Breast Cancer Survivor Celebrates “Life After Cancer”; Wins Car Raffle from MileOne Automotive
July 23, 2009
Olney, Md. resident made charitable donation to American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life to help save lives and won annual fundraiser from MileOne Automotive.
BALTIMORE, MD — July 23, 2009 — The American Cancer Society and MileOne Automotive recently announced the winner of their raffle for a new 2009 Saturn Aura: Diane Bessette-Shore, a resident of Olney, Maryland. The vehicle was donated by MileOne to help the Society celebrate cancer survivorship and raise funds for the nonprofit organization’s cancer research and programs.
Since January, thousands of Maryland residents offered raffle tickets to friends, family and coworkers as a way to raise funds for the Society’s signature event, Relay For Life. Across the state, more than 50 Relay For Life events are held each year to honor and remember those affected by cancer, encourage early detection of the disease and support legislative issues related to cancer.
Bessette-Shore, a breast cancer survivor, met with MileOne and American Cancer Society representatives last week to accept her raffle prize. She participated in the Society’s Relay For Life of Olney, Md., captaining a team that raised more than $1,400 for the organization.
“Participating in Relay For Life has shown me that there’s life after cancer,” said Bessette-Shore. “It has been a year since I finished receiving chemotherapy, and being the raffle winner is a tremendous way to celebrate my first anniversary as a breast cancer survivor.”
MileOne has sponsored the automobile raffle for the Society’s Relay For Life for the past nine years, offering a Volkswagen Beetle, PT Cruiser, two Mercedes C-Classes, Saturn VUE, Jeep Liberty Sport, Saturn Relay, Saturn Outlook and Saturn Aura. The automotive group’s sponsorship of the Society’s Relay For Life and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events has raised more than $2 million for cancer research and community programs, including early detection efforts, transportation assistance and lodging.
“The MileOne family is committed to giving back to the community, and we are proud to partner with the American Cancer Society to increase cancer awareness and raise dollars for fighting the disease,” said Jerry Fader, president and chief operating officer of MileOne Automotive. “In Baltimore and across Maryland, our employees participate in the Society’s Relay For Life events in order to educate others on the importance of early detection and cancer prevention.”
About The American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
About MileOne
MileOne Automotive operates 63 retail automotive franchises representing 28 different brands and 9 collision centers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia with a focus on the Baltimore-Washington, Hampton Roads/Virginia Beach, Nags Head/Elizabeth City and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton major metro areas. MileOne.com allows customers to research new, used and fuel-efficient luxury, import and domestic cars and trucks, send information about vehicles to their mobile device, schedule service appointments, buy parts and accessories, play automotive games, and download automotive wallpaper and mobile ring tones. For more information or to find a quality Mile One dealership near you, please visit mileone.com.
2001 Honda Accord, Civic recalled due to airbags that are even more explosive than normal
July 22, 2009
Honda is recalling some of its 2001 model year Accord and Civic models due to excessively pressurized airbags. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that certain airbags in the affected vehicles can deploy so violently that the inflator will rupture. When the bag is deployed, NHTSA says that metal shards from the excessive explosion could act like shrapnel, shoot through the bag and possibly injure vehicle occupants. We’re no crash experts, but that sounds like it would hurt a lot.
Owners of affected 2001 Accords and Civics will be able to bring in their vehicle to their local Honda store where the inflator will be replaced free of charge. Honda hasn’t yet released a notification schedule or disclosed how many of each model will be recalled, but owners can find out more info by calling Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Hit the jump to read the official NHTSA press release.
[Source: NHTSA]
Cash For Clunkers – CARS in Maryland
July 9, 2009
Baltimore Grand Prix in 2011?
July 7, 2009
A Baltimore group is in serious negotiations with the city and the IndyCar Series about staging an annual street race beginning in 2011 near the Inner Harbor that state and city officials say could rival the Preakness in its economic impact and national exposure.
Baltimore Racing Development, a limited liability company, is proposing five years of what it calls a “Baltimore Grand Prix” beginning in the late summer or early fall of 2011. BRD has been meeting with city and state officials – including representatives of Mayor Sheila Dixon – and with the Indy Racing League’s IndyCar Series.
The race would be patterned in part after IndyCar Series street races in Toronto; St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Long Beach, Calif.
A feasibility study obtained by The Baltimore Sun says the race and related events could have an economic impact of as much as $100 million. By comparison, the Preakness is estimated to have a $60 million impact. The horse race is the state’s largest annual sporting event and helps support Maryland’s thoroughbred industry for the rest of the year.
“BRD projects that the [auto] event would bring more than 150,000 visitors to Baltimore and generate as much as $100 million over the four days, based on such visitors spending on hotel nights, meals, tickets and other purchases,” according to the feasibility study.
BRD said Dixon asked it to provide the feasibility study. A Dixon spokesman, Ian Brennan, said no decision has been made by the mayor’s office about the race.
“We have had interest from the producers of two racing events. The concept is intriguing,” said Brennan, who declined to identify the other event. “Racing cars through the streets of downtown Baltimore raises numerous questions which still need to be answered.”
