Making an impact on The Daily Record
July 8, 2008
This morning, a truck hit our building.
That’s right – you read correctly. Just before eight this morning, a truck collided against The Daily Record building’s left side, taking off a few chunks of wall – and damaging a “No Parking” sign.
(An alley between our building and Saint Paul’s Church leads from E. Saratoga St. into a city-owned parking garage. It’s a frequently traversed space, and sometimes used by trucks for unloading).
According to an eyewitness, it seems that the truck was making a left hand turn onto Saratoga out of the alley when it got too close for comfort. Fortunately, no one was hurt; pieces of our stucco-like exterior litter the alley, but the building’s still standing.
I’m new to the office, so I asked around the newsroom to see if there had been any similar incidents in the past.
One of our longtime editors informed me that while the parking garage next door was being built - about 10 years ago - a large crane toppled over on the worksite, nearly hitting our building. Imagine that: One second you’re typing, the next second a crane is crashing overhead.
What’s the most exciting thing to happen in your office?
RICHARD SIMON, Multimedia Reporter
Sphere: Related ContentWhat’s the biggest threat to your safety on the road?
June 13, 2008
Have a concern about driving safety in your neighborhood?
If so, the University of Maryland has set up a free, web-based anonymous survey that lets Marylanders highlight what concerns them the most about traffic safety in the state (i.e. speeding, drunk driving, and cell phone usage).
The survey, which more than 4,100 people filled out last year, helps local task forces identify the needs and issues of their county.
The survey takes less than 10 minutes to fill out, and can be found here. It will be available starting Monday through August 10.
RICHARD SIMON, Multimedia Reporter
Sphere: Related ContentCelebrate Earth Day at an auto dealer?
April 4, 2008
What do you get when you cross Al Gore with oil changes and tire rotations? That’s right, Earth Day at an auto mall!
Apparently, Fitzgerald Auto Malls have gone “green” crazy. There’ll be lots going on there during the eco-friendly week of April 14-19, including an energy-efficient auto show, energy-saving products mini expo, Healthy Food Day, and the old reliable standby of all public exhibits of environmental enthusiasm: tree planting.
Also, all Fitzgerald locations will be accepting recyclable materials from the public — including oil, antifreeze and vehicle batteries, some of the nastiest stuff for the planet to digest.
To be honest, I’m kind of burned out from this “green” environmental lovefest that has been dominating the media for quite a while now. I mean, come on, press people, let’s at least pick a new color — or a rotation of colors — to attribute to someone caring about the planet.
Our new color-cycle designation for the media to celebrate eco-consciousness could look like this: blue, yellow, green, of course, and then Gore (I think he’s done enough for us humans that we can create a color in his honor).
Does anyone else agree with my creative color pattern, or is my “green fatigue” the result of me being one of those self-absorbed media types?
FRANCIS SMITH, Special Publications Assistant Editor
Sphere: Related ContentChrysler: “Don’t write off minivans”
March 6, 2008
On its media blog this week, beleaguered carmaker Chrysler points out that the once ubiquitous transport of choice for soccer moms and dads everywhere, the minivan, might not be a very sleek or sexy choice compared to other offerings, but it is still a “big hit” with consumers.
So what if minivan sales are down 18 percent. That’s no reason to put the kid haulers down for the count.
Chrysler’s manager of sales, service and dealer communications urges people to, “think twice before buying into the conventional wisdom. The truth reveals itself when you dig a little deeper.”
As proof, he offers:
-The new Chrysler Town & Country long wheel base model has increased at retail more than 75%, and the new Dodge Grand Caravan has increased more than 25%.
-The total reduction in minivan sales is because of “planned fleet reductions” - not any wishy-washy consumer trend. In fact, consumers are demanding more minivans.
Will ’08 see a resurgence of minivan sales, or will they get plowed under by hybrids, cross-over sport utes, or still-strong-selling big SUVs like Land Rovers and Escalades?
BEN MOOK, Assistant Business Editor
Sphere: Related ContentWhat, no Ford Ranchero?
September 14, 2007
In case you missed it, Hagerty Insurance Agency (a Michigan vintage automotive insurance company) released the results of a survey highlighting the top 10 most “questionable” car designs.
Its customers were apparently none too fond of the now-defunct AMC stable of vehicles, which had three vehicles on the list.
To buy, or not to buy?
August 23, 2007
As problems with the housing markets persist and credit standards tighten, automobile showrooms are starting to feel the crunch.
Tom Markides, owner of Prestige Imports in Randallstown, said in a story in Thursday’s Daily Record that his dealership, which sells higher-end used cars such as Lexus and Mercedes, has always had a good mix of customers with both good and bad credit. But with banks tightening their standards, it has become more difficult to get customers financed. Borderline customers are finding it extremely difficult to get car loans, and it’s even getting tough for customers with perfect credit or significant down payments to get financed, he said.
So, tell us, are you going to put off buying a new car or are you going to try and cash in on dealers’ desperation to move inventory?
Let us know.
-LOUIS LLOVIO, Daily Record Business Writer
Sphere: Related ContentHave I got a deal for you!
August 15, 2007
For the first time since 1981, I bought a new car that wasn’t a Chrysler.
And, for the first time since 1981, I bought a new car from someone who wasn’t named Uncle Len.
My mother-in-law’s family has had Chrysler dealerships around Philadelphia almost since there have been Chrysler dealerships outside of Philadelphia. For 25 years, buying (actually leasing) new cars for us has consisted of deciding which Chrysler vehicle we wanted, calling Town Motors of Exton, and saying, “Uncle Len, we want a Jeep Grand Cherokee. What do you have? How much is it?” We’ve done it while we lived in Dallas, Hartford, Conn. and Baltimore.
Alas, Uncle Len is in the process of selling Town Motors.
So with the lease to our 2004 Town & Country up, I had to go car shopping. And, for me at least, the process wasn’t bad at all.
I decided I wanted a hard-top convertible (go ahead, insert your mid-life crisis joke here … I’m secure enough to know it’s not true) with a manual transmission.
I drove a Volvo C-70, which is a beautiful car, but turned out to be more than I wanted to spend.
I then discovered the Volkswagen Eos (at right). Very nice looking, not flashy (at least with the top up), in my price range.
The salesman at Russel VW in Catonsville, Dave Lawell, is a nice guy and was straightforward. I told him what I wanted, he told me what they had, we found a car I liked.
I priced similar cars at two other VW dealerships, then went back to Russel. They gave me a monthly lease price that was considerably higher and had a $1,800 higher down payment – not a good combination. By now, the sales manager, Chip Defries, was involved. He couldn’t understand how the other dealership could be so low. He was certain the deal would change when I went in to pick the car up because he would be taking a loss if he sold me the Eos at that price.
But a funny thing happened over the next 48 hours. Chip essentially met the other dealer’s price. There weren’t high-pressure tactics. And even though Russel is much closer to my Ellicott City home than the other dealerships, I was prepared to go elsewhere. Chip finally asked me if he could get to within $10 of the other dealers’ monthly lease price with the lower downpayment, could we do the deal. I said yes.
The next night I was signing papers. I wouldn’t have been shocked – based on horror stories I’ve heard over the years – if the deal hadn’t been exactly as Chip described it. If the downpayment was suddenly higher, or if some guy in a plaid jacket suddenly told me that buying the undercoating for $750 was required.
But everything was exactly as agreed upon. The whole process, from first showroom visit to driving my new car off the lot, took 10 days (and it would have been nine if Maryland car dealerships were allowed to be open on Sundays, but that’s another post).
-ED WALDMAN, Managing Editor, Business
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