Richmond magazine - February 2021 - Sourcebook

THE COMPLETE SOURCEBOOK DINING • REAL ESTATE • HEALTH • ARTS • BUSINESS • EDUCATION

WE CAN DO IT! The region rolls up its sleeves for a rebuilding year

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UPFRONT

CONTENTS

Contents UPFRONT

21 READERS' SERVICES 24 FROM THE EDITOR/ CONTRIBUTORS

WELCOME

FROM TOP: MONICA ESCAMILLA; COURTESY RICHMOND REGION TOURISM; DANIEL ROBERTS

30 PERSPECTIVES Local leaders share their challenges and hopes for post-pandemic recovery.

38 MONUMENTS Faced with a proposed $11 million investment to revamp Monument Avenue, area leaders consider the future of the historic corridor.

42 RECOVERY What may the future hold for vaccinations, the economy and education in the region?

46 MEDIA The VPM + ICA Community Media Center provides resources to support the growing Richmond podcast scene.

DIVERSIONS

52 SPORTS The Tri-City Chili Peppers, a new baseball team representing Hopewell, Petersburg and Colonial Heights, aim for a July debut.

60 PARKS Chesterfield County’s Pocahontas State Park is the most popular destination in Virginia’s park system.

64 MUSEUMS Multimillion-dollar expansions are planned at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

74 MUSIC For almost 70 years, the Jewel Gospel Singers have answered the call.

88 ARTS Chester’s new Baxter Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education provides ample opportunities for visitors to get creative.

92 SHOPPING Store owners take charge of the Arts District’s revitalization.

30

BUSINESS

102 REAL-TIME ECONOMICS A VCU economist tweaks a survey updating national unemployment statistics.

106 WHAT'S OLD IS NEW A unique Goochland County event space and vineyard embarks on a five-year expansion plan.

110 GROWING GREEN A Richmond company’s product boosts the bottom line by reducing laboratory waste.

112 HOW’S IT GROWING? Metro Richmond projects and developments in brief 116 RANKINGS A by-the-numbers look at Richmond and environs

HEALTH

120 FACTS, FAITH AND HEALTH Commonwealth faith leaders meet weekly with experts to address health issues in diverse communities during Facts & Faith Fridays.

124 CENTRAL AND ESSENTIAL A Fortune 500 medical supply company with deep roots in Richmond plays a key role in fighting COVID-19.

128 MORE BEDS, MORE REACH Bon Secours Mercy Health expands its footprint.

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THE COMPLETE SOURCEBOOK DINING • REAL ESTATE • HEALTH • ARTS • BUSINESS • EDUCATION

WE CAN DO IT! The region rolls up its sleeves for a rebuilding year

2021 NEWCOMERS´ GUIDE RICHMONDMAG.COM

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ON THE COVER Illustration by Bob Scott

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UPFRONT

CONTENTS

Contents EDUCATION

140 EQUITY A national reckoning with race spurs local school systems to shed names and mascots that honor the Confederacy.

144 POLICING School divisions across the region mull the future of police in schools.

150 PUBLIC SCHOOLS Although COVID-19 has mostly halted in-person instruction, new school construction abounds in the Richmond area.

154 HIGHER EDUCATION A new history of VCU explores how the growth of the university and the city of Richmond are inextricably linked.

160 PRIVATE SCHOOLS Private schools see increased interest as the pandemic sidelines in-person education at most local public schools.

FROM TOP: TASH DANIEL; COURTESY PERRINCREST CUSTOM HOMES; SHAWNEE CUSTALOW

NEIGHBORHOODS

170

154

DINING

220 STEP BY STEP Restaurant industry leaders look toward the future and discuss a path forward.

224 PIONEERING PINTS Head brewers spill about iconic Richmond beers that helped put the city on the sudsy map.

226 MEAL ON WHEELS A look at food truck culture, from rules and regulations to our favorite nomadic local ventures 232 RICHMOND FAMOUS Local cookbook authors, food bloggers and YouTube chefs reach a wide audience.

234 ROAD TO REDEMPTION After nearly two decades in ministry, Redemption BBQ owner John Vest turns to the pit.

BACK PAGE

240 PARTING SHOT COVID-19 vaccinations offer hope for recovery.

170 AMENITIES Pandemic-driven housing trends 174 REWILDING Give your garden back to nature.

178 TECHNOLOGY Smart home tech streamlines basic functions.

182 KITCHENS They’re the heart of the home and so much more.

226

LISTINGS Sports & Recreation...................56 Attractions..................................66 Performance Venues..................78 Visual Arts...................................90 Shopping.....................................94 Emergency Care.......................132 Public Schools ..........................146 Higher Education......................156 Private Schools.........................164 Real Estate................................187 Breweries..................................230

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READER SERVICE

UPFRONT

Online All The Time Follow your neighbor in the know on Facebook (facebook.com/RichmondMag), Twitter (@RichmondMag) and Instagram (@richmondmag).

THE COMPLETE SOURCEBOOK DINING • REAL ESTATE • HEALTH • ARTS • BUSINESS • EDUCATION

WE CAN DO IT! The region rolls up its sleeves for a rebuilding year

2021 NEWCOMERS´ GUIDE RICHMONDMAG.COM

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TRY THE DIGITAL EDITION Read Richmond magazine in print, or get the digital edition on your Apple, Android or PC device.

Subscribe to both and save! richmondmag.com/subscribe

If you’ve got an interest, we’ve got an e-newsletter for that. River City Roundup shares our editors' picks for the best things to see and do in Richmond each week. Jessica Ronky Haddad’s Editor’s First Look offers a biweekly dose of commentary, sneak peeks and great giveaways. We share the latest in #RVADine in the weekly Food News, from new restaurants to special events and purveyor profiles. Our sister publication R•Home brings readers inside beautiful residences throughout the region in a biweekly look at home decor news and trends. And every weekend, the Sunday Story explores a new corner of our city and the people who make Richmond Richmond. Subscribe today at richmondmag.com/newsletters.

RICHMONDMAG.COM Stay in the know between our monthly print issues with a wealth of online coverage, everything from technology and schools to the latest from City Hall and Capitol Square. Keep current on art, music and more with our arts and entertainment coverage; steal stylish home improvement and decor ideas from R•Home; read the latest on health and wellness; and get the lowdown on dining and drinking in Richmond.

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It’s a terrific resource for parents and provides a snapshot of offerings for children of varying ages with varying interests.

Keep Virginia Beautiful's Shiver in Virginia Challenge kicks off Feb. 27 with participants completing acts such as litter cleanups, recycling, trail cleaning, graffiti removal and other improvements throughout March. A donation of $20.21 supports Keep Virginia Beautiful as it completes 2,021 virtual miles around the commonwealth. KVB will spotlight beautiful places in Virginia throughout the month, and participants can share pictures, contributions and successes with other Shiver in Virginia participants. For more information and to register, visit keepvirginiabeautiful.org.

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A New Year , A New You! MISSION: To publish a lively magazine that contributes to the community and illuminates the Richmond region’s past, present and future

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER: Richard Malkman EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Jessica Ronky Haddad CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Justin Vaughan

LIFESTYLE EDITOR: Tharon Giddens ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Craig Belcher R•HOME EDITOR: Susan W. Morgan COPY EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Chad Anderson ONLINE EDITOR: Mandy Loy SENIOR WRITER: Harry Kollatz Jr. SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR: Nicole Cohen FOOD EDITOR: Eileen Mellon STAFF WRITER/ASSISTANT EDITOR: Rodrigo Arriaza CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Catherine Brown, Paula Peters

Chambers, Stephanie Ganz, Don Harrison, Chris Jones, Piet E. Jones, Julinda Lewis, Taylor Peterson, D. Hunter Reardon, Leah Small, Genevelyn Steele, Tracy Tierney, Dina Weinstein, Megan Wilson EDITORIAL INTERNS:

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UPFRONT

DEPARTMENT

FROM THE

EDITOR JESSICA RONK Y HADDAD

We Will Do It

E

ach year, we choose a theme to guide our annual Sourcebook issue. For 2021, nothing seemed more appropriate than “a rebuilding year,” which in sports lingo, refers to a new strategy or direction brought about by past challenges — or losses. As food Editor Eileen Mellon so eloquently states on Page 220, “A rebuilding year is a chance to restore what is lost, to come back better and stronger than before.”

We have a lot of work to do — and a lot to be hopeful about. Though COVID19 continues to adversely affect all areas of life, from the economy and education to dining out, events, and how and where we work, the recent rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is an important step toward recovery. The administration of vaccines may be proceeding slower than expected locally, but in recent days, mass vaccination clinics at Richmond Raceway Complex are getting more shots in

arms and offering hope that we will beat the virus.

In our Welcome section, we talk to local leaders in health, education, business and the arts about the path ahead and lessons they have learned from the pandemic. Our Dining section explores the topic of rebuilding with restaurant owners, who share their needs, hopes and visions for the year ahead. In Business, we look at pandemic employment trends, and in Health, we explore how faith leaders in minority communities have partnered with Dr. Robert Winn, director of the VCU Massey Cancer Center, for weekly sessions to address an array of health care issues. Our Education section looks at how the pandemic has affected interest in private schools, with most public schools in the region pivoting to mostly virtual learning since March 2020.

The pandemic and multiple instances of police brutality nationwide magnified racial disparities in the U.S. last year.

In Richmond, there’s a long overdue need to reframe the way we think about and recognize our troubled history as a center of the slave trade and the former capital of the Confederacy. In this issue we look at how Monument Avenue will be rebuilt as its Confederate statues are removed, and also at how public schools are dropping long-standing ties to Confederate names and symbols.

If last year taught us anything, it’s that it’s more difficult than ever to forecast what the future may bring. As we produced this issue, we witnessed an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, then just two weeks later, we saw a peaceful transfer of power as Joseph Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States.

The pandemic, protests and a presidential election dominated last year.

We’re counting on resilience, recovery and rebuilding for the year ahead. We can do it — and we will.

Contributors PAULA PETERS CHAMBERS Freelance writer Paula Peters Chambers has lived in Henrico for 17 years and loves the variety of the writing she does. Her articles for the 2021 Sourcebook — on local podcasts (P. 46) and home technology (P. 178) — were different but had a common thread.

“The people I spoke with take what they do seriously and are passionate about their pursuits,” she says. “I always learn something new and am often surprised.”

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SOURCEBOOK

D. HUNTER REARDON Richmond native and Auburn University graduate D. Hunter Reardon is the publisher of Bottom Shelf Whiskey, an online literary magazine, and he directed a documentary on ancient sculptures called "Richmond's Lost Civilization" in 2020. His articles on regional COVID-19 recovery efforts (P. 42) and increased interest in local private schools (P. 160) are featured in this issue’s Welcome and Education sections.

BOB SCOTT A local illustrator and collage artist, Bob Scott has seen his work featured by clients including IBM, the New York Times and the Virginia Musuem of Fine Arts. He designed this issue’s cover art, which was inspired by the iconic Rosie the Riveter. “An updated representation of this heroic figure was an ideal way to convey the courage and optimism required to battle the pandemic and build a better future,” Scott says.

PARKER C BOYCE Richmondbased photographer and cinematographer Parker Michels-Boyce's portraits of restaurant industry leaders accompany Food Editor Eileen Mellon’s article on the future of the local food scene (P. 220) of this month’s Dining section. MichelsBoyce's photos documenting last year’s local Black Lives Matter protests were featured in The Well Art Gallery's "Still Matters" show in January.

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WELCOME

P. 30 Moving Ahead P. 38 A New Avenue P. 42 Road to Recovery P. 46 Rise of the Pod RICHMONDMAG.COM

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WELCOME

PERSPECTIVES

Moving Ahead Local leaders share their challenges and hopes for post-pandemic recovery

By Paula Peters Chambers and Harry Kollatz Jr. e interviewed local leaders in health, education, business and the arts and asked them what they are most hopeful about and their plans for pandemic recovery. They forecast some lasting changes in education, health care and the way we work, but there are silver linings to some of the lessons learned from 2020 that bode well for brighter days ahead.

W

Dr. Arthur L. Kellermann Senior vice president for health sciences at VCU and CEO of VCU Health System Kellermann joined VCU on Oct. 1, 2020, after leaving a job as dean of the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, the leadership academy for military health and the U.S. Public Health Service. A member of the National Academy of Medicine, he is also a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and of the American College of Physicians.

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SOURCEBOOK

Richmond magazine: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from the pandemic?

Dr. Arthur L. Kellerman: Public health matters. Although everyone is understandably focused on the incredible pace with which modern science, building on 17 years of research, produced two effective vaccines in less than a year, the biggest story in my mind is the terrible price we paid for under-resourcing public health and denying public health

science in the early weeks and months of the pandemic. Not surprisingly, those suffering most are the same communities who struggle daily with substandard housing, unemployment, lack of education and racial discrimination.

RM: What is the biggest challenge you face in the year ahead?

Kellerman: Beat COVID-19 once and for

all. Until we get everyone vaccinated, it will be vital to convince everyone to practice “The 5 W’s”: Wear a mask; wash your hands; watch your distance; wait to dine indoors, gather or party until COVID-19 is on the run; and whack COVID-19 by getting vaccinated. Ignore the antivaccine

/ 2021

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garbage circulating on ... social media.

Instead trust credible sources like your doctor, the local health department, the CDC and VCU Health. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. As soon as you have a chance to get either one, take it!

JAY PAUL

RM: What are you most hopeful about?

Kellerman: The power of teamwork,

innovation and commitment. Since moving to Richmond in October to join VCU, I’ve been blown away by the community in this city and region, the warmth of its residents, and the enterprising spirit in everyone from VCU researchers and educators to commu-

nity artists, restaurateurs and local businesses, large and small. At VCU Health, I’ve found an academic health system that is incredibly skilled at treating cancer, heart disease, strokes, trauma and burns, and transplanting organs and is equally committed to treating everyone who needs help as the commonwealth’s leading safety-net hospital.

RM: What do you wish people knew?

Kellerman: How fortunate Richmond is

to have one of the nation’s most unique, innovative and caring universities and academic health systems in its midst. In the three short months I’ve been here, I’ve been blown away by all that Rich-

mond has to offer: parks and museums, natural beauty, and incredibly warm and civic-minded people. When — not if — we beat COVID-19 in 2021, my wife and I look forward to enjoying Richmond’s restaurants, performing arts, sports scene, diverse neighborhoods and history.

RM: What changes have you made in

your personal or professional life that you intend to stick with once things are back to “normal”?

Kellerman: In the midst of the deadliest pandemic our world has faced in 100 years, my wife and I left Washington, D.C., and a job I loved to move to RVA and VCU. We’re sticking with both! —PPC

RICHMONDMAG.COM

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WELCOME

PERSPECTIVES Floyd E. Miller with Karen Hardy, smallbusiness owner and interior designer at Accent Interiors

President and CEO of the Metropolitan Business League After 17 years as senior director of urban programs with Special Olympics, Miller joined the Metropolitan Business League in 2017. The nonprofit assists the growth of small businesses, including womenand minority-owned enterprises.

Richmond magazine: What is the

biggest challenge you face in the year ahead?

Floyd E. Miller II: Technology is probably the biggest challenge not only for us, but for a lot of people. … Many businesses weren’t equipped to operate virtually. The major challenge is in training [business owners] and [finding] the revenue to increase capacity for expanding technology as we move into this new norm.

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RM: What are you most hopeful about?

Miller: I am most hopeful ... that this

pandemic has allowed folks to sit back and reevaluate how they do things, [along with] the continuing opportunities for collaboration. We collaborated with We Care RVA Rebuild Project, Venture Richmond, ChamberRVA, Virginia Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Virginia Community Capital.

During these unprecedented times, we created an emergency fund for businesses affected by COVID-19 and social justice demonstrations. I’m very hopeful that people will continue to see the importance of collaboration. I’ve been in nonprofit management for more than 20 years, and this is the first time

I can recall four, five nonprofits coming together for one cause.

RM: What do you wish people knew?

Miller: I wish people would understand

the importance of supporting small businesses, especially minority-owned businesses. Small business is a huge contributor to the national and regional economies, providing local jobs.

RM: What changes have you made, per-

sonally or professionally, that you intend to stick with when things get back to “normal”?

Miller: I will be more sensitive as a manager to allow staff to work remotely. I’ve always been one to advocate for partnerships and collaboration, and moving forward, [I’ll] seek to increase those opportunities with other nonprofit organizations and folks that sponsor our organizations. —HK

MONICA ESCAMILLA

Floyd E. Miller II

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Lisa Sims

Venture Richmond CEO Among other initiatives to support and promote downtown, Venture Richmond sponsors numerous popular events — Friday Cheers, Dominion Energy Riverrock, the 2nd Street Festival and the Richmond Folk Festival, all of which were canceled or reimagined as virtual events in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Richmond magazine: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from the pandemic?

Lisa Sims: This year showed us — showed me — that sometimes you can’t fight against change, even if it’s not a good change. To survive, we’re forced to innovate and take real risks. And for some businesses and organizations, even extreme innovation and brilliant risk-taking was not enough. In some ways it’s been a crapshoot, a luck of the draw. In that regard, I feel very lucky.

RM: What is the biggest challenge you face in the year ahead?

Sims: Keeping up the constant energy

and innovation we’ve all had to dig deep for [last] year. 2020 clearly has been a challenge, simply to survive. And it was hard work for everyone. But that doesn’t end with the year. In 2021, we will face the same challenges. We need to gather our strength … be grateful that we’ve survived, and continue to evolve and dig even deeper.

MONICA ESCAMILLA

RM: What are you most hopeful about?

Sims: I’m most hopeful that the atten-

tion that was brought and the work that was done to further social justice will continue, and that the focus on diversity, equity and inclusion ... will continue in a very deliberate way. I’m also hopeful that having gone through this pandemic year, that we are able to live in a space

of real gratitude when we come out the other side.

RM: What changes have you made that

you intend to stick with when things get back to “normal”?

Sims: Letting go a bit more. This year

has been about working from home, working independently, socializing very distantly and in tiny groups — drawing energy and strength from within rather than directly from our co-workers, friends and colleagues. —HK

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PERSPECTIVES

Dr. Amy Cashwell

Superintendent, Henrico County Public Schools

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Henrico County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Amy Cashwell was hired in July 2018 to oversee the state’s sixth-largest school division. During her tenure, she has championed the goal of having every student enrolled, enlisted or employed upon graduation. Since last spring she has faced many difficult decisions as the school system pivoted to virtual learning and has delayed the start of in-person learning numerous times due to the pandemic. In August 2020, Cashwell’s contract was extended two years, to July 2024.

MONICA ESCAMILLA

WELCOME

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across a large organization, how to get comfortable with the new and unknown, get comfortable in looking at problems and solutions, get open to change along the way, and being open to solutions.

It’s tough to separate personal from professional, because this year, the bulk of my life focused on the professional.

[We see] individuals and businesses and organizations struggling with how to sustain the stamina and mindset that’s needed to navigate an ever-evolving situation. I’ve had several aha moments that have underscored the need to keep that [mindset], to navigate successfully and come out on the other end of this pandemic intact.

RM: What is the biggest challenge you face in the year ahead?

Cashwell: Staying true to our work

as a school division and meeting individual needs, even as those needs may look very different in the aftermath of this pandemic. We are committed to the work we’ve always done and being committed to work still to come, but we face uncharted territory, closing gaps and meeting individual student needs we perhaps haven’t seen before. I’ve heard it said that we are all weathering the same storm, but some students are on rafts while others are on yachts. I don’t think we’ll have a full grasp of what we need to do until the storm has passed us by. We need to respond to those who have had vastly different experiences, both in education and personally.

Richmond magazine: What is the

biggest lesson you’ve learned from the pandemic?

Amy Cashwell: I think this lesson was important pre-pandemic but has been underscored — the importance organizationally of being nimble to change, to adapt to challenges and sustain that

RM: What are you most hopeful about?

Cashwell: There have been so many

silver linings that have been presented, [I hope] we can continue to capitalize on those. We have found new ways to connect with families and new ways to engage with communities. We’ve used technology to reach our families and

provide resources, and the digital format has allowed us to establish connections we may not have had before. I’m very hopeful we will be able to capitalize on synergies with community partners that have occurred during the crisis. As a community, we now have a broader understanding of the whole child in ways we haven’t before. That will positively impact our practice going forward. When it comes to the community, people have known that schools do school — education — but now the community has seen school divisions being constant sources of meal services and so many other wraparound [supports]. This shines a light on the positive ways school communities have served families.

RM: What do you wish people knew?

Cashwell: How talented and tremen-

dous the Henrico [schools] team is. We’ve seen the results, and they’ve made it look easy. I’m thinking of how teachers have retooled and rethought the ways they have engaged students. And again, the daily meal service for thousands of families — a grab-and-go program, contactless pickup, involving vast amounts of time and energy for our school nurses and clinic staff, food service workers, bus drivers — they are all truly heroic. I wish people knew all that had gone into that effort.

RM: What changes have you made in your personal or professional life that you intend to stick with once things are back to “normal”?

Cashwell: Personally, I have learned to enjoy things closer to home. I used to be a very on-the-go person, but I’ve really come to appreciate things like home improvements on weekends, to enjoying local parks and outside spaces. I intend to stick with that, because it gives you a fresh look at your home community. —PPC

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WELCOME

PERSPECTIVES

Hamilton Glass

Artist/muralist/activist A Philadelphia native, Glass studied architecture at Hampton University and moved to Richmond in 2007. After an unexpected layoff, he turned to painting, and today his vibrant murals adorn buildings throughout the city. This summer, he founded the Mending Walls project, a public art project to foster honest conversations about race.

Richmond magazine: What is the

biggest lesson you’ve learned from the pandemic?

Hamilton Glass: The biggest lesson I’ve learned from the pandemic is how to be versatile. When first faced with the pandemic, I honestly thought this moment would be a great time to sit down and focus on me and my personal work. That only lasted for about two weeks, as the itch and urge to work creatively was a lot stronger than I anticipated. The struggles of 2020 led to the creation of the All in Together project and Mending Walls, which have been very successful creative avenues to interact with the community.

RM: What are you most hopeful about?

Glass: I am most hopeful about [the

RM: What do you wish people knew?

Glass: I wish people knew how much

I love this city. Richmond has so many great people working and advocating for great causes.

RM: What changes have you made that

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you intend to stick with when things get back to “normal”?

Glass: Through 2020, I have had the opportunity to work on more of my personal paintings through the Artists for Hope auction platform. Artists for Hope is a project where local Richmond artists

auction off a painting every Friday for the benefit of small local nonprofits or organizations. I have been doing these auctions ... since March of 2020 and have raised over $30,000. I would like to find a way to keep this going and have an even bigger impact in the future. —HK

MONICA ESCAMILLA

Richmond] creative community’s ability to be versatile and flexible. If I’ve learned anything else in the year of 2020, it’s that through all the challenges, this community is resilient and super creative in nature.

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Adele Johnson with her grandchildren, Lia and LJ Collins

Adele Johnson

Executive director, Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia Adele Johnson was named executive director of the Black History Museum & Cultural Center in January 2019 after serving as interim director for 18 months. With a mission “to preserve stories that inspire,” the museum offers special exhibitions and programming for children.

JAY PAUL

Richmond magazine: What is the

biggest lesson you’ve learned from the pandemic?

Adele Johnson: One of the biggest les-

sons I’ve learned from the pandemic is the importance of reaching out and depending on each other. I have a tendency to think that if I sit in a corner by myself long enough, I can figure out a solution to any problem. Although this may, indeed, be true, the solution will more than likely be more colorful, innovative, attractive and feasible when I invite others to share their thoughts to help make the solution even better.

RM: What is the biggest challenge you face in the year ahead?

Johnson: At the Black History Museum, we are facing a number of challenges just like other museums and nonprofits. ... We believe that Black history is an important component to student education — students of all colors and backgrounds — because Black history is a critical part

of America’s story. We will continue to offer programs and opportunities for education and enrichment virtually in order to provide a more complete and inclusive Black history narrative. But virtual programs don’t bring in the revenue that protects our artifacts or keeps our operations going.

RM: What are you most hopeful about?

Johnson: I am most hopeful about

students. I hope that the protests, the frustration, the dissatisfaction they saw and participated in will help them view the world in a different way and encourage them to continue to use their voices.

I hope this time in our lives is a lesson for them in politics, government and leadership that stays with them as they begin to understand that each of us has a responsibility to make our city/state/ country better. —PPC

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WELCOME

MONUMENTS

A New Avenue Faced with a proposed $11 million investment to revamp Monument Avenue, local leaders consider the future of the historic corridor

By Rodrigo Arriaza

A

f te r a s u m me r defined by nightly protests against racism and police violence, state and local officials now seek to reimagine a swath of Monument Avenue that has been anchored

by Confederate symbols for more than a century.

In the wake of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis last May, protesters took to Richmond’s streets for months to rally for reforms, including slashing the Richmond Police Department’s budget and forming an independent civilian review board with subpoena power to examine acts of police misconduct.

Citywide marches also turned their attention toward Confederate and Colonial symbols, with protesters toppling statues of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Christopher Columbus, Confederate Gen. Williams Carter Wickham, the Richmond Howitzer monument on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University and the First Virginia Regiment statue in Meadow Park in June.

Their actions got results: Starting on July 1, city-owned Confederate

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Philonise Floyd spoke at the Lee Monument on July 28, 2020, during an event that showcased a holographic artwork that features his late brother, George Floyd, whose death sparked protests around the country this past summer.

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LEFT: LANDON SHRODER; RIGHT: JUSTIN VAUGHAN

A Virginia Supreme Court decision on the fate of Monument Avenue’s Robert E. Lee statue is expected between February and April. Gov. Ralph Northam ordered it to be taken down in June 2020, but a series of lawsuits has delayed the removal.

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WELCOME

MONUMENTS

statues along Monument Avenue and elsewhere were removed and taken into temporary storage under an emergency order by Mayor Levar Stoney, citing a public safety hazard. As of October 2020, the city had received 22 proposals from museums, historical societies and private individuals to acquire the monuments, City Council Chief of Staff Lawrence Anderson explained at a Council organizational meeting. Recommendations for their disposition are expected sometime this year, he said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Ralph Northam called for the removal of the state-owned statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that has towered over Monument Avenue since 1890. Although the governor’s effort has been mired by lawsuits, Northam Chief of Staff Clark Mercer says a Virginia Supreme Court decision on the issue is expected between February and April.

TOP: JAY PAUL; BOTTOM: COURTESY SMITH GROUP

long associated with Monument Avenue. The effort —VMFA curator Valerie Cassel Oliver would be spearheaded by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

“We really want to move forward in partnership with VMFA to bring people to the table and make Monument Avenue, and urban planners to conceive new which is a beautiful road, welcoming to installations along Monument Avenue, everyone,” Northam said.

VMFA Director Alex Nyerges explained The governor’s proposed budget at Northam’s December announcement. also calls for $9 million to preserve “Inclusivity is going to be the No. the Lumpkin’s Jail site with planned 1 watchword, [followed by] healing,” investments in a new slavery heritage Nyerges said. “One hundred thirty site and improvements to the Slave Trail years of having those monuments scar in Shockoe Bottom, as well as $100,000 the landscape and scar the souls of the to support the Virginia Emancipation people that have lived in this city and in ‘Welcoming to Everyone’ As part of the final proposed budget of and Freedom Monument project on Virginia is going to take a great deal of his term, Northam announced plans in Brown’s Island. thought and effort.”

He expects the multiyear process to December to invest $25 million in Virginia If the proposed budget is approved by historical sites. Included in the General Assembly, begin in fiscal year 2022 and adds that the the proposed spending plan the VMFA would begin project would likely require additional Renderings for a proposed is nearly $11 million to kickconvening experts and funds, calling the initial $11 million investmuseum on the Lumpkin’s Jail start efforts to design, build consultants including ment a “down payment.” site in Shockoe Bottom. The governor’s budget calls for $9 Mayor Stoney says the project could and install replacements for art historians, historic million to go toward this project. the Confederate iconography preservation experts leverage state and city dollars, with

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Dustin Klein’s and Alex Criqui’s Lee Monument art projections have received international attention.

added funding from private donors.

He has also stressed the importance of soliciting community input once the planning process for the redesign gets underway, emphasizing that the city is working with a clean slate regarding possible replacements. New 2nd District City Councilmember Katherine Jordan, who represents much of Monument Avenue, says it’s critical to include the wider Richmond community in those conversations.

“We need to have robust community engagement [with] neighbors, throughout the district and throughout the city,” she says. “I think everyone feels a degree of ownership of Monument Avenue and interest in seeing a successful next generation of it.”

ASH DANIEL

Lee Monument Resolution

While Confederate symbols have mostly been scrubbed from the historic avenue, the fate of the 12-ton bronze Lee statue and the grassy median it occupies remains uncertain. It has been reclaimed by demonstrators as an impromptu public park, named Marcus-David Peters Circle after the local teacher who was shot and killed by Richmond Police officers in May 2018 while experiencing a mental health crisis.

Since last summer’s protests, it’s also become a symbol of 2020’s national reckoning with race after photos of gatherings at the circle, graffiti left there by protesters and an improvised projection art series at the Lee statue became popular on social media.

The projection art project began in early June and is the brainchild of Dustin Klein and Alex Criqui. The two friends say they were drawn to the statue after they noticed protesters adopting the median as a nightly gathering spot. Their work has featured images of Black victims of police violence like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor alongside civil rights icons like John Lewis and Martin Luther King Jr. “This whole project is really just

us reacting, along with the rest of the nation, to the tragedy of George Floyd’s death and this rampant, systemic problem of police violence and violence toward Black people,” Criqui says. “It’s been interesting to see how what’s been happening in Richmond has resonated with people all over the world.”

The project has garnered widespread acclaim. T: The New York Times Style Magazine ranked the graffiti-covered monument and its projected art among the 25 most influential works of American protest art since World War II, while a photograph of the Lee statue enveloped by projected images of George Floyd and “BLM” graced the cover of National Geographic in December.

Finding ways to preserve that potent imagery will be among the issues that the

governor’s proposed Monument Avenue redesign commission will need to address, says Valerie Cassel Oliver, the VMFA’s Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. “The graffiti and projections are a testament to the power of the visual ‘voice’ and a significant way for people to reclaim these public spaces,” says via email. “Preserving these forms of protest is important to documenting and contextualizing recent historic events centered around the monuments in Richmond, which to many enforce racism and oppression.

“We’ve collectively a big task ahead of us in how we treat these spaces [and] what remains. We will attempt to remain a part of the local and national dialogue on this issue.”

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WELCOME

PANDEMIC RECOVERY Patricia Sylvia receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination clinic at the Richmond Raceway in January. She is being treated for cancer, and needed a vaccine to continue chemotherapy.

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Road to Recovery What may the future hold for vaccinations, the economy and education in the region?

By D. Hunter Reardon

A

fter a year during which the region nearly ground to a halt under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic, local leaders are looking forward.

Resources in the spheres of public health, economic development and education have been stretched in previously unthinkable ways, and the lessons learned by those who made the system work will be valuable in 2021, as the region embarks on the road to recovery.

JAY PAUL

Public Health

Perhaps the biggest question in the months ahead concerns the availability and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. By the first week of January, the Virginia Department of Health had received nearly half a million doses, with plans to order 100,000 new vaccine doses per week until further notice.

On Jan. 6, Gov. Ralph Northam set an initial goal of vaccinating 25,000

Virginians each day when supply allows, though the effort got off to a slow start with the Centers for Disease Control ranking Virginia 46th among states for the percentage of doses administered that same week.

A prioritization plan released by the VDH designated three distinct groups for vaccination priority: phase 1A, which makes the vaccine available to health-care workers and those in long-term care facilities; phase 1B, which will cover essential workers including K-12 teachers and staff, child care workers, adults age 65 and older, and people living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps; and phase 1C, which will include other essential workers, and people age 16-64 with certain medical conditions or disabilities that increase their risk of severe illness from COVID-19. An online tool is available at vdh.virginia. gov/covid-19-vaccine to help residents determine their eligibility.

“It’s difficult to nail down a specific timeline, but we’re working to

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WELCOME

—Beth Teigen, deputy superintendent and chief of sta , enrico o nt Public Schools

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Joe Gilbert, the deputy commissioner for governmental and regulatory affairs at VDH, says the biggest lesson learned in 2020 is the importance of preparation. “We did significant planning in the past several years around pandemic flu, including vaccine distribution,” he says. “It’s not exactly what we’re dealing with here, but we’ve got a good planning apparatus within the agency. It will make vaccine distribution easier, and constant preparation will Joe Gilbert, Virginia help prevent some- Department of Health commissioner thing like this from deputy for government and regulator affairs happening again.”

The Economy

Anthony Romanello, executive director of the Economic Development Authority in Henrico, says that many of the region’s businesses are still struggling, but he is encouraged by positive economic news as well.

“There’s still a lot of hurt out there,” he says, though he notes that “we’re seeing growth in industrial and data center sectors. All indications are that 2021 will be a bright year for the region. We just need to help our hospitality businesses in the meantime.”

That help will continue to appear in many forms. Regional EDAs worked closely with Virginia Community Capital, a financial institution dedicated to local economic growth, to provide loans to small businesses who could not access Paycheck Protection Program loans from the federal government. The organizations also developed a program for restaurants that will continue outdoor dining through the winter, granting

$1,000 to each one to purchase heaters. Another cog in the machine of economic recovery is the newly minted Small Business Development Center, which will provide microgrants and other resources to metro Richmond businesses throughout the coming year.

A few areas of uncertainty remain.

“The world of retail was already changing before the pandemic, and we’re going to be watching how that develops in 2021,” Romanello says.

“We’re also watching the impact of working from home. Many companies are coming back, but others are paring the amount of office space they have.

“We’re not out of the woods yet, but it looks like this summer, most Americans will be vaccinated. Our focus now is things that we can do to bridge the gap until group activity resumes.”

Education

Education has been — at least temporarily — completely transformed by the pandemic. Public school systems all closed their doors to in-person

JAY PAUL

vaccinate our 1A population as soon as possible,” says Christy Gray, director of the Division of Immunization at VDH. As of press time in mid-January, many areas of Virginia, including the Richmond region, had begun immunizing those in group 1B. Virginia’s vaccine unit was set up in June 2020 and comprises the Division of Pharmacy Services and the Offices of Emergency Preparedness, Health Equity and Community Health Services. Richmond and Henrico Health Director Danny Avula was tapped by Northam in January to lead the state’s COVID-19 vaccination effort.

Gray explains that vaccines are purchased directly from Pfizer and Moderna through a portal set up by the Centers for Disease Control. Once the vaccines arrive in Virginia, they must be safely stored and delivered to providers, including hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, care facilities and pharmacies.

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ASH DANIEL

learning when the pandemic struck in support for the idea, with the school March 2020. As of February, Henrico, board expected to vote on it this Hanover and Chesterfield were sched- spring.

In 2020, legislation passed the Viruled to conduct some in-person classes, with full virtual options also available. ginia General Assembly establishing Richmond Public Schools have elected a virtual education online platform to remain closed for the remainder of where teachers across the state could the 2021 school year. access lesson plans. Now, state Sen. Gov. Northam in January said he is Siobhan Dunnavant, a Republican talking to school superintendents and from the 12th District who co-sponstate education department officials sored the bill, says the time is right to about the possibility of year-round double down on education reform at school next year to help mitigate the the state level. learning deficits caused “There will be a laser by the pandemic. Locally, focus on children in VirAnthony Romanello, Henrico County Economic Richmond Public Schools’ ginia this year,” Dunnavant Development Authority Superintendent Jason says. “Kids who are not in executive director Kamras has expressed school are in greater jeop-

ardy for non-COVID-related risks. Our rates of failure have increased. Mental health crises have increased.

“We need an individual assessment of every child in Virginia so that we can develop lesson plans. When we go back to school, classrooms won’t be on the same page — probably, they never were, but there will be more disparity now.”

Prior to the 2020-21 school year, the Virginia Department of Education and Gov. Northam worked with Virtual Virginia, a pre-existing virtual education platform, to expand their instructional resources. Money allotted by the federal CARES Act was used to ensure that every teacher in the state had access to this program. The program allows teachers and classroom specialists to freely modify content to meet the needs of students and families.

Beth Teigen, deputy superintendent and chief of staff at Henrico County Public Schools, is helping to oversee the complex school year in her county. “It’s been a fluid process,” she says. “The toughest decisions resulted from the conflict between the need to ensure every student and their family has access to a robust and supportive educational experience and the need to provide employees with a safe working environment.”

Every Henrico student from pre-K to 12th grade has access to an iPad, a Chromebook or a laptop necessary for distance learning. All meetings between staff have moved online, and preparation for a full virtual option for the 2021-22 school year is underway. HCPS also expects to meet in person full time for those who wish to do so during 2021-22, with an expected start date of Wednesday, Sept. 8.

“We have all learned to think differently about school,” Teigen says.

“Teachers, parents, and students — we’re all thinking outside the box about teaching and learning.”

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WELCOME

MEDIA

Rise of the Pod The new VPM + ICA Community Media Center provides resources to support the growing local podcast scene

By Paula Peters Chambers

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ABOVE: ÉZÉ AMOS COURTESY VPM; TOP RIGHT: COURTESY VPM

Kelly Jones and her daughter, June, hosts of the VPM podcast “Social Distance Assistance”

I

n 2004, former MTV veejay Adam Curry and software developer Dave Winer created software allowing users to download internet content directly to Apple iPods. By 2005, “podcasting” was named the word of the year by the Oxford American Dictionary.

According to one market research Institute for Contemporary Art where firm, the number of people listening students and the public and create to podcasts monthly — whether via podcasts. “From my perspective, poda web browser or on a mobile device casting should be a vital part of edu— surpassed 100 million in 2020. It’s cation,” I’Anson says, noting that the estimated advertising revenue gener- center will offer both hands-on eduated by podcasts will reach $1 billion cation and presentations from profesby 2021. sional producers. I’Anson is the center’s Once the purview of a single first director. person recording from home in a Steve Humble, chief content officer basement or closet, podcasts are now for local public broadcaster VPM, sees generated by celebrities and media podcasting as “another way to tell stalwarts such as The New York authentic stories in our community” Times and ESPN. and says the media center will “It was very slow going help VPM identify new voices as well as support at first, but the listenits own reporters. “[The ership of podcasts center] is about finding has grown exponentially,” says Dr. Chioke great talent in our comI’Anson, VCU assistant munity and finding great professor of African stories,” he says. “And American Studies. “There with two different sound were always people who booths, it’s really convenient VPM Chief Content were making radio outside for reporters to pop in and cer te e u ble of the parameters — the lay tracks.” iPod gave them a way to share it Podcasts are relatively new in the without their own platform.”

VPM programming lineup. The first A self-professed “radio person” to debut, in spring 2020, was “Social from a young age, I’A nson, who is Distance Assistance,” which focuses also an underwriting announcer for on people helping others through the National Public Radio, appreciates pandemic. Additional podcasts explore that podcasting is simply on-demand the lives of refugees settling in Virginia audio that allows the listener to seek and the path of talented young violinout exactly what is desired — or to ists to the Menuhin Competition, set create what they want to hear. for Richmond in May 2021. “Podcasting “If you have a smartphone, you can is a platform that totally made sense probably make a podcast and prob- for us,” Humble says. “Telling stories ably make a good one,” he says. “As through audio is part of our strength.” with everything, there’s a set of skills you have to master that are specific to PASSION PROJECTS the domain. The better you are at those Carlos Chafin, president of In Your Ear, skills, the better your podcast will be.” a multistudio recording and producIn the class he teaches at VCU, tion facility, says podcasts fulfill a basic I’Anson guides students as they need. “A podcast is a very personal way develop podcasts and learn the tech- of getting information,” he says. “We’re nical side of production . all information junkies to one degree In fall 2020, he saw his “crackpot or another.” idea” come to fruition with the opening Most podcasters who work with In of the VPM + ICA Community Media Your Ear are well established, Chafin Center, a workspace within VCU’s says, but the veterans and novices

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MEDIA

usually have a common motivation.

“Most people are doing this as a vehicle of passion or as a support mechanism for some other passion-based interest,” he says.

Chafin says he’s seen a definite uptick in inquiries about recording podcasts. For many, a consultation is enough; studio time requires commitment. “Producing a podcast is time-intensive,” he notes. “You can’t come in and pay a flat studio rate; you have to think [about] long-term economy and efficiency.”

For Todd Widdows, media specialist with the McShin Foundation, a recovery community organization for people with substance abuse disorders, the spring 2020 pandemic shutdown led to the launching of an idea that had been lurking for a few years.

“Our meetings were deemed ‘nonessential,’ [so] I pivoted real quick because I’d been toying around with the idea of a podcast,” he says. “We’re always trying to be innovative.”

“Get in the Herd” debuted in March 2020 on Facebook Live during the day; later in the year, “Herd After Hours” was added with host Alex Bond, a certified peer recovery specialist at McShin. Most episodes — there are more than 100 — feature guest speakers and check-ins with program participants. “The real backbone of the show is having someone in recovery themselves,” Bond says.

Bond says the show provides a critical service. “Addiction can set in at any time,” he notes. “[The podcast] is something to listen to at any time.

[You] can’t always hop in the car and go to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting.”

RELEVANT TOPICS

The urge to provide support through programming also drives the hosts of “Race Capitol,” a podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Google Podcasts and Spotify. It also airs

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Wednesday mornings on WRIR-97.3 FM. Chelsea Higgs Wise, who had been a co-host of “Women in Politics” on WRIR, knew she needed to do more after Marcus-David Peters was shot and killed by a Richmond police officer during a mental health crisis in 2018.

“I noticed there was not a full narrative being told, a community narrative putting people first,” Wise says. “The show is based on the histories and political dynamics that most of us are living through.”

After the show’s producer left for another job in radio, Wise worked on her own for a time, then in early 2020,

she invited Kalia Harris and Naomi Isaac, whom she knew from their community organizing work, to the mic. “I haven’t regretted it,” she says. “I don’t know how people do it [by themselves] — having three gives a balance.”

Wise, Harris and Isaac start each show with the “Reframe,” which includes local, national and international news stories, followed by a guest. Planning occurs throughout the week with a shared online document and an active group chat. The hosts see their work as critical.

“This serves as the people’s news,” Isaac says. “The police, the corporaLeft: Dr. Chioke l’Anson, VCU assistant professor of African American studies and director of community media for the ICA + VPM Community Media Center; Right: Matt Pochily (center) and elli e on right o Coffee with trangers inter iew BC s Rachel DePompa

LEFT: JAY PAUL; RIGHT: COURTESY COFFEE WITH STRANGERS

WELCOME

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tions, they all have such heavy ties to the mainstream media. … We talk about what’s really happening and how these situations impact Black people, Black women, LGBTQIA people.”

Wise says the podcast’s listenership has tripled since the summer uprisings.

“We were a resource for people to gain their news,” she says, adding that the trio has been appreciative of financial support through Patreon subscriptions and equipment donations.

Another podcast all about Richmonders is “Coffee With Strangers RVA.” Conceived by Matt Pochily, who at the time was producing videos for

the Salvation Army, the podcast features conversations between locals “doing interesting things” and host Kelli Lemon, a self-described social entrepreneur.

The first episode dropped in March 2015 as a way to help local entrepreneurs gain media coverage. “I know how hard it is to pitch media from the nonprofit side,” Pochily says. “We wanted it to be authentic, and our No. 1 thing has been about keeping it diverse — across industry, appearance, race, gender, interests.”

Pochily says content is shifting.

“The question is no longer ‘What is

your favorite restaurant?’ That’s not relevant right now,” he says. “We feel like we have a responsibility to our audience to talk about the COVID experience, the racial injustice experience. ...It’s about covering people who are doing inspiring or innovative things in Richmond.”

The flexibility of podcasts is perhaps their most compelling feature, says In Your Ear’s Chafin.

“You’re not constrained to programming or length restrictions — you can design the experience you want,” he says. “You can design your own universe.”

RICHMONDMAG.COM

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DIVERSIONS

P. 52 Sports P. 60 Parks P. 64 Museums P. 74 Music P. 84 TV and Film P. 88 Performing Arts P. 92 Shopping RICHMONDMAG.COM

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DIVERSIONS

SPORTS

Blaze, the mascot of the new Tri-City Chili Peppers baseball team

Boys of Summer

The Tri-City Chili Peppers aim for a July debut

F

ollowing months of shutdown, baseball may return in July to Colonial Heights.

The Tri-City Chili Peppers, part of a summer league for collegiate players, is scheduled to start its inaugural season, rescheduled from last year due to the pandemic. The team represents Hopewell, Petersburg and Colonial Heights and is part of the Coastal Plain League.

“2020 was initially going to be our inaugural season; we had plans to start in May,” General Manager Steve Taggart says. Then the pandemic hit, and he and owner Chris Martin reconsidered. “We both thought, ‘This isn’t right, this isn’t how we envisioned it, let’s come back next year a little bit bigger and better,’ ” he says.

A handful of CPL teams went forward with the 2020 season, but all of them are scheduled to play in 2021.

The Tri-City Chili Peppers will join the league as one of several teams with a food-inspired moniker, such

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as the Savannah Bananas and Macon Bacon. Those two teams are known around the league for their fireworks displays and entertainment between innings and hosting events during the offseason, including car shows and holiday-themed celebrations.

“Those are the two teams that we feel like we want to emulate, so we liked the idea of kind of sticking in that food category,” Taggart says.

The name was chosen out of several submitted in an online contest; other contenders included The Triceratops, Tacos, Nitty Gritties and Sliders.

Online voters also picked the name of the team’s mascot, a red pepper named “Blaze.”

“You can do so many things with pepper colors and ideas of the heat, the fire, all of that just kind of rolled into one, and it was something that just kind of jumped out to us,” Taggart says.

Longtime friends Martin, a training coach at Rise Baseball Academy, and Taggart, a video producer, have ties to the area athletes that

COURTESY TRI-CITY CHILI PEPPERS

By Keriann Slayton

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DIVERSIONS

SPORTS

the 1930s, when the field had a wooden fence and was known as The Ballpark.

“We’re very, very proud of it, it’s an icon of the city, and I think that Chris and Steve saw that.

It’s just a unique field,” says Colonial Heights Mayor Greg Kochuba.

Following World War II, a resurgence in enthusiasm for baseball drew more teams to the park. It underwent major renovations in 1951 and was renamed in honor of former Mayor Fred R. Shepherd. American Legion Baseball was played at the stadium in the 1960s until the early 2000s, when the park hosted its first high school championships.

According to Colonial Heights City Manager Doug Smith, the influx of spectators and athletes will support restaurants and hotels in the area, and Mayor Kochuba says he is excited for the Chili Peppers to provide an entertainment option for the soldiers at nearby Fort Lee. “When they’re not on duty, they come into Colonial Heights ... and this will be a really great thing for them,” Kochuba says.

Hopewell Mayor Patience Bennett looks forward to the togetherness the team will foster, and she doesn’t pass on a chance to mention her city’s recent sports triumph.

“It’ll really bring a sense of community, especially during these times,” she says. “Our [Hopewell Majors All-Stars] team was the champion of the 2019 Dixie World Series, so we’re very happy to have the Chili Peppers come to our town and give our kids something to look up to.”

inspired the creation of the team. They began conversations with the league in April 2019 and signed a contract with the league that July.

