Do You Really Expect Us To Be Here Just For You?

It amuses me to no end .. when some ppl who obviously need our help - meaning need money and want to sell stuff to us.. and expect the boss to be here 24/7 just waiting for them to come back or to come in after a phone call.  They don’t really understand that we have other things to do ..  do they..??  Can you imagine asking the Rochester personal injury lawyer to not receive any other clients - just so you will turn up and see him and chat with him about your case..??  Some even huff and puff when the boss isn’t around when they arrive with bagful of stuff to sell us..  and trying to let me know that they are pissed by the fact he isn’t around .. when they just hung up the phone on him.  But you see when the boss is around.. they are ever so sweet.. as if it never happened before.

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Genuinely Blurrrrrr?

Fellow was in to rent some movies today.. and the man asked him about the movies he had rented a couple of days ago.  He said no.. i bought them - in which i replied no they were rentals at $2 each.  In which, he looked totally confused and then said  .. oh he wondered why he got the movies at 2 bucks each.. and he was thinking of buying all his movies now.  *roll eyes*.  Even a cup of coffee from  Nespresso would have cost that much.. what made him think that a movie cost $2 tax included at that..??   Genuinuely blur .. ?? or just dishonest..??

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Ppl Are Rough

Last nite a customer came in to look at an ipod.. and he wanted to look at just about everything.. which was fine by me.  But i tell you .. he was sure rough on the thing.  Even though they are used items.. all of them look likee they were new.  But he dropped it.. he poked on the buttons.. and tried to open the box with force.  And in the end.. he didn’t buy it… muahahahah…!!!

As a human being and a mother.. we teach our kids not to touch ppl’s stuff.. especially those in the store.. in case they get damaged.  Even I, myself take care of other’s stuff.. when i wanna try them out.. but these ppl are sure rough on our things.. and i cannot imagine.. how they treat their own things.

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Testing Product

Say if you are out buying a camera in Walmart.. would you request to take a picture of the store assistant.. to test the camera out..??  Ppl are weird .. they wanted to take a picture of the boss.. to test out the camera.. and the boss let them..!!!!!  *roll eyes*.

Obviously, this is weird to me lah.. !!!  it makes me think they are up to something.. or they are in love with the man or something.. muahahahhahaha!!!  But can’t they just take a picture of the store..  or of their mother..?? or kids that were in..???  why the man..???  You say strange or not..??

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Donch Compare Us With Walmart

Obviously, we cannot compete with Walmart prices.. but yet .. some very “smart” ppl still come in here.. and do that.  And no manners at that.. by speaking so loudly .. that they can get this at Walmart for this amount .. and we are selling it at that amount.  Ppl are definitely not taught about manners at all here are they..?? they have no respect for the business ppl that own the shop.. and definitely showed no respect for themselves by behaving so badly.  Keep your opinion to yourself.. and if we could sell cheaper than Walmart.. we wouldn’t be a small business.. we would be called some big boys name… - STUPID…!!

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The Petition Again

So someone wrote last week that we should let the farmer’s decide on where the locality of Farmer’s market is best for them.  But does that person have any stake in downtown..?? does that person have their life -savings dumped into their businesses in downtown..?? does that person have a job that can be affected if the store wasn’t doing well… because there are no one coming down town..??  does that person have a property downtown .. that can be affected if business was bad..??

I can bet that person who wrote the above.. does not have all the above stakes..  but WE DO..!!!  if the town needs to put up money for the Farmer’s market building.. shouldn’t the ppl have a say..?? not only downtown.. but the ppl in this town..???   Sure the person who wrote that on the local papers is very eloquent and a older member of this community.. but like i said.. DOES HE HAVE A STAKE IN DOWNTOWN..???  if he doesn’t .. maybe he should listen to us .. the downtown business ppl.. who had put all and everything .. they have .. into this downtown business..??

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So They Went To B.C

Yes.. 5 councilors and a son .. went to B.C paid by the taxpayer’s money.. and have we seen a report yet..??  Like i said.. i can understand if the mayor wants to go.. and another to hold his hands.. to speak to those important ppl..  but why do we need another 3 fellas to go .. plus a son of one of the councilors..??  While they are so freely spending the tax payer’s money.. the claimed that they cannot fund the school .. or many items on the agenda.. it doesn’t make sense.. what they are doing..??

