Now Hiring: Detail Technicians

Baum Chevrolet Buick is now hiring full-time technicians for its Detail Shop. No prior experience required. Eligible candidates must possess a valid Illinois driver’s license and pass a physical. Uniforms will be provided. Full-time benefits include health insurance and 401K. 

To apply, please bring a current resume and your driver’s license to the Baum Detail Shop Manager, Becky Perry. 

Business hours are Monday 8:00 am – 8:00 pm, Tuesday through Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am – 2:00 pm.

THANK YOU!

Winter Car Care Tips

Although we have been fortunate so far this winter, it is only a matter of time before more snow starts to accumulate across the area. The Baum Chevrolet Buick service staff recommends a proactive approach to vehicle maintenance. This will keep your vehicle and most importantly, you and your family, safe this winter. Here are a few tips to help winterize your vehicle:

• Check your battery to make sure it is corrosion-free and properly charged
• Check your lights to make sure they are completely clear
• Replace your wiper blades to ensure good visibility 
• Check your tire pressure, tread depth and condition
• Check all belts and hoses for wear and tear (cracks or leaks)
• Make sure your antifreeze is strong enough to prevent freezing
• Complete all major repairs and scheduled maintenance before you go
• Has your engine light been on for a while? Does your oil need changing? Most major problems start out small, so it's better to fix any issues now instead of calling a tow truck on the side of the highway during a snow storm
• Fill your gas tank! Try http://gasbuddy.com/ to find the lowest prices on gas around the nation.
• Did you know that your vehicle can overheat in the winter? Make sure to clean all snow and ice off of your vehicle’s grill to ensure proper ventilation.

Not sure if your vehicle is ready for winter? The Baum Chevrolet Buick service department is ready to help.  Click here to request an appointment.

Also, make sure to stock your vehicle with the following items:

• Flashlight
• Jumper cables
• Tire gauge
• A properly inflated spare tire
• Tire changing equipment
• Cell phone charger
• Bag of sand, salt, or kitty litter to help generate traction if you get stuck
• De-Icer spray to clean your windshield or melt ice off lug nuts to fix a flat tire 
• First aid kit
• Ice scraper
• Small shovel
• Emergency kit which includes a wool blanket or sleeping bag, extra gloves, hat and boots, an extra set of warm clothes, water and non-perishable food items such as nuts, dried fruit, or hard candy

Trivia

ANSWERS: 1. Sonic 2. Volt 3. Silverado 4. Equinox 5. Malibu 

KENNECTION: All are Chevrolet vehicles

Did You Know?!: Holiday Jingles

Nothing puts us in the holiday spirit more than a classic Christmas carol. Sales and Leasing Consultant, Tim Hoyt, hopes to put everyone in the holiday spirit with this month's edition of "Did You Know?!" 

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The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) tracks the most performed songs of Christmas during the holiday season. Many of these songs are old favorites, but there are also a few that you may have never heard of. The list of the 25 most performed songs of Christmas, according to ASCAP, is as follows:

1. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

Written by: Mel Torme and Robert Wells

Performed by: Nat "King" Cole

2. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Written by: Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin

Performed by: The Pretenders

3. Winter Wonderland

Written by: Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith

Performed by: Eurythmics

4. Santa Clause Is Coming To Town

Written by: Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie

Performed by: Bruce Springstreen

5. White Christmas

Written by: Irving Berlin

Performed by: Bing Crosby

6. Let It Snow! Let it Snow! Let It Snow!

Written by: Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne

Performed by: Andy Williams

7. Jingle Bell Rock

Written by: Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe

Performed by: The Simeone Chorale & Orchestra

8. Little Drummer Boy

Written by: Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati and Harry Simeone

Performed by: The Harry Simeone Chorale & Orchestra

9. Sleigh Ride

Written by: Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish

Performed by: The Ronettes

10. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Written by: Johnny Marks

Performed by: Gene Autry

11. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Written by: Edward Pola and George Wyle

Performed by: Andy Williams

12. I'll Be Home For Christmas

Written by: Walter Kent, Kim Gannon and Buck Ram

Performed by: Vanessa Williams

13. Silver Bells

Written by: Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

Performed by: Kenny G

14. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

Written by: Johnny Marks

Performed by: Brenda Lee

15. Feliz Navidad

Written by: Jose Feliciano

Performed by: Jose Feliciano

16. Blue Christmas

Written by: Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson

Performed by: Elvis Presley

17. Frosty The Snowman

Written by: Steve Nelson and Walter E. Rollins

Performed by: The Ronettes

18. A Holly Jolly Christmas

Written by: Johnny Marks

Performed by: Burl Ives

19. It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Written by: Meredith Willson

Performed by: Johnny Mathis

20. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Written by: Tommie Connor

Performed by: John Mellencamp

21. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)

Written by: Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman

Performed by: Elvis Presley

22. Carol Of The Bells

Written by: Peter J. Wilhousky and Mykola Leontovich

Performed by: John Tesh and the Christmas Symphony Orchestra

23. Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed The World)

Written by: Midge Ure and Bob Geldof

Performed by: Band Aid

24. (There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays

Written by: Bob Allen and Al Stillman

Performed by: The Carpenters

25. Santa Baby

Written by: Joan Ellen Javits, Philip Springer and Tony Springer

Performed by: Madonna

Source: American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. ASCAP ANNOUNCES TOP 25 HOLIDAY SONGS. ASCAP. ASCAP, 27 Nov. 2006. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.

