September 16th Newsletter
At the start of the COVID pandemic, my adult son Winston moved back home as his job went virtual. In looking for a local barber, a friend suggested that he contact Wathiq Alakelee who had posted on social media about his availability to cut hair at the client's home because of the pandemic. I remember being impressed by Wathiq cutting Winston's hair on our front stoop and doing a great job. Wathiq shared that he had come to the United States as a refugee from Iraq and had formerly cut hair in his home country after learning the trade from his uncle. After going through the required training and apprenticeship in Virginia, he became a licensed barber here.
As pandemic-related restrictions eased, I was looking for a new barber and saw that Wathiq had opened a shop called The Confident Barber in western Henrico off of Three Chopt Road. I went there and he gave me the best haircut of my life. Yes, I have much less hair than my son but all the same I was impressed.
I have remained a client and big fan of Wathiq and was thrilled when he recently told me that he had become a U.S. citizen. What a journey for someone who came to this country without a job, no family or friends here to support him, and not speaking English. Today, he is a successful businessman and runs a shop employing other barbers. Wathiq has more than lived up to the meaning of his name in Arabic: one who is confident and strong.
To learn more about Wathiq, check out this article from Richmond Magazine: https://richmondmagazine.com/news/sunday-story/the-confident-barber/
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
Tax Rebates and Additional Savings
The General Assembly passed a law earlier this year giving taxpayers with a liability a rebate of up to $250 for individual filers and up to $500 for joint filers. Tax liability is the amount of tax you owe throughout the year minus any credits (like the credit for taxes you paid to another state or the credit for low income individuals), deductions, or subtractions. Rebates will be issued in the order that taxpayers filed their returns. If you are eligible and filed by July 1st, your rebate will be sent between September 19th and October 17th, which means you should receive the rebate by no later than October 31st. Some taxpayers will receive the rebate by direct deposit and some will receive a paper check. You must file your taxes by November 1st to receive the rebate. The Virginia Department of Taxation will have a lookup tool available on Monday, September 19th so you can check if you are eligible for the rebate.
Rebates were the quickest way for the General Assembly to return money to Virginians this year, but there are also more long-term tax savings ahead. The state grocery tax ends after this year, and the standard deduction and Earned Income Tax Credit have been adjusted to reduce taxes for working families.
New COVID-19 Booster Available
The new bivalent COVID-19 booster shot – designed to protect recipients against multiple variants of COVID-19, including the currently dominant omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants – is now available at some local physicians’ offices, as well as CVS and Walgreens stores, among other locations. Doses also will be available through the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts beginning this week.
The new booster from Pfizer is recommended for anyone 12 and older who has had their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines, while the new Moderna version is recommended for those 18 and older who are fully vaccinated. Both boosters earned final federal authorization Sept. 1, and both are free for anyone who is eligible to receive them.
Previous boosters quickly have been phased out of use in favor of the new ones, and as of August 31st, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not authorize the previous boosters for those 12 and older. The previous COVID-19 vaccines were made to protect against the original variant of COVID-19. But over time, COVID-19 has mutated to create several new variants, some of which are better at escaping immunity from vaccines and previous infections. Bivalent vaccines combine multiple variants of COVID-19 to offer broader protection against the recent variants.
White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha suggested that people who had been recently infected with COVID wait “a few” months before getting the new booster shot. He also encouraged people to get their boosters and flu shots at the same time. Some people with higher vulnerability may ultimately require doses of vaccine more often than annually, Anthony Fauci said. Read more from the Henrico Citizen article.
General Election and Bond Referendum Updates
This year’s General Election is on Tuesday, November 8th, and absentee voting begins next Friday, September 23rd. As a reminder, Henrico County has a bond referendum on the ballot, a series of four questions that will allow voters to weigh in on large funding projects to support our county's schools, public safety, recreation and parks, and stormwater drainage. All proposed projects would be funded within existing resources, and two-thirds of the total — $340.5 million — are associated with school projects alone. Visit https://henrico.us/bonds/ for a full list of projects covered in the bond referendum.
Want to learn more before voting? Henrico County Board of Supervisors Chairman and Tuckahoe District Supervisor Pat O’Bannon will host two Tuckahoe Town Meeting sessions on Thursday, Sept. 22 to discuss the 2022 bond referendum along with County Manager John Vithoulkas and Deputy County Manager for Administration Brandon Hinton. The meetings will take place at the Tuckahoe Area Library (1901 Starling Drive) or residents may participate virtually via WebEx using links for the 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. sessions. To participate by phone call 1-415-655-0002 and enter the access code 2315 932 5183 for the 1 p.m. session and 2304 407 5242 for the 6:30 p.m. session. Residents are welcome to submit questions in advance to pob@patobannon.com.
