January 2009 Press Releases
01/29/09 Car Buyers can now Investigate their Investment .... (pdf)
01/26/09 CALSTAR- Engine Upgrades; Steve Fossett ...(pdf)
1/16/09 Director of Human Resources, Press-Enterprise (pdf)
Release: January 29, 2009
Contact Information: Jim Taylor or Jennifer Svendsen
Auto Data Direct, Inc.
850-877-8804
www.add123.com
MAJOR CONSUMER VICTORY – NATIONAL MOTOR VEHICLE DATABASE ACCESSIBLE ONLINE – FLORIDA COMPANY LEADING THE WAY
Car Buyers can now Investigate their Investment before they Spend. Damaged in a flood? Repaired after being “totaled” in a wreck? Salvaged? Stolen? Junked? Rebuilt? The questions that have haunted car buyers for decades can now be reliably answered with a few keystrokes. Instant access to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVITS) is now available. Auto Data Direct, Inc. (ADD) of Tallahassee, FL enables prospective buyers to immediately determine the status of a particular vehicle’s title, the title issue date, previous state of title, odometer reading and important “brand” information.
Currently, over half of the state jurisdictions are participating in the NMVTIS program with over 300,000,000 vehicles in the database. Salvage yards, automotive recyclers and insurance companies will also be required to participate in NMVTIS by reporting “end-of-life” and “salvage” vehicle data. This information is vital to protect consumers from purchasing vehicles that should not be on the highway.
Consumer groups and law enforcement agencies are hailing this national motor vehicle database as a powerful tool for reducing the fraudulent sales of damaged, stolen and rebuilt vehicles. Through NMVTIS, a vehicle’s title information is maintained and updated from state to state. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is checked against a national pointer file, which provides the latest jurisdiction that issued a title on that vehicle and requests all title information from that jurisdiction.
Through the easy-to-use Auto Data Direct web site WWW.ADD123.COM, consumers have instant access to NMVTIS online. ADD offers a fast, secure and inexpensive means for buyers to investigate their investment before purchasing a car. ADD President Jim Taylor notes: “Access to NMVTIS is the dawn of a new day in consumer protection for the auto buying public. While this system will grow to provide even more accurate and timely information, it is always prudent to have any vehicle thoroughly inspected by a sound, reliable mechanic before buying.”
Contact Information: Jim Taylor or Jennifer Svendsen
Auto Data Direct, Inc.
850-877-8804
www.add123.com
info@add123.com
Release: January 26, 2009
CONTACT: Gene Hall
(707) 365-4310
www.CALSTAR.org
CALSTAR SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES ROLLS ROYCE ENGINE UPGRADES;
TAKES NOTE OF MAJOR CONTRIBUTION BY FAMED BUSINESSMAN-
ADVENTURER STEVE FOSSETT
California Shock Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR), a non-profit air ambulance service that covers an area from Central California to parts of Nevada, has just completed a comprehensive program to dramatically upgrade engines on its fleet of Eurocopter Model BO-105LS helicopters, CALSTAR President and CEO Joseph Cook announced today.
The upgrade, five-to-six years in the making, involved changing Rolls Royce engines to provide for greater safety, a reduction in emissions and a savings in overall operating costs of about 40 percent. The upgrade, according to David Dyer, CALSTAR Director of Maintenance, was a joint effort between CALSTAR and Rolls Royce. After extensive engineering and testing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted CALSTAR a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), approving this engine retrofit for the entire BO-105 LS fleet nationwide.
According to Cook, the late Steve Fossett, famed businessman, aviator, sailor and adventurer also played a key role in the upgrade of the new engines. Cook said that Fossett had selected the BO-105LS for an endurance record he was hoping to set. “When he heard that we had more of these aircraft than anyone and that we had been talking to Rolls Royce about an engine upgrade, he met with us and we recommended that he also contact Eurocopter regarding its “Superlifter” rotor blades,” Cook said.
Cook said that Fossett was so interested in the project that he agreed to partner with CALSTAR and committed his own aircraft to the Supplemental Type Certificate process. “This allowed CALSTAR to use his aircraft to ensure proper fit and installation of the engines and all component hardware and for all of the FAA required flight testing,”
Cook said. “This was a significant help to CALSTAR as it allowed us to keep all of our aircraft committed to our daily mission. Steve also used his aircraft for his own training and all this flight time was used to demonstrate the reliability and dependability of the new engine configuration.”
