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The long slog to place a regional landfill in the footprint of a historic Black community of Cumberland County has pitted environmental justice against what elected officials in the county once dubbed “economic justice.”
The Green Ridge Recycling and Disposal Facility faces staunch resistance six years after the Cumberland Board of Supervisors — against the recommendation of the county Planning Commission — gave its blessing to the project.
A member of Cumberland County Landfill Alert stands alongside a county road to protest the planned Green Ridge Recycling and Disposal Facility.
COURTESY OF BETTY MYERS
It began as a Godzilla of a project: a 1,200-acre landfill whose service area would span a 500-mile radius and 21 states. Plans included the rerouting of narrow Pinegrove Road to bypass Pine Grove Elementary School, built in 1917 as part of the network of Tuskegee-Rosenwald schools established in the South to educate black children during segregation.
Frustrating residents has been a lack of transparency by county leaders seemingly unwilling to examine the project critically. In July 2020, four of five supervisors — amid opposition from neighboring counties — voiced the need for this landfill in their rural, economically bereft county.
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“The prospects for working adults in this county are zero. We rely solely on property taxes in order to finance our county. We do not have the funds to support the services that are needed. We are seeking out businesses and industry to offset the economic burden on our citizens.”
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The statement — made as protesters nationwide were marching for social justice — said other localities were attempting to deny Cumberland citizens “economic opportunity and economic justice.”
Green Ridge, which held a meeting Monday at Cumberland High School, has scaled down its project from its 2018 origins, according to spokesman Jay Smith.
The maximum number of waste tons per day has been reduced from 5,000 to 1,500, moved by no more than 75 trucks per day. The landfill’s height would peak at 100 feet instead of 330. The rerouting of Pinegrove Road has been abandoned and the landfill will not cross onto the side of the road where the historic school sits. And it will only accept waste from Virginia, Smith said, adding that these changes will be incorporated into the project’s conditional use permit.
To which landfill opponents say, trust and verify.
“Nothing is in writing” said Muriel Miller Branch, president of the AMMD Pine Grove Project, which led the effort to preserve the school she attended and her grandfather, John William Miller, helped build. Her organization was the force behind the school being placed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 and 2020.
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“All of those concessions were made because of regulatory constraints on them — not because they were being benevolent; not because we had asked,” she said, adding: “I haven’t really seen anything other than what is required of them by law or regulation that they’ve done.”
A Green Ridge study disputes allegations that the project disproportionately affects Black and low-income people. But whatever conclusions it has reached regarding demographics, this part of Cumberland contains a deep vein of African American history, culture and faith, with Black churches dating as far back as the 1860s and two other schools established as part of the collaboration between Sears and Roebuck philanthropist Julian Rosenwald and Tuskegee Institute founder Booker T. Washington.
In the meantime, Green Ridge Recycling and Disposal Facility says its project will generate millions of dollars of revenue for the county. And it is administering a down payment in the form of largesse as “part of our effort to be a good community citizen,” Smith said.
Architect Jody Lahendro, with construction supervisor Joseph Parrish, is overseeing the stabilization of Pine Grove School, a Tuskegee-Rosenwald School completed in 1917.
MURIEL MILLER BRANCH
In 2020, it created a $60,000 scholarship fund to assist minority students, low-income students and first-generation college students. A year earlier, it provided more than $42,000 for new band uniforms at Cumberland High School and paid $400,000 to the county to close a budget shortfall. And in 2021, it donated $250,000 to the county to develop three new parks.
Branch, among others, questions the ultimate cost of the landfill.
“They’re trying to say that they’re good neighbors,” she said. “What people don’t understand is they’re not benevolent. This is just to placate people. And say, ‘Oh, we can kill you with our toxic waste, but look what we’ve done for you.’”
She fears the landfill will smell and render community tours around the Pine Grove unsafe because of truck traffic.
Muriel Miller Branch prepares to speak last week during a meeting about the Green Ridge landfill project at Cumberland High School.
SONJA BRANCH-WILSON
“The health harms would just be immeasurable,” she said. “You’re dealing with an aging population with preexisting conditions. And those conditions would only be exacerbated by the dust, the rodents and the birds that are going to flock there.” And then there’s the fear of water contamination, or methane fires in a county with volunteer firefighters. “So there are just a million reasons we don’t want the landfill here.”
This saga, sadly, is not unique. Whether it’s building an interstate highway through Richmond, a natural gas pipeline in Buckingham or a landfill in Cumberland, government or business seeks the perceived path of least resistance to ram through an indisputably undesirable piece of infrastructure. In Buckingham and in Cumberland, selective gifts and promises were made to divide and conquer a constituency.
Meanwhile, Cumberland County Landfill Alert says the landfill is not a done deal. And the nonprofit has hired an attorney and geologist to prevent it from ever being realized.
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“There’s no guarantee that our well waters won’t be contaminated,” said Betty Myers, chairperson of CCLA, adding that most people in the county rely on private wells. And though Green Ridge’s Smith says Virginia landfills are approaching capacity, Myers disputes the need. “There’s sufficient landfills in Virginia to last over 20 years,” she said.
And though Green Ridge’s Smith says Virginia landfills are approaching capacity, Myers disputes the need. “There’s sufficient landfills in Virginia to last over 20 years,” she said.
Her organization is also leery of Green Ridge’s use of “initial” in its findings, and suspects it’s cover for the organization’s plans to ultimately dig a larger landfill. Smith says Green Ridge would have to reapply with the Department of Environmental Quality to do so, and any expansion would be hamstrung by its pledge not to cross Pinegrove Road.
The school is in the midst of a National Park Service-funded stabilization project under the direction of volunteer Jody Lahendro, a retired historic architect from Charlottesville.
He obtained a $290,000 National Park Service African American Civil Rights Grant for the stabilization phase of the project to repair the deteriorated building’s structural problems, repair its windows and replace its roof, which deviated from typical Rosenwald schools in using slate quarried from neighboring Buckingham.
The next construction phase would adapt the school to its next use. Branch envisions the one room of the two-room schoolhouse as “a living museum,” reflecting the life of a student there. The other room would be a gathering space for community meetings and art exhibits.
In July, the National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded $50,000 to Pine Grove School “to support research efforts to record oral histories and document the archival and ethnographic landscape of the historic Pine Grove community.”
All of this suggests that Cumberland, however lacking in financial resources, has untapped historical riches that would serve the country greater in the long run than becoming a repository for the rest of Virginia’s trash.
At a time when history is being censored or erased in the classroom, historic schoolhouses need extra protection. They deserve the loving care that Pine Grove is receiving — not a dump for a neighbor.
CORRECTION: In earlier print and online versions of this column, Muriel Miller Branch, president of the AMMD Pine Grove Project, was misidentified.
