Mother’s Day Contest

Mother’s Day is a wonderful thing, but we don’t need a special day
to let the world know what our mothers mean to us or to let people
know what it means to be a mother.

As a way to acknowledge Mother’s around the world, The Weekly News
and YourDesign2.com would like to invite everyone to join in on our
Mother’s Day Contest.

If we get enough entries to this contest, we will extend it past
mother’s day. We will make it an on going contest and pick a new
winner each month as long as entries keep coming in.

This contest is open to all mothers and children. (Please see
contest rules below). The winner will have their entry posted for
all to read along with a photo (if provided).

So tell the world what your mother means to you or what motherhood
means to you. This is your chance to speak up and make you mother
proud.

We will be designing a web page devoted to mothers for this contest
and your mom (or you) can be on the main page. The web page will be
attached to all our sites as well as submitted to the search engines
on its own.

__________________________________

Entry rules for children of all ages:

All children must be between 0 and 100 years of age to enter.
(Entries form those under 18 must be sent in by a family member over
the age of 18). So, even you adults out there, get your entries in.

Write a 1-page essay (or letter) about what your mother means to you
and why you think she is special.

Children 12 and under may also submit a hand drawing for their
mother (if scanned in and sent by an adult along with their entry).
Winner will have their drawing posted along with their entry.

Include your name, age, the state you live in and the city. (If
under 18, include the name and age of person sending in the entry
too).

Entry rules for mothers:

As a man I could write what being a mother is about, but the truth
is as a man I would know nothing about what I am writing and would
be making a fool of myself. So, please help me from looking like a
fool and send in your entries.

If you’re a mother, have one or more children (no matter what age)
and are 18 years of age or older, we want to hear from you.

Write a 1-page essay or letter telling what being a mother means to
you.

Include your name, age, the state you live in and the city. (Not age
is needed with entry but can remain privet if requested).

Rules for all entries:

Entries must be received no later then May 16. Winner will be
selected by May 20.

Do not send photos with entry. If you are a winner, you will be
contacted by e-mail and have up to 3 days to send in a photo.

Send all entries to Contest@YourDesign2.com and put either mother or
child in the subject line. This e-mail address will be active as of
May 9 and will remain active for the duration of the contest.

No entries will be accepted from anyone under 18 unless sent in
through an adult over 18 years of age.
In our effort to help enforce internet safety, we impose the under
18 rule to all contact with our service’s and ask that other sites
do the same.

Most important rule for both mothers and children, have fun with
your entry and put your heart into it. The more meaning put into it,
the better chance on winning.

All entries once submitted become the property of Akpcsales and
YourDesign2.com and may be used for publication at a later date.

Thank you,
A.Wallace

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at http://yourdesign2.com/mailinglist.htm

Social Security, Medicare Trust Funds Sink

WASHINGTON - The trust fund for Social Security will be depleted in
2040, a year before expected, and Medicare will exhaust its trust
fund reserves just 12 years from now, trustees for the programs said
Monday.

Their annual report showed deterioration in the financial condition
of both of the government's two largest benefit programs.

A year ago, the depletion of the Social Security trust fund had been
projected to occur in 2041 and the Medicare hospital insurance fund
in 2020.

The trustees, who include the head of the Social Security
Administration and three members of President Bush's Cabinet,
painted a sober assessment of the health of the two programs in advance of the looming retirements of 78 million baby boomers.

"We do not believe the currently projected long-run growth rates of
Social Security or Medicare are sustainable under current financing
arrangements," the trustees said in this year's report.

Bush's efforts last year to overhaul Social Security went nowhere in
Congress. Even members of his own party refused to support the
benefit cuts that would have accompanied the establishment of
private accounts for younger workers.

Treasury Secretary John Snow, who is the chairman of the trustees'
panel, told a news conference that the country faced a "looming
fiscal crisis as the baby boom generation moves into retirement." He
said the administration stood ready to work with Congress to come up
with a solution.

"The serious concerns raised by the trustees' reports demand the
attention of America's policymakers and the public," Snow said.
Bush, facing bleak prospects for winning approval for any changes in
an election year, called in his State of the Union address for
creation of a bipartisan panel to study the issue and come up with
recommendations, just the latest in a number of commissions that
have examined the programs.

