The sixth annual POW*MIA Awareness Rally and Motorcycle Rodeo will be July 30, 31 and Aug. 1 at the Bannock County Fairgrounds in Pocatello. Highlight will be the American Veterans Traveling Tribute, which includes the Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall, a parade starting at 10:45 a.m. July 31 from the Idaho State Veterans Home at 1957 Alvin Ricken Drive, gates open at 10 a.m. at the fairground July 30, with many other events over the four days such as a motorcycle rodeo, demolition derby, Bike Show and Shine, raffle for a new Harley Superglide, Portneuf Valley Harley Owners group fun run, with vendors, tattoo artists, food and bands.

Friday:

By Judy Green

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

—"The Patterson Puppies and the Midnight Monster Party" by Leslie Patricelli; Candlewick, $15, 32 pages, ages 3-6

Petra, a timid, black-and-white puppy, shares a bedroom with three siblings. She wakes up often in the middle of the night and hears noises, like a monster scratching on the roof.

Despite Papa's reassurances, she's scared. Each of her siblings offers a magic trick to make the monster flee. Nothing works, not even fresh-baked cookies, made with Mama's help.

One night Petra's brother Andy decides to look for the monster — or maybe check out the cookie plate. All four puppies tiptoe downstairs. They are in for a scary surprise, and so is the monster. She's lime-green with three eyes, two purple horns and a feline tail. She and the puppies try to hide from each other, but when Petra sees the monster trembling, too, and she offers her a cookie.

It opens the door to a raucous party — until Mama and Papa appear.

Paticelli paces the tension and humor in "Puppies"...

 The Greater American Falls Chamber of Commerce will sponsor two shows of the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus July 25 at the Power County Fairgrounds at 2 and 4:30 p.m. Tickets are now on sale at Power County Press, American Falls Library, King’s, Alco and O’Grady’s for $9 adults, $6 children. Tickets will cost $12 day of the show for adults, $7 for children. Skeeter the Clown will appear in many American Falls businesses from 8 a.m. to noon. For more information, call Kevin Lynott at 705-6462.

POCATELLO — The annual Pioneer Day Celebration will be held on July 23 and 24 this year. The theme is "Faith to Conquer Fear!"

Activities will begin on Friday, July 23 with the Pocatello's Got Talent show at 7 p.m. in the Pocatello High School auditorium. The family oriented evening will showcase the talents of groups and individuals from all over the area. Admission is free, however a donation of canned goods, non-perishable items or money for the Idaho Food Bank is suggested.

The bike ride and fun run will be on Saturday. Meet at Ross Park at 6:30 a.m. for same day registration, or pre-registration or online at www.pioneerdaycelebration.com and come at 6:45 a.m. The event starts at 7 a.m. sharp. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Events include a 5k and 10k run and a 25 mile bike ride. T-shirts are available to those who pre-register for a $5 fee. Barrie's SKi and Sports will do a bike check for the race for free.

The PARADE will be on Saturday morning. It will begin at the Holt Arena...

Pocatello’s Got Talent is a family oriented variety show held in connection with Pocatello’s Pioneer Day celebration. It will be Friday, July 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Pocatello High School. Admission is free! There will be a collection of donations of canned goods, non-perishable items or money for the Idaho Foodbank. To get involved, contact your stake cultural arts representative or Derk Mitton 221-3643. Please fill in the correct name and number. Emcee for the event will be Blaine Jones and the run-through will be at 6 p.m. at Pocatello High auditorium. There will be a rock band, one-man band, Celtic drums, fiddler, pianist, magicians, dancers, singers and guitarists.