From the Archives: Photos of the Richmond region in the 1980s
In March 1987, manager Cissy Travers (right) and assistant John Gurski organized the shelves at Video World, a video rental store on Robious Road in Chesterfield County. At the time, some of the leading rental titles were big movies from 1986, including “Top Gun,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Stand By Me” and “Aliens.”
In October 1988, Eddie Van Halen of the rock band Van Halen performed a 15-minute guitar solo to a concert audience of almost 10,000 at the Richmond Coliseum.
In September 1985, the James Center Development Co. demolished this vacant building between East Canal Street and the Downtown Expressway to make way for the development of the James Center. The structure formerly housed the freight office and some accountants from the Chessie System railroad company.
In November 1982, a crowd filled Regency Square mall for the first day of Sunday store openings in Henrico County. Before the Sunday closing law, or so-called blue law, was formally repealed by the Board of Supervisors, Henrico residents – who in a referendum that month voted in favor of repeal – had to travel to surrounding localities to shop on a Sunday.
In March 1989, Melvin Major of the Fin & Feather Pet Center pulled Slick – a 7-foot, 8-inch boa constrictor owned by Joseph Dodson III – from the under Dodson’s car in Henrico County. Slick had gotten so entangled in the vehicle that a wheel and spring had to be removed to retrieve him – and a flare was used to encourage him to move in the right direction.
In June 1984, engineer Charlie Dean inspected the new Big Bad Wolf roller coaster at Busch Gardens near Williamsburg. Park officials had determined that the ride was slightly faster than the maximum comfortable speed of 48 mph, so engineers installed an additional breaking system ahead of the ride’s debut.
In October 1982, a $30,000 DeLorean sports car was positioned outside a store in Short Pump after a test drive. The DeLorean became an icon of the 1980s for both its short, drama-filled history and for being immortalized in the “Back to the Future” film franchise starting in 1985.
In July 1985, actors George Takei, who played Sulu on the original “Star Trek” television series, visited two Richmond-area Theater Video stores to sign autographs and meet with fans. Partially visible at right was cast mate Walter Koenig, who played Chekov. Takei noted that “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry “had a special sensitivity for casting people who shared his own vision of the future.”
In December 1984, Alyson Rappaport showed off the gift she received for her Cabbage Patch doll: a full-length mink coat. The coat cost around $100 and was made by a Philadelphia furrier as Alyson’s seventh birthday gift from her parents. Cabbage Patch dolls were one of the consumer crazes of the 1980s.
In February 1982, Atari video game enthusiasts gathered at the Best Products on Quioccasin Road in Henrico County for an “Asteroids” competition. The contestant with the highest score won a television set, an Atari console and five game cartridges. The Atari 2600 was a mainstay of early 1980s home entertainment.
In March 1986, Cricket Satterfield showed off his entry in Richmond’s third annual Chili Cook-Off. Held downtown in Festival Park between the 6th Street Marketplace and the Coliseum, the event generated about $7,600 for the Richmond Police Memorial Foundation. Last year’s event, held at the Richmond Raceway Complex, marked the 30th anniversary.
In March 1988, Kings Dominion introduced the Avalanche. The new ride resembled a bobsled run – and even got a thumbs-up from members of that year’s Jamaican Olympic bobsled team, who visited the park to help introduce the ride. The Avalanche, which lasts 90 seconds and reaches a speed of 41 mph, is still operating today.
In April 1982, preparations for construction of the Richmond Convention Center were underway along East Broad Street downtown. Among businesses that were torn down to accommodate the new facility were Swatty’s Men’s Shop and the Greyhound bus station.
In April 1986, under dark skies, a freight train made a southbound crossing of the James River on the Seaboard System Railroad bridge downriver from the Powhite Parkway.
In February 1981, Benny Parsons spun his No. 15 car into the rail as Richard Petty went by in the Richmond 400 NASCAR race at the State Fairgrounds. Parsons finished fifth and Petty finished third behind Darrell Waltrip, who won the race for the second time in a row. Waltrip earned about $19,000 for the victory.
In April 1987, Juanita Wade walked down the flooded Main Street in Columbia, a James River town in Fluvanna County near Fork Union. A little farther upriver in Bremo Bluff, the James River crested at more than 33 feet following spring rains. In Richmond, it reached about 15 feet above flood stage.
In January 1989, rock ’n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry played a sold-out show at the Mosque (now Altria Theater) in Richmond. Among those in attendance was Gov. Gerald L. Baliles, to whom Berry dedicated “Rock and Roll Music.” Tickets to the show cost $19.50.
This October 1988 image shows the Annabel Lee, a reproduction paddle-wheeler that offered dinner cruises and entertainment on the James River from 1988 through 2003. The boat had seating for more than 200 passengers, plus two full-service bars and two dance floors. After attendance declined, the owners moved the vessel to the Washington, D.C., area at the beginning of 2004.
In October 1980, Blevins Gibbs (front), Henry McClellan and Larry Daylight, all Native Americans from Oklahoma, visited the Kings Dominion theme park in Doswell as part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World. The show, based out of California, traveled the world and featured as many as 80 performers, though only 11 were at the local stop. Its focus was on entertainment, but it also aimed for authenticity and education.
8/9/2015: This September 1987 image shows an illuminated Broad Street in Richmond from the City Hall observation deck during a series of torrential rains around Labor Day. The James River rose to 15½ feet above flood stage and filled 24 square blocks of the city with 6 feet of muddy water. More than 50 streets were closed downtown.
8/1On July 4, 1988, Festival Park in downtown Richmond hosted a country music concert featuring Exile and Juice Newton, among others. The free event closed with a laser show in which patriotic images were projected onto a screen suspended over the audience.
In August 1980, Rudolph Cunningham placed a chicken into the rotisserie oven at Stonewall Market on Grove Avenue in Richmond. The market was opened in 1946 by Stanley and Marilyn Linas. Decades later, in an era of supermarkets, Stonewall Market still maintained a strong base of customers who had groceries delivered to their kitchens. Mrs. Linas even admitted that she had not met many of her customers in person, as much of their business was done over the phone.
8/2This August 1984 image shows part of death row, including haunting artwork, at the Mecklenburg Correctional Center. In May, six death row inmates, including the Briley Brothers, escaped after studying the behavior of guards, overpowering them, stealing their uniforms and feigning a bomb threat in order to get out of the unit. All were recaptured and later executed.
In March 1984, country and bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs performed for a crowd of more than 3,000 at the Mosque in Richmond; his set list included seven No. 1 singles from the previous two years. Skaggs is an accomplished mandolin player and also plays guitar and fiddle. His career included work with the Country Gentlemen, a bluegrass group from Northern Virginia.
In May 1987, a canoeist navigated through the James River rapids near downtown Richmond during the Wild Water Race, which was part of Big River Weekend. The event celebrated the outdoors and river-related activities in Richmond.
In November 1988, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars members were among participants at a Veterans Day ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.
