Short Pump Kids Activity List & More...

I was searching the Internet looking to find what kid activities or events are available in Short Pump or the West End of Richmond and I came across the RichmondMom site.

First, I was able to find their wonderful list of kid activity options in the area. You can find it by going to the site and clicking on Fun For Kids. There were definitely some options on there that I did not know about even after living here for almost 8 years now.

As I perused the site deeper, I found that it is an excellent site that us not only operated by local moms, but it provides excellent resources and for local Moms. Even better, the site features local Richmond businesses and devotes 10% of their profits to Richmond Charities. Check out their Savvy Savers Card for savings while you patron local businesses.

Thanks Kate for launching http://www.Richmondmom.com- it is a great portal for local area moms!

Short Pump Layoffs Lead to Local Entrepreneurship...

Richmond has traditionally been a stable town when it came to employment. While it has its fair share of small business and entrepreneurs, the major companies like Capital One, Circuit City, Phillip Morris, Genworth, S&K and others traditionally have provided employment for many Short Pump residents.

Now, with the implosion of many of our large employers, there has never been a time like this when so many of our neighbors and friends are out of jobs.  I can honestly say in my entire adult career life I have never known so many people who were laid off at the same time.  I know of at least four families in town where both the husband and wife have been laid off.

It is quite upsetting to see this happening, but I must say that I am seeing some positives.  Many ex-employees are taking this opportunity to take more control of their lives by starting their own businesses.

Some are leveraging their expertise by starting up consulting businesses and reaching out to their network.  Others are finding contractor opportunities and setting up companies to handle this new kind of business. I have a friend who decided she would start a wedding planning business she has wanted to do for over ten years!  And another is launching an online business.

While the general economy is tough and with capital markets at a standstill, you might think entrepreneurship is not possible.  But many great businesses today started off in trouble times.

The state of unemployment is a wake up call that even government jobs are not secure anymore.  I have another close friend who is still employed but has started a part-time business to create a secondary income flow in the event she loses her job.

Virginia Business Formation.com, a popular incorporation and LLC formation services provider based in Richmond, is forming more businesses for local budding entrepreneurs than ever in its history.  I see this as a sign that we do not give up in troubled times.

We should also help out our local short pump business owners. . . buying a gift from a local gift store owner v. Target or Kohls or patronizing a locally owned and operated restaurant v. a corporate owned restaurant makes such a difference to that business and to our community.

Short Pump Fitness Options- Snap Fitness Over YMCA...

The effects of the economy and the current employment climate in Richmond just cannot be escaped in Short Pump.  Just in the last month, I know of at least 5 people in the area who have lost their jobs.

With the demise of Circuit City and the bankruptcy of S&K, our area is really being hit by the down economy.  Times like these really force families to think through what they spend money on and on what is important.

One area where I have seen some activity is in the fitness center options in Short Pump.  I probably drive through the Short Pump Crossing strip mall daily and lately I have seen more and more people working out at Snap Fitness.

This brings a smile to my face because I am always happy to see small businesses in Short Pump getting traction.  A neighbor of mine also just joined and he professes that a small gym like this provides everything he needs to remain in shape. .  . and the ease to get in and out plus the hours has really helped.

While the huge American Family complex will always attract anyone contemplating a fitness center, the pricing and long term commitments just do not make sense for most right now.  While the YMCA was traditionally an affordable alternative, the comparison to a Snap Fitness membership is quite substantial.

I believe there are other smaller fitness centers like Snap Fitness in the area.  Keeping in shape is important and these gyms provide an extremely affordable alternative, plus they help our local small business owners.

Short Pump Schools- Henrico County Redistricting U...

Well, the new redistricting maps for proposed Henrico County school districts have already been posted on the Henrico county website and there seems to be some significant changes from the original alternatives.

Apparently, these updated maps take into account “feeder” patterns which I believe has to do with keeping as many kids together as they go from elementary to middle to high school.  There is also a grandfathering plan which gives options for certain current students who may be affected by changes.

