N.Y. AGENT RUNS FOR DISABLED VETERANS
John W. Bailey, of Dryden, N.Y., executive vice president of George B. Bailey Agency Inc., is an independent insurance agent who goes above and beyond to help those around him. Bailey completed the New York City Marathon last month and raised more than $28,500 -- through donations from more than 1,000 clients and friends -- for Disabled American Veterans, an organization that provides a variety of services for disabled veterans and their families.
"My rights to speak freely, to live in peace and to enjoy my freedom, come from others who are willing to defend those rights on my behalf," said Bailey. "Participating in the New York City Marathon gave me the opportunity to give something back to those who have served in America's armed forces and in doing so became disabled. This is an effort I would like to see continued in future runnings of the marathon."
Bailey plans to continue his efforts to raise monies and awareness for disabled veterans. He hopes to have the DAV recognized as a charitable partner of the New York City Marathon. If successful, hundreds of thousands of dollars could be raised for the DAV each year.
Bailey finished the marathon in 4:28 and was the 20,956th person to complete the marathon. The New York City marathon included 38,000 participants.
U.S., JAPAN AGREE TO IMPROVE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY
The United States and Japan have agreed on guidelines designed to improve the safety of consumer products in the two countries, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
Under the agreement, the two countries will share information on product safety, including the training of people dealing with the subject. It also provides for the exchange of safety professionals to implement consumer safety programs.
A commission statement said the agreement was signed at the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization in Brussels, Belgium.
"Working under this agreement, both agencies will be able to identify dangerous products faster," the U.S. commission's chairman, Nancy Nord, said. She said it would save lives and prevent injuries in both countries.
Nord signed for the United States, and Makoto Misono of Japan's National Institute of Technology and Evaluation signed for his country.
The United States is the fourth-largest importer of Japanese consumer products. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the United States imported $40 billion in products under its jurisdiction in 2005.
The commission has agreements with Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, the European Commission, India, Israel, Mexico and South Korea to improve the safety of consumer products.
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