Author Archives: jp144850

The Mayor’s Alliance for New York City Animals joined with Frankie’s Feline Fund and Cauz for Pawz thrift shop on 23rd street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue to host the first ever “Strictly Seniors” cat adoption event. This adoption event was the first of its kind because it featured only cats that were seven years old and above. The cats were not available for same-day adoptions unless under special circumstances, but the purpose of the event was to match the senior cats with prospective owners who could provide a permanent home.

Bunny Hofberg founded Frankie’s Feline Fund two years ago after she began volunteering for the ASPCA in 2005. She started the rescue organization after hearing the story of the cat that she named the organization after.

Frankie was adopted from a New York City animal shelter, but was surrendered by his owner at the age of eight and placed back into the shelter. It was later discovered that Frankie had diabetes. The diagnosis is a death sentence for many animals who are no longer seen as adoptable, but Hofberg rescued him and created Frankie’s Feline Fund, the only rescue organization in NYC that deals with only senior cats.

The main issue that arises when trying to find homes for older cats is that many people associate older animals with large vet bills and proximate death. But according to Hofberg, you never know what’s going to happen.

Older animals shouldn’t be deemed as worthless because “those animals have life experience just like humans do,” Hofberg said. She added that older cats are ideal for people who can’t commit 15 to 20 years to taking care of an animal.
The Mayor’s Alliance is considered by many to be a single entity, but this is not the case. According to Steve Gruber, the director of communications for the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC Animals, “The Mayor’s Alliance is a collaboration, a coalition of 150 rescue groups and shelters”. All of the rescue groups and shelters that are a part of the mayor’s alliance, including Frankie’s Feline Fund, all share the common goal of putting an end to the euthanization of animals when it is not needed. Gruber added that he believes Hofberg’s organization is unique because she deals with only senior-aged cats and is the only organization of its kind in NYC.

The Mayor’s Alliance supplied a van for the event that was equipped with built-in crates that housed the cats available for adoption. Although all the cats at the event were adoptable, they were not available for same-day adoptions unless under special circumstances. Hofberg does not offer same-day adoptions because before adopting out a cat she likes to make sure that the cat being adopted and the prospective owner are going to be compatible.
Hofberg preapproves prospective owners before an adoption with what usually includes a home visit. Frankie’s Feline Fund, according to Hofberg, is “probably a little bit more cautious than other rescues because cats can get sick.” Hofberg feels the need to ensure the health of her rescue cats because since they are older it is important they receive proper medical care and attention. She doesn’t understand the people she has heard say “I would never adopt anything but a kitten or puppy” because there is “something to be said for the older cat,” Hofberg said.

For my video I would like to do a story on the lack of people willing to adopt a senior dog or any dog that is not a puppy and also how many of these older dogs need homes. I want to go to an animal shelter and interview some of the people who work there and find out how many people adopt older dogs compared to puppies and reasons why it is beneficial or just as rewarding to adopt an older dog. I also want to interview someone who is maybe a dog trainer or someone who works with dogs to find out the benefits of adopting an older dog and why it is not any better or worse than adopting a puppy. I could also try to reach out to the organization that have recently been springing up advocating the adoption of older dogs and get their input on the importance of adopting dogs of all ages and how many of these dogs need homes.

I am still going to do my podcast on the Roseland Ballroom closing down and I am going to interview employees and essentially do a nostalgia piece on things they have experienced while working there. I also want to talk to concertgoers to find out about their experiences at the Ballroom and what it means to them that it’s closing down. The Ballroom is more than just a venue, it’s a landmark. This makes it mean a lot to those who work there and those who have regularly attended shows and events. I want to use the experiences and feelings people have for the ballroom as my angle on the story.

For my podcast i would like to revert to my original story idea of the Roseland Ballroom closing down. I feel like there are so many different angles i could take on this story because it fits into so many different areas. It could be a local, business, or arts and entertainment piece. In order to construct this podcast I plan to interview the current employees and try to find out why the venue is closing and what it means for them. Also, I want to try and interview local business owners around the Ballroom, mainly restaurants, and see if they feel it will hurt their business and how much business they get from people who are coming from or going to the Ballroom. The Roseland Ballroom closing down is also going to effect the music industry because it has been such a prominent New York Venue so i want to look into how it will effect the music scene in New York and what venue will take its place.

For my photo essay I want to cover the Roseland Ballroom closing down. This venue closing is going to have huge impact on the music scene in New York City. The Ballroom has been open for over fifty years and has been home to countless events and concerts. This is not a typical venue because not only do the artists vary in genre but in popularity as well. The Roseland’s stage has been filled with the elite of the mainstream music world as well as the underground. Not only will many artists lose a substantial platform to get their music out there but also many people will lose their jobs once the venue closes.

The Roseland Ballroom is considered by many to be a historic and legendary venue. As a result pop phenomenon Lady Gaga will be playing three consecutive shows before the venue closes its doors for good in April. Lady Gaga’s performances are following teen sensation Lorde who will also be playing three consecutive shows.  The fact that this venue has the ability to book artists like Lady Gaga and Lorde make make one wonder why it is even closing down. I really want to do some more concrete research to find out why it is that the historic venue is no longer going to serve as the musical platform that it has been for over fifty years.

I am still trying to figure out what angle I want to use for this story because I feel there are so many different ways and angles in which I can approach this story. The Roseland Ballroom closing down is going to affect the city in so many ways. It will first and foremost directly impact the people that work there because they will be losing their jobs. It will also impact many artists who would otherwise be able to use the venue as platform to reach there fans and gain new ones.  Lastly it will impact other venues in the city that may potentially take on shows the Roseland Ballroom would have. Essentially posing the question: what will be the new Roseland Ballroom?

I  definitely would like for my beat to be music for the purposes of this class and also in the future.  I am journalism major with a minor in music. I have a lot of experience in this area for many reasons. One reason being that I have been playing music since I was eight years old. Furthermore I constantly keep up on what is going on in the music industry and pay attention to up and coming artists. I could see myself writing concert reviews as well as reviewing albums. Here in New York music is everywhere and the music scene is very present and prevalent, whether it be the underground or mainstream music scene. Everywhere you turn there is a club or venue that is showcasing musicians whether they are well known or just starting out. Another aspect of the music scene I could see myself covering is artists that are on the rise and essentially bring attention to new talent. As a music journalists I would like to bring attention to any music that is fresh and different that could potentially change the music scene. I know that by being a music journalist in New York there are an abundance of stories and opportunities floating around that I can take advantage of.

I am not entirely sure of what I would like to cover for the duration of the semester but one idea that popped into my head is the fact that the Roseland Ballroom is closing down. This venue has been home to concerts performed by an eclectic array of artists. Some of these artists have been very well known including Beyoncé and others have been up and coming artists at the time including Panic at The Disco. Lorde in particular has been blowing up over the last few months and she is playing three consecutive nights at the Roseland Ballroom in March followed by Lady Gaga before the iconic venue closes. I feel like these could potentially be a great story considering the impact it will have on the music scene here in New York.