Opinion Poll - Downtowner Site

This is an exciting time for the River District. As many of you know, a strategy is being executed for the redevelopment of the River District. The Phase I Main Street Streetscape work will start in September and Phase II will take place next calendar year.  Community input has been vital along every step of the way.  Yet to be addressed is the new space being created by the demolition of the former Downtowner Motor Inn, which had been vacant for many years. That's where we need your help.

The Downtown Danville Association, Danville Regional Foundation, Danville Industrial Development Authority and City of Danville are conducting a community opinion poll to engage the community in making plans for the site. We want to hear from you. 

We ask that you please take the time to offer your opinion. This survey should take about 5 minutes and is anonymous.  The link is provided below.  Please forward this link to your contacts, friends and associates.  You can also access the link through the City of Danville website, located on the River District Development Project page.

Thank you for your time and interest in Danville.

 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Downtowner

David Parrish

Deputy City Manager

City of Danville, Virginia

PO Box 3300

Office (434) 799-5100

North Union Street Closure

What is "Intellitouch"?

Much like a crazy professor who never stops inventing, Toyota has some new projects they've been working on (and this time, it's slightly less ridiculous than the "mood sensing" technology they introduced earlier this year). 

They're calling their first new application "Intellitouch", and describing it as an electronic touch-sensitive controller. While it's not exactly known what it'll do at this point, the bloggers over at Car and Driver have predicted it's going to be an interactive dashboard system where you can touch and see information in front of you. From the looks of it, they're designing it to be somewhat similar in vein to Ford's MyFordTouch and Cadillac's Cue system, but with many more enhanced features.

Toyota also filed a trademark application for "eBin", which are storage containers for electronic devices that would allow inductive charging. Or in less technical jargon, the ability to wirelessly charge an electronic device! The thought of being able to drop my cell phone onto a special "charging mat" and then see the battery start to regenerate is pretty exciting. Especially since I'm the kind of person that hates having tons of wires connecting to and from my smartphone when I'm in the car.

What do you think about these new projects Toyota is working on? Should they become standard features in all newer cars once they're released?

Should I Buy or Lease a New Car?

Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You're faced with the task of getting a new vehicle. Do you buy, or lease? Many people are confused by the idea of leasing a car- some tend to think they could never do it, that it is only an option for business owners. But that isn't the case! In 2011, roughly 25% of vehicle sales involved leases, according to Jesse Toprak, the vice president of Truecar.com. When it comes to deciding between ownership or leasing, each has their own unique benefits and it simply boils down to which suits your needs better.

What is a lease and when should you consider one? 

By leasing a car, you are basically agreeing to rent it for a set duration of time, usually somewhere in the ballpark of several years. At the end of the lease, you can switch to an entirely different and brand new vehicle, or in some cases, you have the option of paying off your current lease and owning the car. With a lease, your monthly payments are going to be much lower as well, sometimes as much as 30-60% than if you were financing a car with the intent of owning it. For example, at the time of this writing, a 2012 Toyota Corolla can be leased for $159 a month (depending on your down payment, though it is generally lower than if you were to purchase a car) and the lease comes with two years of ToyotaCare, which covers most of the maintenance your car will need, as well as complimentary 24 hr roadside assistance. 

If you like the idea of getting a new car every few years, want lower monthly payments, and not have to worry about large repair bills, leasing is definitely an option to consider in your search.

When is buying a car a better alternative?

If the thought of always having a car payment doesn't suit you, you are better off purchasing in the long run. It's also a good idea if you drive a lot, as a lease may end up more expensive than ownership. This is because with a lease, there are generally mileage restrictions on the amount you can travel per year. For Toyota, it's around 12,000, with a cost of 15 cents per mile after. When it comes to overall cost, don't forget to factor in insurance as well- a leased car will in most cases be more expensive to insure, though it is also dependent on the age and driving history of the individual. Of course, with ownership, you also get the freedom to do whatever you want with your car. Feel like modifying it? Adding giant speakers? Selling it? Go right ahead.