House of Delegates Page Program
Applications are now open for the House Page program, which is an excellent opportunity to see the policymaking process firsthand and play an integral role in the General Assembly session. Page applicants must be either 13 or 14 years of age when the legislative session convenes on January 11, 2023. The House Clerk’s Office has more information available online. Submit an application before October 31st at 5:00 PM to be considered.
Community Resources Fest with Senator Hashmi and Councilperson Jones
Senator Ghazala Hashmi and Councilperson Mike Jones are co-hosting a Community Resource Fest tomorrow Saturday, September 17th from 10:00am until 2:00pm. This event will be focused on community, connection, and fun at Broad Rock Sports Complex (4825 Warwick Road). The festival is open to everyone, and community members are encouraged to come out to learn about services provided by state agencies, nonprofits, local businesses, community organizations, and other elected officials. VCU Health, FeedMore, and Brightpoint Community College are just a few of the participating organizations. The event includes opportunities to enjoy ice cream, food, music, participate in children’s activities, and more.
Regency Adult Learning Center
I had the opportunity to tour the future Regency Adult Education Center to see the ongoing developments up close. CTE students at HCPS are helping build out the classrooms in a space of more than 40,000 sq. ft in Regency Mall, and the location is career-focused and perfectly designed to engage adult learners, attract industry recruitment and partnerships, and benefit neighboring businesses.
Henrico is transforming workforce and career development in the broad region it serves. There really aren’t any other adult education centers quite like it (yet). Henrico County Public Schools continue to set a national model for community-based learning!
Thank you to the HCPS Director of Workforce and Career Development Mac Beaton, Superintendent Amy Cashwell, School Board Chair Marcie Shea, Deputy County Manager for Administration Brandon Hinton, and HCPS staff Beverly Cocke and Ken Blackstone for showing me around and contining to invest in career development and our future workforce!
Left to right: Ken Blackstone, Superintendent Amy Cashwell, Mac Beaton, Brandon Hinton, myself, & Bev Cocke.
Mac Beaton to my left and School Board Chair Marcie Shea to my right share more details on the buildout of the center.
Community Events
Lucia’s Lights Dedication
It was very moving to be at the dedication of Lucia’s Lights at Striker Park in honor and memory of Lucia Bremer. The soccer field light posts represent four pillars of light: Team is Family, Love and Respect the Game, All In: Believe, Commit, Achieve and Work Hard and Focus. This community is so strong in its support – we will be the light.
IBEW Local 666 Labor Day Picnic
It was so great to join union members, labor advocates, community members, and local elected officials for a picnic on Labor Day! Labor Day is a necessary – and celebratory – reminder that we have unions like IBEW Local 666 to thank for the progress we've made towards workers’ rights in Virginia, although there is still much more to do to support our workforce.
I joined members of IBEW Local 666 and Senator Ghazala Hashmi.
Armenian Food Festival
The Armenian Food Festival was back in action after a pandemic hiatus! It’s Richmond’s oldest and longest-running food festival, serving up Armenian delicacies – shish kabobs, cheese beoreg, Armenian meat pies, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, pastries and the original Hye burger – along with traditional music dancing. So great to to welcome its return!
Thank you to the hardworking festival volunteers pictured here at St. James Armenian Church.
Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance’s People’s Hearing
I was proud to stand with so many advocates and General Assembly members at the People’s Hearing hosted by the Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance ahead of the September 7th special session. No abortion restriction legislation was handed down by the Governor as speculated, although we made it clear that Virginia will not go back to a time before pregnant people had reproductive rights and bodily autonomy.
Rallying with Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg and many others at the Bell Tower on Capitol Square.
McShin Foundation Recovery Fest
September is Recovery Month, and the McShin Foundation partnered with the Hanover Courthouse Ruritan Club to host its 18th annual (and three-time SAMHSA award-winning) Recovery Fest. One of the toughest decisions I have needed to make as a delegate was judging the barbecue competition (spoiler: they were all delicious!).
Mandie Brando, McShin’s Judicial Programs Coordinator, and myself.
Herb Jones for Congress Meet & Greet
Henrico community members enjoyed a great evening last weekend at a meet & greet reception for Herb Jones, our Democratic candidate in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. This new district covers parts of Henrico County including my district. Thank you to all of our hosts and everyone who joined us to support Herb!
Left to right: Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor, Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg, Herb Jones, and myself.
