Chesterfield County's Adoption Fee

By Jasmine Allen and Ben Brown

On Wednesday April 14th, a new change for Chesterfield’s animal shelters went under its first consideration.

A public hearing took place among the county’s Administration Board of Supervisors regarding the approval of a partnership with The Richmond Animal League and the SPCA.

Chesterfield County opened up a bid to various companies that would provide spaying and neutering services. The Richmond Animal League agreed to provide these sterilization services.

The proposal states that the adopters will pay $60 instead of the current $10 fee to cover the expense of pre-adoption sterilization.

County Administrator, James Stegmaier, describes how Chesterfield adopters are required under the law to provide sterilization services themselves but had a “level of non-compliance”, which resulted in stray animals.

Like any other animal shelter, Chesterfield’s shelter sometimes transfers numerous dogs and cats to the Richmond SPCA that are without housing.

One other factor about the shelters that differs from the Richmond SPCA is their stance on euthanasia. Shelter Manager Alice Berry of the Chesterfield County Animal Shelter, reassures that “no healthy animal is euthanized.”

The goals of the proposed partnership are: to ensure that there are no more homeless animals than there are enough shelter facilities, to gradually transform Chesterfield animal shelters into no-kill organizations and overall save the lives of every healthy and treatable animal in the community.

Black Friday at Best Buy

Black Friday at Best Buy
Jasmine Allen
12.07.09

At 6:40 a.m. outside of Best Buy in Virginia Beach, Dwan Thomas of Washington, D.C. excitedly declared, “We’re about to hit Wal-Mart, Target, Old Navy, and probably Khol’s.”
With a smile on her face and a basket full of electronics and gadgets, Thomas appeared to be excited about what the rest of the day had in store for her and her friends.
A few items out of many that she purchased were a TV, printer, and a Bluetooth.
Like many other local shoppers, Thomas was taking advantage of the early discounts, deals, and marked down prices that only arrive once every year.
This special day was Black Friday, the largest shopping day of the year where certain stores around the country provide sales on some of their best items and open at the earliest hours in the morning.
Dated as the Friday after Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday attracts many holiday shoppers.
With lines of people waiting for stores to open the morning of Black Friday, desperate shoppers do not mind spending their Thanksgiving night sleeping in their vehicle or camping outside the doors of the store.
One store that usually has customers in anticipation every year is Best Buy.
With various choices of electronics and entertainment such as laptops, cameras, movies, and video games, Best Buy provides many different gadgets and home appliances.
Thomas wanted her first stop to be Best Buy because to others like her, it seems like technology heaven.
This Best Buy store location had cops monitoring enter and exit doors to ensure the smooth flow of non-stop traffic.
While couples, groups of friends and families rushed in and out of the store’s automatic doors, employees greeted nicely and asked if they needed assistance with anything.
Teenagers and young children rushed over to the game section while most of the adults gazed over the flat screen televisions and lap tops.
Every employee was occupied with a customer explaining an item and the great deal they could receive from buying it.
Camcorders were marked down as low as $70 and washer and dryers at $200. The customers seemed to be unable to resist the bargains.
First time Black Friday shopper, Neal Miller, described what he experienced within the 30 minutes that he was in Best Buy.
“I just stopped by because I was curious how crowded it would be and everything….there was a line for some of the special lap top deals that people are still waiting for,” he said.
Thomas also described her experience with Best Buy’s quick customer service despite the ambush of people that were entering in and out.
“We just walked right in,” Thomas explained. “Got what we needed. Got right in line, like soon as I got to the thing they were like okay go to number nine and I was paying for my stuff.”
Manager Chris Jennison reassured that great service is what they want customers like Thomas and Miller to experience first, especially during a shopping day like Black Friday.
“There are a lot of customers… There’s a nice traffic… I think we kind of got it organized to a point where we’re organizing chaos,” said Jennison.
Thomas enjoyed the one hour she spent in Best Buy, but despite the nice customer service, the Black Friday sales didn’t quite meet up to her expectations.
“The sales weren’t as good as they usually are,” she said with a sigh. “Thinking about the past Black Fridays I’ve been out, they weren’t as good as I wanted them to be.”
Miller informed that the sales could perhaps be an asset to store retailers.
“I think it helps retailers too by getting people in the door. Everybody is out for a bargain and retailers are looking to provide good service,” said Miller.
Jennison stated that Black Friday, “Helps us by allowing customers to come and see what we can offer. People don’t normally come and shop in the store…and to see what Best Buy is all about…the level of service we can offer them opposed to some of our competitors.”
Jennison believes that Black Friday can help their store’s revenue as well.
When asked where the store’s ranking stood compared to some of it’s other competitors, Jennison smiled with a nod and said, “This one, as far as revenue wise is the top on the east coast.”
Other available sites on “Black Friday at Best Buy” :
Link to the Black Friday 2009 Advertisement Web Site: http://bfads.net/
http://bfads.net/Best-Buy
Link to the Best Buy Web Site: http://www.bestbuy.com/
Link to a Best Buy Live Blog: http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/27/black-friday-live-blog-whats-your-doorbuster-of-choice/

