Gowanda board hears Urgent Care expansion plan

The Gowanda Planning Board and residents attended a special meeting held recently to have questions answered about a proposed expansion to the Urgent Care facility. To their surprise, representatives from the Lake Erie Regional Health System of New York were not in attendance at the meeting.

Architect Dave Zielinski of Cannon Design attended the meeting to present site designs. Zielinski said the expansion will replace the temporary Federal Emergen-cy Management Agency trailers behind the permanent building at the site located at 42 Commercial St. The new addition will see an extra 5,100 square feet, five exam rooms and new services. Mammography, ultrasound and physical therapy will be offered and a new waiting room will be able to seat 30 patients.

An addition of eight parking spaces will be added, including three handicap parking spaces. Since the permanent building is not being touched, water and sewer lines will not have to be reinstalled, just moved on the property. The current ambulance drop-off site located in the back of the building will stay in the same area but will be moved further back. Zielinski estimated construction to take three to six weeks for site preparation and another three weeks to erect the building envelope.

The outside of the building will be built of hardie board, a similar substance to concrete with the appearance of vinyl siding. With an expanded building, there will be an increase in traffic along Commercial Street, which was a concern for board member Ralph Swanson.”It is a very tight street. You’re looking at increased traffic,” Swanson said.

Residents asked if a one-way entrance and one-way exit circular driveway could be added. If a car is trying to exit the facility while one is coming in, a traffic jam is created due to the narrow driveway. Zielinski said with the grade of the property and a berm located on-site, a circular drive may be too expensive and not feasible at this time.”With the grade change, it really doesn’t provide (space) for an additional driveway,” Zielinski said.

Funds for the project will be available through a HEAL grant from New York state. The project must be built before Dec. 31 to be qualified for the funding. Janet Vogtli, parking sensor, had questions about the allocation of the funding. She had heard the funding was not available to LERHSNY yet. Zielinski said he did not have any knowledge of the funding. If the funding does not come through, LERHSNY would be responsible for construction costs. Zielinski said if plans are not set in place when the funding is allocated, the project may not move forward since funding expires at year end.

“Whenever it gets allocated, if everything is not in order, we might not be able to move forward,” Zielinski said.The board also had concerns about the facility being turned into a place where patients stay overnight and be admitted. Brecker said it cannot be called a hospital and it would be improperly zoned.”They can’t call it a hospital. It’s a first aid facility. (Patients) are treated and then moved,” Brecker said.

The planning board gave a list of items they would like to see from Zielinski and LERHSNY. The items were confirmation of no 24-hour construction days on the exterior, confirmation Urgent Care would stay as a permanent outpatient facility, proof of ownership of the site by LERHSNY, requiring the FEMA trailers to be removed by Oct. 31 and not allowing permanent storage in Gowanda, ensure there are a minimum of five handicap parking spaces, addressing the entrance issue with a circular driveway or expanding the current driveway and written confirmation if the project begins, it will be finished, even if the funding were to fall through.

In the EV-ready stage, both vehicles and charging stations appear, but large infrastructure investments are needed to address range-anxiety issues on the part of consumers. Those investing will not see immediate returns. In the next phase, EV-willing, more consumers are willing to consider electric vehicles, but utilities, municipalities, and retailers will likely have concerns over whether the new business models will pass them by. Finally, in the EV-ready stage, everything is in place and, Calise predicts, “one in five cars on the road will be an EV.” This is a nine-year process, or as Calise calls it, “a nine-inning ballgame” that started last year. So we are only in the bottom of the second inning.

Some examples include Caesar’s Palace in Reno, Nevada, a collaboration of Schneider Electric, Caesar’s Entertainment, and the State of Nevada, and the American Red Cross in San Jose, California, both of which installed charging systems for use by both customers and employees, with numerous benefits that spread throughout the community.

