Seafair Torchlight Parade: Jenni Hogan's Inside Scoop

The 2011 Alaska Airlines Torchlight Parade Presented by AT&T and LG is coming up on Saturday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. in downtown Seattle!!!! If you’re thinking of going (which you should it’s a blast) here are my inside tips from riding down the parade on the KIRO 7 float the last two years:

Fun things to do before the parade starts:
The parade starts at 7:30pm but it’s super fun to get there early and head over to the Seattle Center for the pre-parade party. That goes from 2-6pm. You’ll be able to check out the floats, and meet the parade participants.Then it’s time for the Torchlight run you can see all the participants getting ready from 6-6:30p then they take off running the route at 6:30pm when you can scream and cheer for them (and high five them as they run past you). The streets start closing around 5pm so traffic starts to get bad after that. If you can arrive before then it’ll make it much easier.

Best place to sit:
From riding on the float I get to see the entire route, the last 2 years I noticed there is some more room and good places to sit closer to the end of the parade route. If I was going to take Siena and the hubby I would go to the stairs of some of the business buildings right in the heart of Downtown Seattle (the stairs would give you a great view if you can’t get there early enough to get front row seating). You can also purchase tickets here to get guarenteed seating in one of the 4 grand stands along the parade route (these sell out quickly so try do that soon if you like this option). They range in price from $18 to $37 per ticket. Here is a link to the parade route.

Best place to be seen on TV:
The KIRO 7 TV cameras will mostly be around Westlake and 4th. There is a grand stand there you can purchase tickets for, or you can arrive early and grab a spot along the route right near that section. Make sure if you’re sitting near there you tweet me so I know and can come say hi. If you’re watching on TV, tune in from 5 p.m. -- that’s when our news starts. I’ll be in the pre parade show reporting with the rest of the morning team. Then during the parade we’ll be on a float waving, so I’ll do a big wave at the cameras when we go past the TV section to say hi to you all (so fun!). Oh and it’ll be livestreamed on the web so if you don’t live in Seattle you can still watch.

Waving to people on the floats:
Wave and smile big, it’s so easy to see people from the floats which surprised me the first time we went down the route. We can also hear what you scream out too and will yell back at you so be loud. Signs are also great and really fun!!Leave a comment with any tips you have about attending the parade too!!YAY I can’t wait!- Jenni

kirotv.com

Take advantage of these great used car manager's specials. Come have a look online and then stop in for a test drive.

Sandberg Northwest Volvo | Manager's Special

07/27/11 - 08/1/11
Special prices! $1000s below market value!
Select a vehicle to view pricing.

Volvo Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Safety Concept Car

Ten years have passed since Volvo unveiled the SCC (Safety Concept Car) at the Detroit Auto Show – the concept car showcasing the company’s latest technological advancements that eventually trickled down into its production cars. Its styling also influenced the Volvo C30 hot-hatch.

Volvo claims the SCC was an early example of a concept car where its designers and engineers worked closely together to offer a vehicle that showed both technological advancements and future design language.

“Concept vehicles are usually design or technology studies that give car buyers a taste of the future,” said Stefan Jacoby, Volvo Car Corporation’s President and CEO, in a press release. “The Volvo SCC, however, has added impact because it was both attractive and high-tech. It is an early example of how we design our cars around our customers’ wishes, needs and limitations.”

Up until the SCC was unveiled, Volvo had been known as the safety-mobile that protected occupants in a crash, but Volvo wanted to develop safety features that helped the automobile avoid a crash.

“When we began work on the concept car at the end of the 1990s, Volvo was still primarily known for making family cars designed to protect their occupants in a collision,” said Östen Strandberg, the man responsible for the development of the SCC. “The SCC signaled the start of a new approach which enhanced safety for the occupants, where the car’s most important safety task is to help avoid dangerous situations and accidents in the first place.”

Today, 14 of the active-safety systems showcased on the SCC project can be found in current Volvos:

• Forward Collision Warning
• Head-up Display Info
• BLIS (Blind Spot Information System)
• Lane Departure Driver Warning and Driver Alert
• ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control
• Emergency Brake Lights
• Safety Cameras (used in Pedestrian Detection and Collision Warning systems)
• Active Bending Lights
• Volvo Sensus
• Height-adjustable rear seat (present in integrated two-stage child booster cushions)
• Protection for pedestrians (energy absorbing front structure)
• Keyless Go
• Mobile App allowing owner to communicate with the car through mobile phone

In 2002, one year after the SCC debuted in Detroit, Volvo began integrating the safety and styling features in to a production car. The production C30 was unveiled at the Paris auto show in 2006.

motortrend.com

Starting this Wednesday and running until next Monday you can take advantage of these great used car manager's specials. Come have a look online and then stop in for a test drive.

Sandberg Northwest Volvo Manager's Special

7/27/11 - 8/1/11

Special prices! $1,000's below market value!