Powered by Podbean.com

If I Were a Boy

If I were a Boy….
In the home that I was raised in and grew up
Maybe my parents wouldn’t have made such a fuss
About me staying out at the mall and the park late
And forbidding me to out go on a simple date

If I were a Boy….
My mother wouldn’t have made me washed the dishes
Or cater to my brothers’ many desired wishes.
The requirement to know how to cook and clean
Wouldn’t have been on my top priorities as a teen.

If I were a Boy….
I would have been able to play football with the guys
Wouldn’t have been seen as sensitive or easy too cry
I would have been able to get messy in the dirt
And play on the monkey bars without worrying about my skirt

If I were a Boy….
Maybe my math teacher would have called on me more
And had the confidence in me to receive higher scores.
My band teacher would’ve not doubted my ability on the bass drum
And a dedicated drum major I still think I can become

If I were a Boy….
In college, my dad wouldn’t call every five seconds
Because, “You are a man now,” he would reckon.
He would be more open with me about the birds and the bees.
Privileged to a lot of things is how he would see me.

If I were a Boy…
I would go out into the broad and competitive work force
My income would be the main money source
Grocery shopping would never be my job to do for the house
It would all be left in the hands of my spouse

But Im not a boy….
See I don’t understand
How it feels to live each day
Knowing you have the upper hand
So I think I’ll just stay
The way that God made me
Cause I love the way I am
I enjoy my femninity

Jen on MIX 103.7

Jen On Mix 103.7
Jasmine Allen
11/18/09
http:///mix1037.com/

Jen Towner is usually the beautiful voice that you hear alongside Jack Indigo on 103.7 everyday. Being a disk jockey has many challenges, but Towner loves her job and what she does each and everyday; informing and entertaining.
With a bubbly personality and social qualities, radio, in her eyes, was meant to be the career for her.
On Monday 9, Towner answered a few questions through e-mail about her career and her job as a broadcast hostess on the radio station. She was very excited about the interview request and was quick in her response.
Q: Where were you born?
A: In Michigan
Q: When did you first realize you had an interest in broadcast radio?
A: When I was 15-In high school.
Q: How did you get started in radio broadcast? (From high school to college)
A: I started when I was 15 at our high school station then I started in commercial radio when I was 16.
Q: What were your main jobs during your career?
A: I have done mornings a large part of my career. I have also served in production, programming assistant, Afternoon drive and Mid-days on the air. I have also served in marketing positions both in radio and for other media and was in advertising for a year as well.
Q: How long have you been a dj for Mix 103.7?
A: About 4 years.
Q: Why did you choose to work at 103.7?
A: When I got married my husband and I moved to Richmond. I had been off the air for a while and got back into radio at Cox radio in an advertising position. I then made my way back on the air eventually.
Q: What show on 103.7 do you usually do and what is it about?
A: The morning show; It’s about everything. We have a two person team. It’s “Mix in the Morning” currently with Fisher and myself. We talk about what’s going on in the world- male/female topics, pop, culture, what people are talking about, etc. Listeners play a large part of the show as call-ins to whatever we are talking about.
Q: Do you think that 103.7 is where you may continue to stay at?
A: Yes. I love my company and my station!
Q: Have you ever considered moving from radio to TV broadcast?
A: Not really. TV news would probably be too serious for me. I’ve done some TV with telethons etc. and commercials, but I like the radio side.
Q: What are the disadvantages of being a radio dj?
A: When you first get started you may tend to move around a lot. It has changed over the years. Some people may thing the hours I work (I have to be to work at 4:30 a.m.) would be a con, but I don’t.
Q: Most djs enjoy doing voice impersonations; what are your favorites?
A: Ha! You don’t want to hear any of mine.
Q: What do you feel makes you different from other local female djs?
A: Making people laugh is a big plus. It’s fun knowing your getting people moving in the morning. It’s very rewarding to do things for the community as well. This year we have just kicked off our second annual Feed Richmond campaign with the Central Virginia Food bank and sponsors. There is a huge need in our community and it feels good doing something about it! Examples like that are awesome!
Q: If you weren’t doing radio broadcasting, what do you think you would be doing?
A: I have been doing it for so long so not sure. I love Realestate; it’s a hobby. I guess it would be really cool to be the voice of a cartoon character; that would be a blast!
Q: Where do you see yourself in the next five to 10 years?
A: Wherever I am, I will be happily with my husband and doing what I do in my career! Waking people up in Richmond is what I love!

