The blackout was a deliberate move by city officials, who hoped to cut light pollution and give residents a better view of the Aurora Borealis.
Reported by Christian Science Monitor 1 hour ago.
Northern Lights: Iceland turns off the lights to admire nature's own
↧
↧
Prelude offers a glimpse of Aurora magic
Reported by DallasNews 22 hours ago.
↧
Colorado health leaders team up on start-up generator initiative
Three institutions on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are partnering with a national startup supporter to launch an innovation center for cutting-edge health-care companies — the first tangible idea to emerge from the recently organized Center for Innovation at Children’s Hospital Colorado. StartUp Health Colorado will combine the medical expertise of Children’s Colorado, UCHealth and CU Innovations, the technology commercialization office on the Aurora campus. And it will…
Reported by bizjournals 20 hours ago.
↧
PHOTOS: Superheroes surprise Children’s Hospital patients
Aurora SWAT officers dressed up as favorite superheroes including Batman, Ironman, Spiderman, Captain America and others and repelled from the 9th floor of Children's Hospital to greet patients waiting inside Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016.
Reported by Denver Post 18 hours ago.
↧
Former Denver firefighter guilty of indecent exposure at Aurora store
A former Denver firefighter has pleaded guilty to indecent exposure after an incident in a store at the Aurora Town Center.
Reported by Denver Post 15 hours ago.
↧
↧
UCHealth Emergency Room Opens New Facility in Arvada, Colorado
Celebrates Grand Opening with Donation to Ralston Valley High School
Aurora, CO (PRWEB) October 01, 2016
UCHealth opened its newest freestanding emergency room in Arvada, Colorado yesterday. To celebrate the grand opening, UCHealth Emergency Room- Arvada McIntyre hosted a ribbon cutting and donated $5,000 to Ralston Valley High School.
“On behalf of our entire team, we are pleased to bring another facility to the Arvada community and look forward to continuing to provide residents with access to the high quality emergency medical care,” said Dr. Nils Albert, facility medical director of UCHealth Emergency Room- Arvada McIntyre.
Different from urgent care centers, all UCHealth Emergency Room facilities are open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, and are staffed exclusively with board-certified emergency physicians and emergency trained registered nurses. The facilities are equipped with a full radiology suite, including CT scanner, Digital X-ray, Ultrasound, as well as on-site laboratories certified by the Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA) and accredited by the Commission on Office Laboratories Accreditation (COLA).
The new UCHealth Emergency Room- Arvada McIntyre is located at 15240 W. 64th Ave., Arvada, CO 80007. For more information, visit http://www.uchealthemergencyroom.com/locations/denver/arvada-mcintyre.
About UCHealth
UCHealth is a Front Range health system that delivers the highest quality patient care with the highest quality patient experience. UCHealth combines Memorial Hospital, Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies, Colorado Health Medical Group, and University of Colorado Hospital into an organization dedicated to health and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. UCHealth partners with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and numerous community organizations to provide care. Separately, these institutions can continue providing superior care to patients and service to the communities they serve. Together, they push the boundaries of medicine, attracting more research funding, hosting more clinical trials and improving health through innovation.
About Adeptus Health Inc.
Adeptus Health (NYSE: ADPT) is a leading patient-centered healthcare organization expanding access to the highest quality emergency medical care through its network of freestanding emergency rooms and partnerships with premier healthcare providers. Adeptus Health owns and operates First Choice Emergency Room, the nation's largest and oldest network of freestanding emergency rooms and owns and/or operates facilities in partnership with Texas Health Resources in Texas, UCHealth in Colorado, Dignity Health in Arizona, Ochsner Health System in Louisiana and Mount Carmel Health System in Ohio. All Adeptus Health freestanding facilities are fully equipped emergency rooms with a complete radiology suite of diagnostic technology, on-site laboratory, and staffed with board-certified physicians and emergency trained registered nurses. For the last three years, Adeptus Health has exceeded the 95th percentile in patent satisfaction according to patient feedback collected nationwide by Press Ganey Associates Inc. Adeptus Health also was named a 2016 Best Workplaces in Healthcare by Great Place to Work® and Fortune Magazine. For more information please visit adhc.com. Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.
Aurora, CO (PRWEB) October 01, 2016
UCHealth opened its newest freestanding emergency room in Arvada, Colorado yesterday. To celebrate the grand opening, UCHealth Emergency Room- Arvada McIntyre hosted a ribbon cutting and donated $5,000 to Ralston Valley High School.
“On behalf of our entire team, we are pleased to bring another facility to the Arvada community and look forward to continuing to provide residents with access to the high quality emergency medical care,” said Dr. Nils Albert, facility medical director of UCHealth Emergency Room- Arvada McIntyre.
Different from urgent care centers, all UCHealth Emergency Room facilities are open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, and are staffed exclusively with board-certified emergency physicians and emergency trained registered nurses. The facilities are equipped with a full radiology suite, including CT scanner, Digital X-ray, Ultrasound, as well as on-site laboratories certified by the Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA) and accredited by the Commission on Office Laboratories Accreditation (COLA).
The new UCHealth Emergency Room- Arvada McIntyre is located at 15240 W. 64th Ave., Arvada, CO 80007. For more information, visit http://www.uchealthemergencyroom.com/locations/denver/arvada-mcintyre.