The Hacienda Business Park  in Pleasanton, California incorporates an electric vehicle car-sharing service. It features proximity to public transportation, an electric car-sharing service and cloud-based onsite charging infrastructure. Broad IT interconnections allow the car to talk to the charger, which talks to the grid, which talks to the customer, who talks to the car, which can even talk to the building’s energy management system for V2G-type operations. This ensures that when a car is requested for a specific purpose, the car provided will have sufficient charge. This system is smart, efficient, flexible and clean. It reduces traffic congestion with its associated stress, wasted fuel and pollution. It also eliminates the hassles associated with parking.

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Detroit EM Orr may put city’s garages

The city might sell its network of parking lots, meters and garages to pay off debt, a move that would generate cash for essential city services and, experts warn, could lead to higher rates.As part of a broader plan that includes valuing the Detroit Institute of Arts collection, Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr wants to put a price tag on the money-losing municipal parking system before deciding whether to sell it.

Motorists might end up paying more for parking in Detroit regardless of a sale, experts say, considering Detroit offers some of the least expensive parking rates nationwide and officials are restructuring city government after filing the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

“When the public hears things like this, the first thing that comes to mind is that the cost of doing business in downtown Detroit is going to increase exponentially and hurt momentum,” said David Rich, director of business development for Southfield-based parking consultants Rich & Associates. “People on the other side say: Go ahead. It will force people into multimodal transportation.”

Rich said he has not noticed widespread interest in a possible sale but said there would be bidders. Interest could be dampened by costs associated with repairing garages and updating broken and old meters.Another possible downside: Spinning off the system to a private firm could lead to fewer spaces for the public if parking spots are leased to companies or parking guidance system, Rich said.

A 2011 report said the city could pocket as much as $65 million through a lease or sale. Two years earlier, interim Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. said a sale could fetch $75 million.Other cities have profited by spinning off parking, most notably Chicago.

Chicago received $1.2 billion upfront after entering into a 75-year lease of 36,000 parking meters in 2008. But the deal led to five years of rate hikes and reports the private company that took over the system will make 10 times the amount it paid the city.Chicago had the highest hourly meter rate ($5.75) in the country last year and one of the highest ticket amounts ($60), according to a survey by SFPark, a program created by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

Detroit was among the lowest at $1 an hour and had a $20 fine for expired meters.Rich, the parking consultant, expects rates will rise one way or another.“Demand is getting to the point at which there is no supply,” Rich said, referring to the thousands of workers who have been relocated into downtown during the past two years by companies such as Quicken Loans Inc. and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Gary Brown, the city’s new chief operating officer, said restructuring consultants are working on an assessment of the parking system’s assets. Brown said if the parking department were better managed, it could probably bring in $2 million to $3 million more per year.Brown estimated the city could bring in several million dollars more in parking revenue if more meters were functional and through the sale of abandoned vehicles at auction.

When asked how long meters had been down and why, Brown said “It’s a management issue that we’re going to get to the bottom of.”“Before determining what to do with municipal parking, we first have to get it up and running adequately to know what money it’ll bring in and the value of it to lease or sell,” Brown said. “Until we have it operating functionally, we can’t put out an RFP (request for proposals).”

Brown added he is looking to make some “major changes” in the public parking department in the next few weeks to shore up its management and allow for efficient operation.In May, the City Council approved an ordinance to nearly triple its towing fee to $215 from $75. It doesn’t cover storage.

The parking system should be retained, said Detroit political consultant Eric Foster, who has analyzed the department. The city’s 2012-13 budget differs from Orr’s figures by forecasting a $3.7 million profit, and Foster said the department has minimal debt.This year the target is 70 million, to be aided by the number of peak-hour buses rising to 570 from 423 last year.

The Department of Transport today released its 2012 sustainability report, showing advances in its aim to have a third of all journeys taken on public transport by 2030.”Public transport is being taken seriously by Abu Dhabi and we recognise its efforts to reduce congestion by providing access to parking,” said Glenn Havinoviski, regional transport systems director at US traffic-management firm Iteris.Greater use of buses and taxis and more parking meant fewer cars on the road, the report said, raising safety and parking sensor.

The Department of Transport operates ferry services between Abu Dhabi City and Delma Island, on which 87,175 journeys were made last year.Other highlights in the report show 128,000 passengers used Abu Dhabi-based cruise services and 15 million travelled by air.

