Sunday, November 26, 2006
Experts: Travel will stay strong
Thanksgiving increase offers glimpse at Dec.
With travel for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend strong and fuel prices down, experts see no reason why the next big travel period -- Christmas through New Year's -- should not be busier than last year.
Travel-industry organizations such as AAA and Air Transport Association have not yet released their travel forecasts for the Christmas-New Year's holiday week. But experts are optimistic.
"In all probability, the Christmas travel survey will show higher results" than last year, AAA Auto Club South spokesman Gregg Laskoski said.
He pointed to AAA's Thanksgiving holiday weekend forecast, which found that 38.3 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home -- up 2.7 percent from last year's Thanksgiving period.
"That's a significant increase," considering the large number of travelers involved, Laskoski said.
While the Thanksgiving travel period spans about five days, the Christmas-New Year's travel period spans eight to 10 days, Laskoski said.
Last year, the AAA forecast found that about 63 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home for the Christmas-New Year's holiday period.
Laskoski said more people could travel this year for the year-end holidays, given the drop in fuel prices from last year.
Antoine Smith, an information specialist for the U.S. Energy Department's Energy Information Administration, said fuel prices are expected to remain down in the fourth quarter, from October through December.
Smith said the average retail price nationwide for regular unleaded gasoline has been about $2.25 a gallon in the fourth quarter, down from an average of $2.83 a gallon in the third quarter, from July through September -- a peak driving period in the United States.
Also, Smith said it has been a relatively disruption-free year in the fuel industry, without any major world events, hurricanes or other natural disasters impacting supplies, which are currently plentiful.
After Thanksgiving, the amount of travel dips, outside of the specific holiday periods, such as the Christmas-New Year's week. Demand for gas drops -- and gas prices dip as a result, Smith said.
"As demand for gas goes down, the price of crude oil goes down," he added.
However, the Energy Information Administration is forecasting a gradually increase in gas and oil prices in January, leading up to the heavy spring driving season.
"It happens every year," Smith said. "The cycle will repeat itself."
Laskoski sees another factor: the demand for home heating oil in the Northeast. He said gas and oil prices should dip temporarily after Thanksgiving, before starting to rise in mid-December with the increasing winter demand for home heating oil.
With travel for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend strong and fuel prices down, experts see no reason why the next big travel period -- Christmas through New Year's -- should not be busier than last year.
Travel-industry organizations such as AAA and Air Transport Association have not yet released their travel forecasts for the Christmas-New Year's holiday week. But experts are optimistic.
"In all probability, the Christmas travel survey will show higher results" than last year, AAA Auto Club South spokesman Gregg Laskoski said.
He pointed to AAA's Thanksgiving holiday weekend forecast, which found that 38.3 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home -- up 2.7 percent from last year's Thanksgiving period.
"That's a significant increase," considering the large number of travelers involved, Laskoski said.
While the Thanksgiving travel period spans about five days, the Christmas-New Year's travel period spans eight to 10 days, Laskoski said.
Last year, the AAA forecast found that about 63 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home for the Christmas-New Year's holiday period.
Laskoski said more people could travel this year for the year-end holidays, given the drop in fuel prices from last year.
Antoine Smith, an information specialist for the U.S. Energy Department's Energy Information Administration, said fuel prices are expected to remain down in the fourth quarter, from October through December.
Smith said the average retail price nationwide for regular unleaded gasoline has been about $2.25 a gallon in the fourth quarter, down from an average of $2.83 a gallon in the third quarter, from July through September -- a peak driving period in the United States.
Also, Smith said it has been a relatively disruption-free year in the fuel industry, without any major world events, hurricanes or other natural disasters impacting supplies, which are currently plentiful.
After Thanksgiving, the amount of travel dips, outside of the specific holiday periods, such as the Christmas-New Year's week. Demand for gas drops -- and gas prices dip as a result, Smith said.
"As demand for gas goes down, the price of crude oil goes down," he added.
However, the Energy Information Administration is forecasting a gradually increase in gas and oil prices in January, leading up to the heavy spring driving season.
"It happens every year," Smith said. "The cycle will repeat itself."
Laskoski sees another factor: the demand for home heating oil in the Northeast. He said gas and oil prices should dip temporarily after Thanksgiving, before starting to rise in mid-December with the increasing winter demand for home heating oil.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Travel Tips for the Holiday
JONESBORO-- The Thanksgiving holiday is tomorrow, but motorists are flooding the roads today.
