We’ve reached the middle of summer, the time of year people are spending time on the river or in the pool and that means local restaurants are busy too as people don’t want to spend a lot of time inside cooking over a hot stove.  But you have to watch out when you start eating out a lot.  It’s easy to pack on a few extra pounds when you eat out more than you should.  I know a few people at Runde are starting diets or have been on them for a while. Chris Anderson of Runde PreDriven started the Atkins diet a couple weeks ago, and Chris said he feels like it is working for him.  Summer is also a very busy time for people, and eating out can become a habit. What most people don’t realize is that one meal at a chain restaurant can account for a whole day’s calories. They [...]

Most people are aware of the male racecar drivers, but what many don’t know is there are many women drivers making their way up the ranks as well. Most have heard of Danica Patrick, but she is definitely not the only female competing on the racing circuit. There are a couple developmental racing circuits in the United States that serve as stepping stones for those trying to race with the ‘big boys’. Champ Car Atlantic Championships (A.K.A. Atlantic) Cooper Tires sponsor the Atlantic racing series, which holds events across North America during their season. This is the top developmental open-wheel racing series. Most competitors make the jump up to the highest level from this circuit.   Simona de Silvestro Date of Birth: September 1st, 1988 Hometown: Thun, Switzerland Simona won her season-opener in 2008 at Long Beach. She races Formula BMWs. She was the first woman in history to earn spots on [...]

A recent Runde customer from Hopkinton, Iowa was nice enough to talk with me for a couple minutes while his vehicle was getting ready to take home. Runde Auto Chat: What did you like most about the process and how business was conducted here at Runde? Frank Riese: It was simple, and Don was thorough in answering all my questions. RAC: What kind of vehicle did you buy? Were there any options or features that you were specifically looking for? FR: I bought a Chevy 2500 truck. I wanted a good used truck with just the basic options. RAC: What purpose is this vehicle going to serve: business, family travel, etc.? FR: It will be used for both family and business. RAC: Do you have any children or grandchildren? FR: I have 3 children [...]

If you live in our around the Manchester, IA area and haven’t tried the Chuong Garden Chinese restaurant on Main Street year, we highly suggest doing so.  I’m sure all of you have heard the typical jokes about Chinese food going right through you, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a great tasting food and it’s also considered good for your health … healthier than eating a Burger King or Hardees, that’s for sure. In Manchester our local Chinese restaurant, Chuong Garden, is located downtown on East Main Street near the movie theater. I have eaten there many times, and from speaking with the workers at Runde Manchester, they have as well. A couple of the guys go for the Szechwan Chicken or Beef. I am a big [...]

Manchester, Iowa added Las Flores Mexican restaurant to its downtown community a couple summers ago. I had just started dating my husband when it opened, and it didn’t take us long to discover it was going to be our favorite place in town to eat. Monday through Saturday they have Lunch Specials from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Most of the entree’s consist of two items with rice or beans. They have very quick service, especially over lunch. Most of the time we can be done eating in about 35 minutes.   My husband and I have kind of gotten into a rut. We tend to eat the same meals every time we go to Las Flores, but lately I have tried to change it up a bit. He always gets the Enchiladas Verdes or the Chimichanga. I usually choose the chicken quesadillas or the Combo #5, which is a beef enchilada and taco, [...]

Runde Chevrolet has introduced a new community support vehicle to be used by non-profit organizations. It has already been used for a few events in the area, but it has just begun it’s career at Runde’s. The American Red Cross borrowed our community support vehicle to work at delivering cots and blankets to flood victims in the Tri-State area. The flood brought disaster to so many families in the Midwest, and Runde’s worked very hard to find a way to help all of the people affected.   A Letter from the American Red Cross: Thank you for your donation of Cube Truck to pick up cots & blankets. Your generous donation helped our local volunteers assist with severe flooding throughout the Tri-State area. Because of your gift to the American Red Cross, hope can [...]

