The Virginian-Pilot

urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:1234 HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com http://www.pilotonline.com The Virginian-Pilot 2009-11-19T23:03:06-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:487810 This season in the MEAC 2008-11-13T00:24:43-05:00 2008-11-13T00:21:45-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Ready for tipoff The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's unofficial award for best overall job of scheduling goes to Hampton University. The Pirates put together a nice blend of challenging but winnable games, including several on their home court: - vs. George Mason, Nov. 20 - vs. Georgia State, Dec. 3 - vs. Delaware, Dec. 10 - at Virginia, Dec. 23 - at VCU, Dec. 27 - in Great Alaska Shootout,Nov. 26-29 What third-year coach Kevin Nickelberry says: "A big reason this job was attractive to me was the commitment from higher up to try to be a mid-major power, along the likes of VCU, ODU and GMU. It's why I left Clemson for this job. Our philosophy is to do things that help our RPI and to avoid the guarantee games if we can. That way, if we do make the NCAA field, we aren't stuck in the play-in game." By the numbers 3 Consecutive NCAA tournament play-in games in which the MEAC tournament champion has played. 87 Coppin State senior Tywain McKee's free-throw shooting percentage, tops last season in the MEAC and 21st nationally. 55 League-leading steals total last season by Norfolk State's Michael Deloach, who is a junior. 32.5 MEAC's overall 3-point percentage, which ranked last among Division I conferences last season. Over the last five seasons, the MEAC ranked next-to-last in Division I at 33.1 percent. Only the Southwest Athletic Conference, at 31.9 percent, had a lower shooting rate during that span. 1 New head coach in the MEAC: Frankie Allen (UMES). Head coach at Virginia Tech from 1987 to 1991, Allen was most recently an assistant at Maryland-Baltimore County. He has experience in the MEAC, having coached at Howard from 2000 to 2005. 7 Number of road games Delaware State will play in a one-month period against major conference squads in a brutal pay-for-play schedule: Nov. 20 - Ohio State; Nov. 22 - Kentucky; Nov. 25 - West Virginia; Dec. 1 - Connecticut; Dec. 12 - Maryland; Dec. 14 - Rutgers; Dec. 20 - Notre Dame. Did you know? Howard University will open its season with a home game against... Oregon State? Craig Robinson, brother-in-law of Barack Obama, took the head coaching job at Oregon State last spring, after coaching at Brown for two seasons. His Beavers visit Howard on Friday - the only game Oregon State will play east of the Mississippi. And it falls only 10 days removed from Obama's landmark victory. It's part of a home-and-home series in which Howard returns the favor on Dec. 20. So who wants to bet Michelle Robinson Obama might drop by to watch her brother's team in action? How about the president-elect, too? More did you know? A request to talk to Robinson about the scheduling of the Howard game and the prospects of having family/White House dignitaries in attendance was denied. While the request was made through the Oregon State athletic department, the denial was handed down by the Obama for America Oregon campaign headquarters. Super sophomores Three underclassmen who could emerge and do plenty of damage this season: Thomas Coleman, North Carolina A&T The 6-foot-9 Coleman set a school single-game record with nine blocks against Coppin State last season. He finished the year with 57 and also averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds. Trevor Welcher, Delaware State The 5-10 Welcher led the league in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.84) last season and was seventh in the league in assists at 3.07 a game. He also shot 52.6 percent from the field, almost unheard of for a point guard. Brandon Monroe, Norfolk State Listed as a junior by his school, the 6-foot-7 Monroe has sophomore eligibility and can regain a year if he keeps progressing academically. And if he keeps progressing on the court, look out: He averaged 5 points and 5.9 rebounds for NSU last season while shooting 59 percent from the field. Norfolk, VA Anonymous This season in the MEAC The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:487810 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:487966 This season for the CAA women 2008-11-13T23:12:17-05:00 2008-11-13T23:07:11-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

5 impact newcomers JoNiquia Guilford, 5-10, fr., G, Old Dominion A preseason knee injury was hardly the start to her career she wanted, but given time, the dynamic scorer from Wilson High will add more athleticism to an already athletic Lady Monarch perimeter. Sarah Williams, 6-0 jr., G, James Madison She transferred from Richmond after being part of the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team in 2005-06. Katrina Wheeler, 6-3, jr., C, Towson Wheeler is a huge addition, having started 51 of 53 games at Georgetown, where she averaged 8.1 points and 8.1 rebounds her sophomore year. Asia Jenkins, 5-9, fr., G, Hofstra The New Jersey native will be eligible in the second semester after transferring from Cincinnati. She was a first-team All-New Jersey selection her senior year in high school. Dana Olsen, 6-1, jr., F, Georgia State Olsen was No. 2 in the nation in scoring with 24.2 points per game in earning first-team All-America honors at Labette (Kan.) Community College. The rest of her line isn't shabby either: 57 percent shooting, 7.1 rebounds and 84 percent accuracy from the foul line. 5 storylines to follow 1 If the Lady Monarchs are to win an 18th straight CAA tournament title, they'll have to win three games in Harrisonburg. The last time they won a game there was in 2005. 