♪ welcome to news 4 this week. >> hi, everyone. i'm veronica johnson. welcome to news 4 this weekment it's time we look at health and your wallet as well as some of the places and people making news in our community. among them, one of the most iconic symbols of washington, d.c. the future of the washington monument. it is brighter thanks to the help of a will call businessman and if you're like most americans getting out of debt tops your new year's resolutions. we have tips on how to have a fiscally fit 2012. a man that helped the wizards to four straight playoffs tells us why he's just as satisfied to be coaching high school players. we start, though, first with a towering piece of marble and granite. it stands as a symbol of our

city. damage from last summer's earthquake kept the washington monument closed to visitors but now a local businessman is sharing some wealth to ensure the monument can be enjoyed for generations to come. this is the first gift to the nation. >> like the rest of us, billionaire david reubub rubensn watched with fascination. >> i was glad they didn't ask me to do that. they asked me to go up and take a lock. i was glad i didn't have to rappel down. those people are professional that is do that and obviously quite skilled at it. it's a skill i don't have. >> while he may not be able to climb the washington monument, he has other skills. skills that have made him a very wealthy man. and he's coming the rescue of this american treasure. rubenstein donated $7.5 million to fix the monument, half the

total repair bill. >> i thought because it's an important symbol of our country, i would like to help in a modest way. >> his donation mean it is project is now fully funded and engineers can begin the business of repairing the monument. as for when it will reopen -- >> we'll begin the construction in '12. begin the repairs and we are not sure exactly how long it will take. >> we're mating that the monument will reopen in '13. >> the washington monument was seriously damaged in august's earthquake. mortar and stone came tumbling down and large cracks formed allowing water to pool inside. it's been closed ever since. although disappointed that they couldn't get inside today, tourists say they're glad the landmark will be fixed so that future visitors can enjoy it. >> oh, i think it's great. it's something that you can give to last for generations as opposed, you know, it's paying forward i guess you could say. >> rubenstein is no stranger to

large donations. he gave $13 million to the national archives, $25 million to the kennedy center and recently $4.5 million to the panda program at national zoo. from the washington monument, megan mcgraph, news 4. >> what a guy. going to be remembered for a very long time. well, thousands of families across the area holding on to just a little tighter to their checkbooks after spending maybe a little too much over the holidays and it may come as no surprise that the top new year's resolution is to get out of debt. liz crenshaw is here with how to have a fiscally fit year. >> right off the top of the new year, one thing consumers do wrong is assume they can let the bills add up. >> hot holiday spending likely had you paying with your credit cards and now the bills are starting to trickle. jerry walsh is the president of the financial industry regulatory authority known as finra. it is an independent regulator

of securities. walsh says handle your credit cards with care. >> if you let your balances on your credit cards just stay and add up and not pay them down immediately, that sets you off for a cycle of debt at the very beginning of the year. >> she found 62% of americans do not check out the interest rate on the credit cards. a new year financial tip -- shop around for financial product s such as credit cards, loans or investments. >> we spend more time thinking about which paper towel to buy or the features of our mobile phone plan than we do looking at the terms and conditions of our financial products. >> while making ends meet can be challenging, avoid payday lending. >> about a quarter of americans do engage in some form of nonbank borrowing and the reason you don't want to do it is the interest rates can be so very xosh tanlt.

>> start a rainy-day fund. set aside one month's salary and aim to save three to six months salary in case of a financial emergency. >> but you never know when your car is going do break down or god forbid you lose your job for a short period of time or a longer period of time. you need to make sure that you have something to live on. >> and it's never too late to start saving for your future. but she found 3 in 10 workers failed to put money in a 401k. many companies match your contribution, that doubles your savings, it's free money. so start a retirement fund. >> you can take out loans for college. you can take out loans for a home. you can't take out a loan for retirement. >> want your kids to be able to afford college? use tax advantaged savings account like a state 529 plan. they found only 31% of people polled with children have money set aside for college and only a third of them were using a tax

advantaged plan. >> using a tax advantaged plan is a way to maximize your educational savings because the interest or the earnings on your investments are able to grow tax deferred until you take the money out. any one can put their finances on a better course for the coming year. >> liz crenshaw, news 4. and you can find free financial help at community libraries sh even the united way. if you want to find out if a broker has a history of complaints go to nbcwashington.com. and search money makeover. well, state of maryland has another reason to brag. public schools ranked there number one in the nation for a fourth year in a row. the state got a grade of b-plus. maryland got especially high praise for the early education programs and for its college preparation for high school students. close behind with a "b" average

is virginia. the district given, oh, a c-minus. well, some maryland elementary schools are shining especially bright. six of them are honored as blue ribbon schools. two of them in our area. the education department says the rachel carson elementary school in maryland has made significant advances in school assessments. 98% of the students are proficient in advanced reading and math. good for them. white hall elementary has nearly 98% of the students profirpt and advanced reading and math and the parents of white hall students are noted for their extreme involvement in school. we all know that's what it takes is a lot of parent and community involvement. over in fairfax county, virginia, secondary students treated a big-named star at a recent assembly. take a look at this. ♪ that's right.