Cook said that “without Steve’s support and partnership, this significant improvement to the aircraft and our crews’ safety would not yet be completed.” He added that Fossett’s contribution to the project was “yet one more of countless numbers of accomplishments that will be a part of his legacy forever.”
Fossett disappeared after taking off on a solo flight in Nevada in September of 2007. The wreckage of the aircraft was found in October of 2008 and DNA testing a month later confirmed that Fossett had perished in the crash.
Technically, according to Dyer, CALSTAR’S fleet was upgraded from the 250-C28 engines to 250-C30P models. The extra power delivered by the C30P engine enables the pilot to operate the aircraft to the certificated horsepower ratings of the airframe at higher altitudes and outside air temperatures, avoiding power losses due to reduced air density. The extra horsepower delivered by the C30P engine is critical in high altitudes and will provide an increased safety margin for CALSTAR operating in the Sierras and other mountainous regions. In all, CALSTAR operates 17 helicopters and several fixed-wing aircraft.
Cook said the retrofit of the helicopters was done primarily to enhance safety as well as to improve efficiency. “We are constantly taking measures to maximize the safety of our flight crews, EMS partners and of course patients,” he said. “Additionally, we are pleased to be operating cleaner burning, more eco-friendly engines. The C30 leaves no visible exhaust trail. We are very pleased with this effort.”
CALSTAR operates from 10 bases in Mendocino, Contra Costa, Placer, Amador, El Dorado, Solano, Santa Clara, San Benito, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties. Headquarters are in McClellan.
In September of 2009 the organization will note its 25th anniversary. Since its inception CALSTAR has successfully transported more than 36,000 patients. It has an excellent safety record, with no accidents involving injuries to either passengers or crew members.
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Release: 1/16/09
Contact: Karen Kokiko
The Press-Enterprise Company
951-368-9601
951-368-9020 Fax
kkokiko@pe.com
www.pe.com
The Press-Enterprise Company Names Director of Human Resources
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Jan. 16, 2009) -- Paul Ziembowicz, who has served as The Press-Enterprise Company’s manager of Human Resources since 2007, recently was named director of Human Resources for the company. In addition to continuing in his present role of managing the day-to-day operations of the department -- including employee relations, staffing, training and development, and employee retention -- Ziembowicz will engage with executive management to lead the strategic direction for Human Resources across the company.
Ziembowicz says his key objective as director will be to take a proactive approach to contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the company by translating business plans into strategic and operational plans. This includes partnering with management and employees on key initiatives and to further promote the company’s high performance culture.
“We are pleased to announce Paul’s appointment,” said Ronald Redfern, chief executive officer and publisher of The Press-Enterprise Company. “With his proven expertise, Paul will continue to serve an important role at The Press-Enterprise Company by providing the leadership we need to meet our immediate and long-term goals.”
About the Press-Enterprise Company
The Press-Enterprise Company, a Riverside-based subsidiary of AH Belo Corp., is a multimedia company serving Inland Southern California. The company publishes news and information in print and online via The Press-Enterprise, the region’s largest daily newspaper with 149,608 Monday through Friday circulation and 160,016 Sunday circulation; PE.com, the region’s largest local online Web site; and, more than 30 micro-local community-based Web sites. Other print and online products include: The Business Press, a weekly business journal; La Prensa, weekly Spanish-language newspapers serving the region's diverse Hispanic community; and online advertising publications PE.cars, PE.homes, WOW, PE.jobs and Savings Express.
About A. H. Belo Corporation
A. H. Belo Corporation (NYSE: AHC) headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a distinguished newspaper publishing and local news and information company that owns and operates four daily newspapers and a diverse group of Web sites. A. H. Belo publishes The Dallas Morning News, Texas’ leading newspaper and winner of eight Pulitzer Prizes since 1986; The Providence Journal, the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the U.S. and winner of four Pulitzer Prizes; The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA), serving southern California’s Inland Empire region and winner of one Pulitzer Prize; and the Denton Record-Chronicle. The Company publishes various specialty publications targeting niche audiences, young adults and the fast-growing Hispanic market. The Company’s partnerships and/or investments include the Yahoo! Newspaper Consortium and Classified Ventures, owner of cars.com. A. H. Belo also owns direct mail and commercial printing businesses. Additional information is available at www.ahbelo.com or by contacting Maribel Correa, director/Investor Relations, at 214-977-2702.
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