BLACKFOOT — The Kusun Ensemble, an extraordinary group of musicians and dancers based in Ghana, West Africa, will be performing at the Blackfoot Performing Arts Center on July 21 at 7:30 p.m. By blending the authentic sounds of traditional instruments with the exuberance of hi-life music and the complexity of African jazz, they are developing a unique Ghanaian sound and bringing the tropical passion of West African music and dance to the world stage.  Founded by Nii Tettey Tetteh, the group includes past members of The National Ballet and The Pan African Orchestra. Although rooted in traditional music, the ensemble has developed a new brand of music and dance they have dubbed "Nokoko." They have created innovative rhythms and dances by fusing bass and lead guitar, electrifying jazz and African rhythms, and traditional Ghanaian instruments. In their quest to develop a new style of Ghanaian music, they have been dazzling audiences in Ghana and around the world.

    Tickets...

By Monica Eng

Chicago Tribune (MCT)

CHICAGO — Health officials and parents everywhere continue to puzzle over how to get kids to eat their fruits and vegetables. But I discovered the answer a few weeks ago.

And it turns out Pennsylvania State University nutrition scientist Barbara J. Rolls made a similar discovery that she revealed in the May issue of the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition.

Rolls and colleagues worked with preschoolers and found that if you feed them generous amounts of vegetables — in this case raw carrots — as their first course, they will eat more of them. Rolls and company are funded by a National Institutes of Health grant aimed increasing vegetable consumption in children.

I worked without a grant and experimented on my 6- and 11-year olds. Through them, I found that if you bring kids home hungry from hours of swimming (stubbornly passing up every restaurant on the way home), then feed them consecutive fruit and vegetable courses, they will devour them happily, and skip the...

A Midsummer’s Night for the Zoo, the annual Pocatello Zoo event for adults (21 years and older), is Saturday, July 10, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Proceeds will help fund the exciting new Grizzly Bear Exhibit. Tickets are on sale now!

It will be a romantic evening under the stars at the beautiful Outdoor Amphitheater behind the Fort Hall Replica. Pocatello’s great home band, KYD J, will be providing musical entertainment and dancing throughout the evening beginning at 6:45 p.m. Legendary hot hors d’oeuvres and a scrumptious potato bar are being sponsored and served by Texas Roadhouse. There will also be dessert, a no-host bar by Intermountain Beverage Co., and other beverages for everyone.

The silent auction and live auction have over $20,000 in outstanding items and outings on which to bid, under the direction of Prime Time Auctions. These include an Alaska fishing trip, one Texas Roadhouse dinner each week for a year, a massive set of elk antlers, exciting field trips with Idaho Fish and Game, and a week’...

By Jenny Hopkins

jhopkins@journalnet.com

    POCATELLO — A variety of Independence Day activities this week will lead up to The Biggest Show in Idaho on Sunday night.

    The Pocatello Elks Lodge No. 674 will host the Fourth of July parade on Sunday, July 4. It will begin at 10 a.m. at Pocatello High School, travel down Arthur Ave. to Center St., travel up Center St. to Eighth Ave., make a right on Eighth, and end in the Pond Student Union parking lot. Participants are asked to gather at Pocatello High School at 8 a.m. If you would like to register for the parade, or for more information, go to pocatelloelks.org. Registration is also possible the day of the parade.

    Paradise Amusements will be returning to the fairgrounds this year with a carnival. It will be open Thursday through Sunday night at the fairgrounds.

    There will be a Battle of the Bands competition on Saturday starting at 3 p.m. 20 local bands will compete and the top three will earn the...

Holy Spirit Catholic Community will hold Vacation Bible School, “High Seas Expedition” June 28 through July 1 at St. Paul’s Chapel, 820 W. Chubbuck Road, Chubbuck, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. each day. The cost is $20 per child. Exploring the mighty love of God, there will be a chance to make new friends, do crafts, play wild games, enjoy snacks, listen to swashbuckling Bible adventures and enjoy music as well. More information is available by calling Melanie Broswick at 232-1196.

The Gateway Foundation is excited to announce our summer 2010 session! The session will be five weeks long beginning June 28, running through the last week in July. We are running a special, if you register before June 1 you will not be charged with a registration fee. Our summer session includes classes in various arts such as cheer, tumbling, children’s musical theatrt, children's and adult ballroom, creative movement classes, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical and hip-hop! The Gateway Foundation is a nonprofit foundation who love to share our love of the arts with everyone. Contact us for further details!