About UCHealth
UCHealth is a Front Range health system that delivers the highest quality patient care with the highest quality patient experience. UCHealth combines Memorial Hospital, Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies, Colorado Health Medical Group, and University of Colorado Hospital into an organization dedicated to health and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. UCHealth partners with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and numerous community organizations to provide care. Separately, these institutions can continue providing superior care to patients and service to the communities they serve. Together, they push the boundaries of medicine, attracting more research funding, hosting more clinical trials and improving health through innovation.
About Adeptus Health Inc.
Adeptus Health (NYSE: ADPT) is a leading patient-centered healthcare organization expanding access to the highest quality emergency medical care through its network of freestanding emergency rooms and partnerships with premier healthcare providers. Adeptus Health owns and operates First Choice Emergency Room, the nation's largest and oldest network of freestanding emergency rooms and owns and/or operates facilities in partnership with Texas Health Resources in Texas, UCHealth in Colorado, Dignity Health in Arizona, Ochsner Health System in Louisiana and Mount Carmel Health System in Ohio. All Adeptus Health freestanding facilities are fully equipped emergency rooms with a complete radiology suite of diagnostic technology, on-site laboratory, and staffed with board-certified physicians and emergency trained registered nurses. For the last three years, Adeptus Health has exceeded the 95th percentile in patent satisfaction according to patient feedback collected nationwide by Press Ganey Associates Inc. Adeptus Health also was named a 2016 Best Workplaces in Healthcare by Great Place to Work® and Fortune Magazine. For more information please visit adhc.com. Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.
↧
Growing Number of Chicago-Area Homebuyers Must Master Multiple-Offer Situations, RE/MAX Brokers Report
A shrinking inventory of homes for sale in the Chicago area means more homebuyers are finding themselves drawn into bidding wars, report RE/MAX brokers, who also offer a series of useful tips on how to master such situations.
CHICAGO (PRWEB) October 01, 2016
Few homebuyers relish a bidding war, yet more of them have faced that prospect in the Chicago area thanks to a limited inventory of homes for sale, RE/MAX reports.
RE/MAX brokers offer the following advice to buyers on how to master such situations.
1. Find out how probable it is that a multiple offer situation will develop.
Affordably priced homes are the most likely to attract multiple offers, explained Tim Winfrey of RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest in Bartlett, Ill. In his market, that has been true for homes priced at $300,000 or less, but it can vary with the community. In some posh suburbs or desirable Chicago neighborhoods, a home priced at $750,000 could spark a bidding war.
According to Winfrey, price isn’t the only factor. Homes in excellent condition and those with outstanding locations also tend to attract wide interest from buyers.
2. When an appealing property comes on the market, schedule a showing right away.
“I tell buyers that if a house they like comes on the market on Wednesday, they can’t wait for the weekend to see it,” said Kathy Healy of RE/MAX Town and Country in Aurora, Ill. She noted that in her market area, almost any home priced at $200,000 or less has drawn multiple offers in recent months.
3. If buyers like a home, quickly write a strong offer.
In one recent situation, Healy took clients to see a home she felt was an excellent value and learned that the listing agent had already received several offers.
“My clients loved the house, so we immediately offered $12,000 over list price, and though there were eight other offers, my clients ended up getting the home,” she said.
Sharon Wang of RE/MAX United in Wheeling, Ill., works with many investor clients and said about half of the properties they pursue receive multiple offers.
“I tell buyers that paying a premium doesn’t make a big difference in the long run because mortgage interest rates are so low now. If a home really fits their needs and has a location they want, it can be worth it to push the envelope with their offer,” Wang said. “But in the final analysis, it’s a decision the buyers need to make and be comfortable with.”
4. Make your offer simple.
“The less you ask for, the stronger your offer will be,” explained James Cesarek of RE/MAX Sauk Valley in Sterling, Ill. “Being a cash buyer or committing to a 20 percent down payment makes for a stronger offer in many cases,” he said. “You want to make your offer as strong as possible from a financial perspective.”
Healy said that she advises clients facing multiple offers to deliver an offer that is as clean as possible, with a minimum of contingency clauses, flexibility on the closing date, and a letter of preapproval from a well-known, reputable lender.
5. Include provisions for an appraisal.
The major concern of most buyers in a competitive offer situation is that they will overpay for the property, explained Cesarek. If the offer contains a mortgage contingency clause, the buyer has some protection because the lender will insist on an appraisal. If the appraised value is below the agreed price, the buyer can decline to proceed with the purchase.
Even when buyers are paying cash, Cesarek will urge them to make their offer subject to an appraisal as insurance against paying substantially more than the home’s current market value.
6. Don’t try to renegotiate the contract based on minor problems found during the home inspection.
“When there have been multiple offers, the winning buyer has to realize that the seller has other alternatives, so if some minor problems turn up during the home inspection, it probably isn’t a good strategy to demand major concessions from the seller,” said Beth Rose of RE/MAX 1st Service in Orland Park, Ill.
On the other hand, if truly major issues emerge, the buyer is still in a strong position to ask for concessions because the seller would be obligated to reveal those problems to other buyers.