2 Last season, Virginia Commonwealth went to the WNIT and finished 26-8, even with center Quanitra Hollingsworth missing the final 11 games with a torn Achilles'. Will the Rams be even better with the Great Bridge High graduate returning for her senior year? 3 After three straight years of recording 20 or more wins and advancing to postseason play, Delaware slumped to 7-24. Can coach Tina Martin regroup with a roster that includes four freshmen and four sophomores? 4 Two years ago, the CAA placed three teams in the NCAA tournament. It was the first time any team from the league received an at-large bid since 1996. Last year, ODU was the only team to make it, and no one other than the Lady Monarchs is in the preseason top 25 or even receiving votes. Is the CAA mediocre again? 5 Elena Della Donne, the nation's top recruit, is playing volleyball at Delaware after saying she was burned out on basketball and reneging on her commitment to UConn. What if she peeks in at a Delaware basketball practice and gets the itch to play again? They said it "At Wilmington." Seahawks coach Ann Hancock when asked if she'd like to see Della Donne playing in the CAA. "She had so many great experiences. She called me one day and said, 'Coach, I just met Usher.' " JMU coach Kenny Brooks on Tamera Young's initial season in the WNBA "Tyne Daly." ODU coach Wendy Larry's response when asked who would play her in a movie "Julia Roberts." Blue Hens coach Tina Martin's response to the same question. By the numbers 70 Blocked shots by ODU's Tiffany Green last year. 51 Consecutive victories by ODU in the CAA tournament. 26 Consecutive victories ODU has on its home court, tied for most in the nation with Hartford. 19 Points averaged by preseason Player of the Year Gabriela Marginean of Drexel last season. 5 Starters returning for Georgia State. 1 New coach in the CAA: Former Radford coach Jeri Porter replaced Debbie Taneyhill at George Mason. 5 who moved on T.J. Jordan The conference's all-time 3-point ace from ODU is playing ball in Slovenia. Britne Rodgers The Princess Anne High graduate left Hofstra last month for unspecified personal reasons. A conference All-Rookie team forward last year, Rodgers was the Pride's third-leading scorer and one of the team's top rebounders. Nikki Moats A Tennessee transfer, Moats was expected to play a huge role for JMU, but personal issues derailed her basketball career, and coach Kenny Brooks said she will not play for the Dukes. Kia Butts The Kellam High graduate who was an assistant coach at William and Mary is the school's new assistant dean of admissions. Kyle DeHaven She started at William and Mary and transferred to Delaware before finishing up second all-time in the CAA in steals. DeHaven now plays in Germany. Vicki L. Friedman, (757) 477-6874, VickiL120@cox.net Norfolk, VA Anonymous This season for the CAA women The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:487966 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488120 This season for the CAA men in college basketball 2008-11-15T00:58:56-05:00 2008-11-15T00:50:57-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

fhe favorite VCU is coming off back-to-back regular-season CAA titles and features reigning CAA Player of the Year Eric Maynor. PG Maynor and F Larry Sanders, who blocked a league-high 95 shots as a freshman, anchor a team with 10 underclassmen. the top contenders Northeastern welcomes back all five starters from a squad that finished 14-17 last season. Old Dominion is one of the league's youngest teams, but the Monarchs return F Gerald Lee and a host of players who saw significant playing time as freshmen. the darkhorse George Mason, the defending conference tournament champ, has three starters back from a 23-win team. on the rise Georgia State, a ninth-place finisher or worse in its first three years in the CAA, could be ready to move up on the strength of five Division I transfers. on the decline UNC Wilmington lost four starters to graduation, including first-team All-CAA pick T.J. Carter (15.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg). The others - Daniel Fountain, Vladimir Kuljanin and Todd Hendley - averaged 12.5 ppg or more. he said it... "It's just a great, great league, and I think it's going to make for great theater. You don't know where the top begins and where the bottom ends. It's all scrambled up, and I think it's going to be a very exciting year." - Delaware coach Monte Ross 3 to watch VCU's Eric Maynor, a 6-3 point guard, mulled turning pro after last season, but he decided to return for his senior season. Maynor's a clutch player who led the conference in assists (5.5 apg) and was second in scoring (17.9 ppg) as a junior. Old Dominion's Gerald Lee, a 6-10 junior, established himself as one of the conference's dominant post players last season, averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Northeastern's Matt Janning was third in the CAA in scoring last season, averaging 16.1 points a game. The 6-4 junior is one of the league's top 3-point shooters. trey, trey chic The NCAA moved back the 3-point line for this season, so players will launch treys