The connections Martin has fostered while preparing young players for college careers at Rise were crucial in establishing the Chili Peppers. “Finding players to come into the league isn’t that much of a challenge,” says Martin, who coaches players from age 8 to 18.

“You build such tight relationships with the kids … so the idea kind of came around that we’d love to keep them local,” he says.

The Chili Peppers’ roster isn’t final, but a handful of players are confirmed for the season. Many Chili Pepper players grew up competing against each other. Among them is Hunter Gillam, a Longwood University sophomore and first baseman. Gilliam grew up in Farmville and says he was drawn to the opportunity to play near his hometown.

“I’m super excited to build relationships with those guys and play at

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—Hopewell Mayor Patience Bennet

Shepherd Stadium, where my family and everyone can come out,” Gillam says.

Officials in Colonial Heights have been anticipating the Chili Peppers’ debut at Shepherd Stadium, which has hosted organized baseball since

COURTESY TRI-CITY CHILI PEPPERS

Colonial Heights’ Shepherd Stadium is the home of the Tri-City Chili Peppers.

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DIVERSIONS

SPORTS AND RECREATION

King’s Dominion Camp Wilderness Campground

Athletic Attractions Parks, pools and golf

Along with camping facilities at Pocahontas State Park (dcr.virginia.gov), there are several private campgrounds throughout the region.

Americamps RV Resort Tents, campers and RVs welcome; 200 sites.

11322 Air Park Road, Ashland. 804-798-5298 or americamps.com.

Ed Allen’s Campground and Cottages

Tents, campers and RVs welcome; 145 campsites.

Cottages available. Open April-November. 13501 Campground Road, Lanexa. 804-966-2582 or edallens.com.

Hidden Acres Family Campground

Tents, campers and RVs welcome.

17391 Richmond Turnpike, Bowling Green.

804-633-7592

Kings Dominion Camp Wilderness Campground Cabins, pop-up and pull-through tent sites.

10061 Kings Dominion Blvd., Doswell. 800-5624386 or kingsdominion.com.

Riverside Camp and Marina

Tents, campers and RVs welcome. Cabins available. 715 Riverside Drive, Lanexa. 804-9665536 or riversidecampandmarina.com.

Rockahock Campground

Tents, campers and RVs welcome. River houses, cottages, villas and yurts available. 1428 Outpost Road, Lanexa. 804-966-8362 or rockahock.com.

OLF RELATED O TIONS

Includes driving ranges, mini golf and disc golf options.

Bogey’s Sports Park 1675 Ashland Road. 804-784-1544 or bogeyssportspark.com.

Bryan Park 4308 Hermitage Road.

Dorey Park 2999 Darbytown Road.

Drive Shack

1647 Four Rings Drive driveshack.com

Dunncroft Castle Point Park

4901 Francistown Road.

Gillies Creek Park 4425 Williamsburg Ave. Goyne Park 5300 Ecoff Ave., Chester.

Hanover Sports Park

11000 Washington Highway.

804-550-2622 or hanoversportspark.com.

Hotel Greene 508 E. Franklin St. 804-447-5958 or hotelgreene.com.

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Ironbridge Sports Park 11400 Iron

Glenwood Golf Club

Bridge Road, Chester. 804-748-7770 or ironbridgesportspark.com.

Patterson Golf Park 12586 Patterson Ave. 804-784-4544 or pattersongolfpark.co.

Putt-Putt Fun Center 7901 Midlothian Turnpike.

804-272-4373 or myputtputt.com.

Rockwood Golf Park 10239 Hull Street Road. 804-276-3765 or facebook.com/ RockwoodGolfPark.

Topgolf 2308 Westwood Ave. 804-977-6371 or topgolf.com/us.

University of Richmond 470 Westhampton Way. White Bank Park 400 White Bank Road, Colonial Heights.

Windy Hill Sports Complex 16500 Midlothian Turnpike. 804-794-0010 or windyhillsports.com.

Eighteen-hole course, par 71.

3100 Creighton Road. 804-226-1793 or glenwoodgolfclub1927.com.

U LIC OLF COURSES

Belmont Golf Course

Closed for renovations until May 2021. 1600 Hilliard Road. firsttee greaterrichmond.org/belmont.

The Golf Club at The Highlands

Eighteen-hole course, par 72, semiprivate.

8136 Highland Glen Drive. 804-796-4800 or highlands-golf.com.

Hanover Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 71, semiprivate.

14314 Country Club Drive. 804-798-8381 or hanovergolfva.com.

The Hollows Golf Club

Twenty-seven holes of golf. Three nine-hole courses, par 35 each. 18-hole course, par 70, reservations recommended. 14501 Greenwood Church Road. 804-883-5381 or thehollows.com.

Hunting Hawk Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 72, reservations required. 15201 Ashland Road. 804-749-1900 or huntinghawkgolf.com.

Magnolia Green Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 71, reservations required. 8511 Royal Birkdale Drive. 804-7398800 or acumengolf.com.

Eighteen-hole course, par 72, reservations recommended. 7001 Awesome Drive, Moseley.

804-639-5701, ext. 3, or magnolia greengolfclub.com.

Eighteen-hole course, par 72, semiprivate, reservations recommended. 5520 Virginia Park Drive. 804-966-7888 or brickshiregolfclub.com.

Eighteen-hole course, par 71, reservations required. 1160 S. Providence Road. 804-2761865 or providencegolfclub.com.

Eighteen-hole course, par 72. 7325 Club Drive, Quinton. 804-932-3737 or brookwoodsgolf.com.

Eighteen-hole course, par 72, semiprivate.

10100 Kent Field Road, Providence Forge. 804966-7023 or royalnewkent.com.

Birkdale Golf Club

Brickshire Golf Club

Brookwoods

The Club at Viniterra

Eighteen-hole championship course, par 72, semiprivate, reservations taken a week in advance. 8647 Angel’s Share Drive, New Kent.

804-932-3888 or viniterragolf.com.

The Crossings Golf Club

Eighteen-hole championship course, par 72, reservations taken a week in advance. 800 Virginia Center Parkway. 804-261-0000, ext. 2, or thecrossingsgc.com.

The First Tee of Greater Chesterfield and Richmond

Eighteen-hole course at the Chesterfield location, par 66. 6736 Huntingcreek Drive. 804-275-8050.

Richmond location has a renovated six-hole, par 3 course. 400 W. School St. 804-728-3857 or thefirstteegreaterrichmond.org.

Providence Golf Club

Royal New Kent Golf Club

Windy Hill Sports Complex

A lighted par-3 nine-hole course and a regulation nine-hole lake course, par 35. 16500 Midlothian Turnpike. 804-794-0010 or windyhillsports.com.

S ECTATOR S ORTS

Auto Racing

In April and September, catch NASCAR Cup Series, Gander Outdoors Trucks and Xfinity Series action at Richmond Raceway. 600 E. Laburnum Ave. 866-455-7223 or richmondraceway.com.

International Hot Rod Association drag racing held every weekend from March-Nov. at Richmond Dragway. 1955 Portugee Road, Sandston. 804737-1193 or richmonddragway.com.

COURTESY KINGS DOMINION

CAMPING

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DIVERSIONS

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Baseball

Challenge Discovery

Stumpy’s Hatchet House

The Richmond Flying Squirrels, a Double-A minor-league baseball team, play at The Diamond. 804-359-3866 or squirrelsbaseball. com. The Tri-City Chili Peppers, the new Coastal Plain League baseball team, begins its inaugural season May 2021 at Shepherd Stadium. 804221-9855 or chilipeppersbaseball.com.

Located on the campus of the University of Richmond, a ropes course and other groundlevel challenges encourage team building and fun. 22 Westhampton Way. 804-876-9733 or challengediscovery.com.

Recreational ax-throwing venue at Stony Point Fashion Park. 9200 Stony Point Parkway. 804592-6969 or stumpyshh.com/richmondva.

College Sports

Randolph-Macon College: 804-752-7223 or rmcathletics.com; University of Richmond: 804289-8363 or richmondspiders.com; Virginia Commonwealth University: 804-828-7267 or vcuathletics.com; Virginia State University: 804524-5030 or govsutrojans.com; and Virginia Union University: 804-342-1484 or vuu.edu.

G-Force Karts at Richmond Raceway

High-speed outdoor karting track at the Richmond Raceway Complex, with go-karts reaching speeds up to 60 mph. 800 E. Laburnum Ave., Gate 2. 804-228-0188 or gforcekarts.com.

Peak Experiences Indoor Rock Climbing Gym

Horse Racing

Offers two rock-climbing centers, including the 21,000-square-foot Scott’s Addition location.

11421 Polo Circle, Midlothian, 804-897-6800; 1375 Overbrook Road, 804-655-2628 or peakexperiences.com.

Colonial Downs hosts live horse racing during the summer season. 10515 Colonial Downs Parkway, New Kent. 804-966-7223 or colonialdowns.com.

Ravenchase Adventures

Custom adventure races for any size group or occasion. 800-282-3169 or ravenchase.com.

City Stadium is home for the Richmond Kickers USL Pro Capital soccer team. 804-644-5425 or richmondkickers.com.

Premier BMX track located in Gillies Creek Park. 4401 Hobbs Lane. 540-514-0062 or richmondbmx.com.

The Richmond Volleyball Club fosters the sport in Central Virginia. 804-358-3000 or rvc.net.

Recreational tree climbing, guided whitewater rafting, and stand-up paddleboarding, kayak and canoe trips. Kayak, canoe and stand-up paddleboard rentals are also available. 6836 Old Westham Road. 804-560-0068 or riverside outfitters.com.

Soccer

Volleyball

Richmond BMX

Riverside Outfitters

EXTREME SPORTS

Bad Axe Throwing

Ax-throwing venue, opening spring 2021. 3100 W. Leigh St. 844-818-0999 or badaxethrowing.com.

Black Dog Paddle

Lessons, tours and rentals in stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. Three locations.

804-577-8263 or blackdogpaddle.com.

RVA Paddlesports

Whitewater rafting trips, kayak instruction and rentals, and safety courses. 804-898-0697 or rvapaddlesports.com.

Thunderbolt Indoor Karting

Electric indoor go-karts make for a high-speed, eco-friendly experience. 1365 Carmia Way. 804378-6066 or thunderboltkarting.com.

Triangle Rock Club

Indoor climbing, fitness and yoga facility offering 45-foot tall climbing walls and 15,000 square feet of terrain. 4700 Thalbro St. 804-215-3200 or trianglerockclub.com.

The Virginia Axe Co.

Recreational ax-and knife-throwing venue. 2305 Commerce Center Drive, Rockville. 804-9440152 or thevirginiaaxecompany.com.

WATER PARKS

Cobblestones Park

Splash Zone water park, 5 acres of sandy beach and one of the largest concrete swimming pools in Virginia. Open Memorial Day-Labor Day. 13131 Overhill Lake Lane. 804-798-6819 or cobblestonespark.com.

Hadad’s Lake

Rope swings, blob, launch tower, rowboats and more. Water park open May-September (also open for events). 7900 Osborne Turnpike. 804795-2659 or hadadslake.com.

Kings Dominion Soak City

Included with park admission, Soak City features 20 acres of wet fun. Generally opens Memorial Day-Labor Day. 16000 Theme Park Way. 804-876-5000 or kingsdominion.com.

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E

dward D. Barnes

is the Founder and President of Barnes & Diehl, P.C. He has been practicing law for over 49 years.

For several years, he has been named a Top 10 and Top 100 Super Lawyer in Virginia by Super Lawyers® as published in Richmond magazine. In 2018, he was ranked the #1 attorney in Virginia. Also in 2018 he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly Hall of Fame.He handles family law cases of all types and levels, including the very highest level of complex equitable distribution, elder law, and estate planning.

He handles family law cases of all types and levels, including the very highest level of complex equitable distribution and estate planning.

Mr. Barnes is chair and founder of the National Center for Family Law Studies at University of Richmond School of Law. He has been teaching Ethics in Family Law at the University of Richmond School of Law. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section. He is Past President of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Virginia Chapter. Mr. Barnes is again listed in Best Lawyers in America® for 2019 and has been named “Lawyer of the Year” for family law in Richmond for several years. He was the inaugural recipient of the “Leader in the Law” award in 2006, which is a recognition sponsored by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. He has been named a Legal Elite® by Virginia Business Magazine every year. In 2006, he was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, for the University of Richmond School of Law, and he has served as President of numerous local bar associations.

Ed frequently speaks throughout the state on behalf of the Virginia State Bar, through their Virginia Continuing Legal Education Program. He has presented continuing education courses for over 20 years. Annually, he gives an update on family law, at four locations in Virginia, for the Virginia State Bar. He has authored chapters in several family law books published by the Virginia State Bar Continuing Legal Education.

Ed is active in his church and in his community. He is a licensed, instrument rated airplane pilot since 1978. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1966-1969). He has been a member of MENSA.

BarnesFamilyLaw.com A Tradition of Experience and Devotion to Family Law

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DIVERSIONS

PARKS

Park Prevalent

By Julinda D. Lewis

T

wenty miles from Richmond is Pocahontas State Park, the largest and most popular destination in the state’s park system.

In 2019, more than 1 million visitors took advantage of the park’s leisure, recreation, sports, arts programs, and other activities. The 2019 Virginia State Parks Economic Impact Report, published by Virginia Tech, shows that the park generated $38 million in user fees.

The park is named for Chief Powhatan’s daughter Matoaka, more familiarly known as Pocahontas. It was built by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps, part of a program developed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 during the Great Depression. Over nine

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years, the CCC employed more than 3 million men who built more than 40,000 bridges, restored beaches and roads and created 800 state parks across the country, including six in Virginia. The CCC Museum is one of several original buildings at Pocahontas State Park.

Most visitors come to hike the over 100 miles of marked trails. There are multi-use trails, as well as trails designated for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians (bring your own horse).

On a brisk sunny day in January, with COVID-19 restrictions in place, there were hikers and bikers dressed for the weather and enjoying many of the trails that are open year-round.

“The majority of our visitors, across state parks, when we surveyed them ...

Located in Chester eld Count Pocahontas State Par is s read out o er acres and was established in .

the number one reason for visiting a state park is for hiking,” says Andrew Sporrer, public relations and marketing specialist for Eastern Region Virginia State Parks.

Brittany Speigner, a recent transplant from Chicago, has visited Pocahontas State Park several times and finds it a comfortable place to exercise and explore. “Nature-wise, I look around, get some fresh air, and get my joints moving,” she says.

Pocahontas has a bronze level riding status designation from the International Mountain Biking Association.

Jeff Saxman, a mountain bike enthusiast, touts “the variety of trails and the number of miles of trails” as major draws.

He notes that the IMBA status makes the park a regional destination. Saxman is

BIG ORANGE FRAME

Pocahontas State Park most popular in commonwealth

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DIVERSIONS

PARKS

breached the park’s two dams and damaged many of the trails. Within days, Friends of PSP, a nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining the park, began the restoration.

With some park facilities closed for the winter, any remaining damage is difficult to see. What is evident is ongoing maintenance and construction. A team of workers was busy at the pool complex.

Ground was broken in December on an expansion of the Forest Loop Trail parking lot near Courthouse Road.

“It’s such a popular mountain biking destination that the mountain bike community members, and the Friends of Pocahontas got together and raised a bunch of money to expand the parking lot,” Sporrer says.

Five new modern overnight facilities (4 three-bedroom cabins and a 6-bedroom lodge) are being added to the park’s camping inventory. There also are 132 campsites, including space for RVs and tents, six The park is open cabins and four year-round with camping options and yurts. Campa variety of trails. ing is available

year-round, and a January visit found several campsites occupied and families enjoying the outdoor life.

“The camping is great,” Saxman says. “And the new cabins that are being built look pretty special; I’ve seen similar cabins at other state parks.

These are really nice.”

If camping out isn’t your style, the park also offers a nature center where visitors can see the snakes, turtles, and reptiles that are native residents.

There’s also a series of performances at the amphitheater that features acts ranging from the Richmond Symphony to rock cover bands.

Fall is prime time for camping and for several massive high school cross-country races that utilize park trails. Winter is excellent for birding, and spring is when camping and camp programs ramp up.

Pocahontas State Park is a local treasure filled with an exceptional diversity of recreational activities. There’s no entrance fee, but there are parking fees and pool fees. It’s best to call ahead to see what is open. The park is open from 7:30 a.m. to dusk, and COVID-19 restrictions require masks and social distance.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: BIG ORANGE FRAME; MICHAEL SIMON; SARAH HAUSER

planning the 2021 RVA BikeFest for early October at Pocahontas State Park. (See rvabikefest.com for updates.)

If biking doesn’t float your boat, there are other places in the park that may. Pocahontas State Park has three lakes for boating, fishing or relaxing. Swift Creek Lake is the largest, at 225 acres. Beaver Lake is 24 acres, and Camp 7 Lake (whose name pays homage to the park’s CCC history) is, appropriately 7 acres. Outside of the pandemic, visitors could rent paddleboats, kayaks and canoes.

The park has recovered from damages caused by a storm in August 2020.

That deluge overwhelmed the park with more than 9 inches of rain, and washed away the boat rental buildings, inundated the boat ramp field,

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Worth Date. a

Center Your Universe Ashland is a vibrant small town with big staying power that’s been here since 1858. Here to woo your date and wow your fam with local restaurants and shops, a historic theatre and arts scene, a bustling farmer’s market and a craft brewery.

Here for outdoor adventurers and history hounds, for porch sitters and railfans. Here then and here now, and ready whenever you are.

V I S I TA S H L A N D VA . C O M

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MUSEUMS

There They Grow Museums proceed with big plans

T

he Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture rode into 2019 on crests of popular programming, community connection and acclaimed exhibitions. Planned expansions at both institutions seek to maintain that momentum.

A capital campaign began in July 2019 to support the VMFA’s growth.

The master plan entails adding 173,700 square feet during the next six years at a cost of $125.8 million, with $83.9 million coming from the state and $41.9 million from private contributions.

The planned additions include a 105,000-square-foot expansion for African-American art and photography

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The VMFA’s master plan calls for a $125.8 million expansion over the next six years.

By Harry Kollatz Jr.

of the 21st century, as well as 100,000 square feet for conservation and storage in properties along Grove Avenue.

The 2010 design of the McGlothlin Wing proved prescient by including HEPA air filters “with a low velocity system that is on par with surgical suites,” explains Alex Nyerges, the VMFA’s director, adding that this system will extend into the new spaces.

The design phase may take 16 to 20 months, with finalization of plans by spring 2022. A grand ribbon cutting is expected by the summer of 2025.

The nearby Virginia Museum of History & Culture tallied record-shattering numbers for visitation, finances and public awareness in 2019. Then, on March 13, 2020, the VMHC, then

running at a financial surplus, shut down for three months due to the pandemic. Despite losing a quarter to a third of its annual operating budget, the private nonprofit was able to retain its staff without furloughs.

“We’re a historical institution caught in the crosshairs of history,” reflects Jamie Bosket, president and CEO of the VMHC, which is amid a $30 million expansion and improvement program that began ahead of schedule due to the advent of COVID-19. The sixyear rejuvenation plan began in 2018, aiming toward significant anniversaries — 2026, the 250th birthday of the United States and 2031, the 200th anniversary of the VMHC’s founding.

The museum received a small

COURTESY RICHMOND REGION TOURISM; OPPOSITE PAGE; COURTESY VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF HISTORY & CULTURE

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business loan though the federal relief program, which helped it weather the fiscal year. But the next one will be a challenge.

The VMHC already expected an 18-month interruption of operations required by its extensive “re-imagining.”

Post-coronavirus, the American Association of Museums and the Virginia Tourism Corporation, among others, indicated that a return to a semblance of normal visitation, activity and revenue might take at least 18 months.

Bosket describes his thinking: “So I call up our architects and say, ‘Hey, guess what? Remember all that time we had to think through this process.

Well, here we go.’ ” The museum’s board perceived an opportunity, and donors responded. The museum closed in mid-December 2020, a few months after construction began, with the contractors of Whiting Turner shadowing the Glavé Holmes architects to facilitate the transition. Without

visitors, disruption should be limited, and the project’s estimated timeline has been sped up to about 17 months, with completion expected in spring 2022.

Some areas of the VMHC will reopen for in-person visits in April 2021.

“At the same time that we as a community will want to be coming back together,” Bosket says. “It’s a silver lining if there ever was one, but, it wasn’t happenstance. We had to do some very creative things to be here.”

The plan involves refreshed spaces filled by natural light, including a cafe and an outdoor terrace. The museum’s exhibition space will grow by 50%, and additions to the refurbished library include space for community gatherings and educational sessions, as well as a The Virginia Museum of History and Culture, now closed, is amid a $30 million expansion program.

A new grand hall at the VMHC is among the improvements scheduled to be completed by Spring 2022.

gallery for some of the museum’s most treasured artifacts. Among the “Wow” factors is a theater for what Bosket calls a “sweeping orientation film.” From there, visitors will emerge into wider corridors and clearly delineated arteries guiding them on their individual tours.

A new almost 6,000-square-foot gallery space is reserved for “Our Commonwealth,” a journey through the state’s five geographic regions emphasizing how each one’s history, topography, music and food traditions have contributed to Virginia.

The grounds, too, are undergoing an overhaul to better knit them to the adjoining Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

“Our green space has kind of been an island in the middle of a parking lot,” Bosket notes. Part of this undertaking involves planting crepe myrtles and ornamental cherry trees and removing ailing Southern magnolias to replace them with new ones to, as Bosket says, “give them another 100 years.”

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DIVERSIONS

ATTRACTIONS

The Hippodrome Theater

Sites to See

Museums, monuments and heritage sites

African American Tours Of Richmond

Tour sites associated with liberty and African American achievements. 804-683-6630 or africanamericantours.com. $

Afrikana Independent Film Festival

This annual festival spotlights cinematic works by filmmakers from throughout the African diaspora. afrikanafilmfestival.org. $

Arthur Ashe Boulevard

Richmond’s Boulevard was renamed in honor of tennis champion Arthur Ashe Jr. in June 2019. Stretches from Westwood Avenue to Blanton Avenue.

Arthur Ashe Jr. Monument

Statue of tennis champion Arthur Ashe, who was born in Richmond. Intersection of Roseneath Road and Monument Avenue.

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson Monument

Aluminum statue facing the same intersection where Robinson paid to have a stoplight placed. Triangle park at Leigh Street and Chamberlayne Parkway.

BLK RVA

Explores Black culture in the Richmond region.

Get a free online travel guide. visitblkrva.com.

Elegba Folklore Society

The Cultural Center displays art and items from the African diaspora. Check in for information about annual cultural festivals and performances.

101 E. Broad St. 804-644-3900 or efsinc.org.

First African Baptist Church

Founded in 1841, Maggie L. Walker and former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder worshipped here. 2700 Hanes Ave. 804-329-7279 or firstafricanbaptist.org.

Gabriel Week

Untold RVA’s week of programming, Aug. 23-29, commemorating Gabriel, an enslaved blacksmith, and his fight against injustice. 804-564-6163 or untoldrva.com.

The Hanover County Black Heritage Society

Preserving the history of African Americans in Hanover County, this society helps visitors learn about the accomplishments of current and former citizens. Make an appointment to visit at facebook.com/hcbhs. 114 N. Railroad Ave. (at The Henry Clay Inn). 804-496-6350 or hanoverbhs.org.

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The Hippodrome Theater

Richmond Slave Trail

An active performance space today, it played host to Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong in the early 20th century. 528 N. Second St. 804308-2913 or hippodromerichmond.com. $

Walking trail chronicling the history of the trade of enslaved people, beginning at Manchester Docks. Print out a trail map at richmondgov.com/ CommissionSlaveTrail.

A National Historic Landmark, this neighborhood became a cultural hub for the African American community by the early 1900s. Jackson Ward is roughly bounded by Fourth, Marshall and Smith streets and I-95. dhr.virginia.gov.

Dates back to 1866, when African American members of Emmaus Baptist Church, restricted to balcony seating, banded together to form a new church. 8140 George W. Watkins Road, Quinton. secondlibertybaptist.church.

Robert Lumpkin opened a slave jail at this site in 1844. A proposed Shockoe Area Memorial Park incorporates greenspace and a heritage center.

Shockoe Bottom near the intersection of East Broad Street and I-95. lumpkinsjail.org.

Organized in 1867 by the Rev. John Jasper, who was born enslaved on July 4, 1812. 14 W. Duval St. 804-648-7511 or smzbc.org.

Historic Jackson Ward

Devil’s Half Acre

L. Douglas Wilder Library

This Virginia Union University library contains a rare book collection as well as papers, photos and recordings pertaining to the nation’s first elected African American governor. 1500 N. Lombardy St. 804-257-5600 or vuu.edu..

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

Second Liberty Baptist Church

Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church

Spring Park Historic Site

Park commemorating Gabriel, an enslaved person known for Gabriel’s Rebellion in 1800. For a map of more sites related to the rebellion, visit henrico.us. 2000 Park St.

Unlockingrva Slave Trail Tour

Explores African American culture and history. unlockingrva.com. $

Untold RVA

Commemorates the life of Maggie L. Walker, a civil rights activist, fraternal leader and entrepreneur — the first African American woman in the United States to found a bank. 600 N. Second St. 804-771-2017 or nps.gov.

An urban exploration experience built to inspire those in search of an alternative view of Richmond’s hidden history of African ancestral self-determination and people-powered resistance. 804-564-6163 or untoldrva.com. $

Art from West and Central Africa and the South Pacific, and African American folk art. 1500 N. Lombardy St. (inside L. Douglas Wilder Library).

804-257-5660 or vuu.edu.

Museum honoring educator Virginia E. Randolph. 2200 Mountain Road. 804-6521475 or henrico.us.

The Museum Galleries At Virginia Union

New Kent Historical Courthouse

A historical marker tells the story of James Lafayette, who was born into slavery near the site around 1748 and recruited as a spy by Marquis de Lafayette in 1781. He took Lafayette’s name and was freed in 1787. 12007 Courthouse Circle. newkenthistoricalsoc.com.

Richmond African Burial Ground

Burial ground of African Americans dating to the mid-1700s. Rediscovered by a historian in the 1990s, it became a grass-covered memorial park in 2011. 1540 E. Broad St. richmondcemeteries.org.

Richmond Black Restaurant Experience

A week celebrating Black-owned restaurants. vablackrestaurantexperience.com. $

Virginia Randolph Museum

Virginia State University Libraries

Contains collections of rare books, historical documents and artifacts. 1 Hayden Drive. 804524-5040 or library.vsu.edu.

FAMILY FUN

AMF Bowling

Enjoy 56 lanes of bowling at Hanover Lanes (7317 Bell Creek Road, 804-559-2600), 50 lanes at Shrader Lanes (8037 Shrader Road, 804-7479620), and 32 lanes at Sunset Lanes (6540 W. Broad St., 804-282-0537). amf.com. $

Ashland Berry Farm

Family-owned working farm offering school tours, hayrides and seasonal events. 12607 Old Ridge Road, Beaverdam. 804-227-3601 or ashlandberryfarm.com. $

COURTESY RICHMOND REGION TOURISM

AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE AND EXPERIENCE

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DIVERSIONS

ATTRACTIONS

Bingo Beer Co. Combines a brewery, a bar, an arcade and a restaurant. 2900 W. Broad St. 804-386-0290 or bingorva.com. $

Chesterfield Berry Farm

Gather strawberries (April-June), blackberries (June-August) and pumpkins (SeptemberOctober). 26002 Pear Orchard Road. 804-4411034 or chesterfieldberryfarm.com. $

Children’s Museum

Call or visit the website for updates. The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, 701 E. Byrd St. 804697-8110 or thefedexperience.org.

Hotel Greene

A 13-hole indoor mini-golf course with the aesthetic of a grand hotel. The Lobby Bar offers a small-plates menu and mixed drinks. Age 21 and up after 5 p.m. 508 E. Franklin St. 804-447-5958 or hotelgreene.com. $

Keystone Truck & Tractor Museum

An opportunity for the whole family to play and learn together, both of the Children’s Museum locations offer interactive and hands-on programming for children ages 0-8. Open daily. 804-474-7000 or childrensmuseumofrichmond.org. $

Fully restored antique tractors, restoration projects and farm equipment, as well as classic cars and vintage gas pumps. 880 W. Roslyn Road, Colonial Heights. 804-524-0020 or keystonetractorworks.com. $

DOWNTOWN

With more than 60 rides, shows and attractions, Kings Dominion offers world-class thrills and family fun. Soak City, a 20-acre water playground, is included with park admission.

16000 Theme Park Way, Doswell. 804-876-5000 or kingsdominion.com. $

Offers 44,000 square feet of learning through fun, from the splish-splash of Water Play to the kid-run TV studio. 2626 W. Broad St. CHESTERFIELD

Hands-on exhibits include an art studio; the “Transportation Station,” with a full-size firetruck and GRTC bus to explore; and an 18-foot tire climber. 6629 Lake Harbour Drive.

The Circuit

Self-serve bar with 50 taps and more than 80 arcade games. Hours vary; age 21 and up after 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday; after 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 3121 W. Leigh St. thecircuitarcadebar.com. $

Escape Rooms

BREAKOUT GAMES, 9101 Midlothian Turnpike, 804-480-1211 or breakoutgames.com/ richmond. ESCAPE ROOM RVA, 7025 Three Chopt Road, 804-477-6369 or escaperoomrva. com. GNOME & RAVEN, 9200 Stony Point Parkway (at Stony Point Fashion Park), 800769-1415 or gnomeandraven.com. LAST SECOND ESCAPE, 11001 Midlothian Turnpike, 804-517-8693 or lastsecondescape.com. RED VEIN ESCAPE, 108 Robinson St., 804-752-1081 or redveinescape.com. RIDDLE ME THIS, 1404 N. Parham Road (inside Regency mall), 804608-9689 or riddlemethisrva.com. RIVER CITY ESCAPE ROOM, 8047 W. Broad St., 804-3253250 or rivercityescaperoom.com. $

The Fed Experience

Explore how your decisions affect the economy, how innovation expands choices and the role the Federal Reserve plays in the economy.

Kings Dominion

River City Roll Enjoy 20 lanes of bowling with a New American kitchen serving seasonal dishes and inspired cocktails. Age 21 and up after 7 p.m. 939 Myers St. 804-331-0416 or rivercityroll.com. $

Rockwood Park Nature Center

Exhibits include a honeybee observation hive, native Virginia amphibians and reptiles. Hours vary. Rockwood Park, 3401 Courthouse Road.

804-768-7448 or chesterfield.gov.

Science Museum of Virginia

Through experiential exhibits, live animals, planetarium shows, makerspaces, live demos and more, the museum sparks curiosity, encourages discovery and generates ideas in science, technology, engineering and math.

2500 W. Broad St. 804-864-1400 or smv.org. $

Slingshot Social Game Club

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Classic games with a modern spin, including SuperSkee, Ultimate Bocce and Extreme Duckpin.

Ages 21 and older after 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday; after 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 3301 W. Clay St. slingshotrva.com. $

Enjoy year-round beauty at this property, with more than 50 acres of themed gardens, a children’s garden and a domed conservatory.

1800 Lakeside Ave. 804-262-9887 or lewisginter.org. $

Tang & Biscuit

Ten regulation-size floor shuffleboard courts, a creative menu, a full bar and many free games. 3406 W. Moore St. 804-362-8264 or tangandbiscuit.com. $

This 100-acre attraction features a historic estate and mansion, gardens, farm animals, rescued wildlife and the James River experience inside the newly renovated Robins Nature and Visitor Center. 1700 Hampton St. 804-358-7166, ext.

310, or maymont.org. Donations requested; fee for activities.

This 90-acre park features a Nature Center with a 50,000-gallon freshwater aquarium.

400 Sausiluta Drive. 804-652-1470 or henricorecandparks.com. Free.

Maymont

Metro Richmond Zoo

This zoo features more than 2,000 exotic animals such as lions, cheetahs and monkeys. Feed the giraffes, take a plunge on the drop tower or enjoy a ride on the sky lift or train. Zip from tree to tree at the Treetop Zoofari Zip Line and Adventure Park. 8300 Beaver Bridge Road. 804-739-5666 or metrorichmondzoo.com. $

Richmond Railroad Museum

Restored 1915 Southern Railway passenger station with model railroad layout, full-size caboose and Porter-style steam engine, as well as Richmond’s rail history exhibits. 102 Hull St. 804-231-4324 or richmondrailroad museum.com. $

Three Lakes Park & Nature Center

Uptown Alley

This 57,000-square-foot entertainment venue features 38 bowling lanes, an arcade, virtual reality, two bars, live entertainment and a full-service restaurant. 6101 Brad McNeer Parkway, Midlothian. 804-744-1077 or uptownalleyrichmond.com. $

ARCHITECTURE AND CULTURE

Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives

Richmond’s museum of Jewish history and culture. 1109 W. Franklin St. 804-353-2668 or bethahabah.org. $5 suggested donation.

The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design

Explore architecture through visiting exhibitions, tours and programs. 2501 Monument Ave. 804655-6055 or branchmuseum.org. $

Edgar Allan Poe Museum

Museum featuring manuscripts, first editions and artifacts belonging to Poe. 1914 E. Main St. 804648-5523 or poemuseum.org. $

Hebrew Cemetery

One of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the South.

Shockoe Hill at Fourth and Hospital streets. 804358-6757 or bethahabah.org.

Historic Polegreen Church

One of the first meeting houses established during the Great Awakening. What stands today is an interpretive design of the original 1747 church. 6411 Heatherwood Drive. 804-7303837 or historicpolegreen.org.

Presents rotating exhibitions, performances and special programming. 601 W. Broad St. 804-8282823 or icavcu.org.

Monumental Church

Robert Mills designed this church more than 200 years ago. 1224 E. Broad St. 804-643-7407 or historicrichmond.com.

Museum of Virginia Catholic History Maymont

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Collections include diaries, journals, photographs and artifacts of former bishops illustrating

COURTESY RICHMOND REGION TOURISM

Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University

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IT’S

AMAZING OUT HERE

On the hunt for outdoor fun? You need to visit Kings Dominion.

Start at Soak City waterpark and splash into the new Coconut Shores play area. Then dry off on one of our 12 thrill-filled coasters. With tons of fun for every age, It’s Amazing Out Here.

Visit KingsDominion.com for park calendar, safety information and tickets.

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ATTRACTIONS

the history of the Roman Catholic Church in Virginia. Guided tours by appointment only.

Located in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 800 S. Cathedral Place. 804-359-5661 or richmonddiocese.org.

Slash Church

Built circa 1729, Slash Church is the oldest and best-preserved frame church in Virginia. 11353 Mount Hermon Road. 804-798-4520 or slashcc.org.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

An elegant example of Greek Revival architecture featuring Tiffany windows. 815 E. Grace St. 804-643-3589 or stpaulsrva.org.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church

The three-centuries-old Episcopal church where Martha Dandridge Custis and George Washington worshipped. Tours by appointment only. 8400 St. Peters Lane, New Kent. 804-932-4846 or stpetersnewkent.org.

The Valentine First Freedom Center

Located on the same corner where the General Assembly met in secret during the American Revolution, the center celebrates Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.

South 14th and Cary streets. 804-649-0711 or thevalentine.org/firstfreedomcenter.

Virginia Holocaust Museum

Learn about the lives of Holocaust survivors through their stories of the Kovno Ghetto and Dachau concentration camp. 2000 E. Cary St. 804-257-5400 or vaholocaust.org.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

A permanent collection of more than 35,000 artworks. Open 365 days a year. 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. 804-340-1405 or vmfa.museum.

Free general admission.

MONUMENTS & LANDMARKS

Christopher Newport Cross

Erected in 1907, it commemorates English Capt.

Christopher Newport. South 12th Street and East Byrd Street. rvariverfront.com.

Emancipation Proclamation and Freedom Monument

In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, a bronze statue representing newly freed slaves will be unveiled on Brown’s Island. The monument’s installation has been delayed due to the pandemic; visit the website for updates. mlkcommission.dls.virginia.gov.

Lincoln and Tad Statue

Commemorates President Abraham Lincoln and his son Tad’s visit to Richmond after the city had burned in 1865. 490 Tredegar St.

Maggie L. Walker Monument

Bronze statue commemorating entrepreneur Maggie L. Walker, the first African American woman in the United States to found a bank.

Broad and Adams streets.

Mantle: Virginia Indian Tribute

This monument honors the commonwealth’s Native American heritage. Located on Capitol Square at the Virginia State Capitol, 1000 Bank St. virginiacapitol.gov.

The National Donor Memorial

Honors America’s organ and tissue donors.

Garden open year-round. Visitors are also welcome at The Gallery at UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing). Self-guided tours daily. Group tours must be scheduled in advance. 700 N. Fourth St. 804-782-4800 or unitedforunos.org.

Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue

This bronze sculpture completes the triangle of Richmond; the city of Liverpool, England; and the Republic of Benin, each of which played a

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prominent role in the slave trade. 15th and East Main streets.

Riverfront Canal Walk

Stretching 1.25 miles along the James River and the Kanawha and Haxall canals, the Canal Walk presents four centuries of Richmond’s history interpreted through medallions, monuments, exhibits and narrated canal cruise tours (available AprilNovember). Multiple access points between Fifth and 17th streets; handicappedaccessible entrances at Fifth, 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th streets. rvariverfront.com.

Fee for boat rides.

Maggie L. Walker Monument

Rumors of War

World-renowned artist Kehinde Wiley’s bronze statue depicting a young African American male outfitted in streetwear riding a horse. Located near the entrance of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. vmfa.museum.

Virginia Civil Rights Memorial

Beaver Dam Creek Battlefield The Seven Days Campaign began here on June 26, 1862. Sunrise-sunset daily. 7423 Cold Harbor Road. 804-226-1981 or nps.gov/rich.

Recognizes Barbara Johns and other students who led a strike in 1951 to protest the conditions at their racially segregated school.

Located on Capitol Square, 1000 Bank St. virginiacapitol.gov.

Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia

The Memorial’s Shrine of Memory honors the state’s fallen heroes and all veterans. The Galanti Education Center features military history exhibits and films. Galanti Center: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday-Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Shrine: See website for updated hours. 621 S. Belvidere St. 804-786-2060 or vawarmemorial.org.

The Chesterfield County Museum and 1892 Jail

Virginia War Memorial

Virginia Women’s Monument

Titled “Voices From the Garden,” it features bronze statues of women who have made contributions to the state and the nation. Capitol Square at the Virginia State Capitol, 1000 Bank St. virginiacapitol.gov.

The War Horse

Life-size bronze statue memorializing the 1.5 million horse and mule casualties of the Civil War. Virginia Museum of History and Culture, 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. virginiahistory.org.

RICHMOND AND VIRGINIA HISTORY

The Ashland Museum

The history of Ashland is presented through exhibits, artifacts, photos and community events.

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday; or by appointment. 105 Hanover Ave. 804-368-7314 or ashlandmuseum.org.

Ashland Train Station

In the visitor center at Ashland’s circa-1923 train station, visitors can view RF&P Railroad memorabilia. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (subject to change). 112 N. Railroad Ave. 804-752-6766 or ashlandva.gov.

Battery Dantzler

This Confederate battery constructed in 1864 is on the northern end of earthworks known as the Howlett Line. Sunrise-sunset daily. 1820 Battery Dantzler Road, Chester. 804-751-4946 or chesterfield.gov.

Houses exhibitions commemorating the accomplishments of Black Virginians. See website for hours and dates of operation. 122 W. Leigh St. 804-780-9093 or blackhistorymuseum.org. $ Built as a replica of the county’s 1749 courthouse, the museum’s exhibits trace the path of this historic county. See website for hours and dates of operation. 6831 Mimms Loop. 804-7687311 or chesterfieldhistory.com. $2 suggested donation for museum; $1 for jail.

Chimborazo Medical Museum

Site of the largest military hospital in the world from 1861 to 1865. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday-Sunday (see website for off-season hours). 3215 E. Broad St. 804-226-1981 or nps. gov/rich. Free.

Civil War Gateway Visitor Center at Historic Tredegar The official launching point to

experience the region’s Civil War and Emancipation history. Together, the American Civil War Museum and The National Park Service help orient visitors to the full range of battlefields, museums and historic sites in the region and beyond.

The American Civil War Museum

The museum is housed in a 28,500-square-foot building presenting its renowned collections of Civil War artifacts that tell the stories of the Civil War and its legacies from multiple perspectives.

See website for hours and dates of operation.

500 Tredegar St. 804-649-1861 or acwm.org. $

Richmond National Battlefield Park Civil War Visitor Center

Maps, audiovisual displays and exhibits introduce the story of Richmond during the Civil War. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. 500 Tredegar St. 804-226-1981 or nps.gov/rich.

White House of the Confederacy

The onetime home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Guided tours offered; tickets must be purchased online. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Friday-Sunday. 1201 E. Clay St. 804-649-1861 or acwm.org. $

COURTESY RICHMOND REGION TOURISM

DIVERSIONS

/ 2021

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tent camping, and three generations of cabins. No visit to

float, the Cowpasture River

the Alleghany Highlands is complete without a walk or bike

is a great choice. Lake

ride along the Jackson River Scenic Trail, a rails to trails

Moomaw offers 43 miles of

initiative that spans 14.4 miles adjacent to the beautiful

undeveloped shoreline and

Jackson River. From there, you are only a short drive from

is considered one of the

two of the state’s most iconic attractions, Humpback Bridge

most scenic lakes in the state. If you’re into camping under

& Falling Spring Falls. We hope you will make your next

the stars, the campgrounds surrounding the lake are the

trip to the Alleghany Highlands and find out what makes us

perfect venue!

#UniquelyAlleghany.

#LakeMoomaw

Wake up to #UniquelyAlleghany adventures in the mountains of Virginia.

#DouthatStatePark

Plan your Uniquely Alleghany getaway at VisitAlleghanyHighlands.com

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DIVERSIONS

ATTRACTIONS

Garthright House, Cold arbor Battle eld

Mid-Lothian Mines Park One of the first major industrial sites in the United States is now a 62-acre preserve. Sunrise-sunset daily. 13301 N. Woolridge Road, Midlothian. midlomines.org.

Old City Hall

This Victorian Gothic building served as Richmond’s city hall (1894–1970s). No inside access. 1001 E. Broad St. richmondgov.com.

Parker’s Battery

A walking trail winds through fortifications.

Sunrise-sunset daily. 1801 Ware Bottom Spring Road. 804-226-1981 or nps.gov/rich.

Richmond Railroad Museum

Fort Stevens

Site of the 1862 battle of Gaines Mill and the 1864 battle of Cold Harbor. An electronic map in the visitors center provides perspective on each campaign. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. WednesdaySunday (see website for off-season hours). 5515 Anderson-Wright Drive. 804-730-5025 or nps. gov/rich.

Constructed in 1862 after the Seven Days Campaign. Sunrise-sunset daily. 8900 Pams Ave., North Chesterfield. 804-751-4946 or chesterfield.gov.

Confederate War Memorial Chapel

This nondenominational chapel was built in 1887 as a memorial to Confederate dead. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (weather permitting). 2900 Grove Ave. 804-340-1405.

Courtney Road Service Station

This circa 1925 service station exemplifies the “House with Canopy” design that grew into popularity in the 1920s when construction of gas stations boomed across the nation. Open by appointment and for events. 3401 Mountain Road.

804-501-7275 or henricorecandparks.com.

Dabbs House Museum

This home served as a strategic location and the June 1862 military headquarters for the Confederacy. Open by appointment. 3812 Nine Mile Road. 804-652-3406 or henrico.us

Deep Run Schoolhouse

This two-room school was built in 1902. Tours by appointment. 3401 Pump Road, Short Pump Park. 804-501-7275 or henricorecandparks.com.

Drewry’s Bluff

A trail leads visitors to a well-preserved Confederate fort. Sunrise-sunset daily. 7600 Fort Darling Road. 804-226-1981 or nps.gov/rich. Free.

Executive Mansion

Located behind the Virginia State Capitol, it’s the oldest continuously occupied governor’s residence in the country (since 1813). Tours by appointment only (reservations required two weeks in advance). 804-371-2642 or executivemansion.virginia.gov.

Fort Clifton

A Confederate stronghold pivotal in defending Richmond and Petersburg in 1864 and 1865. 7 a.m. to dusk daily. 100 Brockwell Lane. 804520-9390 or colonialheightsva.gov.

Fort Harrison Visitor Center

A self-guided walking trail takes visitors through the fort, which was captured by 3,000 Union soldiers on Sept. 29, 1864. Trail open sunrisesunset daily; see website for visitor center hours. 8621 Battlefield Park Road. 804-2261981 or nps.gov/rich.

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Gaines’ Mill Battlefield

Artillery exhibits, the historic Watt House and a 1.5-mile walking trail. Sunrise-sunset daily.

6283 Watt House Road. 804-226-1981 or nps. gov/rich.

Glendale National Cemetery/Malvern Hill Battlefields

The cemetery holds approximately 1,200 graves, many of them Union soldiers, and a nearly 2-mile walking trail traverses battlefields. Sunrise-sunset daily. 8301 Willis Church Road. 804-226-1981 or nps.gov/rich.

Hanover Courthouse

The third-longest continuously used courthouse in the United States dates back to 1740. The circa-1835 stone jail is on site. Tours have been suspended until further notice, see hanoverhistorical.org. 13182 Hanover Courthouse Road. hanovercounty.gov.

Hanover Museum of History & Culture

Scheduled to open spring 2021 on the Hanover Courthouse grounds. 13182 Hanover Courthouse Road. hanovercounty.gov.

Henricus Historical Park

The second successful English settlement in the New World, explore Colonial history and the culture of the Powhatan Indians in the Arrohateck Village at this outdoor living-history museum.

Self-guided tours are available throughout the year. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday (last ticket sold at 4 p.m.). 251 Henricus Park Road.

804-748-1611 or henricus.org. $

Hollywood Cemetery

Established in 1847, it’s the final resting place of two U.S. presidents. Guided tours available. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during daylight savings time). 412 S. Cherry St. 804-648-8501 or hollywoodcemetery.org. Grounds are free; fee for tours.

The Library of Virginia

Explore the story of all Virginia as told through 126 million books, documents, photographs, maps, works of art, newspapers, recordings, films and official records. Exhibitions open to the public, see website for hours and dates of operation. 800 E. Broad St. 804-692-3500 or lva.virginia.gov.

St. John’s Church

The site of Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech. Virtual tours and programs available. See website for updates on in-person guided tours and re-enactments.

2401 E. Broad St. 804-649-0263 or historicstjohnschurch.org. $

Totopotomoy Creek Battlefield at Rural Plains

A walking trail traverses terrain where Union and Confederate armies clashed in 1864. The Shelton House, built around 1723, survived cannon fire. Grounds open sunrise-sunset daily.

The Shelton House is closed for restoration, see website for updates. 7273 Studley Road. 804226-1981 or nps.gov/rich.

The Valentine

Established in 1892, The Valentine helps visitors experience Richmond’s diverse stories through various tours, events, collections and exhibitions.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday (check website for timed ticketing). 1015 E. Clay St. 804-6490711 or thevalentine.org. $

Violet Bank

On the National Register of Historic Places, Violet Bank is the first recorded settlement in Colonial Heights. Today, the home serves as an example of Federal design and displays Civil War era artifacts.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 1 to 6 p.m.

Sunday. 303 Virginia Ave. 804-520-9395 or colonialheightsva.gov.