RE/MAX agents consistently rank among the most productive in the industry. In 2015, RE/MAX Northern Illinois agents averaged 18 transaction sides. RE/MAX has been the leader in the northern Illinois real estate market since 1989 and is continually growing. The RE/MAX Northern Illinois network, with headquarters in Elgin, Ill., consists of more than 2,300 sales associates and 106 independently owned and operated RE/MAX offices that provide a full range of residential and commercial brokerage services. Its mobile real estate app, available for download at http://www.illinoisproperty.com, provides comprehensive information about residential and commercial property for sale in the region. The northern Illinois network is part of RE/MAX, a global real estate organization with 104,000+ sales associates in 90+ nations Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.
CHICAGO (PRWEB) October 01, 2016
Few homebuyers relish a bidding war, yet more of them have faced that prospect in the Chicago area thanks to a limited inventory of homes for sale, RE/MAX reports.
RE/MAX brokers offer the following advice to buyers on how to master such situations.
1. Find out how probable it is that a multiple offer situation will develop.
Affordably priced homes are the most likely to attract multiple offers, explained Tim Winfrey of RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest in Bartlett, Ill. In his market, that has been true for homes priced at $300,000 or less, but it can vary with the community. In some posh suburbs or desirable Chicago neighborhoods, a home priced at $750,000 could spark a bidding war.
According to Winfrey, price isn’t the only factor. Homes in excellent condition and those with outstanding locations also tend to attract wide interest from buyers.
2. When an appealing property comes on the market, schedule a showing right away.
“I tell buyers that if a house they like comes on the market on Wednesday, they can’t wait for the weekend to see it,” said Kathy Healy of RE/MAX Town and Country in Aurora, Ill. She noted that in her market area, almost any home priced at $200,000 or less has drawn multiple offers in recent months.
3. If buyers like a home, quickly write a strong offer.
In one recent situation, Healy took clients to see a home she felt was an excellent value and learned that the listing agent had already received several offers.
“My clients loved the house, so we immediately offered $12,000 over list price, and though there were eight other offers, my clients ended up getting the home,” she said.
Sharon Wang of RE/MAX United in Wheeling, Ill., works with many investor clients and said about half of the properties they pursue receive multiple offers.
“I tell buyers that paying a premium doesn’t make a big difference in the long run because mortgage interest rates are so low now. If a home really fits their needs and has a location they want, it can be worth it to push the envelope with their offer,” Wang said. “But in the final analysis, it’s a decision the buyers need to make and be comfortable with.”
4. Make your offer simple.
“The less you ask for, the stronger your offer will be,” explained James Cesarek of RE/MAX Sauk Valley in Sterling, Ill. “Being a cash buyer or committing to a 20 percent down payment makes for a stronger offer in many cases,” he said. “You want to make your offer as strong as possible from a financial perspective.”
Healy said that she advises clients facing multiple offers to deliver an offer that is as clean as possible, with a minimum of contingency clauses, flexibility on the closing date, and a letter of preapproval from a well-known, reputable lender.
5. Include provisions for an appraisal.
The major concern of most buyers in a competitive offer situation is that they will overpay for the property, explained Cesarek. If the offer contains a mortgage contingency clause, the buyer has some protection because the lender will insist on an appraisal. If the appraised value is below the agreed price, the buyer can decline to proceed with the purchase.
Even when buyers are paying cash, Cesarek will urge them to make their offer subject to an appraisal as insurance against paying substantially more than the home’s current market value.
6. Don’t try to renegotiate the contract based on minor problems found during the home inspection.
“When there have been multiple offers, the winning buyer has to realize that the seller has other alternatives, so if some minor problems turn up during the home inspection, it probably isn’t a good strategy to demand major concessions from the seller,” said Beth Rose of RE/MAX 1st Service in Orland Park, Ill.
On the other hand, if truly major issues emerge, the buyer is still in a strong position to ask for concessions because the seller would be obligated to reveal those problems to other buyers.
RE/MAX agents consistently rank among the most productive in the industry. In 2015, RE/MAX Northern Illinois agents averaged 18 transaction sides. RE/MAX has been the leader in the northern Illinois real estate market since 1989 and is continually growing. The RE/MAX Northern Illinois network, with headquarters in Elgin, Ill., consists of more than 2,300 sales associates and 106 independently owned and operated RE/MAX offices that provide a full range of residential and commercial brokerage services. Its mobile real estate app, available for download at http://www.illinoisproperty.com, provides comprehensive information about residential and commercial property for sale in the region. The northern Illinois network is part of RE/MAX, a global real estate organization with 104,000+ sales associates in 90+ nations Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.
↧
Yes, cannabis-infused beer is a real thing you can drink
AURORA, Colo. — There's a beer on tap that is truly Colorado.
Reported by USATODAY.com 1 hour ago.
Reported by USATODAY.com 1 hour ago.
↧
Meet an Alaska-based aurora hunter who chases the Northern Lights for a living
Todd Salat is a former geologist who made his way to Alaska for a job with an oil company. But he quickly became enamored with the Northern Lights. Also known as Aurora Borealis, Salat was moonlighting as an aurora photographer before finally becoming a full-time aurora hunter. These days Salat has a 9 to 5
The post Meet an Alaska-based aurora hunter who chases the Northern Lights for a living appeared first on GrindTV.com. Reported by GrindTV 23 hours ago.
