Cityscape // Volunteers work in unison, left, to install new playground equipment at Abner Clay Park, off Leigh Street and Brook Road in Jackson Ward. Right, Jordan Tillman was among the willing workers who participated in the effort to create a better place for children to play. City Councilwoman Kim B. Gray of the 2nd District credited an anonymous donor’s $200,000 gift with making it possible to replace old equipment. KaBoom!, a national nonprofit, joined with Communities in Schools of Richmond, the Historic Jackson Ward Association,

Cityscape // Richmond Public Schools, the city’s recreation department and community volunteers on the rebuilding project. City Hall has set aside several hundred thousand dollars to make improvements to the park, but has yet to commit any of the funds.

New city Public Utilities center // Mayor Levar M. Stoney cuts the ribbon to open a new $9.4 million center for the city Department of Public Utilities that includes modern labs and offices. Location: 1801 Commerce Road in South Side. At least 90 employees will work at the facility, including 14 technicians who monitor and test the city’s drinking water and wastewater to ensure the city is meeting federal regulations. The building also will house workers involved with stormwater and wastewater management. DPU purchased the building four years ago for $750,000. The department said the new center will improve efficiency by consolidating in one building employees who were scattered at four sites. Celebrating with the mayor are, from left, Rosemary Green, interim director of Public Utilities; Jennifer Hatchett, director of the new facility; and Robert Steidel, the city’s deputy chief administrative officer for operations.

Major accomplishment Richmond Police Maj. Sybil El-Amin Jones is pinned by her father, Bilal El-Amin, during the city police department’s promotion ceremony Nov. 16 at the training academy. Seventeen officers were promoted during the ceremony, with Maj. El-Amin attaining the highest rank. She is the second African-American female major in the department’s history.

Fall crop in the West End

Thanksgiving blessings // Families across the region received Thanksgiving blessings of food before the holiday from a variety of community programs and nonprofit organizations. At right, 3rd District Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott serves food last Saturday to families in Newport News as part of the Feeding 5,000 Thanksgiving Harvest and Community Celebration sponsored by the Southeast Community Day Planning Committee, in partnership with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and several other organizations. Below right, more than 2,000 Richmond area fa

Thanksgiving blessings // more than 2,000 Richmond area families received turkeys, boxes of stuffing and canned goods at the Thanksgiving Harvest sponsored Nov. 16 by St. Paul’s Baptist Church and two dozen area churches, sororities, professional and nonprofit organizations at the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center on the Boulevard. Left, Richmond Police Officer Charles Battle delivers a Thanksgiving basket on Monday to Percelle Smith’s family in Hillside Court.

The program is a joint effort by the city police and Citizens Against Crime, a program founded by the late Alicia Rasin, to help families who have lost a loved one to homicide. The Thanksgiving baskets went to several families of homicide victims, as well as families in need.