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AAA Has Hurricane Resource Guides

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L-R: AAA Senior Vice President of Public & Government Affairs Lloyd Albert, Governor Donald Carcieri, National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read, and Federal Alliance for Safe Homes President & CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson announce the release of Rhode Island’s Hurricane Resource Guide, available at all Rhode Island AAA Offices.
 
  Hurricanes are not usually a major concern for most Rhode Islanders. The last one to hit New England occurred in 1991, and a major hurricane has not hit for more than 50 years. The effect of this limited severe hurricane experience is a low level of hurricane readiness.
 To help residents prepare for a natural disaster, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, in conjunction with the State of Rhode Island, has developed the Rhode Island One-Stop Hurricane Resource Guide.
 There’s also background and historical hurricane data along with local contact information for emergency-management offices, American Red Cross chapters, National Weather Service locations and more. It includes helpful checklists for preparing your home for a hurricane and for making a disaster supply kit.
 The guide includes an important section on creating a family action plan in case an emergency should ever occur. In developing and practicing the plan, be sure to:
 • Discuss the type of hazards that could affect the family. Know the home’s vulnerability to stormsurge, flooding, wind and tornadoes.
 • Determine if the home is located in a storm surge evacuation zone.
If so, know exactly where to go to reach safe shelter, and know how to get there.
 • Locate a safe room or the safest areas in the home or in the community for each hurricane hazard.
 • Determine escape routes from the home and a designated meeting place nearby.
 • Designate an out-of-state contact so all family members have a single point of contact.
 • Plan what to do with pets if the family needs to evacuate, as most hurricane shelters do not accept pets.
 • Post emergency telephone numbers, and teach children how to dial 911.
 • Review insurance coverage, as flood damage is not usually covered by home­owners insurance.
 • Stock non-perishable emergency supplies and a disaster supply kit.
 The One-Stop Hurricane Resource Guide is available at all Rhode Island AAA branches, and is also available online at www.GetHurricaneReadyRI.org.
 AAA is a partner in the Get Hurricane Ready RI campaign.
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Horizons Wins Award

 
  AAA Horizons was recently honored with a coveted 2008 Bronze Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America.
 The award, given for superior performance in the design and execution of an individual tactic within a broader public-relations program, was one of several issued in different categories.
 Horizons received the Bronze Anvil Award in the Newsletters – 17 Pages or more category. The monthly newsletter reaches AAA Southern New England’s 2.6 million members.
 “The Bronze Anvil Award annually celebrates the growing scope, creativity and strategic importance of public relations tactics, and represents the highest level of tactical achievement in the public relations industry,” said Arthur Yann, 2008 Bronze Anvil Award committee chair. “The outstanding work done by AAA Southern New England is a proud accomplishment that is truly deserving of this national recognition from its industry peers.”
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AAA South Attleboro Nets Reader's Choice Award

 
  They go all out to provide AAA’s signature Five-Diamond service and it shows. AAA Southern New England’s South Attleboro office was recently named the Best Travel Agency in town by the Attleboro Sun Chronicle. AAA South Attleboro recently took home a first-place Reader’s Choice Award from the newspaper. The South Attleboro office is located at 405 Washington St. For information, call (508) 399-9000.
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High Praise for Iway Bridge Float

By Kimberley Edgar
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L-R: Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri, Department of Transportation Director Michael Lewis, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Tony Dorsey, AAA Southern New England President and CEO Mark Shaw, and Providence Chamber of Commerce President Laurie White celebrate the Iway project’s regional American Transportation Award.
 
  It was a beautiful Friday in June, and the sun was shining down on the state of Rhode Island and its Department of Transportation.
State officials, including Governor Donald Carcieri, joined others from across the state and nation outside AAA Southern New England’s Providence Headquarters.
  They were there to witness a first as AAA Southern New England President and Chief Executive Officer Mark A. Shaw and other AAA officials presented Gov. Carcieri and state transportation officials with a regional America’s Transportation Award.
  That honor recognized the Rhode Island DOT for its engineering innovation in building the new Providence River Bridge.
  The project called for construction crews to assemble the bridge off site and float it up Narragansett Bay to Providence, where it spans the Providence River, the signature to the $610 million Iway project rerouting the interchange for Interstates 95 and 195.
  The bridge float captured attention in August 2006, when the 400-foot center span for the bridge was placed on self-propelled modular transporters, rolled onto two large barges and floated up Narragansett Bay. Thousands of people lined the bay shores that day to watch the bridge sail past.
  “For those who witnessed the bridge in motion, this was a very exciting time for us,” said Mark A. Shaw, AAA President and Chief Executive Officer. “This award comes at a time when the state and nation are facing difficult funding challenges. While doing so, it’s reassuring to know highway projects like Iway are moving swiftly toward completion.”
  The History Channel produced a documentary on the Iway for its “Mega Movers” series.
  “This award is a testament to the creativity, hard work and dedication that we see in state departments of transportation all across this great country of ours,” said Tony Dorsey, Media Relations Manager for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
  The Washington-based association is one of several that sponsored the competition, which celebrates excellence in transportation projects throughout the nation in categories of On Time, On Budget and Innovative Management.
  They joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents the business community that relies on transportation to send their products to the marketplace, and AAA, which represents the motoring public who depend on the nation’s “roads, tunnels and bridges to link them to home, work and worship,” Mr. Dorsey said.
  The Rhode Island DOT’s entry, which highlights innovation at the state level, is one of 24 winning entries at the regional level that will be submitted to the national competition.
  One winner will be selected from each category for large – more than $200 million – and small – less than $200 million – projects.
  A grand prize will be awarded to one of those six finalists and a substantial monetary award given to the winner to donate to the university of its choosing to assist a student pursuing a graduate degree in transportation.
  “I’m very excited about this,” Gov. Carcieri said about the award – and the project. “It is a huge accomplishment and great tribute to the Department of Transportation.” orb

