Virginia Beach Dealers

Virginia Living Museum-Saved By Hampton Roads Support

The Hampton Roads city of Newport News got some amazing news today!  The Virginia Living Museum will be staying open.  The hard work of locals, the state and all those that sent in letters to the Newport News City Council paid off.

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM VLM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PAGE HAYHURST: I am thrilled to report that Newport News City Council adopted a budget last night that includes increased support for the VLM. Floods, the economy and the elimination of state support hit the museum hard and our community stepped up with both private support and now this critical public support. Thank you to all our members and volunteers who advocated on our behalf -especially Newport News residents who sent 1,000+ cards to Council --We are most grateful for all you do to ensure that we can continue our educational mission!

The Checkered Flag family of dealerships in Virginia Beach and Norfolk want to congratulate you for your news today and thank you for all the hard work you put in educating our community on ways to help keep Hampton Roads green and keep our animals safe.

Cicadas begin to emerge in Virginia

After 17 years underground, Brood II is ready to invade.

  Billions of winged-creatures are beginning to emerge from the soil along the Mid-Atlantic region.  With spring temperatures finally warming the ground to just the right conditions, the Brood II cicadas are coming out to play. 

But, this is no game.  The incredibly noisy nearly two-inch-long insects are expected to outnumber humans by 600 to 1 in the affected region.  Get ready for the crunch of cicada nymph skins under your feet.  And, if you're brave, try out a recipe for cicada soup!

Reports are coming in that over the past weekend, Brood II cicadas have emerged throughout Virginia, concentrated in Northern Virginia.  One interactive cicada map reports a Brood II cicada siting right here in Chesapeake. 

If you are unable to view the Cicada Video on this page, choose the following link and scroll down to this article.  Link: Cicadas invasion 2013

For more breaking cicada news, stay tuned to the home of your Virginia Beach Beetle store, Checkered Flag.com.

Image source: [washingtonpost.com]
Video source: [huffingtonpost.com]

Virginia Beach listed in "Worst Traffic Cities"

Checkered Flag fans will not be surprised to find their hometown at the top of a newly published list.  The Weather Channel has just released their list of the 2013 Cities with the Worst Traffic.  And, guess who is at #22. 

According to the report, the average Virginia Beach area resident spends 18 hours per year sitting in traffic.  Yikes!  To make matters worse, they added that all that waiting in gridlock can have some terrible effects on the members of our community members.

“Not only can time spent in traffic wreak havoc on your emotional health and stress levels, but also it can damage your sleep cycle, lungs, heart and brain.

The air pollution from traffic has recently been shown to increase risk for heart disease and stroke, as well as lung diseases, such as COPD and poor cognitive performance. One recent study even linked traffic noise to an increased risk of ADHD in children.

Traffic can be so harmful to kids, in fact, that living near a busy road can cause enough lung damage to trigger asthma, making traffic pollution as harmful as secondhand smoke, a study published in the European Respiratory Journal found earlier this year.”

The top three cities with the worst traffic are Los Angeles, Honolulu, and San Francisco. 

Well, if you have to sit in traffic, you may as well wait in style and comfort.  Visit any of our eleven Checkered Flag locations to find the right ride to keep your stress level at a minimum.  We carry a full selection on environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles including Toyota Prius, Honda hybrids, and even BMW hybrids. 

For more Hampton Roads traffic news, stay tuned to the home of your favorite Virginia Beach and Norfolk used car stores, Checkered Flag.com.

Info and image source: [weather.com]

Gas prices still dropping in Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads has something new to brag about.  Our local Hampton Roads gas prices are on a roll.  And, Checkered Flag fans will be glad to know, they are rolling in the right direction.

Local gas prices fall for fifth straight week
By Dave Mayfield for The Virginian-Pilot

Gas prices in Hampton Roads bucked the national trend this past week by dropping a bit, AAA said in its Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

The local average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.35 on Monday, down about 2 cents from a week earlier. The local average a month ago was $3.53.

Last week marked the fifth consecutive week of gas price drops in the region.

The decline locally came in spite of a slight rise, to $3.52 on Monday, in the U.S. average for regular. A week ago, the national average was $3.50 a gallon. It was $3.61 a month ago, according to AAA.

GasBuddy.com reported Monday that Greenville, S.C., had the lowest price among U.S. metro areas, at $3.13, while Chicago ranked highest at $4.25.

So, get to the gas pumps, Checkered Flag fans!

For more helpful tips about saving your pennies from the pump, check out our blog about improving your fuel economy. 

