September 10th Newsletter
I am not sure that there is any such thing as a slow news day or week anymore. In pulling together this week’s newsletter, my staff and I initially thought that we would be light on content. It did not take much review and reflection, however, to quickly realize that during this week, like every week in recent memory, much happened here that affects our everyday lives.
The most media attention in our area was, of course, focused on the removal of the Lee statue on Monument Avenue. Removing this physical tribute to the Confederate general is a significant milestone in our attempt to reconcile our past with our present, and future here in Richmond. Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan shared some of the most thought provoking remarks as to why we should look at the statue’s removal not as an ending point but another step in the process of addressing the inequities that have plagued this country for too long:
Just as important as addressing physical monuments, we must also address the systematic monuments to racial inequity.
Today we must continue the process of removing barriers to voting and access to affordable health care and housing; close the education gap and break the school-to-prison pipeline; provide economic opportunity for all; advance environmental justice; and, make substantive criminal justice reforms.
I am proud of the progress that we have made in addressing those disparities in recent years but recognize that we have much more to accomplish.
If you have any questions or need assistance with a state agency, please contact my office at delrwillett@house.virginia.gov or phone at 804-698-1073, and a member of my staff will be happy to assist you. I also will continue to keep you informed with relevant, accurate information via Twitter, Facebook, and my website. Please stay well and stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Rodney
New Information
DMV to Reopen for Walk-In Service on October 5
The Department of Motor Vehicles has created a new hybrid plan to resume walk-in services while still providing appointment opportunities for customers. Beginning October 5th, the DMV will provide appointment only services on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Walk-in services will be available to customers on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (Saturday service is available in the morning at 57 offices statewide).
During the 2021 Special Session on the American Rescue Plan, the General Assembly required the DMV to create a plan for serving walk-up customers to alleviate some of the challenges Virginians have experienced during pandemic related closures. The agency has found that the appointment system has been overwhelmingly popular with customers: 77% of individuals who have used the appointment service said that they wished to see appointments continue.
Customers who have scheduled an appointment and instead decide to walk in for service should cancel that appointment to make it available for other customers. Walk-in service will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis based on the type of transaction; customers should anticipate wait times. For the health and safety of customers and employees, lobby chairs will be spaced and all customers are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings. You can see more information on this announcement online here.
Back to School Updates and School Meals Information
This week, Richmond and Henrico County schools began the 2021-2022 school year. I want to thank the teachers, school administrators, and support staff who are working tirelessly to adapt to changing circumstances while ensuring our students have a healthy learning environment.
It has been a year and a half since the majority of our students have entered a physical classroom. When Henrico County reopened for hybrid in-person/virtual learning, about 40% of students chose to return in person, while 60% opted to remain virtual. This year about 2,500 of the county’s 50,000 students will be learning virtually, while the remainder have returned to the classroom.
Students at Highland Springs and J.R. Tucker High Schools returned to brand new school buildings that were opened for the first time this Wednesday. Elizabeth Holladay Elementary also reopened for the first time after a $25 million expansion and the creation of Henrico County’s first dual language immersion program. The program welcomed its first class of kindergarten students this year, and will expand by one grade level each year to allow classes to progress while continuing to bring in new students at earlier grade levels.
All HCPS students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch throughout the entire 2021-2022 school year. Students learning virtually can pick up their school meals once a week on Mondays at your family’s closest middle school between 9:00 am - 10:00 am. Students do not need to be present for a parent or guardian to pick up meals.
Families of virtual learners enrolled in the Henrico Virtual Academy will pre-order student meals using Meal Orders, an online meals tool, so HCPS Nutrition Services staff can prepare the correct number of meals without excess waste. Simply visit https://www.mealorders.com/, and order the following week’s meals by 11:30 pm each Thursday. See more information online here.
Lee Monument Removal and Time Capsule Replacement
On Wednesday morning, the statue of Robert E. Lee was removed from its pedestal on Monument Avenue. The Northam administration proposed removing the Lee statue more than a year ago, but court challenges prevented the removal until last week. Last Thursday, the Supreme Court of Virginia unanimously agreed that the removal could move forward.
The statue will be placed in secure storage at a state facility until a permanent, appropriate location is chosen for its display. The 40-foot granite pedestal will remain for the time being. The pedestal’s final disposition will be determined following a community-driven effort to reimagine Monument Avenue, including the state-owned property surrounding the monument and the pedestal. The City of Richmond and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts are spearheading the effort on behalf of the Commonwealth.
The statue pedestal contains a time copper capsule that historians believe was placed in the cornerstone on October 27, 1887. Records from the Library of Virginia suggest that 37 Richmond residents, organizations, and businesses contributed about 60 objects to the capsule, many of which are believed to be related to the Confederacy. Following the removal of the statue, the original time capsule will be removed and handed over to the Department of Historic Resources’ conservation lab, where experts will examine the contents.
As part of the effort to reimagine Monument Avenue, a new time capsule, built by Richmond sculptor Paul DiPasquale, will replace the capsule in the Lee Monument base. Artifacts for the new time capsule were suggested by the public and narrowed down to 39 final choices by a committee that included historians from Richmond’s leading historical and cultural museums and public officials.