The post Meet an Alaska-based aurora hunter who chases the Northern Lights for a living appeared first on GrindTV.com. Reported by GrindTV 23 hours ago.
↧
↧
Seattle police investigating hit-run in Greenwood; pedestrian taken to Harborview
Seattle police are investigating a hit and run of a pedestrian that left a woman critically injured. The incident at about 8:24 pm at 85th Ave. North and Aurora is under investigation by Seattle Police. The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center.
Reported by Seattle Times 7 hours ago.
↧
Mazda MX-5 Icon driven 828 miles around the Ring of Iceland
To mark the launch of the special edition Mazda MX-5 Icon, we've taken one on a whirlwind two-day lap of Iceland to find out if it lives up to its name
There isn’t a single area in which this new Mazda MX-5 fails to surpass its predecessor.
It’s shorter, lighter, more spacious and better laid out. It’s sharper-looking but still disarming and distinctive. It’s faster, more frugal and even more vibrant and engaging to drive.” So read our road test verdict one year and two weeks ago (give or take a day), prior to awarding the car a four-and-a-half-star verdict. That lost half star? We’d tested the 1.5 and reckoned the 2.0-litre model would probably, all things considered, be the superior choice for the harder-edged enthusiast driver typical of the Autocar reader.
And whether it be an entry-level model or top end, the compliments have kept on coming for what must now surely be considered the definitive, standard-setting – dare we write ‘iconic’, given the name of this special-edition car we’ve come to test? – affordable sports car not only of this generation but also of several before. It triumphed outright in our ‘Junior Handling Day’ test for new cars with a sub-£30k price tag, duffed up cars with an extra digit on the asking price in our full-fat Britain’s Best Driver’s Car shootout last year and won us over during its tenure with us as a long-termer, to the extent that Steve Cropley has bought it, because he can’t bear to see it go.
Now, though, we have the chance to delve deeper. The opportunity is a two-day, 828-mile drive around the Ring of Iceland, two up but without interruption or support (beyond a packed lunch), with only our thoughts for company on the glaciercarved and volcano-contoured roads for 12 hours a day. “If you need help, it’ll be several hours away if you’re lucky, so try not to need help,” smiled the man from Mazda as he handed over the keys. If we thought we knew the MX-5 before this trip, there’s no question that we will know it better at the end. As definitive as an Autocar road test is, unsurpassed in its assessment and rigour, there’s still nothing like a long, lonely drive for really getting to know a car.
The excuse, lest you feel we need one, is the MX-5 Icon special edition. It would be easy to dismiss it with the wave of a hand – to all intents and purposes it is ‘special’ in the lightest sense: a well-kitted, well-priced 1.5 SE-L Nav bedecked in striking paintwork on its door mirrors, rear spoiler and front skirt and with some stickers down the side. But it is also the latest in the line of Icon-badged MX-5s, lending the launch a hint of history and giving Mazda’s marketeers another opportunity to keep sales rolling along. This time, just 600 Icons will be sold in the UK, complete with numbered plaque in the cabin. If you’re a collector or fan and counting, that’s fewer Icons than ever before; 750 were launched in 2000, 1563 in 2005 and 1250 in 2007. While MX-5s have never been especially tenacious at holding onto their value, there’s a kudos – and kit list, including parking aids, leather seats and automatic headlights and wipers – that some will covet.
Not that it really matters as we turn the key in Reykjavik for the start of our road trip, which is punctuated by a night’s sleep in Egilsstaðir, on the east coast of the island. The familiar qualities of the latest MX-5 stand out once again: a seating position and seat that flatter drivers of every shape and size, perfect pedal spacing (good old-fashioned heel-and-toeing is alive and well here) and controls that have been placed with thought and which are well weighted. Spend too long in the MX-5 and you will take these things for granted, but that would be a huge mistake, because so many car manufacturers get them wrong. They don’t just make the MX-5 better to drive; they also make it more habitable. Let me remind you that I’m writing this after spending about 22 of the past 36 hours in the car. I may not be the freshest of daisies, but I owe what reserves I have to the hours of toil engineers put into perfecting that seating position and cabin.
Out on the road, it’s impossible not to marvel at the sights and sounds of Icelandic life, which can be as seductive as the car itself. Our route takes us along the western edge of the island, before looping back up north and around in a clockwise direction. Stare again at the map and give your vocal chords a chance to stretch out by attempting to pronounce Skagafjörður, or perhaps Fjarðabyggð. Take a moment to pity the world’s newsreaders who were faced with having to explain the ash cloud crisis in 2010, sparked as it was by a volcano named Eyjafjallajökull. These unpronounceable place names do a neat job of encapsulating the quirky and brutal yet enchanting look and feel of a country of terrifying natural beauty, from its snow-lined volcanoes to steaming geysers, deep blue lakes and multicoloured natural night-time cinema courtesy of the aurora borealis.
But the real beauty of this trip is that not even zealous policing via the medium of a blanket 90km/h (56mph) speed limit and a liberal deployment of radar guns could ruin it. While that limit doesn’t sound a lot – nor does it sometimes feel it when you haven’t seen a car coming towards you for an hour, as often happens – it’s just fine in the MX-5.