Virginia Museum of History & Culture

Connects visitors to America’s past through the story of Virginia. Undergoing a nearly $30 million renovation, the museum is closed to in-person guests until early April 2021. 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. 804-340-1800 or virginiahistory.org. $

Virginia State Capitol

Home to the oldest elected lawmaking body in the Western Hemisphere. Free guided tours of the building’s Rotunda, as well as the old House and Senate chambers. See website for hours and dates of operation. Entrance on Bank Street near 10th Street. 804-698-1788 or virginiacapitol.gov.

Virginia Telephone Museum

Features phones dating back to the 1800s, switchboards, phonebooks and tools. See website for open-house dates. 713 E. Grace St. 804-772-1118 or calink.us/vtm/webpage.htm.

COURTESY RICHMOND REGION TOURISM

Cold Harbor Battlefield Visitor Center

A 1915 Southern Railway passenger station houses artifacts of the lines that contributed to Richmond’s rail history. Guided floodwall tours are available at 2 p.m. on second Sundays, AprilOctober, weather permitting. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday; 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. 102 Hull St. 804231-4324 or richmondrailroadmuseum.org. $

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Bath County A pleasant two-and-a-half hour drive from Richmond will place you in the midst of some of the most breathtaking and unspoiled mountain views in Virginia.

Bath County, located just west of the Shenandoah Valley, is an ideal destination for those seeking scenery, solitude, outdoor recreation or a weekend of being spoiled. Stay at a world-class resort or a locally owned motel, inn or lodge. Whichever you choose, the hospitality and service will make it a getaway you will never forget.

Bath County is located in the Allegheny Mountains of Virginia along the border with West Virginia. More information can be found at www.discoverbath.com

DISCOVERBATH.COM 540-839-7202

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DIVERSIONS

MUSIC

Ashland’s cameras recorded the making of a snowman, leading to a popular video.

‘Let’s Have Church’ For almost 70 years, the Jewel Gospel Singers have answered the call

H

enrietta Doswell Gattison has retired from singing three times, but the longtime leader and manager of the Jewel Gospel Singers — aka the New Jewels — is always pulled back in.

“People just keep calling us,” says the 86-year-old gospel matriarch, who was managing a full schedule of church appearances before the pandemic.

“They won’t let us stop.”

Telling people no is not an option, she explains with a sigh: “It’s not something you say when you sing gospel music. We do what God wants us to do.”

Along with co-founder Ellen Jefferson, her 83-year-old younger sister, Gattison and the Jewels have been a solid rock in the Richmond-area gospel scene for nearly 70 years.

With three longtime (60-plus years) members, the quartet specializes in a passionate style of church singing that is both traditional and harmonically complex, a unique sound honed through years of performing

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in Hanover County performed regularly The current incarnation of the churches. at nearby churches.

Jewel Gospel Singers, Henrietta Mother Estelle han“We started off singDoswell Gattison (front) and the New Jewels, (from left) Ann dled the bookings and ing with our daddy,” Cunningham, Vanessa the collection plate Jefferson says, rememitzgerald and llen efferson joined by organist Gee Crawford bering their father, money, and she had no Mitchell Fox. “He did problem with her girls the leading, and Henribreaking off from their etta and I would back him up. He sang father to form their own group after ‘pattyfoot,’ without music, and would one still-talked-about 1953 incident. appear at all of the church revivals “We were celebrating our anniverin Hanover.” sary at the church,” Jefferson explains, Somewhere around 1940, Fox “and my dad sometimes liked to go out formed the Foxes Trio with 3-yearand drink a little liquor. He came home old Ellen and 6-year-old Henrietta. that Sunday morning, and he didn’t The family lived in Newport News have time to get his blue suit out of then, where Fox drove a taxicab and the cleaners, and my uncle had given worked on the docks and Mom sold him a haircut. So he was sitting there pies and pigs’ feet to coal workers. in a brown suit and a skinny head, and After a time, even little brother Hosea my sister and I said, ‘Uh-uh, we’re not going to sing with you no mo.’ ” joined in the act.

The sisters insist that their father “They had to get me out of there didn’t mind. “He was a happy-go-lucky because I was so devilish,” the longtime guy,” Gattison says. “He didn’t care as Richmond concert promoter known as long as we were happy. And it didn’t The Great Hosea says with a laugh.

After moving back to Hanover in stop him from singing one bit. Everyone 1950, the well-seasoned Foxes Trio wanted Mitchell Fox to sing for them.”

MONICA ESCAMILLA; RECORD IMAGES COURTESY AARON BUSHMAN

By Don Harrison

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The Jewel Gospel Singers of the 1960s: Gattison efferson pianist Vivian Owens, Cunningham, Ernestine Jackson and Doris Ann Allen

COURTESY HENRIETTA DOSWELL GATTISON

POLISHING A JEWEL

Cousin Lenora Anderson, who would later marry Pervis Staples of the Staple Singers, was a Jewel during the group’s first years as a trio. Singers Joan Jones and Lotte Henry, a former member of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s Rosettes, also had short term stints in the group. When Anderson moved to Chicago to sing with the Staples Singers, it was Henry who recommended a replacement for lead vocals, Doris Anne Allen, a gospel disc jockey at WANT-AM whose talents went beyond singing. “Doris was prolific,” Gattison says, “and she really could write.”

That’s an understatement. The 6-foot-2 Allen, who died in 1989, was a force of nature. Her dramatic ballads — such as the popular “I’ve Got a Lot To Be Thankful For” — were complicated, passionate affairs. And when she went up-tempo, as on “Guide Me” (Gattison’s signature solo), she could conjure a rave-up as loud and forceful as any rock or R&B band of the era.

“She was amazing — you could open the Bible and point to a verse, and she

could write a song about it,” says Ann Gardner Cunningham, 78, who joined the group at the ripe age of 17 and still sings with them today. “She was well loved, a fun person to be around, but when it came to the music, she didn’t play. She drilled our parts into our heads the way she heard it.”

Cunningham comes from a family steeped in music. Her father, William Gardner, sang in Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s Dependable Four quartet, her uncle Burt played organ for jazz legend Lionel Hampton, and her brother Stu Gardner was comedian Bill Cosby’s longtime musical arranger and collaborator. “The Jewels sound was before their time,” she says. “If you listen to some of our songs, we are sky high. Normal singers aren’t singing that high. But it’s still downhome church music.”

Thanks to Allen’s distinctive songwriting and the group’s unique singing style, the Jewels became one of the

most popular gospel acts in the country in the 1960s. They recorded three albums and released five singles — all songs penned by Allen — for the New Jersey-based Savoy label, arguably the most important of all gospel imprints. The LPs were produced by Laurence Roberts, the organist for the king of gospel music, the Rev. James Cleveland. Roberts, who also performed on the sessions recommended the Jewels to the label after hearing them perform at Petersburg’s Mt. Olivet Baptist Church.

Ernestine Jackson, who was enlisted before the Jewels’ first album, was a jazz performer who sang with her siblings in a group called the Green Sisters, and she brought a bluesy, soulful element to the Jewels’ sound. (Jackson died in 2005.) This classic lineup — Gattison, Jefferson, Allen, Cunningham, Jackson and pianist Vivian Owens — toured the East Coast with popular gospel artists such as Rev. Cleveland, the Caravans, the Dixie Hummingbirds and

RICHMONDMAG.COM

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DIVERSIONS

MUSIC

—Henrietta Doswell Gattison

concept album “Let’s Have Church” from 1965. “We never made a dime from the records,” Gattison says. “The only way we made money was when we sold the records at our shows, and we even had to pay for the records.”

As important as Savoy was in documenting American gospel, the company’s founder, the late Herman Lubinsky, had a terrible reputation.

“The SOB was the worst thief in the world,” singer Al Henderson told jazz critic Jordan Levy in 2018. “He made millions on us [Black musicians], and he wouldn’t pay you nothin’.” Today, the Savoy back catalog is owned by the Mississippi-based Malaco label.

GOING THE DISTANCE Shirley Caesar, and they were in constant demand at home. For more than 20 years, they opened the Harmonizing Four’s annual all-star show at the Mosque (now the Altria Theater).

Although the three Jewel Gospel Singers albums are long out of print on vinyl and never made it to compact disc, two are available on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube, including the ambitious

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When Doris Allen, who also recorded albums of original songs with the Robert Jones Singers and the Virginia Choral Ensemble, moved to Washington, D.C., in the late ‘60s, the original group continued with new member Mae Ida Mitchell — her daughter Vanessa Fitzgerald sings with the group today — and their only male singer, David Reynolds, who would perform on and off with them for years.

Cunningham says that Allen never really left. Even when she got a job as a DJ in

Boston, she would still perform with the Jewels when she could.

Curiously, the Jewels recorded songs for Detroit’s HOB Label that resulted in a 45 that, until this past year, the sisters didn’t realize had been released. “Dionne Warwick was at the session because her father [Marcel] was producing us,” Gattison recalls. “But I had no idea that they ever put anything out.” Sometime in the mid-’70s, they released a record on their own label, JGS. The B-side was a daring cover of country artist Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me Lord,” reworked by arranger Clifton Smith, and it became one of their most popular numbers, according to the sisters.

When the Jewels splintered in the late ‘70s, Gattison penned a Christian musical titled “The Church in the Valley” that she, Jefferson and a cast of singers from their church, New Chestnut Baptist in Mechanicsville, would end up performing for more than a decade as the Henrietta Doswell Ensemble. After the group got back together in 1984, as Henrietta Doswell Gattison and the New Jewels, they participated in an unlikely concert with country artist Charlie Daniels at the Roanoke Civic Center. “He did a gospel portion of his shows,” Cunningham remembers.

Cunningham and the sisters each say that they enjoyed that show with Daniels, but it begs a question: Have the Jewels ever been tempted by secular music, to go pop, as Sam Cooke did when he left the Soul Stirrers?

“Not ever,” Gattison answers quickly.

“We are rooted in our Christianity, in the church. You can’t mix it. You are either going all the way with him, or you’re not.

It hurt me when Sam Cooke changed.

But [even] if they had paid me a fortune, I would not have sung rock ‘n’ roll.”

COURTESY HENRIETTA DOSWELL GATTISON

This 1970s incarnation of the Jewel Gospel Singers included Mary Scott, Eunice Travis, pianist Charles Turner, Henrietta Doswell Gattison, Ellen efferson and Doris Ann Allen.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Spotsylvania It’s Time to Find YOUR Spot!

Ready for a new kind of adventure? Located less than an hour’s drive north of Richmond, Spotsylvania County offers a harmonious blend of rural landscapes and outdoor adventures all in a setting as unique as its name. This is the place to get away from the demands of everyday life and experience new things without venturing far from home. Spotsylvania is a one-of-a-kind destination, offering water sports and fishing on Lake Anna, award-winning wineries and breweries, a world-famous distillery, diverse dining options, music, the arts, as well as scenic walks along endless miles of trails nestled among historic Civil War battlefields. Spotsylvania has a spot for everyone. It’s time to find YOUR spot in Spotsylvania.

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DIVERSIONS

PERFORMANCE VENUES

Richmond Ballet Dancers in “Winter’s Angels,” by Ma Cong

The Hofheimer Building Three floors offer a taproom, The Dark Room live music bar, The Loft event space and The HofGarden rooftop restaurant. 2818 W. Broad St. 804-342-0012 or hofrva.com.

Innsbrook After Hours

Outdoor concert series hosting a variety of national musical acts on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday nights seasonally. 4901 Lake Brook Drive. 800-514-3849 or innsbrook afterhours.com.

Modlin Center for the Arts

Modern venues showcase more than 40 world-class performing arts events each season, three main-stage productions and 30 music performances as part of the Department of Music’s annual free concert series. 453 Westhampton Way at the University of Richmond.

804-289-8980 or modlin.richmond.edu.

The National

Features a variety of local, national and international artists. 708 E. Broad St. 804-6121900 or thenationalva.com.

Robinson Theater Community Arts Center

Concert venues, theaters and performance venues PERFORMANCE VENUES

Altria Theater

Hosts Broadway productions, The Richmond Forum and concerts. 6 N. Laurel St. 804-5923368 or altriatheater.com.

The Ashland Theatre

This historic 1948 theater, brought back to its original glory, is a venue for cinema, music and live theater. 205 England St. 804-401-7007 or ashlandtheatre.org.

Brambly Park

Urban winery and restaurant hosting live music on its outdoor stage. 1708 Belleville St. 804-4065611 or bramblypark.com.

The Broadberry

Music venue hosting a variety of musical genres and artists. 2729 W. Broad St. 804-353-1888 or thebroadberry.com.

The Byrd Theatre

This 92-year-old movie palace screens secondrun movies, cinema classics and more. Tickets are $4 to $6. 2908 W. Cary St. byrdtheatre.org.

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Stuart C. Siegel Center at VCU The Camel Featuring live music seven nights a week. 1621 W. Broad St. 804-353-4901 or thecamel.org.

Canal Club

Shockoe Bottom mainstay for live music. 1545 E. Cary St. 804-643-2582 or thecanalclub.com.

The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen

Features music, dance and theater performances and four galleries. 2880 Mountain Road, Glen Allen. 804-261-2787 or artsglenallen.com.

Dominion Energy Center

Partners with performing arts organizations and independent promoters to bring performances to audiences of all ages. 600 E. Grace St. 804592-3330 or dominionenergycenter.com.

Fuzzy Cactus

Rock ’n’ roll bar featuring local and national musical performances and events. 221 W. Brookland Park Blvd. 804-716-6213 or fuzzycactusrva.com.

Hanover Arts and Activities Center

Annual events include the Off the Rails Craft Beer Festival in September, the Ashland Railroad Run in April and the Fourth of July Parade and Celebration. 500 S. Center St. 804798-2728 or hanoverarts.org.

Henrico Theatre

This Art Deco theater offers a variety of events, including Henrico Live and second-run movies for $1. 305 E. Nine Mile Road. 804-652-1460 or henricotheatre.com.

The Hippodrome Theater Venues

Multipurpose venue that offers four spaces hosting groups from 20 to 550.

528 N. Second St. 804-308-2913 or hippodromerichmond.com.

The home arena for VCU Rams basketball games, this facility also hosts other events. 1200 W. Broad St. 804-828-7267 or siegelcenter.com.

The Tin Pan

Concert venue featuring national, regional and local acts. 8982 Quioccasin Road. 804-4478189 or tinpanrva.com.

Virginia Credit Union LIVE! at Richmond Raceway This outdoor amphitheater hosts national musical acts and festivals. 900 E. Laburnum Ave. 804-612-1900 or vaculive.com.

W.E. Singleton Center

Features music, plays and musicals from the theater and music departments at VCU. 922 Park Ave. 804-828-1169 or vcumusic.showclix.com (music box office); 804-828-6026 or vcutheatre. showclix.com (theater box office).

MUSIC, DANCE & OPERA

Classical Revolution RVA

Presenting accessible classic musical performances in casual settings such as breweries, galleries and restaurants to connect people with the genre. classicalrevolutionrva.com.

Concert Ballet of Virginia

This professionally mounted dance company produces a full-scale season of Gala Repertory Programs. 804-798-0945 or concertballet.org.

Dogtown Dance Theatre

A nonprofit organization offering classes, dance performances and events. 109 W. 15th St. 804230-8780 or dogtowndancetheatre.com.

Elegba Folklore Society

African dance, dance theater, music and workshops link audiences with the global significance of timeless art forms. 101 E. Broad St. 804-644-3900 or efsinc.org.

SARAH FERGUSON

Beneath the Lights

This multipurpose facility offers arts, fitness programs, community events and affordable venue space. 2903 Q St. 804-562-9133 or robinsontheater.org.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Lynchburg Just a two-hour drive from Richmond, Lynchburg, Virginia offers beautiful surroundings and a bounty of cultural and outdoor adventures, making our city a desirable destination on its own. But we know it’s our people who make Lynchburg the best small city in America.

From the boutique owner selling her own designs, to the chef wowing diners with exciting new dishes, to the hotelier making sure the beds are cozy and warm, these are the experiences that will have you coming back time and time again. Plan a day trip or long weekend and post your journey on social media using #LYHVA.

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Adventure for Everyone

Find your own adventure on our 40 miles of urban trails, skiiing year-round or kayaking the James River.

Art Worth the Drive

Our History Bucket List

All roads lead to sites of historic importance to our nation and fun places to explore our connection to the world.

Our city has long been a home to passionate artists creating works for stage, street and gallery.

This is Lynchburg.

lynchburgvirginia.org

Use your camera phone to scan QR codes for ideas on how to spend your time with us.

Our lodging, dining and retail community is wiping down surfaces, perfecting their “mask smile” and ready to help visitors #travelconfidently.

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DIVERSIONS

TURNING BLUEPRINTS INTO REALITIES.

PERFORMANCE VENUES

K Dance

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This contemporary dance company hosts the annual “Yes! Dance Festival” and “SHORTS.” Resident dance company at the Firehouse Theatre.

1609 W. Broad St. 804-270-4944 or kdance.org.

Latin Ballet of Virginia

Uses the expressive beauty of movement to weave the tales and traditions of Hispanic culture. 804356-3876 or latinballet.com.

Menuhin Competition

Postponed from 2020, this competition hosts 44 of the world’s most talented young violinists. This prestigious event will be held in several venues throughout Richmond. The new dates are May 13-23. 2021.menuhincompetition.org.

Richmond Ballet

Buzz Eacho

The State Ballet of Virginia, its repertoire includes more than 75 commissioned works, as well as beloved classics. 407 E. Canal St. 804-344-0906 or richmondballet.com.

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9030 Stony Point Pkwy., Suite 230 Richmond, VA V 23235

Richmond Philharmonic

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About 70 community members make up this orchestra. Various locations. 804-556-1039 or richmondphilharmonic.org.

Richmond Symphony

Performing several concerts throughout the season, including socially distanced in-person performances as well as online livestreamed concerts. 804-788-4717 or richmondsymphony.com.

River City Opera

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Bold and adventurous performances at nontraditional venues, with a focus on audience and performer diversity. rivercityopera.org.

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Innovative performances and events at various locations. 804-304-1523 or starrfosterdance.org.

University Dance and Music Departments

University of Richmond, 804-289-8980 or modlin. richmond.edu. Virginia Commonwealth University (dance), 804-828-2020, arts.vcu.edu/dance or arts.vcu.edu/gracestreet; (music) 804-828-1169 or arts.vcu.edu/music. Virginia Union University, 804257-5600 or vuu.edu. Randolph-Macon College, 804-752-7316 or rmc.edu/departments/theatre/ current-season.

Virginia Opera

Performs four main-stage productions each season. Dominion Energy Center’s Carpenter Theatre. 866-673-7282 or vaopera.org.

STA E/COMED

5th Wall Theatre

A collaborative theater company holding shows at a variety of venues. 804-359-2003 or 5thwall theatre.org.

Cadence Theatre Company

Professional, nonprofit theater company, presenting contemporary plays and musicals and arts education programs. 804-233-4894 or cadencetheatre.org.

CAT Theatre

With its 57th season put on hold, performances of the CATharsis Pandemic Theatre are available online. See website for updates. cattheatre.com.

Coalition Theater

PROUDLY SERVING CENTRAL VIRGINIA FOR OVER 60 YEARS!

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The Conciliation Project

Original plays that inspire, inform and include everyone in the conversation about race

www.napierera.com 804.897.3015 80

A nonprofit comedy theater hosting regular shows.

8 W. Broad St. 804-332-5857 or rvacomedy.com.

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Fresh Cut Flowers • Professional Design Hand Delivered Daily • Open 7 Days A Week

1114 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

(804) 353 - 9600 www.VogueFlowers.com

Ashland 211 N Washington Hwy Ashland, VA 23005

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Chester 4100 W Hundred Rd Chester, VA 23831

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DIVERSIONS

PERFORMANCE VENUES

and racism. TCP also is partnering with TheatreLAB to create a new social justice theater company.

804-477-6453 or theconciliationproject.org.

CSZ Richmond Theater

Improv comedy experience for the family and groups of all types, as well as after-hours shows. 8906-H W. Broad St. 804-266-9377 or cszrichmond.com.

Firehouse Theatre

A hub of activity where new work is created and performed. 1609 W. Broad St. 804-355-2001 or firehousetheatre.org.

Funny Bone Comedy Club

expl ore

YO U R S T O

Gilded Age Mansion Gardens Nature Center Farm Carriages Wildlife Exhibits 100 acres Arboretum maymont.org

Closed for remodeling, catch some of the nation’s hottest comedians when the expanded showroom reopens in late spring 2021. Short Pump Town Center, 11800 W. Broad St., Suite 1090. 804-5218900 or richmond.funnybone.com.

HAT Theatre

This black-box theater produces only RVA premieres. 1124 Westbriar Drive. 804-343-6364 or hattheatre.org.

The Heritage Ensemble Theatre Company

This nonprofit theater company preserves African American stories through performances.

804-404-5259 or theheritageensemble.wixsite. com/thetc.

Quill Theatre

Richmond’s home for classical theater also produces the Richmond Shakespeare Festival.

804-340-0115 or quilltheatre.org.

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond Triangle Players

LGBTQ issues are explored through critically acclaimed works. 1300 Altamont Ave. 804-3468113 or rtriangle.org.

River City Community Players Valentine.16v.VG21.indd 1

Nonprofit community theater performing at various venues throughout the region. 804-55412/4/18 8:31 AM 0595 or rivercitycommunityplayers.com.

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The Sandman Comedy Club

Features nationally known comedians along with a full menu and bar. 401 E. Grace St. 803-807-3705 or sandmancomedyclub.com.

The largest selection of original art in RVA!

Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Performing in one of the oldest gristmills in America, this company offers shows year-round; see website for details about the pre-show dinner.

17401 Richmond Highway, South Chesterfield.

804-748-5203 or swiftcreekmill.com.

TheatreLAB

“Richmond’s home for unexpected and evocative performance.” In 2021, TheatreLAB is partnering with The Conciliation Project to create a social justice theater company. 300 E. Broad St. 804506-3533 or theatrelabrva.org.

Virginia Repertory Theatre

Crossroads Art Center represents more than 225 artists and is a cultural resource and an active participant in Richmond’s thriving arts community.

Shop our 25,000 square feet of exhibition space today!

This professional theater company presents four unique seasons, including its Broadway-style main stage and Children’s Theatre. A wide-ranging array of musicals, dramas, comedies and new plays are performed. Four separate venues. 804-282-2620 or va-rep.org.

Weinstein JCC’s Family Theatre

An all-volunteer-based community theater performing works that connect audiences with Jewish community and culture. 5403 Monument Ave. 804-285-6500 or weinsteinjcc.org.

The Whistle Stop Theatre Company

2016 Staples Mill Road RVA CALL 804.278.8950 TEXT 804.314.3900

A volunteer-run theater performing classic works of literature, fairy tales and history. whistlestop theatre.weebly.com.

crossroadsartcenter.com And now, you can shop the collection in-store or go online and shop anywhere, anytime!

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/ 2021

CAC Richmond Visitor Guide Ad 2020.indd 1 CrossroadsArt.12b.VG21.indd 1

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11/14/20 10:11 AM 11/23/20 1:50 PM

1/21/21 10:56 AM

WanderLove is calling. Explore beyond your own backyard this fall with a road tri p to Surry County, Virginia.

Take a scenic drive from Richmond to Surry County by using Route 5, following the north side of the James River. Enjoy a charming free ride on the Jamestown/Scotland Ferry over to Surry and explore our sites. Return to Richmond on Route 10, on the south side of the James.

It’s a perfect day trip to get to know us!

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DIVERSIONS

PRODUCTIONS

Built for Disaster

Production crews adapt to pandemic precautions — and the show goes on

T

here’s an entertainment business axiom that’s akin to one of the theater world’s favorite clichés — “the show must go on” — that’s not as catchy but more revealing: Prepare for the worst thing that can happen. Last March, TV and film producers in Virginia may not have been ready as a global pandemic shut down business as usual, but they adapted — and fast.

Andy Edmunds, director of the Virginia Film Office, wasn’t surprised.

“I knew that our industry would come up with a plan, because film production at its core is basically disaster management anyway,” he says. “So producers are always used to having to adapt, innovate, to solve problems. I mean, making a movie is a big

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problem-solving exercise. So I knew that they would look at the situation and talk to experts and determine the best way to proceed in the creation of this content that would address the risks.”

Some of the changes to sets have included robust COVID-19 testing and contact tracing; creating “bubbles,” where groups of people are separated to reduce risks; and the end of communal dining. These changes aim to make production safer, though they have also made it more expensive and slower. But that hasn’t stopped producers from shooting in Virginia. Presently, three major productions are underway in the Richmond region. One of them is “Dopesick,” featuring the actors Michael Keaton and Rosario Dawson in a Hulu series about opioid addiction that’s based

on a book by Virginia author Beth Macy.

Reports say filming has occurred at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, in Church Hill and at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Another major production being shot locally is “Swagger,” a coming-ofage series for Apple TV about the early years of NBA superstar and Washington, D.C., native Kevin Durant. The Brooklyn Nets forward is also a producer. The streaming series features O’Shea Jackson (“Straight Outta Compton”) and a young cast that includes Former Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (“Annie,” Beasts of the Southern Wild”). “Swagger” has filmed scenes at City Park in Hopewell, Gilpin Court and the downtown YMCA. Meanwhile, production of “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” a

VICTORIA BORGES

By Craig Belcher

/ 2021

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Visit West Point & King William, Virginia

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DIVERSIONS

PRODUCTIONS

o esic l ed scenes at Virginia Co onwealth ni ersit s cott ouse in anuar .

Featured Presentation

g ide to the region s film estivals 48 Hour Film Horror Project

James River Short Films

Area filmmakers have 48 hours to create a horror film. October (tentative). The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St. 48hourfilm.com.

A mini festival featuring a juried competition of short films (20 minutes or less) from around the world. Jan. 29. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. jamesriverfilm.org.

A contest in which filmmakers have 48 hours to create a short film. July (tentative). The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St. 48hourfilm.com.

Afrikana Independent Film Festival

spinoff of AMC’s popular series “The Walking Dead,” is scheduled to resume early this year.

“These three shows alone are putting north of $120 million into Virginia’s economy in just nine months,” Edmunds says.

Smaller productions, such as commercials and independent films, also contribute to the economy and are ongoing as well. Alexandria Krost is an executive producer with The Branching, a production company she owns with her husband, Lukas, that has produced several commercials during the pandemic. She’s also trained in COVID-19 compliance guidelines.

“As a producer, I wanted to know that I’m making sure my sets are the safest possible,” she says. “Because ultimately, that’s the most important thing — that people are safe and they feel comfortable.”

Making a set safer involves many of the things you might expect: masking, testing, tracing and wiping down equipment. It doesn’t, however, mandate smaller film crews.

“If you have too few people ... more people are wearing more hats, and therefore you’re more likely to rush because you’re doing more things — and then mistakes can happen,” Krost says. “You’ve got to have the right number of people for the right shoot on what you’re doing.”

The pandemic shut down the film and TV business in Virginia in early 2020, but only for a while, giving time for people who are among the best at planning for the worst to find new ways of getting the job done. Their work hasn’t gone unnoticed by Gov. Ralph Northam, who lauded their results in a recent press release: “Virginia continues to be a premier production hub for filmmakers seeking an authentic, film-friendly environment and a home away from home,” he stated.

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This ongoing series spotlights independent films by and about people of color. Sept. 16-19.

Multiple locations. afrikanafilmfestival.org.

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

Wild, exotic locales are celebrated in the selected films. March (tentative). James River High School, 3700 James River Road.

804-748-1623, chesterfield.gov or banffcentre.ca.

Created Equal Film Series

Presents films at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in partnership with the Richmond Peace Education Center. See website for updates. 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. 804-340-1800 or virginiahistory.org.

French Film Festival

James River Silent Film series

Silent films with improvised music by local bands. Various dates, yearround. Gallery5, 200 W. Marshall St. jamesriverfilm.org.

Pocahontas Reframed Storytellers Film Festival

This film festival, held in November, celebrates Native American stories and storytellers. pocahontasreframed.com.

Poe Film Festival

A weekend showcase of films inspired by author Edgar Allan Poe. Held in late autumn, visit the website for locations. poefilmfestival.com.

ReelAbilities Film Festival

Presents award-winning films promoting awareness of the stories of people with differing abilities, accompanied by discussions and other programs that bring together the community. Feb. 9-11. Weinstein JCC, 5403 Monument Ave. 804-285-6500 or weinsteinjcc.org.

Features appearances by directors and actors, as well as North American premieres of French films.

March 18-21. The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St. 804-827-3456 or frenchfilmfestival.us.

Richmond International Film & Music Festival

Free screenings held September through May explore provocative films focused on issues affecting marginalized groups. Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, 601 W. Broad St. 804-828-2823 or icavcu.org/films.

RVA Environmental Film Festival

ICA Cinema Series

Israeli Film Festival

The 11th annual festival celebrates Israel through award-winning films.

Jan. 21-31. Weinstein JCC, 5403 Monument Ave. 804-285-6500 or weinsteinjcc.org.

James River Film Festival

A nonprofit organization dedicated to the art of film and film as art.

March. Varied venues; anchor location is the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, 1812 W. Main St. jamesriverfilm.org.

More than 100 international films, industry panels, Q&A sessions, music performances and more. May 4-9.

Multiple locations. rvafilmfestival. com.

Local and national films about environmental issues. Feb. 12-28.

Multiple locations. rvaeff.org.

University of Richmond’s International Film Series

A showcase of international films in their original languages with English subtitles. Held most Thursdays and Fridays during fall and spring semesters; see website for updates.

Free. University of Richmond.

804-289-8876 or richmond.edu/ international-film-series.html.

VCU Cinematheque

International fare in 35 mm at the Grace Street Theater held most Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. during fall and spring semesters; see website for schedule updates. 934 W. Grace St. 804-828-2020 or arts.vcu.edu/ cinema/cinematheque.

JAY PAUL

48 Hour Film Project

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Glass Island Fishing Pier

DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

Between the Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers, West Point and King William County offer a carefree escape

Sunset

Located between the Pamun-

of a beach town including fresh seafood and water access as well

key and Mattaponi rivers on the

as ample shopping and dining options for visitors to enjoy. Stroll

Middle Peninsula of the Chesa-

through the tree-lined streets and enjoy more architectural mar-

peake Bay, visitors will find the

vels dating back almost 200 years.

rolling landscape of King William

Before heading into town, consider booking a stay at a histor-

County and the town of West

ic property such as North Point Plantation, a bed and breakfast

Point to be rich with beautiful

located along the Mattaponi River.

river views as well as opportuni-

For some outdoor fun, go for a hike at Sandy Point State Forest,

ties for family fun and exploration.

which offers beautiful riverfront and designated spots on which to

Take in a bit of Virginia his-

bike, horseback ride, or hunt. Make it a beach day at historic Beach

tory with a visit to King William

Park in downtown West Point on the York River. Let the kids run

County Courthouse and Historical

free on the quiet sandy beach as you soak up the sun.

Museum, which was built in 1725

After a day of exploring, shopping and taking in the views,

and is the oldest continuously

head to local favorite Halterman’s Eatery for fresh local seafood,

used courthouse in America.

burgers, or even breakfast all day. The Blue Crab of West Point

The town of West Point, locat-

is another popular restaurant — perfect for a brunch, lunch or

ed right where the Pamunkey and the Mattaponi meet at the

dinner of hush puppies, crab legs or clam strips. They offer out-

York River, is the first point of saltwater when coming east from

door seating as well as curbside pickup.

Richmond and central Virginia. West Point has all the offerings

visitwestpointkingwilliam.com

FAST FACTS

Open weekends

Riverwatch Farm

Zoar State Forest is a

The Mattaponi people

September through

offers goat cuddling

great place for hiking,

share their culture

November, Pamunkey

and bottle feeding

wildlife-watching,

through events and

Indian Museum &

sessions, farm tours,

paddling, and fishing.

gatherings, such as an

Culture Center is on the

fresh dairy products

annual powwow, held

Pamunkey Reservation.

and artisan soap.

in June.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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/ T R AV E L

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DIVERSIONS

ARTS

Baxter Perkinson Center Brings the Arts Home C

W

hen Marly Fuller was growing up in Chester, she took advantage of as many arts activities as her family could afford, playing the cello and participating in arts camps and theater clubs. Now, years later, she is executive director of Chester’s new Baxter Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education, providing opportunities for her hometown community to expand its engagement with the arts as both spectators and participants.

“I see the center becoming the heartbeat of the arts in Chesterfield,” she says. “My vision is that the center transforms the community.”

With its 350-seat theater, multipurpose education center, classroom and art gallery, the 11810 Centre St. facility provides multiple spaces for visitors to experience the arts in many forms.

Fuller, who worked previously as a nonprofit consultant, wants the center to be welcoming to everyone, regardless of their experience with the arts.

“There are some art centers I’ve been to where if you don’t get it, you feel left out,” Fuller says. “I never want to create that feeling.”

The center provides much-needed performance space for partners such as Broken Leg Theater (BLT), a volunteer-run organization that offers opportunities for local families to perform in musicals and plays at a limited cost. In the past, BLT staged shows at local schools, packing and unpacking sets and costumes for each performance. “Residing at the center

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will open up so many doors for us and enable us to provide more educationally rich opportunities for our participants,” says the group’s director of education outreach, Megan Livingston.

In addition to hosting local performers, the center plans to attract touring companies such as Hiplet, a Chicago-based group that blends ballet and hip-hop. Ideally, visiting artists will spend a one-week residence at the center, allowing them to reflect and create in a different environment, while sharing some of what they’ve learned with residents.

“The center provides a gateway for the rest of the arts community in the world,” Fuller says.

For local artists, the center also provides another space in the region for them to connect with audiences.

“Having this space to perform in is like having somebody give you a piece of their lottery win,” says singer Desirée Roots, who will perform in the center’s virtual concert series Feb. 12. Roots describes the center’s 350-seat Jimmy Dean Theater as “breathtaking.”

The center’s origin dates back to the 1960s, when Dottie Armstrong, who founded a local community theater group called the John Rolfe Players with her husband, Larry, proposed the idea of a performing arts center.

At the time, the group traveled to churches and schools to perform, and its members dreamed of a permanent home. The group disbanded in 1995, but the idea of a performing arts center remained. Decades later, the first chairman of the Chesterfield Center for the

Arts at Chester Foundation (now the Chesterfield Cultural Arts Foundation), the late Betty Matthews, worked to cultivate the idea. After the 2008 recession halted fundraising, Hugh Cline, current chairman of the CCAF, which manages the Baxter Perkinson Center, helped raise enough money to convince county officials the center was viable. Then, a few years ago, Dr. Baxter Perkinson, an artist and philanthropist who also founded Virginia Family Dentistry, donated $1 million for naming rights and funding an art gallery.

VIRGINIA HAMRICK; FAR RIGHT: CLEM BRITT

By Catherine Brown

/ 2021

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VIRGINIA HAMRICK; FAR RIGHT: CLEM BRITT

DIRECTIONAL: PHOTO CREDIT

Clockwise from top left: Chester’s new Baxter Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education; sound and lighting engineers in the center’s Jimmy Dean Theater get ready for the Dominion Energy @Home virtual concert series; students from the Specialty Center for the Arts at Thomas Dale High School at work in a classroom at the center.

Former Atlanta Falcons running back Ken Oxendine, who grew up in Chester, serves on the CCAF Board.

He remembers field trips to Thomas Dale High School, where he watched their orchestra perform, as part of his limited exposure to the arts. “The only artwork I saw was what students in my school created,” he says. Oxendine, who works as a motivational speaker, is thrilled that his daughters will experience the arts in their hometown. “We don’t have to trek to downtown Richmond anymore to see high-quality performances,” he says.

While the pandemic dampened plans for in-person performances, Fuller puts a positive spin on current

circumstances. “The pandemic has given us time to be very strategic so that our guest experience will be top-notch when we open our doors,” she says.

Recently, the center has partnered with local groups who can livestream their events, while also offering virtual classes, which were in the works before COVID-19 restrictions began. In sharing the arts with the community — either virtually or in-person, Fuller hopes the center will enable visitors to immerse themselves in the arts.

“We are stewards of a guest experience that makes people feel a connection to the artists, to the center, to the community, but most importantly to themselves,” she says.

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DIVERSIONS

VISUAL ARTS

Gallery Guide

Fine art, paintings, prints and sculpture ASHLAND/HANOVER

Flippo Gallery, Pace-Armistead Hall, 211 N. Center St., rmc.edu/departments/studio-arts/ flippo-gallery or KathrynHenryChoisser@rmc. edu. Located on the campus of RandolphMacon College in Ashland, Flippo Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery exhibiting work by emerging and established artists.

DOWNTOWN/MIDTOWN/FAN

1708 Gallery, 319 W. Broad St., 804-643-1708 or 1708gallery.org. Nonprofit gallery presenting contemporary art and providing opportunities for artistic innovation.

ADA Gallery, 228 W. Broad St., adagallery.com.

Contemporary fine art by emerging and midcareer artists, with a focus on artists from Virginia.

Anne’s Visual Art Studio Gallery, 208 W. Broad St., 804-644-1368 or mkt.com/ visualartstudio. Works by 80-plus mostly local artists. Art classes, consultations and photo shoots by appointment. Rotating exhibitions in the Main Gallery and First Friday’s Gallery.

Plus, Anne’s studio and a gallery shop of prints, handmade jewelry and artisan ware. Email annestudiogallery@gmail.com or click “Book Now” on Facebook for appointments.

Antennae, 8 E. Broad St., 252-207-4677 or toddhale.com. A working studio and exhibition space for Todd Hale, a mixed-media artist. For gallery updates, see @flavorhead on Instagram.

Atlas, ART 180’s teen gallery, 114 W. Marshall St., 804-233-4180 or art180.org. Gallery exhibiting visual and performing art produced by young people. It provides opportunities to kids who might not otherwise be exposed to art.

The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design, 2501 Monument Ave., 804-655-6055

or branchmuseum.org. Elevates awareness of the transformative power of architecture and design through exhibitions, webinars, house tours, camps and educational programs.

Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, 101 E. Broad St., 804-644-3900 or efsinc.org. Paintings, prints, carvings, decor, wearables, jewelry and more created by artists from throughout the African diaspora and the United States.

Eric Schindler Gallery, 2305 E. Broad St., 804-6445005 or ericschindlergallery.com. Contemporary fine art, exhibited September through June.

The Highpoint, 3300 W. Broad St., 804-254-2763 or thehighpointrichmond.com. Features new exhibitions by artists on a quarterly basis inside the Blackburn Gallery and the halls of the East Wing.

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and emerging artists and includes a shop with local and handmade gifts, home accessories, jewelry and stationery.

Reynolds Gallery, 1514 W. Main St., 804-355-6553; 401 Libbie Ave., No. 3, reynoldsgallery.com. Two gallery locations exhibit regional and national artists’ works in a range of styles. The 401 Libbie Ave. location is scheduled to open in late February.

Shockoe Artspace, 12 N. 19th St., 209-740-0916 or shockoeartspace.com. Nonprofit gallery exhibiting local, regional and national visual artists and diverse programming.

Shockoe Bottom Clay, 1714 E. Main St., 804-7750832 or shockoebottomclay.com. A working gallery with 10 studios and the ceramic art of more than 30 local and regional artists.

Studio Two Three, 3300 W. Clay St., 804-2547302 or studiotwothree.org. Nonprofit art studio and printmaking workshop with a mission to empower artists to make art and make change.

Offers classes, makerspaces and a store featuring Richmond items and other handmade art and quirky gifts created by local artists.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd, 804-340-1400 or vmfa.museum. One of the most acclaimed art museums in the country, with internationally renowned collections, special exhibitions and a gift shop. The museum offers both casual and fine dining. The VMFA open 365 days a year with free general admission.

Visual Arts Center of Richmond, 1812 W. Main St., 804-353-0094 or visarts.org. Offers more than 1,000 art classes for kids and adults each year, while hosting contemporary art exhibitions in the True F. Luck Gallery, as well as community events throughout the year.

MECHANICSVILLE

Windemere Art Gallery/Lee Artists Association, 6162 Mechanicsville Turnpike, 804-730-0384.

Rotating exhibitions featuring eclectic works.

Judged shows are held twice a year, and artists can display their work. Classes available.

NORTH SIDE

Iridian Gallery, 1407 Sherwood Ave., 804-622-

The Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University (ICA), 601 W. Broad

4646 or diversityrichmond.org/iridian. Features diverse LGBTQ+ artists and art that relates to their experiences.

Laurel Gallery, 2805 Hungary Road, 804-6726804 or laurelgalleryrva.com. Opened in 1989, this 99.5% American-made craft gallery features art glass, pottery, jewelry and other gifts. Outdoor gallery features 100% American-made yard art.

Custom framing and custom stained glass, plus stained-glass classes and supplies.

St., 804-828-2823 or icavcu.org. A noncollecting institution that showcases a fresh slate of changing exhibitions and programs, the ICA serves as a forum for dialogue, collaboration and new ideas. Four galleries showcase diverse perspectives through multiple mediums. Visit the website and social media channels for information on programming and digital experiences.

Quirk Gallery, 207 W. Broad St., 804-340-6036 or quirkgallery.com. Exhibits work by established

3674 or richmondgov.com/parks. Monthly rotating exhibits (except during the summer) feature local artists in the Spotlight Gallery. The gallery welcomes new local talent. For exhibit announcements and more information, visit facebook.com/pinecampculturalartscenter.

Richmond Art Garage, 205 W. Brookland Park Blvd., 804-340-6155 or richmondartgarage.

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Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road, 804-646-

com. Features original work from local and international emerging artists. This gallery focuses on assisting artists with establishing their careers.

SOUTH SIDE/MANCHESTER/ CHESTERFIELD

43rd Street Gallery, 1412 W. 43rd St., 804-2331758 or 43rdstgallery.com. Contemporary craft gallery featuring work by local artisans. Pottery studio on site. Offers a selection of jewelry, wood, clay and mixed media.

Art Works, 320 Hull Street Road, 804-291-1400 or artworksrva.com. New exhibits each month featuring contemporary art. The venue houses four galleries and 80 working artists’ studios.

Artspace, 804-232-6464 or artspacegallery.org.

Member-operated gallery celebrating 32 years.

Artspace is in a temporary location at 2101 Maywill St.; visit website for updates.

Baxter and Elaine Perkinson Gallery, 11810 Centre St., 804-748-5555 or perkinsoncenter. org. Gallery inside the more than 20,500-squarefoot Perkinson Center for the Arts & Education.

Showcasing a variety of artists from across the commonwealth, the inaugural exhibition, “Home,” runs through March 31 and features a retrospective of the Perkinsons’ artwork.

Bon Air Artists Association, bonairartists.com. This fine-artists association promotes the arts in the Richmond region through rotating exhibitions in venues throughout the city.

The Well Art Gallery, 1309 Hull St., thewellartgallery.com. Black-owned gallery presenting work in various media such as paintings, photography, videography, murals and graffiti.

WEST END/FAR WEST END

Crossroads Art Center, 2016 Staples Mill Road, 804-278-8950 or crossroadsartcenter.com.

Twenty-five thousand square feet of gallery space featuring more than 225 local artists and an online shop. Art classes are also available.

The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, 2880 Mountain Road, 804-261-2787 or artsglenallen. com. Rotating exhibits in the Slantwall, Midway, Glass Door and Gumenick Family Galleries.

Sara D. November Gallery, 5403 Monument Ave., 804-545-8644 or weinsteinjcc.org. Varied exhibitions focusing on Jewish and general art themes, located within the Weinstein JCC. University of Richmond Museums, 453 Westhampton Way, 804-289-8276 or museums. richmond.edu. Includes Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art, the Joel and Lila Harnett Print Study Center, and the Lora Robins Gallery of Design From Nature. Visit the website for updated University Museums hours.

West End Gallery, 4021 Lauderdale Drive, 804740-1569 or westendgalleryrva.com. Fine art and custom framing, featuring work by local, national and international artists. More than 200 paintings in stock. Specializes in traditional impressionist, realist and abstract paintings.

This is a sampling. For the full list, see richmondmag.com/galleries.

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Reimagining YOUR State History Museum CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY ON A $30 MILLION TRANSFORMATION New Exhibition Spaces New State-of-the-Art Orientation Theater Renovated Research Library New Education & Meeting Rooms Reimagined Museum Shop New Café New Outdoor Spaces

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JOIN US AS WE BECOME THE MUSEUM VIRGINIA NEEDS AND ALL VIRGINIANS DESERVE. Learn more, see sponsorship and naming opportunities, and make a donation at VirginiaHistory.org/OurFuture

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DIVERSIONS

SHOPPING

Rebuilding Retail

I

nching toward its 300th birthday, Richmond has a few creaky joints and dusty corners. The weary days of late have been particularly hard on the Arts District area of Broad Street. It started with the long and obtrusive construction of the GRTC Pulse. Completed in 2018, it removed some street parking. Then, just as businesses and shoppers adjusted to new parking norms, a global pandemic hit early 2020. Foot traffic all but disintegrated and many stores decided to close their physical locations temporarily, some permanently. As business owners reopened that same year, late May’s racial justice protests in the wake of George Floyd’s killing included rioters who vandalized and looted the area. Now, the stores that remain have emerged resilient and ready for business.

CRASH COURSE

Anthony Bryant is vice president of the Richmond Arts District (RAD), the promotional arm of the Downtown Neighborhood Association. He’s also the owner of Little Nomad at 104 W. Broad St., which sells children’s clothing and accessories. He has a positive outlook on the area’s future, but understands the task of overcoming obstacles, both recent and perennial.

“Our goal is to make sure the Arts

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District is being highlighted in a positive light,” he says. “Our biggest challenge is people’s view of the history down here.

They view it as a failed area … the way it was back in the 1990s with a major drug presence.” Bryant knows it wasn’t always that way. He remembers the area during the 1980s.

“I grew up in Chesterfield and my parents would bring me here to take me shopping,” he says. “This is where trends and culture were at.”

By Megan Wilson Bryant later fell in love with retail.

That’s the reason he came back to open his own store in 2017, and stayed, even after a car crashed into his shop a year later.

“I wanted to be part of building something back up,” he says. “I had this vision and I saw other people who had the same vision to bring downtown back to its prominence and make it a true destination.”

RAD has been working to create solutions for long-standing challenges including parking, police presence and economic development. He says the infrastructure for a prosperous downtown is already there. It just needs a little extra love.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a business crash course through all of this, puns intended, and I’ve come out stronger,” he says.

TELLING A STORY

Inside of It’s A Man’s World at 100 W. Broad St., Susan Youngs stacks tables and fills racks with an upscale consignment collection of men’s coats, cufflinks, leather goods and hats. Women’s jewelry, coats, shoes and clothing draws in female shoppers as well.

“I wish people understood how viable and vibrant the area is,” Youngs says.

“There’s no violence and there’s so many great places and people to find here.”

The brick wall leading to Young’s front door features a green, yellow, aqua and black portrait of John Mitchell Jr. A prominent businessman, longtime editor of the former Richmond Planet newspaper, civil rights activist, and politician in the area. His story is Anthony Bryant of part of history that is Little Nomad often overlooked, yet

LEFT: NICK DAVIS; RIGHT: COURTESY JASMINA ZULIC

Shop owners take charge of Arts District revitalization

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LOOKING UP

“When I opened, I wanted to be a part of a creative community and play a role in infusing energy here,” says Jasmina Zulic, owner of bohemian fashion store Mod & Soul. “Through everything, the supportive retail community has worked together. We’re glad to still serve our community.”