In September 1982, a section of the former Pinnell’s boat and bicycle shop on lay in ruins after demolition the day before. The store was razed to make way for a 3-story medical office building – the new $24 million structure was built between Grace and West Broad streets, close to Richmond Metropolitan Hospital. Today the building serves as a Virginia Commonwealth University dormitory.
In September 1984, the Empire Theatre on Broad Street in downtown Richmond reopened with a gala and performance from the Richmond Symphony. Opened in 1911, the Empire closed and reopened many times since its founding. It is now known as the Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre and is home to the Virginia Rep.
In December 1982, a celebration of the seven-day Kwanzaa holiday began at Richmond’s Hippodrome Theater with a reading of the Nguzo Saba, the seven core principles, by Jamil Mulazim. Douglas Webber (left) and Umar Kenyatta lit symbolic candles. Kwanzaa, derived from the Swahili term for “first fruits,” was developed as an African-American celebration in the 1960s.
In March 1985, the Diamond was in the late stages of construction. The 12,500-seat baseball stadium on the Boulevard in Richmond was set to open a month later for the new season. Compared with Parker Field, the Diamond offered more seating, concessions, restrooms and boxes where guests could host parties while watching the game.
Membership in The Woman’s Club has grown from about 200 in 1900 (when noted activist Mary Munford was president) to almost 1,500 today. Through its educational programs, its impressive list of speakers has ranged from Amelia Earhart to U.S. presidents. Its college scholarship fund for young women has supported more than 500 students – and as part of TWC’s 125th anniversary celebration in 2019, it boosted its scholarship commitment to $100,000.
In September 1985, NASCAR driver Kyle Petty inspected his wrecked Ford Thunderbird after a practice run at the Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in Henrico County during the Wrangler 400 competition. Petty’s car hit Dale Earnhardt’s, with Petty getting the worst of it.
On Valentine’s Day 1989, a 50-foot-wide heart hung from the columns of the state Capitol’s south portico in Richmond. The oversized valentine was created to mark the 20th anniversary of the “Virginia is for Lovers” advertising campaign.
In August 1989, Coppola’s Deli owner Joe Coppola (right) and manager Bill Gerloff carefully assemble a 40-foot Italian hero in the Carytown eatery. The giant sub required three cases of tomatoes, 50 pounds of cold cuts and 15 pounds of provolone cheese. The sandwich was made for the Carytown Watermelon Festival, where patrons could buy 5 inches for $5.
In October 1982, Tim Smith checked the progress of a bunch of bananas in Highland Springs. His father, George, began cultivating the banana grove 10 years earlier after a friend gave him a plant as a gift. The plant grew and multiplied into 89 banana trees, ranging from 6-inch shoots to 18-foot trees. (George Smith said he didn’t eat the fruit – he grew them because he said they were beautiful plants.)
In April 1985, Blanche Whitaker operated the elevator one last time at Central Fidelity Bank in downtown Richmond. Whitaker was retiring after more than three decades and was believed to be the last manual elevator operator in the city. With her departure, the bank planned to convert the elevator to automatic control.
In January 1980, the Richmond Bicentennial Commission erected this billboard along Interstate 95 downtown to celebrate the city’s 200th year as Virginia’s capital, which previously was Williamsburg.
In spring 1981, the Express Lane drive-thru convenience store opened in Louisa County. Patrons could stay in the cars to assess their choices, then place orders with a “runner” who would retrieve items. The store was patterned after the drive-thru beverage locations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
In April 1985, Cammie Joyce, a daughter of Dr. William H. Parker for whom the former Parker Field was named, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the new Diamond on opening night for the Richmond Braves. The new baseball stadium on the Boulevard replaced Parker Field.
In October 1982, Hull Street Station in South Richmond was vacant and boarded-up – the last regular passenger train to Danville had left 25 years earlier. The Southern Railway donated the station to the Old Dominion chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, which planned to convert the space into a museum and library. Today it houses the Richmond Railroad Museum.
In June 1986, Historic Richmond Foundation leader John G. Zehmer Jr. (center left) reviewed roof plans with architect Kenneth MacIlroy at Monumental Church on East Broad Street in Richmond. The historic church, built as a memorial to those killed in the 1811 Richmond Theatre fire, was getting a new copper roof as a step toward preserving the building.
In July 1988, Soap Box Derby contestants made last-minute preparations before the race in Richmond. The derby, sponsored by the Richmond Jaycees, was held on Byrd Street between Fourth and Ninth streets.
In July 1980, Matthew J. Robinson Jr., president of Imperial Broom Co., stood in his shop off Jennings Road in Henrico County. He was the fourth generation to run the family operation, which started making brooms in 1900.
In May 1989, a transformer exploded under the sidewalk on the Fourth Street side of the Richmond Newspapers Inc. building downtown. The ensuing fireball charred two cars parked on the street and sent flames up the side of the building. No one was hurt in the nighttime explosion, and delivery of the next morning’s RTD (which was printed in the building) was only slightly delayed.
In June 1986, “Mr. Newspaper” greeted a young girl and her mother at a Richmond-area mall. The RTD mascot often traveled around town promoting the newspaper.
In March 1987, in preparation for new carpeting, the Dumbarton branch library in Henrico County had to remove about 80,000 books from shelves. About 50 people handled the first phase overnight – but restocking the shelves awaited.
In August 1981, children enjoyed outdoor recreation at Camp Happyland in the Richardsville area of Culpeper County, not far from Fredericksburg. The Salvation Army started the camp in the late 1950s to improve children’s health through exercise and proper nutrition.
In October 1985, the Richmond band the Snake-Handlers were booked for a Halloween performance at Rockitz , located Laurel and West Broad streets. The band posed in their “monster room,” which was covered in monster movie memorabilia dating back to the 1960s. Band members were John Cecka (front), Jim Thomson (left), Jeanne Freeman (center), Ron Curry (kneeling) and Tim Harriss (right).
In October 1981, Jerome Hamlin posed with his robots during a visit to the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond. Hamlin, whose company was based in Connecticut, designed several humanoid robots for an exhibit called “The Computer Works.” One of them(back right) was ComRo (Computer Robot) I, a domestic robot that would be offered through the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog that year. The price: about $15,000.
In March 1988, a voting booth at City Hall in Richmond was set up for the presidential primaries. Voters flipped selectors to mark their choices; Democrat Jesse Jackson and Republican George H.W. Bush won the Virginia primaries.
In April 1986, Virginia Commonwealth University students Karen Sensenig and Phil Conein put together a student gallery in the Commons building in Richmond. The first show featured the works of seniors, and students could get guidance from faculty advisers about selecting, displaying and pricing their work.
In October 1980, a monument was unveiled at Dock and 20th streets in Richmond to commemorate Libby Prison, a Confederate prison for Union soldiers during the Civil War. Unveiling the plaque were (from left) Joseph B. Mitchell of the Sons of Confederate Veterans; Luther Libby, great-grandson of the ship handler who once owned the building; and Chester S. Shriver of the Sons of Union Veterans.