Howitzer Landmark

Located at North Harrison and Grove Avenue, stands a tall statue in a very miniature and relaxing park. Circled by beautiful green grass, purple flowers and six park benches, the statue is of a male figure that faces towards the Virginia Commonwealth University campus.
The 30 to 40-year-old male with a hat in his left hand and a pole in his right, stands upon a rock and looks amongst the view before him. Possibly constructed of a green bronze, he wears a button-up collar jacket, a belt with a buckle that wraps around the jacket, long pants, and high-calf boots with button up on the side.
Down at the middle of the statue states the purpose of its presence “To Commemorate the Deeds and Service of The Richmond Howitzers of the Period 1861-1865.”
Carved on the left side and right side of the statue are reefs with different symbols placed in the middle of them. On the left reef it states “Cita, Mors, Aut, Victoria, Lafta” and on the right it quotes “From Bethel to Appomattox.”
On the back side of the rock he stands upon, it addresses how long the statue has possibly been on site by stating “Cast By The Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co. New York 1892.” The statue’s back side shows how much the weather may have been a factor to its gradual deterioration because of the light green and brown mildew streaks that run from his head to his pants.
Despite the clear evidence of old age, the figure seems highly significant to some aspect by his graceful facial expression and authoritative by the way he positions himself upon the rock with the pole pointing upward in his right hand. This may reveal that this person is very influential and that he is prepared to lead his followers to freedom and justice.

The Laundry Lady

I walked into my neighborhood’s on-campus laundry mat this past Saturday to find another resident also washing her clothes. Every Saturday morning that I have gone to do my laundry, this was the first time I had company there with me. The back side of the laundry room is where I usually do my laundry, but this time I decided to do it in the front where the other resident, Mrs. Nancy, was also doing her laundry. The washer machines usually have a tendency of taking my $1.25 and then not working, and this day I decided to ask her if the washer I was located at works properly.

“You have to insert the coins and then close the lid for it to work,” stated the 60ish-year-old woman with curly hair, high-waist jeans and bulky glasses.

I definitely already knew that, I just wanted to know if the washer would work correctly for me. To prevent my money from being taken, I thought it would be best to ask someone for a heads up; I was wrong.

“The machines have taken my money before and I had to contact the leasing office numerous of times about the problem,” I responded.

She appeared delighted with the conversation, and bragged that the laundry’s property management always makes sure to return patrons’ lost money and makes sure that the laundry mat is clean. It seemed as if I started a conversation that I couldn’t get my self out of.

“If you have any problems though, you should always call that laundry service number right there located on the wall. They normally will come out here to make sure every washer and dryer is working well,” Mrs. Nancy explained with a smile.

The conversation continued for 25 more minutes, and she continued to repeat the same things over and over again about how she has been living on the property for 18 years and how the management is very serious about pleasing its residents when it comes to the laundry mat. I slowly tried to ease my way out the door but she continued to blabber on. I started to feel uncomfortable and I felt like she could possibly be a crazy psycho woman. She persistently kept stuttering and glazing down at the ground while fumbling around with her hands.

“Just write a sign out and place it on the washer or dryer when ever it seems as if it is not in proper working condition,” she said as looked down at her hands. “It will let other residents know to not use it. Then call that laundry service number right on the wall to inform them about the problem.”

I felt like I had to get out of there because my head was spinning with her repetition.

“Well, thank you so very much for the vast amount of information you have just shared with me Mrs. Nancy,” I said, annoyed while I opened up the door to freedom. “I really appreciate it and it was nice meeting you.”

“Yes and if you need anything just call the laundry service number because usually the Match Point Apartment Office is really good with keeping up with these types of things,” she said.

“OK now, bye!”

I rapidly opened the exit door and

walked out with relief. I had

finally made it to freedom, but

now I feel like the lonely lady just

needed some company