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AAA's Board of Directors Elects New Chairman

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David I. Finnegan

  AAA Southern New England is pleased to announce David I. Finnegan, a prominent Boston lawyer, was recently elected Chairman of its Board of Directors. Mr. Finnegan’s election came at the annual meeting of the Board of Directors in May. He has served on the Board since 1987.
  Specializing in administrative law, Mr. Finnegan is a Managing Partner with the Boston law firm of Finnegan, Underwood, Ryan & Tierney.
  A Boston native, Mr. Finnegan holds a bachelor of arts degree and honorary doctorate from Stonehill College, a bachelor of law degree from Boston University Law School, and a master of liberal arts degree from Harvard University.
  Mr. Finnegan was a member of the Boston School Committee from 1975 to 1979, serving as its President for several years. He was on the Board of Trustees at Stonehill College for many years, and was its Chairman from 2000 to 2007. The College honored Mr. Finnegan as its Outstanding Alumnus in 1982 and presented him with its Presidential Award for Excellence in 1987. On the AAA Southern New England Board, Mr. Finnegan succeeds Joseph F. Whinery Jr., who completed a three-year term as Chairman. orb

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T-Mobile Offers New Home Service

  T-Mobile has introduced T-Mobile @Home, a new home phone service that customers can add to eligible T-Mobile wireless rate plans for $10 a month.
  To use T-Mobile @Home, customers simply switch their home phone number to T-Mobile, plug their standard touch-tone phone into the T-Mobile @Home HiPort wireless router, and use their existing high-speed Internet connection to make unlimited nationwide calls. The HiPort router supports up to two home phone lines.
  Other features included in the new T-Mobile @Home plan are caller ID, voicemail, call waiting and call forwarding. The plan works with most standard corded or cordless home phones.
  T-Mobile @Home is only available to T-Mobile wireless customers.
Visit AAA.com/tmobile for more information regarding T-Mobile’s products, services and special AAA discount events throughout the year. orb
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TripTik Travel Planner Gets a Makeover
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The new and improved TripTik Travel Planner takes advantage of AAA’s vast mapping and travel information.

  Just in time for your summer road trip, AAA has launched enhancements to the TripTik Travel Planner, available at AAA.com.
  Features that have been added to the online mapping tool include the capability to create custom maps, a new travel guide section, easier navigation and an improved route modification tool.
  The TripTik Travel Planner provides travelers round-the-clock access to AAA’s proprietary travel information, premier mapping information and booking capabilities — everything needed to plan an entire trip.
  Travelers will find the new TripTik Travel Planner preferable to other travel Web sites whether they need quick maps and local driving directions or complete planning tools and destination information for cross-country road trips and fly/drive vacations.
  Users also can access the latest fuel prices at more than 100,000 U.S. gas stations.
  Enhancements include My Places spotting map capability, which offers the user the ability to create a custom map that includes their specified locations, including hotels, restaurants and points of interest.
  Map printouts also contain TourBook information about each location.
The TripTik Travel Planner is even easier to use, with simplified ways to take advantage of all its features and access to information.
  You’ll find AAA Scenic Byways, construction information, gas prices along the way, hotel ratings and recommendations on where to dine and what to see.
  A new travel guide section contains information on North America’s popular destinations including “Don’t Miss Picks,” travel tips and insider information provided by AAA travel experts.
  The route modification tool helps you customize trips to fit specific preferences and now has a new drag-and-drop feature to reroute directions.
  One click can select a scenic route or a different way home.
  “Every day, thousands of members turn to their local AAA office for trip planning expertise including reliable maps, driving directions, travel information and hotel reservations, “ said Jan Coyne, Director of AAA Geographic In­formation Sys­tems. “The new version of the TripTik Travel Planner offers the best of both worlds, 24/7 access from a personal computer, coupled with the availability of AAA expert knowledge and support.”
  AAA is continually updating and expanding its travel information, adding new lodging, restaurant, attraction and destination information.
  One click on the handy map iconas opens AAA listings, many with photos, from AAA’s database of 58,000 AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants, 17,000 attractions, 22,000 events and 8,000 destinations.
Travelers also can display locations for 160,000 Show Your Card & Save member discount locations, 7,800 AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities and 1,100 AAA/CAA club offices.
  Users can also access time-saving construction and historic traffic congestion information on AAA.com and the latest fuel prices at more than 100,000 U.S. gas stations, including E-85 fuel availability.
  AAA members who visit AAA.com to book a hotel room are more likely to find a better rate there than on other leading Web sites, according to a recent survey.
  In a review of several online travel booking sites, AAA.com offered AAA members the best publicly available rate on partner hotels 69 percent of the time. orb
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AAA Welcomes New Director

