deadliest recent mass shootings, uses 30-round magazines, allowing a shooter to fire about a hundred rounds per minute.

• Keeping guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers. Half the women killed with guns in the United States are murdered by their partners — about 50 women every month. More than half of mass shootings involved the killing of a partner or relative.

• Education, technology and laws that keep guns out of the hands of children. American children are 16 times more likely to die via gunshot than in other

‘We need climate action, environmental justice’ As Americans came together in February to recognize the immense contributions made by African-Americans during Black History Month, it is important to talk about environmental justice because if we can’t breathe free, we can’t be free.

As a woman of color and a woman of faith, I see the impacts of environmental racism that disproportionately hit black Americans.

My great-grandfather was a longtime employee of Newport News Shipbuilding and was taken away years early from his work in the community as a pastor because he died from mesothelioma. He was exposed to asbestos, a deadly toxic chemical he regularly inhaled at work.

Sadly, African-Americans constantly face disproportionate risks of health problems from pollution. More than a million African-Americans live within a half mile of an oil or gas operation, and more than 6.7 million live in a county that is home to a refinery. This has dire and deadly consequences.

Black children are 4.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma and 10 times more likely to die from asthma than white children.

It’s not just air pollution, either.

Fueled by burning fossil fuels, climate change also disproportionately impacts communities of color. The recent hurricanes that devastated Houston and Puerto Rico demonstrated in stark terms just how severe the impacts of climate change can be.

Nationwide, extreme weather events cost the United States $306 billion in 2017 and killed

more than 300 people. How many people must die until we are compelled to act?

As a coastal community, Hampton Roads is threatened by extreme weather. Hampton Roads is the second most vulnerable area to sea level rise and storm surge in the United States after New Orleans. Virginia’s Norfolk Naval Base already

Kendyl Crawford floods 10 times a year. Rising sea levels fueled by climate change would dramatically worsen this chronic flooding.

We need climate action and environmental justice. Our communities and the very health of our families are on the line.

Protecting the Clean Power Plan is one way that we can ensure the safety of our communities. As America’s first and only federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants, the plan would have huge financial and health benefits for AfricanAmerican communities. That’s why more than 10,000 black clergy members from around the country signed a statement supporting the Clean Power Plan, identifying climate change as a moral issue.

Go ahead and guess what President Trump is trying to do.

That’s right. Instead of safeguarding against climate change and decreasing pollution, he and his Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt are proposing to repeal the Clean Power Plan.

The Trump administration is doing a lot that’s harmful to African-Americans, including welcoming white supremacists into the national debate and into the halls of power. As an extension of this same ideology, President Trump is stripping away health

protections further endangering black communities.

Original estimates found the Clean Power Plan could prevent 90,000 asthma attacks and 300,000 missed days from work and school by 2030. The Trump administration itself said the clean air safeguard could prevent as many as 4,500 premature deaths each year by 2030 — an estimate higher than previous EPA projections.

Recklessly repealing these lifesaving safeguards would mean more sick kids, more expensive hospital visits and thousands of premature deaths that could have been prevented — all at a time when health insurance itself is under attack.

Our elected officials, including U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, must defend against Secretary Pruitt’s and President Trump’s proposed rollback of the Clean Power Plan.

The Trump administration must reconsider its policies about environmental justice and the Clean Power Plan. We need both to thrive. Because like all freedoms and rights long denied to African-Americans, clean air, clean water and a safe future for our children and grandchildren should be guaranteed for all.

It is up to all of us to speak up because, as was said by Frederick Douglass, “This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them.”

The writer is director of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light.

The Free Press welcomes letters 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.

developed countries, usually as a result of playing with a gun in their own homes.

• A strong federal trafficking law to crack down on illegal gun trafficking networks. Ninety percent of the guns found at crime scenes in New York City were originally purchased out of state and brought to the city illegally. The current law that prohibits “selling guns without a federal license” carries the same punishment as trafficking chicken or livestock.

For those of us who’ve long been engaged in the fight to reform our nation’s gun laws, the movement that has arisen in the wake of the Valentine’s Day mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., has brought both inspiration and hope.

Nothing stands in the way of common sense reform but our own lack of courage and political will. The teenagers of Parkland have both.

The writer is president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League.

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Richmond Free Press

March 1-3, 2018

A7

Letters to the Editor

Readers respond to Fla. school massacre ‘I pray that the students voices may be heard’

Re “Fla. school shooting survivors hoping to be catalyst for tougher gun laws,” Free Press Feb. 22-24 edition: Today, as I listen to the outcry of heartache and pain expressed by students and parents who lost loved ones in the Valentine’s Day massacre in Parkland, Fla., I am grateful for the opportunity and platform by which they can express themselves.

As a parent, I am very sorry that they had to witness such devastation.

I can remember when that opportunity or platform for expression was not given to parents and students. Their pain and sorry was expressed inward. They could not go to their councilman or senators or to the president of the United States and say that their classmate or son or daughter had been murdered, was found hanging from a tree or buried in a shallow grave.

During those times, some children went to school in fear of their classroom being bombed or the church they attended being bombed.

Fire hoses were turned on students, and they were beaten with clubs or bitten by dogs for protesting like the students are doing today so that their voices may be heard and not silenced.

I pray that the students’ voices may be heard by those who took the oath of office as police and law enforcement, City Council, mayor, senator, member of the House of Representatives or president.

These students represent those who have gone before who had no voice.

G.L. PAGE Henrico County

u

Issue pink slips to lawmakers who vote against gun laws Now is the time to discuss gun control and how to stop these murders. We should continue to have these discussions until it is resolved. We can’t forget about this one in Florida and go on until the next one.

The real problem is access to guns. You can’t cover this with a bandage or blame it on anyone else, other than those who are

responsible.

Legislators are being controlled by the NRA and gun manufacturers through monetary contributions. This needs to be stopped.

Laws that regulate the sale, use and possession of firearms already in place can be addressed and aggressively enforced.

They should be uniform and apply to all states.

Currently, 66 percent of citizens support stricter gun control, the highest ever polled. People have had enough of these killings.

The current protests demonstrate that youths are taking matters in their hands. They shouldn’t have to.

I’m so proud of our youths and support them 100 percent.

We can make a change on Nov. 6, 2018. Don’t forget these murders and how easily they were committed. Remember the names of lawmakers who voted against banning assault weapons and strengthening our guns laws. Issue them pink slips when they are up for re-election.

Support the students. They are our future.

Make the right choice.

Stay woke in 2018!

PATRICIA BROWN North Chesterfield

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Redesign schools for safety Like many others, your article about the mass shooting in Florida, included the words “gun tragedies” and “inaction” in the same story. Lawmakers are pondering decisions of gun control, while the lives of people are truly being affected for life.

Parkland, Fla., high school student David Hogg, as well as countless other students, reported being huddled in a room or hiding in closets during the shooting.

But school systems can no longer use the “hide and lock” method for students to hide in classrooms and lock the door during such events. An active shooter knows the schedule of the school, as well as that the majority of the classrooms aren’t empty. The hide and lock method depends on complete silence in a room filled with fear and cell phones. Lawmakers should focus more on getting the students out of the school.

Lawmakers should invest their resources in redesigning schools for safety. Redesigning doesn’t have to be costly, just adjustments to the current designs, such as emergency escape windows or open air designs, replacing in each class one window that would

Similar themes in ‘Black Panther’ and Haitian documentary

Re “ ‘Black Panther’pounces on box office,’ Free Press Feb. 22-24 edition: My family and I enjoyed the documentary “1804: The Hidden History of Haiti” hosted by the Elegba Folklore Society on Feb. 17. It was a great opportunity to learn about Haitian history.

On Feb. 18, we saw the amazing “Black Panther” movie.

Now, I am smart enough to understand that “Black Panther” is an awesome work of fiction based on the Marvel Comics. But I also was able

to observe the incredible storytelling skills it took to make this movie so great.

Themes throughout the “Black Panther” movie paralleled themes discussed during the Haitian documentary we saw — (hopefully, no spoilers) colonization, slavery, the beautiful and powerful spirit of the African people, misuse and abuse of natural resources by others, the African nation Benin, the strength and power of our women. There are pages and pages of essay material here!

Each time an important theme was voiced in the movie, we would whisper to each other the similar ideals we’d seen and heard during the documentary.

My family and I love going to the movies, and have probably seen every DC Comics and Marvel Comics movie made. But it was indeed a blessing to see the Haitian documentary before watching “Black Panther.” It furthered our understanding of just how important it is to learn more about our history and the impact it has on us today. We

‘Never again’ to Washington NFL training camp expense Re “Taxpayers on hook for $11.25M for NFL training camp,” Free Press Feb. 22-24 edition: For taxpayers to be on the hook for $11.25 million dollars for the Washington NFL team’s training camp is asinine. This type of taxpayer money never should have been spent while schools are crumbling and need fixing. With the meals tax going up to help our beloved schools in Richmond, this money could have been better used.

Many minority businesses do not seem to get a fair shake when the training camp is here. Many restaurants and stores say that they have a very marginal bump in sales when the team is in town.

My question is what have the citizens of Richmond gotten out of this besides a pro football team that is here for only a few weeks?

YOU CAN STILL FILE

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

I am of the opinion if better terms cannot be renegotiated with all parties involved, we need to cut our losses and move on. This was a very costly learning experience.

Never again should anyone do a sales job without everyone being directly involved, including the citizens. It seems now the great citizens of Richmond are being asked to pay the brunt of this costly mistake. Some type of checks and balances need to be put in place to ensure this never occurs again. A diverse group of citizens need to be asked to sit at the table before a project like this moves forward because it affects all of us in the end.

To this type of mishap, I say, “Never again.”

ERNEST PARKER JR. Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney

Get rid of debts that you can’t pay.

“Get A Fresh Start” Keep paying on your house and car as long as you owe what they are worth.

Also Chapter 13 “Debt Adjustment” STOPS FORECLOSURES, GARNISHMENTS AND HARASSING PHONE CALLS

OTHER LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED: Divorce, Separation, Custody, Support, Home Buy or Sell

Join the City of Richmond’s COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

were also enlightened to the importance of this awesome movie!

ROSE V. SMITH Richmond

open as a folding door for emergencies. Technology could be added to these open air doors for more safety and control.

There should be laws on gun control. However, the safety of children should not be lost in years of debate and legislation.

Children need help now. Redesigning schools could be used in any situation where mass departure is needed.

Lawmakers are looking from the outside in when they need to focus from the inside out.

