During these hot summer days it's great to get out and enjoy the weather. Maybe you wanted to go out somewhere but there was no one available to watch over your kids. If you do take your kids with you, wherever you go, please keep their safety at the forefront of your mindset and do NOT leave them in the car by themselves for any reason ... not even for a minute.
The ambient temperature inside of a vehicle on a 80 degree day can reach up to 110 degrees in just 20 minutes. On average there are 37 infant deaths resulting from being left in hot cars per year. I've heard horror stories on the news about infant death resulting from being stuck inside a car and it is something that needs to be brought up and addressed during these hot summer days.
GM recently partnered with Safe Kids USA and together they are aiming to increase public awareness of the issue through education.
From the press release: "A child's core body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's, making them more susceptible to heat stroke – even on a day with mild temperatures," said Lorrie Walker, training manager and technical advisor for Safe Kids USA. "Our goal is to raise awareness of just how dangerous it is to leave a child unattended in a vehicle, as well as to remind parents and caregivers of important safety precautions they can take to avoid this preventable tragedy."
Here's a few tips from GM to ensure that something like this never happens:
Call 911 if they see a child unattended in a vehicle.
Never leave children alone in a vehicle - not even for a minute.
Set your cell phone or Blackberry reminder to be sure you drop your child off at daycare.
Place a cell phone, PDA, purse, briefcase, gym bag or whatever is to be carried from the car on the floor in front of the child in a back seat. This forces the adult to open the back door and observe the child before leaving.
Set your computer "Outlook" program to ask you, "Did you drop off at daycare today?"
Have a plan with your child care provider to call if your child does not arrive when expected.
Check cars and trunks first if a child goes missing.
Bob Bush has been a Dubuquer for his entire life. And now he has joined the Runde Chevrolet team as one of our sales gurus. Read on to learn more about Bob, what he likes and what he'd do with 100 million bucks.
Where are you from? Dubuque Iowa, born and raised.
Have you always known about Runde's? Yeah, I've pretty much always known about Runde's. My dad bought a used truck from the Hazel Green store not to long ago. He still has the truck and it's still running good!
How are you liking it here at Runde's? I'm liking it. I'm getting the hang of things and it's going great.
What do you like to do around the area? Hang out with friends, go cook out, watch my buddies fight in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), hang outside, go on the river, and I like to play games like bags (bean bag toss) and Polish horseshoes.
Do you fight in MMA? No, I'm there more for support.
Do you cook? Oh yeah, me and my girlfriend cook a lot and grill. I'm a big season freak, I have tons of seasonings and a bunch of different sauces and marinades I make.
What's your favorite restaurant? Around here - probably the Village Bar for their Prime-rib. The Pepper Sprout is good food. Also Olive Garden, everyone loves Olive Garden. I go to 3 Mile House and Lot 1 for a great Steak Sandwich... I'll also go anywhere that has a good steak.
What's your favorite food? Anything on the grill - Steak, chicken, sausage etc... I also like seafood and Italian.
What's the most complicated food you've made? Probably homemade Fettuccine Chicken Alfredo because you have to start from scratch with the sauce... either that or a whole beef tenderloin because you have to cook them just right or they can easily get overdone.
Do you have any kids? Yes - Collin is 9 years old, he'll be going into 4th grade. He loves to play soccer, it's his favorite. He’s excited for his first tournament that’s on Sunday.
Cool, are you guys keeping track of what's happening in the World Cup? Yeah, Team USA got to stick around in the tournament by beating Algeria, but we were ousted by Ghana in the next round. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.
Do you have any pets? Brooke I have a dog named Porkchop, he's a Shih-Poo which is a mix between a Poodle, Shih-Tzu and a Lhasa Apso. We also have a cat named Cheeba but we call her Weebies. She's not even like a cat, she's like a dog.
Where's your favorite place to go in the Tri-States? Any place where friends are. I liked watching the Dubuque Fighting Saints hockey team. I'm looking forward to the new ice stadium they are building, it’s supposed to be huge.
Are you a hockey fan? Yeah, I played hockey, it's the only sport I've ever played. It's a fun sport overall, wears your legs out but it's fun.
What's the latest movie you've seen? Uhh.... What was the last one I went too... Did you see the new Toy Story 3? No, I didn't see that one, is it good? Yeah, I'd recommend it.
I can't remember the last one I went to but I want to see that new theater they are making in the Mississippi River Museum. They are making a really nice renovation to the place for like 40 million dollars, they are going to have a 4D theater where there are like sharks coming out at you, smoke and mist everywhere… cool stuff.
What do you, your girlfriend and your son like to do together?
The last thing we did is take them to Michael’s Fun World in Davenport, IA. They have a three story jungle gym, trampoline basketball, go-karts outside, big miniature golf course, a jousting area... it was awesome.
Do you like to travel around a lot? Yeah, I go to a Chiefs game at least once a year. We usually go to Florida at least once a year. My girlfriend's grandpa has a condo there in Fort Lauderdale. We just got back last week from a Cubs game; we like to go to various places.
