Free Watford health checks to battle dog obesity epidemic
11:30am Friday 25th May 2012 in News By Mike Wright
Dogwalkers in Watford will be able to get free health checks for their pets as part of a new scheme to combat the obesity epidemic afflicting the nation’s canine population.
PetCheck units will be in parks in Watford and Garston over the next few weeks to give dog owners advise on what weight and shape their dog should be.
The veterinary charity PDSA said a recent study showed that 58 per cent of dogs in the South East are fed junk food and fatty treats by their owners on a daily basis, leading to ballooning collar lines.
As with humans, obesity in dogs can lead to potentially fatal illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.
Sean Wensley, a PDSA senior veterinary surgeon, said: “These figures highlight the importance of our Petcheck tour in helping owners to have a deeper understanding of their pet’s health and welfare needs and how to meet them.”
The scheme, which is being run by Watford Borough Council and PDSA, will start in Garston Park on Wednesday 6 June, Callowlands Park on Thursday 7 June and Cassiobury Park on Friday 8 June.
All sessions will run from 10am to 5pm.
Source: www.watfordobserver.co.uk
Tesco pushes virtual clothes in small London stores - Brand Republic
Tesco: rolls out F&F mobile campaign in London
The partnership will make the F&F collection available to buy in central London stores, which do not have the floor space to display the clothes, for the first time.
F&F clothing designs will appear in the windows of the Covent Garden, Dean Street and Tooley Street stores, allowing passers-by to purchase the clothes directly from their smartphones.
Passers-by who have the Aurasma app can point their mobile at one of the windows to view a virtual showcase of the F&F range on their device.
Viewers can then tap to purchase the item on display.
Emily Shamma, Tesco clothing online director, said: "Our smaller central London stores aren't big enough to have clothing ranges, so this is a great opportunity to help us to reach new customers.
The launch of the partnership comes at a difficult time for Autonomy, the company behind Aurasma.
Mike Lynch, Autonomy founder and chief executive, has resigned from the company amid confirmation that Hewlett-Packard, which bought Autonomy in October, would be cutting 27,000 jobs.
Follow Matthew Chapman at @mattchapmanUK
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
Source: www.brandrepublic.com
Emphatic victory for Rickmansworth Thirds (From Watford Observer) - Watford Observer
Rickmansworth Thirds make light work of Parkfield & Headstone Seconds
1:30pm Friday 25th May 2012 in Sport
Division Nine
Rickmansworth Thirds eased to a 154-run victory as they saw off Parkfield & Headstone Seconds.
It was all too easy for Ricky as they raced their way to 205 for six before declaring, with all of the top seven reaching double figures – Mark Raine (36) and Vish Rathi (31) providing the biggest contributions.
Parkfield’s chase never got going as they found themselves all out for 51.
Waheed Maroof (three for five), Andy Milner (three for ten) and Tony Norton (three for 21) tore through the order as Ricky claimed a comprehensive win.
Northwood Town Seconds suffered a disappointing eight-wicket defeat to Allenburys.
Traffic problems meant Town skipper Ravi Ramawat had to open and his reluctance was justified as the visitors were at 60 for four at drinks.
Opener Bobby Graham (33) stood firm though, and he was supported by Pradip Pandey (22) as Northwood stuttered to 140 for eight from their allotted overs.
In reply, Allenburys started poorly as Shameer Syed claimed a wicket and a brilliant catch off the bowling of Adam Hills. However, that was it for Town and the hosts eased to victory.
It was a youthful Leverstock Green Thirds side that fell to a 107-run loss at Bovingdon.
The home side posted 255 for seven as 16-year-old Sam Revell starred for Levy, finishing with figures of six for 40.
In reply, Green were skittled for 148 but Revell again impressed, scoring 54, and was ably supported by fellow youngster Connor Church (31).
Division Ten
It was honours even when Abbots Langley Thirds hosted Kings Langley Thirds as the local derby finished in a draw.
The home side elected to bat and looked in trouble when they found themselves on 88 for five after 27 overs.
However, Abbots put on an impressive recovery to lift themselves to 230 all out, with John Battams posting a fine 84 to lead the way.
It was a daunting total for Kings to chase and they made the worst possible start when both openers were dismissed with only one run on the board.
However, a solid partnership between Minesh Patel (70) and Jon Smith (67) steadied the ship and ultimately put them back on track.
Victory proved to be a bridge too far for Kings but a score of 201 for eight in their 48 overs was enough to hand them a draw.
An excellent all-round performance saw top-of-the-table Chorleywood Thirds beat Flamstead Seconds by 37 runs.
Tom Bindloss led the way with a fine 53 and was backed up by contributions from Simon Dare (39) and Geoff Boorer (35) to see Wood declare after 50 overs at 187 for seven.
Skipper Jeremy Hinds produced his best bowling display for the club as he picked up six wickets for the loss of 47 from his 18 overs to restrict Flamstead in their reply.
Mick Rose chipped in with two for 18 as Wood skittled their opponents for 150.
Division 12
Watford Town Thirds finally got their season underway as they enjoyed a seven-wicket victory over Flitwick Thirds.
Having lost the toss, Town were put in to the field but this looked to be a good thing as they tore through the Flitwick order, reducing them to 65 all out.
Jagit Singh’s spin bowling proved lethal as he claimed four for four, while Tamiur Abbas also impressed with the ball, picking up four wickets himself for the loss of just 15 runs.
With a low target to chase, Town eased their way to victory, posting 69 for the loss of just three wickets, with Jidran Mohmand (26) leading the way.