JOANNIE AIKENS Richmond u

‘Nothing positive will be done’ President Trump urges ban on gun devices?

What a joke. Number 45 said he signed a memo directing the U.S. Justice Department to propose regulations to ban all devices like the rapid-fire bump stocks.

Last week, he had a listening session with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students and others, which was just another Trump “photo opportunity.”

President Trump is again kicking the can down the road, like DACA, to find time so he can blame someone else for his failure.

If he was incensed over the killings and serious about doing something, he would have initiated and signed at least two executive orders — one banning AR-15s and bump stocks and another mandating background checks. He then would have instructed his Republican Congress to develop the legislation within X-number of months.

President Trump, his fake news supporters and FOX News are betting the student rallies and school walkouts will go away in a few weeks.

Nothing positive will be done by number 45 and this current Congress. The almighty dollar wins again.

WALT HILL Petersburg

Molina Healthcare Medicare Advantage Public Notice Molina Healthcare and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have mutually agreed to terminate our current Medicare Advantage plans under H9595 effective April 1, 2018. Molina Healthcare Medicare Options (HMO) will not be offered as a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan to Medicare beneficiaries after March 31, 2018.

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Virginia 2018

General Assembly A message from Senator Jennifer McClellan Last week the House and Senate adopted their amendments to the 2018 - 2020 biennial budget introduced by Governor McAuliffe on December 18, 2017. The two budgets are about $600 million apart. The key difference between the two budgets is Medicaid expansion. The House budget extends health coverage to hundreds of thousands of Virginians who need it by expanding Medicaid and accepting more than $3 billion in federal funding to do so. The House budget also directs the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to apply to the federal government for a waiver that imposes work requirements for certain Medicaid recipients.

Unfortunately, the Senate budget does not include Medicaid expansion. As a result, the Senate budget also cuts over $400 million from the introduced budget. Specifically, the budget eliminates $49.4 million from the introduced budget to provide a two percent base salary increase for state employees and state supported local employees.

In the area of Education, the Senate budget:

Eliminates $51.3 million in funding for the state share of a 2 percent salary increase for teachers and other school positions effective December 1, 2019; Eliminates $1 million in additional funding for positive behavior intervention and support services to help school divisions better address behavioral issues without resorting to suspension; Eliminates $7.7 million in funding to ensure that every elementary school has one full-time principal starting in fiscal year 2020; Eliminates $100,000 in new funding proposed for Praxis assistance for teachers to subsidize test fees and the cost of tutoring provisionally licensed teachers in order to address the teacher shortage; Uses lottery fund estimates to decrease general fund support for public education (known as "supplanting") by a total of $97.9 million; and Reduces by half ($22.8 million) funding provided in the introduced budget increasing need-based financial aid for in-state undergraduate students.

In the area of mental health, the Senate budget reverses important steps made by the general Assembly last year to address the Commonwealth's mental health needs by:

Start with as little as $100

Eliminating $4.5 million in funding contained in the introduced budget for an initiative to fund two assisted living facilities and associated support teams to help address the capacity issues facing state mental health facilities; and Reducing by $7.5 million funding provided in the introduced budget for primary care outpatient screening services for at Community Service Boards.

Call Rudy McCollum at (804)218-3614 24-7. Talk to an attorney for free

and get legal restrictions, fees, costs and payment terms.

Rudolph C. McCollum, Jr., Esq. McCollum At Law, P.C.

Mail to: P.O. Box 4595, Richmond, VA 23220 422 E. Franklin St., Suite 301, Richmond, VA 23219 (Franklin & 5th Sts.) We are a federally designated Debt Relief Agency under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and we help people file for bankruptcy.

Web Address: McCollumatLaw.com E-mail: rudy@mccollumatlaw.com

Next training: March 10, 17, and 24 | 9 am to 5 pm Department of Fire & Emergency Services Headquarters 201 East Franklin Street Richmond VA 23219 Find out more: 804-646-2504 or visit Emergency Management’s page at Richmondgov.com

These cuts represent just a few of the missed opportunities resulting from the Senate's failure to use federal funding to address our Medicaid needs, freeing up our General fund to address these and other important budget priorities. For these reasons, I voted no on the Senate budget. I am hopeful that over the next two weeks the budget conferences can find a way to bridge both the $600 million gap between their budgets and the insurance gap facing so many Virginians and their families.

Paid for and authorized by Jennifer McClellan.

Richmond Free Press

A8 March 1-3, 2018

Sports Stories by Fred Jeter

Coach Gilbert

VUU Lady Panthers, VSU Trojans favored in CIAA Tournament

Virginia State University’s men and Virginia Union University’s women are clear favorites on paper at this week’s CIAA Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. Now the Trojans’ men and the Lady Panthers must prove their lofty status where it counts most — on the hardwood.

The annual CIAA athletic and cultural extravaganza, dating to 1946, culminates with the finals on Saturday at the Spectrum Center, with the women’s championship game at 1 p.m. and the men’s finale at 7 p.m.

The tournament victors will advance automatically to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regionals in two weeks.

On Tuesday, VSU Coach Lonnie Blow Jr. and VUU Lady Panthers Coach AnnMarie Gilbert were named CIAA men’s and women’s coaches of the year.

Under Coach Blow, VSU is the No. 1 seed from the CIAA Northern Division, with a 23-3 overall record, 13-3 in the CIAA and a 9-1 division record.

The Trojans are ranked second in the NCAA Atlantic Region, behind only West Liberty University in West Virginia, and 16th nationally in Division II. All three of the team’s losses came with key players injured.

VSU has an at-large NCAA bid locked up regardless of its fortunes in Charlotte.

The defensive-minded Trojans looked vulnerable, however, in their regular season finale on Saturday, Feb. 24. They held on for a jittery 55-53 win over visiting Lincoln University before 5,000-plus fans at the VSU Multi-Purpose Center in Ettrick.

Center Richard Granberry is VSU’s lone All-CIAA pick.

The 6-foot-8 senior from Chester, Pa., by way of Neosho Community College in Kansas, is the Trojans’ go-to man inside.

Granberry averages 11 points and eight rebounds in a balanced offense that includes Trey Brown (10.3 point average), Cyonte Melvin (9.9 point average), Walter Williams (9.8 point average) and Brandon Holley (9.8 point average).

From Richmond’s George Wythe High School, Holley is VSU’s top 3-point threat, having hit 51 of 109 shots for 47 percent.

John Marshall hoping to go the distance at state tourney Richmond’s John Marshall High School is rumbling into the State 3A basketball tournament with a full head of steam.

The high-riding Justices will play host to Phoebus High School of Hampton at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 3, in the state quarterfinals at the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center in Richmond.

Few teams have ever been hotter. Coach Ty White’s Justices (19-6 overall) have won 15 of their last 16 games, including three lopsided victories in the Division 3, Region B tournament last week.

In succession, John MarState 3A quarterfinals shall pounded James Monroe John Marshall Justices versus Phoebus Phantoms, 7 p.m.

High School 104-34 and CulSaturday, March 3, Arthur peper High School 106-76, beAshe Jr. Athletic Center, 3001 fore defeating crosstown rival N. Boulevard.

George Wythe High School 83-64 before a jam-packed gymnasium of fans on Friday, Feb. 23, at George Wythe.

The Justices have been steamrolling the opposition.

Since losing to Maury High School of Norfolk on Jan. 20, John Marshall has won 10 straight games by an overwhelming 35.2 points per game.

The only competitive game of late was a 67-62 victory on Feb. 2 over state private schools juggernaut Trinity Episcopal School.

John Marshall’s attack starts with headliner Isaiah Todd. The 6-foot-10 sophomore is among the nation’s top college prospects for the Class of 2020.

Todd had 23 points, including four 3-pointers, in the victory at George Wythe.

The Justices backcourt features a pair of third-year starters in juniors DeMarr McRae and Levar Allen. McRae was sensational against George Wythe, scoring 28 points.

The forwards are 6-foot sophomore Elijah Seward and 6-foot-3 junior Jairus Ashlock, a transfer from Massaponax High School.

From last year’s lineup, Seward and Ashlock are replacing two current NCAA Division I players — Greg Jones, now at James Madison University, and Isaiah Anderson, now at the University of South Carolina Upstate.

On the season, Todd averages about 19 points; McRae, 16; and Allen, Seward and Ashlock, about 10 each.

Coming off the bench is 6-foot-9 shot blocker Roosevelt

VSU has won the CIAA Tournament just three times previously — in 1947, 1988 and 2016.

The VUU Lady Panthers, under the direction of third-year Coach Gilbert, is the defending NCAA Division II runner ups. The Lady Panthers finished 25-2 overall and 15-1 in the CIAA following a 58-56 win Saturday, Feb. 24, over Chowan University.

The Lady Panthers are ranked fourth in the NCAA national poll.

The Lady Panthers’Alexis Johnson was named CIAA Player

All roads lead to Charlotte (Local matchups at the CIAA Tournament)

Virginia Union University men: The Panthers defeated Winston-Salem State University 86-72 on Wednesday in opening tournament play. The team advances to face Shaw University at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 1.

Virginia Union University Lady Panthers: Routed Chowan University 89-58 in Wednesday’s quarterfinal.

The Lady Panthers advance to the semifinals at 3 p.m.

Friday, March 2.

Virginia State University men: Opened at 6:40 p.m.

Wednesday, with game results not available by Free Press deadline. If victorious, they will advance to the semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday, March 2, possibly against VUU. Virginia State University women: Open at 1 p.m.

Thursday. With a victory, they would advance to the semifinals at 1 p.m. Friday, March 2.

Note: The women’s semifinals are at 1 and 3 p.m. Friday, March 2, followed by the men’s semifinals at 7 and 9 p.m. The women’s championship game will be played at 1 p.m. and the men’s at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 3. Aspire TV will broadcast the men’s quarterfinal, semifinal and final games.

of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday. She is joined on the All-CIAA team by fellow 6-foot senior Rachael Pecota.

Johnson, averaging 17 points and nine rebounds while leading the CIAA in blocked shots, missed the final two games with what a school spokesman termed a “minor injury.” She

is expected to play in the Charlotte tournament.

Selected to the second All-CIAA squad was freshman Shareka McNeill, who also was named CIAA Rookie of the Year. She was joined on the All-Rookie team by her twin sister, Shameka.

The McNeill twins won’t need a GPS in Charlotte. They starred at Harding High School, just a few miles from the Spectrum Center.

Like the VSU men, VUU’s women are assured an NCAA at-large berth should they slip during the CIAA Tournament.

