Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 January 2003 — Page 24

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2003

Pepsi replaces spokeswoman Britoey Spears infringed upon

with DesHny's Child singer Beyonce Knowles

NKW Y( )K K (Al’) — First .1 ustin rinilH-rliikt', now I’riisi. AIIit two yi'iirs. PepsiCo Ini', hassaul goodbye to Brit nev Spears as its spokeswoman and replaeed her with Beyonee Knowles ot the R&B trio Destiny's Child. The It 1-year-old is "a multitalented entertainer who has achieved tremendous success and popularity in both music and movies," Dave Burwiek, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Pepsi-Cola North America. Knowles' film credits include this summer's "Austin Powers in Cioldmomher" and a hip-hop version of “Carmen' that aired last year on MTV. Her first solo album is expected early this year. She’s agreed to star in two TV commercials for Pepsi. The campaign will include radio and Internet ads. point-of-purchase materials and consumer promotions. Pepsi also has the option to sponsor a solo concert tour, which Knowles is considering f or 20()."5. “I'm thrilled to be joining so many talented entertainers who have created memorable Pepsi

New Year's resolution: Start the year with money

(NAPSI) — Americans can start the New Year with more money in their pockets by digging out hidden treasure in household coin jars - which for some can he worth Sat) or more. This tidy sum can help put a dent in holiday bills, seed a new savings plan, start an investment strategy, or just take the family out to dinner to celebrate. Coinstar, which operates a network of more than 10,000 coin-counting machines in supermarkets nationwide, estimates that Americans have §10.a billion worth of change sitting idle in their homes. On average, that works out to §30 to §50 per American adult. If stretching the family

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•'>w aclnr $223.64 -to f fre 1 m $111.62 i j CrdT»C«3 |r j-»- ) $55.9! $»

budget or saving for the future happens to be a New Year’s resolution, the fastest way to meet those goals is to tap into that forgotten wealth by bringing the household coin jar on the next trip to the grocety store. Coinstar machines accept unsorted change and count it at

Hello... Good-bye.

Hello patio. Hello driveway. Hello garden. Hello basketball court. Hello garage. Hello basement. Hello dog. Hello tax deduction. Hello equity: Hello closet space. Good-by e broken elevators. Good-bye thin walls. Good-bye rent. Good-bye crowded closets. Good-bye parking spaces. Good-bye laundromats. Good-bxe quarters. Guod-bse landlords. Hello freedom.

Sure, there are plent\ of practical reasons to buy a VA HOME. Low down payments (many \ A HOMES require as little as $500 downi. You don't have to be a set. And competitive VA vendee financing is available to qualified buyers. Bui the real reason to buy one is because \[\all sours. Call your real estate professional for details and listings. ATTENTION!! VA is liiokiiiK lor tiualifltd contractors to repair homes, and liidisril real estate appraisers. Call VA at tl7-226-A616.

VA HOMES Make yourself at home.

Electronic Urban Report

Beyonce Knowles

Britney Spears

moments over theyears,”shesaid. renewed. Previous stars who’ve appeared But Spears’ spokeswoman, Lisa in Pepsi ads include Michael Jack- Kasteler, said the end of the conson, Stevie Wonder and Robert tract does not mean the pop star’s Palmer. relationship with Pepsi is over. The new spots will continue “They are in conversation ... the "Joy of Pepsi” campaign, I’m sure Britney would love to which Spears began in January work with them more,” Kasteler 2001, Pepsi spokesman Bart told the New York Times. Casabona said. Pepsi declined to say when The company’s contract with KnowJes’commercialswouldbeSpears expired at the end of2002, gin airing. Financial terms of the and Casabona said it wouldn’t be agreement weren’t disclosed.

a rate of 600 coins per minute. At the end of the transaction, Coinstar customers receive a printed voucher for the full amount of the transaction (less a service fee of 8.9 percent) that is redeemable for cash or store credit at the cash register or customer service desk. To help those interested in figuring out how r much “hidden wealth” they might have stashed away, Coinstar has created a table to help estimate a jar’s value based on its size and an average coin mix (33 percent silver, 67 percent pennies). For a store location nearest you, call 1-800-928-CASH or visit www.coinstar.com.