Planning to go anywhere this year? Yeah, We are probably going to Noah's Ark in the Dells before summer is done. I want to try to find the nearest Dave and Busters and try one out. I've been in search for one for a long time but there isn't one really close to us.
What is one invention you couldn't live without? Probably a phone. From talking to people and now we have the internet and GPS available on them ... it's pretty much everything you need.
What kind of music do you like? I'm pretty much open to anything, I'd say my least favorite is probably country. I like rock and old school rock n roll like ACDC and stuff like that.
I bet your radio station is tuned to 97.3 The Rock. Now that my CD player is broke YOU ARE RIGHT, it's on 97.3 but I listen to Bob and Tom in the morning.
What's your favorite sports team? I'm a HUGE Kansas City Chiefs fan. I was born to be a Rams fan because that was my dad’s favorite team but I branched out to the Chiefs because of people like Joe Montana, Derrick Thomas, Priest Holmes... they are just kind of a team I took on. Arrowhead stadium is a great place to go to a football game; it's really loud and a great time.If you were to win the lottery, what would you do with the money... say it's $100 million. I'd probably be getting around $60 million because I'd take cash. Right away, I'd go on a nice trip so I wouldn't have to deal with those people who say they are my "long-lost brother" and stuff like that. Just let the excitement die down a little bit.
Would you bring your Cell Phone? Yes I would. I'd take my current phone and throw it in the garbage and go buy the most expensive phone out there. I would change my number, though, in a heartbeat. Just be in contact with family and close friends.
After I got back from my trip I'd definitely move. I'd figure out where all my family and close friends wants to go and take them there. We'd all get a couple of beach houses, and maybe I'd get a house on the Fiji Islands, that's a place I've always wanted to go - Google it, you'll see what I'm talking about.
Why do you think people should come to Runde's instead of a different dealership? We don't mess around, we don't play games with you, and we give you a great base price on the cars right off the bat. They train you here to be really polite, not pushy and no high-pressure sales. We don't want to scare people. When people walk in here they come in with a smile on their face because they usually are thinking, "We aren’t going to be pressured to buy this right now."
Many families in the Tri-State area have made a tradition of gathering together to watch the 3rd of July air show and fireworks display. There is a lot of time, effort and hard work put into the event.
Perry Mason, the General Sales Manager at Radio Dubuque, is one of the important people behind the scenes who helps organize the July 3rd event every year and is here to explain the show and what it takes to make the spectacular performance happen. Perry knows a thing or two about throwing a good show and has been involved with the air show through its entirety of 25 years. Perry explains, "This is the 25th anniversary of the air Show. We have one of the biggest shows in the nation. Going to the show not only provides a great bonding and get-together time with family and friends, but it is also an awesome show that simply can't be missed."
How did this whole show get started?
We started off with a $5,000 fireworks display with the Jaycee's back in 1985 up by Wahlert High School. We then moved it down to the river and had it synced with our radio station to accommodate the rising number of spectators. Since then it has gotten bigger and bigger… we added the air show and added more fireworks and now it is one of the biggest shows in the nation. Our budget used to be $5,000 now it's close to $100,000. This show is ranked as one of the top 15 shows in the country. It has been in air show magazines and travel magazines as well as other media. We have four national press groups coming to the show so far this year.
How do you get all the different air show acts together?
There is a conference that is held every year where air show enthusiasts can get together. I've been a part of it for the last 15 years or so. This is where I meet and ask the the people in charge of these planes to participate in the show. We get together and have a great time, it's all relationship building. If you have satisfied customers and a good show, you can offer them what they want and they will come to you!
How many people attend the Tri-State Show?
The Air Force estimates that there's well over a 150,000 people who attend the show. The neat thing about this show is that you can watch it from all three states and listen to our radio stations to listen to the play-by-play of what's happening so you can "be there" without actually being there.
Do you know if any people outside the Tri-State area come to the show?
Yes, people come from all over. People are coming all the way from Turkey to see the show this year. The furthest anyone has ever come to see the show was from Madras, India – and they came specifically to see this show!
How many fireworks are we looking at for this year’s show?
I don't have the exact numbers but it's in the thousands. The biggest shell we have is a 7" shell. We limit it to a 7" shell for safety reasons.
Exactly how much work is involved in putting together the show? ***Half a chuckle and a big "you-have-NO-idea" expression crosses Perry's face...***
I start preparing for next year’s show directly after this show is over. The very next business day I start making contacts. There's a lot of paperwork that goes into closing the river. I work with three different states, the Coastguard out of St. Louis, the Pentagon, Fire and Police protection... I actually hurt a muscle in my arm from holding the phone too much, that's why they gave me the headset.
Is it difficult to work with the Pentagon and/or Air Force?
No... the hardest part is the regulations that we have to follow, but it's all fun. It's all worth it and it's an honor to support the men and women of the armed forces that give us the freedom that we enjoy today.
Any big surprises this year?
