Last splash before school // Alanna Runger enjoys an end-of-summer swim Wednesday in the Pony Pasture Rapids on South Side with her playful pug, Ye Ye, and Joy, the friendly Boston terrier. Her mother and sister, not pictured, were also along for the fun. The Labor Day holiday weekend will see cooler temperatures in the 70s on Saturday and Sunday with rain possible. Showers are expected to move out by Monday, with highs in the mid-80s. Area schools will open Tuesday to a forecast of sunny skies, with temperatures in the high 80s.

Cityscape // Renovations continue on the 100,000-square-foot train shed at the rear of the Main Street Station in Downtown. The $50 million project will create a lighted, glass-walled space for retail shops and possibly a welcome center. It is expected to be completed in seven to eight months. This is the third phase of the train station project that was started in the late 1990s. In 2003, about $40 million was used to restore and reopen the historic train station, with its clock tower, built in 1901 and which is now a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The federal and state governments also have provided about $85.4 million toward the total project, with the city pitching in $4.6 million. Officials have said the station is to be a transit hub for rail and bus operations.

Freeway Stops for Calls //Hip-hop artist Freeway, best known for his work with Roc-A-Fella Records and East Coast rappers such as Jay-Z, makes a stop at the Richmond headquarters of the Clinton-Kaine campaign Tuesday to thank volunteers and supporters. Working with Stephenine Dixon, a Church Hill organizer, Freeway placed calls to supporters urging them to vote in the presidential election Nov. 8. He is one of the latest celebrities to stop by the headquarters in Scott’s Addition to lend his support to the campaign.

Face of a zinnia in The Fan

New kicks for kids // Dozens of people line the sidewalk last Saturday for the 4th Annual Back to School Shoe Drive at Cedar Street Baptist Church of God in Church Hill. The church gave away hundreds of pairs of new shoes to youngsters who will be returning to classrooms on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Kicks for kids // Below, volunteers wait to assist the students in a mock shoe store created in the fellowship hall. Excited youngsters could be fitted for the appropriate shoe size before selecting from a wide assortment.

Kicks for the kids // Deatrice Lightfoot, right, helps 4-year-old Tmykah Phinazee by tying the laces of the shoes she was trying on.