By Journal Staff

    POCATELLO — The Idaho Summer Repertory has announced their 2010 season. All the shows are held at the Idaho State University Stephens Performng Arts Center in Pocatello.

    • “Hairspray” — Baltimore’s Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion—to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, "The Corny Collins Show" and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. “Hairspray” will be shown  in the Beverly B. Bistline Theater on July 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. each night plus a matinee on July 17 at 2 p.m.

    • “The Complete History of America Abridged” — Interprets the past as a breathlessly paced sequence of silly vaudeville sketches, word-association games, puns and crude parodies of movie and television genres. Nothing is sacred, and many of the facts have been skewed to suggest the paranoid ravings of a particularly loony tabloid. It will...

By Ben Jones

Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (MCT)

Wikipedia is now the source for more than just sourceless term papers for college students.

Wikiracing, a new game played using the online encyclopedia, is an increasingly popular distraction during late nights in the library or long days spent in classrooms for many young people. In Wikiracing, competitors try to get from a predetermined starting page on the website to a predetermined destination as quickly as possible.

It sounds simple — and some Wikiraces are. After all, it doesn't take much imagination to find your way from Britney Spears' page to Beyonce's, but to go from "Britney Spears" to "genius" might take a little time (Hint: Spears once guest-starred on "How I Met Your Mother," the same show with actor Neil Patrick Harris of "Doogie Howser, M.D." fame).

Wikiraces can be measured in two ways: time spent racing and total clicks used to reach the destination. When racing by time, the first person to reach the destination page is declared the winner....

By Judy Hevrdejs, Chicago Tribune

(MCT)

It's summertime and the livin' is easy. So why in George Washington's name should you bring up the subject of dusty, musty history with your kids?

Because it will be so much more fun if you visit a museum, historic site or national park near your home or as part of a family road trip. It's a great way to make history come alive for your children.

"Summer trips are crucial, an invaluable experience," says Betsy Brown Braun, a childhood development and behavior specialist. "What is learning if it's just book learning?"

So head to the Freedom Trail in Massachusetts, a Hopi Indian reservation in Arizona or the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. But don't expect the same old pictographs and lame displays from your childhood. These days, movie theater experiences that play to all the senses — animatronics, interactive games and Web sites — connect with youngsters.

"The best way to get kids interested in history is to engage them in some way,...

POCATELLO — Old Town Actors Studio, 427 N. Main St. Suite G in Pocatello, will be offering Theater Workshops for Youth on July 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, and 21. The workshop will culminate in productions of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” which will be presented July 22, 23, and 24, 2010 at OTAS.

    The workshop includes: Acting techniques, improv skills, free-t-shirt, and final performance. The classes will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. for first through sixth graders and 3 to 5 p.m. for junior and senior high students. The cost is $125 per student with a $25 discount with sibling or friend dual enrollment.

Registration forms and further information can be found at www.oldtownactorsstudio.com or we'll be happy to send you a form by calling 478-6886 and leaving your address and phone number on our answering machine.             Registration and payment must be in to the Old Town Actors Studio, PO Box 4144, Pocatello,...

Elementary Children

Make a Splash – Read! Youth Services Summer reading program continues.  Here are some of the activities you can do this month. *Play with the new Puppet Theater!  *Join the library writing group-Write On! (We meet every Monday from 4:00 to 5:00).  *Take part in our Summer Art Institute on Tuesdays from 2:00 to 3:00 each week.  *Meet the Book Wagon at a park on Wednesdays.  Hear stories and get a free book.  

*Watch book-related movies on Thursdays at 2:00 to get out of the summer heat.  

