There’s nothing like a colorful mask and beads to get into the spirit of Mardi Gras. youngsters, from left, Kendall Lewis, 5; Qaiden Lewis, 6; Mekiyan Clanton, 11; and Khalil Abraham, 4, are ready for the festivities last Saturday at Dogtown Dance Theatre’s 10th Annual Mardi Gras RVA, which kicked off with a parade.

Mardi Gras Parade King LaMarr Jones leads the way for the Dogtown Dance Theatre’ s 10th Annual Mardi Gras RVA parade last Saturday along Bainbridge Street in South Side. People wearing colorful costumes and Mardi Gras beads fell in behind him. The dancing, singing and entertainment went on for 10 blocks, followed by a variety of dance performances inside Dogtown Dance Theatre, ranging from belly dancing to Latin and salsa, hip-hop, African and modern dance. The event attracted people of all ages who enjoyed New Orleans-style food, beverages, face painting, balloon art and other activities.

On a clear or cloudy day, several Richmond schools are generating energy to help power their facility. Here, solar panels on the roof of Lucille M. Brown Middle School on Jahnke Road in South Side are the latest effort by Richmond Public Schools to “Go Green” and cut energy costs. Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras, Gov. Ralph S. Northam and other officials held a news conference last Friday at the school to announce that the last of 10 city schools now have solar panels. The panels will produce enough electricity to cover about 24 percent of the schools’ electrical needs. The $2.9 million project, which also includes an energy monitoring system, was completed during the summer and was paid for by a grant from RVA Solar Fund, part of the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, and were developed by Secure Futures Solar, a clean energy company. The panels will save RPS approximately $2 million in utility costs over the next 20 years, or about $100,000 annually, officials said. Officials said it is the largest solar energy system at a K-12 school division in Virginia to date. The other city schools with solar panels are Huguenot High School, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School and Oak Grove, Miles J. Jones, Linwood Holton, Blackwell, Fisher, Broad Rock and G.H. Reid elementary schools.

Rosebush in West End

Members of Providence Park Baptist Church’s Seniors Ministry show off their dresses made from West African cloth. The dresses, which feature the ministry’s colors of lime, green and purple, represent a tribute to the members’ African heritage and symbolize their efforts to promote African-American history and culture during February and throughout the year. Joining them last Sunday is Dr. Jerome C. Ross, right, pastor of the church on East Ladies Mile Road in North Side.