This November 1985 image shows the Lukhard’s market on Libbie Avenue in Richmond. Rawley Lukhard, chairman of the grocery retailer, had just announced plans for an expansion. Today, the building houses Libbie Market.
In December 1988, a candlelight walk on Church Hill in Richmond was a highlight of the neighborhood’s annual weekend Christmas Festival. Other seasonal events around the city included a holiday musical at the Byrd Theatre and “Nutcracker” performances by the Richmond Ballet.
In September 1987, employees of Crazy Zanies in Carytown were ready to deliver messages and singing telegrams around Richmond. Most employees had day jobs, were students or were stay-at-home parents who enjoyed dressing up and doing a little comedy on the side. The cast of characters changed with the seasons and expanded upon demand.
In December 1984, visitors lined up to tour the house at 2005 W. Grace St. in Richmond’s Fan District. That year, residents of the Church Hill and Fan neighborhoods opened their doors for Christmas house tours. Each tour had a theme – in the Fan, it was “The Elegance of Christmas.” Almost 200 volunteers assisted with tours, and 75 hosts shared their homes. On Grace Street, three newly renovated homes were featured, which contributed to long lines.
In December 1985, special effects engineer Dick Johnson sprayed fake snow around St. John’s Episcopal Church on Church Hill in Richmond, which was serving as a set for the CBS miniseries “Dream West.” The “snow” was a combination of soap, water and air. The miniseries focused on 19th-century American adventurer John Charles Fremont, who was portrayed by Richard Chamberlain.
In June 1984, actress Mary Tyler Moore took a break between scenes outside Bamboo Café in Richmond’s Fan District. Moore was filming the romantic comedy “Finnegan Begin Again,” which co-starred Robert Preston and Sam Waterston. Scenes were shot all over Richmond, including at the Richmond Times-Dispatch headquarters downtown.
In March 1984, bear trainer Venko Lilov played with Marfa backstage at the Coliseum when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus came to Richmond. Lilov, a former wrestler from Bulgaria, had joined the circus as a gymnast and married a woman who came from a circus family. He switched his focus after they bought two 3-month-old bears and raised them.
In June 1986, one of two surviving antique terra cotta bull’s heads was prepared for mounting by Ron Kingery at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market in Richmond. The heads originally were part of a set of 42 that adorned the public market at Sixth and Marshall streets. Many were sold off in 1964, but two were rediscovered in city storage. Restoration was led by Virginia Commonwealth University art conservationist Laurence Pace.
In April 1989, fans of “Gone with the Wind” celebrated the film’s 50th anniversary year at a gala at the Carpenter Center in downtown Richmond. The film made its Richmond premiere there in 1940 when the facility was Loew’s Theatre. The gala began with a fife and drum performance by men dressed in Civil War uniforms, and some women dressed as Southern belles in hoop skirts and lace.
In January 1984, members of the Richmond band Suzy Saxon and the Anglos had their hair shampooed at a local beauty parlor for a scene in the video for their single “Boys in Dresses.” The video was featured in an episode of MTV’s “Basement Tapes,” which highlighted up-and-coming bands. To save money, the band filmed the video in 24 hours – and even sold chocolate bars to raise funds. Saxon made her singing debut at Richmond’s Open High School when she was still known as Suzy Peeples.
This December 1982 photo shows the Toys R Us store on Quioccasin Road in Henrico County. During that holiday season, games and stuffed animals tied to “E.T.” – the character from the summertime movie blockbuster – were popular in local stores, as were Smurf and Pac-Man items.
In April 1986, a “monkey cowboy” rode a dog during a lighter moment at the Lite Beer World’s Toughest Rodeo, held at the Richmond Coliseum. During the show, 60 cowboys and cowgirls – more than a dozen were Richmonders – participated in competitions sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
This July 1980 image shows Dirt Shirt, a store on West Cary Street in Richmond that offered custom screen-printed T-shirts. At the time, Dirt Shirt had two outlets in Richmond, one in Hopewell and one in Gordonsville.
In March 1986, director Wayne Westbrook filmed a scene at the Bill “Bojangles” Robinson statue in Jackson Ward as part of a documentary about Richmond. The film was Continental Cablevision’s entry in a national contest among a dozen North American cable systems.
In December 1982, Pat Benatar returned to Richmond and performed for 9,000 fans at the Coliseum. After developing her vocal talents in Richmond for several years in her early 20s, Benatar moved to New York in 1975 to pursue a career that turned into worldwide rock stardom.
This January 1980 image shows the interior of Best Products Co.’s headquarters at Interstate 95 and Parham Road in Henrico County. The building’s interior, which housed about 350 executives, reflected the tastes of Best founders Sydney and Frances Lewis, who were avid art collectors. Several Andy Warhol silkscreen prints of Marilyn Monroe hung above the lobby.
In April 1980, cyclists delivered to Mayor Henry L. Marsh III a copy of the proclamation – drafted 200 years earlier by Gov. Thomas Jefferson – that named Richmond as Virginia’s capital, succeeding Williamsburg. The Virginia Bicycling Federation was marking the centennial of its national organization that year, and member groups – including the Capital Community Cyclists of Richmond – were delivering copies of the proclamation to county seats throughout Virginia.
In September 1982, Sondra Jones, Miss Virginia-USA, helped Phil Reynolds unveiled the name of the trackless trolley – Belle of Richmond – that was set to begin a five-month trial run in downtown Richmond. Reynolds came up with the winning entry in a naming contest. The Belle was replaced by a regular bus the following year.
In February 1980, a customer in protective goggles got a head start on summer at an indoor tanning booth at a salon in Henrico County. Tanning salons hit the U.S. market in the late 1970s, but today, dermatologists and researchers express significant concern about indoor tanning.
In June 1988, barbers were busy at Belcher’s Barber Shop in the Mutual Building at Ninth and Main streets in downtown Richmond. The shop, which Dalton William Belcher opened in 1967, is still in business today.
In July 1981, Robby Van Pelt, a 13-year-old from Henrico County, stood proudly in front of his three-level, eight-room playhouse. Robby built the structure himself after spending months collecting scrap wood and metal. The playhouse had a master bedroom, porch and wall-to-wall carpeting. Electricity for lighting and to power a radio was siphoned from his parents’ house.
In October 1984, workers installed the Best Products sign at the company’s headquarters on Parham Road in Henrico County. The catalog showroom retailer was founded by Sydney and Francis Lewis in Richmond in the late 1950s; it went out of business in 1997.
In September 1982, Mayor Roy A. West cut into a cake celebrating the 200th anniversary of Richmond’s incorporation as a town. The ceremony was held at the Miller & Rhoads department store downtown. Lillian Bagby of the store bakery and store President Robert Rieland joined West. The cake was decorated to represent different city landmarks, including City Hall, the 17th Street Farmers Market and Shockoe Slip.
