4B
LIFE/tllt C^ailsttt $gt
irslay.
Thursday December 29, 2005
Americans playing less but watch more
WE associate:!) press
WASHINGTON-Couch
potatoes rule.
AniericanB are spending
more time watching televi
sion and surfing the Internet,
and less time reading books,
newspapers and magazines,
acconiing to a report being
released Wednesday
They also appear to be
spending less time outside,
unless they are watching oth
ers sweat.
Participation in edmost
every recreational sport, fix>m
golf and tennis to bowling and
snow skiing, was down in
2004, even as attendance at
professional sporting events
continued to climb.
TTioee and many other facts
were included in this year’s
Statistical Abstract, a 1,023-
page book of numbers quanti
fying just about every aspect
of American life.
The Censxis Bureau assem
bles the statistics fiom a myr
iad of government and pri
vate sources, so researchers,
academics and businesses
can find them in one place.
Some sports sociologists
argue that America is becom
ing a nation of spectators.
Norman Chad thinks we
already are.
*^6 all have televisions.
Tliey are relatively inexpen
sive,” said Chad, who writes a
syndicated sports column
called “Couch Slouch” about
the sports he watches on TV
“We all have microwave
ovens. Why do we need to go
out?”
Chad, who also does color
commentary for the World
Series of Poker on ESPN,
thinks outdoor sports are
overrated.
“Ski? You know how long it
takes to get to a moimtain?”
asked Chad. “You want to
drive two hours to break your
leg?”
Skiing, tennis and other
recreational activities eiyoyed
increased popularity imtil
2004, when participation
slipped. •
Andrew Yiannalds, a sports
sociologist at the University
Of Connecticut, said there
are several potential reasons
for the dedine.
“'During times of security
and abundance, people feel
more inclined to spend money
and eiyoy themselves,” said
Yiannalds, who teaches a
course called “Defining
Leisure: A Sociological
Perspective.”
“During times, of, say, politi
cal unrest, insecurity, eco
nomic downturns, people feel
insecure, and their mood
shifts into a negative state,”
ROOFTOP FUND RAISER
Al Austin, the Dowd and
Stratford Richardson YMCA’s
senior financial development
director is perched atop the
roof of the Dowd YMCA at 400
East Morehead St
Austin needs to raise $40,000
to continue community pro
grams at the Dowd and
Stratford Richardson YMCAs.
Tips to trash or save
fashion for future use
WE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK-Facing a •
closet full of 2005 stjdes and
not sure what to do about it?
Some things are keepers
ajid some things aren't. Here
are some guidelines provided
by apparel makers Worth
and Ralsey, Cousin Johnny
knitwear and jewelry design
er Jessdca Fields:
• TVash the low-rise jeans
but don’t buy too high a
waistband either. Tliey
instantly add years onto your
fi*ame. And while you’re at it,
toss any tapered-leg jeans
with an elastic waist; they
make your bottom look wider
and your stomach rounder.
Opt for a boot ait or sli^t-
ly Oared ankle and be sure
tliey comfortably fasten just
beneath your belly button.
• Save your tailored white
shirt. It can be buttoned up
for woric, worn loose in the
evening or under a V-neck
sweater or a soft jacket, per
haps with crochet details, for
weekends.
• Buy gold jewelry Gold
chandelier earrings, multi
length necklaces, and chunky
bangles and cuffs are expect
ed to be popular styles. Gold
also complements the many
white and tan garments that
will be in stores come siting.
• Save your leather jacket
or buy one if you don't have
one. It’s a classic. If you are in
the nieirket for a new jadcet,
consider a belted trench or
one with a fur collar. Some
styles can be part of an outfit,
especially paired with a femi
nine blouse and skirt, or jeans
and white T-shirt.
• IVash the ponchos. This
trend is over! You’ll get much
more mileage but of a ceuxii-
gan, particularly one with
handicraft details.
• Save your metallic or skin
(python, for example) acces
sories, but wear only one at a
time.
Parks Service may take
over the King Center
Study of GuUah
culture is complete
WE ASSOC IATED PRESS
ATLANTA—The board of
Tlie King Center is consider
ing transferring maintenance
of the paoperty to the U.S.
Paiks Service, which current
ly operates the Martin Luther
King Jr. National Historic
Site, a member said.
Former United Nations
Ambassador Andrew Young
said letting the federal gov
ernment maintain the center
would allow the King family
to focus on spreading the
slain dvil rights leader s mes
sage of nonviolence.
Coretta Scott King founded
the Martin Luther King Jr.
Center fca* Nonviolent Social
Change in Atlanta after her
husband's assassination in
1968 and has traveled widely
to help carry out his dreams
and goals.
Hie center’s main mission
is to help end viol^ice in the
world, llie task of maintain
ing the property ends up
being a formidable responsi
bility,” Young said, adding
that millions of people visit
the center each year ''Iliat’s
a considerable amount of
wear emd tear *
Under an agreement which
has not yet been reached.