Zulic opened her store at 323 W. Broad St. in 2016. Her discerning eye for wardrobe staples, home decor, gifts and special occasion pieces keeps customers returning. Along with other businesses, Mod & Soul participated in efforts to relaunch First Friday events and present neighborhood-wide open houses during the holidays.

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DIVERSIONS

SHOPPING

Retail Destinations Markets, malls and shopping hubs

FARMERS MARKETS

17th Street Market

Open-air plaza featuring café-style seating and plantings. 100 N. 17th St. 804-646-0954 or rva. gov/parks-recreation.

Ashland Farmers Market

Hanover-grown produce, honey, artisan baked goods, fresh-cut flowers, grass-fed beef, pastured pork, preserves and more. Holiday markets in November and December. 9 to 11 a.m.

Saturdays, May-October. Henry Clay Elementary School, 310 S. James St. 804-798-9219 or ashlandva.gov.

Birdhouse Farmers Market

Fruits, vegetables, meats, baked goods and more from within 100 miles of Richmond.

SNAP accepted. 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, MayNovember. 1507 Grayland Ave. 804-261-0841 or birdhousefarmersmarket.org.

Brandermill Green Market

Products, produce, flowers, pet treats, crafts and more from local farms and vendors. See Facebook page for updated hours. 4900 Market Square Lane. 804-744-1035 or facebook.com/ brandermillgreenmarket.

Carytown Farmers Market

A variety of local produce, fresh foods, art and flowers. Artisan market in December. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, May-last Sunday in October. City Stadium, 3201 Maplewood Ave. 804-402-9076 or carytownmarket.com.

Chesterfield County Farmers Market

Local fruits, vegetables, plants, desserts and crafts on the grounds of the Chesterfield County Government Complex. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, May-August. 6701 Mimms Loop. 804-751-4401 or facebook.com/ CFitFarmersMarket.

Colonial Heights Farmers Market

Locally grown produce, grass-fed meats, eggs, plants, baked goods, honey and more. 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, year-round. 2600 Boulevard, Colonial Heights. 804-721-3256 or facebook. com/colonialheightsfarmersmarket.

Dorey Park Farmers Market

South of the James Market

Local produce and meats, baked goods, jams and jellies, handmade items and more. Music and community outreach events offered often.

9 a.m. to noon. Saturdays, June-October.

2999 Darbytown Road. 804-314-9739 or doreyparkfarmersmarket.org.

More than 100 vendors, featuring local, homegrown and craft products. 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, May-October. Winter market: 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, November-April. Visit growrva.com/soj for location details.

Farmers Market at St. Stephen’s

Market hosted by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, MaySeptember; 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, October-April. The market will be outdoors for 2021. 6000 Grove Ave. 804-288-2867 or ststephensrva.org.

Huguenot-Robious Farmers Market at the Great Big Greenhouse

Virginia Grown market featuring produce, meat and crafts. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays, yearround. Outside: mid-April-November; inside: December-mid-April (see website for market updates). 2051 Huguenot Road. 804-320-1317 or greatbiggreenhouse.com.

Lakeside Farmers’ Market

This year-round market features local produce, meat, cheese and handmade items. For seasonal hours see facebook.com/LakesideMarketRVA. Lakeside Towne Center, 6110 Lakeside Ave. 804-262-6593 or lakesidefarmersmarket.net.

The Market at Magnolia Green

Local produce and handmade goods every Saturday, May-October. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 17320 Hull Street Road, Moseley. 804-818-6900 or themarketatmagnoliagreen.com.

New Kent County Farmers Market

Producers-only market in the New Kent High School parking lot, selling Virginia-grown produce, eggs and more. 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Saturdays, July-October. 7365 Egypt Road. 804966-9683 or co.new-kent.va.us.

On the Square VA Farmers Market

This downtown lunchtime market offers local produce and baked goods, as well as lunches from local food vendors. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fridays, May 1-end of September. 1314 E. Grace St. 804-314-9141 or rvagriculture.org.

Westchester Farmers Market

Market offering fresh produce and more. 4 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, May-October. 15785 WC Main St. westchesterfarmersmarketpowhatan.com.

West End Farmers’ Market

Local fruits and vegetables, herbs, eggs and artisan products. 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, year-round. 12050 Gayton Road. 804-516-2477 or westendfarmersmarket.com.

MALL MANIA

Chesterfield Towne Center Includes shops, department stores, services and restaurants. 11500 Midlothian Turnpike. 804794-4662 or chesterfieldcenter.com.

Colonial Square

This Publix-anchored shopping center features a mix of locally owned stores and national chains.

3107 Boulevard, Colonial Heights. 804-697-8496 or shopcolonialsquare.com.

Gayton Crossing Shopping Center

At the intersection of Gayton, Gaskins and Quioccasin roads, find specialty, consignment and upscale clothing and furniture shops. 9782 Gayton Road. gaytoncrossing.com.

Greengate

This Short Pump shopping center features buildings inspired by Richmond’s architecture. Find Lidl, Mellow Mushroom, The Daily Kitchen & Bar, and more at the intersection of West Broad Street and North Gayton Road. therowatgreengate.com.

Regency

Offers a mix of fashion and lifestyle stores. The mall’s development plan includes nearly 44,000 square feet of new retail space and rooftop dining. 1420 N. Parham Road. 804-740-7467 or shopregencymall.com.

River Road Shopping Center

Find high-end apparel, jewelry and home furnishings at River Road. Nearby River Road Shopping Center II features upscale clothing, shoes and more. 6201 River Road. shopriverroad.com.

The Shoppes at Bell Creek

You’ll find boutiques and restaurants at the intersection of Bell Creek and Pole Green roads.

8319 Bell Creek Road.

The Shoppes at Bellgrade

At the corner of Huguenot and Robious roads, enjoy a selection of clothing and other specialty stores. 11400 W. Huguenot Road.

The Shops at White Oak Village

Features national chain stores for apparel, entertainment and pet supplies. 4521-4571 S. Laburnum Ave.

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Short Pump Town Center

Shopping center includes Pottery Barn, Urban Outfitters, Crate & Barrel, and an Apple Store, among other premier shops and restaurants.

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South of the James Market

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Southpark Mall

Restaurants, specialty shops and Regal Cinemas movie theater. 230 Southpark Circle, Colonial Heights. 804-526-3900 or southparkmall.com.

Stony Point Fashion Park

Features upscale stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany & Co. CinéBistro makes moviegoing a luxury experience. Dogs are welcome. 9200 Stony Point Parkway. 804-2672740 or shopstonypoint.com.

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This shopping center in the village of Midlothian has upscale consignment jewelry, clothing and home items. 1000 Sycamore Square Dive. shop sycamoresquare.com.

Westchester Commons

This retail development, at the corner of Route 288 and U.S. 60/Midlothian Turnpike, includes a 16-screen movie theater, national chain stores and shops and restaurants.

15786 WC Main St. 804-379-9292 or shopwestchestercommons.com.

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Arts District

Located in the Broad Street downtown corridor, find specialty clothing shops, art galleries and a boutique hotel.

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Includes a children’s play area, restaurants, nail salons, and Old Navy, DSW and Dick’s Sporting Goods. 1601 Willow Lawn Drive. willowlawn.com.

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Stretching along West Cary Street, the “Mile of Style” bustles with local dining, spas and unique shops. carytownrva.com.

Downtown Ashland

Find a specialty grocer, niche boutiques, antique stores and restaurants along Ashland’s Center Street and Railroad Avenue. 804-4961434 or ashlandvirginia.com/shop.

Lakeside

Stores offer a mix of quirky home furnishings, antiques and gifts.

Scott’s Addition

Look for menswear at Jackson & James, antiques at Class and Trash, and locally made art and gifts at Studio Two Three. scottsaddition.com.

Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom

Retailers, including a bookstore and an antiques shop, make their homes in Shockoe Slip. Adjacent Shockoe Bottom offers additional stores.

Short Pump

A shoppers’ mecca featuring lodging, retail and dining at West Broad Village; dining and locally owned stores such as Tweed and Fido Park Avenue at the Shoppes at Westgate. westbroadvillage.com; shoppesatwestgate.com.

Stony Point Shopping Center

Look for kitchen gadgets, stationery, children’s clothing and Trader Joe’s at the intersection of Huguenot Road and Forest Hill Avenue.

Westhampton RVA

In the Near West End you’ll find a variety of boutiques and shops featuring apparel, jewelry, wine and home furnishings. westhamptonrva.com.

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BUSINESS

P. 102 Tracking Employment P. 106 Rassawek’s Expansion Plans P. 110 Green Tech P. 112 Economic Development P. 116 Richmond by the Numbers RICHMONDMAG.COM

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BUSINESS

ECONOMICS

Real-Time Economics

National unemployment numbers get an updated look in survey co-developed by a VCU economist

By Chris Jones

thinking of.

Blandin, a Virginia Commonwealth University assistant professor of economics, worked with Alex Beck of Arizona State University to develop an online economic survey centered on pandemic unemployment trends.

It’s called the Real-Time Population Survey. Blandin says it was created as a tool to provide up-to-date data that was unavailable from larger federal government surveys.

“We were both macroeconomists and labor economists and wondered, ‘Is there something we can work on that in some small way can contribute to trying to solve this problem related to the pandemic?’ ” Blandin says. “The typical government survey is high quality and for the most part reliable, but the government survey was coming out once a month, and the

data was roughly between one and two months old on the day it came out because it took several weeks to build the data.”

This prompted Blandin and his research team to replicate and expand the existing government survey to be more robust, useful and frequent.

“We wanted to provide more timely and more frequent information,” he says. “And because it was just a twoman operation with some good help from some research assistants, we could publish the results in a few days instead of several weeks. And so we were able to put out two labor market reports before we’d heard anything from the government survey.”

Economist Adam The Real-Time Population Blandin is a co-creator Survey covers a gamut of socioof the Real-Time Population Survey. economic variables, including unemployment numbers and factors, job mobility and vocational changes, and the impact of ethnicity, gender and educational disparities on employment.

One indicator on their survey not found on the federal government ASH DANIEL

E

conomist Adam Blandin has been tracking COVID-19 pandemic numbers since March, but not the ones you’re

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BUSINESS

The Real Time Population Survey tracks the unemployment rate through the COVID-19 pandemic.

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advanced education or four-year degrees experienced fewer instances of job loss, and high-income earners also kept their jobs. “If you were earning, say, $100,000 or more before the pandemic hit, it was very unlikely that you lost your job,” Blandin says. “If you were earning $50,000 or less, it was much more likely that you lost your job. And you see a large number of people having received earnings cuts. We see that many people who were temporarily laid off and then who were recalled back to their jobs. Those people [receiving lower wages] are especially likely to be called back.”

Ethnically, whites outpaced Black and Hispanic populations in employment, and vocationally, retail, recreation and fast food/hospitality workers took the largest hits. Blandin notes that more than a third of food and hospitality workers lost their jobs.

With all the data he collects, how does Blandin see an economic recovery?

“If you think about what’s the best possible scenario, the economy has recovered from large recessions very quickly in the past,” he says. “So one example is the 19801981 recession. During that recession, the unemployment rate shot up to above 10%,

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survey is data that pertains to people working from home. Blandin used a combination of targeted questioning and commuter data garnered from GPS information supplied by Google.

“You see striking disparities in who is working from home,” he says. “For example, in May, half of the people with a college degree worked from home versus only 15% of people with a high school degree or less [who did not]. And so, if you think about who’s most exposed to the pandemic, that’s pointing towards a higher risk for lower-education people who weren’t able to work from home as much.”

There has been a shift in women’s role in the workforce as well, with the effects of COVID-19, virtual learning by the public school system, and the dilemma of balancing work and family. “The female labor-force participation rate has dropped more for women than for men, and so you could see career implications of that down the road that haven’t manifested themselves yet,” Blandin says. “Women with kids are working from home at pretty high rates. Men have gone back to the office, on average.”

The data also shows that people with

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and it returned to normal within a year or so. So under certain circumstances, the economy can recover very quickly.

“Now I think we all know the headline numbers — the unemployment rate shot up to officially 14% in April. Unofficially, it was probably closer to 19%, and those numbers are higher than at any point since the Great Depression. And what’s most striking is that it all happened essentially in one month. Since then, there’s been a partial recovery, and so a good chunk of the work has been done.”

While the economy has regained some of its footing, a full recovery is not at hand.

“I’ll just say that [in] November, the data was pretty worrying,” Blandin says. “The work-from-home rate went up again, employment stayed almost totally flat.

And the virus cases were growing quickly.

That’s a worrying trend that if that continues, then we’re kind of half or two-thirds of the way recovered. If we stay there for a long time, that could be really damaging.

“And if the virus is still very widespread, and people are afraid to go to restaurants and go to businesses and people aren’t able to work in the office, you could see us stalling out.”

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BUSINESS

DEVELOPMENT

What’s Old Is New A unique Goochland County event space and vineyard em ar s on a �ve year expansion plan By Don Harrison

W

ord has gotten around metro Richmond: Don’t tear it down, give it to Rassawek.

“People know that if there’s an old building that they want to have removed, I will go and get it and bring it here,” says Joseph Liesfeld, the owner of Rassawek Vineyards, a scenic event space and vineyard on 1,200 acres in Columbia in the far west reaches of Goochland County.

Liesfeld is giving a tour of the grounds on a sunny and chilly Saturday afternoon in December, pointing out distinctive structures and oddities that dot the hilly landscape. “Just about everything you see on the property has been repurposed,” says the gray-haired man in a dashing Indiana Jones hat. “It’s not just cool buildings. Some have historic value.”

He points to a handsome gazebo in the distance. “That’s a part of the Sixth Street Marketplace,” he says. Liesfeld retrieved

the structure and other features from the Richmond marketplace bandstand after it was slated for demolition in 2003.

A circular area in front of the gazebo that he says is popular for weddings is made of granite from the long-demolished Spring Street State Prison in Richmond, while the slate-and-brick walkway leading to it was salvaged from the 2012 renovation of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. “And the holly that lines this walkway was relocated from a renovation of Bank of America,” Liesfeld says.

From the stone bridge at its front entrance — constructed of rocks gathered from past excavations along the Kanawha Canal in downtown Richmond — to its antique ferry boat that was salvaged from the James River, Rassawek is a fascinating outdoor museum of Virginiana. Now, 20 years after Liesfeld purchased the property and began filling it with artifacts such as a circa-1930s sawmill and an antique water tower, this fascinating place

is ready for its close-up. The Goochland Board of Supervisors in October 2020 approved a conditional permit that will allow increased acreage for new features and uses for this huge green space.

“Right now, we rent the property for weddings and private events — that’s pretty much the use,” says Jessica Jessee, the vineyard’s event coordinator. “But we’ve got a five-year plan for expansion. We’re excited to be adding a lot of new things.”

The vineyard will soon open as a park to guests on select weekends. There are also plans to install a zip-line course, open the property for camping and offer B&B experiences in a series of nicely bedroomed railroad cars situated next to a mock train depot, complete with an appropriately retro country store that will host regular wine tastings.

Todd Kilduff sees a general trend toward more outdoor public activities in western Goochland. “There are so many more places wanting to be wedding venues and offer Airbnb-type facilities, but that’s usually it,” says Kilduff, the deputy county administrator for Goochland Economic Development. “What Rassawek is doing is very unique. In terms of the outdoors, they are going to be doing basically everything under [one] umbrella. They want to have public assembly, short-term rentals, campgrounds, a retail village and they even want to build an airstrip.”

“The airstrip is so we can present air shows of antique aircraft,” Jessee confirms. “They need a place to land. But that’s a few years down the road.”

On the first weekend in June, the public is invited to Rassawek for its Spring Jubilee. The two-day gathering attracts as many as 10,000 visitors, Kilduff says.

The festival’s 10th anniversary was slated for 2020, but the pandemic got in the way.

“We have 10 wineries that come and offer tastings, and people who deal in arts and crafts,” Jessee says. “There’s music, food, antique car displays, cooking classes — and the Louisa Historical Society showcases hearth cooking.”

DANIEL ROBERTS

Historic, salvaged structures grace the grounds of Rassawek Vineyards in Goochland County.

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DEVELOPMENT

Liesfeld, who retired from the construction business, bought the property in 2000. “I like the rolling hills of western Goochland County,” he says. “It was mostly farmland and woodlands, but we sort of fixed it and cleaned it up. It already had lakes, but we added two more.”

Liesfeld and his daughter-in-law Jenny named the site “Rassawek,” in honor of the Monacan Indian village that was situated where the Rivanna and James rivers converge.

On a driving tour along dirt roads, Liesfeld points toward a rustic log cabin, the first building he salvaged and brought here. The so-called Saylor Cabin dates from the 1840s and was previously on St. Paul’s Church Road off Route 45. Liesfeld and his crew moved the fragile home in two pieces.

To reconstruct its chimney, they incorporated rock from its original location and also used stones found along Byrd Creek.

After driving through the woods, passing retired jalopies and antique outhouses, we view a majestic English-made Lord & Burnham greenhouse that was moved here from Montpelier. There’s also the Cherokee Cabin, an evocative hunting lodge built in 1910 by a well-known Canadian cabin maker that once overlooked the James River just west of what is now the Huguenot Bridge. Requiring two cranes to lift and lugged in one piece to Rassawek in the dead of night, the cabin is now adjoined by a small vineyard that grows award-winning Chardonnay grapes.

The development plan calls for more festivals, starting with a Rassawek Autumn Festival in October 2021. The fall festival will be similar to the old Field Day of the Past, which was held for almost 30 years each fall in east Goochland, through 2019, says Liesfeld.

“The autumn festival will be focused on that kind of Americana, like an old county fair,” he says. Some of the former Field Day displays — such as corn cribs, a tobacco barn, a cotton gin and a vintage voting precinct — will be on view at the Rassawek event. Sitting amid the restored history now nestled on these bucolic grounds, it seems like a natural fit.

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BUSINESS

GREEN TECH

Green and Growing A Richmond company’s product boosts the bottom line by reducing laboratory waste By D. Hunter Reardon

A

decade ago, Grenova founder and CEO Ali Safavi was an undergraduate student working in a life sciences lab. He was struck by the observation that each time a plastic pipette was used, it would be thrown in the trash — after all, tests and experiments can be contaminated by the smallest trace of residue.

But, as Safavi realized, that practice is wasteful, both fiscally and environmentally. It was unsustainable. “We’d discard all plastic after one use, almost like a trash bag,” he says. “I saw that we couldn’t carry on like this, especially as the industry continues to grow.”

Safavi figured there was a better way to address the issue. His goal was to invent a machine to wash pipettes so

thoroughly that they would be as good as new. In 2012, he completed a master’s degree in entrepreneurship at Duke University, and in 2013, he secured an initial investor for his project. Midway through 2014, he had his first prototype, and by 2015, the first machine was on the market.

Safavi’s Richmond-based business was open, with a mission to reduce consumable plastic waste.

He has 10 patents on his technology, including two machines marketed as the TipNovus and the TipLumis. “The invention doesn’t just help the environment but also cuts down costs for testing labs,” Safavi explains. “If you make the initial purchase, there is a significant long-term cost reduction, because you don’t have to keep buying new pipettes.”

He says his product has helped ease

potential shortages of laboratory equipment during the novel coronavirus pandemic. “When there’s a stop in the supply chain, a lab that relies on consumables has to cease operations until the problem is sorted out,” he says. “Unless you have a Grenova machine on hand — then you just wash your pipettes and reuse them.”

COVID-19 has coincided with an exponential growth in value and sales at Grenova, but Safavi says that the pandemic has only highlighted the hard work done since the company was founded.

Grenova saw steady growth each year before 2020, gaining market confidence and proofing its technology. “COVID forced the industry to look into our product,” he says, “but we wouldn’t be having success if we hadn’t been doing the right things in the first place.”

In addition to improving his company’s technology and providing solutions for more types of plastic, Safavi says he is passionate about creating jobs, especially in the Richmond area. Originally from Iran, Safavi came to the United States as a teenager, then he spent 12 years in North Carolina, graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2005. His first bit of seed money came from an investor in Richmond, and in 2012, he visited the city for the first time.

“I didn’t know much about Richmond until the investor contacted me, and she told me I had to come see it,” he says. “I fell in love with the city — a university right in the middle of town, the river passing through, the breweries, the historical districts, the culture, the people.

It has the feel of a big city, without the costs or traffic you see elsewhere.

“By the time I was choosing a place for headquarters, I’d grown to understand that Richmond had a lot to offer. With so many universities nearby, there’s a lot of young talent to recruit. It’s almost an ideal location.” He also cites policies in Virginia that are uniquely pro-green and pro-business, as opposed to some neighboring states.

COURTESY ALI SAFAVI

Ali Safavi, founder and CEO of Grenova, with the company’s TipNovus device that cleans laboratory pipettes for reuse.

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BUSINESS

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

How It’s Growing A sampling of economic development and expansion projects across metro Richmond By Katharine DeRosa

New Kent County

VCU HEALTH in June 2020 opened a free-standing emergency center at 2495 Pocahontas Trail in Quinton.

The facility includes 12 treatment rooms, as well as X-ray, CT and ultrasound equipment. Before the completion of the $16 million, 17,000-square-foot facility, residents of New Kent County had to drive to Richmond or Williamsburg to seek emergency care. “New Kent County is a growing part of the Richmond metropolitan area but is currently underserved medically,” says Deborah Davis, chief of strategic initiatives for VCU Health.

COURTESY VCU HEALTH

COST: $16 million SIZE: 17,000 square feet COMPLETION: Now open

PROJECT: VCU Emergency Center at New Kent

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Hanover County

PROJECT: Virginia ABC Headquarters and Warehouse CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY on the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority’s new headquarters off Pole Green Road at I-295 in Mechanicsville. Travis Hill, the CEO for the authority, says that it has outgrown its current headquarters, at 2901 Hermitage Road in Richmond. He notes that the existing warehouse is over capacity, so Virginia ABC has been leasing a separate site to hold excess products. “This new

COST: $90 million-$100 million SIZE: 315,000-square-foot warehouse and 95,000-square-foot headquarters on 40 acres COMPLETION: Fall 2021

facility is going to enable us to continue to grow,” Hill says.

ABC considered commutes of workers and resources used by employees when deciding on staying in the metro area.

Groundbreaking was held in February 2020. Business Transformation Manager Beth Levermore says that COVID-19 has had “minimal impact” on construction, and ABC is expecting to move into the facility in fall of 2021.

Henrico County

FROM TOP: COURTESY ABC VIRGINIA; COURTESY NEW MEDIA SYSTEMS

PROJECT: ASGN Headquarters

TYPE: Relocation COST: $12 million COMPLETION: Done

ASGN INC. has moved its headquarters from California to 4400 Cox Road in Glen Allen, bringing 121 jobs to the Richmond area and 700 jobs to the commonwealth overall. ASGN is an IT and consulting business that’s listed on the Fortune 1,000. Anthony Romanello, executive director of the Henrico County Economic Development Authority, says that he hopes the move will draw attention to Henrico. “We’re really happy that they’re here,” he says. Gov. Ralph Northam also expressed excitement about the move in a June 2020 press release: “The creation of 700 new jobs is critical as we work to rebuild and strengthen our economy from the impacts of COVID-19.” Kimberly Esterkin, managing director of ADDO investment relations, says in an email that ASGN plans to invest in Virginia to support its auxiliary companies, Apex Systems and ECS brands.

RICHMONDMAG.COM

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BUSINESS

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Richmond

Goochland County

COST: $350 million SIZE: 275-room hotel, 1,000-space parking garage COMPLETION: TBD

THE PAMUNKEY Indian Tribe has applied to be the operator of a casino in the Manchester community and purchased 36 acres off Commerce Road for that purpose. The tribe says that the project would lead to more than 1,000 construction jobs and 1,500 full- time jobs. It also would provide health care access, education and jobs for the Pamunkey.

Jay Smith, a spokesman for the tribe, says that they would be open to selecting a new location if the citizens of Richmond were unhappy with the current proposal. “There are always people who are averse to a casino for a number of personal beliefs, but we believe it can be done safely and provide a tremendous economic impact for the greater Richmond area,” he says. The city asked for community input in December 2020 and expects to hold a referendum in November 2021 on a casino operator and location. For more info., see rva.gov/ economic-development/resort-casino.

FROM TOP: PAMUNKY INDIAN TRIBE; COURTESY CHESTERFIELD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

PROJECT: Pamunkey Indian Tribe Casino

PROJECT: Universal Internet Access

GOOCHLAND COUNTY is working with the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative and Central Virginia Services Inc., which runs Firefly Fiber Broadband, to bring internet access to some residents in the western part of the county. “Being connected is critically important,” says Paul Drumwright, the county’s administrative services manager. Drumwright estimates that 65% to 75% of the county has broadband access, but that there are still large parts of the county without access in the western end. The electric cooperative, Central Virginia Services and Firefly applied for federal grants for the project. The goal is to provide broadband to 804 electric accounts by 2022 at a cost of $2.8 million, and then the remaining 1,887 homes and businesses will be serviced by 2023 at a cost of $12 million, according to a release from the county.

COST: $14.8 million SIZE: Expansion to include 2,691 homes COMPLETION: 2023

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COURTESY CAPITAL CHIPS

TYPE: Relocation SIZE: 700 square feet COMPLETION: Now open

Powhatan County

PROJECT: Capital Chips

CAPITAL CHIPS has found a new, larger home in Powhatan. Jennifer Davidson, who started the business in 2017, says she had outgrown her old facility, a commercial kitchen at her home that was about the size of a shed, and so she moved into the 700-square-foot site on Founders Bridge Boulevard in February 2020. “It’s a perfect next step,” she says. The chips are sold in stores across metro Richmond and are featured at various restaurants. Davidson said that her lease on the space is for two years, and the company may need an even larger space when the lease ends.

Charles City County Chesterfield County

PROJECT: Meadowville Tech Park Expansion CHESTERFIELD COUNTY in March 2020 purchased 353 acres to add to its technology park.

The property was part of the old American Tobacco facility off Bermuda Hundred Road, according to a release. Garrett Hart, director of economic development for Chesterfield County, says that the county wanted to ensure the land was used for its I-3 zoning — heavy industrial. “We saw the opportunity to market it and control it for the uses we want to see on the site,” Hart says.

The technology park, at 9401 Courthouse Road in Chesterfield, now has 1,650 acres, and it’s home to a Capital One data center and an Amazon fulfillment facility.

COST: $21 million SIZE: 353 acres COMPLETION: Done

PROJECT: Natural Gas Plant

THE POWER PLANT known at C4GT was approved back in 2016, but the project has been growing slowly since then. It’s completion is tied to approval of the Header Improvement Project by Virginia Natural Gas, which involves 24 new miles of pipeline to support C4GT. Charles City County Administrator Michelle Johnson says that the county supports both the Header Improvement Project and C4GT, and she notes that the tax revenue from the project would provide amenities for the county, such as a grocery store or school improvements. “We support natural gas. We also support solar. We need to diversify energy,” Johnson says. Johnson says that the county was looking to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for information on possible environmental effects of the power plant on the county.

TYPE: Energy generation project SIZE: 1,060 megawatts COMPLETION: TBD

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BUSINESS

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Richmond by the Numbers

HANOVER COUNTY GOOCHLAND COUNTY

95 64

The Borderline

HENRICO COUNTY POWHATAN COUNTY

295

RICHMOND 195

Greater Richmond includes the city and the counties of Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover. The Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area’s population is 1.3 million in an area that includes greater Richmond and additionally the counties of Amelia, Caroline, Charles City, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Goochland, King and Queen, King William, Louisa, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George and Sussex.

Other cities in the MSA include Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell.

NEW KENT COUNTY 64

288 95

CHARLES CITY COUNTY

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY HOPEWELL

PETERSBURG

S JAME RIVER

Honor Roll

National Rankings and Accolades for the Metro Area RICHMOND PLACED NO.

RICHMOND PLACED NO.

RICHMOND PLACED NO.

RICHMOND PLACED NO.

GDP Leaders, Mid-sized MSAs for 2020 –Business Facilities magazine

“10 Best Cities (Outside Silicon Valley) for Your Next Startup” –Broadband Now, 2019

“Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker 2020,” Smaller Cities and Towns –MovieMaker magazine

“The South’s Best Cities 2020” –Southern Living magazine

2

3

5

9

“Richmond, long known as a sleepy capital steeped in Confederate history, has morphed into a dynamic cultural center on the cutting edge of the arts, food and recreation.”

—John L. Dorman in “52 Places to Go in 2020,” New York Times

Fortune 500 Members

The 2020 Fortune 500 list includes seven companies based in the Richmond area:

1. Altria

(No. 167, $19.8 billion revenue, tobacco products)

“There is a lot to love about the city on the James River. It’s one of theoldest communities in thecountry, and that feeling of antiquity is one of its greatest draws.”

—MovieMaker magazine, Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker 2020”

“Richmond’s reputation for cool is often what attracts visitors to the area. Expect to �nd trendy boutique hotels, gorgeous nature trails, casual oyster joints, and an impressive roster of more than 30 craft breweries.”

—Southern Living magazine, “The South’s Best Cities 2020”

RICHMOND PLACED NO.

36

Best Places to Live in the United States (out of 100), 2019 –livability.com

RICHMOND LISTED NO.

39

“52 Places to Go in 2020” –New York Times

2. Performance Food Group

(No. 168, $19.7 billion revenue, food distribution)

3. CarMax Inc.

(No. 173, $19.1 billion revenue, automotive retailer)

4. Dominion Energy

(No. 197, $16.6 billion revenue, electric and gas utility)

5. Owens & Minor

(No. 332, $9.7 billion revenue, medical equipment)

6. Markel Corp.

(No. 335, $9.5 billion revenue, insurance)

7. Genworth Financial

(No. 364, $8.7 billion revenue, insurance)

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ONE TEAM

The Power of Specializations Under One Umbrella

Top 50

RICHMOND MSA’S LARGEST EMPLOYERS 1. Virginia Commonwealth University

17. Truist Financial Corp.

3. VCU Health

19. Kroger

2. Capital One Bank 4. Henrico County School Board 5.

hester eld o nt School Board

6. Bon Secours Richmond Health System 7. HCA Virginia Health System

8. U.S. Department of Defense 9. Walmart

10. ma on l llment Services Inc. 11. County of Henrico 12. County of hester eld

13. City of Richmond 14. Richmond City Public Schools

15. U.S. Department of eterans airs 16. Food Lion

(formerly BB&T Corp.)

18. Hanover County School Board 20. U.S. Postal Service 21. United Parcel Service Inc.

22. Dominion Resources 23. nte rit ta�n Solutions 24. Anthem

25. University of Richmond

26. Wells Fargo Bank 27. YMCA

28. Target Corp.

29. Virginia Dept. of Transportation 30. MCV Physicians

31. DuPont Specialty Products USA LLC 32. Capital One

33. Federal Reserve Bank, Richmond 34. Dominion Virginia Power

35. Philip Morris USA Inc.

36. Publix NC Employee Services LLC 37. Bank of America 38. Lowe’s Home Centers Inc.

39. County of Prince George

40. Apex Systems Inc. 41. Maximus Services LLC

42. Alliance Group Rock Tenn

43. Carmax Auto Superstores S Inc. 44. Virginia State Department of Health 45. Altria Client Services LLC

46. Kings Dominion

47. County of Hanover

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Source: Virginia Employment Commission, Economic Information & Analytics

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Growing up, one of her fondest memories was eating candy apples at the state fair.

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HEALTH

P. 120 Facts & Faith Fridays P. 124 Owens & Minor’s Pandemic Role P. 128 Bon Secours’ Expansion RICHMONDMAG.COM

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HEALTH

COMMUNITIES

Facts, Faith and Health Commonwealth faith leaders meet weekly with experts to address health issues in diverse communities through Facts & Faith Fridays

By Tharon Giddens

T

he intersection of religion and health care is a crucial one to navigate when it comes to a pandemic.

Faith leaders are some of the most trusted members in many minority communities, while longstanding inequities in the treatment of minorities has left many health care providers and institutions suspect.

So when a profound health emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic strikes, religious leaders can play a potent part in ensuring that minority communities are provided with accurate information and equitable access to treatments and vaccine.

And that’s where Facts & Faith Fridays comes into play. It’s a working group of African American faith community leaders in the commonwealth who have been meeting each Friday since March with Dr. Robert Winn, director of the VCU Massey Cancer Center. Facts & Faith Fridays sessions have tackled an array of health care issues, including the impact of the pandemic on Black people, higher rates of cancer and other health concerns

white people. Hispanics and facing African Americans, Opposite: Dr. Robert and other community issues.

Latinos with COVID-19 are 4.1 Winn, director, VCU Massey Cancer Center, The sessions have featured times more likely to be hosand a founder of Facts interactions among clergy, pitalized than whites, and 2.1 & Faith Fridays Winn and other health times more likely to die from experts from VCU, national experts the coronavirus than whites. The CDC from groups such as the National notes that race and ethnicity are associInstitutes of Health, and other experts ated with risk factors that may worsen from academic institutions. The Jan. 8 COVID-19 outcomes. Those factors session was streamed and made availinclude underlying conditions such as able to all Virginians and featured Dr. diabetes and other health conditions Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading that place people at risk; employment infectious disease expert. in occupations where they are consid“I’ve been really proud of the faithered essential or frontline workers, which means increased exposure to based leaders,” Winn says. “They actually the coronavirus; and lack of access to see themselves as not just receivers of health care. information, but they get this expert Facts & Faith also took a look at information, and they become much equitable vaccine distribution and better and much more effective at getting it out to their congregations.” some myths that have arisen over the That’s a crucial duty, as the pandemic course of pandemic. Some of these myths regarding the pandemic have has proven to have a disproportionimpeded the health care response to ate impact on people of color. The it, Winn says.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Early on, there was a claim circuPrevention in November reported lating on social media that African that Black people are 1.4 times more Americans had little to worry about, likely to contract COVID-19, they are 3.7 times more likely to be hospitalized that COVID-19 was not a Black person’s for the novel coronavirus than white disease. That falsehood stemmed from people, and Black people are 2.8 times a lack of reported cases early on from more likely to die from COVID-19 than Africa, along with faulty suppositions

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ASH DANIEL

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COMMUNITIES

A Facts & Faith Fridays online session in January featured the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci rst colu n second row and Go . al h ortha second colu n second row

that involved Blacks and malaria and sickle cell disease, Winn says. The data has long since proven this assertion wrong. “Now that you look back on it, it was stupid,” he says.

There are also equally harmful myths circulating that falsely say if you go for a COVID-19 test, you’re being infected with the virus, as well as rumors that falsely claim that you will be microchipped and tracked if you receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

“It’s been really sad, the rumors still abound on the social media network,” Winn says. “It’s just crazy.”

Members of the Fact & Faith Fridays group have taken the information to heart. Winn notes that many African American faith communities have continued to heed health warnings for the pandemic and stream their services instead of holding them in person. He says they also were active in persuading state and local officials to proceed

slowly in reopening the state and city following the shutdown last year during the early days of the pandemic.

“They believe their No. 1 priority is getting their flock and their communities staying safe,” Winn says.

The Rev. Todd Gray, pastor of Fifth Street Baptist Church, says Facts & Faith Fridays strengthened the communication lines between the medical community and communities of color. “We were interested in getting the best medical information we could,” he says. “It’s just been a great collaboration.”

They also have expanded their efforts and had an impact on their communities at large, he says. These efforts extend beyond direct health issues into social justice. Winn notes that they have become resources guiding people who may have lost employment during the pandemic to connect with help in paying rent or obtaining housing, they have assisted with getting people to vote, and they have been at the forefront of working toward community oversight of policing in Richmond.

“It’s become a more expansive conversation,” Gray says.

The faith-based leaders are serving as “an anchor institution for many people in these communities,” Winn says.

Most of the sessions have primarily involved Facts & Faith regulars, but

they opened the session with Dr. Fauci to all because of its importance, Winn says. “This is a one-time opportunity for folks in Virginia, and we think that we should open this up. They didn’t have to do that,” Winn says, adding that he found inspiration in the work of these local faith leaders.

“Every time I get really down on some things, this group has actually lifted me up, in ways of reminding me that there are people who really do care about things more than just the extra dollars they have in their pockets.”

As of mid-January, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Virginia since the pandemic began exceeded 450,000, with nearly 6,000 deaths. Winn notes that the pandemic has exposed structural and racist weaknesses and inequities in our health system that can be rectified.

He says he is optimistic that it will lead to improvements. “With every dark there is light that will come tomorrow,” he says. “And as I look, I see the light.”

The pandemic’s aftermath will bring more misery in terms of additional deaths and illness, Winn notes, pointing out that many people have foregone health screenings and elective surgeries during the pandemic, which increases the risks for more severe illnesses. Estimates are that there may be at least 30,000 needless cancer deaths because people aren’t getting screened during the COVID pandemic.

“The other ‘C’ is still out there and not going away,” he says.

One systemic change that’s needed is to rethink the dominant health care industry paradigm to run as lean as possible to maximize profit, Winn says.

That’s proven by the pandemic to literally be impossible, he says. There has to be a reasonable balance that allows the industry to be better prepared to face such emergencies in the future.

“It’s going to change the approach that we actually have, not for the worse, but for the better,” he says.

COURTESY VCU HEALTH, VIA ZOOM

HEALTH

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HEALTH

MEDICAL SUPPLIES

Central and Essential

A

s the novel coronavirus took hold on our shores early last year, it caught the health care industry and the government unprepared.

“What’s going on, sir?” Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money,” asked Ed Pesicka, president and CEO of Owens & Minor Inc., a metro-Richmond-based medical supply business, expressing the shock that many Americans were feeling concerning the state of the country’s health-care supply chain. “There aren’t enough ventilators, there aren’t enough

personal protective equipment — masks, gowns, gloves that literally shield doctors and nurses from the virus,” Cramer continued. “The pandemic keeps revealing the hidden weaknesses in our economy. The one that really shocked me was, and we still aren’t doing enough to scale up production. That’s why we really need to dig down into America’s medical supply chain.”

In that March 27, 2020, broadcast, Cramer put Pesicka on the spot, calling Owens & Minor an essential cog in the health care structure. The Fortune 500

company, which distributes medical equipment products and machinery directly to customers, reported $9.2 billion in revenue in 2019 and has 15,000 employees worldwide, including over 1,201 in Virginia, 831 of them in the Richmond area.

Pesicka explained how demand for his company’s products had increased at New York hospitals, which was then the epicenter of the virus. He noted that one customer was getting 10,000 to 20,000 masks each week and was asking for 200,000 per week. Similar requests

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were coming in from customers across the nation. “I do not know when we will have enough masks,” he told Cramer.

“We’re going to have to produce as many masks as we can.”

Major Ramp-Up

COURTESY OWENS & MINOR

Since February 2020, Owens & Minor’s production had expanded to four shifts a day to meet that demand. Production of surgical N95 respirators has risen over 1,000% at three of its locations in the Americas. They increased production of the in-demand surgical and procedure masks nearly 100%, and face-shield production grew over 600% through new capital investment and improving the efficiency of operations at their Acuña, Mexico, plant.

Pesicka joined Owens & Minor in March 2019. A profile in Virginia Business magazine reported that the former youth and high school football coach had spent 15 years fostering biotech products as chief commercial officer and senior vice president of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Prior to that, he worked at TRW Inc. He has led Owens & Minor through a period of intense production growth during the pandemic, resulting in stock

—Ed Pesicka, president and CEO of Owens & Minor Inc.

prices skyrocketing due to the brisk demand for PPE. Its stock rose from just over $8 a share in early July to almost $31 a share by year’s end.

post in the December 2020 Richmond Times Dispatch Discover magazine that offered a window into daily activity at Owens & Minor’s 177,000-square-foot Ashland warehouse where they stock 22,000 products.

Products Save Lives Company materials emphasize the “Our three shifts — receiving, replencritical role of its medical products in ishment and outbound — are handled by keeping people alive. about 120 teammates and might include Kelly Merkel, director for operations 25 tractor-trailers, and we work 24/7 on weekdays, plus six to seven hours on of Owens & Minor’s Ashland distribuweekend days,” Merkel wrote. tion center, published a Health Hero 2020 Owens & Minor is unique in that it can use a much shorter supply chain due to their footprint and manufacturing ownership.

“We are not as dependent on distant third-party manufacturers to make critical PPE products as many others are in the industry,” Pesicka says. “It is our intent to continue to build on these capabilities in years to come.”

Owens & Minor was founded in Richmond in 1882 as a drugstore. As the company has grown, it has remained here for the past 138 years.

“Like any company, we adjust our focus from time to time to make sure that customers remain at the heart of what we do,” Pesicka says. “Owens Owens & Minor has & Minor is deeply intertwined with distribution centers across the United the Richmond community. We’re States and in Europe. proud of our Richmond roots.”

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MEDICAL SUPPLIES

Owens & Minor also touts its community involvement, with initiatives including an elementary school mentoring program that had its workers paired with third graders at Fairfield Court Elementary School, with the mentoring continuing through fifth grade.

The business in such as the past year also provided a work-study program for students from Cristo Rey Richmond High School and participated in fundraisers for nonprofits the American Heart Association and the March of Dimes.

Pandemic Response

from our facilities here in the U.S. to our customers to mitigate the risk. It’s been a tragic situation.”

In fall 2020, the company moved out of its Riverfront Plaza downtown call center location as it shifted its workforce to remote work. The company home office, which was built in 2006, is located on 25 acres in Atlee Station in Owens & Minor was Hanover County. The company founded as a drugstore says that it wants to expand its in Richmond in 1882. campus with the addition of a distribution center and a surgical kit assembly facility.

Pesicka said Owens & Minor’s location in metro Richmond gives it the ability to bring good talent to the region because efforts to deliver PPE, ventilators and people want to move here, and there other supplies to health care providers are plans to continue to expand. In December, dozens of Richmond-based during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been job openings were listed on the compawidely criticized because health workers around the country lacked the needed ny’s website, for positions ranging from equipment over the course of 2020. engineers to warehouse workers.

“We went from [producing] roughly “As the needs of the health care indus50 million to well over 100 million of try continue to evolve, Owens & Minor those [masks] every month,” Pesicka knows that supply chain resiliency and told the panel. “And the one thing that continuity of supply is critical to our makes Owens & Minor able to do this customers,” Pesicka said in an email stateis that we own the technology, patents, ment. “Owens & Minor’s Americas-based quality control, FDA interface, so that manufacturing enables us to provide this during the pandemic we’ve been able to increased resiliency as we continue to ramp up our PPE production.” rapidly increase the inflow of product

On May 14, 2020, then-President Donald Trump visited Owens & Minor’s Allentown, Pennsylvania, facility, lauding Pesicka and the company for their efforts to send crucial supplies to those who needed them.

A month later, during a Greater Richmond Partnership Regional BioScience roundtable on Zoom, Pesicka explained how, while serving on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, he had daily meetings to first identify the location of needed products Production and distribution efforts like N95 masks and face shields have ramped up at and then how to find ways to Owens & Minor during the pandemic. expedite the delivery of those products to those who needed them. The task force and Project Airbridge, one of the administration’s

COURTESY OWENS & MINOR

HEALTH

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Dr. Gloria E.Ward Our goal is to provide every patient with a positive, comforting and relaxing experience, in addition to personal attention to detail from Dr. Ward during your visit.

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HEALTH

EXPANSION

A $119 million expansion is in the works for Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center in Midlothian.

More Beds, More Reach

T

he Bon Secours Mercy Health System is poised for significant growth in 2021, with a $50 million expansion of the Memorial Regional Medical Center in Mechanicsville, as well as a $119 million expansion of the St. Francis Medical Center in Midlothian.

“There’s really a lot going on, on top of ambulatory investments and across the market,” says Chris Accashian, chief operating officer for Bon Secours in Richmond. “Richmond is a high-growth market. Most of that growth, like many communities, is in the 65-plus age cohort, which demands a lot more health care services. So we’re really preparing for what the next 10 to 20 years is going to bring us in Richmond.”

The expansion of Memorial Regional Medical Center includes buying a

By Dina Weinstein

building previously occupied by Sheltering Arms and a renovation to include an additional 44 beds. The St. Francis Medical Center’s expansion will bring 55 additional beds, as well as a neonatal intensive care unit and mother-baby or postpartum beds. Also, Bon Secours is planning to build a free-standing emergency room with CT imaging services at an estimated cost of $2.6 million on the Chester campus of John Tyler Community College.

This growth builds on expansion in 2020 that included the acquisition of three hospitals: Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg, Southampton Memorial Hospital in Franklin, and Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center in Emporia.

Opportunities for extending health career education are in the works at the health system’s two schools of nursing

and its two schools of imaging, according to Accashian. “We’re working to expand the capacity of those schools and increase enrollment and class sizes,” he says. “We’ve always been looking for new ways to partner with the community college system to increase our capacity for practical rotations or folks in nursing school. There is a constant need of staff, and we’re working to increase the funnel and grow the pipeline of folks who want to be in health care.”

As COVID-19 raged in the past year, a light shone on health systems, healthcare workers and health disparities, as well as the clear need for infrastructure changes such as the availability of negative pressure rooms that are used to contain airborne contaminants.

Accashian notes that COVID-19 has accelerated virtual health care and telemedicine “10 years in about two months,”

COURTESY BON SECOURS

Bon Secours Mercy Health expands its footprint

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Your health. Taken personally.

We’re here for you. From your first period to your last. From the positive test to the miraculous results. For every up, down and space between, we’re here for you. For your health.

More than just another doctor’s appointment. You get a partner who takes your health personally.

virginiawomenscenter.com 804.288.4084

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HEALTH

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2019

EXPANSION

and much of that will remain postpandemic. That will free up inhospital services, which will be needed to cope with trends that were evident even before the novel coronavirus struck. Accashian says that leadership’s decisions are based on the understanding that patients in hospitals are generally sicker than they have been in the past because advancements in medicine have allowed many more services to be done on an outpatient basis. “So the folks who really need to be in the hospital, whether it’s inpatient or otherwise, are going to be those who are sicker and require more of services,” he says.

Bon Secours Mercy Health was formed in 2018 through the merger of the Maryland-based Bon Secours with the Cincinnati-based Mercy Health. The combined health-care system is one of the 20 largest in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. More than 60,000 people work at Bon Secours Mercy Health facilities in Virginia, six other states and Ireland. The system served more than 10.5 million patients in 2018 through its network of more than 1,000 care sites, which includes hospitals, home health agencies, hospice, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities.

Accashian and his staff are also taking a look at modernizing and expanding St. Mary’s Hospital over the next couple of years.

He says the big projects underway focus on critical care.

“A lot of care that we provide historically in an inpatient setting or any surgeries that required a stay, a lot of it is moving to ambulatory,” Accashian says. “As we evolve from the hospital standpoint, that capacity is going to be primarily critical care, and in a more intense coverage. When it comes to growth, we always take the long view, looking 10 or 20 years into the future, because any of these projects take years to come from concept to operation, from a planning perspective, as well as the time it takes to get design and construction completed.”

www.clrugs.com

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Virginia Interventional & Vascular Associates

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Creating a lifetime of smiles!

