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SPELMANEWS, the furniture executive
digest, says baby boomers are spending less.
The newly defined over-55 group and its
growing importance as a market target has
caught the eye of the sales and marketing
experts. They predict that more legislation to
prevent age discrimination will be passed, and
people will work longer and financially take
care of themselves.

Remember when we used to tell the kids we
couldn't afford whatever it was they wanted at
the moment, and they just didn't believe it?
Well, now they'll tell US.

More effort will be made to help keep us in
the economic mainstream. Coming closer to
home, recent Council on Aging figures say
Greensboro and Guilford County's population
of people 50 and older is coming close to 15
percent.

High Point? Twenty-two percent.

As we already know, better preventative
health measures are helping Americans live
longer, but forced retirement and limited
employment opportunities left too many trying
to live on a fixed income. Even those who
were able to save found their private pension
benefits eaten away by the escalating cost of
living.

Lear's Magazine is reporting that
advertisers are looking for older models as
clothiers and designers are devoting more
time and effort to the older consumer. Travel
Talk newsletter says more older Americans
are taking steamship cruises, and employment
for people over 60 has tripled in the last five
years.

Like the little lady with the granny glasses
and silver topknot says, La Bamba.

* * * *

Good news about North State Telephone
Executive Diamond Carter who is suffering
from the effects of encephalitis. He is still in
serious condition and spent several days in
rehabilitation at L. Richardson Hospital, but
has been brought home to rest for awhile, and
hopefully improve.