Young said the family would
remain respcnsiUe for King's
marUe tomb, which rests cai
The King Center groimds.
Tlie park service operates
the King National Historic
Site, located across the
street. The historic site
includes a visitctt-’s center, the
Historic Ebenezer Baptist
Church and the King birth
home.
WE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLESTON, S.C.-A
study of the GuUah culture
five years in the making is
finaUy complete.
Cynthia Porcher began the
study for the National Paik
S^vice by focusing on five
counties — Beaufort,
Charieston and (jleoigetown
in South Carolina and Glynn
and McIntosh in Georgia.
Porcher did a lot of legwork to
try to earn the trust of the
black people in the communi
ties. Part of the distrust was
because Porcher is white, but
another part was because
other researchers had been
there before.
“We were told very clearly
that people have come here
before and taken advantage of
us,” said Mike AUen of the
Park Service.
TKere also was the chal
lenge of talking about uncom
fortable topics such as slavery
“I learned a great deal about
how unhappy slaves were and
how there were work stop
pages and slowdowns and
sickouts and aU kinds of
things on the plantations,”
Porcher said. “Tliey were not
happy-clappy black faces and
mammies with big smUes.
There may have been people
like that, who were very close
to the families who owned
th^n, but for the most part,
that was a myth. And th«*e is
not enou^ emphasis on how
much of a myth that is.”
ITiannakis said ‘Teople don’t
feel as good, so they shrink
away fiom spending money
and engaging in activities.”
Yiannalds also said children
are tau^t, intentionally or
not, that they shouldn’t play
sports if they are not good at
them. It happens when kids
get cut fiom sports teams, or
when coaches bench them for
poor play
“It is an elitist system that
encourages the best to play
and in a sense teaches the
rest to be fans and specta
tors,” Yiannalds said.
Among professional sports,
basebaU is stiU the national
peistime when it comes to
attendance, in part because
there are 162 games in the
regular season.
• EXnner • Breakfast • Free Beverag'
* Live Music * Hotel Accommodations
Celetrate New l^ars Ckarleston Style
Co cmd&om and 0\j&iCaawnt
Catering Special
Boot your 2006 Event in tlie Montli
of Decemter and get 25% off
• ^)i/ecl(lirLg Receptions •Rekearsal Dinners
•office Parties * Family Reunions
• Picnics and more of any size
Don^t Forget
m
3120 Tke Plaza Ckarlotte, NC 28204
PUona: 704.333.4441 Pax: 704.333.Q0Q3
Call for Reservations
GuUahs descended fiom
Afiican slaves who settled on
isolated sea islands and
marsh areas betweed
^Tlmington, N.C., and
Jacksonville, Fla., in the 19th
century The culture is known
as Geechee in Florida and
Georgia and GuUah in the
Carolinas. The study docu
mented sites in that area,
including churches or praise
houses, cemeteries, schools,
settlements even large trees
where GuUahs once met.
U.S. Rep. Jim Clybum, D-
S.C., who pushed for the
study, has legislation pending
that could create a heritage
area linking these sites.
While Porcher said she
thinks that’s a good idea, she
says preserving GuUah cul
ture also involves preserving
traditional communities by
keeping them economicaUy
vital and protecting them
finm the iU effects of develop
ment.
“Young people within the
culture fi^uently look at the
language as some way their
grandparents talk and don’t
realize the importance of car
rying on basketry skilla and
net-making skUls,” Porcher
says. “Just about everywhere
we went, people said we need
to teach our young people. We
need to teach them the value
of where they came fium”
Resource Study:
MM’wjips.gov/sero/plannmg/gg_sr
s/gg_resJitm
AmeriCare}Health
AmeriCare Health
''Sugar Creek ” Medical Center
721 W. Sugar Creek Rd. • 704-941-8020
‘‘Now Open’'
“A New 3 Million Dollar Facility”
(across the street from Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church)
“On The Plaza” • 704-535-0400
1805 Milton Road • Charlotte, NC 28215,
“At The Park” • 704-399-2677
6023 Beatties Ford Road • Charlotte, NC 28216
Visit AmeriCare at either location
For All Family Healthcare Needs
- Accepting New Patients -
ITT
“Appointments Not Necessary”
Comprehensive Healthcare
You Need and Deserve:
• State-of-the Art Pediatrics
• Urgent Care • Internal Medicine
' Minor Trauma • Industrial Medicine
• Diagnostic- Center
Dr. Fidelis Edosomwan
Open Mon-Fri, 9am-7pm, Sat. 9am-5pm
“For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thy
wounds, saith the Lord." -Jeremiah 30; 17
in th
lno\/v !
l
p i n
LJ r
nn
\/v\A/\A/-t:ln^c:hi^ rlz>:tt:epos1z.c:om