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To designate the corner of 2300 Third Avenue and Juniper Street in honor of the late Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr. (6th District)
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WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., was born on July 6, 1941, in the city of Richmond and passed away at the age of 80 on September 10, 2021; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., attended schools within the school division administered by the School Board of the City of Richmond and graduated from Armstrong High School; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., served as an officer in the Department of Police and was the first officer promoted to the Detective Division of the Department after only eight months of service; and
WHEREAS, as a member of the Department of Police, Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., was the first African American awarded the Excellence Police Duty Medal and was awarded the Medal of Valor and the Dale Carnegie Award for Highest Achievement; and
WHEREAS, after 17 years of service, Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., retired from the Department of Police and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Virginia Union University; and
WHEREAS, in 1979, Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., became a licensed and ordained Baptist minister and earned a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Divinity from the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University and a Doctor of Humane Letters from Richmond Virginia Seminary; and
WHEREAS, in 1982, Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., served as the Pastor of the Grayland Baptist Church and established a community outreach program, which included weekly community feedings and leadership workshops; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, after 33 years of service, Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., retired from Grayland Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to honor the life of Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., for his contributions to the religious and civic life of and other community service contributions to the city of Richmond by designating the corner of 2300 Third Avenue and Juniper Street in his honor; and
WHEREAS, because this designation is honorary only, the provisions of sections 8-7 through 8-10 of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, do not apply to the designation made hereby or to any signs erected pursuant to this ordinance;
NOW, THEREFORE,
THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. Designation of Street Block for Honorary Name. The corner of 2300 Third Avenue and Juniper Street shall be designated as “Rev. Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr. Way” in honor of Reverend Dr. Clifton Whitaker, Jr., pursuant to this ordinance, with placement of the sign at the corner of 2300 Third Avenue and Juniper Street.
§ 2. Effect of Designation. The designation of the portion of the street made pursuant to this ordinance shall be honorary only, shall not replace the existing name of the street, and shall have no effect on the address of any property with an address on the designated street block. The sole effect of designation pursuant to this ordinance shall be to authorize the placement of commemorative signs in accordance with this ordinance memorializing the designation in honor of the named person.
§ 3. Administration of Ordinance. The Department of Public Works shall implement this ordinance by installing, as soon as practicable after the adoption of this ordinance, and maintaining commemorative signs in accordance with this section. The commemorative signs shall be clearly distinct from the street signs used to identify the portion of the street in question such that a reasonable person could not conclude that the commemorative signs reflect the actual name of the street. The commemorative signs (i) shall be affixed to a sign pole installed on the portion of the street designated in section 1 of this ordinance for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of this section or to any existing sign identifying the portion of the street designated in section 1 of this ordinance located on the portion of the street designated in section 1 of this ordinance and (ii) shall bear the name of the person as set forth in section 1 of this ordinance.
§ 4. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.