Many short pump neighborhoods are affected. Here are some key links

http://www.henrico.k12.va.us/boundaries/redistricting.html

Feeder pattern tables:

http://www.henrico.k12.va.us/boundaries/RedistrictingFiles/HighSchool2010/FebruaryPairing%201%20and%202%20Feeder%20Pattern%20Analysis%20Tables%20090212.pdf

There seem to be two maps being considered at this juncture: pairing 1 and pairing 2 http://www.henrico.k12.va.us/boundaries/RedistrictingFiles/HighSchool2010/February/Pairings%201%20and%202%2011%20X%2017%20Overlay%20090211.pdf

I know that the two options make a big difference for certain neighborhoods such as the Twin Hickory neighborhoods that are east of Nuckols.  Those may be removed from Deep Run under one option.

Another interesting change is the Colonies neighborhood which traditionally goes to Pocohantas.  Under both plans, those children will go to Short Pump Middle but the high school is still up in the air with one plan having them going to Godwin and the other Deep Run.

It is important you review these and provide comments on the two options if you have helpful thoughts and opinions.Comments can be sent to chairs of each committee:

Elementary – J. LEE HIGGINBOTHAM, JR. jlhigginbotham@henrico.k12.va.us

Middle School – DIANNE B. SEARGENTdbseargent@henrico.k12.va.us

High School – Jeff Franz  jfranz@henrico.k12.va.us

Bust Bowl 2009 at Short Pump Bowl America...

HERE IS A GUEST POST ABOUT A VERY IMPORTANT SHORT PUMP EVENT:

The Breast Cancer 3 Day is a is a 60 mile walk over three days benefitting Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.  It is a 501 (c) (3) charity.  In 2007 a local team was formed and raised $14,000.  In 2008 team America the Boobiful raised almost $60,000.  Our goal for 2009 is to raise $75,000.  Every person on the team is required to raise $2,300 and many weekends you will see us training all over ten miles or more.  Past fundraisers have included The Bust Bowl, Bust for Bogey’s, Blues for Boobs, raffles, and partnerships with several local restaurants.  We will be walking in October, 2009.

Our team has made quite a name for itself in the local community and in the larger 3 Day family.  We have been mentioned in many publications including the Richmond Times Dispatch, The Henrico Citizen, VA Jewish Life magazine and a center spread layout in Short Pump Life magazine.

Out of 700+ teams, America the Boobiful came in 4th overall for fundraising dollars  and number of teammates.

The interesting part about our team is that it is made up of many cancer survivors, mother / daughter combos, walkers, crew and women and men ranging in age from the 20s – 60s.  We are an inclusive team and won’t turn away anyone that wants to participate.  Our biggest goal is to work as a team and share the wealth as we meet our financial requirement.

Come join us as a walker or crew.  We are having a big Fundraiser, The Bust Bowl 2009 at the Short Pump Bowl America Feb 28th.  Check us out at www.americatheboobiful.com for info.

Circuit City’s Closing Affects Short Pump Fa...

The news yesterday of Circuit City going into liquidation was actually quite shocking.  Circuit City has always been a part of Richmond and it really is hard to imagine a business which has been around for 60 years not being able to survive somehow.

While employees were told there was a 25% chance this would happen, most everyone was pretty confident an acquisition would come and save the company.  The sad thing is that Circuit City employees worked like crazy to negotiate and finalize a deal only to find out that the banks got cold feet and, at the end of the day, refused to finance the acquisition.

I am sad for my fellow Short Pump family neighbors and friends who are being affected by this.  We know of a family who moved here last year to work for Circuit City here in Richmond.  Both husband and wife worked for them and so now they are pretty much facing the reality that given the local job market, they will need to once again uproot their family.

Then, there is the father of an old family friend of mine who worked for Circuit City for 30 years.  The news is hitting him not only financially but emotionally given his commitment to the company.

Another friend I have is a little younger and has worked for Circuit City for the past few years.  She loved her job and her colleagues and was working hard to make FireDog a success.  She just got married this year and bought a house a few months ago.  Losing her job is a big hit to her and her husband and with a new mortgage, little savings, and little opportunity in Richmond, they are dealing with a lot of uncertainty and stress.

Today, our entire Short Pump community is feeling the sadness for all our friends and family affected by losing their jobs. I have heard that the last few months have really been an emotional roller coaster for those who work there and those who tried to save it somehow.  As with any loss, there is some closure to the final news and so hopefully, this makes it easier to move on . . . to bigger and better things.

Short Pump Trader Joe’s for an Affordable Fa...

