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FREE FRIDAYS SUMMER CONCERT, 7 p.m., gazebo, Howard T. Brown Memorial Park, NORWICH. Digger Stevens Band will perform rhythm and blues. Information: 886-4683 or 887-2789. Rain date: Listen to WICH 1310AM.

Sunday
HOLY ROSARY SONG RECITAL, 4 p.m., Westerly Chorus Hall, 119 High St., WESTERLY, R.I.. Features international singer, Valerie Nicolosi, accompanied on piano by Simon Holt. Recital includes Mozart, Brahms, Bach as well many contemporary composers. $20 per person. Benefits St. Thomas Parish of Voluntown. Tickets: rosaryrecital@
sbcglobal.net or 334-2269.
JEWETT CITY BAPTIST CHURCH CONCERT SERIES, 6 p.m., Jewett City Baptist Church, JEWETT CITY. The Baton Brothers will perform country music. Additionally, Jack Markly will perform on the organ, and Lou Harper will play trumpet.

Credit cards sweeten the rewards

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It's not your imagination. There are more offers from credit card companies in your mailbox.

The industry desperately seeks new customers in a nation where everyone already seems to have several credit cards. Last year, companies mailed out 6.06 billion solicitations, a record.

Also a record: Only about 18 million offers, or about 0.3 percent, were accepted.

Recognizing the need for better bait, companies are sweetening more of their offers with the promise of rebates or rewards. Spend something, get something back.

There is a card that pays down your mortgage.

A card that rebates 5 percent of the money you spend on gas.

And a card introduced last year that combines gambling with credit-card use.

Heard on the Street: Ford's next step may be to shed a luxury ...

The chatter in the financial markets is that selling struggling luxury brands like Jaguar or a piece of its credit unit might be job one in Ford Motor Co.'s soon-to-be remodeled "Way Forward" turnaround plan.

This week the company tapped Kenneth Leet, a longtime investment banker, to explore possible asset sales and alliances. A spokeswoman says the company "has no imminent plans" for any divestitures or alliances. But Mr. Leet's presence is generating speculation among investors and industry observers that one or more of the company's European premium brands -- Land Rover, Volvo, Aston Martin and Jaguar -- could be shopped.

At the same time, there are rumblings that selling a portion of the company's healthier Ford Motor Credit Co. could yield more proceeds. Senior Ford executives have said that maintaining control of Ford Credit and the terms it offers consumers is critical to Ford's vehicle sales operations.

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