AAA Projects 31.5 Million Americans Will Travel Labor Day Weekend

MADISON, WI – AAA forecasts 31.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Labor Day holiday weekend, a 2.4 percent decrease from the 32.3 million people who traveled one year ago. The Labor Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, September 1 to Monday, September 5.

In Wisconsin, more than 660,000 people are expected to travel Labor Day weekend, a 2.6 percent decrease compared to last year, according to the AAA forecast. Of those, nearly 600,000 people plan to travel by auto while 25,000 will travel by air, with the remainder traveling by other modes of transportation.

The decrease in expected travelers is the result of a mixed economic outlook, consumer uncertainty regarding the overall economy, and recent downturns in economic factors that affect discretionary income, which is particularly relevant to the travel and tourism industry. Consumer confidence in the economy has been trending down in recent months, and according to a survey of traveler intentions, the share of travelers from the lower income bracket is expected to decline from 41 percent in 2010 to 37 percent in 2011.

Automobile travel up slightly
Approximately 27.3 million people (87 percent of holiday travelers) plan to take to the nation’s roadways this Labor Day holiday weekend. This is a slight increase of 0.5 percent from the 27.2 million Labor Day 2010 auto travelers.

Number of air travelers expected to decrease
Almost 2.5 million leisure travelers (eight percent of holiday travelers) will fly during the Labor Day holiday weekend, a 1.9 percent decrease from 2010. Rising fuel costs, combined with steady air travel demand, have resulted in rising airfares over the past few months.

Travel by other modes of transportation expected to decrease
Other modes of travel (trains, watercraft, multi-modal travel) will make up the remaining five percent of total person-trips (1.7 million travelers).

Travelers to experience increases in hotel rates while car rental rates decrease
Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase six percent from one year ago with travelers spending an average of $148 per night compared to $139 last year. Weekend daily car rental rates will average $43, a seven percent decrease from one year ago.

Average travel distance down slightly; median spending largely unchanged
The average distance traveled by Americans during the Labor Day holiday weekend is expected to be 608 miles, only slightly less than last year’s average travel distance of 635 miles. Median spending is expected to be $702, largely unchanged from $697 last year. Fuel and transportation costs combine to consume the largest share of holiday spending (27 percent), followed by accommodations (22 percent), food and beverages (21 percent), shopping (13 percent), entertainment and recreation (12 percent), and other costs (five percent).

Impact of gasoline prices on travel plans
Travelers in Wisconsin will find gas prices averaging $3.63 per gallon, 95 cents more than a year ago.
Seventy-one percent of intended Labor Day holiday travelers said gasoline prices would not impact their travel plans. For the remaining 29 percent who said gas prices would impact their travel plans, 20 percent plan to economize in other areas while the remaining nine percent are divided between changing their mode of travel and taking shorter trips.

Travelers concerned about how fuel prices will impact their travel budget can download the free, GPS-based AAA TripTik® Mobile application to their iPhone or Android device to compare prices for all grades of gasoline at nearby stations. Travelers may also use AAA TripTik Mobile to get maps and directions, AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotel and restaurant information, plus details about attractions, events and Approved Auto Repair facilities.

Girl Scouts Gathering Memories

Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary is less than a year away, and a search is underway to assemble displays that can be shared for generations to come. Girl Scout memorabilia will be displayed at a variety of celebration events, including a Girl Scout Birthday Celebration at the Lambeau Field Atrium in June of 2012, while some arrangements are being made for displays at local historical museums.

If you have items to donate to this effort, Girl Scouts can put you in touch with a volunteer willing to pick them up or connect with you for a drop off location. Items of interest range from the smallest Girl Scout pins, patches and jewelry to uniforms hats and clothing, badge and hand books, record albums and song books, scrapbooks and photo albums, and camping equipment. Resources or monetary donations to help with protecting and preserving our collections are also needed. Donations are tax deductible. Be part of celebrating 100 years of Girl Scouting! Contact the Girl Scout Council at 888.747.6945, or call your local volunteer: Margaret Grundeen at 715.424.3482.