Let’s just say it will be a show you don't want to miss. We have the Golden Knights Parachute team dropping in, the A-10 East Demonstration Team that has been here for 14 of the last 15 years, the F-18 Superhornet which is a first for the show, and the B1 Bomber. We will also have a special dogfight tribute to World War II vets with a P-51 Mustang and the actual Japanese Zero that was in the movies "Tora Tora Tora" and "Pearl Harbor" as well as other various shows.
I'm assuming you're a big fan of these aircrafts?
It is living history and pretty awesome. My dad was a P-38 pilot in World War II and I like the fact that they are on our side.
Everything pretty much ready to go for the show?
Yes, everything is going as scheduled. Runde’s, and I mean this very sincerely, has been a great aid. Part of my work with the military is to make sure everything works like clockwork. For me, working with Runde’s for the last couple of years has been fabulous, absolutely fabulous. Runde’s always makes sure that I have the best of the best vehicles and that they are all ready to go. I can't even tell ya... it's just super. It's nice to be able to go and pick up the people coming in for the show all at once. These people are traveling all the time. They bring their service team and everything with them. It's important that everything goes smoothly for them. Runde’s sure makes my life a whole lot easier. It’s one less thing in our minds that we don't have to worry about. Everyone enjoys the vehicles Runde's provides and thinks they are great.
Looking at all of the people with their facial expressions saying, "WOW, this is cool".
How do you determine what songs to use during the show?
We generate the music at the radio station and have a committee that selects which songs to play. From there we tweak them and send them to the fireworks company where they computerize everything to be synced with the fireworks as they are timed with the show.
How long is the air show?
We start the air show at 6:00pm and it lasts 'til 8:30pm, then we have a special tribute at 9:00pm 'til around 9:20pm. This is where we dedicate the fireworks and air show to the veterans for all they have done for us. We will be reading the names of those killed in recent conflicts to our listening area. The Golden Knights will be performing a pyro jump at night. They actually used a photo out of Dubuque in their 2009-2011 Calendar when they did their pyro jump at last years event.
How many planes are going to be in the show this year?
Probably about 10.
Does anything ever not go according to plan when organizing all of these different things?
One year, two kids had climbed some trees on an island within the radius that is supposed to be clear of people on the day of the show. We had to delay the show and make sure the kids were out of there. If that would have been the moment when the B1 bomber were to fly in, he would have had to leave without a showing because he has to be at Mt. Rushmore roughly 15 minutes after he flies here.
I noticed two patches on your wall, they have the names; Borman, Lovell and Anders on them. What do they represent?
Well, Frank Borman is from Apollo VIII, which was the first flight to go around the moon. Frank Borman was here at our air show a number of years ago and had a drink with all of us. It is interesting to have had a piece of history sit down with us. I don't know if you've ever seen the movie "Apollo Thirteen" but Jim Lovell is one of the astronauts portrayed in that movie and Bill Anders, of Apollo VIII took the famous “Earth Rise” photo showing the earth rising on the moon.
Very cool! Anything else you'd like to add?
All of these people are heroes. Each one of them deserves a grand entrance and I just wanted to show my thanks to all of them. This is just a small thing I can do to say "thank you" to all of our troops and vets.
Thank you Perry! It's been very interesting to hear things explained from one of the people behind the show. We look forward to being there and we are glad that you’ve chosen Runde's to supply all the cars, vans, SUV’s and our Community Support truck year after year to help with this great show.
Here's a little follow-up on how the "Extended Range" mode works in the Volt. Also enjoy the video of a fire team testing out how the Volt will bend, break, and tear apart if it happens to get into an accident.
Laura Rannals from Area Residential Care dropped in the other day to drop off the Runde's Community Supoprt Truck. Area Residential Care is a non-profit agency that serves people with mental or other devolopmental disabilities. They have grown to serve about 300 adults with disabilites and about 300 staff members in Dubuque (the headqurters), Dyersville, and Manchester. They will soon be moving to the old Econofoods building off of JFK.
The Community Support Truck was used to help move items and goods to and from A.Y. McDonald Park in Dubuque where they held the 2010 Corporate & Community Games. Laura Explains that the Corporate & Community games is the annual fundraiser for Area Residential Care. The event takes place on the second Wednesday of every June. Teams of eight to ten people sign up to play silly games to support Area Residential Care. There were ten games total this year and you may be asking; "what entails a silly game?" How about shooting rubber chickens through a water ballon launcher to score points? As long as you are over 18 you can join a team. This year they had 40 teams and the winning team went home with some goodies.
Money from the event goes towards different needs within Area Residential Care and the support of all of the participants, sponsors and spectators really help the cause. This is the third year that Residential Care has borrowed the Runde's Community Support Truck for help with the event. Laura stresses, "The truck was a HUGE help. It would not have gone as smoothly without it. It gives you that peace of mind that everything is loaded and ready to go for the event when you have other things to worry about."
To learn more about Area Residentail Care visit their website: www.arearesidentialcare.org/ and help support these great non-profit agency's that do everything in their power to help the community.
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