from 20 feet, 9 inches - a foot longer than previously. Reaction to the move by a couple of CAA coaches: Towson's Pat Kennedy "For the guys who are marginal shooters to begin with, they'll go in that category 'Don't shoot it.' " VCU's Anthony Grant "Guys that can really shoot the basketball, I don't think that they're going to be affected by it." On the schedule Some of the more intriguing non-conference match-ups: James Madison plays Nov. 16 against Davidson in the NIT Tip-Off in Oklahoma. The Dukes face NCAA darling Davidson and sharpshooter Stephen Curry. UNC Wilmington is at Wake Forest on Nov. 17. The Seahawks visit a team picked to finish third in the ACC. Georgia State's schedule features games against two ACC teams in a five-day stretch: at home vs. Florida State on Dec. 13 and at Georgia Tech on Dec. 17. * VCU plays Oklahoma - and former coach Jeff Capel - in Oklahoma City on Dec. 20. transfer of power Eleven players are eligible to play this season in the CAA after transferring in from major Division I programs. Georgia State's roster has five transfers, followed by Towson with three, and Delaware, UNC Wilmington and William and Mary with one each. Georgia (State) on my mind The Panthers' transfers include forwards Trey Hampton and Xavier Hansbro, who left the University of Mississippi; guard Joe Dukes, who exited Wake Forest; and guard Dante Curry, who left South Florida. Hansbro and Hampton played for Ole Miss under Rod Barnes, who is in his second season as Georgia State's coach. by the numbers 4 CAA teams (VCU, Old Dominion, Hofstra and George Mason) rank among the nation's top 56 winningest programs over the past four seasons. VCU's .703 winning percentage is 25th. 11 Seasons Jim Larranaga has coached at George Mason, making him the CAA's elder statesman. 12 All 12 CAA members are slated to participate in the ESPNU Bracketbusters Feb. 20-21. 1,110 Approximate miles Northeastern will travel to play at Georgia State on Jan. 7, the conference's longest road trip. The Huskies play at non-conference foe South Florida (1,356 miles) on Nov. 29. coach on the hot seat Drexel's Bruiser Flint is coming off a 12-20 finish, his worst record in 12 seasons as a college head coach and the Dragons' lowest win total since 1991. super sophs Four players who are coming off big freshman seasons: Old Dominion's Ben Finney started 17 games, and an improved jump shot could make him more dangerous. Hofstra's Charles Jenkins scored in double figures 27 times and averaged 15 ppg. UNC Wilmington's Chad Tomko started all 33 games at point guard and averaged 8.6 ppg. VCU's Larry Sanders led the Rams in rebounding (5.1 per game) and was an All-CAA defensive selction. don't I know you? Two players from South Hampton Roads who are expected to have an impact around the CAA: George Mason F Darryl Monroe, a 6-7 senior from Virginia Beach, returns after missing last season with a foot injury. Monroe started 19 games two seasons ago. William and Mary G Kendrix Brown, a 6-3 freshman, averaged 17.5 ppg and was second-team all-state as a senior at Norview High in Norfolk. Tribe-ulations William and Mary had its winningest season in a decade last season, finishing 17-16 and reaching its first CAA tournament championship game. Three starters, including PG David Schneider (10.9 ppg), return. "The best change is that our guys approach the season with a lot of confidence," coach Tony Shaver said. NKOTB Forget the reunion tour of Jordan, Jonathan, Joey, Danny and Donnie. The CAA's only New Kid on the Block is baby-faced coach Matt Brady, who replaces Dean Keener. Brady coached four seasons at Marist, guiding the Red Foxes to a 73-50 record and their first MAAC regular-season title. Jami Frankenberry, (757) 446-2295, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous This season for the CAA men in college basketball The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:488120 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531331 Monarch Bank parent plans stock offering 2009-11-19T21:32:17-05:00 2009-11-19T21:29:26-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

CHESAPEAKE The parent of Monarch Bank said it hopes to raise as much as $17.3 million from a stock offering and may use part of the proceeds to repay capital taken last year from the Treasury Department. Monarch Financial Holdings Inc. said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday that it will offer 650,000 shares of convertible preferred stock at $25 a share. The offering allows the underwriter to buy an additional 97,500 shares. In December, Monarch issued the Treasury preferred stock and warrants for its common shares in return for $14.7 million of capital from the department's TARP capital purchase program. Chesapeake-based Monarch said the new shares to be offered could be converted any time at the holder's option and by the company under certain circumstances. Monarch also has the option to redeem the new shares three years after the offering date. Its registration statement with the SEC didn't disclose the dividend to be paid or the ratio of conversion to common shares. Those details will probably be disclosed in subsequent filing. Monarch Bank has 10 branches in South Hampton Roads and two on North Carolina's Outer Banks. At the end of September, its parent had assets of $651.7 million and shareholders' equity of $63 million. The offering is being underwritten by Scott & Stringfellow, the brokerage and investment banking unit of BB&T Corp. Monarch's share price closed at $6.70, unchanged from Wednesday. Tom Shean, (757) 446-2379, tom.shean@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Monarch Bank parent plans stock offering The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531331 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531334 Postal service offers info on sending packages overseas 2009-11-19T21:42:57-05:00 2009-11-19T21:36:53-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