1/20/21 3:34 PM

10571 Telegraph Road, Suite 101 Glen Allen, VA 23059 New state-of-the-art office Friendly dental team with many years of experience with children Same week appointments available Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) sedation and general anesthesia available Most insurances accepted

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Dr. Sobia Carter

2018 TOP DENTISTS WINNER

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2020

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(804)729-8081 www.RVAChildrensDentistry.com

6/10/20 11:01 AM

1/21/21 3:12 PM

HEALTH

EMERGENCY CARE

Local Hospitals Map 1

2

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64

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5

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95

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6

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295

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11

288 95 CHARLES CITY COUNTY CHESTERFIELD COUNTY

12 HOPEWELL

1. Henrico Doctors’ Hospital 2. Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital 3. Retreat Doctors’ Hospital 4. Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center 5. Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital 6. Parham Doctors’ Hospital

8. Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center

13

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9. Johnston-Willis Hospital 10. Chippenham Hospital . cGuire Veterans ffairs Medical Center 12. John Randolph Medical Center 13. Bon Secours Southside Medical Center

7. Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center

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Drs. Richardson, Overstreet, Glazier & White DENTAL SPECIALISTS IN PERIODONTICS

Left to right: Dr. Thomas Glazier, Board Certified; Dr. Ben Overstreet, Board Certified Dr. Chris Richardson, Board Certified; Dr. John White, Board Certified

D

rs. Chris Richardson, Ben Overstreet, Thomas Glazier and John White would like to take this opportunity to welcome new patients to our practice and express our sincere gratitude to our current patients for allowing us to provide their periodontal care. Richmond and the surrounding areas have a wonderful community of dentists and we are truly honored to be placed among the top dental providers on both sides of the James River. The support structure for the natural teeth and dental implants is called the periodontium. The periodontal dental specialty is specifically focused on the health of this area. We work in collaboration with your restorative dentists to provide optimal health, comfort, function and esthetics for your teeth. Our number one priority is to make sure we keep

4909 Grove Avenue Richmond, VA 23226 (804) 355-6593

DrRichardson.fp.0720.indd 1

your overall health in mind as we provide a full scope of periodontal therapy including precision dental implant placement and maintenance, soft tissue grafting to repair recession, bone grafting, and treatment for gum disease around natural teeth and dental implants. Dr. Richardson, Dr. Overstreet, and Dr. Glazier maintain part-time Clinical Faculty Positions at VCU School of Dentistry and all three are Board Certified. Dr. White joined our practice in 2018 and is also Board Certified. In our patient-centered practice, we look forward to providing your periodontal therapy and will work closely with your referring dentist to create a healthy and long lasting foundation for your smile.

Please visit our website at www.richmondperioonline.com to learn more about us and our practice.

1230 Alverser Drive, Suite 106 Midlothian, VA 23113 (804) 794-7094

6/12/20 11:18 AM

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Bon Secours Memor al Reg onal Med cal Center 8260 Atlee Road, 04-764-6000 or bonsecours.com

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EMERGENCY CARE

Bi

HEALTH

CCU, NICU, IVCU, PCU

225 pr vate rooms

PCU

104 pr vate and sem pr vate rooms, 41 behav oral health un t beds

ICU, NICU

130 pr vate rooms

outpat ent and npat ent wound un t

Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hosp tal 5801 Bremo Road, 804-285-2011 or bonsecours.com

CCU, CVICU, PICU, ICU, NICU, IMCU, CVSU, NSTU

391 beds

wound un t

Bon Secours Souths de Med cal Center 200 Medical Park Blvd., Petersburg, 804-765-5000 or bonsecours.com

CVICU, NICU, ICU, PCU

300 beds, 31 behav oral health un t beds

Ch ldren’s Hosp tal of R chmond at VCU 1000 E. Broad St., 804-828-CHOR or chrichmond.org

NICU, PICU

ncluded n VCU Med cal Center count

NICU, PICU, RICU, PCU, CVICU, CCU, MSICU

466 rooms, 137 npat ent behav oral health beds

CICU, SICU, NICU, PICU

340 beds, 298 pr vate rooms

eICU

147 beds, 40 behav oral health beds

NICU, Neuro ICU, MSICU

292 pr vate rooms

MICU, SICU, CCU

347 beds

CCU

200 pr vate rooms, 24 behav oral health un t beds, 36 rehab beds

CCU, ICU

226 pr vate rooms, 20 npat ent behav oral health un t beds

CCU/CSICU, NSICU, STICU, MRICU, NICU, PICU, PCU

811 beds

Bon Secours R chmond Commun ty Hosp tal 1500 N. 28th St., 804-225-1700 or bonsecours.com Bon Secours St. Franc s Med cal Center 13700 St. Francis Blvd., 804-594-7300 or bonsecours.com

Ch ppenham Hosp tal 7101 Jahnke Road, 804-483-0000 or chippenhammed.com Henr co Doctors’ Hosp tal 1602 Skipwith Road, 804-289-4500 or henricodoctors.com John Randolph Med cal Center 411 W. Randolph Road, Hopewell, 804-541-1600 or johnrandolphmedicalcenter.com Johnston-W ll s Hosp tal 1401 Johnston-Willis Drive, 804-483-5000 or johnstonwillismed.com

*†

†

†

*†

McGu re Veterans Affa rs Med cal Center 1201 Broad Rock Blvd., 804-675-5000 or richmond.va.gov Parham Doctors’ Hosp tal 7700 E. Parham Road, 804-747-5600 or parhamdoctors.com

Retreat Doctors’ Hosp tal 2621 Grove Ave., 804-254-5100 or retreatdoctors.com

VCU Health /VCU Med cal Center 1250 E. Marshall St., 804-828-9000 or vcuhealth.org

†

†

outpat ent wound un t

outpat ent and npat ent wound un t

III

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wound un t

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*Has family-practice pharmacy, nursing and radiology residence programs; †Provides research via clinical trials.

ICU ABBREVIATIONS: CCU/CSICU: Coronary/Cardiac surgery; CICU: cardiac; CVICU: Cardiovascular; CVSU: Cardiovascular Services Unit; eICU: Remote monitoring; IMCU: Intermediate Care Unit; IVCU: Interventional Cardiac Unit; MICU: Medical; MRICU: Medical respiratory; MSICU: Medical surgical; Neuro ICU: Neurosurgery; NICU: Neonatal; NSICU: Neuroscience; NSTU: Neuroscience Telemetry Unit; PCU: Progressive care; PICU: Pediatric; RICU: Renal; STICU: Surgical trauma; SICU: Surgical Any reproduction of this chart without permission of the publisher is prohibited. Updated December 2020.

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Is your heart skipping a beat?

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Call 804-410-9749 today to make an appointment www.vaheartbeat.com

Boulders 1001 Boulders Pkwy, Suite 110 Richmond, VA 23225

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West End 7605 Forest Ave, Suite 100 Richmond, VA 23229

Colonial Heights 930 South Ave, Suite 4C Colonial Heights, VA 23834

3/10/20 11:19 AM

HEALTH

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

February Is...

FOCUSED CARE

Specialty Centers

Bon Secours Ambulatory Surgery Center, 8262 Atlee Road, MOB III, Suite 100, Mechanicsville, 804-764-7250 or bonsecours.com. Provides a range of outpatient surgical procedures.

Bon Secours Center for Healthy Living Sarah Garland Jones Center, 2600 Nine Mile Road, bonsecours.com. 24/7 Healthy living center for the East End. 804-562-5361.

Bon Secours emergency centers, Bon Secours Colonial Heights Emergency Care, 60 E. Roslyn Court, Colonial Heights, 804-765-6700; Bon Secours Short Pump Medical Plaza, 12320 W. Broad St., 804-923-1400; Bon Secours Westchester Emergency Center, 601 Watkins Center Parkway, 804594-2100; bonsecours.com. Around-the-clock emergency care facilities with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment.

Bon Secours Southside Medical Office Building 1, 210 Medical Park Blvd., Petersburg, 804765-5000 or bonsecours.com. Home to the Southside Cancer Center; Women’s Imaging Center; Bon Secours Southside Obstetrics and Gynecology practice; and a location of the Virginia Cancer Institute.

Bon Secours Virginia Breast Center, 601 Watkins Centre Parkway, Suite 200; 5875 Bremo Road, MOB South, Suites G11; 8220 Meadowbridge Road, MOB 1, Suite 309, 804-594-3130 or vabreastcenter.com. Same-day diagnostic and treatment options.

The Ellen Shaw de Paredes Institute for Women’s Imaging, 4480 Cox Road, Suite 100, 804-5232303 and 2530 Gaskins Road, Suite C, 804-9340340 or paredesinstitute.com. Specializes in the diagnosis of breast disease.

CHILDREN’S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital, 5700

RICHMOND PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY AND ORTHODONTICS Richmond Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics is RVA’s top destination for complete oral care from your child’s very first tooth, all the way up to braces and beyond. Our team of highly skilled doctors are ready to provide your family with an exceptional dental experience in a fun, relaxed environment. With offices located in Richmond, Glen Allen, Midlothian and Mechanicsville, we offer convenient care that fits even the busiest of schedules. Visit RPDO.com for more information and to schedule your child’s smile experience today!

RVA CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY Dr. Sobia Carter is a board-certified specialist in pediatric dentistry who has been practicing in Richmond for over 15 years. She has extensive experience treating infants, children, teenagers and children with special needs. Dr. Carter is also the mother of three children and takes pride in treating her patients like they are her own. Come by and meet our compassionate, professional dental team today! RVA Children’s Dentistry is conveniently located in Glen Allen near Virginia Center Commons. We look forward to partnering with your family in creating a lifetime of smiles!

Call 804-729-8081, visit rvachildrensdentistry.com or like RVA Children’s Dentistry on Facebook.

Fitzhugh Ave., Richmond, 804-288-5700 or encompasshealth.com; 34 Medical Park Blvd., Petersburg, 804-504-8100 or encompasshealth .com. Inpatient and outpatient care of orthopedic, neurological, pulmonary and more; physical, occupational and speech-language therapies; programs to treat MS, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury and stroke.

Hallmark Youthcare, 12800 West Creek Parkway, 804-784-2200 or hallmarkyouthcare.org.

Residential programs provide education during psychological treatment, as well as sex-offender treatment and assessment and diagnostic services to adolescents.

Hanover Emergency Center, 9275 Chamberlayne Road, 804-417-0300 or hanoverer.com.

Full-service emergency center for adult and pediatric patients.

HCA Virginia surgery centers, hcavirginia.com.

Boulders Ambulatory Surgery Center, 1115 Boulders Parkway, Suite 210, 804-672-4040 or bould ersasc.com. State-of-the art orthopedic outpatient surgery center with three operating rooms.

Colonial Heights Surgery Center, 930 South Ave., Suite 2, Colonial Heights, 804-520-8272 or hcavirginia.com. A facility specializing in otolaryngology, gastroenterology, surgery, interventional

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pain, orthopedics, podiatry and urology procedures. Forest Ambulatory Surgery Center, 7607 Forest Ave., Suite 220, 804-285-9416.

Medarva, 804-775-4500, medarva.com; Stony Point Surgery Center, 8700 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 100, stonypointsc.com. West Creek Surgery Center, West Creek Medical Park, 1630 Wilkes Ridge Parkway, Suite 101, Goochland, westcreek-surgery-center.com. Imaging Center, West Creek Medical Park, 1630 Wilkes Ridge Parkway, Suite 101, Goochland, medarva-imaging.com.

More than 200 surgeons offer outpatient surgical services in adult and pediatric specialties.

Richmond Surgical Group, 7611 Forest Ave., Suite 300, 804-968-4435 or richmondsurgical.net.

Experts in endovascular techniques, carotid-artery disease, aortic aneurysms and occlusive disease, peripheral vascular disease and vascular access.

Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute, 7607 Forest Ave., Suite 220, 804-285-9416; 110 N. Robinson St., Suite 303, 804-200-1850; 1401 Johnston-Willis Drive, 804-330-2000 or richmondsurg .com. Da Vinci robotic and advanced laparoscopic surgery; specialize in gastroesophageal reflux, endocrine, colon, abdominal wall, gallbladder, liver and melanoma; also state-of-the-art technology and procedures to treat breast diseases.

Select Physical Therapy, Various locations, selectphysicaltherapy.com. Addressing orthopedic and sports-medicine concerns from sprains and ligament reconstruction to work conditioning and functional capacity evaluation.

Sheltering Arms Institute, 2000 Wilkes Ridge Drive, West Creek Medical Park, 804-877-4000 or shelteringarmsinstitute.com, and Sheltering Arms Physical Rehabilitation Centers, seven locations, 804-764-1000 or shelteringarms.com.

Institute in collaboration with VCU Health offers intensive, hospital-level physical rehabilitation; rehabilitation centers provide outpatient care and services.

St. Mary’s Ambulatory Surgery Center, 1501 Maple Ave., 804-287-7878 or stmarys-asc.com. Adult and pediatric outpatient procedures.

Swift Creek Emergency Center, 14720 Hancock Village St., Chesterfield, 804-818-7750 or swift creeker.com. Full-service emergency center for adult and pediatric patients.

TriCities ER, 1700 Temple Parkway, Prince George, 804-722-1300 or tricitieser.com.

Full-service emergency center for adults and pediatrics.

Virginia Eye Institute, 804-287-2020 or vaeye.com. Specializing in glaucoma, laser-assisted cataract surgery, cornea disorders, retina diseases, diabetic eye care, pediatric eye care and adult strabismus, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery and services, LASIK and refractive surgery, optometry and general eye health. Eight offices.

Virginia Eye Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center, 402 Westhampton Station, 804-287-2020, Outpatient services in ophthalmology. Separate practice operates in surgery center.

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Virginia Urology, 804-330-9105 or uro.com.

Specialty center for urology and urogynecology, with urologists, urogynecologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and women’s health physical therapists; six offices and an ambulatory surgery center and imaging center includes MRI, CT and X-ray capabilities.

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EDUCATION

P. 140 Schools Shed Confederate Symbols P. 144 Police in Schools P. 150 New Public Schools P. 154 A New History for VCU P. 160 Increased Interest in Private Education RICHMONDMAG.COM

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EDUCATION

EQUITY

The Next Chapter

Schools across the region drop ties to Confederate iconography amid a national focus on racial inequity By Rodrigo Arriaza VCU Brandcenter to better reflect Freeman’s core values of inclusion and independence.

“We’re excited that Mavericks is part of who we are,” he says. “We blaze our own trail, we stand out from the herd, we speak for ourselves, but [now] have no ties to ... a terrible time in our state and nation’s history, no ties to the Confederacy. We’re excited to start our next chapter.”

Prior discussions around the Rebels nickname led the school to stop using a Confederate soldier as its mascot and reframe its meaning to be “someone who challenges the status quo” rather than dropping it entirely, he says, though its lingering Douglas S. Freeman High School ties to the Civil War continued Principal John Marshall with a making some students uneasy. sign displaying the school’s new nickname, Mavericks. The school Freeman High School hasn’t dropped its “Rebels” nickname used its “Rebel Man” mascot this summer to disassociate itself from Confederate symbols. since at least 2007, according to a Henrico Citizen report.

“The word ‘Rebel,’ for me, represents a time and a place and a people who would have in no way been comfortable or an advocate for who I am JULIANNE TRIPP

A

s last year’s Black Lives Matter protests spotlighted racial injustice and pushed Richmond to take down Confederate monuments, the nation’s reckoning with race has also prompted local school systems to shed names and mascots that honor figures who supported slavery.

Henrico County’s Douglas S. Freeman High School announced in August that its student groups and sports teams would no longer be called the Rebels, a nickname used by the school since its opening in 1954. Principal John Marshall says the decision followed a monthslong review that involved a panel of former Freeman staff and students, as well as a public input process that resulted in more than 2,000 comments and 1,500 online responses.

In November 2020, Marshall revealed the school’s new moniker, the Mavericks, which he says was chosen in collaboration with the

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today,” said Kennedy Mackey, a Spelman College student and 2018 Freeman graduate, during a virtual panel discussion on the name change this summer. “There’s no amount of recontextualization that can be done [to] change what the word ‘Rebel’ means at a predominantly white school in the West End of Henrico.”

Meanwhile, Hanover County’s school board voted by a thin 4-3 margin this summer to rename Lee-Davis High School and Stonewall Jackson Middle School to Mechanicsville High School and Bell Creek Middle School.

In all cases, vocal segments of the Henrico and Hanover communities advocated for the changes for at least a decade before their eventual passage. Hanover NAACP President Robert Barnette says calls to rename the two Hanover County schools date back to 1970.

“There is a place for those names, and if we put them ... in the history books [or] museums, that’s fine, but [they] shouldn’t be plastered on a public building that we pay taxes for, and that Black and brown kids have to enter every day,” Barnette says.

Not everyone supported the changes.

A Change.org petition to reinstate Freeman High School’s Confederate mascot garnered more than 1,200 signatures as of 2015, while Freeman alumni association founder Fred Facka said this summer that he “couldn’t imagine a world without Rebels.”

“We’re all Rebels … it’s a term of freedom,” he added during the panel discussion. “We are free to speak up against oppression, a status quo that may be unlawful. So Rebel, to me, has evolved almost completely.”

In Hanover, the school board turned down a petition to change the schools’ names in 2018, electing to keep them by a 5-2 vote. The rejection motivated the Hanover NAACP to file a lawsuit against the school division, alleging that the names violated the constitutional rights of Black students, Barnette says, though the suit was ultimately dismissed by a

judge weeks before George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis.

“The George Floyd incident that sparked racial tensions across the country and the [removal] of statues in Richmond really fueled the advocacy of several groups, including Hanover NAACP,” Barnette says. “It’s unfortunate that someone had to lose their life for this to happen, but ... I think [it] was evidence that things can change if people continue to bring up their views.”

Hanover County School Board Chairman John Axselle III, who voted against changing the school names this summer, declined to comment for this story, and Vice Chair Ola Hawkins, who supported the renaming, did not respond to a request for comment.

—John Marshall, principal of Douglas S. Freeman High School

Changes didn’t just occur at the K-12 level. In December, workers began removing plaques and other forms of signage honoring Confederate figures throughout Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus at the direction of the VCU Board of Visitors. Building names including McGuire Hall, Baruch Auditorium, Ginter House, the Jefferson Davis Memorial Chapel, the Tompkins-McCaw

Library and the Wood Memorial Building are all set to be removed.

“It is clear that the values represented by these [names] and symbols run counter to the values to which we are committed — inclusion, equity and diversity,” VCU President Michael Rao said in a statement.

In late 2020, a John Tyler Community College task force recommended that the institution be renamed. Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, owned slaves, supported secession and was elected to the Confederate Congress before his death in 1862. The name replacement process is expected to extend into 2021.

In a message to students, John Tyler President Edward Raspiller wrote that the panel also suggested that the Chesterfield County college rename two buildings honoring former state politicians Mills Godwin and Lloyd Bird, both proponents of the Massive Resistance movement that sought to prevent desegregation in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954. Although the John Tyler buildings will be renamed, Mills E. Godwin High School in Henrico and L.C. Bird High School in Chesterfield continue to bear the politicians’ names.

However, Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities President Jonathan Zur cautions that while name changes are weighty milestones, they should mark the beginning, not the end, of wider institutional efforts to be more inclusive. Zur’s organization, which facilitates workshops in schools to promote educational equity, led the virtual panel centered around Freeman’s mascot change.

“One of the challenges that I have observed is that when there are flashpoint moments, these are the types of things that are the most tangible to be able to quickly change,” he says. “I’m fearful that there will be some people in the community who go back to business as usual or think that we’ve resolved the issue, when in fact, at every school, you could find other ways that disparities and inequities persist along lines of race and class.”

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EDUCATION

POLICING

Equality in Safety

Local school divisions mull the future of police in schools

By Leah Small

W

hile the pandemic has halted in-person instruction in many schools, calls to limit policing spotlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement could shape how safety is maintained when students return.

Child advocates say the trend of placing school resource officers (SROs) in middle and high schools has hastened the school-to-prison pipeline: “zero tolerance” discipline policies that funnel students of color toward the criminal justice system, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

According to a 2015 report from the Center for Public Integrity (CPI), Black students and those with disabilities were referred to police in Virginia schools at higher rates than their peers despite representing smaller segments of student

populations. Valerie Slater, executive director for advocacy organization RISE for Youth, says the practice ignores how trauma, poverty and other issues contribute to behaviors.

“If we know what’s wrong, we [shouldn’t] attempt to fix public health problems with police officers,” Slater says.

“You don’t police away issues created by [fewer resources].”

The issue has prompted area school divisions to reexamine agreements with police departments to prevent officer overreach. Amid this summer’s protests, Richmond Public Schools (RPS) Superintendent Jason Kamras recommended that officers be removed from schools and called for added mental health services after a virtual student forum on policing.

But some, like 4th District Richmond School Board member Jonathan Young, worry that removing officers

would threaten school safety and raise concerns ranging from fights to active shooter situations.

Nationally, the rise of school resource officers has been linked to increased fear of school shootings following the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. But despite more officers, school shootings have risen in the last two decades. SROs also may not be a significant deterrent of school shootings. In over 200 school shootings analyzed by The Washington Post in 2018, officers successfully intervened in only two instances.

Locally, police and school officials have noted the added benefits of mentorship, athletic coaching and extracurricular activities provided by officers as reasons to maintain relationships with police departments, which they say help to keep students out of trouble.

“These SROs are head basketball coaches, assistant track coaches, on Saturdays they referee for teams,” says Richmond police Sgt. Stacy Rogers, who supervises the department’s SROs. Policing in schools has been a contentious issue in Virginia for nearly a decade.

The state led the nation in referring students to the justice system at a rate of 15.8 per 1,000 students during the 2011-12 school year — nearly three times the national rate, according to the 2015 CPI report. That year, Chesterfield County led the state with more than 1,700 such incidents. Referrals in the county have since decreased to 979, with 100 charges filed during the 2018-19 school year.

In Richmond, more than 121 middle and high school students were arrested

by RPS resource officers or magistrates during the 2019-20 school year. Nearly half of those arrests occurred at Huguenot High School and Martin Luther King Middle School. Simple assault was the most common charge with 50 arrests.

“Our most heavily policed communities often have the most heavily policed schools,” says 5th District Richmond School Board member Stephanie Rizzi.

JAY PAUL

“Now is the perfect time to reimagine the SRO program,” says Richmond police Sgt. Stacy Rogers, who supervises the department’s school resource o cers.

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Proudly Serving Richmond Since 1991 But simply looking at arrest data doesn’t accurately show what is going on, police say.

RPD Sgt. Rogers says that “90% of charges go back to diversion,” which means that students are referred for behavioral supports.

He adds that in these cases, charges do not remain on a student’s permanent record.

Officer Jason Johnson, who patrols George Wythe High School, says he strives to minimize student’s interactions with the court system and avoids using handcuffs or other restraints for most arrests.

“Our goal is to not file charges against the students and to explain to them what they did and the consequences of the actions they took,” Johnson says.

Student attitudes toward SROs are mixed. Most RPS teachers and students believe officers contribute to a good school environment, according to a 2020 Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services survey, but most students polled said they had never talked to their SRO. Ninth grader Ta’breana McBride says her interactions with SROs at Henderson Middle School last year made her uncomfortable.

“They ... watched over us like we were low-key inmates in a way,” she says. “I can’t say they were being nasty toward the students, but they didn’t have peachy attitudes.”

Isaac Cumberbatch, a 12th grader who participates in band activities facilitated

by RPD, reports a positive experience but says the tone of SROs can be off-putting to some, though it’s sometimes part of the job.

Local school divisions are attempting to improve relations between police and students. Chesterfield launched trauma-informed care programs four years ago with plans to hire additional mental health counselors. Henrico schools, where 15 students were arrested during the 2018-19 school year, added co-teaching and digital outreach opportunities for students and SROs. In Richmond, Rogers suggests improvements to the SRO program could include “softer uniforms” such as khakis and polo shirts, though officers would still carry guns.

“Now is the perfect opportunity to reimagine the SRO program,” he says. “I put it out to the school board members that I’m willing to discuss issues with them at any time.”

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EDUCATION

Spotlight on High Schools

he ichmond re ion’s lic schools o er an arra of o tions for arents and st dents. ere’s a sna shot of each s stem and a list of corres ondin hi h schools ith their s ecialt ro rams.

CHARLES CITY COUNTY

Student population: 632 (2019-20) Number of schools: 1 elementary (Charles City Elementary School), 1 high (Charles City High School) AP course enrollment: 2.18% (2019-20) Dual enrollment: 1.81% (2019-20) On-time graduation rate: 100% (2019-20) Fully accredited schools: 100% Operating expenses toward instruction: 55.2% (2019-20) It’s good to know: This rural school system offers programs including dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, electives, gifted education, an accredited Army Junior ROTC program, comprehensive vocational and technical training, Title 1 reading and alternative education. The school division also supports a 1-to-1 laptop technology initiative for students in grades K-12 and a robust preschool program.

Charles City High School, 10039 Courthouse Road, Charles City, 804-829-9249; 299 students in grades 7-12; Marcus Petty Sr., principal; the school was recognized in April 2017 and 2018 by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 118 high schools in Virginia.

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY

Student population: 61,044 (2020-2021) Number of schools: 39 elementary, 12 middle, 11 high (including 13 specialty centers) and 2 career and technical centers AP course enrollment: 47.35% Dual enrollment: 20.77% On-time graduation rate: 92% Fully accredited schools: 100% (As of 2019) Operating expenses toward instruction: 69.5% It’s good to know: As part of a blended learning initiative, Chesterfield County Public Schools provides 60,000 devices to its students for 1:1 daily instruction throughout the school day and at home.

Lloyd C. Bird, 10301 Courthouse Road, Chesterfield, 804-768-6110; 1,747 students; Adrienne Blanton, principal; specialty center/program: Governor’s Academy for Engineering Studies.

Carver College and Career Academy, 12400 Branders Bridge Road, Chester, 804-768-6156; 279 students; Stephen Hackett, principal; The school offers career and technical education classes, as well as night school.

Chesterfield Career and Technical Centers, 10101 Courthouse Road, North Chesterfield, 804-7686160, Brian Russell, principal; 13900 Hull Street Road, Midlothian, 804-639-8668, Brian Russell, principal; serves about 1,528 students from 11 high schools and offers one- and two-year courses to prepare students for careers or postsecondary education.

Clover Hill, 13301 Kelly Green Lane, Midlothian, 804-639-4940; 1,709 students; John Phillips, principal; specialty center/program: Mathematics and Science.

Cosby, 14300 Fox Club Parkway, Midlothian, 804-639-8340; 2,180 students; Ben Snyder, principal; specialty center/program: Health Science.

Thomas Dale, 3626 W. Hundred Road, Chester, 804-768-6245; 2,400 students; Christopher

Jones, principal; specialty center/program: Visual and Performing Arts.

James River, 3700 James River Road, Midlothian, 804-378-2420; 1,879 students; Amanda Voelker, principal; specialty center/program: Leadership and International Relations.

Manchester, 12601 Bailey Bridge Road Midlothian, 804-739-6275; 2,146 students; Christin Ellis, principal; specialty centers/programs: Mass Communications and Spanish Immersion.

Matoaca, 17700 Longhouse Lane, Chesterfield, 804-590-3108; 1,571 students; Elizabeth Baber, principal; specialty center/program: Information Technology.

Meadowbrook, 4901 Cogbill Road, North Chesterfield, 804-743-3675; 1,932 students; Marcie Terry, principal; specialty centers/programs: International Baccalaureate and Meadowbrook Academy for Digital Entrepreneurship.

Midlothian, 401 Charter Colony Parkway, Midlothian, 804-378-2440; 1,901 students; Shawn Abel, principal; specialty center/program: International Baccalaureate.

Monacan, 11501 Smoketree Drive, Richmond, 804-378-2480; 1,538 students; William Broyles, principal; specialty centers/programs: Humanities and Health and Physical Therapy.

GOOCHLAND COUNTY

Student population: 2,619 Number of schools: 3 elementary, 1 middle and 1 high AP course enrollment: 27.4% Dual enrollment: 22.5% On-time graduation rate: 98% Fully accredited schools: 100% Operating expenses toward instruction: 67.5% It’s good to know: Goochland schools feature nationally recognized 1-to-1 technology for students preschool-12 and offer a range of programs, including award-winning fine arts, participation in two governor’s schools, STEM programming, and championship-caliber athletics. Goochland is home to one of only two heavy equipment programs in the commonwealth.

Goochland High School, 3250 River Road West, Goochland, 804-556-5322; 832 students, Christopher Collier, principal. Home to a comprehensive Career and Technical Education program, including two career-focused academies specializing in architecture and construction and sustainable energy. Goochland’s programs include the Advance College Academy partnership with Reynolds Community College, as well as dual enrollment opportunities with Piedmont Virginia Community College, Longwood University, Shenandoah University, and the University of Virginia.

HANOVER COUNTY

Student population: 16,519 Number of schools: 15 elementary, 4 middle and 4 high, 1 alternative, 1 trade and technology, and 1 Pre-K-12 online AP course enrollment: 23% Dual enrollment: 256 students

On-time graduation rate: 96% Fully-accredited schools: 100% (As of 2019) Operating expenses toward instruction: 70.3% It’s good to know: All schools are fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education based on ratings issued in 2019. Hanover County Public Schools has the third highest on-time graduation rate (96%) and the third lowest dropout rate (2.23%) among the 15 largest Virginia school divisions. All division high schools offer the International Baccalaureate diploma program.

Atlee, 9414 Atlee Station Road, Mechanicsville, 804-723-2100; 1,540 students; John Wheeler, principal; for the fourth time in five years, Atlee High School in 2019 was named a recipient of the Board of Education Distinguished Achievement Award for advanced learning and achievement as part of the annual Virginia Index of Performance Awards.

The Georgetown School, 10000 Learning Lane, Mechanicsville, 804-723-3460; alternative education center for middle and high school students; Brian Ford, principal.

The Hanover Center for Trades and Technology,

10002 Learning Lane, Mechanicsville, 804-723-2020; Justin Roerink, principal.

Hanover, 10307 Chamberlayne Road, Mechanicsville, 804-723-3700; 1,502 students; Kristina Reece, principal; Hanover High School is home to the Health Science Specialty Center.

Mechanicsville, 7052 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Mechanicsville, 804-723-2200; 1,374 students; Charles Stevens, principal; 58.9% of students earn advanced diplomas.

Patrick Henry, 12449 W. Patrick Henry Road, Ashland, 804-365-8000; 1,316 students; Christopher Martinez, principal; the boys volleyball team earned state championships in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

HENRICO COUNTY

Student population: 48,982 (2020-21) Number of schools: 72 schools and program centers, including 46 elementary, 12 middle and 9 high schools, 2 advanced career education centers, 3 alternative education programs AP course enrollment: 26.8% Dual enrollment: 3.7% On-time graduation rate: 91% Fully accredited schools: Accreditation waived for 2020-2021 school year Operating expenses toward instruction: 75.8% It’s good to know: Each high school in Henrico plays host to an academic specialty center. Two (Tucker and Henrico) offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma program, and three middle schools (Fairfield, Moody and Tuckahoe) offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years program.

The National Association of Music Merchants has named Henrico one of America’s “Best Communities for Music Education” for 21 years running.

Deep Run, 4801 Twin Hickory Road, Glen Allen, 804-364-8000; 1,886 students; Dr. Brian Fellows, principal; the campus is also home to the Center for Information Technology.

Douglas S. Freeman, 8701 Three Chopt Road,

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804-673-3700; 1,828 students; John Marshall, principal; also home to the Center for Leadership, Government and Global Economics.

Glen Allen, 10700 Staples Mill Road, Glen Allen, 804-501-3300; 1,978 students; Reginald Davenport, principal; also home to the Center for Education and Human Development.

Mills E. Godwin, 2101 Pump Road, 804-750-2600; 1,783 students; Leigh Dunavant, principal; also home to the Todd Allen Phillips Center for Medical Sciences.

Henrico, 302 Azalea Ave., 804-228-2700; 1,444 students; Karin Castillo-Rose, principal; also home to the Center for the Arts and an International Baccalaureate program.

Hermitage, 8301 Hungary Spring Road, 804-756-3000; 1,613 students; Dr. Michael Jackson, principal; the Advanced Career Education Center at Hermitage offers a variety of career-preparatory skills and industry certifications. The campus is also home to the Center for the Humanities.

Highland Springs, 15 S. Oak Ave., Highland Springs, 804-328-4000; 1,869 students; Kenneth White, principal; the campus is home to the Advanced Career Education Center at Highland Springs, which offers career-preparatory skills and industry certifications. The campus also offers the Advance College Academy for Business Administration and the Center for Engineering.

J.R. Tucker, 2910 Parham Road, 804-527-4600; 1,725 students; Art Raymond, principal; the school is also home to the Advance College Academy for Social Sciences, the Center for Spanish Language and Global Citizenship and the International Baccalaureate program.

Varina, 7053 Messer Road, 804-226-8700; 1,453 students; Darin Thompson, principal; the campus is also home to the Center for Communications and Media Relations.

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school and 1 regional technical center AP course enrollment: 3.9% Dual enrollment: 10.79% On-time graduation rate: 93.1% Fully accredited schools: 100%

Operating expenses toward instruction: 66.7% It’s good to know: The district prides itself on the

POWHATAN COUNTY

Student population: 4,151 Number of schools: 3 elementary, 1 middle and 1 high AP course enrollment: 17.5% (2019-20) Dual enrollment: 2.7% (2019-20) On-time graduation rate: 95.4% (2020) Fully accredited schools: 100% Operating expenses toward instruction: 73% It’s good to know: Powhatan County Public Schools continues to expand its K-12 STEM program with

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Student population: 3,040 Number of schools: 2 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high

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New Kent High School, 7365 Egypt Road, New Kent, 804-966-9671; 1,030 students in grades 9-12*; Chris Valdrighi, principal.

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EDUCATION

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

elementary STEM coaches, a STEM Innovation Lab in the newly built Powhatan Middle School, a popular maker-space as well as a variety of career and technical education courses, computer science, and engineering offerings at Powhatan High School.

Powhatan High School, 1800 Judes Ferry Road, Powhatan, 804-598-5710; 1,420 students, Mike Massa, principal. Offerings include the Advance College Academy, a small animal care program, the honor band, certified nursing assistant program, over 20 AP courses, an electricity co-op program, a Scholastic Gold Key art program and more.

RICHMOND

Student population: 22,543* 2020-2021 (*Total with Virginia Virtual Academy - 28,240) Number of schools: 5 pre-kindergarten learning centers, 26 elementary (including one charter), 8 middle, 5 comprehensive high schools, 3 specialty high schools, 3 regional high schools, 3 International Baccalaureate programs, Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme AP course enrollment: 22% (2020-2021) Dual enrollment: 2% (2019-2020) On-time graduation rate: 71.6% (2019-2020) Fully accredited schools: 45% (Accreditation is based on data from 2018-2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) Operating expenses toward instruction: 75.72% (2019-2020) It’s good to know: The city of Richmond is Virginia’s 9th-largest school district according to Virginia Department of Education data and is home to one of the state’s top high schools (Open High at No. 10 and Richmond Community High School at No. 19), according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 rankings.

Amelia Street School, 1821 Amelia St.,804-780-6275, special education school, 33 students (2020-2021)*,

ages 2 to 21; Mark Phillips, principal.

Armstrong High School, 2300 Cool Lane, 804-780-4449; 720 students (2020-2021); Willie Bell Jr., principal; Armstrong was founded in 1865 by the Freedmen’s Bureau.

Franklin Military Academy, 701 N. 37th St., 804-780-8526; 360 (2020-2021); David Hudson, principal; the school opened in 1980 and offers regular academic training, Junior Reserve Officer Training and the Middle School Leadership Program.

George Wythe High School, 4314 Crutchfield St., 804-780-5037; 1,245 (2020-2021); Joe Pisani, principal; the school was established in 1960, and its mascot is the Bulldog.

Huguenot High School, 7945 Forest Hill Ave., 804-320-7967, 1,156 (2020-2021); Robert Gilstrap, principal; the school opened in 1960, and its mascot is the Falcon.

John Marshall High School, 4225 Old Brook Road, 804-780-6052, 436 (2020-2021); Monica Murray, principal; at this school named for the fourth U.S. Supreme Court chief justice, sports teams play as the Justices.

Open High School, 600 S. Pine St.,804-780-4661, 188 (2020-2021); Clary Carleton, interim principal; the “School Without Walls” opened in 1972.

Richmond Community High School, 201 E. Brookland Park Blvd., 804-780-4332; 227 students (2020-2021); Kenya Massenburg, principal; the school opened in 1977 with a mission to identify and serve promising students from minority and low-income families.

Thomas Jefferson High School, 4100 W. Grace St., 804-780-6028; 760 (2020-2021); Cherita Sears, principal; the school building opened in 1930 and is a Virginia Historical Landmark.

Richmond Alternative School, 119 W. Leigh St., 804-780-4388; Lamont Trotter, interim principal;

the school helps students age 16 and older obtain a high school diploma or equivalency.

Richmond Career Education and Employment Academy, 4225 Old Brook Road, 804-230-7763;

Maurice Burton, principal; for students ages 14-21 with cognitive disabilities; facility focuses on lifeskills development that is career oriented.

Richmond Technical Center, 2020 Westwood Ave., 804-780-6237; Jonathan Mitchum, principal; It also offers the Governor’s CTE Academy for STEM, a part-time four-year program for rising 9th graders along two career pathways: Engineering & Technology and Therapeutic Services.

REGIONAL SCHOOLS

Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts & Technology, 512 W. Washington St., Petersburg, 804-722-0200; Brendon Albon, executive director.

Students who reside in participating school divisions can apply in Dance, Literary Arts, Music, Technology, Theatre Arts and Visual Arts. Students are selected by a committee of educators and other persons skilled in technology and the arts from each participating school division who evaluate all applications.

CodeRVA, 1405 Cummings Drive, Suite 10, 804-968-1820; Kume Goranson, executive director.

Innovative public high school preparing students for college and careers in computer science.

Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies, 1000 N. Lombardy St.,

804-354-6800; Robert Lowerre, director. Offers a comprehensive college preparatory program, with emphasis on government, international studies, fine arts, sciences, math and languages; students from throughout the region are selected based on aptitude and interest in its mission. *Virginia Department of Education figures

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EDUCATION

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Building for the Future New school construction abounds in the Richmond area

By Rodrigo Arriaza

A

lthough COVID-19 has mostly sidelined in-person instruction at Richmondarea public schools since March 2020, construction of new schools has proceeded apace.

Recently completed school buildings await some students once pandemic restrictions are lifted, while other projects are underway across Richmond and in neighboring Henrico and Chesterfield counties. The new schools replace aging facilities and will help usher learning into the new decade.

Three new schools — Cardinal Elementary, Henry Marsh Elementary and River City Middle — were completed in

Richmond in the summer of 2020, though the pandemic and a decision from the city’s school board will keep them closed through the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. George Wythe High School in Richmond’s South Side is next in line to be rebuilt following an announcement by Mayor Levar Stoney and Richmond Public School (RPS) officials in October 2020.

The high school first opened in 1960 and was only renovated once, four decades ago. RPS Principal Director of High Schools James Brown says the outdated facility and projected increases in enrollment due in part to South Richmond’s growing Latino population require a larger, modern school building. Today, Wythe is

almost at capacity with 1,300 students.

“The new building will represent more than just bricks and mortar,” 8th District Richmond School Board member Dawn Page said at the announcement event. “It will provide the most up-to-date technology and a state-of-the-art facility that will give our children opportunities to become 21st-century learners.”

Though city leaders have unveiled the project, it is likely years away from breaking ground. About $4 million in excess funds from a 1.5% meals tax increase approved by Richmond City Council in 2018 to fund Cardinal, Henry Marsh and River City Middle’s construction will go toward the new Wythe building’s initial planning and design costs. The Richmond School Board will lead efforts to gather community input to inform the design process.

In an interview, Stoney said funds for the school’s construction won’t be available until the city’s borrowing capacity opens in 2024.

“The planning is underway,” he says.

“Obviously, we have some fiscal constraints [because] the dollars will not be available for construction until roughly 2024, when the city’s credit capacity opens up. We understand after taking on these three major [school construction] projects in the last two years that you [must] have the planning and design work done as quickly as possible before even moving forward with putting a shovel in the ground.”

The George Wythe replacement was identified as a priority in the division’s 2018-23 Dreams4RPS strategic plan but was postponed in favor of the new middle and elementary schools. New 5th District Richmond School Board member and VCU professor Stephanie Rizzi, who represents George Wythe on the board and spent time there while training to become a teacher in 1992, says it is crucial that the project remains a priority for the school district going forward.

“It’s a little hard to maintain morale, especially in a building that is as old as

COURTESY RICHMOND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

A classroom in Richmond Public Schools’ new Henry Marsh Elementary, which was completed in summer 2020.

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EDUC AT ION G ALLER Y

“What if education wasn’t first and foremost about what we know, but about what we love?” James K.A. Smith

Take the next step.

We have flexible, online courses and events to help you reach your personal and professional goals in the new year. Get started at ocpe.vcu.edu

Richmond’s JK through Grade 12 classical, Christian School Located at 3400 Brook Road in historic Northside Richmond Learn more at VeritasSchool.com

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Blue Ridge School is built for the times. For the times boys prepare for college. For the times they explore outdoors. And for the times they bond with each other. With a 750-acre campus, supportive faculty, and a protected community, it’s also built for whatever the current times bring. Spend time discovering Blue Ridge School. Schedule your private tour today.

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EDUCATION

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LEARNING TODAY, LEADING TOMORROW. it is, and I think in some ways, it communicates to the children that — I’ve talked to some that say they feel forgotten there,” she says.

Though the Wythe project remains in its earliest stages, school construction is well underway in Henrico and Chesterfield counties. Chesterfield’s Harrowgate Elementary, Matoaca Elementary and Manchester Middle schools were rebuilt last fall and were funded through a school bond referendum approved by voters in 2013.

Three more replacement projects — also funded through the $353 million referendum — are underway at Crestwood, Ettrick and Reams elementary schools, Chester-

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Schedule a visit today or tour The Carmel School virtually online at www.thecarmelschool.org

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—Dawn Page, 8th District Richmond School Board member

Virginia’s most trusted school for students with dyslexia in grades K-8

field school spokesman Shawn Smith reports via email. The three new schools are expected to be completed this year; Crestwood is scheduled to open in April.

In Henrico, crews began work on replacements for J.R. Tucker High in the county’s West End and Highland Springs High in the East End in 2019, and both schools are expected to open this fall, Henrico County Public Schools Director of Facilities Susan Moore says. The 59-yearold Tucker will be demolished once the new building is completed, while the county will retain Highland Springs, which opened in 1952 and was renovated in 2008.

The new buildings are modeled after

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Glen Allen High School, the county’s newest high school, and they will be two-story, 265,101-square-foot facilities accompanied by new field houses, concession stands and synthetic turf athletic fields, according to a county news release.

Moore estimates that the new Tucker High has cost roughly $92 million, while the Highland Springs replacement cost the county approximately $98 million. Both projects were mainly funded through meals tax revenues and a bond referendum approved by voters in 2016.

For Highland Springs, the new school will provide relief for an older building that is “busting at the seams,� according to Principal Kenneth White. “We’re not over capacity, but we are very close to the capacity of the students that we can have in our building,� he says. “I don’t want to paint a picture that we have 40 kids sitting outside and can’t be in classrooms, it’s not that extreme, but we have 1,900 kids, and our building gets pushed to the max when it comes to space.�

Principals at both schools touted “extended learning areas� planned for the new buildings, which will allow students to work in more flexible. “We’re trying to design a building that [will be] able to be used for things that are relevant 20 years from now,� says Tucker Principal Arthur Raymond. “You don’t want to build a building that’s great for today when you don’t know what tomorrow may bring, and in education, we’re always trying to figure that out. We’re trying to figure out future needs so we can address those through our course offerings and through the experience that we’re providing for our students.�

Henrico’s 2016 bond referendum also will fund a $25 million expansion to Elizabeth Holladay Elementary School, which will roughly double the school’s size when it is completed in fall 2021. Former Henrico Director of Elementary Education Rich Hall says the added space will eliminate the need for nine classroom trailers currently in use at the school, and it could support around 200 pre-K students from neighboring schools that are nearing their capacity limits once it is completed.

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EDUCATION

HIGHER EDUCATION

When the VCU men’s basketball team reached the Final Four in 2011, all of Richmond united to cheer on the team.

Urban Renewal

A

new history of Virginia Commonwealth University (1968-2009), “Fulfilling the Promise,” co-authored by a legendary former president, Eugene P. Trani, charts not only the ebb and flow of VCU but also the city of Richmond, whose paths have been inextricably intertwined through good times and bad.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, a former Richmond mayor, cites VCU’s progress in a foreword to the book as one of three trends that have led to what he called “a powerful transformation in Richmond during the last decades.”

Kaine moved to Richmond in 1984 and in a few paragraphs lays out the differences between the city then and the city now. “We used to make top 10 lists only for tragedies like our homicide and violent crime rates. Now, Richmond is celebrated often for its achievements, quality of life, natural beauty and cultural vibe,” Kaine says.

John Kneebone, emeritus associate professor of history at VCU and co-author of the university history with Trani, says VCU is also part of the story of the rise and fall of urban universities and the rise and fall of American cities.

VCU formed in 1968 with the merger of the Richmond Professional Institute and the

Medical College of Virginia. “And almost right away cities started falling apart, people moving to the suburbs, terrible political conflict,” Kneebone says. “For a while, it looked like neither urban universities or cities were going to make it.”

From the beginning, the state mandated VCU to be an urban public university, a far different animal from the rural academies that peppered most of the state.

“Leaders of higher education and the general public both long believed that schools in rural locations with bucolic residential campuses better served the character building they perceived as the center of normal college life,” Kneebone writes in an introduction to the history.

VCU was a departure from the norm — and by the standards of some Richmonders — a radical departure. It was a melting pot for different races and points of view, and Black students, who had been sidelined in most predominantly white state universities, almost immediately pressed for equal rights and representation.

Shifts were occurring in the city as well, Kneebone and Trani write. In the mid-70s, a Black majority was elected to Richmond City Council, releasing the iron grip that white interests had held after years of suppressing

Black voters.

Richmond Professional Institute had long been known as an outpost of counterculture in Richmond, and its merger with MCV, a traditionalist institution with a better reputation, did nothing to change that.

“Both reality and image widened the separation in the eyes of the public between VCU, the hippie school at the Academic Campus, and MCV, the white-jacketed medical school,” the authors say.

Kneebone and Trani look at VCU through the tenure of its first four presidents, each of whom — including Trani — slid into controversy or had it thrust upon them before they left office.

If there has been one steadying influence at VCU through the first 40 years “Fulfilling the Promise” examines, it has been the importance of basketball. When the VCU’s men’s basketball team reached the Final Four in 2011, all of Richmond

FROM LEFT: COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PRESS; ASH DANIEL

A new history of VCU explores how the growth of the university and the city of Richmond are inextricably linked By Gary Robertson

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COURTESY EUGENE P. TRANI

turned out for the team.

And Trani, who had retired by then, says it also helped mend lingering discontent about the VCU-MCV merger on the MCV side of campus, as medical campus physicians began wearing VCU T-shirts under their surgical gowns to show their support.

To date, Trani has been the longest-serving VCU president, nearly two decades beginning in 1990 and ending in 2009. He currently is president emeritus and a university distinguished professor.

