February 28, 1996

Habits, Not Genes, Predict Healthy Old Age

AT&T said yesterday that it would offer its telephone customers five hours of free Internet access each month for a year, bringing computer network service a step closer to becoming a utility like electricity or water. In addition, AT&T said it would offer residential customers unlimited Internet access, including electronic mail and nationwide phone directory services, for less than $20 a month.

A man awaiting questioning in a holding cell at the Bergen County police headquarters used a shirt to hang himself Monday night, the authorities said yesterday. The man, Curtis Lee Martin, had been accused of stabbing and slashing two people during a brawl in Ridgefield Park. A desk sergeant had observed Mr. Martin just five minutes before his body was discovered, said Charles Buckley, the Acting County Prosecutor.

Further complicating an already muddled Republican Presidential competition, Steve Forbes claimed victory in the Arizona primary today, while Senator Bob Dole prevailed in primaries in North Dakota and South Dakota. The primary here was the biggest electoral prize thus far, with 39 delegates at stake, and by beating out Patrick J. Buchanan and Mr. Dole, Mr. Forbes sought to establish himself as a formidable contender for his party's nomination.

IN New York, where private-school tuition approaches that of Harvard University and where having a good French meal may require cashing out the money market account, it may come as a surprise that there are actually some places where you can exercise each day for less than the price of a caffe latte. Some of New York's bargain workout spots cost less because they receive state or city government subsidies, like Riverbank State Park in Harlem and the city's 29 recreational centers. Others are part of nonprofit institutions with larger goals, like Y.M.C.A.'s, Y.M.H.A.'s and some yoga centers. And the several dozen small "black iron" gyms (the term refers to the dark metal dumbbells ubiquitous in these places) can charge $400 or less a year because they provide only basic exercise equipment, not classes.