Ray Scollin wins Red Cross' Valdosta Superstar

arch 15, 2010

Ray Scollin wins Red Cross' Valdosta Superstar

Dean Poling The Valdosta Daily Times

VALDOSTA - Valdosta has a new Superstar.

Ray Scollin won this weekend's American Red Cross Valdosta Superstar competition at Mathis City Auditorium.

Scollin, 22, was one of 14 contestants taking the stage in the competition's performance portion. The final contestants made it through two previous audition rounds in earlier weeks to perform in Saturday night's Valdosta Superstar.

Scollin began playing guitar at the age of 12, according to biography information provided by the Valdosta chapter of the American Red Cross. He has long been attracted to writing his own songs.

"This aspiring songwriter has written two albums worth of songs, both original music and with a band," according to bio information. "He has been slowly building a recording studio in his home after returning from New York where he lived and went to school for music and audio engineering."

The American Red Cross describes Scollin's music as "heartfelt and descriptive in subject matter stemming anywhere from the loss of  friends, how it feels to fall in and out of love, or living in a new city."

As the Valdosta Superstar winner, Scollin receives a "star-treatment package" from Wild Adventures, which includes performing the National Anthem during the park's All-American Weekend celebration, July 4. He also receives a three-song professional demo pack from The Group Recording Studio.

Second-place winner: Mary Peeples, a 10-year-old Valwood student, who has also performed in productions by Gingerbread Players of Theatre Guild Valdosta and Peach State Summer Theatre.

Third-place winner: Phillip Jackson, an Akron, Ohio native from a musical family, and has been singing since the age of 3.

He has won many awards for his singing.

All proceeds from Valdosta Superstar benefit American Red Cross services in Brooks, Lowndes, Lanier and Echols counties, said Terri Whitlock, local American Red Cross executive director.

Thank you,
Thomas Ieracitano
Thomas@Ieracitano.com
www.DigitalCarGuy.com
(229) 251-2462

P.S. Are you 'Advertising' or 'Marketing' ?

Ask me the Difference?

What To Do When You're In a Fender-Bender

Step-by-step instructions from Women-Drivers.com

 

It can be hard to think clearly after the shock of a fender-bender, so Women-Drivers.com, with safety and insurance partner Insurance.com, offer this protocol for the immediate moments after an accident and recommend that you carry this tip sheet with you in your vehicle. Even the safest and most careful drivers can be victims of an accident, so it is important to be prepared, no matter how clean your driving record is. Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate and President of Women-Drivers.com invites you to follow these safety steps for what you need to do once the dust settles from a fender-bender:

 

1. Safety first: If it is appropriate and safe to do so, move your vehicle out of the way so other cars can pass. However, do not leave the scene of the accident. Call 911 immediately for medical assistance if anyone is injured and ask for a police officer to come and take a report.

 

2. Stay calm: Do not panic or become upset. If you have young children in the car, they will take their lead from you. Insurance companies advise that you should never admit fault at the accident. Be sure that you are polite and calm to everyone involved, including the police officers. Also make sure to get the officer's name, district and police report number.

 

3. Gather information: Exchange contact information with others involved in the accident, getting important details like full name, address, phone number & insurance carrier. Almost 15% of all accidents are caused by uninsured drivers according to Insurance.com, so ask to see a current insurance ID card. Also, be sure to write down the year, make, model and license plate number for each vehicle involved. If there are any witnesses involved, gather their contact information as well. It is a good idea to keep a small notebook in your vehicle for this reason.

 

4. Document the accident: With your cell phone or a disposable camera, take multiple photos of the accident scene and the damage to your car. If you observed the driver talking or texting before the accident, tell your claim adjuster and the police. Texting while driving is illegal in 14 states - and an additional 10 states prohibit texting by new drivers.

 

5. Report the accident to your insurance company right away no matter how minor: A driver may offer to settle with you in cash to avoid increased insurance rates. On average, insurance rates increase 20% or more after the first accident, according to Insurance.com. But there's no guarantee the other driver will pay you, so let your insurer handle the details.

 

Remember to always have the following items accessible in your car. In the case of an accident or fender bender, they will make the process smoother for all parties involved:

 

1. Your insurance ID card

2. Your vehicle's registration card

3. A list of emergency contacts (spouse, partner, parents, close friends)

4. A medical card listing any allergies, medications or special conditions

5. Pen and a small notebook

6. Flares and a flashlight

7. First-aid kit

8. Disposable or digital camera (if your cell phone does not have one)

 

About Women-Drivers.com

http://www.women-drivers.com

Women-Drivers.com LLC connects women and families to Certified Women-Drivers Friendly^TM car dealers. The site allows consumers to rate their Purchase, Browse and Service experience at dealerships nationwide. The company markets Women Satisfaction Index^TM (WSI) reports to the industry showing what women really experience when visiting dealers. These analytics provides insights for dealerships to convert more browsers to buyers as well as pathways to educate and improve the customer experience.