Here is a car that provides thrills even on the ‘wrong’ road, so precise are its controls and so modest are its power output and top speed. Given the choice of burbling along in a Ferrari or stroking the MX-5, I’d choose the latter. And when – as happens regularly – there’s the chance to go harder on some of the natural twists and turns of this glacier-carved country, there’s every opportunity to turn up the wick guiltfree. Can a 129bhp 1.5-litre engine with 111lb ft ever be enough to set a keen driver’s trousers on fire? If you need to ponder that question, you haven’t driven the latest MX-5 on a twisting road.
There is something just so sweet about driving this car hard. Its not-so-secret ingredients? The sub-1100kg weight, for starters, but also the light clutch, alert throttle and short, tight gearshift that puts a smile on your face every single time you slot it into position. Then there’s the steering, which lets you know exactly what the front wheels are doing and gives confidence on any type of road. And I write that not as an expert helmsmen; there’s an enticingly unintimidating angle to be appreciated about this car, too, if, like me, the thought of 3.0sec 0-60mph sprints and tail-out cornering leave you a bit sweaty-browed. Its precision breeds confidence, its pace thrills without blurring any lines.
Here is an engine that might not have anything approaching what you’d truly describe as poke but which reminds you why the advances of turbocharged engines aren’t entirely to our advantage. Blessed with the linear delivery that only a naturally aspirated engine can deliver, it sings its way up to the 7000rpm redline. And while it is undoubtedly at its best spinning around in the mid-range, it’s also true to say that this is a car you can take 100% from more often than not, earning a sense of achievement for your efforts. We recommend the 2.0-litre version for good reason, but there’s an element of accessibility about the 1.5 that is beguiling if you’re prepared to work for it. Some want more from a sports car, of course, but personally I’d rather have the sensation of getting close to the edges of a car’s capabilities than thanking God that I didn’t overstep the mark and bin it. For people like me, it’s an absolute gem.
The highlight comes on a twisting road between Akureyri and Mývatn. Well and truly settled into the car and landscape, what could be an intriguing high-speed road is turned into a enthralling one by the MX-5’s merits. In some cars, it would be too fast for the faint of heart. In the MX-5, you can throw caution to the wind, pushing hard while knowing that the speed limit is a target to aim at rather than be feared, and that even the slippery, twisting roads can be attacked. If you overstep the limits of traction, it’s telegraphed well in advance. If the back end does go – and it takes severe provocation for it to do so – the MX-5 will oversteer, progressively and entirely controllably.
Complaints? There are some, although almost all smack of wanting to have everything from a sports car that costs barely more than £20,000. On the coarser surfaces – including some gravel roads but also, most tellingly, on sections of asphalt that have endured a harsh winter or possibly one of the torrents that ensues after a volcanic eruption has melted large quantities of ice – the bumps and potholes are keenly felt. The pedals, while well spaced, are slightly offset. And – maybe – the body could be better pinned to the road, although if there is an issue it’s marginal and confined to when you’re tackling a series of fast corners that weave back and forth.
But why complain when a car is this much fun? Better to enjoy the positives, especially when they’re delivered in such an unobtrusive yet absorbing way. In a world obsessed with wanting more of everything, the MX-5 is an aberration and is to be celebrated for it. The folk from Mazda had worked that out long before sticking the cars on a boat to Iceland, a country that doesn’t have to make any effort to look good. There are many more parallels that don’t need spelling out, but let’s leave it at this: just as I’m sure Disney’s augmented reality makes many more people happy than do Iceland’s rolling hills, it doesn’t mean that Mickey and his friends have the only answer.
With a history awash with innovation and free thinking, from rotary engines of yesteryear to the trend-bucking normally aspirated units of today, it’s easy to be distracted from what really makes Mazda great. After this journey, the answer is as crystal clear as the freshly melted water in Iceland’s lakes: the MX-5’s brilliance lies in how finely judged it is. ‘Just so and not a jot more’ sounds simple but eludes even the most well regarded of car makers. With the MX-5, Mazda has hit the bullseye.
*Mazda MX-5 Icon around Iceland: blog and gallery* Reported by Autocar 5 hours ago.
There isn’t a single area in which this new Mazda MX-5 fails to surpass its predecessor.
It’s shorter, lighter, more spacious and better laid out. It’s sharper-looking but still disarming and distinctive. It’s faster, more frugal and even more vibrant and engaging to drive.” So read our road test verdict one year and two weeks ago (give or take a day), prior to awarding the car a four-and-a-half-star verdict. That lost half star? We’d tested the 1.5 and reckoned the 2.0-litre model would probably, all things considered, be the superior choice for the harder-edged enthusiast driver typical of the Autocar reader.
And whether it be an entry-level model or top end, the compliments have kept on coming for what must now surely be considered the definitive, standard-setting – dare we write ‘iconic’, given the name of this special-edition car we’ve come to test? – affordable sports car not only of this generation but also of several before. It triumphed outright in our ‘Junior Handling Day’ test for new cars with a sub-£30k price tag, duffed up cars with an extra digit on the asking price in our full-fat Britain’s Best Driver’s Car shootout last year and won us over during its tenure with us as a long-termer, to the extent that Steve Cropley has bought it, because he can’t bear to see it go.
