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To designate the 5100 block of Beddington Road in honor of the late Raymond H. Boone and Jean P. Boone. (8th District)
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WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, Raymond H. Boone was the founder, editor, and publisher of the award-winning newspaper, the Richmond Free Press; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, Raymond H. Boone received national and international recognition for his achievements as a reporter and educator in the field of journalism and was honored with numerous awards and positions of merit including serving as an associate professor at Howard University, as a Pulitzer Prize juror, and as a White House correspondent; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, Raymond H. Boone was a native of Suffolk, Virginia, and received a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s degree from Howard University, and at his death in 2014, he left a legacy, not only through his own work, but through the work of his widow, Jean P. Boone, under whose leadership, the Richmond Free Press continues to flourish, and through the work of his children; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, Jean P. Boone, upon the death of her husband in 2014, was appointed to the positions of publisher of the Richmond Free Press and president of the board of directors of Paradigm Communications, Inc., the parent company of the Richmond Free Press, after years as the Richmond Free Press advertising executive, building the accounts for the newspaper in a challenging market by exhibiting integrity and superior customer service; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, Jean P. Boone is active in and has been honored in the public and private sectors, including as the Richmond YWCA’s Outstanding Woman of the Year for Communications in 2004, as a member of the boards of the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts and the Richmond Performing Arts Center, as a manager of community affairs for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and as a member of the inaugural committees of Mayor Dwight C. Jones, Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, and Governor Tim Kaine; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, Jean P. Boone, has been an educator, teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Dillard University in New Orleans and a master’s degree from Boston University; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to memorialize the lives of Raymond H. Boone and Jean P. Boone for their contributions to the civic life of the city of Richmond by designating the 5100 block of Beddington Road in their 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 Names. The 5100 block of Beddington Road shall be designated in honor of Raymond H. Boone and Jean P. Boone pursuant to this ordinance.
§ 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 blocks. 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 persons.
§ 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 at each end of 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 at each end of the portion of the street designated in section 1 of this ordinance and (ii) shall bear the name of the persons set forth in section 1 of this ordinance.
§ 4. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.