The 39 artifacts are intended to reflect the cultural moment in Virginia’s, and the nation’s, history. In the past year and a half, Virginia has faced a global pandemic and a deep reckoning with racism. Protests for racial justice, sparked by the death of George Floyd, led to the removal of statues originally placed to memorialize those who fought to continue a way of life that enslaved other human beings. The artifacts are a snapshot of that moment in time, capturing both the protests of last year and the pandemic. They include a vaccination card, a photo of a Black ballerina in front of the statue, a Black Lives Matter sticker, a face mask, and a poem written in Unified English Braille. You can see a full list of time capsule artifacts online here.
Virginia Rent Relief Program — Leading the Nation in Distribution of Relief
Virginia has distributed a greater proportion of federal rent relief to families struggling in the pandemic than any other state, according to U.S. Treasury data. From January to June of 2021, Virginia provided rental assistance to between 6,000 and 9,000 families a month, totaling nearly a quarter billion dollars — about 42 percent of the funding allocated from the federal government. The next highest state is Texas, which has distributed just under 35 percent of available aid, and 40 states have distributed less than 10% of their allocations.
Virginia received $524 million for rental assistance from the CARES Act, and an additional $465 million was made available for the program through the American Rescue Plan. The Department of Housing and Community Development has managed the Rental Relief Program, which was first created in June of 2020. Virginia’s success in distributing this funding is largely due to the length of the program; most states have just set up a program for rental relief.
Funding is still available for households in need. Applicants must have a monthly rent at or below 150 percent of the federally designated fair market rent for their locality, have an income at the time of application that is below 80 percent of the area median income, and the applicant must have experienced a financial hardship related to the pandemic (laid off, reduced hours, unable to work, etc.).
The Department of Housing and Community Development estimates that Virginia has enough funding available to continue running the program for at least another 18 months. Check your availability and apply online at dhcd.virginia.gov/rmrp.
Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Open Community COVID-19 Vaccination Hubs
The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) have opened four COVID-19 vaccination hubs that will operate weekly in the coming months. These four hubs will supplement RHHD’s ongoing pop-up events with employers, faith communities, and community organizations.
The opening of the four new hubs follow the closing of RHHD’s mass vaccination at George Wythe High School earlier this month. See below for hub locations and times:
Tuesdays, 3:00 pm-6:00 pm (first clinic on September 7th): Second Baptist Church (3300 Broad Rock Blvd)
Wednesdays, 1:00 pm-4:00 pm: Henrico Recreation Center (1440 N Laburnum Ave)
Thursdays, 1:00 pm-4:00 pm: RHHD Downtown Location (400 E Cary St)
Fridays, 9:00 am-12:00 pm: RHHD Henrico West Location (8600 Dixon Powers Dr)
To learn more about all available COVID-19 vaccination opportunities, visit vax.rchd.com.
Early Voting Begins in One Week - September 17th
Early voting begins one week from today! Starting next Friday you can cast your vote for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and your representative in the House of Delegates. In Virginia, you can vote early in person or by mail with no excuse required. See below for more information on how to vote this year and important dates for the upcoming election. Virginia requires voters to show proof of identification when voting, this includes a driver’s license, voter registration card, military ID, and passport, among others. See a full list of acceptable identification online here.
In-Person Early Voting: Friday, September 17th - Saturday, October 30th
Monday - Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 am, Saturday, October 23rd and October 30th, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
If you live in Henrico County, you can vote early at the Western Government Center (4305 E. Parham Rd) and the Eastern Government Center (3820 Nine Mile Rd). If you are not in Henrico County, find your General Registrar’s office online here.
Vote by Mail: Request a ballot online here. The deadline to request a vote by mail ballot is Friday, October 22 by 5:00 pm.
You can return your ballot by mail, hand-deliver it to your general registrar’s office, or use a ballot drop box (see Henrico drop box locations online here)
Mail-in ballots must be hand-delivered to your registrar or returned in a drop box by Election Day, November 2nd when polls close at 7:00 pm. If you mail your ballot it must be postmarked by Election Day and be received by the registrar by November 5th at 12:00 pm.
Register to Vote/Update Registration: The deadline to register to vote or update your registration for the November 2021 election is October 11th at 5:00 pm at your registrar’s office or by 11:59 pm online. Visit vote.elections.virginia.gov/voterinformation to register or update your registration.
Election Day: As always, you can vote in person on Election Day, November 2nd, from 6:00 am - 7:00 pm at your polling location. Find your polling location online here.
Yard Signs and Volunteer Opportunities!
Our campaign yard signs have arrived and are ready to be picked up from our office! Stop by our campaign office at 6714 Patterson Ave, Suite 103, Richmond, VA 23226 from 9:00 am-6:00 pm Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm on Saturday, and 12:00 pm-6:00 pm on Sundays to pick up a sign!
The best way to support my campaign is to sign up to volunteer and knock doors with me. My campaign is about connecting our community and building a stronger, more prosperous future for all Virginians. I have been out knocking doors and making calls to voters — but I need your help to make sure we reach every voter in the 73rd district.
To sign up to knock on doors visit bit.ly/knock4willett, and sign up to phone bank at bit.ly/call4willett. Personalized conversations with voters have been proven to be the most effective way to mobilize our electorate.
