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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Lifestyle
Thursday, January 25, 2001
Youth group plans first meeting
The first meeting of the Community Youth Connection, an all denomination
sponsored youth social, will be held from 7-9 p.m., on Saturday, Jan. 27.
This time the social will be held at the First United Methodist Church,
3rd and Elm Streets and all youth are invited to attend.
Live music will be provided by "Manifold" and free pizza will be served.
Aguilar ends basic training
Marine Corps Pvt. Eric A. Aguilar, son of Emma L. and Richard L. Aguilar,
of Pecos, recently completed basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot,
San Diego.
Aguilar successfully completed 12 weeks of training designed to challenge
new Marine recruits both physically and mentally.
Aguilar and fellow recruits began their training at 5 a.m., by running
three miles and performing calisthenics. In addition to the physical conditioning
program, Aguilar spent numerous hours in classroom and field assignments
which included learning first aid, uniform regulations, combat water survival,
marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat and assorted weapons training. They performed
close order drill and operated as a small infantry unit using field training.
Aguilar and other recruits also received instruction on the Marine Corps'
core values _ honor, courage and commitment, and what the words mean in guiding
personal and professional conduct.
Aguilar and fellow recruits ended the training phase with The Crucible,
a 54-hour team effort, problem solving evolution which culminated with an
emotional ceremony in which the recruits were presented the Marine Corps
Emblem, and were addressed as "Marines" for the first time since boot camp
began.
Aguilar is a 1998 graduate of Pecos High School of Pecos.
Repairing credit can be achieved
Building a good credit history is important because many decisions about
you are made on your ability to maintain a good track record with your creditors.
That initial step is sometimes difficult for young people who are trying
to get their first jobs and for older adults who have never used credit.
The same can be said for people who want to restore their credit rating.
With a little work, you too can gradually erase the past and rebuild your
credit worthiness, according to Marie Cardenas, family and consumer science
agent with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service in Reeves-Loving Counties.
"First of all, avoid the credit repair clinics. Most of them charge for
their services and make a lot of promises that they may or may not be able
to keep. They offer to help you by using "loopholes" in the law that only
they know about. For example, they may promise to remove negative information
from your credit report or promise you a major credit card _ all for one
small fee. And, those are not factors in their control," she noted.
In fact, these companies may encourage you to take illegal actions that
can get you into even more trouble.
"So, don't let anyone persuade you to distort the information in your
credit file or help you initiate a new file with a new address and social
security number. These are not the steps to take to improve your net worth
or restore your credit history."
You can take the necessary steps to rebuild your credit without paying
someone else's expensive fees. It will take time and effort on your part,
but it is not an impossible task.
The following are some tips to help:
1. Do a reality check. Add together everything that you owe and compare
it with your current level of income. It may be painful to realize that your
debt is much more than your income, but that's the first step to determine
where you stand.
2. Stop using your credit cards. Remember, your goal is to get out of
debt _ not to accumulate more. While you may not want to close your accounts
immediately, you can lock away your credit cards to keep them safely out
of sight.
3. Send for a copy of your credit report and carefully review it for any
errors. You can take the necessary steps to correct the errors or send a
letter to the credit bureau explaning the reason for the credit problems.
4. Pay your bills on time. Even if you only make minimum payments, you
need to pay them by the due date. The amount you pay isn't as important as
being on time. Making regular, timely payments is the most important sign
that you are serious about repairing your credit history.
5. Devise a plan of action to get help if you cannot make all of your
monthly payments on time. This may include getting a second job for additional
income or seeking assistance from a credit counseling agency. You may also
be able to negotiate with your creditors for lower interest rates, minimum
payments or other options if you are having problems repaying your debt.
Once you devise a plan, it is important to stay with it and not create more
credit problems.
6. Cut your expenses. Examine your monthly spending habits and find ways
to trim expenses, such as buying less expensive brands of food or driving
a less expensive vehicle. Any reductions in your expenses will add to the
money available to reduce your debt.
While none of these solutions are pleasant, it is to your benefit to take
every step possible to repair your credit history rather than simply filing
bankruptcy. Having a good credit report is an important step in building
financial stability for you and your family.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
Copyright 2000 by Pecos Enterprise
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