The new airlines came into town.. and they got the free flight to the city.. ??  *roll eyes* .. but all these were not even offered to anyone else.. except for the councilors..??  some ppl cannot afford to buy Stimerex ES and yet.. the councilors can spend a good $15K for a vacation..?? so where’s the report..??  Should I hunt it down..??  Is there a point..??  is this town doomed..??

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Short Sighted?

These are the ppl who runs our town.  These are the ppl whom we depend on to make this town a better place not only for us .. but for our future generation.  Looking very prosperous .. might I add .. some may need some diet pills really soon, if they continue to not do anything but sit and look nice.  Last year the ppl of this town took a stand.. and voted against quite a number of old town councilors in hope for a better future.. in hope of better leadership.  In hope of better accountability, in hope of transparency .. in hope of some good heads on the shoulder of ppl whom we can look up to.  In hope of a voice for us.. and not for themselves or their cronies.

6 months into the new councilors and a new mayor, we in my humble opinion has a invisible mayor.. who never even acknowledged me when i passed him on the street .. during Christmas last year.  Most of them.. i haven’t seen, except for the deputy mayor and Ken Langille who had answered a few emails.. from the spouse.

Have we elected the wrong team to represent us..?? sure we know that changes takes time.. and it cannot be done overnite.. but what had they done so far..?? except to have taken a trip that cost the tax payer’s money of ONLY $15k .. and i heard one even brought his son for the trip.. supposedly for some convention with the federal ppl..??  they are back.. but are they gonna give us an accountability report..??  i’ve yet to see any of it.. in the last 10 yrs of my stay in this town.  And it looks like I’m not the only one who ain’t too, too happy about the new councilors.

A group of citizens confronted Yarmouth Town Council last evening with angry words. They’re upset over a proposal for the residential development of the Milton school property. Spokesperson Susan Hood presented council with a 1267 name petition, demanding the peoperty be developed as a recreational park. The group accused council of being short sighted in dictating its will against the wishes of the community. Councillor Ken Langille said he was offended by the tone of the message.  Residents argued the Milton school property has served as a playground since 1864.  Council has agreed to call a public meeting on the issue next month.

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Municipality Building - Money Wasted?

This is the municipality building that is outta town now .. and build for like $6million dollars.  The building that the ppl outta town refused to have it.. but they still broke grown.. and had it up and running before the justice center at south end was build.

This building houses like 13 employees .. and in October 2007, the local papers reported that even though there were concerns by other town councils.. they were out voted and they even broke ground.. when there was a roomful of residents opposing the building.

The Municipality of Yarmouth will proceed with plans to build a much debated and much-talked-about new office building at the site of the former Hebron School.

Council voted 4-2 at last Wednesday night’s regular meeting to accept the lowest tender of $4.89 million from Delmar Construction, the only local firm to bid on the project. With the motion to approve was an instruction to the project architect to keep the cost of the project at or below $4.5 million before taxes. The highest of three tenders received for the project was $6 million from Pomerleau Construction.

Councillors Ken Crosby and Gilles Robichaud, the two councillors who voted against the motion, both said the project was too expensive to support and that not enough research was put into other possible project sites or options.

Robichaud suggested that rather than using the Hebron site, the new building could be located in the municipality’s industrial park. He said it would serve as good advertising to prospective businesses if they see that the municipality feels good enough about the park to locate there themselves. He also said the cost of water hook-up and architect fees should be included in the project cost.

At the end of the day, said Robichaud, due diligence was not done on the project because a full study and proper review was never completed.

For Crosby’s part, the price tag was just too high. He said he was not prepared to go beyond the initial project figure of $2.5- $3 million. He said he is yet to be convinced that a high-quality building could not be constructed for that figure.

“We’ve done no exploring and we’re sitting here with a price tag of $4.8 million,” he said. Crosby was also concerned that, while at the moment council is in a position to handle the cost of the project, there could come a time when things might get tight financially and such a cost could become a burden.

“Let’s not put all our eggs in one basket,” he said.

But as the vote shows, the opinions of Crosby and Robichaud were those of the minority and not shared by Warden Bryan Smith, Deputy Warden Brian Noble and councillors Leland Anthony and Daniel Muise. Councillor Staley Goodwin did not attend the meeting.