And more people on the road only means longer waits on the way to Grandma's house.
We caught up with a few holiday travelers and the Arkansas State Police to check out travel conditions.
We even have a few tips that could help make sure you have a happy holiday trip.
The Baggett family from Batesville made a quick trip to Jonesboro before their Thanksgiving holiday.
"Well, I expect it to be really crowded on the highway going home. We experienced a lot of that on the way over here. And a lot of accidents too," holiday traveler Betty Baggett says.
This is a concern shared by Arkansas State Police.
They say this is a time of the year for unusually large volumes of traffic.
"His is one of the busiest holidays especially with Thanksgiving... Everybody coming in for their families. Of course, then the big shopping day after Thanksgiving, Friday. The volume is extremely heavy then. There's just a lot of people out on the roads," Sgt. Benny Cox of the Arkansas State Police says.
Sgt Cox says the first step before traveling is to check your car over making sure all fluids are at proper levels and tires are properly inflated to keep you from being stranded on the road, and...
"Leave in plenty of time. Give yourself plenty of time because of the traffic. Obey all the laws... The speed limits especially. We're really going to be out in force this holiday season," Sgt Cox says.
it's also important to pay attention to law enforcement officials on the road.
"It is a law that you change lanes on a four lane highway for a police officer stopped on the shoulder," Sgt Cox says.
As police patrol the roads, these few tips can help you and your family have a safe and hassle free holiday.
"We try to really get out in force. More traffic, more opportunities for people to have an accident, and we're just trying to keep everybody safe and make sure you get to where you're going," Sgt. Cox says.
And more people on the road only means longer waits on the way to Grandma's house.
We caught up with a few holiday travelers and the Arkansas State Police to check out travel conditions.
We even have a few tips that could help make sure you have a happy holiday trip.
The Baggett family from Batesville made a quick trip to Jonesboro before their Thanksgiving holiday.
"Well, I expect it to be really crowded on the highway going home. We experienced a lot of that on the way over here. And a lot of accidents too," holiday traveler Betty Baggett says.
This is a concern shared by Arkansas State Police.
They say this is a time of the year for unusually large volumes of traffic.
"His is one of the busiest holidays especially with Thanksgiving... Everybody coming in for their families. Of course, then the big shopping day after Thanksgiving, Friday. The volume is extremely heavy then. There's just a lot of people out on the roads," Sgt. Benny Cox of the Arkansas State Police says.
Sgt Cox says the first step before traveling is to check your car over making sure all fluids are at proper levels and tires are properly inflated to keep you from being stranded on the road, and...
"Leave in plenty of time. Give yourself plenty of time because of the traffic. Obey all the laws... The speed limits especially. We're really going to be out in force this holiday season," Sgt Cox says.
it's also important to pay attention to law enforcement officials on the road.
"It is a law that you change lanes on a four lane highway for a police officer stopped on the shoulder," Sgt Cox says.
As police patrol the roads, these few tips can help you and your family have a safe and hassle free holiday.
"We try to really get out in force. More traffic, more opportunities for people to have an accident, and we're just trying to keep everybody safe and make sure you get to where you're going," Sgt. Cox says.
Thanksgiving Travel Tips
By: Melanie Olivas
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel days of the year and folks traveling by plane today should expect tighter security and longer lines. In order to speed up your time at the airport, arrive early and remember the 311 rule: 3 ounces of liquids or gels in 1 quart sized bag and 1 bag per person. If you are taking to the roads this holiday weekend, expect more traffic after work today, as well as higher gas prices.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Trip away if drama fails
ACTOR Daniel Macpherson says he's going to pack up and head to Hollywood if his latest drama, Tripping Over, isn't commissioned for a second series.
Macpherson to trip to US if drama failsThe program debuted on the Ten Network on October 9, attracting 1.29 million viewers nationally.
But audience numbers have slipped each week, last Wednesday dropping to 960,000 viewers nationally.
With the ratings figures slipping under one million viewers, industry insiders have suggested the show may not be back in 2007.
"The numbers at the end of the day are what makes the decisions," Macpherson said.
"I am going to go overseas if Tripping Over doesn't go again.
"I will probably go to the States and it is such a shame because I think people would want to stay here if they could work here."
A spokeswoman for Ten said the network was "thrilled" with Tripping Over, adding that there was potential for a second series, although no decisions had been made.
