Cityscape Slices of life and scenes in Richmond // A multiple exposure photograph creates this view of “Thin Blue Line,” Michael Stutz’s striking sculpture on the east wall of the Richmond Police Department’s headquarters, 200 W. Grace St. The sculpture is worthy of extra attention this week, which has been designated National Police Week honoring the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The designation was begun in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy.

Richmond Police Capt. Marty Harrison and his wife, Sharon, attend the Officer Appreciation Day Service at Fourth Baptist Church in the East End, where Chief Alfred Durham gave remarks last Sunday. The service honored Richmond officers who have been killed in the line of duty and celebrated those currently serving.

Dominion’s new office tower for Downtown // This rendering offers a view, left, of a new, 20-story office tower Dominion Resources is moving to develop at 6th and Cary streets. It will replace the vacant, six-story Richmond Plaza building that will be torn down. At right is a view of a potential companion building Dominion might build to replace the One James River Plaza building at 701 E. Cary St. This is the view north and west from Kanawha Plaza at 9th and Canal streets. Dominion is promising inclusion of African-American, minority and women-owned contracting businesses in the construction. Based on current building costs, Dominion is expected to invest between $100 million and $150 million in the new building. Completion is expected in 2019, when Dominion would either renovate or replace One James River Plaza. The project is being undertaken to improve Dominion’s space Downtown and to provide room for projected employment growth during the next 10 to 15 years.

Special delivery // Cameras flash as Sgt. Robot, left, built by students at Richmond’s Franklin Military Academy, delivers House Bill 831 to a delighted and impressed Gov. Terry McAuliffe, above, at a signing ceremony Monday at the high school in Church Hill. Gov. McAuliffe praised the public military school’s students for the technology demonstration before signing into law legislation elevating computer science to equal status with English, math, science and history in the state’s Standards of Learning. Joining in applauding the students is state Secretary of Education Anne B. Holton, left. Last week, the governor signed a separate bill that puts vocational, career and technical education on par with academics as part of an overhaul of high school learning beginning in 2018.

Petunias in Downtown

Sprucing up Evergreen // These photos show the impact of the May 7 effort to clean up historic Evergreen Cemetery and three other adjacent African-American cemeteries located on the border between Richmond and Henrico County.

Sprucing up Evergreen // The photo at left shows one plot before volunteers went to work, while the photo at right shows how it looks now. Martin Harris led members of the Maggie Walker High School Class of 1967 and other participants in the cleanup effort. Among the volunteers was John Shuck, who, with his wife, Debbie, has spent the past seven years voluntarily working to restore the burial grounds. Maggie Walker alumni have taken on the project because Mrs. Walker, the famed banker and businesswoman, is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

Rallying to save Belmead// An intent crowd listens as volunteer Rodney Jackson rallies support last Saturday to keep the Pennsylvania-based Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament from selling their 2,265-acre Belmead property in Powhatan County. The SBS once operated two Catholic boarding schools for African-American students on the site. Mr. Jackson stands in front of the Belmead mansion, the former home of St. Emma Military Academy for Boys. The other school was St. Francis de Sales School for Girls. About 200 people attended the rally, but the prospects are regarded as slim that the SBS leadership will change course. Already, the SBS essentially has dissolved the nonprofit FrancisEmma Inc. that managed the property for the Catholic order of nuns for the past 12 years.