Now, though, we have the chance to delve deeper. The opportunity is a two-day, 828-mile drive around the Ring of Iceland, two up but without interruption or support (beyond a packed lunch), with only our thoughts for company on the glaciercarved and volcano-contoured roads for 12 hours a day. “If you need help, it’ll be several hours away if you’re lucky, so try not to need help,” smiled the man from Mazda as he handed over the keys. If we thought we knew the MX-5 before this trip, there’s no question that we will know it better at the end. As definitive as an Autocar road test is, unsurpassed in its assessment and rigour, there’s still nothing like a long, lonely drive for really getting to know a car.
The excuse, lest you feel we need one, is the MX-5 Icon special edition. It would be easy to dismiss it with the wave of a hand – to all intents and purposes it is ‘special’ in the lightest sense: a well-kitted, well-priced 1.5 SE-L Nav bedecked in striking paintwork on its door mirrors, rear spoiler and front skirt and with some stickers down the side. But it is also the latest in the line of Icon-badged MX-5s, lending the launch a hint of history and giving Mazda’s marketeers another opportunity to keep sales rolling along. This time, just 600 Icons will be sold in the UK, complete with numbered plaque in the cabin. If you’re a collector or fan and counting, that’s fewer Icons than ever before; 750 were launched in 2000, 1563 in 2005 and 1250 in 2007. While MX-5s have never been especially tenacious at holding onto their value, there’s a kudos – and kit list, including parking aids, leather seats and automatic headlights and wipers – that some will covet.
Not that it really matters as we turn the key in Reykjavik for the start of our road trip, which is punctuated by a night’s sleep in Egilsstaðir, on the east coast of the island. The familiar qualities of the latest MX-5 stand out once again: a seating position and seat that flatter drivers of every shape and size, perfect pedal spacing (good old-fashioned heel-and-toeing is alive and well here) and controls that have been placed with thought and which are well weighted. Spend too long in the MX-5 and you will take these things for granted, but that would be a huge mistake, because so many car manufacturers get them wrong. They don’t just make the MX-5 better to drive; they also make it more habitable. Let me remind you that I’m writing this after spending about 22 of the past 36 hours in the car. I may not be the freshest of daisies, but I owe what reserves I have to the hours of toil engineers put into perfecting that seating position and cabin.
Out on the road, it’s impossible not to marvel at the sights and sounds of Icelandic life, which can be as seductive as the car itself. Our route takes us along the western edge of the island, before looping back up north and around in a clockwise direction. Stare again at the map and give your vocal chords a chance to stretch out by attempting to pronounce Skagafjörður, or perhaps Fjarðabyggð. Take a moment to pity the world’s newsreaders who were faced with having to explain the ash cloud crisis in 2010, sparked as it was by a volcano named Eyjafjallajökull. These unpronounceable place names do a neat job of encapsulating the quirky and brutal yet enchanting look and feel of a country of terrifying natural beauty, from its snow-lined volcanoes to steaming geysers, deep blue lakes and multicoloured natural night-time cinema courtesy of the aurora borealis.
But the real beauty of this trip is that not even zealous policing via the medium of a blanket 90km/h (56mph) speed limit and a liberal deployment of radar guns could ruin it. While that limit doesn’t sound a lot – nor does it sometimes feel it when you haven’t seen a car coming towards you for an hour, as often happens – it’s just fine in the MX-5.
Here is a car that provides thrills even on the ‘wrong’ road, so precise are its controls and so modest are its power output and top speed. Given the choice of burbling along in a Ferrari or stroking the MX-5, I’d choose the latter. And when – as happens regularly – there’s the chance to go harder on some of the natural twists and turns of this glacier-carved country, there’s every opportunity to turn up the wick guiltfree. Can a 129bhp 1.5-litre engine with 111lb ft ever be enough to set a keen driver’s trousers on fire? If you need to ponder that question, you haven’t driven the latest MX-5 on a twisting road.
There is something just so sweet about driving this car hard. Its not-so-secret ingredients? The sub-1100kg weight, for starters, but also the light clutch, alert throttle and short, tight gearshift that puts a smile on your face every single time you slot it into position. Then there’s the steering, which lets you know exactly what the front wheels are doing and gives confidence on any type of road. And I write that not as an expert helmsmen; there’s an enticingly unintimidating angle to be appreciated about this car, too, if, like me, the thought of 3.0sec 0-60mph sprints and tail-out cornering leave you a bit sweaty-browed. Its precision breeds confidence, its pace thrills without blurring any lines.
Here is an engine that might not have anything approaching what you’d truly describe as poke but which reminds you why the advances of turbocharged engines aren’t entirely to our advantage. Blessed with the linear delivery that only a naturally aspirated engine can deliver, it sings its way up to the 7000rpm redline. And while it is undoubtedly at its best spinning around in the mid-range, it’s also true to say that this is a car you can take 100% from more often than not, earning a sense of achievement for your efforts. We recommend the 2.0-litre version for good reason, but there’s an element of accessibility about the 1.5 that is beguiling if you’re prepared to work for it. Some want more from a sports car, of course, but personally I’d rather have the sensation of getting close to the edges of a car’s capabilities than thanking God that I didn’t overstep the mark and bin it. For people like me, it’s an absolute gem.