Noble, the most vocal supporter of the project from day one, said that while he “laboured with this decision,” he always returned to the Hebron site as the best plan.

“I want something that the residents would be proud of, that our council would be proud of,” he said. “The cost is high — I accept that . . . Any new building today is going to be expensive.”

Noble also expressed concern that if the building were to go in the industrial park, they would not be able to control what other businesses might set up around them. The deputy warden worried that something like a sawmill or cement plant could set up shop next to their office in the 75-acre business park that already includes Register.com and CSC.

Leland Anthony said that while the price of the project is higher than his self-imposed limit of $3.6- $3.8 million, he said the municipality would reap the benefits of the extra $1 million.

“The price tag is well worth the bucks that this municipality will have to spend to build it,” he said.

Anthony said the new building, which he called “a show-stopper,” is forward thinking and would be relevant well into the future.

The future also played into Smith’s decision to support the project.

“You can be progressive, regressive or stay the same,” he said, adding that with this project they are building for 20 years down the road.

Smith said that while he did consider the industrial park as a possible alternate location, the project architect talked him out of it. He said a lack of security in the park as well as the issue of forcing residents to contend with traffic there when they go to the municipal office to conduct business, doesn’t make for a good location.

When council discussed the building at their last meeting, Muise was the most uncertain about how he would vote, saying that he would wait to see the final tender before making his decision.

Though he said the price was high, he said supporting the project was the right move. He said as he trusted the people he elected to make decisions on buildings such as the new justice centre, correctional facility and school board office, residents of the municipality must trust their councillors to make this decision for them.

“People are elected to make these hard decisions,” he said. “Waiting longer (to build the new office) is going to cost more.”

Staff for the municipality said the building would be paid for over 30 years and would not have an impact on the tax rate or the municipality’s ability to undertake other capital projects on an annual basis. The future sale of the courthouse could also be used to help pay for the project.

This was the first time i saw the new municipality building yesterday.  And you know what..??  I felt so sad.. with that $6million dollars, the town could have helped the school, could have building an art center.. could have build a community center - like the ones we have back home.  But nope.. they only wanna take care of themselves.  They do no shit for anyone of us here.. not us . .not our children.. nor our future generation.  They really should take a page from the Singapore government.

14 November 2007

Ground was officially broken Wednesday at the site of the new office building for the Municipality of Yarmouth.

“I’ve always said nothing happens until you see an excavator on the job. Well, you saw a shovel on the job,” said Warden Bryan Smith moments after pitching a gold coloured shovel into the ground where students once attended Hebron School.

Smith said formal work at the site should begin the same day as the sod turning with overfill going to the long-delayed soccer field at the bottom of the hill. Although construction was once eyed to begin in October, Smith said he thinks the new building could be complete by early 2009.

The new building is one of the most controversial issues to hit the municipality in some time. Much debate and outcry has come since talk that the building could cost more than $5 million. Council approved a price tag of $4.5 million before taxes and not including architect fees.

This decision was favoured over renovating the court house building or scaling the project back to the originally proposed price of $2.5 million. The fact that much of the project’s planning happened with little to no fanfare or notice to, and inclusion of, the general public is also a sore spot for many, a matter most councillors now admits was a mistake.

Smith said that although people are still sending the municipality and The Vanguard letters opposing council’s decision to proceed with the building without taking more time to examine the matter, he hopes they will eventually come around.

“You would hope that they do,” said Smith, “but I think it’s like anything else in life — not everybody agrees with what you do. I mean, look at solid waste, for example. What percentage is not even abiding by the bylaws of what we’re supposed to do?”

When council awarded the tender for the project to Delmar Construction last month it did so with the stipulation that the price be kept at or below $4.5 million (Delmar’s bid was $4.89 million). Smith said that directive was followed and that they are also looking at the possibility of accessing funding for the high tech in-ground heating system through the province’s Department of Energy.

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Good Neighbours @ The Store

Yes..!! despite not really mixing around alot or socialising with our business associates around our stores.. all of them had been really good to us.  Last nite before we closed.. we had a call from Mr Zhu the boss for the Chinese Restaurant, he asked if we could wait for him… for a few minutes.. because he roasted some ribs for us.  It was really nice of him to do that.. and he really don’t have to .. because .. the web awareness we are working for him..  is paid for.

