Cityscape //These scenes show examples of the impact of the June 16 storm that hammered Richmond and Henrico County and knocked out power to nearly 120,000 homes and businesses in the two localities. Left, Laurie Petersen photographs a tree split during the raging winds at Monument and Roseneath avenues in the West End. Right, Brad Spangler takes a closer look at a car crushed under trees felled by the storm that packed 70 mph winds and dropped 1.6 inches of rain. Location: Seminary and Claremont avenues in North Side. Richmond area damage estimates ranged from $2 million to $5 million, including $770,000 in damage to 10 Richmond school buildings. Officials said all but $100,000 of the schools damage would be covered by insurance. Dominion brought in hundreds of workers, who helped restore power by late Monday. Fifty crews from the City of Richmond, meanwhile, cleared fallen trees blocking 156 streets and removed 700 tons of tree debris through Tuesday. As of Tuesday night, Byrd Park, Battery Park Pool and Bryan Park had yet to reopen. The city and Henrico County are offering to haul away tree limbs from residents’ property. In the city, residents can place limbs and brush near the curb or alley for pickup. County residents must register for service at (804) 501-4275 or online at www.henrico.us/services/storm-debris-pickup. The county’s deadline to sign up is Friday, June 24.
Barbershop talk
Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham tries a new outreach tactic — meeting people informally in a barbershop to hear their concerns. Minus his familiar uniform, he held the session last Saturday at the Celebrity Barber Lounge, 406 N. 1st St. in Jackson Ward. About 20 people turned out. Behind him, owner John R. Dean, who gave the chief the idea, puts the finishing touches on a customer’s cut.
Magnolia blossom in North Side
Mandela Fellows at VCU //
Fifty emerging leaders in the fields of public management, business and entrepreneurship from various African nations pose with Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao and several staff members following an event Monday welcoming them to the Richmond campus. Participants in the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders will hear from scholars and elected officials and visit local businesses while in residence at VCU through July 31. The group also is scheduled to attend a reception hosted by Gov. Terry McAuliffe and First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe at the Executive Mansion and the annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello. The VCU fellows are part of a larger coalition of 1,000 young leaders being hosted across the nation this summer through the Young African Leaders Initiative and President Obama’s effort to invest in the next generation of global leaders.
Big fun on the big slide on Byrd // Byrd Street in Downtown was turned into a giant water slide Saturday with Slide the City, a 1,000 feet of fun that drew long lines of bathing suit-clad people ready to enjoy the summer.
Big fun on the big slide on Byrd // The weather was right for the event produced by Sack Lunch Productions. Employing the theme “the ultimate block party,” the event also featured food, music and street entertainers. A portion of the proceeds are going to Special Olympics Virginia.
In the spirit of the ancestors // Lifting up the spirit of those who have come before, right, Janine Bell, executive director of the Elegba Folklore Society, opens the annual Juneteenth celebration last weekend marking African-American liberation from slavery.
In the spirit of the ancestors // Richmond’s event featured speakers, a youth summit, music and dance. It culminated with a 2-mile, torch-lit walk along the Slave Trail between the Manchester Docks off Maury Street, where slave ships on the James River loaded and unloaded human cargo, and the site of Lumpkin’s Jail, a once notorious slave jail and auction site near Broad and 16th streets in Downtown.