Abu Dhabi Ports received almost 9.4 million tonnes of shipments, and the airports handled 570,000 tonnes.”This report was designed to show how Abu Dhabi is reducing its dependency on single-occupant vehicles and traditional truck transport from Dubai and other regions, and better managing its internal traffic and parking operations,” said Mr Havinoviski.

“It emphasises the progress made in expanding public transport and taxi services, increasing controlled or paid parking, increasing the number of passengers using Abu Dhabi Airport, passenger ferry and cruise services.”

Sharing economy arrives at the airport

The park ‘n share economy has arrived at the airport, with three such rental car companies launching in the last six months. In case you don’t know, park ‘n share works like this: Someone flying out for a trip parks their car in a designated lot near the airport. Employees paid by the park ‘n share company take the keys and hand that person’s car off to someone else flying into the airport, who rents it while the owner is out of town. It’s like car-sharing with a pseudo-middleman.

The first park ‘n share company FlightCar is a Y-Combinator startup that launched six months ago and operates out of SFO and Boston Logan Airport. SFO is in the midst of suing it for not paying the airport licensing fees that other rental cars pay. Oops.

The second company is RelayRides, which has offered regular car sharing since June 2010, and launched a facilitated airport park ‘n share feature a few weeks ago. It’s backed by Google Ventures and Shasta Ventures among others and has raised $13 million in funding

The third and final company, Hubber, launched in June — it’s the first park ‘n share to hit LAX and the only one not backed by venture capital. It’s taken a very different path from the Silicon Valley-steeped RelayRides and parking sensor, although they’re all operating in the same space. Its founder, Paul Davis, never thought he would start his own company. When we chatted, he wasn’t totally sure about the difference between a seed round and a Series A round, and he didn’t see anything unusual in the fact that he didn’t take venture capital.

“I wanted to take the risk on my own because I don’t necessarily want it to not work on someone else’s dime,” Davis told me on the phone. “I’ve been bootstrapping till now.”

Davis isn’t a typical founder — he’s a non tech, non business guy who worked as a production manager in Hollywood when he came up with the idea for Hubber. In winter 2012, he leased a house in Tahoe to visit when he was between films. He purchased a car to get him to and from his vacation home and the Renoe airport. When he was working on a flick in LA, the car would sit useless near the Nevada airport for weeks on end, giving him the idea of a peer to peer airport car sharing service.

“I needed guidance, so I picked up the phone and found a consulting group in New York — Abrams Carsharing Advisors,” Davis says. “I called them up and said, ‘Is anyone doing this?’ And they said, ‘No but we like the idea.’”

Abrams pointed Davis in the right direction, told him the key players, and introduced him to vendors that could provide insurance, branding, DMV checks, parking violation processing, and all the other backbone elements to car sharing.

Here’s how Hubber works: The company has a contracted parking lot that’s a five minute shuttle ride from the airport. Car owners drop their car off with a valet at the lot who washes it and fills the gas tank. When the renter arrives, who has reserved the car in advance online, the valet checks their ID, and they hop in and go.

Renters pay $40 per day for lower-end “coach” cars, and up to $75/day for the luxury, “first class” models. Car owners get $10-$20 a day for “renting” out their car, and Hubber takes the rest. For renters, that price includes car insurance, but not gas. However, if renters return the car to the lot with an empty tank, Hubber only charges them the cost of the gas — no inflated fees.

With RelayRides and FlightCar breathing down its neck, Hubber isn’t the only park ‘n share option out there, but it’s gotten a head start by being the first in LA. Davis is glad for the parking guidance. He says his biggest business challenge in the future is getting consumers to trust these types of systems, and more startups who run this platform will raise awareness.

But there is also a more abstruse explanation. If a genuine, self-sustaining recovery is indeed establishing itself, then abundant central bank money printing will soon draw to a close, beginning the long march back to more normal interest rates. This may in turn signal the end of the present, manic hunt for yield in equities markets, corporate bonds, emerging market debt, buy to let and just about anything else that seemingly offers an above inflation rate of return.

