Ready, set, run! // Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, left, kicks off the political season in Virginia Monday with the 41st Annual Labor Day Cookout at his waterfront home in Newport News. Several hundred people eager to meet and mingle with candidates for various offices throughout the region turned out for the event that featured food, music and politics. Among the speakers were the three Democratic candidates at the top of the state ticket. They are, from left, Attorney General Mark Herring, who is seeking re-election; Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam, who is running for governor; and Justin Fairfax, who is running for lieutenant governor. Each fired up the crowd and urged people to turn out to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Cone flower in North Side //

Old school party for new school year // Antonio Daniels, 7, gets his hair cut by Zeymoria Light,

Jaliah Jackson, 4, designs her own binder pouch, at the Back-to-School Block Party held Sunday at the Richmond Association of Masonic Lodges on North 25th Street in preparation for the first day of school.

Alonzo Coley keep a watchful eye on hamburgers cooking on the grill at the event hosted by members of the 26th Masonic District and the Richmond Police Department in Church Hill.

Getting ‘kicks’ for school // When it came to choosing new shoes for school, Richmond area youngsters had a wide selection of styles and colors at the 12th Annual “New Shoes for Back to School” program Monday at Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church in Jackson Ward. Fourteen churches, a synagogue and several businesses collected more than 4,000 pairs of shoes to give to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

E’nyah Nash tries on a pair of sneakers,

Sharon Toulson of Sharon Baptist Church helps 4-year-old Joshua Ellis choose the perfect pair of shoes.

Volunteers also were on hand Monday to help youngsters make shoe selections at the program’s second location at New Deliverance Evangelistic Church Annex on Turner Road.