VUU’s men’s team closed their regular season at 14-14 overall and 9-7 in the CIAA, with a convincing 90-51 win over visiting Chowan University on Saturday, Feb. 24, on Senior Night.

The Panthers might have a revenge motive. They were shut out for first All-CIAA honors, although Jordan Peebles, a freshman from Emporia, was selected to the All-Rookie team.

VUU, long the conference’s dominant program, has not won a CIAA championship since 2006 and hasn’t been to the finals since 2007.

The CIAA, founded in 1912 as the nation’s first historically black athletic conference, introduced its tournament in 1946 at Turner’s Arena in Washington.

After many logistical moves, including twice to the Richmond Coliseum, the CIAA Tournament seems to have found a permanent home in Charlotte, which serves as the conference headquarters.

The Spectrum Center, seating 19,077 fans, is home of the NBA Charlotte Hornets. All action moves to the Spectrum Center, formerly Time Warner Cable Arena, following games earlier in week that were played next door at the smaller Bojangles’ Coliseum.

The CIAA Tournament is much more than just a week of jump shots and rebounds. More than 100,000 people are expected to converge on the Queen City this week, resulting in an estimated $55 million in revenue.

A multitude of musical and cultural events are included on the tournament schedule. Many loyal CIAA alumni and fans attend the event every year.

Darrell Purdie poised to take George Wythe to state finals

Darrell Purdie may be the area’s MVP — most versatile player.

The loose-limbed, 6-foot-5 senior is here, there and everywhere for George Wythe High School’s state-tournament bound Bulldogs.

In hoops lingo, Purdie is what’s called a “forcenguard” — a smooth blend of forward, center and guard skills.

“Darrell is basically a combo (point guard/shooting guard), but he does whatever we ask,” said Bulldogs Coach Willard Coker of his third-year starter.

State 3A quaraterfinals George Wythe Bulldogs Purdie’s all-around talversus Hopewell Blue Devils, ents will be on display 8 p.m. Friday, March 2, at when the Bulldogs — 20-3 Petersburg High School, 3101 after the Friday, Feb. 23, Johnson Road. loss to John Marshall High School in the 3A, Region B final — travel to Petersburg High School for an 8 p.m. tipoff Clement Britt Friday, March 2, in the state quarterfinal against Hopewell John Marshall High School’s Isaiah Todd, left, stretches High School. to block a shot by George Wythe High’s Darrell Purdie Defensively, Purdie has quickness to cover guards and the during last Friday’s regional final. While John Marshall length, strength and hops to hold his own against bigs. That won the game 83-64, both teams will play in the state was the case in the region semifinals when he was frequently quarterfinals this weekend. matched against Armstrong High School’s power post, DomiWheeler, a freshman transfer from Hampton High School. nique Finney.

There is no end in sight to John Marshall’s dominance.

On attack, Purdie can be the lead guard, a 3-point bombardier, All of the Justices’ starters, plus Wheeler, will be returning or move seamlessly inside for power moves to the rack. next year, providing John Marshall a reasonable shot at back“I think of myself as a versatile player,” Purdie said. “I can to-back state championships. go down in the hole (paint) if I’m needed, or I go outside and Gazing ahead, even a third straight crown is feasible with stretch the opponent’s defense.”

Todd returning for two more years.

Purdie, averaging about 15 points, can be a stat sheet “stuffer,” John Marshall was 19-7 a year ago, losing to Northside High meaning he contributes in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, School of Roanoke in the 3A quarterfinals. you name it.

The Justices won the state title in 2014, defeating George He drilled three 3-pointers and had 14 points in George Wythe in the final at the Siegel Center.

Wythe’s win over Armstrong and two 3-pointers and another Not contending this year is perennial power I.C. Norcom 14 points in the loss to John Marshall.

High School of Portsmouth. The Greyhounds were eliminated On the recruiting front, Chowan University of the CIAA and

by Phoebus High School last week at the regionals. the NCAA Division II is making a pitch, among others.

Norcom won the State GroupAAAchampionship in 2010 and 2011, Purdie isn’t alone with his versatility among the Bulldogs.

4A crowns in 2014 and 2015 and 3A titles the past two years.

There are several inter-changeable parts.

Jarec Brown, a 6-foot-4 senior, is another player contributing in multiple areas. Then there is 6-foot-3 sophomore Ikechi Chantilou, who had 26 points against Armstrong and 20 points against John Marshall.

Eugene Williams is always ing guards Kevin Gayles and Ivangel Pacheco. dangerous launching highState 4A quarterfinals This represents a high-water mark for a Hugue- arching treys beyond the arc.

Huguenot Falcons versus not program dating to 1960 when the school was Kevin Hubbard and ZaDeep Creek Hornets, 7 p.m. in Chesterfield County. It became a Richmond city mare Johnston, both about Friday, March 2, Arthur Ashe school in 1970, following annexation.

6-foot-5, are more traditional Jr. Athletic Center, 3001 N. Despite such alumni as Gerald Henderson, who has post players, while 5-foot-8 Boulevard. three NBA championship rings, the Falcons had never Maurice Laster specializes been to a regional final prior to this year. in play-making and creating Creek High School of ChesaThe school shared regional and state titles in 1984 defensive havoc.

Coach Brown peake at the Ashe Center. when it was part of the Jefferson-Huguenot-Wythe The Bulldogs are no oneThe Falcons, having won seven of the last eight complex. year wonder. The South Siders games, were overpowering at the regionals, defeatBrown, a former basketball coach at Chesterfield’s advanced to the state semifinals ing Chancellor High School 85-46 and Louisa High Meadowbrook High School, served more recently as a year ago, losing to evenSchool 70-55 to advance to the region final against activities director at Armstrong High School. He suc- tual champ I.C. Norcom High Monacan, the 2016 state champ. ceeded longtime Coach Bo Jones Sr. at Huguenot.

School of Portsmouth. George Huguenot boasts a talented cast featuring 7-foot With no usable, on-campus facility, the Falcons Wythe won the state crown in center Eric Ruston, 6-foot-6 forward Deshawn Ridley, spent much of the season practicing and playing some 2015 and was runner-up to John 6-foot-4 wing Lance Monteiro and quick, sharp-shoot- home games at Lucille Brown Middle School.

Marshall in 2014.

Despite no home court, Huguenot goes to state quarterfinals

A basketball season that couldn’t have started much worse is now on track to be Huguenot High School’s best ever.

The Falcons received alarming news before the season that their gymnasium, just two years old, was rendered unplayable because of water damage to the floor.

So having no gym for games or practices turned out to be no problem, at least based on the Falcons’ achievement.

First-year Coach Ksaan Brown’s squad nailed down the school’s first-ever regional title on Monday, Feb. 26, with a 73-48 win over Chesterfield’s Monacan High School in the Division 4, Region B final at the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center.

Huguenot (16-7) now advances to within three games of its first state title. The countdown starts Friday, March 2, with a state quarterfinal match against Deep

Coach Blow

March 1-3, 2018 B1

Section

Richmond Free Press

DiamonDs • Watches JeWelry • repairs 19 East Broad strEEt richmond, Va 23219 (804) 648-1044

Happenings Personality: Amy ‘MiMi’ Wentz B

www.wallErjEwElry.com

Joyner Fine Properties Welcomes

Spotlight on co-founder of Richmond Black Restaurant Experience Amy “MiMi” Wentz believes Richmond should be on the map for its dynamic and diverse dining scene.

“We (Richmonders) also must make sure that everyone knows that we have some amazing minority-owned businesses — an important part of that big picture — that deserve to be highlighted, supported and celebrated,” she continues.

Ms. Wentz has merged the two in Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, a weeklong celebration dedicated to empowering and supporting black-owned restaurants, catering services, food trucks and chefs in the river city.

From March 4 through 11, foodies can delight in a variety of cuisines served by 29 participating restaurants and vendors — from Jamaican, Caribbean and African fare to soul food and fine dining with a blend of Southern and European accents.

This is the second year for the event, which was known previously as Black Restaurant Week.

The idea started in Memphis, Tenn., Ms. Wentz explains, when its restaurant week creator, Cynthia Daniels, reached out to Shemicia Bowen, who she knew from the Urban League Young Professionals.

“Shemicia called me and the die was cast,” Ms. Wentz recalls. “The idea began to come alive. Kelli Lemon, our other partner, was working on a similar concept. So we decided to combine our efforts and do it big,” Ms. Wentz says.

“We just knew that the city wanted more and needed more,” Ms. Wentz says.

As a result of their efforts, 19 restaurants participated in 2017, drawing more than 12,000 people.

With such success, more restaurants wanted to get involved this year, Ms. Wentz says. More venues and experiences have been added, including the newest trend — food trucks. There also will be entertainment experiences.

“We’ve added events every single night of the week,” she says. “People can dine in a restaurant or attend an event.

That will be part of the mix.”

With 29 participating restaurants and food trucks, Richmond is the largest black restaurant week experience in the country, Ms. Wentz says. By comparison, Chicago had only 18 participants.

Ms. Wentz calls herself a believer in “all things Richmond” and works to promote civic and community engagement.

“Active and engaged citizens are our pathway to improvement in this great city,” she says.

The Huguenot High School graduate and Army veteran was recognized as one of Style Weekly’s “Top 40 Under 40” and was honored with a community service award from

Richmond City Council for her dedicated volunteerism in the 8th District.

Volunteerism and service were hallmarks she learned from her parents, Allen and Linda Wentz. Her parents, a white couple, adopted four children, she says. She and two of her siblings are biracial, she says, while another sister is Korean.

“We all came from different families and were adopted at young ages,” she says.

She is passing the Wentz family tradition of service to her two daughters. That includes helping to enhance life in the city.

“The first thing my daughter, Jasmine, 19, a sophomore at VCU, did when she entered college was to apply for ASPiRE, the college’s community and civic engagement group.”

Her daughter Zoe, 3, has been a constant volunteer companion with her mother.

“The city knows her,” Ms. Wentz says. “They see her before they see me. Zoe says, ‘Zoe’s here and my mother is not far behind.’

“Anything that we can do to help improve the Richmond experience for our citizens or people coming to see the city, we are all for that.”

Meet foodie experience advocate and this week’s Personality, Amy “MiMi” Wentz.

Occupation: Senior systems analyst, helping to develop logistics and transportation software for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Current community involvement: Co-founder of Richmond Black Restaurant Experience.

Other community involvement: Member, Mayor’s Education Compact; advisory board, Unbound RVA; board member, Stay RVA; board member, NOLEF Turns; member, Alternatives to Incarceration Commission; and founder, Black RVA. Date and place of birth: Nov. 2 in Washington.