A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare.

This September marks the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In a new public service announcement, First Responders from around Wisconsin urge individuals and families to remember the 9/11 victims and honor them by preparing for future disasters and emergencies. Stevens Point Fire Chief Tracey Kujawa and other members of the department are featured in the PSA, which will air on TV stations across the state in September. The public service announcement is produced by Wisconsin Emergency Management through its program, ReadyWisconsin. The PSA is part of a statewide campaign this September called “A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare.”

“When disaster strikes, the time to prepare has passed,” says Kujawa. “We are all responsible for what happens to us and need to be self reliant and prepared so we can act in the event of a disaster. Remember – Preparedness is the antidote to panic.”

Preparing for emergency events requires individuals and families to be self reliant for up to three days without utilities and electricity, water service, access to a supermarket or local services, or maybe even without response from police, fire or rescue. Preparing can start with three important steps: Get an emergency supply kit; Make a plan for what to do in an emergency; Be informed about emergencies that could happen in your community, and identify sources of information that will be helpful before, during and after an emergency.

Chief Kujawa also asks everyone to visit the ReadyWisconsin website for more information. You can also sign up for a chance to win an emergency kit.

Visit ReadyWisconsin.gov

INDIVIDUAL BONDS OFFER SOME ADVANTAGES OVER BOND FUNDS

By Joel Sullivan, Partner, Buena Vista Investment Management
August 25, 2011

Bonds have been one of the most popular investment categories of late. 2010 was another historic year for inflows into fixed income mutual funds. Individual investors held $1.23 trillion in actively managed bond funds at the end of 2010, which is a 60% increase in just two years. A lot of the motivation for this activity is likely a reaction to the stock market losses of 2008. Investors have been moving money to bond funds because they are typically less volatile than stocks.

However, as with any investment, there are tradeoffs. For one thing, actively managed mutual funds have costs associated with them that may not be known to many investors. According to the Center for Research in Security Prices, in 2010, the weighted average expense ratio of retail taxable bond funds was .82%. These fees are charged every year the investor owns the fund. So on a compounded basis; they can be a real drag on performance. And perhaps more important, bond funds are susceptible to interest rate risk, which means fund values fall when interest rates rise. So in a rising interest environment, investors lose twice, once from a mutual fund’s internal fees and second from its drop in the fund’s price.

Individual bonds provide a solution for dealing with both these issues. In a rising interest rate environment, individual bonds can lose value on paper, but if held to maturity the investor will receive their principal in full. Also, you don’t have on-going fees with individual bonds like you do with funds.

BondDesk conducted a study and found the median expense for retail bond purchases was a total of .22%. Considerably less than the .82% per year cost for a mutual fund. And, unless a default occurs, when you hold a bond to maturity you receive your full principal, eliminating the same interest rate risk you have with funds.

Bonds can play an important role in a diversified investment portfolio. One benefit of diversification is that some years stocks will be the best performing asset category in your portfolio, and other years bonds will be the best performing asset. Therefore you get the effect of smoothing out the highs and lows in your portfolio. Another benefit of bonds is they provide regular income, which can be especially important in one’s retirement years.

When most people look to invest in bonds, they look to mutual funds only. And while there are pros and cons with both approaches, it is probably worth your while to consult with your financial advisor about the advantages individual bonds may have over funds.

---

Buena Vista Investment Management
241 Third Street South l Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494
Phone: 715 422-0700

United Way of Portage County’s Run, Bike, Unite Duathlon

Don’t forget to help the local United Way kick off their 2011-2012 campaign this Saturday at Sentry World!

This family focused event has something for everyone…want to get some exercise? It’s not too late to register for the event which consists of a 2 mile road run, a 13 mile very flat, scenic road ride, and finally a 2 mile trail run through the beautiful Schmeeckle Reserve trails. Event starts at 8:30am on Saturday and you can register up until 8am that morning on-site, or pre-register at http://www.unitedwaypoco.org/Duathlon.