Safety Group: Crash-Avoidance System Really Works

While modern passenger vehicles are generally better than ever at protecting occupants in collisions, preventing crashes is still the best way by far to avoid injuries.

New active crash avoidance technology seeks to keep many traffic accidents from happening, and according to the Highway Loss Data Institute, it seems to be working.

A new study by the data-gathering affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds that one forward collision avoidance system used by Volvo is cutting about a quarter of the common low-speed crashes that typically happen in slow moving, stop-and-go commuter traffic.

The study of insurance claims data found Volvo XC60 mid-size crossovers with a standard collision-avoidance system called City Safety are far less likely to be involved in low-speed crashes than similar vehicles without the feature. Property-damage claims, which pertain to damage to a vehicle that an at-fault driver hits, were filed 27 percent less often for the XC60 than other mid-size luxury SUVs, the Highway Loss Data Institute says.

City Safety automatically brakes to avoid a “rear-ending” other vehicles in certain low-speed conditions. It uses an infrared laser sensor in the windshield to monitor the area in front of the vehicle hen traveling at speeds of roughly 2 mph to 19 mph.

It detects and reacts to other vehicles within 18 feet of the XC60′s front bumper during the day and at night. If the speed difference between vehicles is less than 9 mph, the system City Safety helps drivers avoid some crashes altogether. If the difference is between 9 mph and 19 mph, the feature may not prevent the collision but will lessen the impact. City Safety is not designed to work at speeds faster than 19 mph.

Volvo’s system is the first mass-market crash-avoidance system of its kind and has been standard on XC60s since the 2010 model year. It also is standard on 2011 and 2012 S60 sedans and 2012 S80 sedans and XC70 wagons.

“This is our first real-world look at an advanced crash avoidance technology, and the findings are encouraging,” says Adrian Lund, president of HLDI. “City Safety is helping XC60 drivers avoid the kinds of front-to-rear, low-speed crashes that frequently happen on congested roads.”

wsj.com

Great job Jim and thanks for sharing this with us Brent!

Brent E.
Seattle, WA
Jul 18, 2011

Fantastic buying experience from these guys, especially Jim Berus. I traded in my older S60 and got a good trade-in value for it, I love the XC90 that I bought from them. Go see these guys if your looking for a Volvo, you won't be disappointed.

Head to the 2011 Zoobilee For Fundraising Fun!

Spend the night under the stars tonight at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium's 2011 Zoobilee.  Fine food, drinks, and live entertainment will be provided at the gala from sixty local establishments.  To purchase your tickets for this black tie fundraising gala, please visit the link.

http://www.pdza.org/

Head to the 2011 Zoobilee For Fundraising Fun!

Spend the night under the stars tonight at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium's 2011 Zoobilee.  Fine food, drinks, and live entertainment will be provided at the gala from sixty local establishments.  To purchase your tickets for this black tie fundraising gala, please visit the link.

http://www.pdza.org/

The Volvo S60 Is A Best In Class Leader of Luxury Sedans

There are a few things drivers should know about the Volvo S60, starting with it being selected as a best-in-class leader in three different luxury sedan categories. For more reasons on why this great vehicle is ahead of the rest, head to the link.
http://bit.ly/dQYaLm

Volvo OverSeas Delivery Provides a Car Shopping Experience Unlike Any Other

Experience car shopping like never before with Volvo OverSeas Delivery, where you can design your very own Volvo while on vacation.

Summer Savings at Sandberg Northwest Volvo!

Head into Sandberg Northwest Volvo this summer for some hot deals. Our great specials include great finance options on the 2011 Volvo V50, with finance rates as low as 1.9% APR. For more specials and vehicle options, please see our website.
http://bit.ly/kXqY22

Celebrate the Summer Season!

Looking for something fun to do during the lazy weeks of summer? Head over to the Mill Creek Town Center and celebrate the summer season with some good music and dancing.  Every Wednesday night, until August 31st, live entertainment will be held at the Forum at Creekside Village from 6 to 8 p.m.  This week, 60's and 70's classic hits will be revisited!  To find out more about this summer fun, please visit the link.

http://bit.ly/ohucze

Don't Miss the Manager's Special at Sandberg Northwest Volvo

The fantastic Manager's Special continues at Sandberg Northwest Volvo with deals on our our great vehicle inventory. Specials include up to thousands below market value on select vehicles.  Don't miss out on the last day of these great offers!
http://bit.ly/kXqY22

Pirates Are Coming to Town For Weekend Festivities!

Pirates are coming to town! This Saturday at Alki Beach Park, the Seafair Pirates are landing to kick of seafair events for the weekend in and around Seattle.  Dress in your best pirate attire, and head out for the weekend's exciting events, including: The Wallingford Kiddies Parade, the Ballard Seafood Fest, the Pioneer Square Fire Festival, and the Mercer Island Summer Celebration.  For details about this fun-filled lineup of events, see the link.

http://bit.ly/opwzUI