Where does this leave investors? Let’s start with bond yields, as these are a more telling indicator of appetite for risk, or “animal spirits”, than shares. Since the beginning of May there has been a sharp uptick in bond yields across all major, advanced economies. Yields are now back where they were in the summer of 2011. Admittedly, this is still incredibly low by historic standards. All the same, the recent increase in yields has been one of the most rapid on record, and few believe the correction is yet over. Nonetheless, this ought to be seen as an overwhelmingly positive development.

Many have characterised the apparent mania for government debt as an artificially generated bubble, and no doubt there is something in the argument. Central banks have been buying bonds on an unprecedented scale (quantitative easing). Various other forms of “financial repression” have also been applied to drive investors into sovereign debt so as to fund deficits and ensure ultra-low interest rates.

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Water drives South Florida’s economy

I am a South Florida property owner and businessperson, directly affected by water issues. And it doesn’t take an advanced degree to understand why environmentalists are so concerned about funding water management district budgets.As a property owner, confidence in water management is a necessity.

South Florida abounds with waterfront properties — not just on the beach but also on canals, rivers, and other waterways. A gorgeous waterfront view increases a property’s value. But it is also a risk. When storms hit, we depend on the water management district to quickly flow water off the property for flood control. As our region copes with sea level rise in the future, there will be even more threats from flooding. Alton Road in South Beach already floods regularly from rising tides.

As a property owner, one of the other things you fear is having the water shut off. During the 2011 dry season, West Palm Beach was 22 days away from running out of water for its residents. With increased pressures on our water resources through a growing population, we might be out of water before we are under water. We depend on our public agencies to support adequate water supplies for development in the future.

Fortunately, there is a large public agency that is supposed to manage flood control and parking sensor, along with ecosystem restoration. It is called the South Florida Water Management District.

But in recent years there have been deep cuts to its budget — under the guise of cutting out wasteful spending to lower taxes for?.?.?.?property owners. This week, the district’s Governing Board is considering decreasing their revenues even more.OK, I get it if an agency is spending freakish amounts of money on things not essential to its mission — like lavish conferences in Las Vegas or even golf carts to shuttle people 20 feet in the parking lot.

But the cuts in the last few years have been so deep that they are threatening our way of life. The SFWMD created a spend-down plan from its reserves, but it is quickly being depleted and will be running on fumes. And because of a quirk in the system for assessing property values in Miami-Dade through the Value Adjustment Board, last year there was a shortfall of almost $5 million. This year there will likely be a shortfall of over $3 million.

Do we really want to force a public agency to choose between updating levees to hold back flood water or completing a restoration project that supports our future population’s water supply? Is it really a bright idea to significantly deplete funding water conservation programs and alternative water supply projects? SFWMD is even considering selling off lands acquired for conservation purposes to help fill in the budget gaps. They shouldn’t have to be in this position.

The ironic thing is that budget cuts are supposed to help property owners from paying more taxes. But instead, it exposes property owners to heightened risks from flooding, water shortages, and long-term loss of value. The difference in property tax for the average homeowner is minimal — less than the cost of a slice of pizza. That is a small price to pay for certainty in water management.

The air board followed a similar procedure before revamping its fee structure recently. During that process, the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District executive director, Lauren Anderson, invited the public in for a workshop to explain why APCD needed to do what it was proposing to do.

But by contrast, when the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District in June adopted sweeping new rules on how developers and redevelopers are to manage and, for the first time, actually treat stormwater that falls on their properties, there was no such public outreach, no public comment period and no public hearing.

Instead, MSD officials before approving the rules in June said they had worked closely with the development community — which, to be certain, is one very important part of the equation since the rules apply largely to them. But left out of the process was the public — and environmental voices, such as the Kentucky Waterways Alliance.

To be sure, MSD holds a lot of community meetings on construction projects and its $850 million plan to renovate our leaky sewer system. The board now lets the public sign up and speak at its meetings. But that’s different.