Anyone who says being a parent is easy is either a liar or they’re not a parent … or both.  It’s Monday again and unfortunately that means it’s back to the grind. I don’t know about you guys, but the weekend was way too short! I’m sure those of you with kids had an even shorter weekend than I did. Are you wanting to make the most of every minute you have off from work? Here are a few ways to make your weekends feel longer, refreshing, and more fulfilling because being a parent is never easy. If errands are a must, try some silly games to keep them interesting. Have the kids race to find a certain product first, or have them point to a specific item on the shelf. Making an ice cream stop on the way home will also keep everyone in a good mood. [...]

There is no doubt that the Flood of 2008 left it’s mark on the Midwest, but the cost of reconstruction is billions more than the smaller townships can cover. You may remember Zach Johnson, who hails from Cedar Rapids and won the PGA’s green jacket in 2007. Zach’s parents left for this year’s U.S. Open the day before the flood hit. When they returned, they weren’t sure if they would have a house to go home to. Luckily, their house and his dad’s chiropractic clinic were almost untouched. Compared to many other families in the Cedar Rapids area, they had very few problems. Zach’s mom had to work out of home and an area high school due to her downtown office being flooded, but that was a minor detail when one considers the big picture; it’ll take quite awhile before their hometown can be cleaned up and restored to a point of normalcy. [...]

Many of us don’t make it up to ‘the penthouse’ (upstairs offices) at Runde Chevrolet often, but they do exist, and yes, there are people working up there! I caught up with Lisa Rigdon this morning and got a little information about what she does on a daily basis. Runde Auto Connection: What are the daily tasks that go along with your job? Lisa Rigdon: I handle all the dealer trade paperwork and make sure the taxes and title work get to the correct states. RAC: Briefly describe the process you go through when you have to transfer a title. LR: I check the title for liens, make sure the VIN #s and mileage match up, transfer the title from the previous owner to our name, and then on to the new name. I then have to send it on [...]

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) released their Top 10 Stolen Cars list for 2007. As usual, the 1995 Honda Civic and 1991 Honda Accord sat at the top of the list. The older Hondas and Toyotas did not change much in appearance for quite a few years, so the parts fit on multiple models and it was easy to duplicate keys. There are also a lot of older cars still on the roads; I think it might be time for an upgrade! (Before someone steals it and leaves them with no trade-in). NICB spokesman Frank Scafidi said, “It’s amazing to see how many folks get their cars stolen from leaving their keys in them. People should just use some basic common sense.” I know one of Runde’s customers reported having his XM radio receiver stolen out of his SUV a few weeks ago. He said that he isn’t used to locking up his vehicle [...]

Matt Sieverding is a pretty busy guy, but he allowed me to seize a few moments of his time to answer some questions. Runde Auto Chat: How long have you been working at Runde Auto Group and what do you do here? Matt Sieverding: I did an internship in 1999, and started working full-time about 5 years ago. I am the General Manager of the Manchester dealership. RAC: What do you like most about your job? MS: There is never a dull moment RAC: What kind of vehicles do you currently own? MS: A Pontiac Grand Prix and a Turbo Buick Grand National. RAC: What do you like most [...]

We caught up with Gary Brewer before he left for the Dubuque County courthouse today … I know what you’re all thinking … but he was going to take a customer’s vehicle back to them! He is known as ‘Mr. Runde’ to the people at the courthouse, but to us he’s just ‘Brewer’. This is what he had to say about himself and his job at Runde Chevrolet. Runde Auto Chat: Everyone around here has been wondering the same thing…What exactly do you do at Runde’s? How long have you been ‘working’ for them? Gary Brewer: I pick up cars for service and return them when they are finished, handle title transfers, and I have worked here for about 4 years. RAC: What would your dream car be? GB: A 1960 Corvette. RAC: How do you feel about the Chicago Cubs leading the National League Central? GB: Hate it RAC: How [...]

Inbee Park of South Korea became the youngest winner in the history of the U.S. Women’s Open and I was lucky enough to be there to see it all. The soon-to-be twenty year-old, 2nd year professional carded a final-round 71 (-1) for a four day total of 283 (-9) at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minnesota. Edina is a southwest suburb of Minneapolis. Inbee finished four strokes ahead of Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson. On our way to the golf course Saturday morning, we saw Michelle Wie taking a jog around the housing development by Interlachen. She had one hole to finish from Friday’s round, and after missing the cut I’m sure she had some built up frustration to burn!! My husband and I ate at Chili’s Saturday night. We were in for a shock when we sat down, and looked over to the corner table. Inbee Park, her caddie, and a friend were [...]