In March 1984, Delores Green (left) and Roxie Kricorian waited for calls on the Homework Hot Line, which had just begun offering afterschool help to Richmond students. From the 11th floor of City Hall, two four-teacher teams fielded calls from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.
In August 1989, the James River Park System’s Ralph R. White knelt on a log above the river. In 1980, White became the park’s first naturalist – at a time when visitors frequently cut their feet on broken glass, drownings weren’t uncommon and litter was everywhere. Within a decade, White had directed significant improvements in safety, cleanliness and visitation.
This September 1987 image shows the White Tower restaurant at Brook Road and Azalea Avenue in Richmond shortly before it closed. The hamburger chain opened in the 1920s in Milwaukee and reached its peak in the 1950s, with more than 200 locations nationwide. White Tower declined as rivals such as McDonald’s grew; Richmond was one of the chain’s last strongholds.
In January 1987, Lauralas Blue Hyacinth, a grand champion Blue Persian from Pennsylvania, was in Richmond for the 15th annual Old Dominion Cat Show in Richmond. She wore a bib when she ate to protect her finely brushed fur.
In December 1985, pop artist Andy Warhol (right) dined with his business manager, Fred Hughes, in Richmond. Warhol was in town for the dedication of the West Wing of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which was built to house 19th- and 20th-century painting, sculpture and decorative arts from the Mellon and Lewis family collections.
In April 1986, a helicopter removed the letters “CFB” from the Central Fidelity Bank building at Third and Broad streets in downtown Richmond. The letters had been placed atop the skyscraper in 1977. Each letter weighed about 2,500 pounds, and the removal project took just under two hours.
In July 1980, Gene Ladin (left) and Alfred I. Mollen stood in front of a giant working radio they designed. At 14 feet tall and 28 feet wide, it picked up all local stations and even had a cassette slot. The radio was part of the storefront at Mollen’s Auto Audio on Westmoreland Avenue in Richmond. Mollen was the store owner, and Ladin was vice president.
In December 1985, makeup artist Michele Burke worked on actor Richard Chamberlain between takes of “Dream West,” a CBS miniseries filmed in Richmond. The story focused on 19th-century American adventurer John Charles Fremont, who was portrayed by Chamberlain.
This March 1985 image shows one of the first Subway restaurants in Richmond, located on Glenside Drive in Henrico County. A Times-Dispatch dining review said the restaurant’s concept – store-baked bread, 6-inch and footlong subs, and salads – was a welcome alternative to fast-food burgers and pizza.
In March 1985, Mildred Ashton (left) and Elva Jones glazed lipstick on the assembly line at the A.R. Winarick cosmetics manufacturing plant in Westmoreland County. On average, a worker could fill 50 bottles of nail polish per minute or assemble more than 6,000 lipstick containers per day.
In November 1988, Leonard Martin made a delivery for Pizza Hut. At the time, major chains were battling for Richmond-area customers. Pizza Hut, which had been in Richmond for 20 years and had nearly 40 local restaurants, was ranked No. 1, followed by Domino’s (about 15 regional stores) and Little Caesars (19). Pizza Inn and Godfather’s rounded out the top five.
In August 1982, patrons dined at the Fish Market restaurant in Shockoe Slip in Richmond. Hundreds of people had gathered in the area for the Shockoe Slip Summer Jazz Festival.
In August 1988, Norma Ray (left) served beverages at a Pizza Hut trailer outside Main Street Centre in downtown Richmond. Pizza Hut’s marketing manager said that the trailer was a way to reach customers downtown, where the chain didn’t have full restaurants.
In October 1988, Veronica Gerber videotaped her child’s preschool class during a Shabbat service. Sony introduced a Betamovie camcorder in 1983, and as the decade wore on, Sony and its competitors released increasingly affordable camcorders that could hold multiple hours of footage on a videotape.
In September 1989, the Westhampton Theater in Richmond’s West End was showing two notable films from the era. “Sex, Lies and Videotape” helped revolutionize modern independent film, and “When Harry Met Sally” is a classic romantic comedy. The Westhampton closed in 2016 after a 78-year run.
In November 1984, the bronze statue known as “The Three Soldiers” (or “The Three Servicemen”) was unveiled in Washington as more traditional complement to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The unconventional wall designed by Maya Lin was controversial, and the statue by sculptor Frederick Hart was a means of addressing concerns.
In April 1981, Richmond-area eye doctor Allen Cohen examined a patient. Cohen specialized in soft contact lenses and was starting to offer extended-wear lenses that were fairly new to the market.
In May 1987, a candlelight vigil in Richmond honored AIDS victims and those fighting the disease. The march began at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and wound around Capitol Square. In June 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first handful of illnesses – rare lung infections and other signs of impaired immune systems in five men – in what became known as the AIDS epidemic.
In August 1988, a guest sat near his bed at the Freedom House Community Shelter in Richmond, where there was no set length of stay. Homelessness was on the rise in 1980s amid economic and political changes that affected incomes, social programs and the availability of affordable housing.
In July 1986, Virginia Beach-based religious broadcaster Pat Robertson sat on the set of his “700 Club,” the long-running program he continues to host on the Christian Broadcasting Network. In the political realm, Robertson unsuccessfully sought the Republican Party’s nomination in the 1988 presidential contest.
In November 1985, Robert Williams stood in his cell at the State Penitentiary, then located on Spring Street in downtown Richmond. Williams was one of three men in medical isolation there because of a diagnosis of AIDS. In the preceding two months, President Ronald Reagan made his first public mention of AIDS, and actor Rock Hudson’s death raised awareness of the epidemic.
In November 1980, a woman played “Super Simon” in Richmond. The memory game, in which players must repeat a series of electronic tones and lights, offered additional variations from the original “Simon,” which was made by the Milton Bradley Co. and later, after being acquired, Hasbro. “Super Simon” cost about $35 at the Zayre store on Mechanicsville Turnpike
In September 1988, models showed off about 160 outfits during a fashion show organized by Thalhimers to benefit the Florence Nightingale Circle for Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Hospital in Richmond. The show, which was themed around the movies, drew about 1,500 attendees to the Richmond Marriott.
In September 1989, Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones were in concert at RFK Stadium in Washington; the sold-out show drew more than 50,000 fans and was the second of a two-night gig in D.C. The tour, in support of the “Steel Wheels” album, hit about three dozen North American cities before moving to Europe.
This September 1988 image shows a row of homes in the town of Fries, located in Grayson County in Southwest Virginia. The textile mill that had been the lifeblood of the town since that dawn of the 20th century was getting ready to close in the face of less expensive foreign imports. The town was named for businessman Francis Henry Fries, who had established the mill.
ABOVE: Seen in 1981 at the Richmond Coliseum, Ralph Sampson recorded three consecutive double-doubles during a memorable run in 1983. LEFT: Mike Scott was arguably more impressive during a three-game span in March 2012. He scored 85 points and grabbed 31 rebounds against Florida State, Maryland and N.C. State.