This was rule-making and some other MSD constituents might have wanted to scrutinize the proposal, too, before the new rules were adopted — and to offer their suggestions. Indeed, environmentalists said they would have.

The streamlined approval process caught me by surprise because MSD in 2011 and 2012 went through a bruising public audit process. Mayor Greg Fischer has remade the agency’s management and executive leadership. That new leadership has promised more transparency in its actions.

Frank Theatres plans to move into the Kingsport Town Center, renovate the existing theater site and expand into the parking lot with a 40,000-square-foot, two-story addition. The addition would house a Red Brick Grille restaurant, 40-game arcade, 20 lanes of bowling and the centerpiece of it all — an 85-foot-tall IMAX theater that seats up to 400 people.

Renovations to the existing 12-screen theater will take place during a five-week period and consist of new carpet, curtains, seats, screens, projectors and sound system. Frank has said six of the 12 screens would be 3-D.Depending on location, IMAX tickets at Frank Theatres vary from $15 to $17.

New projectors were delivered weeks ago and are in their respective theaters; the seats have taken five months to arrive, but should be delivered next week, Frank said. Recently, the company wrapped up the geo-technical work for the expansion.The geo-technical work involves test borings — drilling into the parking lot and testing the soil — to ensure the property is suitable for the foundation of the expansion.

“We found nothing unusual; it’s a good, compact surface, so there won’t be any additional costs or problems in doing it,” Frank said. “It should be a fairly smooth construction, and we hope to get it started early in the fall and have it open for Easter.”

Last month, IMAX announced a 10-theater agreement with Frank Theatres, with IMAX theaters installed in existing and new complexes in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, West Virginia, New Jersey and Tennessee. The remaining four IMAX screens have yet to be determined.

To help sweeten the deal, the Kingsport Economic Development Board has approved an $800,000 incentive package to Frank Theatres if it brings an IMAX to the Model City. The package was originally approved in June 2012 and has been extended twice since then.

Since Somera purchased the mall in 2007, the company has discussed investing millions of dollars in renovating and upgrading the facility, everything from improving the aesthetics of the building, adding a food court and expanding the footprint of the 37-year-old shopping center.

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‘Mystery Diners’ visits Buttons Restaurant in Dallas

Last night’s episode of “Mystery Diners” was titled, “Armed Services” where Charles Stiles and his crew of undercover diners came to “Buttons Restaurant” in Dallas, Texas after hearing from Keith “Buttons” Hicks, owner of “Buttons Restaurant” decided to return to his kitchen and hired Tony, an ex-military like himself to run the front of the house. The staff has been complaining that Tony is too tough, but Tony defended himself that he is just giving the staff structure.

Charles came in with Nicole to meet with Keith, who explained that his staff had been complaining about Tony, and it is starting to affect the vibe of the place, and too many people are quitting because of him, causing short-staffing and unhappy customers.

They went to work setting up the surveillance system and Ben will go in as a waiter-in-training, while Justin and Nicole will be customers testing the manager’s skills. When Keith saw the parking sensor, he was shocked that they could see everything. The watched as Tony gave a pep talk to his staff, which seemed like an ordinary thing to do. Ben purposely came in five minutes late and was reprimanded, even though he had a valid excuse. Tony told him that if it happens again, he is gone. Tony went in and gave the immaculate kitchen a white glove test and then gave the cook a lecture. Ben asked another server what she thought about Tony, and she told him that since he was there, people are leaving their jobs because of his strict policy. She also told him that the place had always had a laid-back atmosphere, but since Tony has been there, staff has not been happy.

When a waitress Shanitha was joking with customers, he reprimanded her and told her to keep it professional. Keith admired her for her lightheartedness and was surprised that she was not allowed to be herself. They also noticed that Tony was bullying her all day. Tony went over to apologize to the customers and gave them a free dessert, even though they defended the waitress.

When another server named Otis came in nearly an hour late, Tony pulled him into the kitchen and made him do 20 pushups. Ben found out that the waiter idolized Tony, and went along with everything he did. The guy was R.O.T.C. in high school and appreciated his military management style.