The series is an Australian/British co-production, starring Lisa McCune, Rebecca Gibney and Macpherson, and follows a bunch of enthusiastic young travellers from Australia and Britain.
The first series, consisting of six episodes, was filmed in London, Sydney, Bangkok and Melbourne.
"For so long people have been complaining that there's not enough Australian drama," said Macpherson.
"We go and make something that has had nothing but five-star reviews and now we have just got to get people to watch it - everyone that does watch it falls in love with it."
On the show, Macpherson plays Ned, an Australian soap actor who gives up his TV job to live in London.
The story isn't too far removed from Macpherson's own life, with the actor having started his career on long-running soap Neighbours.
"I wasn't part of the creative process in the early days but I was certainly able to remember some of my own experiences with this," he said.
"I have been in some of those positions and it was just crazy."
Friday, November 10, 2006
Nebo rejects a N.Y. trip for Payson drill team
Cost exceeds the district limit of $600 per student
SPANISH FORK — Twenty Payson High School drill team members will be unable to compete in New York City in March after the Nebo School District Board of Education rejected their travel request Wednesday night.
School board members said that the travel request did not follow policy because the cost was $230 more per student than the district's $600 per student limit. The board changed the travel policy in July.
Parents protested the board's decision saying that they would help the girls raise the additional $230, and had already raised $4,500 at a golf tournament in September.
The trip to New York means more than a drill team competition, the parents said. The trip is also about widening the students' experiences beyond what they normally see in Payson.
They would see people from all over the world, interact with professional dancers, and receive some education at the Statue of Liberty and other historic places, parent Charn Burton said.
"It's not just a dance competition," Burton said. "To me, it's an educational experience that they perhaps will never again get to experience."
Prior to the regular meeting, board of education members said that if they made an exception for the Payson drill team, they would have to make other exceptions.
"If it's good for the child to go to New York (parents should) take them, for heaven's sake," board member Bonnie Palmer said. "That would be wonderful."
There's no way parents could take their children to New York City for $600, parent Chris Haskell argued to the board.
The travel policy was changed over the summer. Previously, the limit for travel was $400 per student, but parents and booster clubs frequently raised additional money, board member Debbie Swenson said.
The policy was changed because travel costs have increased. But it's expensive for the district to pay for trips of students who qualify for fee waivers. And out-of-state trips increase the liability for the district.
"Truthfully, as a board we get a lot of complaints by the chamber of commerce that they get hit up a lot" for donations, Swenson said.
Board president Kaye Westwood opposed the majority who voted against the trip. "My feeling is that this (policy) is in the first year and perhaps we did not get the education of this policy and its ramifications down to everyone that was impacted by it," she said.
By Laura Hancock
SPANISH FORK — Twenty Payson High School drill team members will be unable to compete in New York City in March after the Nebo School District Board of Education rejected their travel request Wednesday night.
School board members said that the travel request did not follow policy because the cost was $230 more per student than the district's $600 per student limit. The board changed the travel policy in July.
Parents protested the board's decision saying that they would help the girls raise the additional $230, and had already raised $4,500 at a golf tournament in September.
The trip to New York means more than a drill team competition, the parents said. The trip is also about widening the students' experiences beyond what they normally see in Payson.
They would see people from all over the world, interact with professional dancers, and receive some education at the Statue of Liberty and other historic places, parent Charn Burton said.
"It's not just a dance competition," Burton said. "To me, it's an educational experience that they perhaps will never again get to experience."
Prior to the regular meeting, board of education members said that if they made an exception for the Payson drill team, they would have to make other exceptions.
"If it's good for the child to go to New York (parents should) take them, for heaven's sake," board member Bonnie Palmer said. "That would be wonderful."
There's no way parents could take their children to New York City for $600, parent Chris Haskell argued to the board.
The travel policy was changed over the summer. Previously, the limit for travel was $400 per student, but parents and booster clubs frequently raised additional money, board member Debbie Swenson said.
The policy was changed because travel costs have increased. But it's expensive for the district to pay for trips of students who qualify for fee waivers. And out-of-state trips increase the liability for the district.
"Truthfully, as a board we get a lot of complaints by the chamber of commerce that they get hit up a lot" for donations, Swenson said.
Board president Kaye Westwood opposed the majority who voted against the trip. "My feeling is that this (policy) is in the first year and perhaps we did not get the education of this policy and its ramifications down to everyone that was impacted by it," she said.
By Laura Hancock
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