1981, Bruce Parker/TIMES-DISPATCH
In March 1987, TV news reporter Diane Sawyer, then with CBS, interviewed former presidential adviser Brent Scowcroft at the Mosque (now the Altria Theater) as part of the Richmond Forum speaker series. Scowcroft offered his perspective on Ronald Reagan’s ongoing presidency and shared memories from his time as national security adviser to President Gerald Ford.
In March 1986, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor spoke with U.S District Judge Robert R. Merhige Jr. before addressing a monthly luncheon meeting at the Richmond Bar Association. O’Connor was appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, becoming the first woman on the court. The local luncheon drew 650 people, setting a high mark for the bar event.
In August 1988, a trolley passed by a large screen that protected passing vehicles from sandblasting and painting under Interstate 95 on East Main Street.
In August 1981, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Armstrong left the Cannon Memorial Chapel at the University of Richmond after marking a special day. Fifty years earlier – on Aug. 29, 1931 – they were the first couple to marry in the then-new chapel. For their 50th wedding anniversary, they returned to the chapel from their Rhode Island home for a celebration service led by their son.
In August 1985, WTVR-TV’s Gary Gilliam interviewed Ed and Debbie Bishop, applicants who wanted to be on a live traveling version of “The New Newlywed Game” that was slated for Regency Square mall in Henrico County. The Bishops were among 25 couples selected at random – from more than 500 applications – for an interview. Four couples were selected for the event, which was hosted by Bob Eubanks as part of a promotional tour ahead of the fall television season, when the latest version of the game show would debut on WTVR and other stations. The winners got a weeklong trip to the Bahamas.
This June 1988 image shows a quiet moment dance floor at the Pyramid Club, a bar on North Boulevard in Richmond. On Wednesdays, the club hosted House Night – which featured house music, a danceable electronic genre. Admission was $1, and several hundred patrons might fill the un-air-conditioned club.
In September 1980, East Grace Street between Fourth and Fifth streets in downtown Richmond was closed for a Sunday afternoon “dinner on the grounds,” hosted by Centenary United Methodist Church. The city permitted the street closure for two hours.
In September 1984, Bremmer Carter Jr. placed loaves of freshly baked on a rack for cooling and slicing at Weiman’s Bakery in Shockoe Bottom in Richmond. The bakery was opened in 1945 by Jacob Weiman and produced nearly 120,000 pounds of baked goods each month at its peak. Over the years, the bakery supplied grocery stores, brand-name bread dealers and local restaurants. After almost seven decades, Weiman’s closed in February 2013.
In March 1987, Tom Pivec, president of Master Clean Car Wash on Midlothian Turnpike in Richmond, showed off a new robotic washing system that used a 100 percent cotton cleaning curtain. Pivec said the operation could accommodate 1,200 cars per day. The location previously had been Hot Springs Car Wash, whose owner, Joseph Enning, was a familiar face through his television commercials.
In September 1985, Corey Green peeked out the school bus window on his way home after the first day of school at John B. Cary Elementary School in Richmond.
In October 1982, two people ate lunch at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Richmond. A free-lunch ministry among downtown churches served about 150 people per meal, up from only about 25 two years earlier.
In December 1982, a group of Richmond school bus drivers modeled new uniforms, which included light blue shirts, navy slacks or skirts, berets or caps, and jackets and ties. There was no money in the school system budget for uniforms, so Julia Armistead (right) initiated the effort to get drivers out of plain clothes. The school system’s 180 drivers had the option of buying a uniform, which cost about $80.
In July 1985, Tom Thomas kicked back on his Harley-Davidson outside Newgate Prison, a bar in the 900 block of West Grace Street in Richmond. The bar was popular with bikers; other businesses in that stretch, including an adult theater, attracted a diverse clientele that could make the area a hot spot for police. The Newgate Prison site was later home to the Virginia Commonwealth University police headquarters for more than a decade.
In June 1985, Edward Harris lighted the Virginia Special Olympics torch at the University of Richmond, which drew thousands of disabled athletes, coaches and volunteers. The torch arrived on the campus at the end of a 20-mile relay from the state Capitol. The first International Special Olympics Games was held 50 years ago in July 1968.
In May 1987, patrons at Regency Square in Henrico County filled the mall’s new food court, which included 11 eateries on the mall’s lower level between Miller & Rhoads and Sears. The dining space accommodated up to 450 people and was the first phase of a $5 million renovation at the mall.
In May 1987, Larry Ingram, president of Neighbors of Chimborazo Park, stood at a contaminated spring along slowly shifting land on Chimborazo Hill in Richmond’s East End. The Church Hill neighborhood group had expressed concerns about the shifting hill; city officials said the issue was being studied as part of a multiyear improvement program.
This October 1988 image shows East Broad Street looking west into downtown Richmond from Church Hill. That month, radio stations WRVA-AM and WRVQ-FM announced plans to leave their Church Hill studio building after 20 years for new space in South Richmond.
In May 1983, patrons of Stonewall Café on West Main Street in Richmond dined on the restaurant’s patio. The building was constructed in the 1880s and was used as an elementary school until 1962 – it was once Stonewall Jackson School and West End School, and earlier, it housed the Richmond Normal School. The building was sold to a developer in 1980, and today, the space houses the Baja Bean Co. restaurant.
In November 1989, Virginia Commonwealth University basketball player Lionel Bacon jogged onto the court at the Richmond Coliseum during pregame festivities. Fireworks, sparklers and, in this moment, a fog machine were among effects that turned player introductions into a lively production.
In December 1989, a customer navigated the self-service area of the 7-Eleven at Eighth and Broad streets in downtown Richmond. The convenience store chain said it spent millions on customer and product research before rolling out new items or setups – including the 64-ounce Double Gulp fountain drink that was introduced that year. (The original 32-ounce Big Gulp arrived in 1976, and the 44-ounch Super Big Gulp followed in 1986.)
In October 1986, as part of a $4 million improvement program, WWBT-Channel 12 installed a new TV antenna on its tower on Midlothian Turnpike. It replaced a 30-year-old antenna.
In June 1984, actress Mary Tyler Moore had her makeup touched up between takes at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond on the set of “Finnegan Begin Again.” The HBO romantic comedy film was shot all over Richmond and co-starred Robert Preston and Sam Waterston.
In December 1985, actors wearing 19th-century clothing strolled on a “snowy” street in Richmond’s Church Hill neighborhood. The CBS miniseries “Dream West” was being filmed in the area – the program focused on 19th-century American adventurer John Charles Fremont, who was portrayed by Richard Chamberlain. The “snow” was a combination of soap, water and air.
In July 1985, Farm Fresh Inc. prepared to open a grocery store on Brook Road in Henrico County. This was the fifth store in the Richmond area for the Norfolk-based grocer. The Brook Road location, which was open 24 hours a day, totaled 93,000 square feet and had 18 checkout lanes. In addition to groceries, the location had a bookstore, delicatessen, post office, cheese shop, restaurant, video entertainment center and bulk sales department.