Charles sent in some of his staff to complain about Otis and Shanitha, they will find out if he favors one over the other. When Justin told Otis that he wanted extra gravy, after asking for no gravy, he got an argument from Otis and an attitude. When Tony went over to confront Otis, he did not deny what he did and Tony made him do laps in the parking lot.

When Nicole told Shanitha that her steak was not cooked the way she wanted, she gave her no argument, just took it back to make it right. Tony confronted Shanitha and bullied her into quitting. Keith had enough. This was his best server, and she was walking out. Keith went to get Tony.

When asked if he was fired, Keith told him that he would not fire a guy who would give his life for his country like he did. However, he has to lighten up on the staff and leave the military behind. Shanitha was rehired and is at the present time training to be the head server. Buttons theme has now returned to a house of employee love. Had it not been for the “Mystery Diners,” this situation could have been the ruination of this great restaurant.

But the rain tax will do little to affect water quality in the bay since it doesn’t address what many believe is the estuary’s most significant issue. The Conowingo Dam was built in 1928 as part of a hydro-electric power project and is still a working unit, now owned by Exelon. The dam is located where the Susquehanna River empties into the bay, a mere 10 miles south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Upon completion, the water behind the dam was about 120 feet deep. Nearly a century later, it is filled with sludge from the northern states in the Susquehanna Watershed, leaving only 15 to 20 feet of water on top.

The dam leaks through rocks underneath and overflows during heavy rains, pushing sediment and other bad stuff into the bay. It clouds the water and smothers grasses. The Susquehanna contributes 27 percent of the sediment, 41 percent of nitrogen and 25 percent of phosphorus in the bay. By comparison, mitigating the pollution from stormwater runoff in the 10 jurisdictions would render minuscule results.

Shipping channels to Baltimore’s harbor are dredged regularly to the tune of an estimated $1 billion every decade. Much of the dredged sediment is from the northern part of the bay and came through the Conowingo Dam.

People are going to get hurt by this tax. As many as 15,000 jobs are threatened by the estimated $14.8 billion total cost. Mike the fireman, Joe the carpenter and Sally the retailer could see less work, fewer hours, less pay or even permanent job loss, even as consumer prices rise. Is the people-cost worth it for such a questionable gain?

Maryland already has instituted a so-called flush tax to improve sewage facilities in the last decade and raised it under Governor O’Malley. Decades of stormwater management and builder regulations have added thousands to the cost of new homes. Septic system regulation has limited home building and harmed property rights. Ironically, homes on septic systems have well water a few feet away that families drink. Farmers plant cover crops and have established costly precautions to limit their animals’ excrement from getting into streams. Chicken raising is far more costly for the same reasons, even to the point of driving some of this business out of state.

The real problem is that every level of government from the federal EPA to the state and counties continues to impose huge costs on residents while turning a blind eye to what is really significant and seriously damaging to the environment. In this case, that’s the need for dredging the sludge behind the Conowingo.

A group of Maryland counties, the Clean Chesapeake Coalition, has recently filed a motion to intervene with the EPA regarding the stormwater management requirements and is seeking to focus efforts on the Conowingo. Legal results will take time. Some embarrassed legislators, knowing that public anger may affect their re-election chances next year, want to revisit the tax in the next state legislative session. But in the meantime, the tax bills are going out.

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9 Auto Insurance Discounts Not Miss

Auto insurance is one of those unavoidable costs that go with owning a vehicle. But one thing you can avoid is paying too much for your policy.

Prices for auto insurance can differ by hundreds of dollars, according to the New York-based trade group the Insurance Information Institute. Companies offer loads of opportunities for you to cut your premiums through discounts that can be based on a wide range of things, including your driving habits, your occupation, the fancy features on your vehicle and whether your kid gets a good report card.

Insurance companies know that some occupations tend to mean less driving, less risk-taking — and thus, fewer accidents. If you’re in one of those professions, you could enjoy savings.