Did you know that only one of these songs, "Do You Know It's Christmas (Feed The World)," was written after 1983?

Did you know that the song "Mary Did You Know?" was written in 1991?

Did you know that four of these songs were originally introduced into film and television?

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Stay tuned for the next edition (the first edition of 2015!)...

Holiday Toy Drive

Now through December 10, we will be hosting a toy drive to support the DeWitt County Angel Tree Program. The organization is looking for new, unwrapped toys and apparel to distribute to nearly 600 children this Christmas. Our goal is to completely fill a Chevrolet Silverado with toys. To show our appreciation, everyone who brings in a donation item will receive a $25 AutoRewards bonus.

Help make the holidays special for those in need by making a donation to the DeWitt County Angel Tree program!

Owner, Scott Baum, makes the first donation of the toy drive.

A Note From Our Owner

An update on our Owner's recovery...

My recovery is going very well.  With five surgeries in six weeks we have had a few setbacks, but there have been major accomplishments which we are blessed for.

The accident happened in Kingman, Arizona on the 18th of August. From there I was transported to Las Vegas for reconstruction of my lower leg. Infection set in after that surgery and I had a debrement of soft tissue and muscle to try to manage that infection. After that surgery the Doctor recommended amputation. Even though I was able to accept that, I didn't want to do that in Las Vegas. We were able to fly to Springfield, Illinois and meet with an Orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion. After his review, he thought the leg could be saved.  

The reason for the potential amputation was that the soft tissue around my bone was removed as a result of the previous infection. Even though they put a rod in my leg and wrapped the broken bones around it, the compounded fractures were not covered by any soft tissue. Soft tissue makes our bones grow. They ended up having to remove soft tissue and muscle from other parts of my body to cover the exposed bone and rod. It took three surgeries to do this. It takes extra time to see if the transplants will "live" in their new place. We had one set back, but in the end this worked.

Once the transplants were successful, then we needed to wait to see if the bone would grow back. On October 20, we found out that there is some growth in the bone that was repaired.

I am working on physical therapy movement in my knee and ankle now.  I am also working on regaining strength and weight in my body.  At the same time, I am taking an antibiotic for an infection I got while in the hospital from multiple surgeries. My wife, Nancy, is a good nurse and is tending to the antibiotic infusion. 

After this antibiotic is done and I am clear of the infection, I will be back at the store.  I deeply appreciate how well the employees have taken care of our customers' needs and each other while I have been gone. I am truly thankful for you as a group and your actions have helped me heal as I didn't worry about this business while recovering. Thank you to everyone for all the support.

Sincerely,

Scott Baum

Baum Chevrolet Buick & Baum Motor Company

Did You Know?!: Classic Movies

In the October edition of "Did You Know?" Sales and Leasing Consultant, Tim H., takes a look at one of the most memorable years for the film industry: 1939. Enjoy!

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Film historians consider 1939 to be the greatest year in cinema since it had the most classic movies and blockbuster hits released. The two most famous films from 1939 are Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz. 

Did you know that seven generations of families have seen these two movies?

Those who were born in 1875 were 64 years old when these classic films first premiered. My mom was actually 9 years old when she first saw these films and now she is getting ready to celebrate her 84th birthday.

Other classic films that were released in 1939 include:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - starring Mickey Rooney

Beau Geste - starring Gary Cooper

Destry Rides Again - starring James Stewart

Dodge City - starring Errol Flynn

Golden Boy - starring William Holden

Goodbye, Mr. Chips - starring Robert Donat

Gulliver's Travels - cartoon movie

The Hound of the Baskervilles - the first Sherlock Holmes film

The Hunchback of Notre Dame - starring Maureen O'Hara

Jesse James - starring Tyrone Power

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington - starring James Stewart

Son of Frankenstein - Boris Karloff

Union Pacific - starring Joel McCrea

Stage Coach - starring John Wayne

There were also several film series that were popular in 1939:

Andy Hardy - starring Mickey Rooney
Blondie - starring Penny Singleton
Charlie Chan - starring Warner Oland 
Dr. Kildare - starring Lew Ayers
Nancy Drew - starring Bonita Granville
The Saint - starring George Sanders 
Tarzan - starring Johnny Weismuller
The Thin Man - starring William Powell

Flash forward 75 years and Hollywood is still making movies about Jesse James, Sherlock Holmes and Frankenstein. Stage Coach has been remade twice, while Beau Geste, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Destry Rides Again have been remade once. The Turner Classic Movie channel still plays many of these original movies today.

Did you know that the movie Love Affair, originally released in 1939, was loosely remade in 1957 as An Affair to Remember (starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr), then again in 1993 as Sleepless In Seattle (starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan), and again in 1994 as Love Affair (starring Waren Beatty and Annette Benning)?

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Stay tuned for next month's edition...