 

I hope this would be helpful,

Thank you,
Thomas Ieracitano
Thomas@Ieracitano.com
www.DigitalCarGuy.com
(229) 251-2462

Fraud Alert-Area Codes...Do Not Delete

New Area Codes...Do Not Delete

Snopes and AT&T verified. See bottom of this e-mail.
This sounds like a serious warning.

809 Area Code
We actually received a call last
week from the 809 area code. The woman said 'Hey,
this is Karen .. Sorry I missed you--get back to us
quickly. I have something important to tell you..' Then
she repeated a phone number beginning with 809 We did not respond.
Then this week, we received the following e-mail:

Do Not DIAL AREA CODE
809, 284, AND 876

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809

This one is being distributed all over the US ... This is
pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get
you to call.

Be sure you read this and pass it on.

They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone has been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc..
In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls.

If you call from the U.S. , you will apparently be
charged $2,425 per-minute.

Or, you'll get a long recorded message... The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges.
WHY IT WORKS:

The 809 area code is located in the Dominican Republic ..
The charges afterward can become a real
nightmare. That's because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You'll
end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong.

Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam.

AT&T VERIFIES IT'S TRUE :

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=6045

SNOPES VERIFIES IT'S TRUE:
http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/809.asp

Consumers Have Changed The Game.

Consumers Have Changed The Game Popular social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Myspace have allowed consumers to change the game in the automotive industry. Dealers across the country are scrambling to set up social sites that potentially connect them to their customers. I have begun to notice a trend that automotive dealers have placed their focus on selling and not connecting. Dealers are traveling in the right direction, yet they are all on the long wrong to success. Consumers actually like the ideal that they have the ability to connect with their local car dealer on Facebook, yet dealers have failed to establish a real relationship with their buyers.  We as dealers have a tradition of trying to recreate the wheel, social networking became popular long before the automotive industry decided to jump on the band wagon. Pushing the needle to increase sales is the long road to success for dealers; we have failed to recognize the processes and procedures that these social sites have already implemented to reach their success today. Consumers Have Changed The Rules, and local car dealers have not yet decided to play the buyers game. It appears that dealers and manufacturers have come up with their own game plan to change the face of Social networking, implementing annotated methods that in the past have made the auto industry successful. Whenever there is a Paradigm Shift, everything changes...including the rules and dealer's have refused to operate under the new rules. The way I see it, and keep in mind this is just one man's opinion "Dealers Who Don't Do It, Won't Get It Consumers spend more time on social sites Right Now than they do anywhere else on the web, yet we are not speaking their language on these sites!  In order to capture and maintain friends or fans, as they are called on Facebook, content, connections and links must be fresh and appeal to your fans.  Most of these sites give you a breakdown of your visitors; the analytics of your pages along with demographics, what else would you need to manage the behavior of your fans?  Automation and technology can be good, yet without the human element, it will be a longgggg time before Car Dealers will see a measurable ROI for any type of investment made through social media.  Consumers are yearning for Online Negotiations, Online Trade Appraisals, and Online Real-Time Communications....these services are being offered across the board, yet we have only taken a small road to achieve this goal.  "One place to do all you need to do, before you buy".... is what one guy told me in a recent online poll I launched. We in the automotive industry operate a lot like Big Businesses in other industries, We Out Source!!  We have learned to depend on outside services to speak to our guest, after we were the ones to establish the relationship, spent the two-three hours selling them a vehicle. Think about this, would you allow someone else to come into your marriage, to help keep it together, after you have established the relationship? lol!!  Well that is exactly what car dealers do, strangers talk to our customers, do the follow-up calls, email our friends and family................. The Rules have Changed, why not us?  There is a lot more to this Automotive Social Networking thing than we want to recognize! Additional questions, comments Thomas Ieracitano Thomas@Ieracitano.com www.DigitalCarGuy.com (229) 251-2462

you just have to laugh

Down the Road Motors

Unfortunately, turn over in our business is an all-too-frequent occurrence. We had a controller who worked for us for a number of years then suddenly announced one Friday that the following week would be his last. He was a popular employee with a great personality and conversed as easily with the dealer or upper management as he did with any other employee in the store. So, his departure was considered a loss by most of the staff.

Having been asked by his new employer not to reveal where he was going to work, he responded to everyone's inquires with "Down the Road Motors." When the day of departure arrived, a cake was ordered and served in the employee lounge. Good-byes and best wishes were offered by those in attendance, which included the majority of the dealership employees (all except those who were planning a special going-away surprise).

As the controller prepared to leave, the general manager wished him good luck and assured him that if he had left anything behind it would be forwarded to his new work location. The controller chuckled, waved and stepped out the door to find his car parked just outside.

While the party had progressed, the saboteurs had made a duplicate key to his vehicle, pulled it adjacent to the employee lounge, opened the sunroof and completely filled it with Styrofoam packing peanuts from the parts department. Attached to the driver's door window was a mailing label addressed, "From: All Your Friends at the Dealership," and "To: Down the Road Motors."

Steve Sweitzer
General Manager
Fischer Honda

I found tins and just could resist to sent it around.

Thank you,
Thomas Ieracitano
Thomas@Ieracitano.com
www.DigitalCarGuy.com
(229) 251-2462