Farmers Insurance Group provides discounts for people in certain occupations, such as police officers, firefighters, doctors, dentists, registered nurses and teachers. Esurance has advertised “preferred occupation” savings for certified educators, engineers and scientists.

Some car insurance employee discounts stem from business relationships. Geico offers savings of up to 8% to employees working at other subsidiaries of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., including Fruit of the Loom and See’s Candies.

If you’re self-employed and work from home, you may still be eligible for a discount — particularly if you rarely use your car. Most insurance companies cut the bill for “low mileage” customers.

How’s your credit score? The vast majority of insurance companies take credit scores into account these days, and a high one could help cut your car insurance bills by as much as half, says insurance agent Sierra Knight, owner of KMI Solutions in Richmond, Va.

These discounts often are not promoted as clearly as others. Most insurance companies won’t reveal the formula they use to come up with what’s known as a “financial stability discount,” but Knight says it’s safe to say that someone with a score above 700 will be considered a better risk — and eligible for lower payments — than someone in the 500s. Credit scores generally range from 300 to 850.

Often, car insurance good credit discounts will extend to all the policies you have with a particular insurer. Note that California and a few other states have barred the use of credit scores in setting car insurance premiums.

Anyone who’s in the armed forces — and even college students enrolled in a commissioning program such as ROTC — should explore car insurance military discounts. Geico gives discounts of up to 15%  for members of the military or National Guard, for example.

USAA, a financial services provider for service members and their families, offers savings for those on active duty and says its premiums also reflect a customer’s rank in the parking sensor. Plus, the company provides a 15% discount on the comprehensive portion of a car insurance policy if the vehicle is kept in a base garage. When active duty members are deployed away from home or have another reason not to use their vehicles, USAA gives an up to 90% discount in some states when those cars are kept in secure storage.

Do you have fond memories of belonging to a fraternity or sorority in college? Your experience in Delta Delta Delta can come in handy for more than making your kids squeal at how your hair looked in those old pictures from the spring formal.

Through its affiliate program, Geico offers discounts of up to 8% in most states for members of an alpha-to-omega of fraternities and sororities. Similar car insurance affinity discounts are available to people who belong to a long list of other Geico partner organizations, such as the Colorado Bar Association, the National Society of Accountants and the DePaul University Alumni Association. Mercury Insurance and Liberty Mutual have similar programs.

It’s not that Greek letters or club dues make you a better driver. Companies’ affinity discounts might stem from sponsorship relationships. As “the official car insurance of the Pac-12 conference,” Esurance says it offers discounts of up to 15% to students and alumni of Pac-12 schools who reside in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon and Utah.

Cutting down on paper statements isn’t just good for the planet. It also helps to reduce business costs. A few insurance companies, such as AIC, are passing the savings along by giving a monthly discount to people who receive their statements by email, Knight says. Through its “e-sign” program, Progressive will immediately knock $50 off the price of an auto policy if you sign your documents online when you buy.

You might already know that if you reduce your mileage — and thus your carbon footprint — you’ll see savings on your insurance bill. Some companies, such as Travelers, also offer car insurance “green car” discounts of up to 10% if you drive a fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle. The hybrid cars aren’t necessarily safer, insurance experts say, but the people who go out of their way to buy and drive them are seen as a better risk.

Safety features that come with a car, such as air bags or anti-lock brakes, often mean reduced insurance premiums. But you might not realize that you can save money on the comprehensive portion of your insurance by installing anti-theft measures including: car alarms; fuel or ignition cutoff switches; stolen-car tracking systems such as LoJack; and VIN etchings, or engravings of your vehicle identification number on your windshield and windows.

A built-in system to deter thieves means an up to 25% reduction in the cost of Geico’s comprehensive coverage. Allstate offers car insurance anti-theft discounts of up to 10%.

As you consider anti-theft devices, keep in mind that it pays to shop around. Some car dealers will charge you hundreds of dollars for VIN etching, for example, while membership organizations such as AAA occasionally provide the service for free. You can also buy VIN etching kits for $20 to $30.