Hemel Hempstead Town Fifths went down to a two-wicket defeat against Stevenage Fifths.
Hemel were inserted by their opponents but despite noteworthy knocks from Tony Linfoot (58) and Martin Oborne (27), only two others claimed double figures, leaving them all out for 144.
Stevenage were perhaps that bit more consistent in their scoring as they sneaked over the line.
Trevor Radcliffe did most of the damage for Hemel, taking four for 37, while Oborne also chipped in with two at the expense of eight runs.
Division 13
Rickmansworth Fourths picked up a six-wicket success over near-neighbours Chorleywood Fourths, while top-of-the-table Bushey Thirds demolished Abbots Langley Fourths by nine wickets.
Division 14
Northwood Town Thirds remained at the summit following their narrow one-wicket triumph over Old Camdenians Thirds.
Comment now! Register or sign in below.
Or
Source: www.watfordobserver.co.uk
Sussex County Emergency Operations Center announces National Hurricane Preparedness Week May 27 thro - Sussex Countian
National Hurricane Preparedness Week will run from Sunday, May 27, through Saturday, June 2. Sussex County is urging local residents use the week to prepare now before the coming season brings a storm aimed at the coast.
Sussex County EOC Director Joseph L. Thomas says that preparation ahead of a storm is essential to limiting and preventing the loss of life.
"Based on the events of last summer with Hurricane Irene, I think everyone now realizes we are very much susceptible to tropical weather here," Thomas said in a Sussex County news release. "Hopefully, that was a wake-up call for our residents. As we enter the 2012 season, Irene can serve as a reminder of just how important it is to be ready, to have a plan, and to execute that plan when the time comes."
Hurricane Irene was the most significant threat to the mid-Atlantic region last season. Although it spared Delaware from substantial damage, the storm forced evacuations up and down the East Coast, including in Sussex County.
Forecasters are predicting a near-normal season this year. A near-normal season would have from nine to 15 named tropical systems. Of those, four to eight could become hurricanes. One to three of those could be major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Sussex County advises its residents to take the folllowing steps to protect their families and homes.
Those who live in flood-prone or other vulnerable areas should be prepared to evacuate quickly by planning a route and having have a storm kit ready.
If a storm is approaching, residents should secure all outdoor items, especially boats.
When evacuating, the county advises traveling during daylight hours and not waiting until the last minute to purchase gasoline and supplies.
Those who are ordered to evacuate and seek shelter elsewhere should follow the instructions of local emergency managers on where to go and when.
In case of a storm, phones should be uses sparingly and only for essential calls. Emergencies should be reported to 911. Mobile phones should be charged before a storm hits and power is lost.
If a hurricane or tropical storm hits, residents should expect polluted water, limited communication, no electricity, overflowing or backed-up sewers, undermined foundations, beach erosion and heavy damage to homes and roadways.
Hurricane season begins Friday, June 1 and runs through November. For more information on storm preparation and safety, visit www.sussexcountyde.gov.
Source: www.sussexcountian.com
Sussex budget plan may include tax rebate - Delaware Wave
GEORGETOWN -- Sussex County is considering a tax rebate that would effectively cut county property taxes by 7.8 percent in the coming fiscal year.
Because of a 2011 budget surplus, a 3.5 cent property tax rebate is in the fiscal year 2013 budget unveiled Tuesday. To be eligible, property owners must be current on tax payments. The proposed budget keeps tax rates steady at 44.5 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Overall, the draft budget submitted to the Sussex County Council devotes $121.1 million to operating expenses and capital projects, which is down from $140.1 million in the current budget. Most of the difference comes because of the loss of federal stimulus funds for expanding sewer systems.
The proposal includes a 2.25 percent cost-of-living raise for county employees and a smaller adjustment for retirees with pensions. It also increases grants to local law enforcement agencies to $25,000 per town, the highest level since 2009, and allows for employee merit raises.
"We took a hard look at merits to make sure they are justified when they are requested," said Sussex County Administrator Todd F. Lawson.
The county's real estate transfer tax, its largest share of income, has fluctuated in past years, cresting at $36.3 million in 2005. It's now projected to bring in $13.2 million, about the same level as last year. .
"I feel this is the new norm the county will live by," Lawson said of the projection for the transfer tax.
Increases in one part of the budget reflect pain and strife in the housing market. The county expects revenue generated by the Sheriff's Office to rise to $4 million, up from $2.8 million, with much of the increase generated by fees collected for handling foreclosures.
The county is scaling back its work to expand public sewer pipes now that about $20 million in federal stimulus money is going away. But capital spending for other projects is increasing by 50 percent to $13.2 million. The county expects to spend $4.5 million for improvements to the Sussex County Airport runway.
The budget also supports a plan to expand the public library in Greenwood and make improvements to the Milton and South Coastal libraries. In Greenwood, $3 million in state and county funds will go toward tripling the size of the current library.
Source: www.delmarvanow.com
Sussex RNLI warning over warm weather tombstoning - BBC News
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has warned of an increase in people jumping off piers and cliffs into shallow waters in Sussex over the weekend.
They fear the warm weather will seen a rise in so-called "tombstoning".
The RNLI said that taking part could lead to serious injury or death if a person misjudged the water depth.
In July 2011 a man suffered spinal injuries after jumping off Brighton Pier.
Mark Bell, from RNLI Brighton, said: "It's very difficult to judge the depth of the water beneath you.
"It's also surprisingly cold in the water, it's only around 10-11C at the moment and that can do all sorts of shocking things to your body when you jump in."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Comment now! Register or sign in below.
Or