Info source: [pilotonline.com]

Protect your vehicle from environmental forces

That mess that's all over him?  It hits your vehicle every day. 

No, I don't men mileage or worn tires.  I'm talking about the nasty stuff.  I'm talking about the poop. 

Every day our cars, SUVs, and trucks are spilled in, scratched up, and slowly eaten by salt and acid.  It's not something we think of when we see the shiny new rides perched prettily on our Checkered Flag lots.  But, these vehicles are an investment and should be taken care of as such. 

Now, we have customers who bring their vehicles in on a weekly basis for cleaning, and they usually stick to their maintenance schedules as well, but, there is another step you can take to ensure a long and happy life for your new auto. 

When you purchase your vehicle from one of our Norfolk or Virginia Beach new and used car stores, you will be offered a handful of extra options that are easy to rush over in the excitement of your final purchase process.  However, these offered vehicle protection services should be given special consideration before you drive your new baby off the lot.  Options such as Environmental Protection, Ding Shield Service Plan, Road Hazard, and LoJack could end up saving your vehicle and ultimately, your money, in the long run.  

See the following video then visit Checkered Flag's Vehicle Protection Plans page for full information.  Link to page:  Virginia Beach Car Protection Services

Virginia Aquarium-Saturday Planet Party

With the warmer weather, each weekend seems to be a bit busier than the pervious.  The temps have definitely made the outdoors the place to be.  This weekend's temperatures reaching into the high 60’s and low 70’s paired with awesome sunshine, I think an excursion is in order.  The Virginia Aquarium has just the solution for your weekend fun- A Party for the Planet.  Finish off a month filled with Earth love with a party.

Saturday, May 4th, 2013
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Virginia Aquarium Bay & Ocean Pavilion
Cost: Free with Aquarium admission

You are invited to a party, a party for planet Earth! This nation-wide celebration will help aquarium guests to discover ways to connect to the local environment and how we can all make a difference. Everyone loves a good party and there's no better place to celebrate than with our fabulous friends from land, sea, creek and river that make our beautiful planet the awe inspiring place that it is! Activity stations will include; Live animal programs, Building a Toad Abode and creating your own Conservation Catcher.

Source: [Virginia Aquarium]

Looks like my kiddos are going to get to see the sharks and fish of all forms this weekend as we explore the waters and give some Earthly love during an inexpensive Hampton Roads event.

I love living in a place that is constantly filled with inexpensive things to do with the family.

For more information about other weekend events, stay logged on to Checkeredflag.com.  For all your weekend vehicle needs, drive into your closest neighborhood Checkered Flag dealership.  They will help you stay within budget and accomplish all your needs.

Smart Shoppers Pushing Hybrid and Diesel Sales Sky High

The Checkered Flag family of brands has understood that families need to keep an eye on the financial bottom line when purchasing a vehicle.They have moved along with the need, bringing more Hybrid or diesel vehicles into their inventory to accommodate the Hampton Roads drivers.

Diesel, hybrid sales rocket past overall US market growth rate
By Danny King

Hybrid sales have grown rapidly in the US during the past couple of years – well outpacing the overall automotive market – and it looks like diesel sales are beginning to follow that trajectory as well.

US hybrid light-duty vehicle registrations have jumped 34 percent from 2010 through the end of 2012 and diesel sales are up 24 percent to about 797,000 from about 641,000 two years earlier, diesel advocate Diesel Technology Forum says (citing a study conducted by R.L. Polk at the DLF's request). The important thing to note is that, during the same period, total vehicle registrations were up less than three percent, indicating that more consumers are turning to green vehicles in order to address rising gas prices. It will likely not surprise anyone that California, Massachusetts and New York had the fastest growth rates for diesel sales.

Last year, Volkswagen boosted its clean-diesel sales by 32 percent to almost 82,000 vehicles, while Audi diesel sales held steady at about 7,200 units.

Source: [autoblog]



With the Checkered Flag family boasting both Volkswagen and Audi as dealerships they can truly be called a clean and green company.  They have so many hybrids and diesel vehicles to choose from, that you would be silly not to come by and check out the available inventory.  What is so great about clean vehicles any more is you can truly get the size you crave, or need for growing families, and not have to sacrifice efficiency.  I love technology.

For more information about Checkered Flag brands, clean vehicles available and savings while shopping with Checkered Flag, give them a call today at (757) 687-3447.

Checkered Flag families go screen-free this week

Today is the first day of Screen-Free Week 2013.  While it might seem strange that someone writing for our website to encourage this, I am completely on board with a few days of screen-free family fun. 