But having said that.. we have had lots of goodwill with other store owners..like the ppl from Well Fargos.. who gave so generously to the brat’s Penny For Playground and so did the hair shop.. and the gift store. .and the ladies at the craft store.. the christian book store. .and the gals at Tim’s .. they each gave like $10 .. and Toots.. of course.. the deputy mayor is really, really nice to the brat.  I remembered the day she was born.. he gave $50 to chloe.  Now that’s very nice.. isn’t he.

So yes.. despite having to deal with the 1 % of idiot customers.. there are a lot to look forward to . .downtown.  Our lease comes up in November this year.. and we are seriously contemplating about moving to Starrs Road…  but with all these nice neighbours surrounding us..it’s hard to make the decision right..??  So we’ll see what the other place has to offer.

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New Internet Offer

It had been a busy week at the store and of course, we us actively going into petitioning for the farmer’s market thing for the town, we really had very little time for everything else.  Of course, we had our fair share of ppl coming into our store to sell stuff like televisionsдивани and what nots… as soon as we open door for business - we also seems to be getting a lot of organisation asking for donation this year.

We can’t wait for the summer to come.. because this year .. we have a different set up for the tourist.. that comes for internet service.  Yes, we’ve decided to store away the adult room.. and make room for a tiny set up for internet access.. it  really doesn’t cost us a lot.. and at $5/hr .. if i were the tourist.. i wouldn’t have any trouble forking it out.    Another means of making money for our vacation fund back to Asia.

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A Petition

We started our petition on Monday for the town to consider putting the farmer’s market downtown instead of the Mariner Center.  It is obvious that the town do not know what petition .. and the meaning of it.. before signing.. because we see another petition to have the Farmer’s market placed downtown amongst our businesses/store downtown.  How can having the Farmer’s market at the Mariner Center benefit anyone except those who owns the Mariner Center..??  Shouldn’t the Farmer’s Market be put near where the tourist is most likely to see it.. so that they can join in the festivities..??  I’m getting not only hypertension from all these issues of the town.. but also acne.. someone recommend me a natural acne treatment please.

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Housing Crisis

It is quite disturbing to see and hear that 100s of ppl were evicted from their apartment because sleazy landloard didn’t pay their power bills and mortgages.  The cops here or in the city were called down to look into it.. and today the local news said.. that this is a major investigation.  But what about the ppl with no where to stay..???  i donch care if they are on welfare or just a bum.. no one or epecially no kids should be on the street.   This town is so small.. and i cannot understand.. how did this happened..??

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Passionate About Downtown

With the little time we have running our business. and looking after our kid,  plus the Outer Banks foreclosures that we are interested in for investment, we currently have no choice.. but to make extra effort to create awareness in downtown because of what the boss saw on Saturday at one of the downtown restaurant.

A petition was placed in businesses downtown asking ppl from downtown to sign up to have the farmer’s market at the Mariner Center.  The ppl who are doing this is pretty brazen..!!! and taking advantage of the gulliable business owner .. who might not even know the implication of what they are signing.

We have therefore, counter-reacted to this .. and placed a petition up ourselves and this petition will be going to all the businesses downtown in the next couple of days.  The boss and I will be walking downtown.. to help the business owners to understand what they are signing up for.  With our businesses downtown.. why would anyone of us .. want the farmer’s market in Starr’s Road.  Are we passionate about the downtown..?? of course..!!!!  everyone should be.. and the revitalization of the downtown depends on all these things being in downtown.. and Th’ Yarc as well.

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Give Me Cash Back Or I’ll Bring The Cops

In our many years in business, we get to hear a few of this threat … but we have yet to see any cops come in of course.  Many years ago, we already have this policy about no cash refund .. exactly for ppl like them .. who only wants to buy certain things for the weekend.. say - a speaker.  And after the weekend party, they want to return it for cash.  Not only do they want cash back and not even pay for the rental of it - some even become abusive when we refused to do anything for them, when the speakers come back busted - from blowing the speakers.

Today, again we had one of this brilliant ppl in our store and yes, again, she threatened me about callking the cops on us because the boss had said 30 days warranty.  But I’m pretty sure that the boss had explained that our warranty consisted of exchange or a store credit and no money/cash refund.  I cannot help but snigger when the girl walked out of our store .. and threatened me and my store that if she doesn’t get her cash back, she was bringing in the cops and for the record or for all it’s worth .. she wasn’t even the one who bought it from us in the first place.  It must be the water here..!! that makes some ppl so irresistable !!