Current residence: Adams Park in Richmond’s South

Side.

Education: Proud graduate of Huguenot High School and an Army veteran.

Family: Daughters, Jasmine, 19, who attends Virginia Commonwealth University, and Zoe, 3.

Importance of Richmond Black Restaurant Experience: Richmond’s dining scene is gaining national attention and it’s important that we counter the economic disparity within minority-owned businesses with fun and interactive solutions that engage, excite and ignite a deeper understanding and love of Richmond culture and cuisine.

Number of restaurants participating this year: 29.

Richmond Black Restaurant Experience events: There are events happening each night of the week, but our key events are “Mobile Soul Sunday” noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 4, at Abner Clay Park in Jackson Ward, and “Stick A Fork In It!,” our culminating event at Main Street Station noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 11. For a full listing, go to www.vablackrestaurantexperience.com.

Other cities that have Black Restaurant Week: Memphis, Tenn., Atlanta, Houston, St. Louis and more!

What community means to me: Community isn’t just a group of people living in the same area, but the people we learn from, get support from and work with to make “living” a positive experience for all, no matter your circumstance.

Favorite restaurant: Now you know I can’t say that, but each of our participating locations has a dish that I love.

Favorite menu item: Chicken and dumplings.

Favorite chef/cook: Chef MaMusu. It’s not about her food; she feeds the soul.

How I start the day: Sunny, with no chance of rain. Every day is a new beginning and a chance to improve.

A perfect day for me is: Seeing other people happy.

How I unwind: Attending the Art of Noise RVA by DJ Lonnie B. Music makes everything better.

Hobby: Volunteering.

Best late-night snack: Grilled cheese sandwich.

Biggest life lesson I’ve learned from my parents: If you make a commitment, follow through on it.

Three words that best describe me: Thankful, committed, loved.

Person who influenced me the most: My sister, Karen Lowen.

Book that influenced me the most: “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne.

What I’m reading now: “The Last Black Unicorn” by Tiffany Haddish.

My next goal: “Truth Be Told” is a passion project involving black Richmonders over the age of 80. We have so much to learn from them and need to soak it in while we can.

Radcliffe Chambers Realtor®, MBA

������������� �����������

2727 Enterprise Parkway Richmond, VA 23294 804.980.5782 cell radcliffe.chambers@joynerfp.com

Hattitude 10th Celebration of Women’s History Month RVA

Cavalier Chapter

of the American Business Women’s Association cordially invites you to it’s

Hat’s Off Awards to Women Luncheon Saturday, March 10, 2018 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Four Points by Sheraton

Betty Waller Gray

9901 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond Va.

Congratulation to: Cavalier Chapter’s Woman of the Year Gwendolyn Hopkins and Honorees

Dr. Joann Henry

Tip your favorite hat in honor of women for all the roles they play, their accomplishments and invincible spirits.

Public Relations Contact: Sylvia Buffington-Lester 804-387-3702 $45 Eventbrite (Hattitude RVA) Sponsor:

C.A. Healthcare IT Consulting, LLC

“Where Service Is Autographed With Excellence”

Guest Speaker:

Yvette J. Munroe, Raleigh, NC CEO of The Institute for Development of Young Leaders

Yvette J. Munroe

is calling on parents of 5th graders to help them to 6th grade by getting their required Tdap vaccination!

All RPS 5th grade students who return a completed LEVEL UP parental consent form giving permission for them to receive a free TdaP vaccination at their school or who provide proof of vaccination, will be eligible to enter our contest to win a .

The top four RPS schools with the most returned forms will receive a

Tdap booster vaccination is required by State law for all children entering the 6th grade. There is no grace period. Students without vaccination documentation on the first day of the coming school season will not be allowed to attend class.

LEVEL UP CHALLENGE vaccination permission forms have been sent home with students. Obtain more information by contacting your elementary school or visiting Richmond Public Schools and Richmond City Health District websites.

Richmond Free Press

B2 March 1-3, 2018

Happenings

RVA Night League for Safer Streets builds life skills, relationships along with basketball

By Ronald E. Carrington

RVA Night League for Safer Streets is set to start its second season of night basketball with more jumps shots and lifestyle workshops.

With teams from across the city and even from within the Richmond Police Department, the league will kick off the season Tuesday, March 6, at Celebration Church & Outreach Ministry, 5501 Midlothian Turnpike. Games start at 7 p.m., with the last game at 9 p.m.

RVA Night League for Safer Streets is the brainchild and vision of Paul Taylor and Jawad Abdu, two “returned citizens” who developed the idea while incarcerated at Greensville Correctional Center. (The term “returned citizen” is now used to reduce the stigma attached to the phrase “formerly incarcerated.”) Both wanted to give back to the community by preventing other young men from falling into the social and criminal traps that ensnared them.

“The league is a slam dunk for keeping peace on housing projects streets,” said Mr. Taylor.

“This is everybody coming together in unity and getting along.”

After his release in 2016, Mr. Abdu, and later, Mr. Taylor, worked on getting support for the

program. They knocked on many doors, with their persistence securing a meeting with Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham. The chief liked what he heard and assigned Deputy Chief Eric English to work with the duo.

“Jawad and Paul came to us for our assistance,” Deputy Chief English told the Free Press. “They have been pounding the pavement in some of our most problematic areas trying to get kids to be a part of the league while also steering them in the right direction.”

Help also has come from Clovia Lawrence, founder of the nonprofit Rolling for Freedom, the Myer Foundation and others.

“All of these people working in concert with us will bring what I believe God wants us to do,” Mr. Abdu said.

This is the second year for the March-toMay night league for players ages 17 to 28, many of whom live in the city’s public housing

Photos by Christopher Smith

Going all out for Girl Scout cookies If there’s any question about the power of Girl Scout cookies, look no further. Car loads of customers head through a Girl Scout cookie drive-thru Saturday in the parking lot of Cabela’s sporting goods store in Short Pump, where scouts from area troops assisted them with purchases of their favorite cookie varieties as part of National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend. Above, scouts Dionne Washington, Tyshaunda Jennings and DeRanae Jones of Troop #007 fill a motorist’s cookie order, while scout Sahmeah Jamison, right, carefully balances a box to complete another order. Cookie sales will continue around the Richmond area through late March.

Richmond Symphony to sponsor music festivals throughout city

By Ronald E. Carrington

The Richmond Symphony is collaborating with the City of Richmond and civic organizations to produce community festivals under the Big Tent project starting this spring.

Organizers said the outdoor events will make a significant impact on participating neighborhoods by combining the power of music with community investment, while providing support for music programs in Richmond Public Schools.

The Southside Community Center at 6255 Old Warwick Road will be the host location for “United by Music,” a twoday festival featuring musicians of every skill level, professional to youth.

It will be held beginning noon Friday, May 18. At 6 p.m., Richmond salsa legends Bio Ritmo will join the Richmond Symphony for an evening performance.

Saturday, May 19, will be “Family Day,” showcasing music from the community, including performances by

school bands, church groups and others. A skateboarding competition and soccer clinic also are planned, with the day culminating with a dance party.

Community participants may contact the symphony to apply at www.richmondsymphony.com/wp/wp-content/ uploads/2018/01/RVA-Southside-Performance-ApplicationMay-2018.pdf.

Events will continue with the two-day RVA East End Festival 2018: Sights and Sounds of Our Future to be held May 25 and 26 at the renovated 17th Street Farmers Market. The free event, featuring music and entertainment, will be the kickoff event for the market.

Brown’s Island will be the location for The Festival of the River, a three-day music, arts and environmental event June 8 through 10. The festival will include performances by the Richmond Symphony, contemporary art installations, cleanups along the James River and environmental education activities in celebration of

Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week.

The Richmond Symphony will host a two-day Big Tent Community Festival Sept. 8 and 9 in Bryan Park. Details have not yet been released.

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communities. The league provides the uniforms while the players provide their own sneakers.

But the league is not just about basketball. Before each game, players attend workshops that help them with life skills and employment opportunities.

“Basketball is the bait,” Mr. Taylor said. “The most important thing is the workshops. They are designed to help players be and become productive in society.”

Mr. Taylor said he begins the conversation noting that some guys — 17, 18, 19 and 20 years old — “are going to be in prison longer than they have been in society. I let them think about that for a minute, think about being locked up longer than you have been alive and in society.”

Team players also fill out a survey, which gives league organizers an idea of what support services the young men need and ensures appropriate services and opportunities are provided.

The hourlong, pregame sessions are mandatory for playing in the league, and cover a range of topics including conflict resolution, post-traumatic stress disorder, fatherhood, child support and respect for women.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney is a league supporter. Last season, he attended games, mingling with players and fans.

“The default conflict resolution tool these days is picking up a firearm and resolving it that way,” the mayor said. “The league helps young men resolve disputes without picking up a gun or resorting to violence.”

When teams play basketball against each other, they leave any violence at the gym door and off the court. Relationships are formed between law enforcement officers and players, as well as among the mothers, fathers, wives, girlfriends and children who pack the stands.

New neighborhood friendships and alliances are built on the court and in the stands and carry over into the community.

“Teams from many of these neighborhoods have had beefs and have been at war with each other for decades,” said Robert Morris, who is described as the glue for the league because he handles scheduling, recruits

Photos courtesy of RVA Night League for Safer Streets

Paul Taylor, left, and Jawad Abdu hope RVA Night League for Safer Streets will prevent young men from being ensnared by social and criminal traps.

coaches and players and puts together the season’s program.

“A lot of it is just fabricated,” Mr. Morris said of the conflicts. “They are buying into this myth that ‘I live in Fairfield and can’t go over to Whitcomb Court or can’t come to Jackson Ward. That’s a lie.”

Last year, 45 players were fielded for eight teams. Word of the program’s success spread, he said, expanding this year’s roster to 12 teams from Mosby, Creighton and Whitcomb courts, along with Hillside Court, Blackwell, Hotchkiss Field and Midlothian.

Mr. Morris invites interested players, coaches, volunteers and potential workshop presenters to call (804) 277-6624 to participate in RVA Night League for Safer Streets or for more information.

Left, league players show off their skills during a fast-action, competitive game in 2017, when eight teams participated in the league.

Below, Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham offers a pep talk before teams take to the court in 2017.