While the depletion of the reserves built up over past years is
projected to occur in just 12 years for Medicare and 34 years for
Social Security, both programs will face financing issues much
sooner at the point that the amount paid out each year exceeds the
amount the government collects to fund them.

For Medicare, that occurred for the year of 2004. However, the
program is projected to be in the black again before crossing over
to paying out more than it takes in again.

For Social Security, the point at which the program will pay out
more in benefits than it takes in will occur in 2017, the trustees
projected, the same as in last year's report.

The trust funds contain the equivalent of government IOUs. To raise
the actual cash to meet obligations, the government must either
borrow more money from the public by issuing marketable Treasury
securities, raise taxes or cut spending in other programs.

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer

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Fuel Costs Prompt School Closings in Tenn.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The high price of diesel fuel for school buses
meant children in one Tennessee school system got a holiday Monday —
their second in a row.

Some 3,800 youngsters got Friday and Monday off because of the
action taken by Dallas Smith, superintendent of Rhea County schools
in east Tennessee, to ease transportation spending.

"That kind of situation is probably the most extreme I have heard,"
said Mike Martin, executive director of the National Association for
Pupil Transportation, based in Albany, N.Y., and a spokesman for the
Washington-based School Bus Information Council.

Martin described the price of diesel, which has risen above $2.80 in
the East and to more than $3 a gallon on the West Coast, as a "huge
problem for not only public sector but private sector operators as
well."

No other Tennessee systems have canceled classes in response to fuel
costs.

The Rhea County closings were not authorized by the state, said
Department of Education spokeswoman Rachel Woods.

Smith, however, said state education officials had announced
previously that extra snow days could be used if fuel prices rose.
School Board Chairman Harold McCawley said the two-day closing was
justified.

"Rhea County is a long county, 34 miles from end to end," McCawley
said. "It's just a huge savings of fuel."

Rhea County Finance Director Brad Harris said county schools spent
$14,000 on fuel in March, compared to $7,800 in March 2005. He said
fiscal year to-date-spending was up from $68,000 to $102,500.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue asked his state's public schools to close
for two days in September to conserve fuel when Hurricane Rita
threatened to shut down refineries. Perdue has "no regrets,"
spokeswoman Heather Hedrick said Friday.

By BILL POOVEY, Associated Press Writer

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Diner Finds Piece of Finger in Burger

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A diner found a piece of human flesh on his
hamburger shortly after a restaurant worker accidentally cut his
finger, and a spokeswoman said the company was "very, very sorry."

A kitchen manager at the TGI Friday's at College Mall injured
himself Tuesday and no one immediately realized he had lost part of
his finger while others rushed to help him, said Amy Freshwater, a
spokeswoman for the chain.

"The manager didn't even know it happened until he got to the
hospital," she said.

Another staff member served the plate to a customer, who immediately
spotted the piece of flesh.

The manager was treated at Bloomington Hospital and lost only a
small piece of his finger, according to Freshwater.

"We absolutely acknowledge the seriousness of this incident, and we
are very, very sorry that this occurred," she said.

The restaurant has been in contact with the customer, Freshwater
said.

The diner called police, but an officer told him that it was not a
criminal matter, Detective Sgt. David Drake said.

By Associated Press

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May 1st. is the 75th birthday for the Empire State Building

The Empire State Building originally opened in 1931 during the great
depression. For more then 40 years it has stood as the world’s
largest building reaching a height of about a quarter of about mile.

With 102 floors, 1,860 steps and a view that could be replaced by no
other. The Empire State Building is and always will be one of the
most remarkable places in New York City.

Visitors can see the breathtaking view from the observation deck at
the 86th floor, which looks over Manhattan form over 1,000 feet
above the streets of the Big Apple.

The Empire State Building has been known for being the building that
King Kong climbed back in 1933, the fateful meeting scene form
Sleepless in Seattle and many other movies throughout the years.

The building not only withstood the test of time, but also survived
the wrath of mother nature as it is struck by lightning on at least
100 times every year.

In recent years, the Empire State Building has become known for its
lighting. From red, white and blue on the fourth of July, to all red
on St. Valentine’s Day. On this day (it’s 75th birthday), the lights
will all glow white. This will be to resemble the lighting from its
early days back in the 1930’s

Happy Birthday to what has become one of the most famous buildings
in the United States if not the world.

Written by A. Wallace

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