European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 29, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                August 1985 the stars and stripes Page 7 poverty rate dips for 1st time since 78 Washington a the nations poverty rate dropped to percent in Down eight tenths of a percent from a year with the number of americans below the poverty level declining by the census Bureau at the same real median family income Rose percent to the Sec Ond increase in two the drop in the poverty from percent in marked the first time it had fallen since the poverty thresh old for a family of four last year was some decline had been widely anticipated both in and out of due to the improving even Robert Greenstein of the private Center for budget and policy a group often critical of the Reagan had predicted a decline in other findings of the new study included the poverty rate for Whites dropped from percent in 1983 to percent in and the rate for Blacks fell from percent to the poverty rate among children under 18 declined from percent in 1983 to percent in the rate among people aged 65 and Over dropped percent to both the number of people below the poverty level and the poverty rate declined in the South and the while there were no significant changes in the Northeast and in poverty had edged up per cent to the a disappointment to administration officials who had hoped for a while critics denounced the fact that poverty went up in 1983 contending it was a result of cuts in social programs White House officials considered the Small increase a somewhat positive poverty in the estimated number of persons living below the poverty level in millions 1965 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 Chicago Tribune Chart Bureau of the census in the 198082 poverty Levels in creased 1 percent or More the poverty rate last declined Between 1977 and when it edged Down from percent to a decline in poverty rates this year sounds Greenstein he the drop is largely a function of the with the poverty rate de Clining As unemployment dropped in the last he the Economy has so this drop May be a one step followed by a plateau without improvement in coming in Greenstein even a Siz Able reduction in poverty could be consid ered disappointing in relation to the unemployment unemployment was estimated at per cent for the first half of he pointed and the last time the rate was that Low the poverty rate was just Over the 1983 poverty rate of percent meant that an estimated million americans had incomes below the poverty 11 the poverty level guidelines were devel oped by the social Security administration in 1964 based on the Thrifty food program of the agriculture calculating that americans spent about on third of their income on the statisticians figured out the Cost of eating and multiplied by three to get the minimum income to live out of since that level has been updated annually to compensate for the poverty level was for a family of four in critics of this system contend that changes in american society have resulted in clothing and other costs taking up a larger share of family result ing in the guidelines being too being released at the same time was the latest in a series of studies of How govern ment programs affect these analyses have drawn Sharp Contro Versy in the past by estimating that poverty would actually be reduced by Between 2 percent and 5 percent if government pro Grams to help the poor were counted As the estimates of the number of people living in poverty Are based Only on their Cash in the decades since these definitions were first the Federal government has established Many no Cash programs to assist the such As food subsidized Low Cost school lunches and because these programs do improve life for the administration officials have suggested counting them As Al though there have been wide disagreements Over How to place a value on the different critics of the administration oppose the fearing that a resulting reduction in the number of persons in Pov erty could be used to justify cuts in Federal programs for the Tours on proper eating food stores join heart association tight against Tat by the associated press customers at a grocery store will get tap recorded guided Tours As part of a nationwide Effort to inform 90 million shoppers about eating less cholesterol and fat to fight heart More than grocery stores will participate in the american hearts food festival said Antonio immediate past president of the Ameri can heart while portable tape recorders at the Washington store relay nutrition information about foods sold other stores will offer lists of recommended taste tests and other promotions for hear healthy eat the association Gotto said the project is meant to increase Public awareness about cutting Back on cholesterol and fat to reduce the risks of hardened arteries and heart Levels of cholesterol and saturated fat in the diet affect the amount of cholesterol in the where it can accumulate in the arteries that carry blood to the heart the buildup progressively Narrows the passageway for and finally a blood clot can Stop the flow and bring on a heart Gotto the heart association recommends eating less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a which is about the amount in a Large egg the average american Man consumes about 500 milligrams per Day and the average woman about 320 Gotto the association also recommends that no More than 30 percent of daily calories come from but the average american gets 40 percent to 45 percent of daily calories from said Maudene Nelson of the Institute of human nutrition at the Columbia University College of physicians and surgeons in new surveys show the typical american food shopper knows about the hazards of cholesterol in the but people Arent translating that awareness into shopping said hurly associate professor of physiology and pharmacology at the Southern Illinois University school of Medicine in next months project for which the association plans to make an annual will be aided by the supermarket corporations jewel food Kroger and As Well As regional super Market according to the heart Nelson said shoppers who want to adopt new eating habits should buy a variety of stick to a grocery list and buy Basic ingredients rather than convenience foods or prepared which can have hidden fat at they should Cook in a nonstick pan to avoid using Margarine or cooking trim visible fat from All meat before and after cooking and serve smaller portions of she soup or Stew should be chilled after cooking so that excess fat can be skimmed off the she night stalker May be linked to kidnappings los Angeles a authorities Are investigating four abductions of Chil Dren they think might be the work of the so called night stalker who is being blamed for killing 14 people and maiming others throughout three of the youngsters were taken from their while the other was kidnapped from a authorities said Mon All four were molested and left to wander along streets close to All of the kidnappings occurred in the san Gabriel Valley or adjacent Northeast los where the night stalker has killed five the killer is believed responsible for 34 including 14 was Given his name because of the Way he enters Homes quietly to carry out his at in the latest confirmed a Man was shot in the head and his Fiancee raped Sun Day in their Home in Mission 55 Miles Southeast of los the shooting William is in critical los Angeles police said they Are also checking for any connection with the kid napping of an 8yearold girl in the Eagle Rock five Miles North of los the girl was kidnapped from her bed As her parents authorities last detective Louis Castillo said investigators believed the same Man who kidnapped the 8yearold also broke into a House in suburban Arcadia on june took a 6yearold girl from her bed and molested two other kidnapping molestation a 6yearold girl in Montebello and 9year old boy in Monterey May also be re lated to the night police in the March 11 Monterey Park the family Home was ransacked and the 9 Jearolds younger brother was left in in the 25 Montebello the girl was taken from a Bench on an elementary school and a Reward in excess of has been offered for information leading to capture of the he has been described As hav ing curly hair and mapped detectives have withheld much inform fearing copycat slayings or a change in the killers the has caused a widespread with police reporting More citizens and Southern californians heeding warnings to lock doors and a week before the Orange county at the killer struck in san Utility starts huge refund a the first checks have been distributed in the million settlement of a lawsuit accusing a Utility and four natural Gas producers of conspiring to fix the settlement is believed to be the largest Ever in a consumer class action antitrust said Tony in charge of Check the totalling More than were mailed monday night and tuesday to customers of Gas company of new the checks Are the result of a Law suit filed in 1979 against Southern Union