Richmond Free Press

March 1-3, 2018 B3

Obituaries/Faith Directory

By George Copeland Jr. and Adam Hamza Capital News Service

Dr. Grace E. Harris, whose life and career stretched from the roads of rural Halifax County to the halls of the Virginia State Capitol, was remembered last Saturday as more than 200 people, including family, friends, legislators and educators, assembled at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

Dr. Harris, the retired provost at Virginia Commonwealth University, died Monday, Feb. 12, 2018, at age 84.

She was praised as a “thoughtful, forwardthinking leader” by VCU President Michael Rao. Dr. Harris remains the highest-ranking AfricanAmerican woman in the college’s history.

Dr. Rao cited her 48-year tenure at the university, where she served as a dean, provost and interim president, as fundamental to VCU’s community and culture.

“I’ve talked a lot about VCU and its commitment to public good. That’s Grace,” Dr. Rao said. “VCU is committed to excellence and inclusion. That’s Grace.”

Dr. Rao also made clear that those present “must never forget” how racism initially barred Dr. Harris from attending VCU in the 1950s.

The state-supported school was then known as Richmond Professional Institute and Dr. Harris sought to enroll as a graduate student in the social work program. But as an African-

Dr. Grace Harris remembered for her ‘spirit of hope’ “She showed me what hard work, American, she was denied admission. talent and dedication can do,” Mr. She enrolled at Boston University, Harris wrote. “And I’m glad to say where her classmates included Dr. and show her that I listened.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Ms. Harris reminisced about the After a hiatus from her graduate openness, kindness and respect her studies, she later applied again to mother showed her throughout life.

RPI and was accepted, earning her “How wonderful it has been to master’s degree in 1960, joining the have such support, encouragement, social work school faculty in 1967 acceptance and love,” she said. and later serving as dean.

Recalling his time working with Dr. At the service, members of the HarDr. Harris Harris on VCU’s Board of Visitors, Judge ris family shared memories and perRoger L. Gregory, chief judge of the 4th U.S. Circuit sonal stories of how they viewed her legacy.

In the course of their life together, Dr. Harris Court of Appeals, remembered the “prescription and her husband, James W. “Dick” Harris Sr., of life” she brought during her tenure.

“She gently wove her spirit of hope into had two children — James “Jay” Harris Jr. and Gayle E. Harris. Mr. Harris described the work the tapestry of every professional endeavor she ethic his mother instilled in him while growing had and every professional encounter,” Judge Gregory said. up in a letter read by his wife, Noelle Harris.

A number of political leaders, including Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney, attended the service. U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, who were unable to attend, sent letters of condolence that were read at the service. Dr. Harris served on Sen. Warner’s transition team as

Allie Ragin Jr., teacher, sports coach, dies at 76 Allie Ragin Jr. used his Family and friends celebrateducation and athletic skills to ed his life Thursday, Feb. 22, at benefit and support youth sports a service at the March Funeral programs in Richmond.

Home Laburnum Chapel.

A longtime middle school After graduating from Armteacher who, as a teen, starred strong High, Mr. Ragin earned in sports at Armstrong High a basketball scholarship to the School, Mr. Ragin touched the now-closed Kittrell College in lives of city youths as a foot- North Carolina. He transferred ball and baseball to Delaware State coach for teams University to in the city Deplay, but later partment of Recwent to Salisbury, reation and Parks N.C., to earn his programs. u n d e rg r a d u a t e For years, the degree at and Richmond native play basketball also was a mainstay for Livingtone for the MetropoliCollege. tan Junior Baseball After graduatLeague. He served ing in 1965, he befor a time as comgan his teaching Mr. Ragin missioner of the career in Caroline Richmond nonprofit that for County, then returned to Rich52 years has operated baseball mond to teach at Thompson, programs for inner-city youths. Westhampton and Martin LuHe also ran MJBL’s former ther King Jr. middle schools bingo fundraiser to raise money for 25 years before retiring for the program. from the city public school His contributions to city system. youths are being rememAfter retiring, he continued bered following his death on to teach homebound students Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. and work in RPS’ Information He was 76.

Technology Department. He

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

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also continued volunteering with youth sports.

Mr. Ragin was a past president of Livingtone College’s Richmond Alumni Chapter and for years held a tennis tournament to benefit the school’s scholarship program.

In 2007, he was inducted into the college’s athletic hall of fame.

He also was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, the Die Teufel Club and the YMCA and sang in a citywide male choral group. He also was a member of Hood Temple AME Zion Church in Jackson Ward.

Survivors include his two sons, Darryl A. Eanes and Allen R. Turner; a sister, Sarah E. Cole; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

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Thank you to the following bereaved families for allowing us to serve you during the month of January 2018. You are still in our prayers and thoughts.

View full obituaries online at www.wilsonafs.com Edward E. Hardy, Jr. Earnest S. Freeman, Sr. Junius “Scope” Garlick Ricardo Woods Timothy Lee Jones Lottie Lee Boatwright-Goode Rev. Robert Johnson, Jr. Richard E. Jones, Jr. Erskine Carter, Sr. Joy Verna Alexander

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

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he became Virginia’s governor in January 2002.

When Sen. Kaine was Virginia’s governor from 2006 to 2010, Dr. Harris helped him choose appointees to university boards of visitors.

Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder noted the challenges Dr. Harris faced and overcame as a woman of color in a racially segregated state and society. He also spoke of the importance of her legacy at a time of national upheaval and change for women.

Quoting Dr. Harris directly, Gov. Wilder left the audience with words of inspiration: “I will persist until I succeed, for I was not delivered into this world in defeat.”

That inspiration was evident in those in attendance. Leon Sankofa, president and founder of Family and Youth Foundations Counseling Services in Hampton, said Dr. Harris’ outreach efforts led him to enroll in VCU’s School of Social Work.

“She was my idol,” Mr. Sankofa said. “She still is.”

Dr. Harris’ legacy of compassion extended beyond the funeral’s speakers and audience.

Band leader Rudy Faulkner, during the opening musical selection, briefly mentioned the kindness the Harris family showed him one Christmas many years ago.

It was this compassion and kindness that Jullian Harrison, Dr. Harris’ grandson, saw as her greatest quality.

“Yes, she was smart. Yes, she was kind. But also, she was empathetic,” he recalled.

“In a day and age when leadership and power is so synonymous with the focus on self, the fact that she could build a legacy and foundation based on kindness and to have it be successful is what made her.”

Rev. Derik E. Jones Pastor

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Richmond Free Press

B4 March 1-3, 2018

Faith News/Directory

Rev. Billy Graham, evangelist, presidential confidante and supporter of Dr. King, to be laid to rest March 2 Free Press wire report

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Thousands of people from all walks of life filed slowly past the casket of the Rev. Billy Graham on Monday to pay their final respects to a man who reached millions with his message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The heavy rain overnight tapered to a light, occasional drizzle around 8 a.m. Monday when the doors opened to the boyhood home of the famed evangelist, who died Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, at age 99.

Rev. Graham built evangelicalism into a force that rivaled liberal Protestantism and Roman Catholicism in the United States. Called “America’s Pastor,” he eventually would preach to an estimated 210 million people in person with his rallies that he called “crusades” and touched many more around the world through his pioneering use of primetime telecasts, network radio, daily newspaper columns, evangelistic films and satellite TV hookups. He became a confidante of presidents and other leaders.

Mourners of all races, young and old, some in suits and some in T-shirts and flip-flops, walked through the parlor where his closed casket lay on a black pedestal. They walked past family photos and a cross made of white lilies to see the simple plywood container made by prison inmates.

And at the door for the first few hours was Rev. Graham’s grandson, Roy Graham, shaking the hand of every person who came to pay respects to his grandfather.

“I just wanted to tell them how much I appreciated the love for my family,’” Mr. Graham said.

And they responded with stories. Mr. Graham said what

Riverview

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moved him the most Monday were the dozens who paused and told him the exact moment and place Rev. Graham came into their lives through his hundreds of crusades around the world.

Cecily Turner is one of them.

Her mother was at Rev. Graham’s 1957 New York crusade and she said he led her mother to salvation that day.

“I know she is in heaven thanking him right now,” she said.

Mother passed her faith on to daughter, and Ms. Turner said she passed it down to her five children and four greatgrandchildren.

“That’s an amazing thing,” she said.

Born in 1918 on the family farm near Charlotte, Rev. Graham grew up in a South strictly divided by race. He had a complicated role in race relations, particularly when confronting segregation in his native South.

In Alabama for one of his evangelistic crusades in 1965, just months after passage of the Civil Rights Act, Rev. Graham talked about the Confederate flag flying “proudly” atop the state Capitol and the fact that both of his grandfathers served as rebel soldiers, according to a recording available on his ministry’s website. He didn’t address the evils of segregation directly, talking instead about God’s unique power to change people and communities.

But Rev. Graham also drew scorn from segregationists for speaking to racially mixed crowds and allowing black people and white people to mingle

Rev. Graham

during the trademark altar call that ended each service.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an ally and publicly credited Rev. Graham with helping the cause of civil rights.

Rev. Graham was an internationally known preacher traveling the world when Dr. King first gained notice by leading a bus boycott against segregation in Montgomery, Ala., in1955. Rev. Graham embraced Dr. King’s work, and the two appeared on stage together during Rev. Graham’s crusade at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1957. Rev. Graham paid the jail bond following Dr. King’s arrest during demonstrations in Albany, Ga., in 1962.

Following the racial violence of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Ala., in 1965 and partly at the suggestion of President Lyndon B. Johnson, Rev. Graham toured Alabama, speaking to racially mixed crowds. It was during that trip that he recorded the message in which he spoke wistfully of his Confederate roots and God’s ability to heal.

While Rev. Graham didn’t

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march with Dr. King in Selma, the Atlanta-based King Center for Non-violent Social Change credits Rev. Graham with evolving from an early, noncommittal stance on race following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 decision outlawing segregation in public schools.

Rev. Graham had regrets. In an interview with The Associated Press in 2005, when he held his final crusade, Rev. Graham said he wished he had fought for civil rights more forcefully.

In particular, he lamented not joining Dr. King and other pastors at voting rights marches in Selma, Ala., in 1965.

“I think I made a mistake when I didn’t go to Selma,” Rev. Graham said. “I would like to have done more.”

Still, Rev. Graham helped ease the region’s transition away from legalized segregation, said Steven P. Miller, a scholar who has written about Rev. Graham.

Rev. Graham had a “huge base” of white support in the Bible Belt, Mr. Miller said, and those people listened to him.

“He could reach that audience as a native Southerner, but also because he spoke a familiar evangelical language — and because he was obviously not an activist,” said Mr. Miller, author of the book “Billy Graham and the Rise of the Republican South.”