I would like to hear from our Checkered Flag fans.  Is your family participating in screen-free week?

Screen-Free Week: April 29 - May 5, 2013

Children Around the Country to Turn Off Screens and Turn on Life!

 

What: It's almost Screen-Free Week-the annual national celebration where children, families, schools, and communities turn off TV, video games, computers, and hand-held devices and turn on life. Instead of relying on screens for entertainment, they play, read, daydream, explore nature, and enjoy spending time with family and friends. 

 

When: April 29 - May 5, 2013

 

Why: Children spend far too much time with screens: an astonishing average of 32 hours a week for preschoolers and even more for older children. Time with screens is linked to poor school performance, childhood obesity, attention issues and other health and social problems. 

 

Where: Homes, schools, libraries, faith communities, municipalities, and businesses around the country.

Who: Screen-Free Week is endorsed by dozens of organizations including the American Public Health Association, the National Black Child Development Institute, the National Head Start Association, KaBOOM!, and the US Play Coalition.

Stay tuned to the home of your Norfolk and Virginia Beach MINI dealership, Checkered Flag.com, for an upcoming list of screen-free week activities.

Can local honey help with seasonal allergies?

One of our latest “Ask Checkered Flag” emails, from fan Jessica E. asks if anyone knows where to purchase local honey in Hampton Roads to help with her terrible seasonal allergy symptoms.

Well, Jessica, our Checkered Flag Facebook fans report that many of our Hampton Roads farm markets are stocking local honey.  However, you might want to check out what doctors and scientists are saying about the effectiveness, or ineffectiveness, of the home remedy before shelling out $20 for a jar.  (yep, according to Facebook fans , the average local jar is up to around $20 this season)

From the Mayo Clinic:

Question
Can you use honey for allergies?
Can honey lessen seasonal allergy symptoms?

Answer
from Brent A. Bauer, M.D.

Probably not. Honey has been anecdotally reported to lessen symptoms in people with seasonal allergies. But these results haven't been consistently duplicated in clinical studies.

Still the idea isn't so far-fetched. Honey has been studied as a cough suppressant and may have anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, some experts point out that honey can contain traces of flower pollen — an allergen. And one treatment for allergies is repeated exposure to small amounts of allergens.

For now, however, it appears that honey may just be a sweet placebo. But don't let that stop you from using it in food and beverages. Just don't give honey to children younger than 1 year because of the risk of infant botulism, a rare but serious form of food poisoning

Article source: [mayoclinic.com]

For any of your Hampton Roads automotive or totally non-related needs, contact your Checkered Flag Norfolk and Virginia Beach car dealerships at (757)490-1111. 

Honda Smart Home-Highlights Environmental Know-How

We all know and have seen on the streets of Hampton Roads how Honda, through its mastery of the automobile, has created some of the most technologically advanced, greenest and most efficient cars.  They have engineered the more engines than any other manufacturer and now they have decided to take on another venture. 

Beware all home builders out there, Honda has thrown the gauntlet.  They have taken on the building of a "Smart Home".  This home will feature all their green technology and show how someone can live an ecologically smart and efficient life.

Smart Home

The Honda Smart Home (HSH) US will feature advanced sustainability technology to greatly reduce the amount of energy consumed by individual households, including the use of solar power to charge a Honda Fit EV battery electric vehicle. The home will be a true showcase for environmental innovation and personal mobility.
 
Located on the campus of the University of California, Davis, HSH will use less than half the energy for heating, cooling and lighting than a similarly sized home in the area. In fact, HSH is likely to produce more energy than it consumes, while allowing its residents to remotely monitor and adjust all aspects of energy use in real time.
 
For more than three decades, Honda has been working to advance environmental technology-not just for vehicles but also in regard to energy production and distribution. With a low CO2 footprint, state-of-the-art energy management and the direct photovoltaic (PV)-to-car charging system, HSH is a working example of this research.

Source: [Honda]

Being a Honda girl myself, I have experienced the Honda automobile, tractor, generator, and now I NEED this house.  I think that I should be the candidate to receive it!  What do you think Hampton Roads?  Throw a cookie to this Honda lover.

This home really does highlight Honda's mastery of environmental technology. For more information about all of Honda's upcoming Green projects and events, stay logged on to checkeredflag.com.

For more information about their line of green vehicles and all that is offered by Norfolk's Honda dealer, call Checkered Flag Honda today at (757) 687-3447.