The U.S. Postal Service expects to handle more than 30 million pounds of holiday mail for service members overseas this year, and it's offering tips to friends and family for making sure mail arrives on time. The service offers a $2 discount to APO/FPO destinations for its Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box. The box measures 12" x 12" x 5-1/2" and costs $11.95 to mail overseas, as long as the box weighs 70 pounds or less. The price to U.S. addresses is $13.95. To order a free Military Care Kit designed for families sending packages overseas, call (800) 610-8734. It includes two "America Supports You" Priority Mail Large Boxes, four Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Boxes, six Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape, and six customs forms with envelopes. Overseas military mail is subject to restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling. APO/FPO addresses generally require customs forms. To see a table of active APO and FPO addresses and mailing restrictions by individual APO/FPO ZIP codes, go to pe.usps.com and click "Postal Bulletins" in the left column. Select the current issue and look for the heading "Overseas Military Mail." For more information, visit www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/. Norfolk, VA Anonymous Postal service offers info on sending packages overseas The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531334 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531332 Marriner, Tribe in thick of race 2009-11-19T21:34:18-05:00 2009-11-19T21:32:34-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

The invitation is open-ended. Anytime Courtland Marriner feels the urge to put on a pair of spikes again, there's a spot waiting for him on the William and Mary track team. "They ask me all the time," he said. Marriner, one of the state's top high school sprinters at Western Branch, considers the invitation flattering, but is a little busy now to give it much thought. There is the matter of a football game Saturday, the biggest to date in what is shaping up as a historic season for William and Mary. Off to its best start in 62 years, the Tribe (9-1, 6-1 Colonial Athletic Association) can claim the CAA title and an automatic playoff berth with a win over Richmond coupled with a Villanova loss to Delaware. The Spiders, the defending national champs, are also 9-1 and 6-1, as is Villanova. There are various scenarios in which each team can claim the title and the CAA's automatic playoff berth outright, but Villanova controls its own destiny and would secure the playoff berth with a win. Anyway you look at it, Marriner said, "there's a lot riding on this game. They have just as much to play for as we do." The junior tailback will be in the thick of it as the back up to starter Jonathan Grimes. He has rushed for 409 yards and leads the team in rushing touchdowns (seven ) and yards per carry (5.3). He's also caught 21 passes. Marriner's burst makes him a nice complement to the more deliberate Grimes, a shifty runner who will surpass 1,000 yards if he gets his 92-yard average Saturday. "Courtland has definitely improved each year," running backs coach David Corley said. "He's somebody that has a lot of speed and sometimes, guys that have a lot of speed find it hard to be patient and let runs unfold. "He's done a better job of being patient and reading his keys and taking what the defense gives him." Patience did not appear to be a quality Marriner was going to need at William and Mary. The Tribe offered a scholarship after his junior year at Western Branch. He redshirted his first year. Then, a series of injuries to other players propelled him to the top of the depth chart as a redshirt freshman. Marriner led the Tribe in rushing in 2007 and entered camp last season as the starter. He tore a knee ligament in the final preseason scrimmage, however, opening the door for Grimes, and the true freshman rushed for 929 yards and was the CAA offensive rookie of the year. "I never really got back to 100 percent, and by the time I returned, Jonathan had taken over and done a fantastic job," Marriner said. Marriner rushed for 141 yards in eight games. Healthy this year, he's played both with and in place of Grimes, helping keep defenses honest. When Rhode Island, for example, loaded up to stop Grimes, Marriner rushed for a season-high 93 yards and three touchdowns. Speed is Marriner's most obvious asset. He ran 10.3 seconds in the 100 meters at Western Branch and is among the Tribe's fastest players. At 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, he's also among the strongest, pound for pound, with a 350-pound bench press and a 540-pound squat. He's also among the most involved off the field. Marriner is one of 15 students on the President's Aide Forum, which meets with President Taylor Reveley twice a month to discuss undergraduate issues. At Western Branch, he was involved in student government, youth ministries and volunteer work. "I feel like you still have to find time to help people," he said. "I get that from my father, who is a pastor. "I've been afforded so much in my life, it would be a shame if I didn't try to create some opportunities for others." As for that "opportunity" to run track, Marriner is not completely ruling it out, but it's going to have to wait. "I try to get one thing off the ground before I start something else," he said. Ed Miller, (757) 446-2372, ed.miller@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Marriner, Tribe in thick of race The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531332 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531337 Trial set to begin in FAI computer fraud case 2009-11-20T05:48:02-05:00 2009-11-20T05:48:02-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