Want to help out but not up for the run and bike? The United Way is still in need a of quite a few volunteers to help guide the runners to make sure they don’t take wrong turns on the course. Sign up to help at http://www.volunteersrock.org now! Or if you’d prefer to help with registration on Saturday morning, Adventure 212 still needs 1-2 volunteers to help us from 6:15am to 8am with getting the racers numbers and t-shirts distributed. If you’re interested in helping with registration please call Michelle Peariso at 715-343-0212 or email me at mpeariso@adventure212.com.

Weather forecast for Saturday is looking very good, so get out and enjoy while making a difference in our community! Hope to see you all there!

Portage County Joins Bike and Pedestrian Tracking Project

NBPD launched in 2002 in response to a lack of tracking and data collection regarding bicycle and pedestrian usage and demand. It is co-sponsored by Alta Planning and Design and the Institute of Transportation Engineers Pedestrian and Bicycle Council. The Portage County Planning and Zoning Department will be lead agency for Portage County’s activities.

Participating communities utilize available records to identify intersections with a higher occurrence of reported pedestrian and bicycle traffic incidents. During established count weeks, trained teams of volunteers are stationed at such intersections during periods of high traffic, recording bicycle and pedestrian activity.

The first count day in Portage County is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13. The number of shifts and possible additional dates will be determined by volunteer availability and project best practices.

The NBPD data collected in Portage County will be contributed to a larger, nationwide database on bicycle and pedestrian trends. This data will also be used as a resource in an upcoming County-wide long-range bicycle/pedestrian planning project, funded by a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

The Portage County Planning and Zoning Department, in conjunction with Alta Planning and Design, is providing free training for individuals interested in volunteering for the NBPD initiative.

The training workshop will occur on Thursday, September 8 from 3:00-6:30 p.m. in Conference Room 5 of the Portage County Annex building, 1462 Strongs Ave. in Stevens Point. Interested parties can contact Amy Domaszek, NBPD project volunteer supervisor, at adoma439@uwsp.edu., or Sarah Wallace at the Portage County Planning and Zoning Department at 715-346-1334.

NewPage to Initiate Downtime at Port Hawkesbury Mill

MIAMISBURG, Ohio, Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — NewPage Corporation today announced that, based on its assessment of current market and economic conditions, it has decided to take downtime on both paper machines at its Port Hawkesbury mill in Nova Scotia, Canada. The downtime will begin September 10 for the mill’s PM1 newsprint machine and September 16 for the PM2 supercalendered machine. NewPage will provide future updates on the mill based on an ongoing review of the situation and economic conditions during the anticipated downtime.

The decision was based on a combination of factors, including unfavorable exchange rates between the U.S. and Canadian dollars and high utility and shipping costs, which have rendered its Port Hawkesbury mill operations unprofitable for more than a year.

The company is announcing its decision now in order to mitigate the potential impact on customers and already has taken into consideration the planned downtime for future scheduling. NewPage expects to fulfill certain pre-existing orders for its supercalendered papers from its mill in Duluth, Minnesota, but does not produce newsprint from any other mill location and therefore will be unable to serve these customers during the downtime.

“Despite the continued dedication and efforts of our team at Port Hawkesbury to drive cost improvements, extremely challenging economic conditions at this location have forced us to make this difficult, but necessary business decision,” said George Martin, president and chief executive officer for NewPage.

According to Mark Lukacs, senior vice president, Operations for NewPage, “The Port Hawkesbury mill makes great newsprint, improved newsprint and supercalendered paper for the printing and publishing industries. We have a very dedicated and talented workforce and this downtime is in no way a reflection on them.”

Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over

A statewide crackdown on drunk driving starts tomorrow and runs through Labor Day.

Wisconsin State Police and local police forces will step up enforcement over the next three weeks looking for people drinking then driving.

It’s all part of a national campaign leading up to Labor Day weekend.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also plans to get out the message about the dangers of drunk driving by issuing new advertisements.

Coordinators say the increased focus on DWI is important because the accident and fatality rates from it are still too high.