“In this sense, he provided a familiarly Christian path for some white Southerners to back away from Jim Crow,” Mr. Miller said.

The Rev. William J. Barber II of North Carolina, a civil

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rights leader who is leading a new national Poor People’s Campaign, credited Rev. Graham with meeting with Dr. King and agreeing to challenge segregation, an act Rev. Graham pursued through preaching reconciliation and peace rather than marching.

“Billy Graham inherited a faith in the American South that had accommodated itself to white supremacy, but he demonstrated a willingness to change and turn toward the truth,” Rev. Barber said in a Facebook post after Rev. Graham’s death. “He helped to tear down walls of segregation, not build them up.”

During the 2005 interview with The Associated Press, Rev. Graham also apologized for making anti-Semitic remarks that were captured on the White House taping system installed

by President Richard Nixon, who relied on Rev. Graham for both spiritual needs and political cover. The relationship between the two men helped turn the South into the solidly Republican territory it is today, Mr. Miller argues in his book.

Rev. Barber said Rev. Graham also eschewed the religious right movement, which many Southern evangelicals embraced on the way toward increasing their political power after the Nixon years.

“His life was about following Jesus, and he knew that meant an ongoing commitment to be changed by love,” Rev. Barber said.

Following public viewings Monday and Tuesday at Rev.

Graham’s Charlotte library on the campus of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, his body was taken to the U.S. Capitol, where he was to lie in honor on Wednesday and Thursday. The last private citizen to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda was civil rights icon Rosa Parks in 2005.

Rev. Graham’s funeral is Friday, March 2, at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, and President Donald Trump said he will attend. Invitations were sent to all former U.S. presidents.

About 2,000 people are expected at the invitation-only funeral that will be held in a giant tent as a nod to Rev. Graham’s 1949 Los Angeles crusade. That revival, which Rev. Graham said propelled him to worldwide fame, was held in a circus tent dubbed the “Canvas Cathedral.”

His coffin was built by inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La., who typically construct caskets for fellow prisoners who cannot afford one.

Rev. Graham’s son, the Rev. Franklin Graham, toured the prison in 2005 and said he was so moved by the simple boxes lined with a mattress pad and a wooden cross nailed to the top that he asked for ones for his mother and father.

Rev. Graham will be buried beside his wife, Ruth, who died in 2007, at the foot of a crossshaped walkway at his library in Charlotte. His tombstone will read “Preacher of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ebenezer Baptist Church 1858

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Richmond Free Press

March 1-3, 2018 B5

Legal Notices 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, March 12, 2018 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. 2018-026 As Amended To p r o v i d e f o r t h e granting by the City of Richmond to the person, firm or corporation to be ascertained in the manner prescribed by law of certain easements upon, over, under, and across certain property located at 3801 Douglasdale Road for the construction, maintenance, and operation of electrical power transmission and distribution lines and associated appurtenances in accordance with a certain Right of Way Agreement.

Ordinance No. 2018-042 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $12,000.00 from The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Inc.; to amend the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 Special Fund Budget by creating a new special fund for the Office of Community Wealth Building called the Richmond Area Living Wage Certification Program Special Fund; and to appropriate the grant funds received to the Fiscal Year 20172018 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the new Office of Community Wealth Building’s Richmond Area Living Wage Certification Program Special Fund by $12,000.00 for the purpose of recognizing employers that pay their employees a living wage.

Ordinance No. 2018-043 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $50,000.00 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Justice Services by $50,000.00 for the purpose of providing court-involved youth with educational programming designed to increase cultural awareness and reduce racial violence.

Ordinance No. 2018-044 To amend ch. 2, art.

V of the City Code by adding therein a new div.

18 (§§ 2-1167—2-1172) and to amend ch. 17, art. I of the City Code by adding therein new §§ 171—17-3 for the purpose of establishing a Human Rights Commission and prohibiting certain discriminatory practices. ( CO M M I T T EE : Education and Human Services, Thursday, March 8, 2018, 12:00 p.m., Council Chamber)

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Plaintiff v.

CANDI ANDERSON, Defendant.

Case No.: CL18000376-00 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 26th day of March, 2018 at 9:00 AM in CC #2 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

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 3412 Rear Delano Street, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number C009-0534/002, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, SHIRLEY E. DANCE.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, SHIRLEY E. DANCE, who upon information and belief is deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.”

IT IS ORDERED that SHIRLEY E. DANCE, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before ApRIL 29, 2018 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940

Virginia, being a portion of Lot No. 112 as shown on the Revised Plan of a Portion of Hilliard Park made by Thornton L. Mullins, Certified Civil Engineer, dated July 24, 1941, and recorded in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court of Henrico County, Virginia, in Plat Book 18 page 65 and more fully described as follows: Beginning at a point on the northern line of Lindbrook Drive (a.k.a Linbrook Drive), which point is marked by a rod and is at the point where the dividing line between Lots 111 and 112 as shown on the above mentioned Revised Plan of a Portion of Hilliard Park intersects with the said northern line of Lindbrook Drive (a.k.a Linbrook Drive); thence proceeding eastwardly along the said northern line of Lindbrook Drive (a.k.a Linbrook Drive) as it curves slightly to the right, the arc of a circle having a radius of 556.40 feet, a distance of 80.00 feet to a rod; thence leaving Lindbrook Drive (a.k.a Linbrook Drive) and proceeding North 37 degrees 29 minutes 40 seconds West 200.00 feet to a rod; thence South 61 degrees 06 minutes 18 seconds West 79.93 feet to a rod; thence South 37 degrees 29 minutes 40 seconds East 200.00 feet to the point of the beginning. (hereinafter referred to as the “Property”) is rightfully and properly owned by Plaintiffs, who have title to the Property by adverse possession.

The persons whose interests are potentially affected in this suit are any beneficiaries, devisees, successors or assigns of Willie B. Hampton (“Hampton”), a previous owner of the Property who died in 1997.

It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that there may be unknown parties potentially claiming an interest in the abovereferenced Property who cannot be located or identified after due diligence, and their names and addresses remaining unknown, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants appear on April 2, 2018 at 9:00 AM in this Court to protect their interests.

Entered 1/26/18 An Extract Teste: HEIDI S. BARSHINGER, Clerk WE ASK FOR THIS: Courtney Paulk (VSB No. 45523) Kelly Bundy (VSB No. 86327) Hirschler Fleischer, A Professional Corporation The Edgeworth Building 2100 East Cary Street (23223-7078) Post Office Box 500 Richmond, Virginia 23218-0500 Telephone: (804) 771-9500 Facsimile: (804) 644-0957 E-mail: cpaulk@hf-law.com kbundy@hf-law.com Counsel for John W. and Lolita D. Kreckman

the Defendants do appear on or before May 2, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests.

I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

249) (Michie 1999).

It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before March 29, 2018, at 11:30 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests.

I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB#41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

$2,259.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND JACQUELINE KENNARD; Defendants.

ORDER

The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to VA. CODE ANN. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2-249) (Michie 1999).

It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before April 6, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests.

I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

CASE NO. CL17-4664-7 $ 442.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND JAMAR BLACKWELL; CASE NO. CL16-4907-7 $ 628.20 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND ABDUL-YASEEN MUHAMMAD; CASE NO. CL 11-5800-7 $ 309 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND TONI DOUGLAS; CASE NO. CL17-3913-7 $1,205 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND LEON GREEN; CASE NO. CL17-3500-7 $6,112.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND ALBERT GRUMBLATT; CASE NO. CL15-1355-7 $3,268.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND BRIAN HARRIS; CASE NO. CL16-4635-7 $890.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND JUSTIN HART; CASE NO. CL11-5814-7 ONE LOT OF ELECTRONICS, AND BRYSON NEWSOME; CASE NO. CL17-3571-7 $787.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND ANGELIQUE PARKER; CASE NO. CL15-1723-7 $160.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND JOSE RUBIO; CASE NO. CL10F-1724-7 ONE LOT OF ELECTRONICS, AND KAHLID BASKERVILLE; CASE NO. CL10F-2016-7 $18,899.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND RYAN NICHOLS; CASE NO. CL10F-4635-7 $700.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND WAYNE BARNES; Defendants.

ORDER

The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999).

It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before March 28, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests.

I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER RAYDEEDRA FAJOBI, Plaintiff v.

OLATUNBOSUN FAJOBI, Defendant.

Case No.: CL18000345-00 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 16th day of April, 2018 at 9:00 AM 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 LINDA SPAIN, Plaintiff v.

RODERICK PINKETT, Defendant.

Case No.: CL18000649-00 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 16th day of April, 2018 at 9:00 AM 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 JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND Plaintiff, v.

H&S GLOBAL PERFORMANCE, LLC, et al, Defendants.

Case No.: CL17-4655 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2711 Hanes Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, Tax Map Number N000-0701/019, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, H&S GLOBAL PERFORMANCE, LLC.

An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, H&S GLOBAL PERFORMANCE, LLC, A Georgia Limited Liability Company, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that WALTON M. BELLE, who may be a creditor with an interest in said property, who has been served by posting and by mailing a copy of the complaint to his last known address, has not been personally located and has not filed a response to this action; that ARMOND A. BELLE, who may be a creditor with an interest in said property, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action; that ALLIANCE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS, LLC, who may be a creditor with an interest in said property, is not a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and has not filed a response to this action; and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.”

IT IS ORDERED that H&S GLOBAL PERFORMANCE, LLC, A Georgia Limited Liability Company, WALTON M. BELLE, ARMOND A . B E L L E , A L L I A N CE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS, LLC, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MARCH 22, 2018 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter.

An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7940

currency

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER SEDRICK ANDERSON,

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v.

SHIRLEY E. DANCE, et al.

Defendants.

Case No.: CL17-5699 AMENDED

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HENRICO JOHN W. KRECKMAN, and LOLITA D. KRECKMAN, Plaintiffs, v.

Carol Martin, Sharon Hampton, TimOTHY Hampton, GregORY Hampton, Alan Hampton,and THE VARIOUS BENEFICIARIES, DEVISEES, SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS OF WILLIE B. HAMPTON, DECEASED, AND OTHER PARTIES,WHO MAY HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY AS DEFINED HEREIN, WHOSE NAMES AND LAST NAMES AND ADDRESSES ARE UNKNOWN, AND MADE PARTY DEFENDANTS

BY THE GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PARTIES UNKNOWN, Defendants.