In September 1984, a crowd of almost 6,000 watched the Richmond Braves play their final Triple-A baseball game at Parker Field on the Boulevard. Days later, the stadium was leveled to make way for the Diamond, which debuted the following year and is now home to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels.
In October 1985, employees at a Car Pool location in Richmond wiped off vehicles after the wash cycle. The company was established in 1977 in Richmond; the first location was at 2900 Chamberlayne Ave.
In February 1986, an explosion rocked a row of houses on Davis Avenue in Richmond’s Fan District. The blast inside one home blew out bricks, windows and a back wall. Police and fire officials also discovered a fire in the home’s basement, but the cause of the fire and explosion was not immediately unknown.
In October 1986, a plaque dedication ceremony marked the addition of Richmond’s Fan District to the National Register of Historic Places. The event, which included songs from the Fox School choir, capped a two-year effort by the Fan Woman’s Club in cooperation with state landmark officials. More than 3,000 buildings in the Fan were photographed and surveyed in the campaign.
In June 1982, a peacock checked out the Italian Garden at Maymont. Peacocks roamed free in the Richmond park for many years until the early 1990s. Maymont has not had peacocks in its animal family since 2013.
In February 1981, Richmond Mayor Henry L. Marsh III operated a backhoe to kick off Project One, which included the construction of the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The project was part of a deal between Marriott Corp. and the city housing authority to finance and build a hotel-convention center in downtown Richmond.
In November 1985, Brown & Williamson workers left the Petersburg plant after its last cigarette production shift. The tobacco company had operated in the city for 53 years but was consolidating production in Georgia. B&W was founded in North Carolina in the 1890s and became a subsidiary of British American Tobacco in the 1920s; operations later were combined with R.J. Reynolds.
In March 1988, Helene Kahn stood in her GiGi Hats shop on East Grace Street in downtown Richmond. Kahn, who opened the store in 1950 and operated it until her death in 1996, offered hats, wedding veils and other millinery. In 1968, she was the first woman to lead the Downtown Retail Associates trade group.
In July 1988, 15-year-old John Moncure – who was 5 feet, 9 inches tall – was dwarfed by the roots of a tree that fell through his neighbor’s house on Lakeside Avenue in Henrico County during a storm. The teen’s father estimated that the tree was 150 feet tall.
In September 1984, workers installed columns for the grandstands as construction progressed quickly on the Diamond, which was replacing Parker Field as Richmond’s minor-league baseball stadium. The Diamond opened the following April.
This March 1985 image shows a hillside in South Richmond’s Woodland Heights neighborhood, near 27th Street, where homes would be built. The builders planned two-level houses with the living room, dining room and kitchen on the upper level and bedrooms and a sitting room downstairs. Both levels would have decks overlooking Riverside Drive.
In September 1988, a television news set allowed media students at Virginia Commonwealth University to use a realistic backdrop for their studies. What is now the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture was founded in 1978 and is one of the largest sections of VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences.
In February 1986, a $50,000 façade renovation neared completion at the Village Shopping Center at Patterson Avenue and Three Chopt Road in Richmond. The shopping center, which housed 30 merchants, was undergoing its first substantial renovation since it opened in the mid-1950s.
In February 1980, patrons toured an exhibit on stamps at Richmond’s main post office at 1801 Brook Road. Titled “The Magic World of Stamps,” the exhibit promoted interest in and understanding of stamp collecting.
In December 1986, U.S. Postal Service employee Victoria Booker operated an optical character reader device in a Richmond branch to electronically read addresses on letters. Post offices started using the devices in the 1960s to help sort mail by city, state and ZIP code.
In February 1989, Karl Baskerville cut the hair of William B. Judkins. Baskerville had a mobile barbershop and catered to local attorneys at seven firms around Richmond.
In May 1987, baseball stars Dick Allen (left) and Hank Aaron jokingly traded head gear during the Legends Festival of Sports baseball classic at The Diamond in Richmond. The event brought together former professional athletes in a baseball game, golf tournament and tennis exhibition to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.
In October 1989, workers dismantled the Morgan Fountain in Richmond’s Shockoe Slip in preparation for its rebuilding. The marble horse fountain, donated by a Baltimore woman in 1909 in memory of a Confederate cavalry captain, was rebuilt on a larger stone base to help protect it from traffic. It also was moved a short distance to better align with surrounding buildings.
In November 1988, General Manager James N. Crandol stood at the seafood counter at the new Super Fresh in the Brookhill Azalea shopping center in Henrico County. The nearly 40,000-square-foot grocery store was the largest of the chain’s 14 locations in the area. The new market was a prototype for the chain, with several specialty food and merchandise departments.
In March 1989, owner George Cassanese (from left), banquet operator Peter Anton and chef Bryan Moyer stood inside the new Sunset Café at the Chesterfield Airport. The restaurant replaced the Crosswinds Restaurant and Lounge. The two-floor restaurant underwent a full renovation which included a banquet room, lounge and a party rom. The menu included specialty sandwiches, appetizers and pasta dishes.
In October 1989, Yoel Kranz of Chabad Lubavitch Center of Virginia showed second-graders at Collegiate School in Henrico County the center’s “Sukkah-mobile,” a traveling educational display. The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is a harvest festival that also marks the Jews’ exodus from Egypt; a sukkah is a booth or hut that recall the temporary dwellings used during the wandering.
In October 1985, patrons enjoyed the seafood lunch buffet in the Richmond Room of the downtown Thalhimers department store. The Friday buffet cost $5.95 and included shrimp Creole, clams, steamed and spiced shrimp and many other selections.
In October 1987, children were entertained by the University of Richmond mascot as the Spiders faced the University of Virginia. It was a tough day for the home team: UR fell 4-1 to the No. 1-ranked Cavaliers, who were led by coach Bruce Arena and captain John Harkes – both of whom became fixtures of the U.S. national team.
In July 1980, Alan Dessenberger (left), the principal of the soon-to-open Mills E. Godwin High School in Henrico County, and Randy Patterson checked the lighting in the student TV studio. On opening day that year, 500 freshman and sophomore students started classes, and freshman classes were added in subsequent years. Godwin’s first seniors graduated in 1983.
In February 1987, Junior the golden eagle visited the General Assembly during a hearing on the state’s hunting and fishing laws. Edward Clark Jr., president of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, introduced Junior to Del. A. Victor Thomas, D-Roanoke, who was chairman of the House Committee on Conservation and Natural Resources.
In November 1980, Virginia Commonwealth University students who worked on the school’s paper, the Commonwealth Times, held their weekly meeting in the Millhiser House on West Franklin Street in Richmond – but they had yet to furnish the space. Today, the house is home to the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, named for VCU’s former provost.