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David J. Dampf

  AAA Southern New England is pleased to announce David J. Dampf is its new Director of Field Operations. He is responsible for the Club’s contractor network and Approved Auto Repair.
  Mr. Dampf spent more than seven years working in Automotive Services for the Automobile Club of New York. He held various positions, most recently serving as Assistant Director of Road Service External Operations.
  A Brooklyn, N.Y., native who grew up in New Jersey, Mr. Dampf earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in finance, from Bryant University, in Rhode Island. He now lives in Watertown, Mass. orb

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AAA to Open Driver Training School

  AAA Southern New England has long been an advocate for teen-driver safety in Massachusetts.
  This month, the Club will step up its efforts with the opening of the AAA Driver Training School in South Attleboro.
  The school will provide all aspects of the driver’s education program that Massachusetts requires, including classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction and parental involvement.
  “This is clearly part of the Club’s overall advocacy and outreach initiatives in Massachusetts,” said AAA Southern New England Direc­tor of Public Affairs David J. Raposa, who heads the driving school. “This will be a highly visible piece of our education and traffic-safety efforts.”
  AAA served on the Registry of Motor Vehicles’ committee that standardized the state’s driver’s education curriculum in 2007.
Massachusetts teenagers can apply for a Junior Operators License at age 16 and a half.
  To be eligible, they must graduate from a state-approved driver education school with at least 30 hours of classroom instruction, six hours behind the wheel, and another 12 hours of observation from the back seat of the training vehicle.
  And since last September, parents must attend two hours of classroom instruction as well.
  With experienced instructors — and brand-new cars — AAA Driver Training School will offer all of these components.
  “On a national level, AAA is a leader in both traffic safety and driver’s education,” Mr. Raposa said.
  “While we will follow the curriculum Massachusetts has outlined for driving schools, this is also an opportunity for us to make good use of AAA materials in creating the program for our class.”
  In fact, AAA has been presenting the parents’ portion of the curriculum for a couple years at its “Dare to Prepare” pre-permit program, stressing the importance for parents to be involved in the entire driver’s education process.
  While this is AAA’s first driving school in Massachusetts, many Auto Clubs throughout the country teach driver’s training.
  AAA Southern New England has operated a driving school in Rhode Island for about 75 years. The Club is looking for opportunities to open additional Massachusetts locations later this year.
  The AAA Driver Training School is located at 405 Washington St., adjacent to the South Attleboro branch office.
  For full details and to register, please call 888-222-1375 or visit AAA.com/drivertraining. orb

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AAA Enters Partnership With Boston Red Sox

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Right-handed sluggers have a new target to aim for at Fenway Park this season: The new AAA billboard above the left-field wall.

  You may have seen it sitting prominently atop the storied Green Monster as you watch Manny be Manny out in left field.
  A new AAA sign hangs at Fenway Park this season, as AAA Clubs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have entered a corporate partnership agreement with the 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox.
  As part of the deal, AAA is now known as the “Official Auto Club and Official Auto Insurance of the Boston Red Sox.”
  “We’re excited to partner with a world-class organization like the Red Sox,” said AAA Southern New England President & CEO Mark A. Shaw. “Our belief is that this new partnership with the World Champions will benefit our members through heightened awareness of our value-added products and services.”
  Long renowned for its roadside assistance, AAA continues to expand its products and services to include discounted auto and homeowners insurance, a wide array of travel agency offerings, and countless discounts offered through AAA’s unique Show Your Card & Save program.
  “AAA is an ideal partner for the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park,” said Sam Kennedy, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for the Red Sox.   “As we approach the 100th anniversary of Fenway, we are proud to align ourselves with a company known for superior customer service for more than a century. We welcome AAA to our family of corporate partners." orb

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AAA Glass Open in Worcester

  AAA Auto Glass is now available at McFee & Newton, located at 82 West Boylston Street in Worcester.
  AAA Auto Glass can replace or repair any glass on your vehicle: windshields, rear windows, side windows, and side-view mirrors. They’ll send an experienced, certified installer to your home or work site, or you can make an appointment at a AAA Glass Center.
  A vehicle’s windshield plays a key role in automobile safety; not only can driving with a damaged or cracked windshield hinder a motorist’s visibility, but also it can compromise the structural integrity of the vehicle during a roll-over incident.
  Members may call (888) 222-9409 to get a quote or make an appointment for a repair or replacement of glass. AAA member discounts are available. orb

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