Final thoughts:

• Go with a lease if you want a lower monthly payment, enjoy the thought of driving the newest cars every few years, and not having to worry about regular maintenance.
• Be sure to check out and stay current with available lease specials- some are much better than others, but only offered for specific vehicles.
• It is better to buy a car if you drive more than 12,000 miles a year and are wanting an investment for the long run.

Toyota's 200 Million Milestone

Here's a nice little trivia question if you ever want to stump your friends- what was Toyota called before they were Toyota? When they give up out of confusion, put on your best grin and tell them it was Toyoda. They'll likely give you a look like you're crazy.

It's true though! The car company was originally created by Kiichiro Toyoda, and his family decided to change the company name in 1936 from a "d" to a "t" because it sounded better, and when written on paper, was considered to be luckier in Japanese culture. During this time, the first vehicle they produced was the G1 Truck. Interestingly enough, Kiichiro had traveled to Britain and the United States to study vehicles, and is said to have been inspired by Ford and the engines of similar Chevrolet vehicles.

Now, almost 77 years later, Toyota is celebrating the production of their 200th million vehicle worldwide. From the G1 to the Corolla, Camry, and Tundra, they've come quite a long way (the Corolla has even been crowned the best selling vehicle of all time, beating out every other passenger car or truck).
75% of those 200 million cars were made in Japan, though when Toyota hits their next milestone of 300 or 400 million cars, that percentage is likely to change. They've been making a big push to start producing more vehicles in American and European markets, which is great in the long run. We as consumers will certainly benefit- less cost on parts used to manufacture the cars, and less distance traveled to get them to dealerships means cheaper prices for all of us.

How long do you think it will take for Toyota to produce another 200 million vehicles?

5 Things That No Radio Ad Should Do

If you live in St. Louis and listen to the radio on a daily basis during your commute, you probably hear a bunch of different commercials from various businesses (local or afar). Now, if you're like me, you also want to bang your head on your steering wheel when you hear the ear splitting sound effects that some of these employ. Without further ado, here are the five most annoying things that get my hand reaching to change the station. Have you heard all of 'em? See for yourself-

1. Loud weights being dropped / gavels hitting blocks/ the sound of metal clanking:

Giving us a headache every half second in between what you're trying to say generally isn't a great way to keep people interested. Unless you're trying to sell ibuprofen.

2.  Police sirens or the sound of alarms going off:

Your sale might be so good it's criminal, but every time I hear police sirens, I have to do a double take and make sure there's not actually a police officer nearby trying to pass through traffic.

3. When the GM/CEO of a company voices every commercial in the same repetitive, monotone way:

             It's good to be consistent. It's not so good to be dull to the point of inducing yawns. In the internet world, it is the equivalent of a wall of text, akin to the thought of Ben Stein reading a short novel to you while you're locked in an empty room. This is the kind of stuff that puts you asleep at the wheel, and as we know, drowsy driving is never fun.

4. Mentioning the number you should call more than a few times:

The way this usually works is, it'll be a conversation between two or more people, and some guy will keep asking what the number to call is. We're not just talking once or twice, it'll literally be every few seconds. These types of commercials are usually guilty of #3 as well. What's that number again?!

5. Jingles designed to specifically get on your nerves:

I have nothing against La Bamba. It's a catchy song. But when you try to mimic it or parody it by adding in your own lyrics to tell people to come to your business, it usually doesn't end well. Imagine the song, then imagine instead of "La La La La La Bamba", you hear an awkward voice singing "You should be buying from us!"

What sounds or effects drive you crazy when you hear radio commercials in the car? Or do you skip 'em by using satellite radio or iHeartRadio with Entune?

River District strategy tops best practices in 17 states

Danville’s success in redeveloping the River District as a place to live, work, shop and play and in involving the community throughout the process has garnered an award for best practices from a regional economic development group that represents 17 southern states.

The city won the award from Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) in competition with other communities with a population of 40,001 to 100,000. Danville’s population is about 43,000.

Click here to access the full media release.