His most recent classroom assignment has been serving as a teacher in the university’s Honors College.

When Trani came aboard as president in 1990, a master plan called for VCU’s expansion into Oregon Hill.

He quickly scrapped that plan and began a long and fruitful effort to go north toward nearby Broad Street, which at the beginning of his tenure was, as Kneebone describes it in a recent inter-

view, “run down with beat-up garages and porno shops.”

Trani became a powerful college president whose reach extended into the highest ranks of Richmond’s business life, at one time holding the presidency of the Dr. Eugene P. Trani served as VCU’s president from 1990-2009.

Chamber of Commerce and at another time the presidency of Richmond Renaissance (now Venture Richmond), a private-public partnership focused on downtown economic development.

In an interview, Trani says the creation of the engineering school, the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park and the development of life sciences at VCU, along with the establishment of a health system authority that largely freed the medical campus from state control and enabled it to shape its own destiny, have been huge engines for VCU’s development.

“I believe the creation of the health system authority was the thing that saved our medical center and its clinical operations and also helped save downtown Richmond, so we could remain a vibrant university with two campuses,” Trani says.

VCU’s development largely filled in gaps left when Richmond’s commercial core collapsed with the closing of the city’s two largest department stores, Miller & Rhoads (1885-1990) and Thalhimers (1842-1992), and the failure of an early effort at urban renewal, the 6th Street Marketplace (1985-2003).

During Trani’s presidency, VCU grew from 21,000 students to more than 31,000, becoming for a time the largest college in Virginia, with a university investment of more with $2.1 billion in Richmond during his tenure.

Today, VCU has continued its expansion in the city of Richmond.

One of the upcoming projects will be a $124 million facility dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math on the site of the old Franklin Street Gym. It is scheduled for completion in 2022.

A $100.6 million engineering research building is also under construction at Belvidere and Cary streets.

On the medical campus, VCU is building a 500,000-square-foot inpatient tower, set to open in early 2023, at its Children’s Hospital of Richmond.

All of that will likely be detailed someday in yet another history of VCU.

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EDUCATION

HIGHER EDUCATION

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

John Tyler Community College Cost: $160 per credit hour. Chester, Midlothian, 804-796-4000; 800-552-3490 or jtcc.edu.

Reynolds Community College Cost: $166.60 per credit. Multiple locations. 804-371-3000 or reynolds.edu.

ADULT EDUCATION

Averett University Cost: Bachelor’s, $480 per credit

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School of Business

1/21/19 9:19 AM

Dr. Emme P. Tracy Named Founding Dean of the School of Business

Starting Spring 2021 Executive Education Programs

Online & Blended Sessions Leadership • Entrepreneurship • Innovation

hour. Master’s $530 to $695 per credit hour. Evening classes for accelerated undergraduate or graduate degrees in business, education and criminal justice.

Online classes available. 420 W. Main St., Danville, 434-791-5600 or averett.edu.

Bluefield College Cost: $365 per online undergraduate credit hour. Undergraduate programs for eight majors online. Graduate degrees for licensed teachers who are currently employed. Cost: $495 per credit. 800-872-0175 or bluefield.edu.

Catholic Distance University Cost: $165 per credit for continuing-education courses; $305 per credit hour for undergraduates; $450 per credit for graduates. Distance-learning courses for AA in Catholic studies, BA in theology and graduate degrees theology. 300 S. Gorge St., Charles Town, West Virginia, 888-254-4238, ext. 700, or cdu.edu.

Community College Workforce Alliance Cost: Call for details. Workplace training courses in the greater Richmond region as a partnership between John Tyler Community College and Reynolds Community College. Multiple training and meeting facilities, 804-523-2292 or ccwatraining.org.

John Tyler Community College Cost: $160 per credit hour; call for program details. Online associate’s degrees in a variety of disciplines. Teacher recertification courses available. 13101 Jefferson Davis Highway, 804-796-4000; Midlothian campus, 800 Charter Colony Parkway, Chester, 804-594-1544 or jtcc.edu.

Lifelong Learning Institute Cost: Call for details. Academic and fitness classes for ages 50 and older. 13801 Westfield Road, 804-378-2527 or llichesterfield.org.

Mary Baldwin College in Richmond Cost: $460 per credit hour through MBU online. Bachelor’s degrees in more than 15 majors. Teacher licensure. Master’s in teaching, education. Certificate programs in business management, health care administration, entrepreneurship, human resource management, leadership studies and long-term care. 2810 N. Parham Road, Suite 303 and 360, 804-282-9111 or marybaldwin.edu/ilearn/richmond.

Old Dominion University, ODUOnline Cost: $360 per undergraduate credit hour; $551 per graduate credit hour. More than 120 online degrees and certificates in business, education, engineering, health/ social sciences, nursing and technology. Transfer agreements with Reynolds and John Tyler.

800-968-2638 or online.odu.edu.

Reynolds Community College Cost: $166.60 per credit; visit website for program details. 1651 E. Parham Road; downtown campus, 700 E. Jackson St.; Goochland campus, 1851 Dickinson Road, 804-371-3000 or reynolds.edu.

Strayer University Cost: $1,480 per course for undergraduates; course rate varies by program for graduate students. Associate to master’s degrees in business, accounting and more. 11501 Nuckols Road, Glen Allen, 804-527-1000; 15521 Midlothian Turnpike, Suite 401, Midlothian, 804-794-2033 or strayer.edu.

Union Presbyterian Seminary Cost: $470 per semester hour. Graduate programs in biblical and theological studies, ministry, and Christian education. 3401 Brook Road, 800-229-2990 or upsem.edu.

University of Phoenix Cost: $398 per credit hour. Undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs, includ-

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ing business, social and behavioral science, education, health sciences, technology, and nursing. 9750 W. Broad St., Glen Allen, 804-281-3900 or phoenix.edu.

University of Richmond, Robins School of Business

Cost: Call for details. Executive education, offering a variety of noncredit professional development programs to nurture leadership talent. MBA program, part-time, fully accredited graduate program designed for working professionals. 804-289-8550 or robins.richmond.edu.

University of Richmond, School of Professional and Continuing Studies Cost: Degree program tuition

starts at $495 per semester hour. Other course fees vary by program. Evening and weekend undergraduate and master’s degrees in education, liberal arts, information systems, HRM and more. Plus a variety of professional development and training programs, including a coding boot camp. Also offers the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. 804-289-8133 or spcs.richmond.edu.

University of Virginia Richmond Center Cost: Undergrad, $488. Graduate, $590. Bachelor’s degree completion programs, graduate certificate programs, custom education programs. 2810 N. Parham Road, Suite 300, 804-662-7464 or scps.virginia.edu.

Virginia Commonwealth University Cost: Varies by program. More than 160 graduate and professional degree and certificate programs offered on campus and online; call 804-828-6916 or visit graduate. admissions.vcu.edu for full list and application information. VCU Continuing and Professional Education offers noncredit, credit and CEU opportunities.

804-828-1322 or ocpe.vcu.edu.

Virginia State University Cost: $405 per undergraduate credit hour. $577 per graduate credit hour. The Bachelor of Individualized Studies degree draws on a range of disciplines. Master of Interdisciplinary Studies also offered. 1 Hayden St., Petersburg, 804-524-5000 or vsu.edu.

Virginia Tech Richmond Center Cost: varies by program. Graduate degrees, professional development programs, continuing-education and certificate programs, including leadership management development, education and public administration.

2810 N. Parham Road, Suite 300, 804-662-7288 or richmond.vt.edu.

Virginia Union University Cost: Call for details. Evening business courses, theology courses and weekend teacher licensure programs. 1500 N. Lombardy St., 804-257-5600 or vuu.edu.

Visual Arts Center of Richmond Cost: Online fall classes range from $40 to $265. On-site fall classes range from $140 to $245. A long-standing community arts center that offers more than 1,000 youth and adult art classes in 15 media each year. Popular programs include: clay, painting and drawing, glass, and fiber. 804-353-0094 or visarts.org.

VMFA Studio School Cost: $60 to $230. Call for details. Classes for ages 16 and older in creative writing, drawing, printmaking, painting, pottery, design, photography and yoga. 2915 Grove Ave., 804-367-0816 or vmfa.museum.

PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS

Bryant & Stratton College Cost: Call for details. Degree programs in business, health care, hospitality, legal studies and technology. On-site child care center. 8141 Hull Street Road, 804-745-2444 or bryantstratton.edu.

South University Cost: Call for details. Programs in health care, criminal justice, business, public relations, psychology, theology, pharmacy and more.

2151 Old Brick Road, Glen Allen, 804-727-6800 or southuniversity.edu

Richmond Catholic Schools

Discover how a faith-based education can make a difference in your child's life.

RichmondCatholicSchools.org

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EDUCATION

HIGHER EDUCATION

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tio ca Lo

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O n en cam ro p llm us en stu An t de nu nt & al fe in es (2 sta 02 te 0- tu Ac 21 itio ce ) n pt an ce ra te St ud en t/ In st ru Pe ct rc or en ra tm tio in or ity

onpro�t rivate Colle es niversities in ir inia

1

Averett Un vers ty

Danville; multiple locations

800-283-7388

averett.edu

903

$35,600

61%

12–1

34%

2

Bluef eld College

Bluefield

800-872-0176

bluefield.edu

600

$27,036

90%

14–1

44%

Bridgewater

540-828-8000

bridgewater.edu

1,746

$37,270

67%

13–1

31%

3 4 5

Br dgewater College Chr stendom College Eastern Mennon te Un vers ty

Front Royal

540-636-2900

christendom.edu

493

$27,240

82%

15–1

n/a

Harrisonburg

540-432-4118

emu.edu

1,550

$38,850

59%

10–1

35%

6

Emory and Henry College

Emory

276-944-4121

ehc.edu

1,292

$48,225

71.2%

11–1

16.4%

7

Ferrum College

Ferrum

540-365-2121

ferrum.edu

1,124

$35,250

75%

12–1

46%

Hampden-Sydney

434-223-6000

hsc.edu

1,046

$46,890

55%

10–1

12.8%

Hampton, Virginia Beach

757-727-5000

hamptonu.edu

4,293

$29,162

36%

12–1

96%

Roanoke

800-456-9595

hollins.edu

805

$41,010

71%

9–1

36%

Lynchburg

434-582-2000

liberty.edu

15,175

$24,910

22%

19–1

n/a

540-887-7019

marybaldwin.edu

1,000

$31,085

95%

10–1

53%

3,363

$32,100

81%

12–1

49%

8 9

10

11

Hampden-Sydney College (men only) Hampton Un vers ty Holl ns Un vers ty (women only UG) L berty Un vers ty

12

Mary Baldw n College

Staunton; multiple locations

13

Marymount Un vers ty

Arlington

703-522-5600

marymount.edu

Randolph College

Lynchburg

434-947-8100

randolphcollege.edu

617

$25,000

90%

8–1

39%

Ashland

804-752-7200

rmc.edu

1,500

$43,940

71%

11–1

24%

Virginia Beach

800-373-5504

regent.edu

2,137

$18,620

86%

19–1

45%

14 15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23 24

25

Randolph-Macon College Regent Un vers ty Roanoke College

Salem

540-375-2500

roanoke.edu

2,000

$47,020

72.5%

13–1

18.2%

Shenandoah Un vers ty

Winchester

540-665-4500

su.edu

1,100

$33,830

74%

11–1

21%

Southern V rg n a Un vers ty

Buena Vista

540-261-8400

svu.edu

1,033

$17,280

98.9%

15–1

16%

Sweet Br ar College (women only)

Sweet Briar

434-381-6142

sbc.edu

375

$21,090

80%

7–1

27.3%

Un vers ty of Lynchburg

Lynchburg

434-544-8100

lynchburg.edu

3,100

$40,910

95%

11–1

21%

Un vers ty of R chmond

Richmond

804-289-8000

richmond.edu

4,002

$54,690

33%

8–1

27%

V rg n a Un on Un vers ty

Richmond

804-257-5600

vuu.edu

1,388

$14,508

73%

16–1

97%

V rg n a Wesleyan College

Norfolk, Virginia Beach

757-455-3200

vwc.edu

1,374

$45,990

69%

15–1

38%

Lexington

540-458-8400

wlu.edu

1,860

$57,285

22%

8–1

13%

Wash ngton and Lee Un vers ty

Last updated 2020. Check with schools for most up-to-date figures.

158 S O U R C E B O O K / 2 0 2 1

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1

e sit

e

eb

on

W

Ph

Lo

Co

ca

lle

tio

ge

n

/u

ni

ve

rs

ity

O n en cam ro p llm us en stu An t de nu nt & a fe l in es (2 sta 02 te 0- tu Ac 21 itio ce ) n pt an ce ra te St ud en t/ In st ru Pe ct rc or en ra tm tio in or ity

Public Four-year Colleges & Universities in Virginia

Chr stopher Newport Un vers ty

Newport News

757-594-7000

cnu.edu

4,909

$14,924

68%

14–1

21%

2

College of W ll am & Mary

Williamsburg

757-221-4000

wm.edu

8,800

$23,628

38%

12–1

40.9%

Fairfax, multiple locations 703-993-1000

4

James Mad son Un vers ty

3 5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

George Mason Un vers ty

gmu.edu

37,386

$9,510

81%

15–1

45%

Harrisonburg

540-568-6211

jmu.edu

19,883

$12,330

73%

16–1

22%

Farmville

434-395-2000

longwood.edu

4,911

$12,965

89%

14–1

26%

Norfolk State Un vers ty

Norfolk

757-823-8600

nsu.edu

5,305

$10,923

89.7%

17–1

93%

Old Dom n on Un vers ty

Norfolk

757-683-3685

odu.edu

19,375

$11,016

87%

17–1

48%

Longwood Un vers ty

Radford Un vers ty

Radford

540-831-5000

radford.edu

9,335

$11,350

74.6%

17–1

31%

Petersburg

804-862-6100

rbc.edu

2,435

$18,139

42.3%

20–1

50.5%

Un vers ty of Mary Wash ngton

Fredericksburg

540-654-2000

umw.edu

4,300

$13,210

74%

14–1

28%

Un vers ty of V rg n a

Charlottesville

434-924-0311

virginia.edu

21,985

$16,779

26%

13–1

43%

Wise

276-328-0100

uvawise.edu

2,065

$10,836

77.4%

13–1

17%

Richmond

804-828-0100

vcu.edu

31,037

$14,596

79.7%

18–1

45%

Lexington

540-464-7211

vmi.edu

1,700

$29,470

51%

11–1

19.7%

R chard Bland College

Un vers ty of V rg n a’s College at W se V rg n a Commonwealth Un vers ty

14

V rg n a M l tary Inst tute (m l tary)

15

V rg n a State Un vers ty

Petersburg

804-524-5000

vsu.edu

4,713

$9,154

94%

17–1

99%

V rg n a Tech

Blacksburg

540-231-6267

vt.edu

34,131

$13,691

64.8%

14–1

31%

16

18

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES IN VIRGINIA

4 5 3 4

Private

12

Public

2 12

25 14 19

8

16

17

20 14 21 11

10

7

3 13

10 11 15 22 13 23 5 8

9 15

2 1

9 6 7 16 24

6 1

RICHMONDMAG.COM

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EDUCATION

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Richmond Waldorf School, which emphasizes time spent outdoors, conducts classes outside under tents.

Class is in Session rivate s hools see in reased interest as the pandemi a e ts in person edu ation

A

cross the region, most public schools have gone entirely online in response to the coronavirus pandemic. But in those same areas, private schools are still meeting on campus five days a week, and staff and students have dealt with unprecedented changes in procedure, as well as increased interest from parents.

Valerie Hogan, enrollment coordinator at Richmond Waldorf School in the North Side, says the Waldorf curriculum is well-suited for the pandemic, because it includes a large amount of time spent outdoors. Staff and students accustomed

to attending class outside have grown even more used to it this year — in fact, tents have been set up outdoors where classes are conducted even in the wettest winter weather. “Our policy is, there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing,” Hogan says. Rain gear is provided to students who forget to wear it. “We think that’s appropriate for COVID, and the kids get fresh air, too.”

Besides an emphasis on nature and the outdoors, Waldorf emphasizes “classical” education, writing and drawing, and makes less use of technology. “It’s a totally different learning environment for a lot of the new kids,” Hogan adds.

Like other private schools in the area, Waldorf takes students’ temperatures before they enter the building, and students and staff wear masks at all times. “There’s also been an increase in cleaning, sanitizing and handwashing,” Hogan says. “The community here has been really proactive.”

Despite an increase in inquiries and registration, Waldorf has not expanded class sizes, although resources have been provided to help families make the transition, including a new preschool classroom and increased financial aid. This reflects a regional trend. Part of a diocese-wide phenomenon, St. Mary’s Catholic

GRAHAM COPELAND

By D. Hunter Reardon

160 S O U R C E B O O K / 2 0 2 1

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Richmond, Virginia

Located in the West Broad Village, our brick-laden campus is easy to spot with its orange awnings and chiming clock tower but it’s our people that make this a special place; they work each and every day to better the lives of our students. Plainly put, our goals are your goals and we look forward to seeing you.

Explore our undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the areas of: • Business • Counseling & Psychology • Criminal Justice • Nursing • Healthcare Management • Information Technology & Information Systems

• Occupational Therapy Assistant • Physical Therapist Assistant • Physician Assistant • Public Health • And More!

Get Started Today Call us at 888.422.4801

SouthUniversity.edu/Richmond The right direction for a brighter future.

Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options vary by school and are subject to change. Not all programs are available to residents of all U.S. states. South University, Richmond, 2151 Old Brick Rd., Glen Allen, VA 23060. © 2021 South University. All rights reserved. South University, Richmond, and South University, Virginia Beach, are certified to operate in the Commonwealth of Virginia pursuant to Title 23, Chapter 21.1, §23-276.4 of the Code of Virginia by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (James Monroe Building, 101 North 14th St; Richmond, VA 23219; 804-225-2600; www.schev.edu).

SouthUniversity.12h.0221.indd 1

1/13/21 1:47 PM

I thought I was going to be pre-med, but then

I found SWEET BRIAR’S

ENGINEERING PROGRAM.

Now, I can’t imagine

Engineering employers want

big-picture thinkers.

doing anything else.

RYLEE RUNYON ’20

Become one here.

sbc.edu/engineering

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EDUCATION

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

School and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School saw increases in registration and inquiries of 300% and 400%, respectively.

But St. Mary’s, which serves 413 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, increased enrollment by only 6%.

“Many of our new families considered us for some time,” says Brandon Hess, principal at St. Mary’s. “For them, the pandemic was a tipping point, not the primary reason to join the St. Mary’s Catholic School family.”

Besides requiring masks and social distancing, St. Mary’s has installed a needlepoint bipolar ionization HVAC system, which filters and cleans the air by binding charged particles to unwelcome molecules and neutralizing them. Hess also cites outdoor instruction, frequent handwashing,

—Brandon Hess, principal of St. Mary’s Catholic School

small class sizes and a compliant community as reasons that St. Mary’s has seen zero COVID-19 cases traced to the school.

At Our Lady of Lourdes, limited positive cases have appeared. In the case of both positive tests and those who have been exposed to someone with a positive test, students and teachers alike must quarantine for 14 days. Like other private schools, Lourdes offers a virtual option, and quarantined students and teachers can continue education online.

Asked about the prospect of students returning to public education after the pandemic, Hess says he isn’t at all worried about enrollment numbers at St. Mary’s. “Lots of people were looking for something different last spring, and when they came and toured, they applied,” he explains. “But since we didn’t increase enrollment, we couldn’t accept many of them. If we were to lose some students, we’ll be able to recover those numbers because of the exposure and interest that we’ve had.” In an average year, the retention rate at St. Mary’s is 91%.

The waiting list for the 2021-22 school year remains at an all-time high, but Hess isn’t sure the school will expand. “Right now, we’re looking at keeping class sizes the same,” he says. “We’ll have a better idea in April or May of what we’re going to do.

It’s going to be a situation [where] I need to listen to the community and see where everybody stands. It’s not just about filling the seats, but also about keeping teachers and parents happy.”

At Waldorf, Hogan says she hopes new arrivals enjoy the different style of education the school offers and decide to stick around. “A lot of people came here not having thought they’d ever be entering private school, and it will be interesting [to see] what enrollment looks like when things get back to normal,” she says. “It’s such a personal decision — what’s best for your kids and your family? A lot of people have been impressed with what they’ve gotten.”

COURTESY ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL

St. Mary’s Catholic School saw a 300% increase in inquiries last spring as the pandemic began.

162 S O U R C E B O O K / 2 0 2 1

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EDUC AT ION G ALLER Y

You belong here.

©

The TheNew NewCommunity CommunitySchool School

The

empowering empowering bright bright minds minds who who think think && learn learn differently differently

em

5403 Monument Avenue People of all ages and faiths enjoy the Weinstein JCC’s enriching programs, fitness opportunities, sense of community, and more!

Salt water lap and recreational pools

In-person and virtual fitness offerings

Cultural, educational and family programming

Preschool, after-school care and summer camps

Visit weinsteinjcc.org or call 285.6500!

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• •Grades Grades5-12 5-12 • •3:1 3:1Student/Teacher Student/TeacherRatio Ratio • •Customized, Customized,College-Prep College-PrepCurriculum Curriculum • •Fostering FosteringAcademic Academic&&Personal PersonalStrengths Strengths • •Igniting Ignitingthe thePassions PassionsofofStudents Studentswith withDyslexia Dyslexia &&Related RelatedLearning LearningDifferences Differences

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4211 4211Hermitage HermitageRoad, Road,Richmond Richmond| |tncs.org tncs.org

4211 Hermi

1/19/21 1:25 PM NewCommunitySchool.14.0221.indd 1

Let’s Grow Together

1/11/21 10:00 AM

Nurturing, support and continuity are part of the plan at BSH

Sure, middle school and high school years can be challenging. That’s why at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot, we support students as they grow and transition from grade to grade. The key is passionate educators along with school programs and traditions designed to create community and engage students in the world around them. Every student thrives in a faith based environment that nurtures individuals to bring out their very best. All faiths are welcome.

Come see for yourself how we’ve grown 23% in the last 3 years. Inquire about our Middle & High Schools today.

Tour BSH online to explore our safe, spacious outdoor campus.

This is your school.

804.598.4211 www.bshknights.org

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1/19/21 10:13 AM

1/20/21 11:35 AM

EDUCATION

Follow us on Instagram

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Independent Boarding Schools This directory of private boarding schools outside the Richmond area was provided by the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE).

For accreditation status or other information, call 804-423-6435 or visit vcpe.org.

The Barry Robinson Center K-12 coed, residential psychiatric treatment center. 443 Kempsville Road, Norfolk, 757-455-6100.

Blue Ridge School 9-12 boys, boarding, nondenominational. 273 Mayo Drive, St. George, 434-985-2811.

Boys Home of Virginia Vocational training for 9-12, residential education and socialization.

K-12 boys, Episcopal. 414 Boys’ Home Road, Covington, 540-965-7700.

Carlisle School PK-12 coed. 300 Carlisle Road, Martinsville, 276-632-7288.

Chatham Hall 9-12 girls, boarding, Episcopal.

800 Chatham Hall Circle, Chatham, 434-432-2941.

Christchurch School 9-12 coed day school, boys’ and girls’ boarding, Episcopal. 49 Seahorse Lane, Christchurch, 804-758-2306.

Discovery School of Virginia 6-12, separate boys’ and girls’ schools, special education and substance abuse recovery. 2697 Copper Mine Road, Dillwyn, 434-983-5616.

Eastern Mennonite School K-12 coed, boarding and day, Christian. 801 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg, 540-236-6000.

Episcopal High School 9-12 coed, residential, independent. 1200 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, 703-933-3000.

Fishburne Military School 7-12 boys, boarding, five-day boarding, day. U.S. Army JROTC. 225 S. Wayne Ave., Waynesboro, 800-946-7773.

Fork Union Military Academy 7-12/postgraduate boys. 4744 James Madison Highway, Fork Union, 434-842-3212.

Foxcroft School 9-12 girls, residential and nonresidential. 22407 Foxhound Lane, Middleburg, 540-687-4340.

Hargrave Military Academy 7-12/postgraduate boys, military. 200 Military Drive, Chatham, 434-432-2481.

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Little Keswick School Ages 9-15 boys, boarding, therapeutic. Must be 15 or younger at time of admission. 500 Little Keswick Lane, Keswick, 434-295-0457.

Madeira School 9-12 girls, boarding and day.

8328 Georgetown Pike, McLean, 703-5568200.

Massanutten Military Academy 5-12 and postgraduate, coed, military, boarding.

614 S. Main St., Woodstock, 540-459-2167.

Miller School of Albemarle 8-12/postgraduate coed, boarding and day. 1000 Samuel Miller Loop, Charlottesville, 434-823-4805.

Oak Hill Academy 8-12 coed, boarding, Baptist.

2635 Oak Hill Road, Mouth of Wilson, 276-579-2619.

AIRPORT 5213 Williamsburg Rd. (804) 226-2388 Patio open

Oakland School Students with learning differences, ages 6-13 at admission, coed, day.

128 Oakland Farm Way, Troy, 434-293-9059.

Randolph-Macon Academy 6-12/postgraduate coed, boarding and day, Air Force JROTC/ Methodist for 9-12. 200 Academy Drive, Front Royal, 540-636-5200.

SHORT PUMP 11621 W. Broad St. the promenade shops across from short pump town center (804) 330-9446 Patio open

Shenandoah Valley Academy 9-12 coed, boarding, Seventh-day Adventist. 234 W. Lee Highway, New Market, 540-740-3161.

St. Anne’s-Belfield School PK-12 coed, nondenominational, day for PK-12 and boarding for 9-12. 2132 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, 434-296-5106.

St. Margaret’s School Girls, grades 8-12 and postgraduate, boarding and day, Episcopal.

444 Water Lane, P.O. Box 158, Tappahannock, 804-443-3357.

ASHLAND 11670 Lakeridge parkway by bass pro (804) 496-6911 Patio open

Stuart Hall School PK-12 coed with a boarding program (8-12), Episcopal. Upper/middle school: 235 W. Frederick St., Staunton, 540-885-0356.

Lower school: 74 Quicks Mil Road, Verona, 540-248-2404.

MECHANICSVILLE 7162 Mechanicsville Tpk. Banquet & Meeting rooms (804) 559-8126 Patio open FOREST HILL 7001 Forest Hill Ave. (804) 320-1069 Patio open WOODLAKE 12031 southshore pointe dr. banquet & meeting rooms (804) 763-5640 Patio open

Serving our Richmond communities since 1990

Virginia Episcopal School 9-12 coed, boarding

Gift cards available at all Mexico locations Kroger and giftcardmall.com

and day, Episcopal. 400 V.E.S. Road, Lynchburg, 434-385-3600.

Wakefield Country Day School PS-12 coed. 1059 Zachary Taylor Highway, Huntly, 540-635-8555.

Woodberry Forest School 9-12 boys, boarding.

898 Woodberry Forest Road, Woodberry Forest, 540-672-3900.

Yeshivas Aish Kodesh Talmudical Academy of Norfolk 9-12 boys, Jewish. 612 Colonial Ave., Norfolk, 757-623-6070.

Youth for Tomorrow 7-12 coed, offering special education and residential program. 11835 Hazel Circle Drive, Bristow, 703-368-7995.

Browse our menu from your smartphone!

Hold your phone over the QR Code so that it’s clearly visible within your phone’s camera screen.

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RICHMONDMAG.COM Mexico.23.VG21.indd 1

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EDUCATION

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Private Schools in the Richmond Region

Academy of Academ c Excellence 12345 Gayton Road, 804-740-6500 Al Mad na School 10700 Academy Drive, 804-330-4888

1997

70/PK-5

Islam c

2016

140/PK-12

Coed Cathol c

1982

180/JK-8

Coed Apostol c

1981

40/Toddlersk ndergarten

Coed Ep scopal

2009

112/4-8

Banner Chr st an School 1501 S. Providence Road, 804-276-5200

Coed Chr st an

2002

Bened ct ne College Preparatory 12829 River Road, 804-708-9500

Boys Cathol c

Blessed Sacrament Huguenot 2501 Academy Road, Powhatan, 804-598-4211

All Sa nts Cathol c School 3418 Noble Ave., 804-329-7524 All Sa nts Letsy Ann Memor al School 2001 Royal Ave., 804-232-3159 Anna Jul a Cooper Ep scopal School 2124 N. 29th St., 804-822-6610

Card nal Newman Academy 8706 Quaker Lane, N. Chester, 804-464-3575 Carmel School 9020 Jericho Road, Ruther Glen, 804-448-3288 Central Montessor School 323 N. 20th St., 804-447-7493 Charterhouse School 3900 W. Broad St., 804-239-1080 Colleg ate School 103 N. Mooreland Road, 804-740-7077

n tio

St u te den ac th Pe er r a r of cen tio co t s lo tud r e

l Af te p r r- s og ch ra oo m

e od sC es

Tu i

Es

Coed

Dr

bl ish ed En ro gr llm ad e es nt ta / ug ht

ta

e Ty p

N am ph e/ on ad e dre

ss

/

nt

s

This is a sampling of private schools in the Richmond region. Information for this chart was provided by the schools. For the latest tuition information or to learn more, contact the schools’ admissions o�ces.

$15,300

12:1

79

un forms

$5,750-$7,000

10:1

90

un forms

$7,300

18:1

79

$4,000*

15:1

98

un forms

All students on scholarsh p

12:1

98

235/K-12

un forms

$10,450-$11,000

10:1

52

1911

260/9-12

un forms

$19,800; tu t on ass stance ava lable

sports, clubs and perform ng arts

9:1

30

Coed Cathol c

1998

280/PS-12

un forms

$2,000-$14,325 (depend ng on grade)

and before school

10:1

15

Coed college prep

2017

14/9-12

$8,750*

clubs and sports

2:1

10

Coed, college prep, Chr st an

1986

201/PK-12

$7,700-$9,100

15:1

23

Montessor , day

2007

150/3 monthsm ddle school

$1,300-$1,400 per month (depend ng on program)

(extended day)

3:1— 18:1

n/p

124/1-12, ages 6-22

$217.44-$374.80 per day (Var es based on program)

(extended school year programs ava lable)

8:1

45

$16,730-$27,500

9:1

21

10:1

100

5:1

60

15:1

80

Trauma- nformed day school for students w th learn ng and 1979 emot onal challenges and aut sm.

Coed college prep

1915

1,667/JK-12

Cr sto Rey R chmond H gh School 304 N. Sheppard St., 804-447-4704

Coed Cathol c

2019

170/9-10

un forms

60% v a corporate workstudy, 30% trad t onal fundra s ng, 10% parent contr but on

Educat onal Development Center 3001 Fifth Ave., 804-228-2600

Therapeut c day/spec al educat on

1992

60/K-12

un forms

Contact school

Coed Chr st an

1989

150/TK-8

un forms

Based on ncome*

Seventh-day Advent st

1956

21/K-8

un forms

$4,600*

18:1

99

Contact school

1:1— 6:1

35

El jah House Academy 6627-B Jahnke Road, 804-755-7051 Ephesus Jun or Academy 3700 Midlothian Turnpike, 804-233-4582 The Fa son Center 1701 Byrd Ave., 804-612-1947 Fa th L fe Academy 420 Oronoco Ave., 804-321-1333

Serves ch ldren w th aut sm and other developmental d sab l t es 1999

188 /2-22 years

sports and clubs

athlet cs, clubs, tutor ng

Coed Chr st an

1991

20/PK-K

un forms

Aftercare s ncluded, $125 per week

10:1

95

Coed Ep scopal, day

1971

120/K-8

un forms on chapel days

$11,550-$11,970

8:1

35

Grace Chr st an School 8067 Atlee Road, Mechanicsville, 804-730-7300

Coed Chr st an

2013

180/6-12

$6,600-$7,500

sports and after-care

20:1

15

Grafton Integrated Health Network 4100 Price Club Blvd., Midlothian, 804-674-8888

Spec al educat on and group homes

1989

77/K-12

Contact school

res dent al opt ons

3:1

n/p

Coed Chr st an

1978

212/PK-12

$4,600-$7,900

and before

20:1

44

Chr st an

1975

325/PK-12

$5,000-$7,990

and sports

10:1— 18:1

35

PK: $190-$210 per week; K-5: $7,300

7:1

40

Good Shepherd Ep scopal School 4207 Forest Hill Ave., 804-231-1452

Grove Chr st an School 8701 Ridge Road, 804-741-2860 Guard an Chr st an Academy 6851 Courthouse Road, 804-715-3210 Hanover Academy 117 Frances Road, Ashland, 804-798-8413

un forms

Coed Chr st an

1959

70/PK-8

Day

1992

40/6-12

un forms

$214-$246 for self-conta ned classroom per day

8:1

80

Hunter Class cal Chr st an School 635 Manakin Road, Manakin-Sabot, 804-708-0048

Coed Class cal Chr st an

2012

38/K-8

un forms

K: $7,900; 1-8: $8,440

6:1

5

John G. Wood School 8716 W. Broad St., 804-270-6566

Coed for emot onally troubled/learn ng d sabled

1974

45/K-12

un forms for elementary

$214 per day

8:1 and 5:1

n/p

Harambee Day School at Elk H ll 1975 Elk Hill Road, Goochland, 804-457-4866

166 S O U R C E B O O K / 2 0 2 1

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nt

s

M llwood School 15100 Millwood School Lane, 804-639-3200 The New Commun ty School 4211 Hermitage Road, 804-266-2494 Northstar Academy 8055 Shrader Road, 804-747-1003

170/K4-12

Independent coed college prep

1989

155/JK-12

Coed college prep for students w th dyslex a and related learn ng d fferences 1974

l Af te p r r- s og ch ra oo m

e tio

n

od sC es

Tu i

Es

1966

Dr

ta bl ish ed En ro gr llm ad e es nt ta / ug ht

e Ty p

Coed Chr st an

$4,600-$5,000

and before school

12:1

52

$12,900-$16,300

and before school

12:1

29

205/5-12

$30,800-$31,900

athlet cs and clubs

4:1

n/p

5:1 to 8:1

24

varies

15.8

19:1

40

$2,900-$6,500

10:2

25

$6,000-$8,400

11:1

15

K-1: $6,850*; 2-6: $7,200*; 7-12: $8,000*

15:1 to 16:1

33

5:1 toddlers 12:1 others

40

12:1

99

12:1

26

1:1 to 10:1

n/p

10:1

n/p

un forms

Nontrad t onal learners, students w/d sab l t es

1996

120/K-12

varies

G rls

1998

80/5-8

$20,200

Coed Cathol c

1963

360/PK-8

Coed Montessor

2010

30/PK-1

R chmond Academy 12285 Patterson Ave., 804-784-0036

Chr st an

1911

120/PK-12

R chmond Chr st an School 6511 Belmont Road, 804-276-3193

Coed Chr st an

1951

247/K-12

R chmond Montessor School 499 N. Parham Road, 804-741-0040

Coed Montessor

R chmond Prep 4103 Monument Ave., 804 545-3108

Orchard House School 500 N. Allen Ave., 804-228-2436 Our Lady of Lourdes Cathol c School 8250 Woodman Road, 804-262-1770 Prov dence Montessor Chr st an School 1200 Wilmington Ave., 804-643-0434

R chmond Waldorf School 1301 Robin Hood Road, 804-377-8024 R vers de School 2110 McRae Road, Bon Air, 804-320-3465 Rudl n Torah Academy 3809 Patterson Ave., 804-353-1110 Sabot at Stony Po nt 3400 Stony Point Road, 804-272-1341 Salem Chr st an School 35 Church Lane, Gumspring, 804-556-6070 Seven H lls School 1311 Overbrook Road, 804-329-6300 Sp r tos School 400 Coalfield Road, 804-897-7440

St u te den ac the Pe r ra tio r of cen co t s lo tud r e

/ ss N am ph e/ on ad e dre

Landmark Chr st an School 4000 Creighton Road, 804-644-5550

un forms

un forms

$7,175- $9,325

athlet cs and chorus and before school

months1965 300/18 8th grade

nformal

$10,715-$16,555

Coed Chr st an

1983

116/PK-8

un forms

$7,000- $7,500*

Waldorf

1996

145/PK-8

PK-3 day: $6,250; 5-day: $8,890; MS: $15,600

Coed for students w th dyslex a

1974

80/K-8

$30,409

Coed Hebrew day school

1966

100/K-8

$8,645-$10,685

Coed, Regg o- nsp red

2007

200/ 2-yearolds-8th grade

PS: $7,880; LS: $16,360; MS: $17,530

and before school

5:114:1

17

Coed Chr st an

1996

100/PK-12

$1,250-$6,250

and before school

18:1 or less

n/p

Boys

2001

70/5-8

$19,385

sports and clubs

5:1

35

Early ntervent on focus on aut sm, developmental delay

2002

10/ages 2-15

Contact school

1:1

n/p

16:1

98

19:1

38.5

$7,945-13,478*

13:1 for K-8; 10-1 for JK

12

varies

19.4

6:1

14

varies

18

11:1

28

8:1

60

St. Andrew’s School 227 S. Cherry St., 804-648-4545

Coed Ep scopal

1894

96/K-5

un forms

All students receive 100% scholarship

St. Bened ct Cathol c School 3100 Grove Ave., 804-254-8850

Coed Cathol c

1919

200/JK-8

un forms

$6,535-$9,400

and before school

sports & clubs

and before school

Sa nt Br dget School Elementary, 6011 York Road, 804-288-1994; Middle, 6112 Three Chopt Road, 804-420-4940

Coed Cathol c

1952

440/JK-8

St. Cather ne’s School 6001 Grove Ave., 804-288-2804

Ep scopal g rls

1890

989/ ages 3-grade 12

$9,160-$28,900

St. Chr stopher’s School 711 St. Christopher’s Road, 804-282-3185

Ep scopal boys

1911

960/JK-12

$16,975-$29,050

St. Edward Ep phany 10701 W. Huguenot Road, 804-272-2881

Coed Cathol c

1961

495/PK-8

un forms

Catholics: $5,970* Non-Catholics: $10,460*

Sa nt Gertrude H gh School 12829 R ver Road, 804-708-9500

G rls Cathol c

1922

175/9-12

un forms

$19,456; flexible tuition program offered

Sa nt Joseph Cathol c School 123 Franklin St., Petersburg, 804-732-3931

Coed Cathol c

1876

125/JK-8

un forms

Catholics: $6,460* Non-Catholics: $7,400*

St. Mary’s Cathol c School 9501 Gayton Road, 804-740-1048

Coed Cathol c

1965

390/JK-8

un forms

half-day JK: $4,340; fulltime K-8: $8,580

20:1

20

St. M chael’s Ep scopal School 10510 Hobby Hill Road, 804-272-3514

un forms

(co-ed) and before school sports, clubs, perform ng arts and before school

Coed Ep scopal

1957

389/K-8

$12,398-$13,572

10:1

7

The Steward School 11600 Gayton Road, 804-740-3394

Coed college prep

1972

640/JK-12

$16,950-$27,120

8:1

29

Tr n ty Ep scopal School 3850 Pittaway Drive, 804-272-5864

Coed Ep scopal

1972

500/8-12

$25,000

sports and clubs

8:1

20

Tuckahoe Montessor School 6818 West Grace St., 804-359-2754

Coed Montessor

1975

102/18 mos.grade 6

$3,000-$9,600*

and before school

8:1

n/p

Class cal Chr st an

2000

625/JK-12

sports, mus c and art

16:1

17

Coed Montessor

1997

110/12 mos.grade 6

4:1, 5:1, 14:1; by age

n/p

Ver tas School 3400 Brook Road, 804-272-9517 West End Montessor School 9307 Quioccasin Road, 804-523-7536

un forms

K: $12,390-$13,710 $6,000-$11,000

and before school

* Discounts available for multiple children; n/p=not provided; last updated 2020 RICHMONDMAG.COM

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“I have always had a curiosity about real estate and the way it could work to help build wealth for a person,” she says, “as well as the impact it has one family at a time, one street at a time, one neighborhood at time.”

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P. 170 What’s Hot in Homes P. 174 Rewilding Your Landscape P. 178 Home Technology P. 182 Kitchen Trends P. 187 Real Estate Zones RICHMONDMAG.COM

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AMENITIES

nce considered o tional ho e o ces have become necessities. StyleCraft o es resents the e s ace in one o their odels as a dedicated ho e o ce.

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What’s Hot in Homes Pandemic-driven housing trends

COURTESY STYLECRAFT HOMES

O

ver the past year, our homes have evolved to accommodate the many facets of our daily routines. Rather than simply serving as a place to lay our heads, they have morphed into rotating venues where we live, work, learn and entertain.

Unsurprisingly, much of this is due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced many families to spend more time at home. In April, an estimated 51% of Americans were working exclusively from home, according to a poll conducted by Gallup. In August, the Census Bureau reported that 93% of households with school-age children were participating in distance learning.

In response, the growing workfrom-home economy has transformed amenities traditionally thought of as optional — like home offices, flex rooms and outdoor living — into

By Taylor Peterson

necessities. Open-concept layouts and large kitchens remain popular and have proven to be essential for families looking to stay connected in isolation.

Home O�ces

Having a functional workstation became top of mind for professionals making the transition to remote work. “Professionals want separate offices because they can’t be in the same office at the same time,” says Jeff Tunstall, owner of CraftMaster Homes and PerrinCrest Custom Homes. “They might be on Zoom calls and can’t have interference. It’s the same thing with the kids. You want to have them in a workplace where they can actually function and work.”

Buyers looking for homes in the resale market echoed some of the same desires. As lifestyles changed, “a lot of wants turned into needs,” Napier ERA Realtor Patrick Brady said.

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AMENITIES

“A lot of people wanted a dedicated office space, but did they need it?” he explained. “Well, no, but if they had to do some work at home, they wanted a dedicated room to put a desk and a chair in. That turned into a need because companies were having people work from home.

homebuilder to get right is ensuring that their homes feature spaces that are versatile, whether they need to be used for telecommuting, homework or play space,” Catherwood says. “A space that’s used as a virtual classroom today can easily be converted to a spare bedroom tomorrow.”

for large portions of the day and night, it’s reasonable to begin to feel claustrophobic.”

This also extends to the outdoors, where homebuyers are opting for bigger yards, screened-in porches and outdoor patios.

Flex Your Space

Living Large

While confined within four walls, homeowners have been inspired to take on new and forgotten redesign projects. In their 2021 trend report, Modsy, an online interior design platform, said 69% of people redesigned at least one room in their home in 2020. Traditional and modern farmhouse designs remain popular in the Richmond area, according to Melaine Kliewer, an interior designer at Ethan Allen.

“Everybody has been stuck within their home, looking at nothing but unfinished projects and old furnishings

Instead of devoting one room to a singular use, Kathryn Catherwood, director of sales and marketing for StyleCraft Homes, says homeowners are moving toward flex spaces — multifunctional rooms that can be adapted to meet the ever-changing needs of the family.

This seems to especially ring true for parents of school-age children, who often have to work double duty to keep up with their tasks while monitoring distance learning.

“Right now, the No. 1 thing for a

With new builds, buyers have become more interested in larger homes with upgraded features — from gourmet kitchens to larger family rooms with vaulted ceilings. For Scott Sleeme, president of Mitchell Homes, there was an estimated 20% increase of the average square footage of homes they sold year over year.

“People want large open areas within the home, where families can gather without feeling too close or walled in,” Sleeme says. “With entire families all at home together

A Finished Product

COURTESY PERRINCREST CUSTOM HOMES

NEIGHBORHOODS

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(From left) A craft room with multiple workstations in a CraftMaster Homes model ho e. The o en oor lan in this hort Pu condo “provides a melding of rooms without walls sa s ealtor Patric Brad o a ier .

design is getting at the foundation — updating floors, appliances and fixtures — and then focusing on adding personal touches that speak to each person in the household and make it homey.

that they’ve wanted to replace,” Kliewer says. “They haven’t been doing all of the normal things that would take up the budget, so they have all realized that maybe it’s time to start getting the home improvements done.”

Kliewer suggests investing in a quality piece as a starting point for new projects. “That starts as a building block to mimic and design everything off of that core piece,” she explains.

A Prediction

JAMES HASKINS PHOTOGRAPHY

Family First

Tiara Holloway, owner of Vivacious Interior by Tiara, noted that communal spaces like living rooms and dining rooms have become more important in times of isolation. “When everybody actually comes and congregates together, they’re coming to the family room, they’re coming to the living room or they’re coming to the dining area to eat together,” Holloway says.

For Holloway, the key to durable

Kathryn Catherwood

Without the need to frequently commute to an office, homeowners may continue to move away from city centers to opt for more space, predicts Alice Johnson, broker for River City Realty and Investments.

“A lot of people have opened up to buying houses on the border of the city and suburbs in order to get the house that they want while still being close to any of the amenities they need,” she explains.

Johnson also foresees smart homes becoming more popular — with systems that feature updated internet speeds and remote-controlled thermoststats, lighting and home security.

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REWILDING

‘Unleash the Wild’ Give your garden back to nature

By Susan W. Morgan

F

or generations, the image of a neatly manicured front lawn with foundation plantings and thoughtfully placed perennials has been the ideal. Now a growing number of gardeners are eschewing those picture-perfect landscapes and are rewilding instead — giving up control to allow nature to take its course.

The much-publicized decline of the honeybee and monarch butterfly populations has sparked interest in pollinator and butterfly gardens. Rewilding takes things a bit further to consciously create an environment that fosters the land’s return to a natural habitat that supports many species of insects, birds,

MITZI MASON LEE

NEIGHBORHOODS

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itzi ason ee and Tho as a e eld began rewilding their ano er Count ro ert b re lacing the ence line and art o the lawn with a wild ower eadow o nati e lants.

small mammals and reptiles.

In an April 2020 Smithsonian magazine article, Douglas Tallamy, an entomologist at the University of Delaware who has studied the effects of rewilding on the local ecology since 2005, states that we’ve lost sight of the importance of nature in our quest for green lawns, adding that we can’t rely our national parks and forests to maintain a healthy ecosystem by themselves. In response, Tallamy created the Homegrown National Park initiative to encourage everyone to lend a hand by replanting their gardens — whether big or small; in cities, parks or suburban streets; in backyards, on rooftops, or in container gardens and window boxes — with native North American flora. A resource for everything

rewilding, the Homegrown National Park website includes an interactive map where participating gardeners can add their property to the patchwork of natural habitats and monitor the progress made toward Tallamy’s goal of 20 million acres of native planting in the United States.

You don’t have to be a trained scientist or have a green thumb to successfully rewild your garden, you just have to choose the right plants. “Locally grown native plants are important to use, ones that are adapted to the local conditions as opposed to native cultivars that are available in big box stores but grown in far-off places that often do not provide local wildlife benefits,” says Juliellen Sarver of Plantae Gardens,

who coaches clients on the planning, planting and upkeep of ecologically minded kitchen, pollinator, rain and butterfly gardens.

“I try to educate people and show them that they can incorporate native plants and ecological maintenance practices that are beautiful and beneficial, and that they don’t [necessarily] have to give up their lawns entirely,” Sarver says. “That there’s a range between manicured and wild.”

Rewilding might be described as a lesson in organized chaos. Sarver says that even though a garden might look wild, this doesn’t mean that it is out of control. It takes research, planning and regular maintenance, just as traditional gardens do, and an adjustment of your aesthetic ideal.