The highlight comes on a twisting road between Akureyri and Mývatn. Well and truly settled into the car and landscape, what could be an intriguing high-speed road is turned into a enthralling one by the MX-5’s merits. In some cars, it would be too fast for the faint of heart. In the MX-5, you can throw caution to the wind, pushing hard while knowing that the speed limit is a target to aim at rather than be feared, and that even the slippery, twisting roads can be attacked. If you overstep the limits of traction, it’s telegraphed well in advance. If the back end does go – and it takes severe provocation for it to do so – the MX-5 will oversteer, progressively and entirely controllably.
Complaints? There are some, although almost all smack of wanting to have everything from a sports car that costs barely more than £20,000. On the coarser surfaces – including some gravel roads but also, most tellingly, on sections of asphalt that have endured a harsh winter or possibly one of the torrents that ensues after a volcanic eruption has melted large quantities of ice – the bumps and potholes are keenly felt. The pedals, while well spaced, are slightly offset. And – maybe – the body could be better pinned to the road, although if there is an issue it’s marginal and confined to when you’re tackling a series of fast corners that weave back and forth.
But why complain when a car is this much fun? Better to enjoy the positives, especially when they’re delivered in such an unobtrusive yet absorbing way. In a world obsessed with wanting more of everything, the MX-5 is an aberration and is to be celebrated for it. The folk from Mazda had worked that out long before sticking the cars on a boat to Iceland, a country that doesn’t have to make any effort to look good. There are many more parallels that don’t need spelling out, but let’s leave it at this: just as I’m sure Disney’s augmented reality makes many more people happy than do Iceland’s rolling hills, it doesn’t mean that Mickey and his friends have the only answer.
With a history awash with innovation and free thinking, from rotary engines of yesteryear to the trend-bucking normally aspirated units of today, it’s easy to be distracted from what really makes Mazda great. After this journey, the answer is as crystal clear as the freshly melted water in Iceland’s lakes: the MX-5’s brilliance lies in how finely judged it is. ‘Just so and not a jot more’ sounds simple but eludes even the most well regarded of car makers. With the MX-5, Mazda has hit the bullseye.
*Mazda MX-5 Icon around Iceland: blog and gallery* Reported by Autocar 5 hours ago.
↧
One dead, one injured in Aurora rollover accident Sunday
One man died and a woman was injured when a driver lost control of a vehicle and rolled several times early Sunday in Aurora, Aurora police said.
Reported by Denver Post 21 hours ago.
↧
Stunning Time-Lapse Captures The Northern Lights In All Their Glory
On Wednesday, sky gazers waited with bated breath for the northern night skies to light up with swirling ribbons of color.
Fortunately for them, the aurora borealis didn’t disappoint.
A time-lapse video captured the dazzling display over a hotel in Hella, Iceland, last week, about 60 miles southwest of Reykjavik.
via GIPHYThough the video is only 27 seconds long, it captures 30 minutes’ worth of changing lights, according to the video’s uploader.
During last week’s aurora borealis, the city of Reykjavik turned off streetlights in many neighborhoods for one hour.
Officials also encouraged residents to darken their homes to help increase visibility, NPR reported.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 15 hours ago.
Fortunately for them, the aurora borealis didn’t disappoint.
A time-lapse video captured the dazzling display over a hotel in Hella, Iceland, last week, about 60 miles southwest of Reykjavik.
via GIPHYThough the video is only 27 seconds long, it captures 30 minutes’ worth of changing lights, according to the video’s uploader.
During last week’s aurora borealis, the city of Reykjavik turned off streetlights in many neighborhoods for one hour.
Officials also encouraged residents to darken their homes to help increase visibility, NPR reported.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 15 hours ago.
↧
↧
Aurora police say armed men stole car at RTD bus lot near Cherry Creek Reservoir
Aurora police were looking for two men involved in an armed carjacking Sunday near a Regional Transportation District bus lot in the vicinity of Cherry Creek Reservoir.
Reported by Denver Post 11 hours ago.
↧
Pro 'Call of Duty' player's girlfriend tweets more details about fatal crash
Investigators looking into the car wreck that killed professional Call of Duty player Phillip "Phizzurp" Klemenov this weekend said that speed and alcohol may have been a factor, though his girlfriend who survived the wreck insisted that the 23-year-old was sober at the wheel.
One passenger, Marcelous Johnson, was also killed.
After the news broke Sunday of the late-night, single-car rollover wreck in Aurora, Colorado, support was pouring in from players and fans on social media. Kelemenov's girlfriend, Arianna Lemus, survived and posted a video to Twitter, apparently just minutes after he died. Read more...
More about Esports, Gaming, Call Of Duty, Phizzurp, and Entertainment Reported by Mashable 18 hours ago.
One passenger, Marcelous Johnson, was also killed.
After the news broke Sunday of the late-night, single-car rollover wreck in Aurora, Colorado, support was pouring in from players and fans on social media. Kelemenov's girlfriend, Arianna Lemus, survived and posted a video to Twitter, apparently just minutes after he died. Read more...
More about Esports, Gaming, Call Of Duty, Phizzurp, and Entertainment Reported by Mashable 18 hours ago.
