Richmond Free Press © 2018 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
VOL. 27 NO. 47
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
www.richmondfreepress.com
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Happy Thanksgiving
Meet AARP Virginia’s 2018 Rookie of the Year Award winner B1
November 21-24, 2018
Undefeated, unforgettable Councilman Agelasto
Councilman Agelasto’s move out of 5th District puts seat in jeopardy By Jeremy M. Lazarus
A giant question mark now hangs over 5th District City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto. His continued service on Richmond’s governing body appears to be in jeopardy after a constituent who is a former state elections official disclosed to the media that the councilman and his family now live in the 1st District. An energetic and generally highly regarded public official since his election to City Council in 2012, Mr. Agelasto now finds himself in an unwanted spotlight after confirming on Monday that he no longer is a resident of the 5th District. The district spans the James River and includes Randolph, Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press Maymont, Carytown, Swansboro and Woodland Heights. Members of the 1975 undefeated football team at Maggie L. Walker High School stand Monday on the steps of their alma Mr. Agelasto, a former museum consultant who now leads mater holding a commemorative jersey they plan to present to the school. They are, from left, former Coach Richard McFee; a land conservation group, reluctantly confirmed that he, his running back Jeff Washington; flanker Richard Thomas; return specialist Richard Stuart; fullback William Washington; wife, and young daughter left their 5th District residence in the middle linebacker Mike Liggans; wide receiver Pierre Johnson; and former athletic director Howard Hopkins. 1900 block of Floyd Avenue and now live in the 4200 block of West Franklin Street. The Agelastos purchased the Franklin Street residence on June 27 for $605,000, according to city records, and moved there after taking possession. He also continues to own the Floyd Avenue By Fred Jeter Newspaper accounts listed attendance for the 1975 Armstrongproperty. He said he rents it out on a month-to-month lease. Walker Classic, as it was known, as anywhere from 30,000 to Mr. Agelasto’s move appears to have triggered a state law The 1975 Maggie L. Walker High School football team 35,000 people. Photos confirm a spillover crowd, with fans in that requires elected local or state officeholders to vacate their was undefeated and unforgettable. every seat and space where there was room to sit or stand. position once they move from the district they represent. Coach Lou Anderson’s Green Dragons went 10-0 while But there was something missing from this pretty picture. However, the 42-year-old Virginia Beach native, who announced outscoring the opposition a combined 231-47. And that’s what makes the fall of 1975 unique: To play the Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2020, is seeking to What has come to be known among team members and game in late November, both Walker and Armstrong forfeited hang on to the seat and finish out the final two years of his term alumni as “Our Perfect Season” ended with a rousing 33-0 the option of participating in Virginia High School League with the claim that the move is “temporary” and that he intends victory over rival Armstrong High School at City Stadium Please turn to A4 to return to the Floyd Avenue address in the future, although he the Saturday after Thanksgiving. offered no specifics. Mr. Agelasto said he consulted the City Attorney’s Office about whether he can continue to serve. City Attorney Allen L. Jackson would not talk about the substance of those discussions, but stated he has not issued any official opinion on Mr. Agelasto’s continued tenure on City Council. Meanwhile, Mr. Agelasto’s By Jeremy M. Lazarus Artze, RRHA’s interim chief executive, laid change of address is raising out a grand plan for a controlled sell-off of the doubts about the legitimacy Residents of public housing can expect to 19 small and large apartment complexes that of the votes he has cast since see their apartment complexes come under the provide housing for nearly 4,000 families and the summer and of any future control and management of private landlords. senior adults. votes, creating a headache for After 20 years of pilot projects involving Essentially, Mr. Artze said RRHA is emhis council colleagues. Blackwell, Dove Court and Fay Towers, the bracing HUD’s view that the very existence of Council President Chris Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Au- low-income public housing is being threatened Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press A. Hilbert, 3rd District, who thority is revving up its long-range strategy by the $26 billion backlog in maintenance that plans to give up the position of of finding private parties to take ownership Congress has no plans to fund. council leader in January, could and responsibility for the government-owned RRHA’s own backlog runs into the tens of Cheerleaders with the Reid Community Center Ravens strike not be reached immediately housing it manages for the U.S. Department millions of dollars, a concern shared by past a pose after cheering for their football teams playing in on whether he would ask his of Housing and Urban Development, now led chief executives, including Adrienne Goolsby the Richmond Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities council colleagues to determine by Dr. Ben Carson. football championship games last Saturday at City Stadium. In a 90-minute interview last week, Orlando Please turn to A4 Please turn to A4 Please see story, more photos, A8.
Maggie Walker 1975 football team opted to play annual Armstrong-Walker Classic at Thanksgiving rather than VHSL playoffs
RRHA begins major move to turn over public housing to private interests
Poised and ready
Stacey Abrams to file federal lawsuit in wake of Ga. gubernatorial loss Free Press wire reports
Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via Associated Press
Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams ends her challenge to Republican Brian Kemp during a news conference Nov. 16 at her Atlanta headquarters while pledging to file a federal lawsuit over the “gross mismanagement” of the state’s elections.
ATLANTA Stacey Abrams broke the rules of politics until the very end. The Georgia Democrat, who came about 60,000 votes shy of becoming America’s first African-American female governor, refused to follow the traditional script for defeated politicians who offer gracious congratulations to their victorious competitor and gently exit the stage. Instead, Ms. Abrams took an unapologetically indignant tone that established her as a leading voting rights advocate. “I acknowledge that former Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be certified as the victor in the 2018 gubernatorial election,” Ms. Abrams said in a fiery 12-minute ad-
dress. “But to watch an elected official ... baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the people’s democratic right to vote has been truly appalling.” “So let’s be clear,” Ms. Abrams concluded, “this is not a speech of concession.” Pointedly refusing to concede would typically risk drawing a “sore loser”
label that would be impossible to shake in any future political campaign. But Democrats and even some Republicans expect Ms. Abrams to emerge from the closely fought governor’s race with her political future on solid ground. Please turn to A4
Gillum concedes in Fla. gov.’s race Reuters
TAMPA, FLA. Democrat Andrew Gillum, who had sought to become Florida’s first AfricanAmerican governor, conceded last Saturday after a recount showed he had no way of catching his Republican rival Ron DeSantis,
an ally of President Donald Trump. Mr. Gillum, the 39-year-old mayor of Tallahassee, initially conceded the race on the night of the Nov. 6 election to Mr. DeSantis, a conservative former Please turn to A4