Case No.: CL17001635-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The above-styled suit seeks a judicial order declaring that certain real property located at 2614 Lindbrook Drive, Richmond, Virginia 23228 and more particularly identified as: (a) Tax ID Parcel No. 777-751-4911; (b) All that certain lot or parcel of land lying and being in Henrico County,

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v.

CASE NO. CL17-473-6 $ 828.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND RAYMOND DENSON; CASE NO. CL14-2988-6 $ 12,559 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND BERNARD JAMES; CASE NO. CL17-4663-6 $ 865.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND DOMINIQUE JONES; CASE NO. CL11-1174-6 ONE LOT OF ELECTRONICS, AND DAVID LONCAR; CASE NO. CL17-5118-6 $1,193.10 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND LEON MCDANIEL; CASE NO. CL11-5813-6 $407.50 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND BRYSON NEWSOME; CASE NO. CL17-3439-6 $904.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND UNIQUE NICHOLS; CASE NO. CL13-4023-6 $1,174.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND ANTHONY ROBINSON; CASE NO. CL11-2390-6 $2,341.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND DARYL ROBINSON; CASE NO. CL13-3459-6 $424.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND ROBERT SCOTT; CASE NO. CL16-2287-6 $2,552.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND TIMOTHY WARD; CASE NO. CL16-3262-6 $922.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MARVIN WHITERS; Defendants.

ORDER

The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to VA. CODE ANN. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999).

It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that

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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.

Candice D. Reid Interim City Clerk

Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HENRICO VICTORIA ELAINE GOMEZ, Plaintiff, v.

FELIPE DE JESUS IBARRA GOMEZ, Defendants.

Case No.: CL18-877-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to obatin a divorce from the bond of matrimony from the defendant on the ground that the parties have lived separate and apart in excess of one year.

It appearing from an affidavit filed by the plaintiff that the defendant’s whereabouts are unknown, it is ORDERED that the defendant appear before this Court on or before April 23, 2018, to protect his interests hererin.

An Extract Teste: HEIDI S. BARSHINGER, Clerk I ASK FOR THIS: Shannon S. Otto VSB No. 68506 P.O. Box 11708 Richmond, Virginia 23230 Telephone: (804) 545-9408 Facsimile: (804) 545-9400 Email: otto@lockequinn.com Counsel for Plaintiff

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF HENRICO COUNTY LOLITA JONES-EPPS, Plaintiff v.

KENNETH W. EPPS, Defendant.

Case No.: CL17005158-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION

The object of this suit is to obtain a divorce from the bond of matrimony.

It is ORDERED that Kenneth W. Epps appear at the above-named court and protect his/her interests on or before March 26, 2018.

A Copy Teste: HEIDI S. BARSHINGER, Clerk VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER TARA CULTON, Plaintiff v.

MARK PRATT, Defendant.

Case No.: CL18000458-00 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 9th day of April, 2018 at 9:00 AM 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

PROPERTY

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v.

CASE NO. CL17-4030-5 $6,006.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND RANDALL BAILEY; CASE NO. CL16-1675-5 $1,370.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND ANTOINE BRAXTON; CASE NO. CL11-2382-5 $220.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND REVELLE CRADLE; CASE NO. CL11-4397-5 $865.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND TRAMMELL HARRIS; CASE NO. CL14-240-5 $277.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MARSHAWN HARVEY; CASE NO. CL17-2939-5 $510.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MARSHAWN HARVEY; CASE NO. CL11-3206-5 $3,005.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND STEPHEN M. RAGLAND II; CASE NO. CL11-5819-5 $6,980.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MICHELLE LUTCHMAN; CASE NO. CL16-1984-5 $2,841.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND RON MCCRAY; CASE NO. CL15-2868-5 $318.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND TRE’VAUGHAN NELSON; CASE NO. CL10F-1730-5 $314 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MONTEA PERKINS; CASE NO. CL10F-3214-5 $3,715.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND JEREL FORD; CASE NO. CL10F-4963-5 $1,031.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND WALTER HETMEYER; Defendants.

ORDER

The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to VA. CODE ANN. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999).

It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before April 9, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests.

I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v.

CASE NO. CL17-4958-8 $ 310.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND JAMES BURWELL, SR.; CASE NO. CL17-3501-8 $ 873.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND DOMISHEK FORBES; CASE NO. CL11-2509-8 $ 3,210.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND TYRONE GRIFFIN; CASE NO. CL14-2523-8 $3,066.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND KEITH HOWARD; CASE NO. CL15-2226-8 $622.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND TERRANCE LEE; CASE NO. CL16-5064-8 $702.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND JOSE MINOTTAHURTADO; CASE NO. CL17-2294-8 $2,276.50 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND DWAYNE SWINSON; CASE NO. CL10F-1993-8 $1,765.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MELVIN THORNE; CASE NO. CL10F-2313-8 $1,757.37 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND ERIC PHILLIPS; CASE NO. CL10F-2476-8 $1,361.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND JUSTIN PAYNE; CASE NO. CL10F-4636-8 $1,310.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MICHAEL CLAIBORNE; Defendants.

ORDER

The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to V a. Code Ann. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, CASE NO. CL11-2813-1 $ 105.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND JOHNNIE EATON; CASE NO. CL17-4511-1 $ 1,666.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND OLAJUWON ELLEBY; CASE NO. CL11-5816-1 $ 979.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND DAVID GRAHAM; CASE NO. CL11-2386-1 $ 876.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND DANNIS JOHNSON; CASE NO. CL14-3224-1 $777.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND EUGENE MAYO; CASE NO. CL14-869-1 $618.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND COREY PERRY; CASE NO. CL15-1725-1 $1,667.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MARIO RIVAS-CABALLO; CASE NO. CL13-2792-1 $550.15 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND TRAVONN WIGGINS; CASE NO. CL10F-1734-1 $190.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENY, AND DARRON STEPHENS; CASE NO. CL10F-1994-1 $888.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND STEPHANIE MAY; CASE NO. CL10F-2018-1 $163.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MAURICE GAINYARD; CASE NO. CL10F-2306-1 $101.72 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND RAMONA HAMMOND; CASE NO. CL10F-2314-1 $106.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND LINWOOD HASKINS; CASE NO. CL10F-3218-1 $173.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND TYRELLE PARKER; CASE NO. CL10F-3345-1 $521 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND LAFONIA MASON; CASE NO. CL11-2393-1 $220 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MILTON MORRIS; Defendants.

ORDER

The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to VA. CODE ANN. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2-249) (Michie 1999).

It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before April 12, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests.

I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB#41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v.

CASE NO. CL17-5127-2 $348.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND TERRANCE ADAMS; CASE NO. CL17-5202-2 $2,244.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND KEVIN BYARS; CASE NO. CL11-2192-2 $546.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND JAVARE HARGROVE; CASE NO. CL11-5796-2 $244.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND MICHAEL MARROW; CASE NO. CL11-4395-2 $250.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND PAUL MILBERRY; CASE NO. CL16-5066-2 $435.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND TEMONTEKE MORRIS; CASE NO. CL11-2394-2 $170.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND FORREST PRYMAK; CASE NO. CL13-3503-2 $385.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND TERRENCE ROBINSON; CASE NO. CL10F-4097-2 $975.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND RAKEISHA ROBERTS; CASE NO. CL10F-4638-2 Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v.

CASE NO. CL13F-5109-4 $ 270.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND CARLOS BROWN; CASE NO. CL11-1309-4 $ 213.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MYISHA GIBBS; CASE NO. CL17-463-4 $ 870.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND KHIRY JOHNSTON; CASE NO. 10F-1989-4 $249.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND DALTON PIERCE; CASE NO. CL17-2938-4 $804.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND CARLTON SMITH; CASE NO. CL10F-2005-4 $111.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND DEVIN ARCHIE; CASE NO. CL10F-3347-4 $132.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND SAMUEL SINGLETON; CASE NO. CL10F-4091-4 $483.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND KELVIN REAVES; CASE NO. CL10F-5344-4 $202 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND QUANTREC MEADOWS; Defendants.

ORDER

The object of the above captioned suits is to forfeit to the Commonwealth the described property or currency pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-386 et. seq. (which includes former Section 18.2249) (Michie 1999).

It appearing by affidavit filed according to law that due diligence has been used by or on behalf of the Commonwealth to ascertain the whereabouts of the Defendants and effect service of process, without success, it is therefore ORDERED that the Defendants do appear on or before April 9, 2018, at 1:00 p.m. in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North Ninth Street, and do what is necessary to protect his or her interests.

I ask for this: J. Andrew Johnson (VSB #41587) Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Plaintiff, v.

CASE NO. CL17-1773-7 $ 3,220.00 IN UNITED STATES CURRENCY, AND MARVIN ADAMS;

BIDS COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA CONSTRUCTION ITB # 18-1586-2CLE – Bathroom Improvements – Donahoe E.S. & Highland Springs H.S - This Work consists of Renovations, Finish and Appliances upgrades, ADA Accessibility alterations. Due 3:00 pm, March 20, 2018. Additional information available at: http:// henrico.us.finance/divisions/ purchasing/.

COUNTY OF HENRICO, VIRGINIA CONSTRUCTION ITB # 18-1579-2CLE – West Wistar Area (SH-15 Part 2, Phase 1) Sewer Rehabilitation - This Work consists of rehabilitation of approx 5,850’ of 8” sewer with a cured-in-place-pipe liner and replacement of approx 2,300’ of existing sewer with new 8”, 12” and 16” sewer. Due 3:00 pm, March 27, 2018. Additional information available at: http://henrico.us.finance/ divisions/purchasing/.

Follow the Free Press on @FreePressRVA @RichmondFreePressUSA

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REQUEST FOR BIDS For Certain Easements Upon, Over, Under and Across 3801 Douglasdale Road In the City of Richmond The City of Richmond is seeking bids for certain easements upon, over, under and across certain property located at 3801 Douglasdale Road for the construction, maintenance, and operation of electrical power transmission and distribution lines and associated appurtenances in accordance with a certain Right of Way Agreement, for a duration of 40 years, subject to certain responsibilities to be imposed by the Right of Way Agreement and subject further to all retained rights of the City of Richmond.

All bids for the easements hereby offered to be granted shall be submitted in writing to the City Clerk’s office by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 12, 2018. Bids will be presented to the presiding officer of the Council of the City of Richmond on Monday, March 12, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. in open session and shall then be presented by the presiding officer to the Council and be dealt with and acted upon in the mode prescribed by law.