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SEIU 32BJ Endorses Christine Quinn for Mayor

Council Speaker Christine Quinn scored the endorsement of 32BJ SEIU this afternoon, boosting her mayoral campaign with its biggest union nod to date.

The support, which was announced a little after 2 p.m. at a press conference at the union’s headquarters, will lend Ms. Quinn’s campaign a powerful and heavily-Latino union that represents tens of thousands of building services workers across the city.

“For quite some time, he’s taken my phone calls, given me advice, called me when I wasn’t smart enough to ask him for advice and gave me advice and always been a friend and a shoulder and an ear and that’s what we need to get things done,” Ms. Quinn said of her relationship with the union’s president, Hector Figueroa. “The way we are going to make this city a better place, a place for greater opportunity for working men and women, a place that really is a beacon for the middle class is if we’re united as a team. And that’s what we’re going to be when I’m mayor.”

One of the most coveted labor endorsements in the race, the union was also mulling endorsing Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, according to a source, but, as expected, ultimately chose Ms. Quinn at least partially because she worked closely with them while negotiating paid sick day legislation.

Clad in the union’s color of parking sensor, Ms. Quinn was lavished with praise by both Mr. Figueroa and various members who came forward to extol her at 32BJ’s headquarters in downtown Manhattan. Several times union members broke into “All in for Quinn!” chants.

Mr. Figueroa cited Ms. Quinn’s work passing the paid sick day legislation as a reason for the endorsement, but said the union’s executive board–which voted unanimously to back Ms. Quinn–was leaning toward backing her before she passed the bill. He promised, in addition to a robust door-knocking effort, to make independent expenditures on Ms. Quinn’s behalf.

“We were already considering Speaker Quinn prior to the passage of paid sick leave,” Mr. Figueroa said. “For us, the election is a process in which we look at the experience with the candidate. To us, the leadership she has demonstrated on prevailing wage, on stop-and-frisk, on a number of issues, this leadership we value. We do not necessarily need a mayor that will agree with everything we say.”

While Ms. Quinn had bottled up the paid sick leave bill for years, citing fears that a frail economy would be further harmed by forcing businesses to grant paid sick days to workers, 32BJ worked closely with her office to finally get a version passed. According to Crain’s New York Business, a member of Ms. Quinn’s mayoral campaign actually set up a meeting between Ms. Quinn’s government staff and members of 32BJ to cement a deal.

Overall, labor has split its might in the mayoral race as Mr. de Blasio and several other contenders have rolled out big endorsements of their own. Mr. de Blasio grabbed SEIU 1999, the powerful healthcare workers’ union, for example, while former Comptroller Bill Thompson received the blessing of the teachers’ union last week. And, although not as coveted as their better-organized rivals, Comptroller John Liu has the support of the sizable municipal workers’ union DC 37. But Mr. Figueora and Ms. Quinn, were undaunted by labor’s fracturing.

As Calgary crews make major progress on badly damaged LRT infrastructure and roads, there’s still a long way to go before many Calgary residents can live in their homes again and power is fully restored to downtown.

Just five days after the worst flooding to hit Calgary and southern Alberta, city officials predicted that parts of Macleod Trail could reopen as early as Tuesday and that LRT service through the downtown would also be restored Tuesday.

Nenshi encouraged residents to put signs outside their homes if they need services: “Need pumping.” “Need gas.” “Need electricity.” They can also make service requests on the 311 iPhone app.

Communities brought to a standstill by the deluge thrummed with activity Monday as homeowners set to the task of cleaning out their sodden residences.

“It’s been frustrating to not be able to do anything. In some ways to be able to get back and be able to actually remove the mud and garbage is more satisfying than that whole state of not knowing,” said Bowness resident Robin Yeast.

Some major buildings outside that area with direct feeds from Enmax also now have power, including the federal Harry Hays building, Bow Valley Square and the Telus building.

The remaining areas of downtown are open only to building owners and property managers, who must have inspectors give the structures the all-clear before power is restored and people are allowed back to work.

Bruce Burrell, director of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency, said power will gradually be restored to about 3,300 buildings in the core, with some buildings “relit” as early as Tuesday.