NORFOLK More than two weeks after it was scheduled to start, the trial of Financing Alternatives Inc. and its founder is set to begin this morning in Chesapeake Circuit Court.

NORFOLK More than two weeks after it was scheduled to start, the trial of Financing Alternatives Inc. and its founder is set to begin this morning in Chesapeake Circuit Court. The attorney general's office received the go-ahead Thursday from U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Norfolk to move forward with its case against FAI. In July 2007, the state accused the Chesapeake company of bilking hundreds of consumers who paid for computers but never received them, and later added FAI founder George Christian as a defendant. Christian filed for personal bankruptcy Oct. 30, six days before the original trial date, and filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition Nov. 9 on behalf of FAI. A bankruptcy puts a stay on most creditors' actions to protect the debtor. In both Christian's and FAI's cases, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Stephen St. John granted the state's request to exempt its case from the stay. FAI customers, most with poor credit, paid for computers through a layaway plan, expecting to receive their products after three months of steady payments under the company's stated policy. At least 1,765 customers who paid in full never received their orders and have waited more than two years to find out whether they'll get their money back. Carolyn Shapiro, (757) 446-2270, carolyn.shapiro@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Trial set to begin in FAI computer fraud case The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531337 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531338 Some see racial overtones in Norfolk's pet-adoption event 2009-11-20T16:16:03-05:00 2009-11-19T22:02:46-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

NORFOLK It's billed as a "Blowout adoption event for our black babies." The Norfolk Animal Care Center, the city's animal-control facility, is offering half-off fees on black dogs and cats starting the day after Thanksgiving, dubbing the event "Black Fur-iday." While the promotion might be for a good cause, some worry that the flier circulating about the event might be offensive because it refers to unwanted black animals as black babies. Animal groups everywhere say they find it more difficult to place black cats and dogs in homes. "On the face of it, I do think it's insensitive to African Americans who did come to this nation as slaves and were sold," Norfolk NAACP President James Rivers said. "It does seem sort of strange they would use that as a promotion for selling animals." "Yet I know that in many instances we do things without thinking about the broad implications," Rivers added. But it doesn't bother Jeff Roberts, chief executive officer of the Norfolk Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Some people consider their pets as children, he said. Norfolk Animal Care Center Manager Barbara Hays said she never considered that the flier might be upsetting. "That was never the intention," she said. "We were trying to play off the commercialism of Black Friday to try to get animals into homes for the holidays. "Everyone knows we are all about the animals." Since The Virginian-Pilot's inquiry earlier this week, the wording on the flier has changed to "Blowout adoption event for our black furry friends." Hays was not working Thursday and could not be reached for follow-up comment. But Norfolk's animal care facility isn't the only group that plans to host such an event. The Virginia Beach SPCA also is reducing adoption fees on its black animals the day after Thanksgiving, known in the retail world as Black Friday. Its executive director, Sharon Adams, declined to comment on the Norfolk flier. However, she said adoption of black animals "is a tough topic. It tracks our own sensitivities." Christie Chipps, executive director of the Portsmouth Humane Society, said that while the society's shelter has run specials on some hard-to-move animals, such as mature cats, "We try not to push the color issue." Still, they all said that black dogs and cats are considered the hardest shelter animals to adopt. The trend has not been statistically documented, but animal groups across the country say it's a universal issue. Many local shelters say they don't keep those numbers and there's no national clearinghouse to collect that information. "I think it's because they look so similar," Norfolk's Hays said. "To humans, they almost look like one animal. People tend to go with animals that are flashier, more eye-catching." And of