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Good Parenting While Shopping

We meet many kind of ppl at our store, there are the doctors,  there are those from the hospital undergoing treatment for  Mesothelioma cancer,   there are the office workers, there are the everyday and regular guy oin the street, there are the professionals and of course there are some of our favorites .. where they don’t care how much things are .. and just buys them. .and never gives us any problems.

As a business owner, we see all kinds of kids coming into our store, and we vow never to do the stuff that we see done at our store by other kids and their parents.   Why..?? because it is common courtesy to respect someone else’s things.. and it is what you teach your kid NOW - that actually helps them to become what kinda grown ups .. they become. Also did you know how your kids behave .. reflects on you ..?? as a parent..??  But shouting at your kid in the public is also a NO-NO .. that reflects badly on you as a parent.. and also .. your kid is gonna be shouting at you too.. in public if you embarrassed them now.  Don’t think they are young.. and don’t know anything.. they know more than you think.

Good parenting means being firm.. but respect your kids as well.

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Revitalisation Is Not Seeing Light

About a week ago, the spouse had written the below to the town because we are very concerned about what is going on and what we are not seeing.

I have some concerns about the direction this town is heading.

Why is there talk of putting a permanent Farmers Market at the Mariner’s Center? Wouldn’t something like that be better suited to the downtown area? Speaking of which, what exactly is being done to revitalize the down town core? Before the election there was lots of talk about making changes in this town and since the election I haven’t seen hide nor hair of the Mayor.

Why are we dealing with the likes of Ralston MacDonnell? Looks like he and Frank Anderson have done quite a number on the town of Shelburne and it looks like they’re creeping into Yarmouth to do more of the same?

Why do we need to send 5 people to BC for a conference? At a cost of $15000?!? How is it that the Clare district is able to send 5 people for only $10000? Will any good come of it? Will a report about the trip even be produced/filed/provided to the town/taxpayers to show why this trip was necessary in the first place or what was learned from it? Surely sending 1 councillor would be sufficent. Ok, 2 councillors so they can hold each others hand for comfort.

Why was a mega yacht dock built for over $300,000? Who the hell is this going to benefit in the long run? The only ones to benefit so far would be the ones who charged the ridiculous price of $324,000 to put a peice of wood in the harbour. While we’re on the subject, who built it?
Dave Whiting as quoted on NovaNewsNow “The dockage fee for the megayacht dock is $4.50/foot per day.”
So that 153 footer that docked (the ONLY one that docked) last summer earned us a whopping $688.50 per day. How many megayacths will dock this year? 2? Will we double our income in just one short year?! Man, that $300k will be paid off in no time! In case your sarcasm detector is broken, I’m practically oozing sarcasm.

These are just a few of the things I’ve read/heard about in recent months that greatly disturb me as both a resident of Yarmouth and a small downtown business owner.

Our concerns are not only for now.. it’s for our future generation ..  you kids and mine.  What would the future hold for my kid and yours..??  If we are not gonna say anything about what is happening right now.. and what is not done .. right now.. for the future.. then our children .. and our childrens’ children will suffer.

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In Rod We Trust

NEED I SAY MORE..??!!!??

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Voting Again !

This country has gotta be the busiest when it comes to voting.  It’s the federal voting this time though.. but having voted last year for the town and its town council .. and see that it didn’t really make a real difference .. i really donch wanna waste my time. Like all parties.. they promise you just about anything.. before they get into politics.. after they are in there.. you never hear nor see them.  So nah.. i’m not gonna waste my time.. and closing the store .. to go vote.. for someone who probably wouldn’t come by at all to see you .. during the time he is in office.

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How Do One Tell Them?

One of our worker’s family member??? has what we call huge, huge, huge bum and she is only in late teens.  Having a kid is not the reason for not taking care of oneself - that is a darn lazy excuse in my opinion.. but how do one tell them the truth..?? without offending them.  Can one recommend some diet pills that work without having them jump all over you for being rude…??   Normally, i wouldn’t care.. but since it is someone we know.. i thought it would be nice to tell her.. because it does get harder .. to lose those unhealthy sight.. if you know what i mean.  But she is totally happy with that look.. so what can you do eh.

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