Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe EASTER/PASSOVER A GIFT HOLIDAY Easter and Passover are gaining in importance as gift-giving and decorating holidays, says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing. Advertisement Forty percent of consumers buy Easter or Passover gifts -- about $100 is spent on four people for Easter -- according to research by Unity Marketing. "Overall Easter is the third most widely 'gifted' spring holiday, trailing St. Valentine's Day, celebrated with a gift by 70 percent of gifters, and Mother's Day when 74 percent give a gift," explains Danziger. "Seniors' gift purchase incidence is relatively low for all other secular holidays, but remains strong for this most religious of holidays." BUYING HOUSES ON THE NET Buffalo, N.Y., city housing inspectors say Internet sales of homes are booming -- as well as Internet-related scams. "It's a huge nightmare here," Lou Petrucci, the city's chief building inspector, tells the Buffalo News. "It's been like a land rush." About 18 months ago, the city's cheap real estate started to attract buyers on the Internet -- some sold on eBay -- and hundreds of buyers from all over the world have bought a piece of the American dream. Advertisement While some are pleased with the houses and the rock-bottom prices of $15,000 to $50,000 others are finding the houses need major repairs not mentioned on the Web. MENTORING MAY STALL AGING Seniors who volunteer in troubled urban schools help students, but they get mental and physical health benefits as well. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions tested the health benefits of those participating in an established school volunteer program called Experience Corps, in Baltimore. The study, published in the Journal of Urban Health, finds the health benefits to be tangible -- 44 percent felt stronger and cane use decreased in 50 percent. Falls also decreased. "Giving back to your community may slow the aging process in ways that lead to a higher quality of life in older adults," Dr. Linda P. Fried, director of the Center on Aging and Health at Johns Hopkins, says in a statement. YARD WORK CAN BE DANGEROUS As temperatures rise and yard work begins to accumulate, rushing to complete a long list of chores may push safety to the back burner. In the United States, more than 50,000 people landed in a hospital emergency room in 2002 because of lawn mower mishaps. Advertisement Another 40,000 were treated for injuries associated with other power lawn and garden tools, according to the Underwriters Laboratories. Many don't realize that mowers and trimmers can fling rocks -- at up to 200 miles per hour -- that can cause injury to nearby children, pets or the mower.