that was first lady michelle obama joining the cast of tv show "i-carlie." and who doesn't watch? a bit of random dancing broke out. her appearance was to help thank military families for their sacrifice. the show's main character is a daughter of an air force colonel. i watch that with my kids sometimes. always random stuff that breaks out. it was a party with a purpose at the washington convention center recently. 85,000 of you helped make this year's health and fitness expo one of the best yet. we had two jam-packed days including exercise demos, healthy cooking demos, free health screenings and angie goth was there. i was there, too. had a ball. take a look at some of the highlights. >> at the nbc 4 health and fitness expo. >> it's just a great way in my opinion to get the knowledge out

there to people who might not have health care. >> from high energy aerobics to hooping it up, there's something for everyone. kids got a whole new take on the game operation while others worked their own hearts. >> how do you feel? >> good. >> in addition, hundreds of booths offer free testing and screening. >> my eyes checked, my ears, my blood sugar. >> james's mission is beyond the booth. >> i want to live a long life, and i want to be around for my kids, maybe grandchildren. >> also, "the biggest losers" stars. it's a place no matter your pace, everyone wins. angie goth, news 4. >> that was the cute little baby crawl. i missed that. this was nbc 4's 19th annual health and fitness expo and hope you join us next here for the big 20th edition. with the tools we learned at the expo can help you live longer and have a healthier

life, still ahead, do arena ginsler with tips how to prevent a deadly stroke. also up, a coach who had a success in the nba talks about the lessons he's learning from

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♪ former wizards head coach eddie jordan and one of my favorite coaches is still coaching, only it's not in the nba. and it's not even in college. in fact, the most successful wizards coach in recent history is doing something that he's always wanted to do and for him it might be the most rewarding job he's ever had. ♪ >> it wasn't very long ago that eddie jordan was here, court side at verizon center. guiding the wizards to the playoffs four straight times. the most successful stretch for the franchise in 30 years. >> the flag! >> this year, eddie jordan is here coaching the freshman basketball team at carroll.

>> we're caught behind the screen and he is open. >> for a man who coached in the nba for 18 seasons, this is a new experience. >> i'm getting just as much satisfaction here as i would playing against the celtics and winning games against the celtics. because you see growth here. it's the most crucial part of their learning in basketball. you know? someone told me, you know, eddie, as a nba player, nba players remember their teammates. players on this level remember their coaches the rest of their lives. that's why i wanted to coach and it seems like this is my calling, even it's for a year or maybe more, but i had to do this. i had to do this. because this is why i coach. every possession, you're playing as hard as you can. >> jordan has been out of the nba since getting fired by the philadelphia 76ers in april of last year. but he's still getting paid. a lot. the remaining $3 million on his

contract which makes him probably the highest paid fresh man boebl coach in the country. a lot of things he's doing at kairm that were foreign to him as a nba head coach. >> i missed this step growing up. going through the ranks. it is something that we all should go through if you're going to coach and i started in college and there was a manager, there were equipment managers and i'm all of them. >> jordan's high school coaching resume will likely read one and done. he plans to pursue nba jobs next season and no matter what happens, he always has those wizards' memories. >> i remember leaders, antoine and caron. what they do for us. you know? that's what you remember. the guys in the foxhole with. >> for trying to figure out gilbe gilbert, eddie jordan has come full circle. >> love him. one of d.c.'s premier facilities

for art will be tackling a new genre. video games. that's right. all part of a new exhibit coming in march to the smithsonian's art museum. american art museum. the art of video game wills focus on the graphics, the technology and the storytelling of video games and ranging from atari to playstation 3. this is going to be good. the public actually voted online for 80 video games that will be included in the exhibit. the art of video games will be part of a nationwide tour. i can't wait. and i know the line is probably going to be long. well, the saying goes if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. still ahead, we'll show you where washington, d.c. ranks amongst happiest cities to work in the u.s. up next, the workout that's

so, this is delicious okay... is this where we're at now, we just eat whatever tastes good? like these sweet honey clusters... actually there's a half a day's worth of fiber in every ... why stop at cereal? bring on the pork chops and the hot fudge. fantastic. are you done sweetie? yea [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one. hey, i love your cereal there-- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way. lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one.