The City of Richmond expressly reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The successful bidder shall reimburse the City for all costs incurred in connection with the advertisement of this ordinance in accordance with section 15.2-2101 of the Code of Virginia and shall post the bond required by the ordinance.

A copy of the full text of the ordinance is on file in the City Clerk’s office, and the full text of the ordinance and the Right of Way Agreement to be executed is available at: https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail. aspx?ID=3337310&GUID=31BC3D7F-74C3-4BDB-B12D7648AB5848DB&Options=ID|Text|&Search=2018-026 Please address any questions or bids to: Candice D. Reid, Interim City Clerk City of Richmond 900 East Broad Street, Suite 200 Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 646-7955

B6

Richmond Free Press

March 1-3, 2018

Sports Plus Stories by Fred Jeter

2018 Winter Olympics end with silver for 2 African-American athletes

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Lauren Gibbs, left, and Elena Meyers Taylor show off their silver medals won in the two-woman bobsled competition Feb. 22 as they stand for the medals ceremony at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

African-American athletes were long on desire but short on medals at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, that concluded on Feb. 25.

A record 11 African-Americans athletes were on the U.S. Olympic Team, which overall won 23 medals — including 9 gold medals — in South Korea, ranking fourth among 92 nations.

Only two African-Americans on the U.S. team returned home with medals.

Elena Meyers Taylor and Lauren Gibbs won a silver medal in the two-woman bobsled competition.

Both Taylor, the pilot, and Gibbs, the pusher, are former college athletes in other sports.

Taylor, 33, played softball at George Washington University, while Gibbs, also 33, was a volleyball player at Brown University.

Aja Evans, a former Big 10 shot put champion at the University of Illinois, served as pusher for the fifth-place, 2-woman bobsled duo.

Locally, former Powhatan High School athlete Hakeem Abdul-Saboor served as pusher for both the two- and four-man bobsled teams. The two-man team finished 21st and the four-man team finished 19th.

Competing on the same four-man team with Abdul-Saboor was Chris Kinney, a former track

standout at Georgetown University.

The most noted African-American Olympian on the team, speed skater Shani Davis, placed 19th in the 1,500-meters and seventh in the 1,000-meters competitions.

Davis, a 35-year-old Chicago native, became the first black athlete to claim an individual gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games in 2006 with his victory in the 1,000-meters in Turin, Italy. He also won a silver medal in the 1,500-meter event.

He repeated the wins – gold and silver – at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

In South Korea, speed skater Maame Biney, an 18-year-old of Ghanaian descent from Northern Virginia, placed 14th in the 500-meters and 31st in the 1,500-meters competitions.

Erin Jackson, who transitioned from in-line skating to speed skating this past September, was 24th in the 500 meters.

Speed skater Kimani Griffin, a classical guitarist who has performed at Carnegie Hall, was 26th in the 500 meters.

Boston University athlete Jordan Greenwood, a 6-foot-6 wing on the Olympic ice hockey team, scored one goal while taking 13 shots for the U.S. squad that was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

The 2022 Olympic Winter Games will be in Beijing, China.

Trinity Episcopal’s Donavan Goode takes record in 55-meter dash Donavan Goode excels in acceleration.

Renowned for his Road Runner-style takeoffs, the 17-year-old Trinity Episcopal School senior is the fastest 55-meter dash man in Virginia private school history.

“The best part of my race is the start,” said the 5-foot-9, 160-pound Goode who has the earned nickname “Beep, Beep.”

The son of Debbie and Ed Goode Jr., Donavan won the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association state 55-meter dash on Feb. 17 at St. Christopher’s School.

Goode’s scorching, fully automatic timing of 6.39 seconds eclipsed the previous VISAA record of 6.44 set by St. Christopher’s Brandon Thomas in 2016.

In so doing, Goode avenged a loss to Fork Union Military Academy’s Ebruba Etta in the Prep League finals.

A Milestat.com video labeled Goode’s epic dash “The Perfect Race.”

“Donavan broke through to another level at states,” said Trinity Coach Ned Fischer.

“Taking almost two tenths of a second off one’s best time is unheard of.”

On Feb. 10 at the Prep League meet, which also was held at St. Christopher’s, Etta ran a 6.49 to Goode’s then personal record 6.53.

To upset the taller, longer-striding Etta, Goode executed a well-crafted strategy to explode out of the starting blocks like never before. Mission accomplished, he was off like a flash.

“I got a near perfect start at states,” Goode said. “Still, I could hear him (Etta) coming, so I pushed harder.”

Etta came in second in 6.43, followed

by St. Christopher’s Frank Royal in 6.58.

Royal won the state long jump with an outstanding 23-5 mark.

A year ago, Goode was second (in 6.54) at the states to Woodberry Forest School’s Cameron Hill (6.46).

Fleet feet across the state Here are 55-meter winners from Virginia High School League State Indoor meets Feb. 24-25: Division 6: Ibrahim Bangura, T.C. Williams High School, 6.43 Division 5: Donovan Lewis, Potomac High School, 6.43 Division 4: Cole Beck, Blacksburg High School, 6.37 (Huguenot High School’s Tailey Tofoi was sixth, 6.69) Division 3: Jordin Poindexter, Armstrong High School, 6.54 Division 1-2 combined: Conor Buchanan, Patrick Henry High School of Glade Spring, 6.64 All-Divisions state record: Josephus Lyles, T.C. Williams High of Alexandria, 2016, 6.21 National prep record: Marvin Bracey, Orlando, Fla., 2012, 6.08

Residing in Chesterfield County’s Cosby High School district, Goode looms as a powerful statewide contender in both the 100- and 200-meters this spring outdoors.

While his latest honors have been wearing spikes on the running track, Goode said, “My first love has always been football.”

On the youth level, he helped the Clover

Hill Association to the Super Bowl final of the Chesterfield Quarterback League.

He took a year off from football as a Trinity junior, but returned this past fall with a vengeance.

As a tailback, Goode ran for 1,020 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, including a 90-yard sprint against Woodberry Forest and a 60-yarder against Norfolk Academy.

He hopes to pursue football on the college level, with track on the backburner.

Howard University, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, Elon University and Old Dominion University are among schools on the NCAA Football Championship Series (FCS) expressing interest.

Also involved in recruiting is Division II Virginia State University, his father’s alma mater.

Ed Goode Jr. starred in football at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Md., and later played defensive back at VSU under Coach Lou Anderson.

Donavan’s uncle, Eric Goode, played defensive back at the University of Richmond and is credited with a 10.7 second 100-meter dash while at Northwestern.

His grandfather, Ed Goode Sr. of Chesterfield, is a former athlete in Washington.

Goode’s 6.39 was the best among private school sprinters; only Blacksburg’s Cole Beck (4A champ at 6:37) was faster in the public schools’ 6th division.

With a lone exception, “Beep, Beep” left them all behind.

Donavan Goode

Clement Britt

Employment Opportunities St. Peter Baptist Church Child Development Center is looking for qualified Teachers and Instructional Assistants with previous child care experience and who can be a Christian role model. These positions require multiple responsibilities; For further details contact Mrs. Lavasia Williams at (804) 262-6562.

TransiT sysTem

TRANSPORTATION SUPERVISOR Full Time Exempt Closes: March 12, 2018

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

Technology Trainer & Help Desk Support in Richmond, VA. Train/troubleshoot on various programs incl. MS Office & Filesite Document Management System. Conduct wkly training sessions on office tech. systems & processes.

Install/troubleshoot desktop computers, laptops, printers & phone systems. Mail resume to M. Byrom, McCandlish Holton, PC, P.O. Box 796, Richmond, VA 23218.

GRTC seeks a results oriented professional who excels in working in a fast-paced environment.

This position is responsible for supervising and monitoring the activities of the bus operators on a daily basis. The ideal candidate will possess integrity, excellent problem solving skills, proven decision-making skills and excellent communication skills. High School diploma required, with a Bachelor’s Degree preferred.

Previous experience in the transit industry highly desirable. Must be able to pass a background check, pre-employment drug test and DOT physical. A CDL Class B or higher with a Passenger endorsement is required. Those interested in the position may apply online at www.ridegrtc.com.

GRTC is an equal opportunity employer with a drug-free work environment.

The Fifth Baptist Church Summer Ministry is seeking interested persons that love working with children to fill full time positions.

The dates of camp are June 18 - August 24, 2018.

Experience working with children preferred.

Send resumes via email, fifthbc@mail.com or mail to: Fifth Baptist Church, 1415 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23220 ATTN: Summer Camp Director

Business seCReTARY eBeneZeR BAPTisT CHuRCH, in downtown Richmond, seeks a Business Secretary to provide secretarial services, plan and coordinate workload priorities to support the Pastor and church operations. Applicants must have excellent computer and office equipment skills; good communication and customer service skills; organizational and administrative skills, and be able to adapt to change. Applicants must have a minimum High School Diploma or Equivalency. At least 2 yearsí experience working in a church or office setting is preferred. Applicants may apply by sending resume and cover letter to Ebenezer Baptist Church, ATTN: Personnel Committee, 216 W Leigh St., Richmond, VA 23220, or to ebcoffice1@yahoo.com.

To advertise in the Richmond Free Press call

644-0496

Part-time Music Worship Coordinator and Music Worship Leader

Riverview Baptist Church is seeking a Music Worship Coordinator who will direct the Male and Gospel Choirs and a Music Worship Leader for the Youth/Teen Choir. Musicians must be able to sight read, read music and have strong performance competencies on the piano, organ and keyboard. Applicants should possess excellent communication, organizational and interpersonal skills. Salary is commensurate with experience. The application is available at www.riverviewbaptistch.org. Return application with resume to Riverview Baptist Church, ATTN: Personnel Ministry, 2604 Idlewood Avenue, Richmond, VA 23220. Salary commensurate with experience (TBD) Closing Date: Until Filled

Freelance Writers: 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@richmond freepress.com or mail to: Richmond Free Press, P. O. Box 27709, Richmond, VA 23261. No phone calls.

Graphic design part-time Richmond Free Press is seeking a reliable and creative person for a part-time graphics position. Enthusiastic individual must be proficient in Indesign and Photoshop to produce accurate, high quality cameraready advertisements and news page layouts for print publication.

Meticulous attention to details. Ability to be flexible and work under deadline cooperatively in a team environment is essential. Submit resumé and samples of work to: Human Resources, Richmond Free Press, P.O. Box 27709, Richmond, Virginia 23261. No phone calls please.