“We realize that in the winter, [our wildflower meadow] … doesn’t look very nice out there — it’s very brown,” says Mitzi Mason Lee, who is working with her husband, Thomas Wakefield, to rewild their Hanover County property. “But that’s a short time when you consider the longer-term number of months that it is thriving and providing food for all kinds of bees and beetles, butterflies and birds.”

Inspired by their longstanding interest in wildlife and ecological conservation, the couple completed the Department of Forestry’s program for Virginia Master Naturalists, which Mason Lee describes as “A to Z bricks and mortar for understanding what it means to be a naturalist and our native environment.” They had put in a butterfly garden and had talked for years about planting a wildflower meadow before they began rewilding their land in earnest in 2019.

Mason Lee planted 17 species of native wildflowers where their fence line once stood, including butterfly weed, partridge pea, lanceleaf coreopsis, purple coneflower, rattlesnake master, lemon mint, drummond

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REWILDING

flox, black-eyed Susan, scarlet sage and spiderwort. The couple recently gave away the mature boxwoods that were growing around the house, in preparation for a new pollinator garden. “There won’t be anything in there that doesn’t attract insects or bugs,” Mason Lee says. Wakefield is also nurturing 30 baby oak trees with the goal of extending the woods around their home onto the area that’s been more cultivated.

“I personally love boxwoods, in a way,” Wakefield says, “but they don’t provide any benefits other than bird nesting areas — there’s virtually no insect that will feed on it. So just putting something in there that you might have five to 10 different insects that will feed on it drastically improves the biodiversity just in that one little shift.”

REWILDING Ways to rewild in your own backyard: 1

Include a variety of plant species indigenous to Central Virginia.

2

Reject chemical pesticides.

3

Install feeders and nesting boxes to attract birds.

4

Create a water feature to encourage biodiversity.

5

Leave part of your lawn unmown; plant grasses and wildflowers.

6

Collect rainwater coming off impervious surfaces like the roof and use it to water plants.

7

Plant a window box with wildflower seeds.

Native plants recommended by Plantae Gardens include (clockwise from top left): ageratum, baptisia or wild indigo, rudbeckia or cone owers obelia assion ower trumpet vine and maidenhair fern.

Pollinator garden:

Rain garden:

A garden or bed featuring specific plants that attract beneficial insects that pollinate flowers also provide habitats and food sources for butterflies and larvae.

A shallow basin planted with native plants that captures water from impervious surfaces (usually a roof or driveway) and allows it to infiltrate the soil instead of running offsite into storm drains.

Books:

For more information on rewilding:

“The Living Landscape,”

by Doug Tallamy and Rick Darke

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/habitat

“Planting in a Post-Wild World,” by Claudia West and Thomas Rainer “Garden Revolution,” by Larry Weaner and Thomas Christopher

Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council, chesapeakelandscape.org Homegrown National Park, homegrownnationalpark.com Virginia Native Plant Society, vnps.org American Botanical Council’s Sustainable Herbs Program, sustainableherbsprogram.org

Find local resources for native plants: Plant Virginia Natives, plantvirginianatives.org

FROM TOP: JULIELLEN SARVER; JOH FLANNERY; CHAD SPARKES; DENNIS CHURCH

NEIGHBORHOODS

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NEIGHBORHOODS

TECHNOLOGY

Simpler, More Efficient Homes

T

By Paula Peters Chambers

o d ay ’s h o m e ow n e r s and work has ratcheted up the need for have an abundance of reliable Wi-Fi. “We’ve done more network technology quite literally installs in 2020 than in the previous two at their fingertips. Security, years combined,” he says.

After networks, lighting is the most temperature and lighting can all be managed from a smartphone requested install, Moseley says. “It’s come or a central indoor control panel. While so far, and you don’t have to replace fixindividuals might disagree on what tures or rewire the house,” he adds. “You matters most, one element underpins just put in ‘smart’ switches, and you can all others: internet access. set themes for certain times of the day, “It really all starts with a good solid so you have a scene for cooking dinner or network — we can’t stress that enough,” you can control outdoor lights according says Brian Moseley, director of technology to the astronomical clock.”

When building a new home, it’s wise for Moseley Electronics in Midlothian. “It’s to plan ahead for future technology the backbone of technology in a home. needs. “People should contact someone Everything sits on the network now.” in this industry as their house is being Before the pandemic, Moseley says, built, even if they’re not installing the average residential network load everything right away,” Moseley says. was doubling or even tripling, thanks “That will save people untold to family members’ use of Brian Moseley of amounts of money.” streaming services. This year’s Moseley Electronics Local builder HHHunt surge of at-home schooling

Homes offers a SimpliFi package in new construction that includes Wi-Fi, a Ring Pro video doorbell, a smart thermostat and a smart deadbolt door lock, and Lutron light controls. Technology can also be added to existing homes, notes Sarah Pierce, designer and draftsperson for Lane Homes & Remodeling. “People are talking about [technology],” she says. “It’s always better to include when you’re building or remodeling, [but] it’s not too difficult to add as long as you have good Wi-Fi.” Wayne Gauthier, 2020 president of the Richmond Association of Realtors and a Realtor (RAR) and a Realtor with Joyner Fine Properties, says his members are seeing new construction that offers digital whole-house networks able to control everything from door locks to thermostats to surround-sound systems.

“Everybody wants to control so much from their cellphone,” he says. “It’s about convenience. If the dog walker comes to my house, I can let him in.”

Gauthier says current limited home inventory means homes can’t be excluded from consideration just because they don’t have technology. “[Buyers] don’t have a lot of choices right now,” he notes. But internet access is a deal breaker, says incoming 2021 RAR President Libby Gatewood, who has many clients in Chesterfield and the Tri-Cities area and notes that more rural lots may not have high-speed service.

“Today’s world demands internet access, and it’s the first question buyers ask,” she says, adding that some tech items can be installed later, because each feature brings its own price tag, and those costs add up.

“We all have needs and wants,” she says. “It’s about finding out what [customers] really need.”

ASH DANIEL

Technology streamlines basic house functions

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TYLER DARDEN

Smart doorbells are among the cutting edge home technology installed by Davis & Green Electrical.

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TECHNOLOGY

Home Tech Considerations As with other home improvements, the value of added technology might not translate into a higher selling price, warns certified general appraiser Alex Uminski.

“People should put in technology for themselves,” he says. “[They] should do it more for [their] personal enjoyment and not for a return on investment.”

RAR’s Gauthier also recommends that buyers and sellers make sure that separating from an installed system — whether it be a network or a garage door opener — is straightforward. “Originally, that wasn’t easy or clear, but a lot of the equipment has figured out how to disconnect from the previous owner,” he says.

Gauthier has an additional warning for all prospective buyers as they visit homes listed for sale. “Be mindful that you may be listened to,” he says. “Assume you can be heard from the front door in. The seller may be able to see and hear everything, and that can be detrimental to negotiations.” —PPC

GETTY IMAGES

While technology such as solar panels and thermostat controls may save on utility bills, the upfront costs — especially with solar power — can take years to recoup. Plus, Uminski warns that the changing nature of technology means that whatever you install is likely to be out of date by the time you sell. He recalls a decades-old home electrical track system with moveable outlets that was touted as a great home benefit but failed to achieve widespread adoption. “It never took off,” he says.

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KITCHENS

The kitchen remains the command center of the home.

Features in this multizone kitchen, designed by Kathy Corbet, include enhanced storage, display areas, and wine and cookbook storage.

The Multitasking Kitchen

A

s people spend more time at home than ever, kitchens are having a moment.

A m o n g t h e h o tte s t trends: optimizing space and storage to create a setting warmed with personalized design touches. (No cookie-cutter solutions here.)

“The kitchen is the nucleus of the home — a place to gather, revel, meditate, eat, drink and be merry,” says Melissa Utt Heatley, a designer for Custom Kitchens. “And it’s also an office,

e, o ee ar and so mu h more

a classroom and a restaurant.”

Furniture World News and Houzz both report that multizone kitchens designed with work trapezoids (rather than traditional work triangles) that include dedicated areas for baking, prepping and chopping, or separate stations for snacks, drinks or homework are trending for 2021.

Designer Kathy Corbet of Kathy Corbet Interiors, who’s seen an uptick in remodeling in kitchens and rooms related to the kitchen, agrees that kitchen space is now multiuse.

“My designs need to have a committed working zone for the chef or chefs, and they need safe zones for the grazers, the bartenders and loungers,” she says. “I am still opening the kitchen more to the dining room, family room and [breakfast] nook, but now (those) areas all have distinct personalities.”

Not to be ignored in kitchen design is the new home crafter/maker trend.

“Coffee, cocktails, craft beer, cider and wine — it has all moved into your home,” Corbet says. “I am designing home bars

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NEIGHBORHOODS

KITCHENS

New homebuyers are opting for enhanced storage options such as the cabinets to the ceiling in this model kitchen by HHHunt Homes.

and butler’s pantries with built-in coffee makers, kegerators, wine coolers and bar sink faucets that have a setting for filtered water so that everyone can be a barista or bartender.”

Multiple Storage Solutions

Heatley is seeing an increased emphasis on kitchen storage, possibly because people are buying in bulk and going to the grocery store less frequently. Roll-out shelves, tiered-utensil trays, lazy Susans, and message center wall cabinets to stash mail and keys are all attractive options she explains, when “people are looking for more order in a time of chaos.”

Karen Shelly, design manager at HHHunt Homes, agrees, and she says that new homebuyers are opting for cabinets to the ceiling to maximize space or open shelves in lieu of cabinets.

Personalize It

Color Me Creative

With the popularity of bold and bright colors in jewel tones, Heatley says shades to consider for cabinets can include

“endive, lapis and dahlia,” a green, blue and deep red respectively.

New home buyers are also opting for colorful, patterned backsplashes that add personality and tie all the finishes together, according to Shelly.

Natural Elements

The designers also report the renaissance of natural materials such as quarter-sawn oak, rustic cherry, knotty alder, hickory, walnut and other reclaimed wood cabinets, as well as earthy touches such as copper and hand-glazed tiles.

In its 2021 Design Trends Research report, the National Kitchen & Bath Association concludes that, “The COVID19 pandemic and its associated lifestyle changes are expected to have a lasting impact on kitchen … design extending at

least over the next three years.” In other words, current design trends are no flash in the pan.

A Healthy Home

Noting that hygiene is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, Garbett suggests that consumers consider touchless appliances such as the Miele Knock2Open dishwasher or Wolf’s built-in oven with a handle-less design. Separately, she also reflected on the popularity of natural antimicrobial materials such as copper, brass and bronze.

With so many design options, it’s no wonder that when asked to capture 2021’s trends in just one word, Shelly says, “personalized,” adding that it’s about “what works for what your needs are, and how you live.”

RENE SCOTT

Corbet recommends including a showcase feature that personalizes the kitchen as more than just a place to cook.

It is a feel-good item, says the designer, that can be anything from a family heirloom to wood reclaimed from the gutted kitchen, from art influenced by earlier travels to a chandelier from your grandmother’s house. “I think appreciation of family and loving what you have immediately around you is here to stay for a while,” she says.

Laura Garbett, a showroom manager at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, says she’s seen a return to elegance in what she calls the “Roaring ’20s” trend: stylish fixtures that channel the glamour of that golden age. She also says the trend of mixing different finishes, such as “wood and metal, or wood and chrome, leads to less of a matchy-matchy look.”

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Construction is underway at Avery Point Experience the exciting new senior lifestyle coming to Short Pump. Erickson Senior LivingSM, one of the nation’s largest and most respected developers of continuing care retirement communities, is bringing their dynamic lifestyle to the Richmond area. Scheduled to open in 2022, Avery Point is a new kind of senior living community. Here, you’ll find resort-style amenities, a variety of stylish apartment homes, and services to enhance your health and well-being-all at an affordable value. Avery Point has everything you need for the best senior living experience.

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Construction is underway at

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Experience vibrant, maintenance-free living at the NEW Erickson Senior Living -managed community in Short Pump! It’s the lifestyle you deserve in the ideal location.

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hat does your ideal neighborhood look like? Whether you see yourself living in an urban loft, a suburban split-level or a classic cottage, Richmond and its surrounding areas offer neighborhoods where everyone can feel at home. If you’re looking for a walkable, historic neighborhood full of hip restaurants, check out Church Hill or the Fan District. Lovers of outdoor recreation will find plenty of opportunities for adventure in the city and county neighborhoods adjoining the James River Park System or near Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County. History abounds in Charles City County, Petersburg and southern Chesterfield. For convenience, Short Pump, Midlothian and Chester deliver the goods, along with new mixed-use neighborhoods that promise to put the “urban” in suburban.

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City of Richmond (Center) Business blends with residential neighborhoods in the state capital

other student-targeted goods. Meanwhile, tea, apparel, toys, jewelry, books, chocolate and furniture are all for sale in the shops of Carytown. An approximately $40 million redevelopment project, Carytown Exchange, will feature an estimated 120,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space anchored by a new 49,000-square-foot Publix grocery store.

In the Fan, Whole Foods Market anchors the Sauer Center at the former Pleasants Hardware site. Scott’s Addition is home to a growing number of independent stores.

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Don’t miss comedy at Coalition Theater; national and regional acts at The National, The Broadberry or The Camel; theater at Virginia Repertory Theatre or the Firehouse Theatre; and performance artists and burlesque at Gallery 5 and TheatreLAB. Scott’s Addition is the epicenter of Richmond’s craft brewing scene and home to the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

As the city’s agreement with the Washington Football Team ends, the Bon Secours Training Center is poised to become a go-to for outdoor socially distanced events.

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THE VIBE

From the turn-of-the-century townhouses of the Fan to the hip industrial vibe of Scott’s Addition and pre-Civil War homes in Church Hill, the city’s neighborhoods are walkable and bikeable, brimming with shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.

RECREATION

How many cities have Class IV rapids

running right through their downtown?

The T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge, a city-built pedestrian bridge, links the north and south banks of the river. Downtown is the place to visit the James River Park System, including Belle Isle, a great spot for biking and running. The North Bank connector trail allows hikers, bikers and runners to remain off-road from the Belle Isle parking lot at Tredegar all the way to Nickel Bridge (aka Boulevard Bridge). Take in the gardens at Maymont, then go for a spin in a pedal boat in Byrd Park.

SHOPPING

Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom offer books, furniture and artwork in converted warehouses tucked between restaurants. Broad Street serves the Virginia Commonwealth University area with vintage clothing, vinyl records and

LOOKING FORWARD

In December, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced he would include $11 million in his proposed budget to transform the Fan’s Monument Avenue, which saw most of its Confederate statues come down after protests in the summer of 2020. The Robert E. Lee monument alone remains amid legal wrangling, though the governor approved its removal last July.

The Science Museum of Virginia is reimagining 2 of its 33 acres with native trees and plants to create meandering paths interspersed with public art. A three-story, 400-space parking deck is under construction to remove cars from the entrance circle.

The Virginia Museum of History & Culture has started a $30 million transformation of its buildings and grounds that is expected to be complete in spring 2022.

JAY PAUL

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NEIGHBORHOODS

ZONES

Ukrop's Market Hall

THE VIBE

A neighborhood that began in the years between the two world wars, the Near West End is a charming mishmash of architectural styles such as Tudor, Craftsman and Colonial, and grand homes can be found just blocks away from cottages. The University of Richmond sits in the middle of it all, as do the private schools St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s.

The University of Richmond anchors this neighborhood of leafy trees and British street names

SHOPPING

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The shops at Libbie and Grove feature an upscale collection of antiques, wine, furniture, artisan chocolates and clothing, as well as a budding design district.

Patterson Avenue has bakeries and gift shops, while Willow Lawn, Richmond’s first shopping center, offers stores such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Old Navy, DSW and more. The River Road Shopping Centers feature upscale women’s fashions, high-end home accessories and restaurants. The new Ukrop’s Market Hall offers a nostalgic “best of” selection of the bygone grocer's prepared foods, including its legendary fried chicken.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Modlin Center for the Arts, on UR’s campus, presents everything from ballet to comedy. The Spiders sports teams are worth a ticket, too. Topgolf offers 70 climate-controlled hitting bays, a rooftop terrace and more than 200 TVs, plus full-service bars and a restaurant.

DID YOU KNOW?

An American Indian trail that once stretched from eastern Richmond to the Blue Ridge Mountains became what’s now known as Three Chopt Road. Originally called Three Notched Road, it was marked for travelers by three notches on the trees that lined it. Lafayette, Washington and Jefferson are a few of the historical figures who made journeys along the road.

LOOKING FORWARD

Construction is well underway on the former Westhampton School site at Libbie and Patterson avenues, with Bon Secours, VCU Health and Thalhimer Realty Partners joining forces to build a $73.3 million mixed-use property.

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Near West End

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The West End of Henrico

THE VIBE

Part of the Far West End, this area is a mix of prestigious suburban communities and older developments containing smaller lots, with the benefit of easy interstate access to downtown and adjoining counties. Neighborhoods with rolling hills and charming gardens are as common here as luxury condos and townhouses. Mixed-use developments such as West Broad Village and the Row at Greengate have created new centers for living, shopping and dining.

Short Pump is a suburban ‘city’

SHOPPING

Short Pump Town Center has a lineup of more than 140 shops and restaurants.

Additional shopping centers also ring the expansive mall.

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Funny Bone at Short Pump Town Center is currently closed for renovations, but will continue a rotating schedule

of comedians when it reopens in late spring. The Tin Pan, a restaurant and music venue near Regency mall, features an impressive lineup of local, regional and national acts. Surge Trampoline Park has opened in the former Macy’s North building at Regency.

RECREATION

The region’s first suburban paved bicycle skills track recently opened in Deep Run Park. The 165-acre park is also home to an extensive network of mountain bike trails, a cricket field, playgrounds, a recreation center and a lake. Short Pump Park's dog park is popular with pooches.

LOOKING FORWARD

Regency, the former 1975 mall, continues its transformation into a mixed-use development as JCPenney, the lone remaining anchor, closed in November 2020 and was purchased by the mall’s owners, providing the last major piece of the development.

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Live music at The Tin Pan

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ZONES

Goochland County This is horse country, with rolling hills that lead to the James River THE VIBE

Goochland Drive-in Theater

Rural life remains king out here, though development is working its way into the county, which ranks as one of the wealthiest per capita in the United States. To be sure, there are a few charming established neighborhoods near Goochland Courthouse and Tuckahoe Plantation that you don’t have to be a country squire to afford, but high-end developments such as Kinloch, on a lake near Route 288, offer luxe amenities along with elegant homes.

ENTERTAINMENT

GOOCHLAND

cutting-edge, interactive, climate-controlled golfing bays, plus a rooftop terrace, a classic arcade, a restaurant and bars. A Goochland County fixture, the five-day Deep Run Horse Show features competitors of all levels, from professional riders to 3-year-olds being led around by lead lines. A U.S. Equestrian Federation premier-rated event, the horse show awards at least $24,000 in prize money.

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The James River provides great tubing and fishing opportunities throughout Goochland. A popular route is the Westview to Maidens float. Goochland’s quiet country roads and rolling hills are also popular with cyclists.

DID YOU KNOW?

Goochland’s annual Field Day of the Past began in 1992 as a meeting of about 5,000 steam- and gas-engine enthusiasts.

Today, that gathering has grown into a weekend of historical and cultural activities highlighting the county’s past and drawing more than 40,000 people. From young to old, there are activities to please everyone, including tractor pulls, living history exhibits, crafts and vendors, carnival rides, animal exhibits, and more.

LOOKING FORWARD

Growth continues in this largely rural community. The first phase of the 207acre 55-plus community Mosaic at West Creek is under construction by HHHunt, adjacent to Capital One’s West Creek campus. It will be one of the largest housing developments in the county’s history. In addition, Rassawek Vineyard in the far western part of the county announced a five-year expansion plan to include camping amenities, short-term rentals, a zip line course, a retail store and an airstrip.

EILEEN MELLON

The only drive-in movie theater in the metro area, the Goochland Drive-in Theater in Hadensville offers a classic outdoor movie experience, and shows run from spring until fall, plus a few Christmas movie nights. They added a second screen, The Grove, in 2018.

Grayhaven Winery plays host to the South African Food and Wine Festival annually, and Hardywood West Creek regularly serves up live music to accompany its brews. DriveShack, a $25 million “golf entertainment complex,” offers

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NEIGHBORHOODS

ZONES

North Side of Richmond A turn-of-the-century streetcar suburb boasts expansive old homes THE VIBE

Families flock to North Side to take advantage of the large yards and exceptional architecture. Long avenues with well-cared-for medians — including some resident-tended gardens — crisscross the area. Retirees come to the area to live in one of the three senior communities located here.

SHOPPING

If you’d like to take a walk and pick up some freshly roasted coffee or a bottle of wine, head to MacArthur Avenue, where you’ll find a growing collection of restaurants and shops that extends for another block around the corner on Bellevue Avenue. On Bellevue, don’t miss Little House Green Grocery. Brookland Park Boulevard has seen many new businesses with the opening of the Richmond Art Garage, Alma’s RVA craft gallery, Ruby Scoops ice cream, the Fuzzy Cactus, and the Smoky Mug barbecue and coffee shop.

GrowRVA announced late last year that its Saturday farmer's market will remain at Bryan Park on Saturdays in 2021.

Episcopal congregation and the first founded in the South, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church at 2900 Hanes Ave. was established in 1861. Those original members included freed men and women and indentured servants. Upon the conclusion of the Civil War, the church structure was destroyed by a fire, but it was rebuilt in 1869. Today, the parish’s membership of more than 250 includes individuals of African descent and other diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

and 1101 Fourqurean Lane near Highland Park in partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Richmond and St. Elizabeth Catholic Church.

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Commonwealth Catholic Charities is planning to build 56 income-based apartments on about 3.25 acres at 1031

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DID YOU KNOW?

The sixth-oldest African American

JAY PAUL

There’s live music and all the bivalves you can eat at the annual OystoberFest at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church each fall. Get your jingle on at the annual Ginter Park Holiday Show. Or explore a meat-free lifestyle at Richmond Veg Fest in Bryan Park in June. And be sure to check out the small-batch beers crafted with local yeasts at Tabol Brewing or stop by the taproom at Ninja Kombucha’s storefront space.

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course based on the original design, as well as a six-hole par-3 course and a 35,000-square-foot putting course. The redesign, steered by Love Golf Design, a company headed by another PGA champ, 1997 winner Davis Love III, is scheduled to be completed in May 2021.

Neighborhoods vary widely, RECREATION but all have mature trees At Three Lakes Park and Nature Center, and large parks close by fishing in two of the lakes, wildlife viewTHE VIBE

The north side of Henrico is a mix of neat, wooded neighborhoods and surprising hamlets. Lakeside Avenue has a bit of a throwback, retro feel.

ENTERTAINMENT

Virginia Credit Union Live pulls in national acts like Wu-Tang Clan and Weird Al Yankovic for concerts. Meanwhile, the Richmond Raceway Complex regularly hosts shopping extravaganzas such as the Bizarre Bazaar and the Richmond Home & Garden Show, as well as interest-specific events like the Richmond Comicon, while NASCAR weekends transform lawns near the

ing from observation platforms and a 50,000-gallon aquarium allow visitors to while away the day. Offering entertainment and education for everyone from serious gardeners to music lovers among its more than 50 acres, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden also holds events yearround, from its summer Flowers After 5 concerts to Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights, when the gardens get decked out with more than 1 million lights for the holidays. In December 2019, golf nonprofit First Tee of Greater Richmond signed a 20-year agreement to take over the operations of Belmont Golf Course, the facility where Virginia native Sam Snead won the PGA Championship in 1949. A $5 million renovation is underway, transforming the 18-hole track into a 12-hole championship

SHOPPING

Lakeside Avenue literally features a retail hub in The Hub, one of the area’s first shopping centers, while longtime shops such as Franco’s Fine Clothier and Fin & Feather Pet Center dot the avenue.

The Lakeside Farmers’ Market pavilion welcomes shoppers on Saturdays, with the addition of Wednesdays from spring to Thanksgiving.

DID YOU KNOW?

A young-adult book by Richmond author Gigi Amateau, “Come August, Come Freedom,” tells the tale of Gabriel, leader of a slave rebellion in 1800. Gabriel lived on the Brookfield plantation of Thomas Prosser in this area. Foiled by harsh weather and loose lips, the planned revolt was to begin near present-day Brook Road before heading to the Virginia State Capitol.

LOOKING FORWARD

Brian W. Trader, the former deputy executive director and director of horticulture for the Delaware Botanic Gardens, began his term as the new president and CEO of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in January.

JUSTIN VAUGHAN

North Side of Henrico

raceway into paid parking lots and the area into a very big party during race weekends in April and September. The raceway, which bills itself as “America’s Premier Short Track,” will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2021.

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NEIGHBORHOODS

ZONES

Henrico County (between I-64 and I-295) All farmland just a few years ago, this area has become an edge city THE VIBE

Between I-64 and I-295, west of I-95, this is solid suburban territory that includes newer planned communities, high-end shopping and sections of older, smaller homes. More diverse than one might think, the area is home to both the Hindu Center of Virginia and the Islamic Center of Richmond.

ENTERTAINMENT

Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park offers living history, farm animals and events such as Sheep to Shawl in the spring. The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen serves as a hub for the performing and visual arts, with two performance series, four art galleries, classes, special events and more. Many local and regional performance groups use the center, including the Latin Ballet of Virginia, which teaches classes at the facility — they’ve been providing them online during the pandemic — and also puts on numerous productions. The Innsbrook After Hours concert series, which brings national acts to the Servpro

Pavilion from May to October, was nominated for outdoor venue of the year in 2020 by the Academy of Country Music, alongside such storied venues as Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which wound up winning the award.

SHOPPING

Doing your shopping along U.S. 33 (Staples Mill Road) and U.S. 1 (Brook Road) will get you the basics, and the intersection of I-295 and I-95 adds some big-box retailers.

RECREATION

For those who prefer skating on something other than ice, Laurel Skate Park in Glen Allen has a 6,700-square-foot skating area that’s chock-full of ramps, rails and other obstacles to support fun rather than obstruct it. Henrico County has a nine-hole disc-golf course in Glen

Allen at Dunncroft/Castle Point Park, which is also the site of one of the county’s three cricket fields.

LOOKING FORWARD

In December 2020, the $2.3 billion Green City mixed-use project was announced.

The development, which will be built on the site of Best Products’ former headquarters, will include a 17,000-seat sports arena, two hotels, plus housing, retail and office space. Plans call for the arena to be finished by 2025, with the rest of the development fully built out by 2033.

Meanwhile, the county continues to move forward on its new indoor sports and convocation center at Virginia Center Commons that will include a planned 4,500-seat, 22,000-square-foot arena to host athletic competitions, graduations and other events.

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A mix of the bustle of I-95 and quiet country roads

Ashland ‘The Center of the Universe’ is 15 miles north of Richmond

COURTESY KINGS DOMINION

THE VIBE

Some people immediately feel right at home in the small-town splendor of Ashland, the self-proclaimed “Center of the Universe.” This charming railroad town, which celebrates its heritage every November during Ashland Train Day, is home to the liberal-arts institution Randolph-Macon College, Victorian homes and trains rumbling right through the center of town. Others prefer simple country living out in Beaverdam or Montpelier.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Ashland Theatre reopened at the end of 2018, screening the latest Hollywood releases. In addition, the venue has hosted live performances ranging from musicians like Richmond’s own Natalie Prass to stand-up comedy stalwart Todd Barry. A recent addition for our socially distanced times has been the “Ashland Theatre: After Dark” drive-in movie series. Virginia Repertory Theatre at Hanover Tavern on Route 301 has long been a go-to for several productions a year.

SHOPPING

Retail along routes 1 and 54 near Ashland features the usual suspects for groceries and shopping-center mainstays, but for something a little more local, Ashland Meat Co. at Cross Bros. is your place, featuring an in-house butcher, seasonal produce, deli sandwiches and more. Ashland’s unique boutiques and antique shops draw shoppers from miles around.

Other pulls include Bass Pro Shops as well as the privately owned retailer Green Top Sporting Goods, which has operated a single store in Hanover since 1947, moving to its current 67,000-squarefoot location in 2012.

RECREATION

Poor Farm Park is 254 acres of activity,

with fields, beach-volleyball courts, mountain-biking trails, a horseshoe pit and more. You’ll also get your exercise at Kings Dominion amusement park in Doswell, with more than 60 rides and Soak City, which has 20 acres of water slides, wave pools and rides, including a new area for 2021: Coconut Shores, featuring a 3,000-square-foot wave pool for younger swimmers — the waves are 1 foot tall — and a 45-foot-tall play structure.

LOOKING FORWARD

In December 2019, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that Hanover County had beaten out North Carolina to land a 1.1-million-square-foot distribution center for Wegmans Food Markets. The $175 million project would encompass 218 acres in Ashland, with three buildings being built. But those plans were still on hold a year later, after the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expanded their examination of the center’s environmental permits.

A groundbreaking for the Fall Line trail was held in October 2020 at Ashland’s Carter Park. Plans call for a 43-mile multiuse paved trail that would connect Ashland to Petersburg and link up with the existing Virginia Capital Trail and Appomattox River Trail.

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NEIGHBORHOODS

ZONES

Eastern Henrico County (Varina) The Chickahominy River bounds this area to the east, the James River forms its southern edge, and the city of Richmond is to the west SHOPPING

The Shops at White Oak Village, just off I-64 on Laburnum Avenue, combines bigbox retailers with a pinch of local flavor.

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THE VIBE

Bordering Richmond’s eastern edge and the James River, this area, where John Smith first met the Powhatan tribe, seems farther away from the city lights than it actually is.

RECREATION

The Richmond National Battlefield Park sites in this area are quiet spots where cycling is especially popular. Dorey Park off Darbytown Road has fields and fishing, horse trails and an equestrian center, a disc-golf course, a dog park and

walking trails. The Virginia Boat Club has one of its locations at Rocketts Landing, so don’t be surprised to see scullers and sweepers rowing on the tidal James.

A ride through this area on the Virginia Capital Trail connects bikers starting from the eastern edge of Richmond in Henrico County to a stretch along the James River in Charles City County.

ENTERTAINMENT

Rocketts Landing has become a popular staging area for various events. The Sports Backers-produced Richmond International Dragon Boat Festival features teams of 20 paddling in unison to the beat of their drummer for 500 meters, along with cultural performances. Meanwhile, the Rocketts Red Glare event, which plans to return July 3, 2021, has included a beach volleyball competition for various skill levels in the past, along with music, craft beer and food trucks, plus the grand finale — fireworks.

LOOKING FORWARD

In August 2020, Facebook brought the first phase of its planned $1.75 billion data center in Henrico online. The 450,000-square-foot building is the initial salvo of a project that will eventually encompass 2.5 million square feet in White Oak Technology Park when it’s completed. The building is powered by renewable energy sources, including a 100 megawatt solar project in Virginia, through a partnership with Dominion Energy. The county’s draw for technology companies also include a network access point at QTS Data Centers’ White Oak facility that links to a pair of high-capacity subsea cables connecting Virginia Beach to Brazil and Spain.

COURTESY BASKET & BIKE

Virginia Capital Trail

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Confederates built Fort Harrison (today a National Park Service site) as a keystone defense point on the eastern approach to Richmond. Union forces took and held the fort during the battles of Chaffin’s Bluff (New Market Heights) from Sept.

29 to 30, 1864. Fourteen African American soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor after this battle, more than received this highest military honor for bravery in any other Civil War battle.

An effort to honor these men on Monument Avenue appears to have stalled somewhat, but another group, the Battle of New Market Heights Memorial & Education Association, has sprung up to advocate for a monument to be erected at the site of the battle.

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Armour House

Eastern Henrico County

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(Highland Springs)

The Chickahominy River and marshlands form this area’s eastern and northern boundaries, while I-64 roughly marks the southern line

COURTESY HENRICO COUNTY RECREATION AND PARKS

THE VIBE

This area was once farmland. After the Civil War, it became one of the city’s streetcar suburbs. Proximity to Richmond is still a plus. The nearby airport and I-64 and I-295 add plenty of zoom to a quieter section of town. Highland Springs is a tight-knit community that still has a bit of a small-town feel to it.

RECREATION

The Springs Recreation Center, part of the Henrico County Division of Recreation and Parks, features a croquet court that is open to the public. Chickahominy Bluff Battlefield Park is the first stop on

the Richmond National Battlefield Park’s suggested driving route.

ATTRACTIONS

Romantics should check out Historic Mankin Mansion, an elegant wedding resort that is a mere bridal bouquet’s throw from the airport. Meanwhile, the Dabbs House Museum, which was Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s field headquarters in 1862, is now a county tourist information center and museum.

ENTERTAINMENT

A community development grant helped restore the 1938 Henrico Theatre, which

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DID YOU KNOW?

The Victorian-style Armour House and Gardens were built by Edmund Christian at Meadowview in 1915. Sold to Henrico County by the Armour family in 1999, today it serves as an event space located on park grounds. Archaeologists have been able to identify two prehistoric American Indian sites near the historic home.

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ZONES

KING WILLIAM

King William County The western end of Virginia’s Middle Peninsula, King William County is about 33 miles northeast of the city of Richmond

Eastern Hanover This zone is home to neighborhoods with large lots and excellent schools THE VIBE

Privacy and peace are easy to find in these parts. In the western end of the Middle Peninsula, King William County, zone 43, is just 33 miles northeast of Richmond, but it still feels like it’s a world away.

SHOPPING

Antiquing your way along U.S. 301, especially in the shops near the Hanover Courthouse complex and along Mechanicsville Turnpike, can be a fun way to spend the day. At the western edge of this area, Hanover Square and The Shoppes at Bell Creek offer stops for sustenance and more shopping.

ENTERTAINMENT

West Point is the home of many local festivals, including the West Point Crab Carnival and Christmas on the Town.

The Crab Carnival, typically held in October, features a fun run/walk, a parade, and lots of seafood and vendors. Several times a year, the Pamunkey Indian Reservation and the Mattaponi Reservation have events that draw visitors, and their museums are open to the public. Open April through November, the Pamunkey Indian Museum & Cultural Center resembles ancient Pamunkey homes and tells the story of the people from the Ice

Age through today. For more educational entertainment, head to Cold Harbor Battlefield. You’ll see why Grant was never able to make it to Richmond from this approach. Pole Green Park hosts the annual Hanover Tomato Festival, while also showcasing the area’s best high school distance runners every fall at several cross-country meets.

RECREATION

Boat ramps on U.S. 301 provide public access to fishing and paddling on the Pamunkey River, where you might spy ledges of fossils if you take your eyes off the river. Hanover’s Courthouse Park has soccer fields and trails, along with a

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HANOVER

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fishing pond and a popular roller-hockey rink where inline skaters get their game on. Pole Green Park is 217 acres of action, with a skateboard park and an equestrian center, multiple fields, volleyball courts, and wooded trails for runners.

A mixed-use trail along the Mattaponi River is popular with cyclists and runs from Glass Island to downtown West Point.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Mattaponi, Pamunkey and Upper Mattaponi American Indian tribes have called King William County home for thousands of years. All three of these tribes are descended from the Powhatan Confederacy that was once led by Chief Powhatan. In 1658, the General Assembly, which was then headquartered in Williamsburg, created the Mattaponi and Pamunkey reservations.

Pamunkey Indian Reservation

COURTESY PAMUNKEY INDIAN TRIBE

NEIGHBORHOODS

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NEW KENT

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CHARLES CITY

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THE VIBE

New Kent’s location between Richmond and Williamsburg draws those who want the quiet country life with nearby amenities. Charles City features former plantations along Route 5, such as Shirley Plantation, dating back to the 1600s.

ENTERTAINMENT

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New Kent County One of the state’s oldest counties

Charles City County This zone is the gateway to Tidewater Virginia

New Kent Winery and the recently opened Talleysville Brewing Co. host special events throughout the year, including live music on the porch and the Uncorked half marathon and 5K. Saudé Creek Vineyards in Lanexa has live music on weekends. Upper Shirley Vineyards in Charles City offers four-course prix fixe dinners with wine pairings, vineyard horse rides, riverside yoga, and bike tours hosted by Basket & Bike.

RECREATION

About half of the Virginia Capital Trail (a 52-mile paved cycling and pedestrian path) winds through Charles City County. Diascund Creek Reservoir and the Chickahominy River provide peaceful fishing and boating opportunities.

Patriots Landing in New Kent

In 1968, the U.S. Supreme Court lost patience with the pace of school integration in New Kent County. Under a freedom-of-choice plan, 115 Black students chose to attend mostly white New Kent High School, but no whites attended the majority-Black George W. Watkins School. Resident Calvin Green filed a lawsuit, and the Supreme Court’s 1968 decision in Charles C. Green et al. v. County School Board of New Kent County, Virginia, became the most important school desegregation case since Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Not satisfied with token compliance, the court shifted its position “to ensure racial balance in schools.” By 1970-71, the percentage of Southern Black students attending integrated schools jumped from 32% to 79%.

JAY PAUL

DID YOU KNOW?

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A view from Manchester

South Richmond This section is bounded

by Hull Street on the west, the James River to the east and Chippenham Parkway to the south

ELLA TESTIN

THE VIBE

Bordered by the James River to the north and east, and Chippenham Parkway and Hull Street to the south and west, this area is a mix of industry, arts and modest neighborhoods. Reclaimed buildings near the city in artsy Manchester, safe now behind the floodwall, house lofts, technology companies, restaurants and art galleries in former factories and warehouses. Farther out, you’ll find established neighborhoods of bungalows and ranches on small lots. The creation of the Blackwell Historic District should bring even more development.

a steam-saddle locomotive and a caboose, as well as experience a train simulator.

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RECREATION

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Anglers will find happiness at Ancarrow’s Landing and Manchester Docks. The floodwall’s walkway is a great spot for bird watching along the river. Broad Rock Sports Complex has fields, basketball and tennis courts, plus a tot lot. Dogtown Dance Theatre offers classes, including hooping, Latin dance, basic dance theory and fitness conditioning, and hip-hop.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Richmond Railroad Museum is located in a restored historic Southern Railway Station. Open with limited hours, it allows visitors to view railroad artifacts,

The Richmond Slave Trail begins here at Manchester Docks, a major port in the slave trade on the East Coast of the United States from 1830 to 1960. This walking trail follows a route across the Mayo Bridge through the slave markets of Richmond, beside the Reconciliation Statue commemorating the international triangular slave trade, past Lumpkin’s Slave Jail and the Negro Burial Ground to First African Baptist Church, a center of African-American life in pre-Civil War Richmond.

LOOKING FORWARD

A 2020 gift of 13 wooded acres to the Capital Region Land Conservancy will be transferred to the city under a conservation easement, with the intention of establishing a new public park in South Richmond. Potential plans for the plot on Warwick Road along Grindall Creek include trails, a greenway with shared-use paths, and a natural area for students at Thomas C. Boushall Middle School to learn about watersheds and the environment.

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NEIGHBORHOODS

ZONES

Dutch Gap Conservation Area

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You’re never far from the James or Appomattox rivers in this part of the world.

Route 10 at the western edge of this area has sprouted many tree-lined developments. Chester, just west of I-95, has a village feel to it.

SHOPPING

Chester has the largest concentration of retail in this area, since it’s near the intersection of Route 10 and I-95, not to mention Route 1. Chester Village Green is a planned community, with shopping and restaurants at the Town Square within walking distance for many area residents.

RECREATION

At 810 acres, the Dutch Gap Conservation Area is a paradise for paddlers, hikers, boaters and bird watchers. Boaters can drop into the James River for water

skiing, fishing and eagle spying. Bird watchers should look out for scarlet tanagers and great-crested flycatchers during spring migration. Chesterfield Parks and Recreation’s outdoor programs help folks explore the lagoon and marshland habitats with paddling classes, nature hikes and more. R. Garland Dodd Point of Rocks Park offers fields and fitness options in addition to hiking trails through the woods and along the Appomattox River, including a boardwalk into the tidal marsh.

DID YOU KNOW?

This area was home to the Arrohateck tribe of the Powhatan Indians for thousands of years before Sir Thomas Dale picked this spot for the site of the second permanent English settlement in North America in 1611. This part of the county has a lot of firsts for the continent — the first hospital (Mt. Malady at Henricus)

and the first iron-ore forge and furnace (at Falling Creek). The Chesterfield County Museum Complex showcases artifacts from centuries ago, like their most recent addition — a bell that first hung in the Chesterfield County courthouse in 1759.

LOOKING FORWARD

In hopes of encouraging the development of multifamily units along the Richmond Highway corridor in the county, the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors has eased parking requirements for new apartment communities built near bus lines in the area, according to coverage in the Chesterfield Observer.

These zoning changes are in keeping with the goals of the Northern Jefferson Davis Special Area Plan approved in 2018, which aims to improve infrastructure for commuters without vehicles and address existing traffic issues.

COURTESY CHESTERFIELD COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION

THE VIBE

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NEIGHBORHOODS

ZONES

Chesterfield County

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Bounded by U.S. 360, Route 10 and Beach Road, this zone encompasses some of the county’s fastest-growing sections

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Pocahontas State Park is the largest state park in Virginia, with more than 7,500 wooded acres and two lakes. The mountain biking here is legendary, and the fishing, hiking and horseback riding at nearby Beaver Hollow Farm will keep you on the trails (check availability at beaverhollowfarm.com). The park is a great place to camp or hold events, while its four insulated yurts are well suited to the less-outdoorsy camper. Lake Chesdin Park, on the northern edge of the 3,100acre Lake Chesdin reservoir, offers scenic Metro Richmond Zoo

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views of the lake, boat ramps for motorized craft and a fishing pier.

SHOPPING

Small shopping centers along Route 10 feature grocery stores and other necessities. Hull Street is lined with miles of suburban retail from Chippenham Parkway westward, including big-box stores, chains and furniture stores.

THE VIBE

This area has a largely outdoorsy feel, with most of the development clustered around the Route 10 and Route 360 corridors. Once off those major arteries, winding rural roads veer off into the woods, or planned communities take advantage of the trees and rolling hills.

ENTERTAINMENT

Summer concerts at Pocahontas State Park’s amphitheater include appearances by the Richmond Symphony, rhythm and blues groups and country bands as part of the popular Pocahontas Premieres series. Metro Richmond Zoo gives visitors an opportunity to see about 180 species of animals, including lions, cheetahs and monkeys.

Patrons can enjoy a ride on the Jungle Carousel and Penguin Falls Drop Tower or get better vantage points of the resident wildlife by taking the Safari Sky Lift or train ride. For explorers of all ages,

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The Treetop Zoofari Zip Line and Adventure Park spans the trees over the zoo.

DID YOU KNOW?

Virginia State University in Ettrick began from humble yet proud beginnings in 1882 as the first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for African Americans in the United States, with 126 students, seven faculty members and one building. Today, the university’s student body averages around 4,400 students annually. A $30 million donation to the university from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott in December 2020 should help ease some effects of the pandemic. It’s the largest gift by a single donor in the school’s history.

LOOKING FORWARD

Billed as “a landmark development at the gateway to Chesterfield County,” a new 124-acre mixed-use development is expected to begin construction this year near the intersection of Iron Bridge Road and Courthouse Road at the Route 288 interchange. Courthouse Landing is slated to include 265,000 square feet of retail space, a 100,000-square-foot medical office building, a 120-room hotel, 300 apartments, 300 townhomes and condos, and outdoor recreational areas. The development project is a joint venture between Florida-based Dunphy Properties and Georgia-based Shuler Properties.

COURTESY METRO RICHMOND ZOO

RECREATION

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Colonial Heights Colonial Heights received its name from troops during the American Revolution

Hopewell At the intersection of the James and Appomattox rivers THE VIBE

Located near the Appomattox River, Colonial Heights covers 8 square miles.

Ten miles down the road, the city of Hopewell is situated where the James and Appomattox rivers meet, and it holds a family-oriented waterfront charm. One of the oldest gristmills in the country, Swift Creek Mill (1663) was transformed in 1965 into the Swift Creek Mill Theatre, a professional playhouse that also offers activities and camps for kids who are interested in the theater arts.

COURTESY TRI-CITY CHILI PEPPERS

RECREATION

Look for the return of the Hopewell Farmers Market on Thursday evenings beginning in May 2021. Located in downtown Hopewell on East Broadway Avenue, the producer-only market features fresh produce, handmade items and more. Visit hopewellfarmersmarket. luluslocalfood.com or hopewelldown town.com for updates. Colonial Heights’ annual community event, May’s Fort Clifton Festival, mixes family-oriented fun with Civil War history. For more than 65 years, a crowd has gathered at

Tri-City Chili Peppers at Shepherd Stadium

the annual nighttime Colonial Heights Christmas parade on the Boulevard to see local high-school marching bands, dance troupes, several local dignitaries and, of course, Santa.

SHOPPING

Downtown Hopewell presents an eclectic mix of shops, Civil War memorabilia stores, clothing boutiques and more.

Southpark Mall in Colonial Heights offers a more extensive range of retail, with H&M, Macy’s, JCPenney and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

collegiate players from East Coast universities. Shepherd Stadium, built in 1948, underwent a five-year conservation project that was completed in 2018 and included a new scoreboard and seats. Fun fact: John Grisham’s 2004 film “Mickey,” starring Harry Connick Jr., was filmed at Shepherd Stadium during Memorial Day weekend in 2001.

DID YOU KNOW?

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Hopewell, located at the confluence of the James and Appomattox rivers, developed as an industrial center. European immigrants flocked to the city.

LOOKING FORWARD

Colonial Heights’ Shepherd Stadium will serve as home field for the new Tri-City Chili Peppers, a Coastal Plain League baseball team. The Chili Peppers' inaugural season will begin in May after it was postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic. The team’s roster includes

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COLONIAL HEIGHTS

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NEIGHBORHOODS

ZONES

Old Towne Petersburg

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PETERSBURG

Petersburg

Prince George ound on the north y the ames River and the ity o ope ell, it is home to ort ee THE VIBE

Petersburg and Prince George County are perhaps best known for their role in Civil War history — Petersburg was the site of 10 months of trench warfare between Union and Confederate troops.

You can walk in Lincoln’s footsteps from 1865.

SHOPPING

Old Towne Petersburg is filled with restaurants, specialty boutiques and history-oriented activities. The monthly Friday for the Arts walks provide a perfect opportunity to discover Old Towne.

The South Crater Square Shopping Center and Walnut Hill Plaza offer goods and services for nearby residents.

RECREATION

The 4,200-acre James River National Wildlife Refuge in Prince George County was established in 1991, and it’s the site of numerous active bald eagle nests, with more than 230 individual bald eagles roosting within the refuge each summer.

Though public access to the refuge is limited, visitors can make an appointment to visit four business days in advance or attend the annual field day that offers guided tours. There are also volunteer opportunities available.

DID YOU KNOW?

One of three stops in Petersburg on the

Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail is the former site of Petersburg’s first Black high school, which was also Virginia’s first known public high school for African Americans. It’s noted by a marker at Harrison and Fillmore streets. The First Baptist Church of Petersburg, which founded the school in 1870, is one of the earliest organized African American churches in the country. The congregation formed in 1774. Prior to the Civil War, Petersburg had the largest population of free Blacks in the South.