came on suddenly and gave a washington man the scare of his

life. 78-year-old willieashchew was having a stroke. more than 160,000 people die from strokes each year. the good news is most cases it's very preventable. doreen ginsler has more. >> i was feeling a sense that i never had before. and i just couldn't control myself. >> 78-year-old willieascew says it came on quickly. blurriness and weakness. he was urged by the family to go to the hospital. >> i wasn't worried because i was one of those guys that reallily loved the lord. and was trusting him. >> but sure enough, doctors here at providence hospital found very wrong. he was having a stroke. >> strokes on the right side of the brain that deals with motor and sensory that affects the arm

and face. hold your hands up like this for me. >> the neurologist at providence hospital says the stroke caused by blocked arteries in his brain, the result of high cholesterol and hypertension, two risk factors that could have been treated early if he'd just been tested. >> anybody over 50 that has family members at risk and, you know, family members with risk factors of these things don't even know about them themselves should be screened for it. tap for me. >> besides high blood pressure and high cholesterol, he says other risk factors can include diabetes, obesity, tobacco use and living a sedentary lifestyle. up to 80% of strokes can be prevented. >> it's vitally important. get to the doctor as soon as you can.

>> he didn't get to the hospital in time to get stroke reversing medication. that has to be given within three hours of the stroke. but doctors gave him other types of treatment, including blood thinners and blood pressure drugs. >> he's more or less recovered from his stroke. and he's doing great. >> now, i can -- i'm in control. i know what i'm doing. >> doreen ginsler, news 4. >> he's certainly looking awfully spry. if you've been trying to get your health in gear through exercise, we have just the thing that's sure to put a spring in your step. kangu jumps and people wear special shoes to lets them bounce through every step. here's more on how you can jump start your workout. >> all right. >> i like it because it's not like traditional cardio. it's dancey. >> you get used to treadmills or ellipticals which are great but

this is a totally different type of full body workout. >> it is rebounding. taking out 80% of the impact and makes it easier on the joints but same time it's a bigger cardio workout getting the heart rates up much higher. >> the first time i put on inline skates or as a kid roller skates. has a feeling of security around your leg. you feel like you're going to fall but once you get your balance, it's just really like riding a bike. you just keep moving and then you start getting in to the rhythm. >> people look at the boots and they think, oh, i'm going to need to learn a new activity. they took scary. they really just make a cushion when you come down and very stable. >> playground for me. so much fun to find new ways to play with everything. >> looks like a lot of fun and it was a lot of fun but when you start adding in a lot of repetitions and weight bar and trying to keep your balance and the cardio, it was a little bit

tougher than i expected. >> it makes you tighter. it really makes your whole body tighter and burning so many calories it's a great fat burner. lower the body fat and work your core so you're really going do see the abs come out and nice definition in the legs. >> me being the mother of three, i carrying the weight in the bottom half. >> you have to try it. give yourself a couple of classes. you are going to love it. >> kango jumps offered on u street thursdays and sundays if you want to take it. he is covering the d.c. beat on news 4 for more than two decades. coming up, what our own tom sherwood has to say

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just how happy are you on the job? well, it's an interesting world but wards is ranked as one of the happiest cities in the country when it comes to work. that's the findings of a new

survey. washington comes in 12th on their list. the ranking measures what employees say about the work they do, the money they make, the people they work with and their chances for growth in their field. by the way, the average salary here in washington is more than $70,000. the most happy city to work in is miami, of course. at the bottom of the list is seattle. i don't know why it's there. and as we take a look at one of the final stories here, we are looking at one of our own. the local award to honor those who do good work and generous spirit making washington a great place to live and work and one of our own is one of the newest inductees. tom sherwood was recognized as one of its eight washingtonians. in a typical style, sherwood brought the unique political situation in to his thank you speech. >> you know, we're not respected

on capitol hill or on the congress or by the president because of our lack of abilities in this town but we respect ourselves here today. we respect each other. our local washington is only as good as the people active in it. i mean that with all my heart and thank you for this award. thank you. >> and another thing about tom, he is a very funny man. the magazine has given the award now for 40 years. way to go, tom. well, that's all for news 4 this week. i'm veronica johnson. thanks for joining us v.. have a good one. see you back here next week.

♪

okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios.

want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours?