On the Street

HOOPS

Springfield won the bid for the Amateur Athletic Union Boys Under 10 Basketball National Championships, set for July 15-24, 2005. The 2004 championships also are being held in Springfield, and the 2005 booking is contingent upon the success of the 2004 event. With approximately 5,000 people expected to attend, the tournament will be one of the largest youth sports events the city has hosted.

CHAIN LETTER

The Make-A-Wish Foundation wants to make sure the public understands that the organization, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses, is in no way affiliated with any variation of what it calls the "Craig Shergold chain letter." The letters, which also might use the names Craig Sheldon, Craig Sheppard and Craig Shelford, state that they are soliciting letters for a boy who wants to be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for receiving the most greeting cards. According to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Shergold's wish was fulfilled in 1990 by another wish-granting organization. The folks at Make-A-Wish note that, as a matter of policy, their organization does not conduct any wishes that involve chain letters or any other type of direct solicitation.

VOTING PATTERNS

The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau will examine voting patterns and other issues in its upcoming monthly Current Population Survey, which will be conducted the week of Nov. 17. A force of nearly 2,000 Census Bureau field representatives will conduct interviews at about 53,000 households in the United States. The most recent survey figures revealed that about two of every five U.S. residents age 18 and older voted in the last off-year congressional election in 1998. With the upcoming survey, statistics will show whether that rate increased, decreased or stayed the same in the Nov. 5 election. In addition to the usual questions about characteristics of the country's labor force, every other November the CPS collects data on rates of voting and registration by a variety of characteristics, such as race, origin and age.

SLICE OF NICE

The 13th Annual Big Brothers Big Sisters Be Big 5K Run/Walk will be held Nov. 23 to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks. The race will begin at 8 a.m.; the start and finish line is at Ebbet's Field, 1027 E. Walnut St. Village Inn will provide a pancake breakfast for all participants and Ruell Chappell will provide live entertainment.

The cost to participate is $12 in advance or $15 the day of the race. Information and registration forms are available at the Big Brothers Big Sisters Office, 1675 E. Seminole St., Ste. J. Registration forms also are available at Ridge Runner Sports, 3057 S. Fremont Ave.