Life is so busy and one problem we often face is that sometimes our schedule gets so hectic that it is difficult to find time to cook a home-made meal every night for dinner.  And, given the current state of the economy (which is hitting Richmond pretty hard), we, like many other short pump families, are really trying to be more frugal when it comes to groceries and eating out.

I just cannot justify the costs to eat out at a non-fast food restaurant for more than twice week.  And, I cannot bear to eat fast food for dinner.

One recent discovery I had was that you can feed a family of 4 for less than $10 with some pretty good pre-made food at Trader Joe’s in Short Pump.  Recently, we bought a Chinese mandarin orange chicken and a family size side of asparagus.  The asparagus was steamed without any heavy or unhealthy sauce on it. I cooked some white rice at home and voila- a nice dinner with decent food for very little cost and effort!

We have tried a salmon dish, a few pastas and some vegetable meals and really liked them.  I was not too crazy about their fish taco meal and some of their sir fry meals get a little too saucy.  But, overall, there is a good selection of these meals that I am sure any family will find a good combination of foods for a really affordable price.  The quality definitely beats the typical processed frozen dinners from the grocery store and the nutrition is much better.

I am still experimenting with other meals there but so far, we have all liked the food and my husband loves the prices!

Short Pump Shools Dominate the Governor’s Aw...

Congratulations to Gayton Elementary, Nuckols Farm Elementary, Shady Grove Elementary, Short Pump Elementary, Twin Hickory Elementary, and Pocahontas and Short Pump middle schools.  All these schools were honored with the Governor’s award for educational excellence!

It is no secret that many choose to make their home here because of our excellent Short Pump schools.  I have moved three times in the past 6 years – all in the Short Pump area and each time I had to sell a house, all the potential buyers wanted to move here primarily for their school aged children.

I went to private school so when it came time to send my first born to kindergarten, we were actively looking for a private school and attended orientations at Steward, Collegiate, and Saint Catherines.  All of those schools were excellent and quite impressive.

However, when we visited with our local elementary public school and met with the principal, teachers and other staff, we also realized the great opportunities and potential of our neighborhood school.  So, we decided against the +$15,000/year tuition of private schools.  The administration and the teachers at our school are top rate and even more important, they are dedicated to truly teaching our children and challenging their potential.

While we are still early on in our educational journey with the Henrico public schools, I cannot be more pleased with the progress of my children.  I am happy that our school was one that won the award because I know how hard the staff and teachers work to help our kids each and every day!

Henrico County Redistricting Update- Some are Up i...

Well- the talk of the bus stop is all about the redistricting plans for Henrico country schools.  The initial redistricting meetings took place earlier this week and it generated traffic and crowds.  Many parents are quite troubled about the proposed changes under the different plans.

Many concerns really relate to “change” as change always brings about resistance and uncertainty.  But, with a community like Short Pump and its growth, change is inevitable.  For example, one of the big concerns relates to the move of some neighborhoods from Pocahontas Middle School to Short Pump Middle School. Both schools are excellent in every regard but the thought of friends splitting up when they would not under the current structure just troubles some.

Short Pump’s West Broad Village- Will Reside...

I am sure everyone has been affected by the sheer size of the West Broad Village’s construction activities here in Short Pump. The project is 526,000 square feet which is amazing but is it really big enough to create the “urban village” setting that they hope will attract residents who will want to live in a main street setting with a more city like atmosphere?

To me, it seems strange because Short Pump is not an urban setting but rather a suburban setting. I lived in an urban setting for 6 years prior to moving to Richmond and what attracted me to living in a real urban areas was that the entire area was an urban setting.

I just wonder whether a miniature replica of an urban setting covering a relatively small section of the area is sufficient to be successful for people who want to live in such a setting?

Now, I am not a real estate expert and I am sure the real estate developers did their research.  Perhaps, there will be a group of baby boomers who will enjoy having sidewalks and places to walk to for shopping and eating.

My concern mostly focuses on the residential aspect of the area.  I can see where restaurants like McCormick & Schmicks and Dave & Busters will attract a strong following just as the other main stream franchised restaurants in Short Pump.

I do hope they are successful in selling their 545 townhouse and 339 apartments/condo units as I would hate to see a vacant glut in the midst of the other activity in West Broad Village.  Time will tell!