Drunk driving continues to be the most destructive and deadly crimes in Wisconsin. Last year, 220 people were killed ans more than 3,500 injured in nearly 5,800 alcohol-related crashes.

Detective Rick Gramza said, “Drunk driving is entirely preventable. During the upcoming Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over crackdown, our goal is not to arrest more drunken drivers. We are trying to save lives and prevent injuries. If we can deter people from getting behind the wheel when they’re not sober, we will reduce preventable deaths in Wisconsin.”

Local law enforcement efforts will be dedicated to safe driving through September 5, 2011.

Police say to remember not to get behind the wheel if you’ve had too much to drink.

With schools ready to open, AAA Wisconsin urges caution on the roads

Motorists need to slow down in neighborhoods, parks and school zones, paying particular attention to children and their unpredictable nature.

As more than a million students prepare to return to school across the state, AAA Wisconsin urges motorists to please slow down, use extra caution, and watch out for school-age pedestrians, especially in school zones marked with crossing guard signs.

AAA’s School’s Open – Drive Carefully campaign encourages motorists to stay alert in areas where children are present, paying special attention during the morning and afternoon hours while children are coming to and from school. Nearly one-fifth of traffic fatalities of children below age 15 are pedestrians, with more school-age pedestrians killed between the hours of 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. than any other time of day.

Drivers should watch for children who may dart out into the street near school zones, playgrounds, bus stops, and in neighborhoods. School-age children can be especially vulnerable in areas with heavy traffic volume, parked vehicles on the street, higher posted speed limits, and few pedestrian-control devices.

“Many children easily misjudge distance and speed of motor vehicles,” said AAA Wisconsin Regional President Tom Frymark. “Some children also make the mistake of assuming that if they can see a car then the driver can see them, so motorists need to be alert for the unexpected.”

As part of the School’s Open – Drive Carefully campaign, AAA Wisconsin offers drivers the following tips to keep school children safe:

• Follow the speed limit. School zones speed limits are purposefully set low. If there is no posted speed limit, by law, motorists are required to not only slow down to 15 mph when a child is present in a school zone but also if a school crossing guard is within a crosswalk.
• Look for AAA School Safety Patrollers. Their presence is an indication you are approaching a school zone. The same can be noted for crossing guards and bicycle riders.
• Always stop for school buses that are loading and unloading students. It may be tempting to drive around stopped buses, but not only is it dangerous, it’s against the law.
• Eliminate driver distractions. AAA research shows that taking your eyes off the road for only two seconds doubles your chance of crashing. Putting down your phone makes you a safer driver and sets a good example for young passengers and pedestrians.

AAA’s School’s Open – Drive Carefully information is being distributed statewide through local AAA Wisconsin offices and police departments.

Representative Krug testified at public hearing

Resolution is brought forth to eliminate elected offices

Madison – State Representative Scott Krug testified before the Assembly of Judiciary and Ethics today in support of Assembly Joint Resolution 26. This resolution deletes from the constitution the offices of Secretary of State and the State Treasurer.

State Treasurer Kurt Schuller enlisted the help of Representative Krug to help eliminate his own position. “I met Kurt Schuller last fall on the campaign trail. He proposed then to get rid of the State Treasurer position and I respect that he is living up to that promise,” states Krug. “It’s clear to me that voters spoke on this issue when Kurt was elected and we will let them do so again.”

Provisions within the recently passed budget limited the responsibilities of the Secretary of State to maintaining acts of the Legislature and Governor and keeping the Great Seal of Wisconsin and affixing it to all official acts of the Governor. This Office no longer handles notaries public or the trademark and trade names functions that were transferred to the Department of Financial Institutions. Additionally the State Treasurers Office no longer handles the EdVest (college savings program) or the LGIP (Local Government Investment Pool), these responsibilities were transferred to the Department of Administration. That limits the responsibilities of the Treasurer’s office to Unclaimed Property.

“With both offices stripped of most of their duties the final decision is up to the taxpayer,” states Krug. “I am bringing forth this resolution to eliminate these unnecessary elected offices at the request of the State Treasurer to have our voices heard.”