Apollo." Western’s association source of considerable confusion with the theati • ceased last year, in the marketplace, in the mind

A legal battle involving the after which Western launched the ofthe consumer and among other Apollo Theater is heating up entertainment series “Showtime interested parties, which injures with the filing of a civil com- in Harlem.’Therein lies the prob- and dilutes the Apollo’s distincplaint by the Apollo Theater lem. tive brands-many of which have Foundation against Western The complaint filed recently been symbols ofthe Apollo since International S)Tidication and refers specifically to alleged in- 1934 - and its affiliated properinner City Theater Group for fringements of the “Showtime at ties, including the original alleged violation of federal the Apollo” trademark. ‘Showtime at the Apollo.’ This trademarklaw andunfaircom- A statement by David confusion, if it is not stopped, petition. Rodriguez, executive director of w ill hurt our ability to make Western International and the Apollo, said: “The continued needed improvements to the Inner City Broadcasting pro- use ofthe Apollo Theater’s trade- Apollo Theater and to carry out duced and distributed the syn- marks by Western and ICTG’s the important purposes of the

dicated “It’s Showtime at the ‘Showtime in Harlem’ is the foundation.”

OurPC magazine geared to Blacks begins naNonal distribution Special to The Recorder DETROIT - OurPC magazine is now available in over 6,000 groceiy stores and drugstores in the United States, Canada and Europe. It continues to be the country’s only national computer and Internet magazine dedicated to the African-American family, but now is more readily available to non-subscribers. OurPC magazine was developed and has grown substantially - out of a mission to help the African-American community embrace technology by providing computer and I nternet information that saves its readers time and money while improving their quality’

of life.

The digital divide has begun to narrow with more AfricanAmericans realizing that understanding computer technology and the Internet is fast becoming a necessity, said De-troit-native publisher and CEO, Abner McWhorter, 32. With over300computer magazine titles in existence and ours the only one geared towards the African-American community, our niche is obvious. The latest MultiMedia Mentor surveys show’ that, among men ages 25 to 54, African makes OurPC an ideal fit for the will increase from 6.1 million in Americans spend the most time community. 2001 to 10.2 million in 2007 a overall with media per day-10 According to Jupiter Re- CAGR of 8.4 percent.

percent more than the aver- search, households identified as age. Their use of magazines is Caucasian and other will increase some 40 percent higher than from 200l’s figure of 49.6 milthe national average. The lion to 67.1 million in 2007, repgrowth in African-American resenting a compound annual computer and Internet usage growth rate (CAGR) of 5 percoupled with the high reliance cent. Yet, the number of online on magazines for information African-American households

Marketing facts such as these led the New Milford, NJ-based firm Curtis Circulation Co., the country’s largest newsstand distributor, to begin distributing OurPC with the December/ January issue at several thousand newsstands across the country.

Citizens Gas announces January gas cost adjustment

Special to The Recorder Citizens Gas has announced that rates-for natural gas service this month will be about 18 percent more when compared to December 2002 and nearly 17 percent more than last January. Under normal weather conditions, an average residential customer uses about 217 therms of gas in January. Under the rates that went into effect Jan. 1, an average residential customer will pay about §158.10. The rate increase is primarily due to higher market prices for natural gas. Citizens Gas buys natural gas from national producers and then resells the gas to customers at the same price. During January 2002, which was unusually warm, an average residential customer used only 190 therms and paid

an average of §120. If this January is equally mild, a customer can expect to pay about $140. Customers can minimize the impact of gas price changes on their monthly gas bills by signing

up for Citizens’ Budget Payment Plan. This plan allows customers to spread the cost of winter heating throughout the whole year. Customers may sign up by calling 924-3311. In addition, weatherization and conservation practices can help lower the cost of winter heating by reducing the amount of gas used. Caulking windows, vveatherstrippingdoors and making sure homes are adequately insulated can keep the heat in and the cold out this winter. For more conservation and weatherization tips, visit Citizens online at www.citizensgas.com. Assistance programs are available for customers facing financial hardships. The Citizens Warm Heart Warm Home Foundation was established 10 years ago to provide financial assistance to customers. For more information on the program, customers should call 924-3311.

Keith Rand Joyce Rand Owners Lattarhaad, Envalopaa, Multi-part forma, Bualnaaa Carda, ato. 5410 Emerson Way, Suite 3 Indianapolis, IN 46226 Phone 255-2748 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m Monday Friday

Stay in touch with your community Call today 924-5143