I Have the Lakeside Scissors

And They Belong to the People

I am the parent of a seven year old. I am at a stage of my life where I RSVP to an event after we are all in the car and buckled. I count on nothing until it’s certain. But it’s certain now—THE Lakeside Scissors are coming back, baby.

If you don’t know the Lakeside Scissors, you are likely new to Richmond. They are the giant wooden scissors that have guarded the corner of Lakeside and Oak for over 40 years, regally standing thirteen feet high outside of 6201 Lakeside Ave.

Above: Giant scissors in their rightful home.

Until last summer, when they disappeared.

In June 2025, seemingly under cloak of night, these scissors—which have served as neighborhood icon and pivotal navigational device—disappeared completely. The neighborhood was, in so many ways, lost.

We were in Louisiana visiting my sister when I first heard about their disappearance. A fellow Lakesidian shared the news via screenshot:

Above: Shelley asks the question we all want to know.

No one could figure out what had happened. The building was for sale, and I guess we all just accepted that the scissors were a casualty. Just one more thing lost in these unprecedented times. But a stone cold bummer.

Above: The quintessential Lakeside dream.

Summer went on, and the braces that held the scissors stood empty. My son and I would dream up ideas for new scissors on walks. My friends and I would speculate as to where they could possibly be. Lakeside parents openly shared their grief at birthday parties.

But then there were the charrettes.

The details are fuzzy, but Henrico County organized these three neighborhood meetings during the span of a week. They took place in a room at Lewis Ginter and were ostensibly to plan the next 50 years of Lakeside. There was an out-of-state architectural firm whose leader asked the lone female architect to handle the lights, slides, and logistics outside her role so repeatedly that it was frankly all I could take in. Anyway, there was a map with sticky notes and fights over bike lanes and a huge turnout. I went to two of the three meetings, comparing notes with friends and neighbors. I left with absolutely no understanding of what that firm is hoping to accomplish, but with clear knowledge of how much I freaking love Lakeside. It has been my home for the last 10 years, and the community here is so, so special.

My husband Robert and I bought a house in Lakeside in 2016, before that became hard to do. Our neighbors were lovely: Freddie and Duey dropped off baked goods, everyone said hello. We felt welcome. Six months after we bought this house, a derecho struck—another word Lakeside has taught me. The high winds knocked down a large tree in the backyard, barely missing the house. Robert had temporarily taken a job in Atlanta, and I—new to the joys of home ownership— was on my own.

Except I absolutely was not.

The night before the tree fell, I arrived home after the storm had already started. Kenny and Marsha were waiting up to make sure I got home okay. They gave me a plate of spaghetti and told me to get to cover in case of a tornado. I spent the night hunkered in the shower, but woke up to someone at the door. The power was out; the knock was Fran saying she had a generator and what would I like to put in her fridge? Did I need to charge my phone?

Later that day, after I thanked the tree for not falling on my house, Deanna and her kiddos came to help me start chipping away at the tree. Later Thomas came over with his chainsaw. Kenny’s cousin saw us working and bought us all ice cream from the ice cream truck. It was idyllic AF.

And it was my introduction to Lakeside. In the ten years since, I’ve gotten to see different sides of it. Friends have moved in, and I’ve gotten to know their neighbors. My kiddo started at the elementary school (Go Leopards!). Heck, even the charrettes introduced me to more pockets of community. I really love this place.

And so I started trying to convince the people I love to buy The Scissors Building. Emily, isn’t this such a great spot for your artist collective? But somehow those wonderful, terrible people convinced me to buy the building instead.

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I am a sign language interpreter by trade, and in 2017, I founded Mosaic Interpreting Services. Over the last several years, I’ve found my dreams circling around the things I’ve learned from the Deaf community—frameworks of collaboration and community. What could these values look like in a physical space? In Lakeside? …in The Scissors Building?

Early in the building idea, I was in talks with Gold Lion about a Mosaic x Gold Lion collaboration for the space. That no longer makes sense for many reasons, but there’s not a chance I would have been bold enough to buy a whole building without them. I’m grateful to them that I did.

The future of the building is in flux. Mosaic will have office space upstairs, and we are actively looking for a tenant while we navigate the zoning/ public works hoops. I see The Scissors Building as becoming a small but mighty shared community space. Maybe it’s a coffee shop? A smoothie bar? A community garden? Time will tell.

But you’re here about the scissors.

Post-charrettes and dreaming sessions, I called the number listed on the for sale sign. Mr. William Bullifant, the larger-than-life Lakesider and owner answered. I told him I was interested, but that any offer I made was contingent on the return of the scissors; where were they anyway? He had them. His ex-brother-in-law carved them with his own two hands using a chainsaw; they were dear to him. But he would consider including them if it really meant that much.

It did.

So I have them. But turns out they are made of wood. And wood rots. They’re absolutely crumbling.

Above: The author getting what she asked for.

Much like Lakeside, the Deaf Ecosystem is magic. Daphne pointed me to Tim. Tim’s a retired woodworker up in Northern Virginia, and a very kind soul. He came out to assess the damage and brought his neighbor Scott (also Deaf) along. Turns out Scott grew up on Ellis, used to sled on the golf course, played baseball at what my family calls “the little blue playground”, and grew up with William Bullifant. He knew the scissors well.

Above: William and a friend with the OG Lakeside Scissors. Photo courtesy of Scott.

So Tim comes Monday to start the repairs; he plans to finish on Friday. We’ll mount them on Sunday, April 19th as part of a Lakeside-centric ASL Crawl. Join for any or all; high fives will be abundant. But y’all, we get to build the world we want to live in. And the world I want contains a giant pair of scissors that belong to the people.

April 19th ASL Crawl Schedule:

Yoga in ASL with Susi, 10:30-11:30 am at Peak Experiences. Pay what you can; membership not required. Must sign waiver. English interpretation provided. 1375 Overbook Rd, RVA.

ASL Social, 12:00-3:00 pm at Davvero Gelato. Vegan gelato, coffee, and tea. Social is outside. 6931 Lakeside Ave, Henrico, VA 23228

Re-mounting of the Lakeside Scissors! 3:00-4:00 pm. Deaf and hearing community members will work together to put them back in their rightful place! The Scissors Building, 6201 Lakeside Ave, Henrico, VA 23228.

Scissors After Party, 4:00-6:00 pm (Close) at Final Gravity Brewing in Lakeside. Beer, non-alcoholic beverages (kombucha), and snacks available. 6118 Lakeside Ave, Richmond, VA 23228