Employee pricing is back at Runde Ford in Manchester.  Ford currently is offering its truck customers the chance to purchase or lease an ’08 model year pickup for the same price that Ford employees pay. This is a move from Ford that we haven’t seen in a couple years and it’s a great opportunity for truck buyers to save a bundle and get into a brand new Ford truck.  From now just through June 30, Ford’s Employee Pricing Program is available on 2008 model F-Series pickups, including the F-150, F-250 and F-350. (Ford stated that the current employee pricing program doesn’t include the Harley Davidson series or any chassis cab models).   I know that Ford gives it’s factory employees one heck of a perk when they buy new vehicles, so to open this up to the public again definitely is big, big news! The F-Series has been America’s best-selling truck for 31 years. So [...]

The Garmin corporation announced recently that it will provide an integrated navigation system for the new 2009 Suzuki SX4 as standard equipment. This marks the first time in America that a vehicle under $16,000 will include GPS navigation as a standard feature. The Garmin portable device with its 4.3 inch touchscreen will be mounted inside the vehicle, but owners will be able to easily remove it and use it whenever they leave their vehicle. With this system, drivers will be able to listen to the radio or CD player, and the audio will automatically cut out when their navigation device gives a voice prompt or when there’s a Bluetooth-enabled incoming phone call. Furthermore, the antenna will be seamlessly integrated into the vehicle’s existing antenna. The 2009 Suzuki SX4 models will start to arrive at Runde [...]

Kevin Hanger lost a total of 36.8 pounds in 8 weeks time.  That’s amazing! Over the past 8 weeks, several Runde employees and their family members have been taking part in a weight – loss competition. Each contestant had their own strategy and everyone who entered the competition succeeded in losing weight. Thirteen people took part in the contest and those thirteen lost a combined total of 190 pounds – not bad, eh? During the final weigh-in, Kevin Hanger emerged the victor. Kevin is the husband of Sue Hanger, who works as an accountant for Runde Chevrolet. Kevin works full-time for Swiss Valley as a quality control manager, but he also works part-time nights at Runde’s in East Dubuque and he buys all of his vehicles from Runde Auto Group. [...]

Diane Casey and her husband came in a couple weeks ago to purchase a new Chevy Silverado half-ton truck. When they were in to pick up the new truck, their salesman (Mark Fleege) let them know that Runde’s just got in some promotional “Nerf-like” mini footballs. He intended to grab a couple of the nerf balls for them and proceeded to ask them how many kids they had so he would know how many footballs to get. Diane’s husband said that Diane has about 20 kids. You see Diane is a 1st grade teacher up at Cuba City Elementary School. So Mark grabbed her a bunch of the footballs to take to her class.   A week later, Mark received the following thank-you note in the mail that we’d like to share with [...]

If you reside in the Tri-State Area, you may recall an article on the front page of the Telegraph Herald newspaper on May 19th of 2007. The article was titled “Vehicle won’t be flying off the lot: Auto dealer won’t sell truck until baby robin in a bird nest on a vehicle’s tire leave” … and it started out saying, “A bird family weighing all of a few ounces is holding a 5,000-pound truck hostage outside of East Dubuque. A pair of robins choose an unlikely spot to build their bird nest — on top of the left rear tire of a red truck on the lot at Runde PreDriven Vehicles, a mile east of Dubuque on Highway 35. From the perfectly round nest tucked under the [...]

This is something really neat that Runde Auto Group wants to share with you. Shauna Fleming has created a website that helps put normal US residents in touch with military troops. Her unique website is called AMillionThanks.org, and what she is doing is nothing short of amazing. Shauna is a high school student from Lutheran High School in Orange, California, and she started a national campaign to collect and distribute one million letters of appreciation and emails of thanks to our current and past military service members.  She was originally challenged by her father, Michael, to get her school to do something positive for the military men and women serving our country. Her efforts have grown exponentially as she has reached a national audience via the internet with AMillionThanks.org and [...]