LOOKING FORWARD

Plans are in the works to restore the long dormant Hotel Petersburg in Old Towne Petersburg. First opening for business in 1915, the hotel closed in 1969.

A development team led by Nat Cuthbert is working to renovate and update the building to create an upscale boutique hotel with 68 rooms, dining, a bar and event space. Pending funding, improvements are projected to be completed in late 2022.

EDWIN BETTS PHOTOGRAPHY

ith Chester�eld to the north, eters ur is minutes south o Ri hmond

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Amelia ound to the north y Chester�eld and o hatan and to the southeast y in iddie, Amelia is dominated y a ri ulture

Dinwiddie An area ri h in Civil THE VIBE

COURTESY VIRGINIA DWR / MEGHAN MARCHETTI - DGIF

Amelia Wildlife Management Area

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Home to Civil War battlefields, museums and antebellum homes, Dinwiddie and Amelia counties are rich in American history. Dinwiddie is 25 miles south of Richmond and was the site of more Civil War battles than any other county in the country. The last major conflict of the war, the Battle of Little Sailor’s Creek, saw the Confederates lose more than 7,700 men in the fighting, eight of them generals. Three days later, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee would surrender to

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Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. Today, visitors can stop by Sailor’s Creek Battlefield State Park in Amelia, which has exhibits in its visitor center.

SHOPPING

Indulge in some antique shopping on the courthouse square in Amelia at Jerry’s Now & Then. A few miles down the road, there’s Classic Touches, featuring more than 15,000 square feet of antiques, pottery, home furnishings and crafts.

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RECREATION

The 2,217-acre Amelia Wildlife Management Area, with frontage along the Appomattox River, features two shooting ranges; fishing on the 100-acre Amelia Lake (as well as the 4.5-acre Saunders Pond); and hunting for a range of game, from quail to deer. Opened in 1994, the Virginia Motorsports Park, which hosts obstacle races such as the “Rugged Maniac,” is a must-visit for fans of extreme sports.

DID YOU KNOW?

Dinwiddie County was the birthplace of Elizabeth (Burwell) Hobbs Keckley, a free Black dressmaker who worked for Varina Davis, the wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. She later worked with Abraham Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. The county also was the birthplace of Thomas Day, a free Black cabinetmaker, and Dr. Thomas Stewart, perhaps America’s first free Black 18th-century rural physician.

LOOKING FORWARD

From March 26-27, fans of the Discovery reality series “Street Outlaws” can witness live filming for season four of “Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings” at the 500-acre Virginia Motorsports Park. The facility will host the Street Car Takeover series Oct. 22-23. Dubbed the premier street-car event in the U.S., the series features 1/4- and 1/8-mile roll (meaning drivers begin with a rolling start) and drag racing as well as a car show.

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NEIGHBORHOODS

ZONES

The Veil Brewing Co. on Forest Hill Avenue

singletrack mountain-biking trails and paths for walking that will make you think you’ve headed into the deep woods. The hill at the park’s southwest corner is the spot for sledding whenever the snow falls. The path around the renovated lake is a lovely place to promenade. Tucked off Jahnke Road, Powhite Park offers more mountainbiking and hiking trails. Several sections of the James River Park System are also here, attracting dog walkers, sun worshippers, bird-watchers and mountain bikers.

ENTERTAINMENT

Architectural variety, lush green spaces and close-knit neighborhoods between U.S. Route 360 and the James River THE VIBE

South of the James, yet still in the city limits, are quiet, established neighborhoods. An outdoorsy vibe runs from Woodland Heights to Huguenot Farms.

SHOPPING

Stony Point Shopping Center is the location of a new Trader Joe’s grocery store.

The tiki-bar-inspired Little Nickel is a newer addition to the scene, located on

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DID YOU KNOW?

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Forest Hill Avenue. Stony Point Fashion Park is an open-air, high-end mall just off Chippenham Parkway with Saks Fifth Avenue, Anthropologie and other retailers. The popular South of the James Farmers Market returns to Forest Hill Park, this year on Thursdays from 4-7 p.m. May-October.

RECREATION

The 105-acre Forest Hill Park boasts

During the Works Progress Administration (1935-43), unemployed artisans working under the auspices of the national Emergency Relief Appropriation Act were hired to pave Forest Hill Park’s footpaths with cobblestones; they also built a stone-and-slate octagonal gazebo and a small warming hut for use by winter ice skaters.

LOOKING FORWARD

In late 2020, Scott’s Addition’s The Veil Brewing Co. opened a small-batch brewery and tasting room on Forest Hill Avenue near the intersection with Westover Hills Boulevard. The new development, The Hill Standard, also includes an outpost of Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co. and will feature locations of Stella’s Grocery and the ice cream parlor Charm School.

JUSTIN VAUGHAN

South Side of Richmond

Music in the Park, a series of evening concerts in front of the Old Stone House at Forest Hill Park typically held from early summer into the fall, features a range of musical styles. The CinéBistro at Stony Point Fashion Park allows guests to enjoy dinner and a movie simultaneously. (Since alcohol is available, this is strictly for the 21-and-over crowd, except for occasional Family Series movies.)

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Chesterfield County

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Running between U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 360, this area is home to Central Virginia’s 64 � rst planned ommunity, randermill

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THE VIBE

This large region in Chesterfield County is one of its fastest growing, offering suburban ease, planned-community convenience or a rural lifestyle, depending on how far past state Route 288 you’re willing to venture. Home styles range from contemporary in Brandermill and Woodlake to more traditional styles elsewhere. The far-western section is sprouting suburban growth in an area that once featured only farmland and forests.

RECREATION

Chesterfield County’s Rockwood Park features athletic fields and ball courts, paved and unpaved trails for walking and biking, and an archery course in the woods. Mid-Lothian Mines Park combines historic interpretation with recreational trails — some paved, some not — for biking or walking where dinosaurs used to roam and coal was once mined. River City Sportsplex is a hub for youth sports, hosting regional and national events. The 115-acre, multisport athletic complex features 12 synthetic turf fields, one of the largest collections in the United States.

JAY PAUL

ENTERTAINMENT

For family-friendly action, head to Chesterfield Berry Farm, where admission for children 2 and younger is free. Enjoy seasonal shenanigans such as pumpkin picking and corn mazes. Hayrides,

Mid-Lothian Mines Park

animals and various kiddie attractions make it like a mini county fair.

DID YOU KNOW?

This area is known for being the location of the first commercial coal mine in America, as well as the related first railway that transported coal to port.

Many free Blacks and enslaved people did the dirty work in the Grove Shaft and in 1846, they built Mid-Lothian African Church, a log church that was the forerunner of the still-thriving First Baptist Church of Midlothian.

LOOKING FORWARD

Delayed due to the pandemic, Shamin

Hotels is moving forward with a 200room hotel and 10,000-square-foot conference center at the Stonebridge mixed-use development near the Chippenham Parkway and Midlothian Turnpike interchange. Once constructed, the conference center will be the largest in Chesterfield. Further plans for the area include the construction of an additional 300 apartments at the Element at Stonebridge apartment community. Starview Village will bring 1,200 apartments, condos, townhomes and single-family homes south of the development.

These latest projects are the final pieces of revitalization efforts for the site that formerly housed Cloverleaf Mall.

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NEIGHBORHOODS

ZONES

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Abundant, lush neighborhoods are tucked away behind shopping destinations such as Sycamore uare and Chester�eld o ne Center THE VIBE

Abutting the western edge of the city, this area rolls along the James River out to the border with Powhatan County. Access all over the region is a breeze with Midlothian Turnpike at its southern edge, the Powhite Parkway to the east and Route 288 to its west. Single-family homes on wooded lots dominate, and classic neighborhoods such as Salisbury continue to attract newcomers. The Highland Hills neighborhood features homes designed by architect Charles Goodman, who opted for a more modern architectural style.

SHOPPING

Bon Air offers neighborhood shopping convenience, with Bon Air Seafood and the Butcher at Bon Air selling specialty items, along with antiques and collectible dealers. Chesterfield Towne Center still rules the roost on Midlothian Turnpike, which also offers the usual chain stores as well as local gems — literally, in the case of Packard’s Stamps & Rocks, which has been operating in Midlothian since 1962. To the west, Westchester

Commons adds retail, restaurants and events. Several Midlothian Turnpike shopping centers have antiques dealers, malls and consignment shops for oneof-a-kind finds.

ENTERTAINMENT

May’s Victorian Day Parade and Festival in Bon Air celebrates the old-time charms of this former resort area, which once provided a lovely respite from the city with convenient rail service.

RECREATION

This area boasts golf courses that appeal to members and guests alike, from the public links at Independence Golf Club to the private course at Salisbury Country Club. The Virginia State Golf Association’s headquarters can be found between the two courses along Dovercourt Drive.

You’ll also find the Windy Hill Sports Complex nearby, and its par-3 course is lighted during warmer months. The complex has a nine-hole regulation track, plus miniature golf, a disc-golf course and the option to play FootGolf, a cross between

golf and soccer, on the par-3 course.

Robious Landing Park offers trails and convenient boating access for anyone looking to kayak, canoe, row or paddleboard on the James River. In addition, the Virginia Boat Club has a boathouse for rowers in the area, and they offer instruction along with recreational and competitive rowing programs.

LOOKING FORWARD

The Midlothian Community Special Area Plan, which governs 8 square miles along Midlothian Turnpike and its surrounding communities, with the Village of Midlothian as the core, was unanimously approved by the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors in December 2019. It aims to guide future growth in Midlothian, with the goal of delivering more bike- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods featuring interconnected streets and small-town character. Now an implementation committee is working to make those goals a reality, with new renderings of a more pedestrian-friendly Midlothian Turnpike unveiled in November 2020. According to a story by ABC 8News, at a Chesterfield County Planning Commission meeting in December, Planning Manager Steve Haasch suggested that this could lead to the first mixed-use ordinance in Chesterfield, allowing for a combination of residential, institutional and commercial uses within the development.

JAY PAUL

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Creek Provisions, offering soaps, seasonal gifts, freshly prepared baked goods and more on the grounds of The Mill at Fine Creek.

RECREATION Powhatan State Park

Powhatan County is home to the 1,500acre Powhatan State Park. Built to fill the need for camping and recreation in the Central Virginia area, the park boasts about 2.5 miles of riverfront along the James. The waterfront includes amenities essential to enjoying everything the river has to offer, including fishing, canoeing, 5 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, picnic shelters, and a playground.

DID YOU KNOW?

In 1777, the Virginia General Assembly created the county and named it after Pocahontas’ father, making it the only county in the commonwealth that’s named after an American Indian.

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION

LOOKING FORWARD

THE VIBE

Twenty miles from Richmond, much of the county retains its agricultural heritage, with acres of farms and white fences meandering along rolling horse pastures. Powhatan features quaint antique stores, two wineries, two breweries, a distillery, and a bevy of stables and farms.

SHOPPING

The county offers great options for antiques and collectibles, including the family-owned Vintage Antique Shack, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this fall. There are also some unusual shopping choices such as Country Food and Furniture, a Mennonite grocery with homemade breads and cakes, and Fine

Longleaf Conservation Capital Inc. has purchased an approximately 1,410-acre property dubbed “Bluebell” in Powhatan County along the Appomattox River for the purpose of preservation and recreation. The company plans to offer eco-friendly camping as well as walking, hiking and mountain biking trails with river access. About 300 acres will be designated for conservation and closed to public access to preserve natural habitats and native plant life. According to a news release, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Virginia Land Conservation Foundation grants allocating $500,000 to the Bluebell Tract. The project is expected to launch in spring 2021 and will be built out over several years.

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DINING

P. 220 Restaurants Rebuild P. 224 Flagship Beers P. 226 Food Trucks P. 230 Breweries, Wineries and More P. 232 Local Celebrity Chefs P. 234 Redemption BBQ RICHMONDMAG.COM

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DINING

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Step by Step Restaurant industry leaders look toward the future and discuss a path forward

By Eileen Mellon

T

he past year has been a test for the restaurant industry.

The changes that surfaced were in direct response to survival, and one year into the pandemic, survival remains at the forefront, but perhaps 2021 has the potential to be a rebuilding year for our nationally recognized restaurant scene.

In the sports world, this phrase signifies a new strategy or direction. The team’s management has assessed the struggles of the present situation and recognizes that change is necessary. The hope is that those changes will bring growth, evolution and, most importantly, success and longevity. A rebuilding year is a chance to restore what is lost, to come back better and stronger than before.

We spoke with industry leaders about their needs, hopes and visions for the year ahead. And while we don’t know what the future will bring, we do believe 2021 will be focused on easing into a “new” way of dining: continuing to examine systemic

changes related to equitable pay, benefits and sick leave; exploring the elimination of archaic rules — case in point: cocktails to go — and the role restaurants and their employees play in our city’s landscape; embracing takeout and other to-go concepts; rethinking the way diners eat; and seeking more financial assistance on the local, state and national levels.

At the end of November 2020, Union Hill’s Metzger Bar & Butchery went into “hibernation” for the winter.

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Sophia Kim, bartender at Longoven

OPPOSITE: COURTESY METZGER BAR & BUTCHERY; PARKER MICHELS-BOYCE

Sunny Baweja

Sophia Kim, bartender at Longoven

chef-owner of Lehja “It’s not easy, but it’s not going away right away. Overall, I feel like there [are] going to be way more changes in the industry. This [pandemic] will stay in people’s minds for a long time, and we will still do more to-go business than dine-in.

The whole mindset now when thinking of a dish or menu is, if I am going to eat the food and spend the money, how would I react when this final plate was in front of me?

How a dish travels never came to mind before. The whole idea has always been customer satisfaction, and now it’s, how can we improve the dishes with these new circumstances and stay on top of things?”

Johnny Giavos

restaurateur whose portfolio includes Stella’s, The Sidewalk Cafe and Little Nickel “There will be no straight day this is going to end — it will drive on for a while. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and [city officials] need to streamline everything downtown a little better. Liaisons should be trying to figure out, do [restaurants] have their licenses and permits they need ... have the changes they’ve made with patio or outdoor dining benefitted the neighborhoods? Those are the things the city needs to see. It’s time to be progressive, and we have to move in ways that are positive for the industry. We have pro-

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DINING

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

—Julia Battaglini, owner of Secco Wine Bar

fessionals here that aren’t going anywhere; their livelihood is the restaurant scene.”

Julia Battaglini

owner of Secco Wine Bar “I am really pleased to see the mutual support and camaraderie between restaurants that arose from all these trials — especially the Richmond Restaurants United group. They have created a forum for us to ask each other about everything from [the Paycheck Protection Program’s] impact on workers’ comp policies to sharing job opportunities to lobbying and policy updates. Before this, no one ever talked about money. Now, we’re all in it together. I think this natural instinct among RVA restaurants will help carry us through to the next era, whatever the hell that is.

“This past year also drove home just how untenable this business’ financial model is. The low wages, income disparity between [front] and [back of house], inhumane hours, lack of benefits, high rents, and relentless food cost increases make it a terrible way to earn a living for all of us. I truly hope some positive

changes come out of this mess, but sadly I don’t have very high hopes.

People are reluctant to do things differently than what they know, but mostly I hope the tipping system gets upended and the work-till-you-dropdead ethic gets overhauled.”

Brittanny Anderson

chef and co-owner of Black Lodge, Brenner Pass, and Metzger Bar & Butchery “We would really like to see everyone vaccinated. I think it changes a lot of things for us as workers, and we would feel safer and more comfortable with indoor dining. Richmond Restaurants United and Kevin Liu [founder of RRU and co-owner of The Jasper] have been lobbying with the governor and the city to make sure our needs and employees’ needs are met first. That could be a gamechanger for restaurants. There’s something weird about announcing restaurant openings in the middle of all of this, but a lot of people don’t see this stuff and understand we are just using our side space [for the takeout-friendly Black Lodge] and transforming it — a big pivot. I defi-

nitely feel like we’ve just got to keep moving and often feel like a shark — if I stop moving, I’ll die — and can’t think about the bad stuff.”

Sophia Kim

bartender at Longoven “My fear is how confusing this next year will be and how difficult will it be to logistically continue on. We are working with the public, and they do want to go and eat at restaurants, and they want to sit inside and gain some of that normalcy back, but I’m hoping it won’t be difficult to convince people that it’s still going to be important to wear a mask and socially distance and continue what we’re doing to stay safe.

“It’s not just about, ‘Oh, can I go

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—Sunny Baweja, chef-owner of Lehja

FROM LEFT: PARKER MICHELS-BOYCE; COURTESY LITTLE NICKEL

Left: Sunny Baweja, chef-owner of Lehja. Right: Little Nickel’s recentlyexpanded patio.

—Brittanny Anderson, chef and co-owner of Black Lodge, Brenner Pass, and Metzger Bar & Butchery

eat inside a restaurant?’ it’s about a whole ecosystem of people and their jobs and their families and their livelihoods. This industry is more than just a plate of food being served to a person, and I’m hoping the government will come to appreciate that more, give us more support and understand how complex it is.

“A better work-life balance is something I hope to see in the future. I think change is catalyzed by breakage, and the industry did break, and we’re still trying to figure out into what pieces and [how to] rebuild it. But there is the positive side, which is the changes to come could be good, as long as we are intentionally thinking about those changes and working towards them.”

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DINING

BEER

Pioneering Pints

Head brewers spill about iconic Richmond beers

By Genevelyn Steele

T

his collection of brews sets the tone with trailblazers that helped put these breweries — and Richmond — on the beer map. When imbibers are searching for a reliable beer, these suds have stood the test of time.

Ardent Craft Ales

Head Brewer William Poole Flagship Beer: “Our four year-round offerings: Saison, Ardent IPA, Pilsner and IPA X — but to single out one, it would be Saison.”

History: “Ardent's core beers reflect four diverse, approachable beer styles — styles we enjoy making and, more importantly, enjoy drinking. Saison was one of the three original recipes Ardent brewed when it opened in 2014, and IPA X, the most recent addition, is a hazy, New England-influenced IPA.”

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Head Brewer Brian Nelson

Administrivia: “Ardent started as a homebrewer's cooperative operating out of a Church Hill garage in 2010.

Founder and General Manager Tom Sullivan officially opened Ardent Craft Ales in Scott’s Addition in 2014 to share our passion for beer with the community."

Flagship Beer: “My absolute favorite beer, the Great Return American IPA.” History: In 2013, Hardywood partnered with the James River Association and released Great Return, an ode to the organization’s work to restore Atlantic sturgeon populations in the upper James. Five dollars per barrel of Great Return goes directly to JRA. Go-to Brew: “Great Return is my go-to Hardywood beer, but I’ve always respected Sierra Nevada for what they stand for and how they approach brewing. I love their Torpedo IPA.” Administrivia: The name Hardywood is derived from a sheep station in Australia where founders Eric McKay and Patrick Murtaugh fell in love with craft beer.

Legend Brewing Co.

Head Brewer John Wampler Flagship Beer: Legend Brown Ale History: “Legend Brown was not designed to be a flagship necessarily, but in 1994, there were not many [brown ales] around, and we made a pretty good one, so it just took off for us.”

Go-to Brew: “I really enjoy a well-made stout, one that relies on traditional ingredients rather than tasting like liquid pie.”

Administrivia: Wampler has worked with Legend Brewing for 26 years.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: KATE MAGEE, COURTESY HARDYWOOD PARK CRAFT BREWERY; COURTESY ARDENT CRAFT ALES; COURTESY LEGEND BREWING CO.

Go-to Brew: “Lagers. Richmond is fortunate to have a ton of breweries making excellent lagers, like Bingo Beer Co.”

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Center of the Universe Brewing Co.

Stone Brewing Richmond

Flagship Beer: Pocahoptas IPA

Flagship Beer: “Stone IPA originated in 1997 as the first-anniversary beer and was the third beer we released in bottles.

Back then, there weren’t as many hop varieties available. Centennial — which we now think of as a classic hop — was pretty new. It delivers the piney and citrusy characters that Stone IPA is known for, and it’s the backbone of our hop bill to this day.”

Head Brewer Robert Kuntz

Head Brewer Brett Dillon

History: “Pocahoptas is a West Coast-style IPA that originated from co-founders and brothers Chris and Phil Ray’s homebrewing days. At the time, it was a less prevalent style in Virginia, but one they were particularly fond of. The duo traded iterations of the beer recipe back and forth through the mail for years before settling on the final version. To this day, the beer undergoes subtle tweaks.”

Go-to Brew: "BEEr Orange Blossom Honey Ale. The base malt we use is delicious.”

Administrivia: “The contests that take place in the production room are often ridiculous. Once, I was challenged by the rest of the production staff to eat an entire 2-pound salted nut roll log. I failed halfway through.”

Go-to Brew: “I’m a loyalist, so I’m always asking for Stone. If I can’t find one, I ask for a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Coors Banquet. If I can’t get them, I go for a local one I haven’t tried before. You can’t go wrong with a Hardywood Richmond Lager.”

Administrivia: “Stone has an ethics statement, and I was struck by the part that says, ‘We may make a beer called Arrogant Bastard, but we don’t act like one.’ You agree not to knock breweries, and to build up the brewing industry.”

Triple Crossing Beer CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COURTESY CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE BREWING CO.; COURTESY STONE BREWING CO.; COURTESY TRIPLE CROSSING BEER

Co-founder and Head Brewer Jeremy Wirtes Flagship Beer: Falcon Smash IPA History: “When we first started making beer, we weren’t big enough to acquire more highly sought-after hops like citra and mosaic, so we decided to make a hoppy beer with what we were able to access. With the help of Falconer’s Flight hops, Falcon Smash was born. Falconer’s Flight is a proprietary blend of seven citrus-heavy hops.”

Go-to Brew: “This fluctuates constantly. At the moment, it’s our Pathway Pils.”

Administrivia: “When Triple Crossing opened, our primary purpose was to brew hop-heavy.

We still brew hoppy, but our focus has shifted to lagers — everything from bocks and Czech dark lagers to kellerbiers and pilsners.”

Stone Brewing is known for its hop-heavy IPAs.

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DINING

FOOD TRUCKS

Road Warriors

The region’s food truck scene is on a roll

T

he Richmond food truck scene has come a long way in the past decade. Early on, customers relied mostly on word of mouth to locate the nomadic culinary ventures, and prominent players included Nate’s Tacos and Goatocado, the latter often seen near VCU’s campus when it originally launched. Fast-forward a decade, add in the movie “Chef,” which romanticized the notion of the vagabond lifestyle, and food trucks have become a vital piece of RVA’s dining landscape.

Randy Boodram, owner of La Bete, a Caribbean-Creole truck that draws on his Trinidadian heritage, says food trucks are “the right price point to get into the food business” compared to brick-andmortar restaurants. Others, such as Missy Schnetzka, who bought the Charm City Crab Cakes food truck in 2017 with her sister, was “looking for something more fulfilling than being just another number in a big corporation.”

And while food trucks carry less overhead, that doesn’t always equate to less

stress. Brian Graff, Above: Brian owner of IntergaGraff debuted lactic Tacos, says Intergalactic Tacos in 2015. Right: that many of the Zorch Pizza at The rules in Richmond Veil Brewing Co. — such as prohibiting food trucks from parking in public parks or requiring location-specific permitting — are archaic and geared more “towards food carts of old rather than food trucks of today,” a feeling echoed by fellow operators.

“This isn’t Portland or Austin,” says Rob Zorch of Zorch Pizza. “You can’t just drive around looking for a crowd.”

“Or easily move if no one shows or the weather is bad,” adds Boodram, noting that street permits must be applied for in advance and are valid only for a specific place and date.

Restrictions on mobility likely made Richmond a less desirable place to operate a food truck even as their popularity exploded in other cities. But a shift began in 2010 when Hardywood Park Craft Brewery debuted its popular food truck nights, a weekly gathering of trucks from

across the region that provided a dedicated place for vendors to park and serve.

The following year the Richmond Food Truck Association was formed.

Breweries and food trucks would emerge as the ultimate dynamic duos — food trucks are prohibited from serving alcohol, and breweries typically serve limited food. The symbiotic pairing is so successful that most local breweries are booked six to nine months in advance,

FROM TOP:SHAWNEE CUSTALOW; AMANDA MISCHO, COURTESY ZORCH PIZZA

By Piet E. Jones

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DINING

FOOD TRUCKS

CRUISIN’

A tasteful assortment of local food trucks

The Hungry Turtle

hungryturtle.com Vietnamese classics from banh mi to pho, plus dishes that offer fresh twists on traditions — we’re looking at you, pho dogs.

Seoul 2 Soul

which can make it problematic for newcomers to break onto the scene.

Although Intergalactic Tacos makes frequent appearances at breweries like The Veil and Starr Hill, Graff believes the rules surrounding food trucks serving alcohol should change. “Let trucks serve alcohol,” he says. “ABC changed the rules for restaurants, allowing to-go sales of beer, wine and even cocktails — we should be able to do the same.”

Food trucks are also restricted from certain parts of downtown, parking too closely to a brick-and-mortar restaurant and operating after 11 p.m. Since the pandemic, office parking lots, another prime spot for food trucks, have been more miss than hit. In place of office parks, food trucks have been working with civic associations to set up shop in neighborhoods including Ginter Park and Forest Hill, using online ordering and contactless pickup, although not everyone relies on 9-to-5ers or imbibers to help bring business to their truck.

Evan Taylor of First Stop Donuts targets farmers markets. For Taylor and his single-item truck, markets such as South of the James are the easiest way for his product to reach the public. “When not at a market, we partner with complementary trucks, like Ironclad Coffee, that pair well with our cider doughnuts,” he adds.

When taking place, large community events such as the Richmond Folk Festival and Friday Cheers can be regular

gigs for food trucks if they can offset the cost charged by the event — typically between $400 to $600 per day — while higher-priced events like the Washington Football Team Training can deter vendors.

“A $1,000 fee per day when I can only load $2,500 of pizza onto my truck just isn’t feasible,” Zorch says.

Fees aren’t the only obstacles food trucks face. In Chesterfield, operators may park at home and complete prep on the truck, but in Richmond, food prep must be done in an inspected commercial kitchen. Graff ’s solution was The Bearded Kitchen, a designated prep space for the food truck community that he opened in 2014 on Hull Street.

Five years later, Hatch Kitchen introduced its food truck corral. The secured, covered loading docks that feature utility hookups, eliminate two major obstacles for food trucks — parking and keeping truck refrigerators constantly running.

Despite the challenges, RVA’s food truck scene continues to grow, and so do some of the concepts. Zorch is set to debut a restaurant space in Carytown and says the cost of purchasing a second, larger truck to increase capacity was similar to financing a brick-and-mortar space.

But for others, the traveling lifestyle is the perfect fit for them.

“I never had any intentions of going brick-and-mortar,” Graff says. “I always [just] wanted a food truck. You can find a food you love and do it right.”

The Return of the Mac

thereturnofthemac.com Feast on classic mac and cheese or take it up a notch with pork barbecue or carne asada. Plus fries!

Lady Sharon’s Soul Food

ladysharonskitchen.com Fresh and hot off the truck, the fried chicken, a famed recipe from the chef-owner of 32 years, draws a crowd. Do yourself a favor and order the banana pudding for dessert.

Jiji’s Frozen Custard

jijifrozencustard.com Operating March through December, the husbandand-wife team behind Jiji’s scoops fresh-made Wisconsinstyle custard, along with special “pundaes.”

Street Food Finder

Want to track down your favorite trucks? The app/ website street-foodfinder. com gives the lowdown from menus to schedules.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COURTESY LA BETE; GETTY; COURTESY FIRST STOP DONUTS

Above: La Bete at Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop; Right: First Stop Donuts dishes out apple cider creations aboard its school bus turned food truck.

seoul-2-soul.com Korean and American comfort food join forces in the form of kimchi mac and cheese, as well as gochujang fried chicken with sweet potato waffle.

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DINING

LISTING

Jolene Family Winery

Breweries, wineries, distilleries and cideries Please call for hours.

BREWERIES

The Answer Brewpub, 6008 W. Broad St., 804-282-1248 or theanswerbrewpub.com.

Ardent Craft Ales, 3200 W. Leigh St., 804-359-1605 or ardentcraftales.com.

Basic City Beer Co., 212 W. Sixth St., 804-447-4735 or basiccitybeer.com.

Bingo Beer Co., 2900 W. Broad St., 804-386-0290 or bingorva.com.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, 12010 W. Broad St., 804-298-2950 or bjsrestaurants.com.

Canon & Draw Brewing Co., 1529 W. Main St., 804-353-0536 or canonanddraw.beer.

Castleburg Brewery and Taproom, 1626 Ownby Lane, 804-353-1256 or castleburgbrewery.com.

Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery,

3445 W. Cary St., 804-918-6158 or gardengrovebrewing.com.

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, 2408-2410 Ownby Lane, 804-420-2420; 820 Sanctuary Trail Drive (West Creek), 804-418-3548 or hardywood.com.

Intermission Beer Co., 10089 Brook Road, 804-585-0405 or intermissionbeer.com.

WINERIES

Ashton Creek Vineyard, 14501 Jefferson Davis Highway, Chester, 804-896-1586 or ashton creekvineyard.com.

Bodie Vineyards, 1809 May Way Drive, Powhatan, 804-598-2240 or bodievineyards.com.

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, 11792 W. Broad St., 804-461-2244 or chwinery.com.

Garden Grove Brewing and Urban Winery,

3445 W. Cary St., 804-918-6158 or gardengrove brewing.com.

James River Cellars Winery, 11008 Washington Highway, Glen Allen, 804-550-7516 or james rivercellars.com.

Jolene Family Winery, 2750 Pocahontas Trail, Quinton, 804-557-5316 or jolenefamilywinery. com.

New Kent Winery, 8400 Old Church Road, New Kent, 804-932-8240 or newkentwinery.com.

Saudé Creek Vineyards, 16230 Cooks Mill Road,

COURTESY JOLENE FAMILY WINERY

Where to Drink

Center of the Universe Brewing Co., 11293 Air Park Road, Ashland, 804-368-0299 or cotubrewing.com.

Crazy Rooster Brewing Co., 1570 Oakbridge Drive, Powhatan, 804-464-2958 or crazyroosterbrewing.com.

Dancing Kilt Brewery, 12912 Old Stage Road, Chester, 804-318-1381 or dancingkiltbrewery. com.

Dogtown Brewing Co., 1209 Hull St., 804-724-2337 or dogtownbrewingco.com.

Extra Billy’s Smokehouse & Brewery, 1110 Alverser Drive, Midlothian, 804-379-8727 or extrabillys.com.

Final Gravity Brewing Co., 6118 Lakeside Ave., 804-264-4808 or oggravity.com.

Fine Creek Brewing Co., 2425 Robert E. Lee Road, Powhatan, 804-372-9786 or finecreekbrewing.com.

Isley Brewing Co., 1715 Summit Ave., 804-716-2132 or isleybrewingcompany.com.

Kindred Spirit Brewing, 12830 West Creek Parkway, Suite J, 804-708-0309 or kindredspiritbrewing.com.

Legend Brewing Co., 321 W. Seventh St., 804-232-3446 or legendbrewing.com.

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, 4100 Knolls Point Drive, Goochland; 804-314-2093 or lickingholecreek.com.

Main Line Brewery, 1603 Ownby Lane, 804-387-9670 or mainlinerva.com.

Midnight Brewery, 2410 Granite Ridge Road, Rockville, 804-719-9150 or midnightbrewery. com.

Molly’s Blind Dog Brewery, 4515 W. Hundred Road, Chester, 804-530-9022 or mollysbicycleshop.com.

Origin Beer Lab, 106 S. Railroad Ave., Ashland, 804-299-2389 or originbeerlab.com.

Richbrau Brewing Co., 5 S. 20th St., 804-621-4100 or richbraubrewing.com.

Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, 11800 W. Broad St., Suite 2098 (Short Pump Town Center), 804-237-1684 or rockbottom.com.

Starr Hill Brewery, 3406 W. Leigh St., 804-912-1794, starrhill.com/richmond.

Steam Bell Beer Works, 1717 Oak Lane Blvd., Midlothian, 804-728-1876 or steambell.beer.

Stone Brewing, 4300 Williamsburg Ave., 804-489-5902 or stonebrewing.com.

Strangeways Brewing, 2277 Dabney Road, 804-303-4336; 3110 W. Leigh St., 804-358-2049; or strangewaysbrewing.com.

Tabol Brewing, 704 Dawn St., 804-303-5528 or tabolbrewing.com.

Three Leg Run, 4418 W. Hundred Road, Chester.

Expected to open in mid-to-late 2021.

Three Notch’d Brewing Co., 2930 W. Broad St., 804-269-4857 or threenotchdbrewing.com.

Triple Crossing Beer Co., 5203 Hatcher St.; 113 S. Foushee St.; Midlothian location expected to open late 2021 or early 2022. 804-495-1955 or triplecrossing.com.

Väsen Brewing Co., 3331 Moore St., 804-588-5678 or vasenbrewing.com.

The Veil Brewing Co., 1301 Roseneath Road, 804-355-5515; 4910 Forest Hill Ave., 804-349-0120 or theveilbrewing.com.

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Lanexa, 804-966-5896 or saudecreek.com.

Skippers Creek Vineyard, 965 Rocky Ford Road, Powhatan, 804-598-7291 or skipperscreekvineyard.com.

Upper Shirley Vineyards, 600 Shirley Plantation Road, Charles City, 804-829-9463 or upper shirley.com.

CIDERIES AND MEADERIES

Black Heath Meadery, Partake in honey wine, the world’s oldest fermented beverage.

1313 Altamont Ave., 703-582-0856 or blackheathmeadery.com.

Blue Bee Cider, Urban cidery pressing rare Virginia and heirloom apples. 1320 Summit Ave., 804-231-0280 or bluebeecider.com.

Bryant’s Cider, Farm to bottle, dry and off-dry small-batch ciders. 2114 E. Main St., bryantscider. com.

Buskey Cider, Semisweet to drier ciders poured inside a former industrial train-car-loading building. 2910 W. Leigh St., 804-355-0100 or buskeycider.com.

Courthouse Creek Cider, Heirloom cider blends from locally sourced apples. 3300 W. Broad St., 804-543-3157; 1581 Maidens Road, Maidens, 804-556-0726; or courthousecreek.com.

West Creek Cider Co., Look for this forthcoming offshoot of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, featuring cider made from Virginia apples, available at the West Creek (820 Sanctuary Trail Drive) and Richmond (2408-2410 Ownby Lane) locations in 2020. hardywood.com.

DISTILLERIES

DIRECTIONAL: PHOTO CREDIT

Belle Isle Moonshine, Moonshine distilled from corn featuring intriguing flavors such as Honey Habanero and Cold Brew, as well as hard seltzers. Location not open to the public. belleislecraftspirits.com.

Cirrus Vodka, Gluten-free, triple-distilled potato vodka. Dog-friendly patio and tasting room.

1603 Ownby Lane, 804-971-8865 or cirrusvodka.com.

James River Distillery, A variety of spirits including gin, vodka, rum and Aquavit; many brewed in collaboration with local purveyors.

2700 Hardy St., 804-716-5172 or jrdistillery.com.

Hill Top Distillery, Family-owned operation offering a variety of whiskeys, moonshine and vodka. 2750 Maidens Loop, Maidens, 804-212-8645 or hilltopdistillery.com Reservoir Distillery, Small-batch, award-winning whiskey using local ingredients. 1800-A Summit Ave., 804-912-2621 or reservoirdistillery.com.

Sleepy Fox Distillery, Bourbon, whiskey, vodka and moonshine distilled in Hanover. 11670 Lakeridge Parkway, Suite 3, 804-525-0628 or sleepyfoxdistillery.com.

Three Crosses Distilling Co., Small-batch whiskey, rum, vodka and moonshine distilled in Powhatan. 3835-A Old Buckingham Road, 804-818-6330 or threecrossesdistilling.com.

Trial and Error, Grappa, gin, limoncello and a variety of rums; distillery located inside Bombolini Pasta. 1606 W. Main St., 804-213-0212 or trialanderrordistillery.com.

Virago Spirits, Rum, gin and coffee liqueur distilled in vintage stills. 1727 Rhoadmiller St., 804-355-8746 or viragospirits.com.

Any Way You Slice it

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DINING

HOME COOKS

Richmond Famous Local cookbook authors, food bloggers and YouTube chefs reach a wide audience By Stephanie Ganz Tim Bereika

Brittany Mullins

Holistic nutritionist Brittany Mullins has been sharing healthy, approachable recipes on her blog, Eating Bird Food, for more than a decade. Whether creating original recipes from scratch or revamping the American comfort classics she grew up with, Mullins keeps the focus on whole foods without labels. “I try to keep it really easy for people,” says Mullins, who develops and tests recipes in her home kitchen.

Officially launched in 2008, Eating Bird Food is a trove of wholesome recipes, from nourishing breakfasts to favorites such as the roasted sweet potato and garlic and kale salads that Mullins says were inspired by the salad bar at Whole Foods. The desserts tab is a bookmark-worthy tour of sweet treats, including tons of low-sugar, gluten-free and vegan options.

After 12 years of blogging, Mullins recognized the growing trend toward video, and says her YouTube channel is her way of connecting with a videohungry audience.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: MICHELLE CHU, COURTESY EATING BIRD FOOD; COURTESY KITCHEN & CRAFT; MICHELLE CHU, COURTESY EATING BIRD FOOD

You can take the chef out of the kitchen, but you can’t take the kitchen out of the chef. Such is the case for Tim Bereika, former chef of Secco Wine Bar and The Urban Tavern. Currently a web designer and developer by day, Bereika spends his weekends and evenings producing instructional cooking videos for his YouTube channel, Kitchen & Craft, which has over 63,000 subscribers.

“When I left cooking, the videos turned into a way for me to stay in touch with it,” says Bereika.

His videos, while sophisticated enough for professional chefs to appreciate, are ideal for budding home cooks who want to up their game.

Bereika’s smooth voice and mellow mannerisms complement the relaxed vibe of home cooking, and his videos have been viewed across the globe, with some, like a post for Italian bombolini with vanilla pastry cream, boasting over a million views. A few of Bereika’s favorite videos include pozole verde, tortellini en brodo and Italian focaccia — the same recipe Bereika developed while helming the kitchen at Secco.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY DAPHNE MAXWELL REID; COURTESY PLANT-BASED GABRIEL; EVI EBELER, COURTESY SARA MCGLOTHLIN; TIM REID, COURTESY DAPHNE MAXWELL REID

Daphne Maxwell Reid

Actress Daphne Maxwell Reid, best known for her portrayal of Aunt Vivian (the second Aunt Viv) on the series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” dreamily recalls her mother Rosalee’s fluffy Belgian waffles, a recipe found in the pages of her self-published cookbook, “Grace, Soul & Motherwit.”

A kind of mini-memoir, “Grace, Soul & Motherwit” combines recipes with photos and anecdotes from Reid’s life, ranging from her childhood in New York through her acting career and world travels. It’s the kind of cookbook that feels like a collection of family recipes, dog-eared and food-stained from years of adoring use. Reid also includes advice on outfitting a kitchen, with recommendations on essential equipment, such as her two favorites — a sharp knife and a potato masher.

“What I like to do most with food is share it,” Reid says. “It’s a process of showing people you love them.” Her recipes are full of love and humor, like King Tim’s King Crablegs, a recipe in which drinking beer is as important as cooking with it. Its lighthearted and instructional approach makes “Grace, Soul & Motherwit” a cookbook with wide appeal. “People who have never cooked before can start here,” Reid says.

Gabriel Miller

Once a starting football player at the University of Nebraska, Gabriel Miller now runs the blog and Instagram account “Plant Based Gabriel.” His transformation from gridiron-focused athlete to wellness guru came after Miller suffered a career-ending back injury that left him unable to exercise and, in turn, gaining weight. After trying a plethora of protein-rich diets, Miller eventually began exploring a vegan lifestyle, dropping over 100 pounds in two years and regaining his physical health.

Now, with over 22,000 followers on Instagram and more than 32,000 YouTube subscribers, Miller flashes his signature toothy grin for the camera while sharing vegan recipes and gardening tips from his home kitchen and urban garden.

In 2019, Miller released a cookbook, “The Plant-Based Diet for Beginners” a primer for anyone who wants to fully embrace a vegan lifestyle. “These recipes are a gateway to changing your entire life,” Miller says. Recipes such as a Sunday slow roast and lentil loaf with balsamic glaze are intended to provide nourishment and embrace whole foods in a simple, straightforward way.

Sara McGlothlin

Growing up, spending time in the kitchen with her mom was one of Richmond native Sara McGlothlin’s favorite experiences. But in her mid20s, the holistic nutritionist realized that the recipes she loved weren’t contributing to lasting health.

“I had to revamp the way I approached cooking and baking,” McGlothlin says.

McGlothlin, proprietor of Gratisfied, a local health-food company that sells their signature “Empower Bar,” continued sharing her blood-sugarbalancing recipes on her blog, and eventually she was approached by a publisher.

Released in 2019, “Gluten-Free Vegan Baking for Every Occasion” homes in on high-quality protein and healthy fat while decreasing sugar and net carbs, using substitutes including coconut sugar and monk fruit. McGlothlin’s almond-butter chocolate bars are blondie-esque treats that rely on pumpkin puree to create a craveable gooeyness while contributing plantbased nutrition.

McGlothin is currently working on a second book, one that gives her space to share more of her story and experiences working as a health coach.

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DINING BARBECUE

Road to Redemption

T

here is something about youth group, he says he felt called to the barbecue that makes minisministry. Switching to divinity school, Vest worked at churches in Chicago ters out of mere men. A slab upon graduation, eventually earning a of meat sizzling over burndoctorate in ministry. ing coals conjures imagery It was during his time in Chicago that is spiritual in nature, igniting memories of the enduring contributions of that he discovered his love for barbecue, pitmasters past. John Vest, owner of occasionally cooking up smoky feasts for Redemption BBQ, was a minister first large youth-group gatherings. Growing and a pitmaster second — both roles up, Vest enjoyed a mishmash of barbecue born from a love of fellowship. styles from around the country, loosely With a civil engineer for a father, Vest inspired by the regional flavors of Geormoved often as a kid, usually every 18 to gia, Arkansas and Texas. It wasn’t until arriving in Richmond in 2015 with his 24 months until middle school, when his family settled in Florida. In college, Vest wife and two sons for a teaching assignoriginally studied astrophysment at Union Presbyterian Seminary that Vest began to ics, hoping to seek a career John Vest, owner of in space exploration. But pursue the origin of the comRedemption BBQ through work with his church monwealth’s native barbecue

style, and his career as a pitmaster began to take root.

Now, he says he’s on a mission to redeem the local food system and the very notion of Virginia barbecue. For Vest, the commonwealth’s barbecue starts with ethically sourced ingredients, the very mission around which Redemption was built. “Farm-to-table eating shouldn’t be a niche,” Vest says. “It’s the way everything should be. The whole point of this venture, whether I succeed or fail, is I want to prove that you can have a barbecue business with locally, sustainably, humanely raised animals.”

After paying a visit to the South of the James Farmers Market, Vest says, “I started talking to the pig farmers there because I was wanting to cook barbecue, and it all started to click.”

On a Craigslist lark, the 43-year-old bought a used trailer, parking it in his backyard for a few years before deciding on his next step. In 2018, he launched Redemption BBQ, a food truck and catering business built around pit-cooked meats and ethically sourced ingredients, with pork as the star.

Vest smokes Autumn Olive Farms pork shoulder in barrels of Virginia cherry wood to flavor hardwood lump coals, and on the truck, he chops the pork to order.

Cooking in barrels, says Vest, is one way of connecting to the Virginia barbecue of yore, when whole hogs were cooked in pits dug into

JAY PAUL

After nearly two decades in ministry, Redemption BBQ owner John Vest turns to the pit By Stephanie Ganz

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DINING BARBECUE

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the earth. “I like having the fire in there,” he says. “It connects with the meat in a different way. It creates a different bark on the meat and has a different smoke profile.”

Joseph Haynes, author of “Virginia Barbecue: A History,” has been influential in Vest’s quest for the state’s original ‘cue style. “[Haynes] is kind of on this crusade to reclaim Virginia as a nationally known barbecue style, and I’m kind of into that,” Vest says.

That style is informed, in part, by the sauce, and Redemption offers three — Crossroads, Commonwealth and Unforbidden Fruit — always served on the side. Crossroads, Vest’s nod to the Southwestern region of Virginia, gets its cheek-puckering tanginess from mustard and vinegar and is best suited for mopping whole-hog barbecue. Commonwealth, on the other hand, speaks to the flavors of Virginia’s bygone barbecue, combining Vest’s own tomato ketchup with a pre-Colonial precursor to Worcestershire sauce called mushroom ketchup. Vest says he spent hours online watching people in Colonial garb make their own versions of mushroom ketchup before perfecting his recipe.

In an ode to the northeast corner of the commonwealth, Vest draws inspiration for Unforbidden Fruit, which marries his scratch-made tomato ketchup with Virginia apple butter, resulting in a thicker, sweeter sauce that’s tailor-made for Redemption’s pork barbecue, especially the baby back ribs.

The former pastor says creating authentic Virginia barbecue is as much about the meat itself as it is the cooking method and the sauce. For him, that means working with Autumn Olive Farms and sourcing pork that has been raised sustainably, with the pigs allowed to roam in the woods, just like they did in the early days of barbecue, before factory farms and commodity pork had been conceived.

“It’s definitely rare because people are so accustomed to barbecue being cheap,” explains Logan Trainum of Autumn Olive Farms, noting that “Her-

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— Logan Trainum, Autumn Olive Farms

itage pork has way more flavor ... the meat can shine.”

Vest strays only slightly from classic offerings, with a menu featuring a handful of nouveau-barbecue creations such as a Southern poutine, with pimento cheese and house-made tasso ham and andouille sausage; a gut-busting porkfat-fried hot honey chicken sandwich; and chicken wings tossed in an RVA Sweet Heat sauce, all good choices for crowds at the breweries where Redemption has gained a following. During the pandemic, however, Vest says he’s returned to the farmers market as a venue that connects him to “his people,” i.e., folks who have already bought into the idea of supporting the local food system.

For a recent transplant to Virginia, there’s something deeply personal in Vest’s pursuit for true Virginia ‘cue — rooted in a sense of place and connecting with the past. “The earliest known Vests in our lineage ... were right here in Henrico County,” Vest says. “In kind of a weird way, because I grew up without a stable hometown, coming here felt like I was coming back to my ancestral home, and I’d like to believe that some Vest at some point put a pig in the ground.”

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PARTING SHOT

A

See more photos taken around Richmond at instagram.com/richmondmag.

fter spending most of the last year locked away in quarantine, an end may be in sight. The state has accelerated its COVID-19 vaccination efforts after a slow initial rollout, with local health districts beginning to administer vaccines to essential workers, older residents, prison inmates and other high-risk groups in late January. The second round of vaccinations, Phase 1B, follows earlier drives that prioritized front-line health-care workers. As of Jan. 21, 45,074 Virginians had

received both doses of the vaccine, with the state averaging 19,567 administered doses per day.

This photo was taken at a vaccination drive on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Richmond Raceway Complex, one of the state’s largest mass vaccination sites. “We have been in a long, dark tunnel for about 10-plus months, and this vaccination is literally the light and the hope at the end of the tunnel,” Gov. Ralph Northam said at a media briefing at the Raceway in January.

“If we all continue to work together, we can get there.” —Rodrigo Arriaza

JAY PAUL

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