course, there is also the matter of the variety of prejudices that tend to conspire against black animals. For felines, a commonly held superstition is that black cats bring bad luck. Canines are more complicated. Animal rescue groups call it Black Dog Syndrome. Most black dogs are big and are mixed breeds, both considered negatives when it comes to choosing a pet, Terri Crisp, an SPCA International official, said. "You could walk through any shelter in the U.S. and you'd count more large black dogs than anything else," she said. In the shelter world, they're known as BBDs: big black dogs. Many are mixes that include Labrador, Doberman, Rottweiler and chow. "People tend to want small, cute, unique dogs that are as close to purebred as they can get," Crisp said. BBDs carry a stereotype of being more ferocious, which animal experts bark about. "Dogs are aggressive based on their environment, on the way they're raised and treated, not because of breed," Crisp said. At least two Web sites were created to dispel the myths that surround big black dogs and to help find them homes - www.startseeingblackdogs.com and www.blackpearldogs.com. The Norfolk SPCA staff works hard to get potential adopters to consider personality over color and other physical traits, Roberts said. That's sometimes difficult, he said, especially because he's had customers search for a pet to match their furniture. Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Some see racial overtones in Norfolk's pet-adoption event The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531338 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531342 Chesapeake school's expansion imperiled 2009-11-19T23:03:06-05:00 2009-11-19T22:24:30-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

CHESAPEAKE Last week, the School Board was tossing around some thoughts about the best way to expand Indian River High School. How big to build it? Should it accommodate 1,750 students, which might create a better learning environment? Or should the school be bigger - 2,100 students, which could save money down the line? Meanwhile, the discussions taking place just down the road at City Hall could mean those questions have just one answer: No. City administrators said this week they don't want City Council to approve any extra construction money for schools. If the council goes along, the whole Indian River project - along with many of the school division 's other major building priorities - could be put on hold. "We would not be recommending to the council that we provide additional money for construction... and we would expect the schools would plan accordingly," said Deputy City Manager Betty Jean Meyer. Still, at last week's board meeting, the School Board talked about the pros and cons of both Indian River High plans. Superintendent W. Randolph Nichols said he'd prefer the smaller of the two expansions - the ideal high school size is around 1,600 students, he said, but external pressures caused school divisions to build bigger. Grassfield High School, for example, holds about 2,400, he said, because council members pushed for a bigger school. Some, said Board Member Thomas Mercer Sr., "would want us to build (Indian River) bigger because it would maybe put off the radar for some time the other high school" - an eighth public high school in the Elbow Road and Centerville Turnpike area. And City Manager William Harrell did say he thought a bigger school "makes perfect sense, to take some of the pressure off the eighth high school." But without the extra funding, the question about size might be little more than a topic of conversation. In Chesapeake, the City Council has the final say on funding for school division construction plans. But this year, it's being asked to go a step further. The money that's been set aside to pay for school construction is running low, and earlier this month, Nichols urged board members to go to the council to ask for more. Otherwise, he said, "all capital projects in the school division will come to a halt." The school administration has its eye on fiscal year 2014-15, the year the city pays off a major school construction debt. At that point, the city could start directing the $16.5 million it was using to make debt payments toward more new school construction, if council members agreed to it. But that, city administrators say, would not be a good idea. The city recently laid off 23 employees to save $400,000. "The economy is still really very challenging, and we are looking at probably additional revenue reductions," Meyer said. "We're not going to make a commitment about that debt until we see what the revenue looks like." Without that money, the school division could still pay for the smaller Indian River High School expansion, said Assistant Superintendent for Budget and Finance Vicki Lucente. But it would leave them with very little money for anything else, including regular maintenance work such as roof replacements and heating and air conditioning repairs. The technology upgrades the administration hopes to do at four of the city's high schools could also be on the rocks. School and city officials plan to meet to discuss financing before their final vote on the capital improvement plan, scheduled for Nov. 30. Alicia Wittmeyer, (757) 222-5216, alicia.wittmeyer@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Chesapeake school's expansion imperiled The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:531342 Change 0 Usable