↧
What are Colorado's fastest-growing cities?
It's no secret that Colorado is growing fast — and that's especially when it comes to the state's largest three cities. Both Denver and Aurora are among the five fastest-growing large cities in the country, according to WalletHub's new report, " 2016's Fastest Growing Cities." To compile the report, the Washington, D.C.-based financial analyst site compared 515 cities across three categories: large cities (those with more than 300,000 people); mid-sized cities (those with populations of 100,000…
Reported by bizjournals 18 hours ago.
↧
Coroner IDs 2 men — including well-known Call of Duty gamer — killed in Aurora crash
Authorities in Arapahoe County have identified the two men -- one of whom was a popular player of the video game Call of Duty -- who died in an Aurora crash early Sunday.
Reported by Denver Post 17 hours ago.
↧
↧
Indiana town in uproar after parade float depicts Trump executing Hillary Clinton in electric chair
The small town of Aurora, Indiana is in an uproar after a local man entered a float in the annual Farmers Fair Parade depicting Hillary Clinton sitting in an electric chair with rival Donald Trump about to pull the switch. According the creator of the float, which also featured a grim reaper and an ...
Reported by Raw Story 10 hours ago.
↧
Nadia Chan Appointed General Manager at PR Communications
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - Oct 4, 2016 - As part of a strategic direction for its operations in Singapore, PR Communications has appointed Nadia Chan as General Manager.
Nadia Chan, General Manager, PR Communications
In her new role, Nadia will not only continue to spearhead the agency's new business division but will also lead a growing team, as well as a portfolio of clients, with the aim of developing award-winning communication programmes for them.
With her vast amount of sales experience, Nadia hopes to continue her streak of business wins in her new role. Most recently, she was New Business Manager at PR Communications, where she was involved in several new client acquisitions, which included Aurora Media Holdings, Deliveroo, Oakwood Studios Singapore and Sky Premium. Prior to that, Nadia was a client manager at a local technology firm where her key responsibility was to grow the commercial portfolio.
"With Nadia's proven track record in securing new clients, coupled with her business knowledge and leadership skills, I truly believe that her take in injecting fresh perspectives and ideas will help take the agency to the next level", said Eric Chan, Managing Director and co-founder of PR Communications.
Nadia added, "I am excited to be given this incredible opportunity, and I am eager to work with the team to achieve even greater results. I believe that we have the perfect synergy with our clients, and I look forward to developing many more outstanding campaigns".
Nadia has effectively started in her new role.
Image
Nadia Chan, General Manager, PR Communications
http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/5704
Company Logo
http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/2730*About PR Communications *
PR Communications is an award-winning Singapore-based public relations consultancy established in 1990, specialising in Lifestyle and Brand Marketing, Corporate Reputation, as well as Eco-PR. Oakwood Studios Singapore is the latest addition to the agency's extensive portfolio of lifestyle brands including Aston Martin, Caffé B, Deliveroo, Oakwood Studios Singapore and Sky Premium. Reported by Media OutReach 9 hours ago.
Nadia Chan, General Manager, PR Communications
In her new role, Nadia will not only continue to spearhead the agency's new business division but will also lead a growing team, as well as a portfolio of clients, with the aim of developing award-winning communication programmes for them.
With her vast amount of sales experience, Nadia hopes to continue her streak of business wins in her new role. Most recently, she was New Business Manager at PR Communications, where she was involved in several new client acquisitions, which included Aurora Media Holdings, Deliveroo, Oakwood Studios Singapore and Sky Premium. Prior to that, Nadia was a client manager at a local technology firm where her key responsibility was to grow the commercial portfolio.
"With Nadia's proven track record in securing new clients, coupled with her business knowledge and leadership skills, I truly believe that her take in injecting fresh perspectives and ideas will help take the agency to the next level", said Eric Chan, Managing Director and co-founder of PR Communications.
Nadia added, "I am excited to be given this incredible opportunity, and I am eager to work with the team to achieve even greater results. I believe that we have the perfect synergy with our clients, and I look forward to developing many more outstanding campaigns".
Nadia has effectively started in her new role.
Image
Nadia Chan, General Manager, PR Communications
http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/5704
Company Logo
http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/2730*About PR Communications *
PR Communications is an award-winning Singapore-based public relations consultancy established in 1990, specialising in Lifestyle and Brand Marketing, Corporate Reputation, as well as Eco-PR. Oakwood Studios Singapore is the latest addition to the agency's extensive portfolio of lifestyle brands including Aston Martin, Caffé B, Deliveroo, Oakwood Studios Singapore and Sky Premium. Reported by Media OutReach 9 hours ago.
↧
Leicester City fan Lilian celebrates her 100th birthday with...
Family flew in from the four corners of the globe to celebrate the 100th birthday of Leicester City fan Lilian Pickett.Mrs Pickett has supported the team for as long as she can remember.She was delighted to see them win the Premier League for the first time in the summer.Asked if she had a favourite player Lilian said: "They are all my favourites."Her family and friends helped to celebrate her birthday on Monday at her Glenfield Home.Among them was great grand-daughter Aurora who flew...
Reported by Leicester Mercury 3 hours ago.
↧
More Pages to Explore .....