In April 1988, Capitol Restaurant had just opened at the Richmond International Airport. The restaurant, operated by Concession Air Corp., gave diners a view of takeoffs and landings. Dinner menu items included a chicken strips appetizer for about $3, a grilled chicken teriyaki entrée with salad and potato for $6.95 and an apple pan dowdy dessert for $2.95.
In August 1980, the Executive Mansion at Capitol Square in Richmond was home to an outdoor tent for the wedding reception of Gov. John Dalton’s daughter. A brief controversy had centered on whether the state had spent $2,500 for the tent, but Dalton eventually paid for it himself.
In March 1988, George and Brenda Huggins opened their Everything Yogurt outlet in Cloverleaf Mall in Chesterfield County. Frozen yogurt was just starting to gain popularity locally – the Everything Yogurt chain was started by Lane and Sara West after they moved to Richmond from Charlotte, N.C., and noticed the absence of yogurt shops.
In June 1980, Barbara Gregory stood outside her Truckers Inn in the Sussex County town of Wakefield. Gregory almost lost her lease until a trucker known as “Country Gentleman” stepped in: In a two-week period, “Country Gentleman” gathered more than 150 signatures on a petition to help save the inn. That convinced the property owner to negotiate with Gregory for a month-to-month lease, which allowed her to keep her business open.
In May 1988, Buck Fuller awaited the lunchtime crowd at Tubby’s Burgers in Sandston. A Times-Dispatch reporter who visited the restaurant recounted the owner’s memorable personality: “Buck Fuller, complete with white chef’s hat, greets his customers: ‘What’ll it be, a Tubby Burger? How about a chicken salad sandwich? It’s fresh. It’s homemade. It’s never been touched by human hands.’ Then with a wink: ‘I mixed it with my feet this morning.’ “
In August 1989, Lynette Douglas modeled an outfit from Attitudes, a specialty clothing boutique at Fourth and Grace streets in downtown Richmond. Today, the block features a number of restaurants.
In June 1981, a refurbished Navy landing craft, which sunk earlier that month, was afloat again in the James River in Richmond. The plan was for it to be used as a public ferry to Belle Isle – the city was in the early stages of turning the island, a former Civil War prisoner camp, into a recreational destination. This setup was created a decade before construction of the suspended pedestrian bridge that reaches Belle Isle today.
In April 1981, Dick Harman – shown preparing for his role as broadcaster for a hockey game in Richmond – was about to begin a call-in sports talk show on WLEE radio. In 1988, Harman became the public announcer for Richmond City Council meetings, and after an estimated 700 meetings, he retired in 2018.
In June 1989, Virginia Commonwealth University students moved the top section of their “Goddess of Democracy” reproduction to the Student Commons, where it was displayed for several days. The 33-foot statue, which mirrored one made by art students in Beijing, was a memorial to student protesters who were murdered at Tiananmen Square in China that month.
In September 1984, Willie Thompson added flour to dough at Weiman’s Bakery on Church Hill in Richmond. The bakery was opened in 1945 by Jacob Weiman and produced nearly 120,000 pounds of baked goods each month at its peak. Over the years, the bakery supplied grocery stores, brand-name bread dealers and local restaurants. After almost seven decades, Weiman’s closed in February 2013.
In September 1981, the Spiderettes, the University of Richmond pompom squad, practiced a routine at the university. The group, which performed during football pep rallies and at halftime of basketball games, had won a first-place trophy the previous month at a national cheering competition in Knoxville, Tenn. The winning routine was choreographed to The Brothers Johnson dance track “Stomp!”
In January 1984, a family of Weimaraners stood in the back of owner Doug Solyan’s pickup truck ahead of an exercise session at Byrd Park in Richmond. From left are Kelly (10 months), Georgina (7 years) and Sadie (5 years).
In December 1981, Gaye Todd Adegbalola conferred with a student at the high school where she taught in Fredericksburg. Adegbalola had just been honored as Virginia Teacher of the Year for 1982. She also was a blues singer-musician and civil rights activist, and she previously helped direct the city’s Harambee Theater, which her father had established to preserve African-American history and culture.
In September 1989, Rebecca L Adamson (left) and Sherry Salway were president and vice president, respectively, of the soon-to-launch First Nations Financial Project. In Fredericksburg, Adamson started the nonprofit to help Native Americans across the United States pursue entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. The endeavor was renamed the First Nations Development Institute in 1991.
This March 1985 image shows Marii Hasegawa, whose work as a peace activist covered several decades in Richmond. She was born in Japan in 1918, came to the U.S. as an infant and, during World War II, was sent to a Japanese internment camp. In the 1960s, she moved to Richmond. She was a leader of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and was a founding member of the Richmond Peace Education Center. She died in 2012.
In May 1986, Hilda West worked on a car in Fredericksburg, where she had addressed an apprenticeship conference. At age 52, West was getting trained at an automotive institute to become a licensed mechanic. The mother of five had dropped out of high school a year short of graduation, divorced in 1975 and was labeled a “displaced housewife” by social workers. But she found work assembling Christmas trees at General Foam Plastic Corp. in Norfolk, and when she clocked out, she attended classes at the automotive institute. Regardless of the grueling schedule, West said, “I’m going to have a career at 52. I classify that as a miracle.”
In July 1984, Mary Tyler Moore and Robert Preston rehearsed a movie scene in the Richmond Times-Dispatch newsroom. The actors were filming the romantic comedy “Finnegan Begin Again” for HBO. Scenes were shot all over Richmond, including Manchester and the Fan District.
March 2, 1988: Dika Newlin and her band, Apocowlypso, performed during a save-the-whales protest in Monroe Park yesterday. Participants, led by the Washington-based environmental group Greenpeace, protested the use of Icelandic fish at Burger King, Long John Silver’s and Captain D’s restaurants. Greenpeace says Iceland is still killing whales despite an international moratorium.
11-03-1988 (cutline): Dirt Woman–Donnie Corker finishes his dinner at the Jade Elephant before his Sunday night drag show. A well-known figure in Richmond for two decades, he says he hopes to take the place of Divine, who passed away earlier this year.
Feb 27, 1989 Staff photo Gary Burns – Timothy Spencer. Timothy W. Spencer, dubbed the South Side Strangler, was executed on April 27, 1994
This May 1980 image shows a skeletal pirate captain, one of 60 ghouls in the Kings Dominion theme park’s Haunted River flume boat ride. The attraction opened in 1979 as Voyage to Atlantis but was rethemed the next year. It was located in the mountain that is now home to Volcano, the Blast Coaster.
In September 1981, an old wooden caboose was hauled by truck on West Broad Street en route to John B. Cary Elementary School in Richmond. The wooden caboose, donated by RF&P Railroad, would include railroad and education artifacts and would serve as a learning environment for schoolchildren.
Don Long
Michael Paul Williams (804) 649-6815
Michael Paul Williams (804) 649-6815