The event would be held over four days and would likely include go-kart races, concerts and other activities, said Jay Davidson, a Baltimore attorney who is the chief operating officer of BRD. A series of preliminary races would occur before the main event on the final day.
Maryland’s interest is serious enough that Terry Hasseltine, director of the state’s office of sports marketing, traveled to St. Petersburg in April to observe the “Streets of St. Petersburg” race.
“The stands were packed around every corner. People were just buzzing throughout the area,” Hasseltine said. “There had to be at least 110,000 on that final day.”
Hasseltine said the Baltimore event could draw 40,000 to 70,000 people a day before the final race. By comparison, he said, “The Preakness is a one-day activity.”
The race plans cannot be finalized until the city, BRD and IndyCar officials agree. Davidson said BRD was working on noise and traffic management studies for the city that could be completed within about a month.
“We have to have our homework done to see how noise is handled, how street closures are handled and the economics of it all. Then we have to have the right date,” Hasseltine said. “We want to be the Indy 500 of the street course. They start off at the unofficial beginning of summer, and this could be the end of summer on Labor Day weekend. We are throwing out a couple different dates.”
The proposed race course would send the open-wheel racing cars along parts of Pratt, Light, Conway, Camden and Russell streets. The course would veer near the Maryland Science Center and past Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The course would be about 2.4 miles long with the pit area adjacent to Camden Yards, according to the feasibility study.
Among the consultants working to bring the race to Baltimore is two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr.
Unser, who is also a driver coach for the Indy Racing League, said the Inner Harbor would be a scenic backdrop and that the event could attract racing fans from Washington, Philadelphia and New York.
“I’d kind of like to call it [Baltimore] our East Coast Long Beach,” Unser said. “Long Beach just had their 35th annual [street race]. I really feel this is going to be a long-term win-win situation.”
Bill Cole, a City Council member who represents the race area, said the race could have “a greater economic impact than the Preakness and would give Baltimore City four hours of television coverage on a national network. I think the hotel demand is greater than the Preakness.”
Added Cole: “My primary concern would be the impact on residential neighborhoods that are near the route. I would live maybe 200 yards from where the cars would come down in the proposed route. They can mitigate it. Some of it is just sound buffering.”
John Griffin, a spokesman for the IndyCar Series, said talks with BRD are continuing. “There is still so much that has to be done,” Griffin said. “But I think we’ve seen a lot of energy and a lot of motivation” from BRD, he said.
Source: The Baltimore Sun
2009 Honda Ridgeline
July 1, 2009
Honda decided to enter the lucrative North American pickup truck segment in 2006 with its Ridgeline. Many were skeptical, journalists and the general public alike, but the vehicle won several awards in its first year. For 2009 onward, the Ridgeline received a modest update to freshen its appearance and improve features.
The biggest changes are up front with an all-new, Pilot-inspired grill, a reworked bumper cover and two extra sets of lights down low — one set acting as daytime running lights, the other as fog lights.
The rear of the updated Ridgeline boasts a freshened set of tail lights, a new lower bumper that now flows into the fender flares and a backup camera lens next to the handle on the tailgate.
Unlike most pickup trucks on the market, the Ridgeline comes only in a one-size-fits-all configuration with four doors, seating for five and a five-foot-long cargo bed.
A unique feature of this cargo bed is a small covered trunk inside. It can be accessed via the tailgate, which both folds down, like other pickups, but also swings to the side for easier access.
Despite its car-like unit-body construction, the Ridgeline can handle off-road duty thanks to its standard Variable Torque Management four-wheel-drive system (VTM-4) and locking rear differential.
The four wheels are driven by a 3.5-liter 250-horsepower V6 engine through a five-speed automatic transmission. A heavy-duty transmission cooler is available.
Expect 15 miles to the gallon in city driving and 20 on the highway.
Three trim levels are offered: the base RT, RTS and top-of-the-line RTL.
Standard features on the Ridgeline RT include an integrated trailer hitch, pre-wiring for 7-pin trailer wiring, trip computer with instantaneous and average fuel economy; air conditioning; tilt steering wheel; power windows and door locks; power sliding rear window; cruise control; keyless entry; automatic heated wiper zone; a six-speaker, 100-watt audio system with CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability; and 60/40 split lift-up rear seat with underseat storage.
The Ridgeline RTS adds alloy wheels; a 7-pin trailer wiring connector; body-color painted door handles; painted inner grille surfaces; a seven-speaker 160-watt audio system with sub woofer and six-disc in-dash audio system; steering wheel-mounted controls; an auxiliary audio input jack; dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support; privacy glass; and all-weather floor mats.
The RTL adds a leather-trimmed interior with heated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels; fog lights, moonroof, a 110-volt power outlet, XM Satellite Radio, HomeLink remote system, carpeted floor mats, and a compass in the rear view mirror. A Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with voice recognition is available (and replaces the rear-view mirror interior compass). Vehicles equipped with the navigation system also include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and a multi-information display.
Click to find your next Honda.
