The Community Resource guide is an interactive site that allows you to obtain the latest community news, upcoming events, and community directories.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
www.slfp.com
How To Reach Us:
St. Louis Front Page
Community Info
P. O. Box 1354
St. Louis, MO 63188
www.slfp.com
Voice: 314-771-0200
Fax: 314-771-0300
To submit news, contact:
editor@slfp.com
Please e-mail
advertising@slfp.com
or call 314-771-0200 for information or questions about advertising opportunities in the Community Section.
|
|
St. Louis Community News, Sunday, March 7, 2004
Consumer Debt Continues to Rise
ISLANDIA, N.Y., (PRNewswire) March 7, 2004 - Over four out of ten Americans (42%) are making just minimum payments or no payments on their credit card balances, according to the Cambridge Consumer Credit Index.
Of those respondents surveyed with revolving balances on their credit cards, 39% made only the minimum payment due and 3% made no payments at all last month. Another 39% paid less than half the balance owed but more than the minimum, while 19% paid more than half their balances. In 2003, 46% of Americans surveyed paid just the minimum (40%) or made no payment at all (6%).
The Cambridge survey also asked Americans who are taking on more debt why they are doing so. 49% of the respondents (up from 44% in 2003) said they are adding debt because they don't have the funds to pay for the purchases in full when the credit card bills arrive, while 51% of Americans (down from 56% in 2003) are taking on debt because they are confident of their ability to pay the balance off in full.
"The results of the Cambridge Consumer Credit Index wildcard question show Americans are dramatically split between the haves and have-nots. The haves either don't use their credit cards at all or feel secure about paying off their credit card bills when they arrive. The growing number of have-nots, however, are being forced to borrow to pay for their daily necessities, and are getting deeper into debt since they are just able to make minimum payments or sometimes not even able to make any payments at all," said Jordan Goodman, spokesperson/financial analyst for the Cambridge Consumer Credit Index.
Overall, 39% of Americans paid off their credit card balances in full last month (down from 43% in 2003), 32% extended their payments (up from 31% last year), while 29% did not use credit cards at all in the last month (up from 26% a year ago).
Volunteers Needed for 24th National Veterans Wheelchair Games
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com) March 7, 2004 - An estimated 2,500 volunteers are required to meet the needs of more than 500 disabled veterans coming to St. Louis in June to participate in the 24th National Veterans Wheelchair Games.
The largest annual wheelchair sports event in the world will be held June 15-19 in the Gateway City. The Games are a joint effort of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), and will be hosted locally by St. Louis VA Medical Center and the PVA Gateway Chapter.
More than 500 wheelchair athletes from across the United States, Puerto Rico and Great Britain will participate in 16 athletic competitions. The Games are open to all U.S. military veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition due to spinal cord injuries, certain neurological conditions, amputations or other mobility impairments.
Competitive events will be held at the America's Convention Center, Edward Jones Dome, Forest Park - home of the 1904 World's Fair - and other local venues. The 2004 Games will include competition in track and field events, swimming, basketball, weightlifting, softball, quad rugby, air guns, 9-ball, bowling, table tennis, archery, hand cycling, a motorized rally, power soccer and wheelchair slalom, which is a timed obstacle course. Trap shooting is an exhibition event this year.
In addition to the competitions and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the event will include a "Kid's Day at the Games," when local children, including some with disabilities, will interact with the athletes, participate in some sports events and watch the veterans compete.
Volunteers are needed for a variety of assignments from registration and transportation to helping with meals, data management, equipment set-up, timing and scoring events. All volunteers receive a Games tee shirt and the satisfaction of helping an injured veteran achieve a tremendous personal triumph.
To volunteer, contact Sylvia Jackson at the St. Louis VA Medical Center, at (314) 894-6530.
Infancy Weight Gain Linked to Childhood Obesity
ISLANDIA, N.Y., (PRNewswire) March 7, 2004 - Infancy may be a critical period for establishing weight patterns later in childhood. Children who gain weight rapidly during their first four months are more likely to be overweight at age seven, say researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania who studied pairs of siblings.
The research team presented their findings today at the American Heart Association's Conference on Cardiovascular Disease, Epidemiology and Prevention in San Francisco, Calif.
The research on sibling pairs reinforces previous work by the researchers showing an association between rapid weight gain in infancy and childhood obesity. The researchers found that a sibling with greater weight gain in infancy was significantly more likely to be overweight or obese at age seven, compared to a sibling with moderate weight gain in infancy. This effect was independent of the common household and genetic influences shared by the siblings.
The study looked at 1,850 pairs of full-term siblings who were part of the Collaborative Perinatal Project. The researchers observed weight gain during the first four months of life, compared to the child's weight at age seven. The authors used the presently recommended definition for overweight status -- a sex-specific body mass index that is greater than 95 percent of the U.S. population at any given age.
Rapid infancy weight gain is a pattern of weight gain that exceeds average patterns of growth during infancy. For example, in this study, those who gained more than 8 to 10 pounds between birth and age four months had a 6 percent risk of becoming obese at age 7 years, compared to 3 percent of those who gained less. The average weight gain in the first four months of life was about 6 to 8 pounds.
The study found that among families a sibling with greater weight gain in infancy was more likely to be overweight or obese than a sibling with moderate weight gain. This was true for same-sex and opposite-sex siblings, as well as for Caucasian and African-American children.
Archived St. Louis Community News:
 Design of New 6th Street Ramp May Impact Local Businesses
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Celebration
America's Aging Population Target of Scams and Financial Abuse
Parents As Teachers Expands Program To China
Housing Starts Continue to Rebound
$1.3 Billion Increase for Veterans Health Care
Missouri Botanical Garden Opens Commerce Bank Education Center
Health Care Costs Expected To Rise 15 Percent
Concealed Weapons Banned in City Buildings
First Missouri Lawsuits Filed Againt Spam
Boeing Employees' Fund Donates More Than $2 Million to Charities
Older Americans Urged to Receive Pneumococcal Vaccine
Missouri Initiatives Receive Fed Funds
Jes Us 4 Jackie Campaign Brings World Awareness to Need for African American Bone Marrow Donors
Latina Singer-Songwriter Speaks Out About Breast Cancer Survival (video report)
The SLFP.com - Community Info is presented in conjunction with the St. Louis Front Page and Southwest Illinois News. The sites are owned and maintained by
the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan St. Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com
All rights reserved world wide
© 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group .
|
|
|
|