    Thursday July 1 Back to the Future PG 116 minutes

    Thursday July 8 The Parent Trap G 129 minutes

    Thursday July 15 Words by Heart PG 110 minutes

    Thursday July 22 The Fox and the Hound G 83 minutes    

    Thursday July 29 The Secret Garden PG 100 minutes

*Sign up for Friday Book Group (every other Friday) or come to Open Art Day (the other Fridays) at 2:00.  *Read, Read, Read!...

Event: Rummage Sale

Location:  Ray's Custom Interiors at 2025 Flandro Dr

Date: June 26

Time: 8:00 AM

Over 2000 items will be on sale!  That makes this one whopper of a garage sale so come early and stay until they are all gone.

There will also be items the girls have made so you can show your support for our team.  They have made Barrettes, headbands, and braclets.

In addition, there will be home made goodies and Fat Boys Ice Cream Sandwiches for sale to sustain your shopping energy and water and soda to quench your thirst.

For printable travel games take a peek at http://travelwithkids.about.com/cs/printgames/a/gamesprint.htm or head over to www.momsminivan.com.

For those who want to try Battleship, check out http://www.momsminivan.com/battleship.html

For an evening of fun and nostalgia join us at the Katherine Winter Davis Little Theatre in American Falls this weekend as we open our summer Musical “Footloose”.   The fun loving 80s hit play that included such well know songs as Footloose, Lets hear it for the Boy, Some bodies eyes, and more will have you singing along and itching to get out on the dance floor.  The play is loosely based on events that took place in the tiny, rural farming community of Elmore City, Oklahoma, where a tragedy involving some of the local teenagers caused the town to put a ban on raucous activities.  Come join a teenager named Ren (Exel Stroschein) who was raised in Chicago, as he moves to a small town where the local government has banned dancing and rock music. He and his classmates want to have a senior prom with music and dancing. But first he must figure out a way to get around the law and Reverend Shaw Moore.  Come join the Little Theatre and its sponsors KZBQ, KORR 104, The Power County Press, Rockland...

Event for Youth Entering 7th through 12th Grades

Register now to attend the Marshall Public Library’s third party celebrating the Twilight Saga Series books to movies transition. The book series is written by author Stephenie Meyer.

The party is open to youth entering 7th through 12th grades. It will be held at the Library, 113 South Garfield Avenue, on Friday, June 18, 2010 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. There will be games, raffle items and lots of fun. Raffle items include two movie tickets, books and more. To enter the raffle, individuals need to bring one canned food item for each raffle ticket or pay $1 for two raffle tickets.

Space is limited, and participants must register to attend. Register online at www.marshallpl.org, in person or by phone (232-1263).

Summer Events Open to Ages 12 and Over

The Ross Park Aquatic Complex (RPAC) has scheduled its 2010 summer “Splash Dance” series, and this year’s kickoff event is Thursday, June 17, 2010.

These special after-hours events are held from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and individuals ages 12 and older are invited to attend. There is always a live DJ at each event for great music, as well as other fun activities. Admission is $5 per event, which includes the waterslide. “What better way to spend an evening than swimming and dancing,” said Tyler Butler, Interim RPAC Manager. “These events are a lot of fun and the highlight of the summer.”

Additional “Splash Dances” have been set for June 24, July 8, July 22, July 29 and August 5. For more information, call 235-5412.

If you have never “drowned a worm” or “wet a fly”, you don’t know what you are missing! And, here is your chance to find out. Saturday, June 12t is Free Fishing Day in Idaho which means anyone can fish without a license on any of Idaho’s waters open to fishing.

    To help celebrate the day, there will be several free fishing day events around the region. Even if you or your kids do not know how to fish, there will be plenty of helpful hands at the various events to assist with fishing basics, from baiting a hook to reeling in a catch. Poles, bait and other gear will be available for use at the events while supplies last.

    • McTucker Ponds, near Aberdeen/Springfield – This popular event is back and will be hosted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Reel in some fun from 9 a.m.  until 1 p.m. There are eight ponds available for fishing. Various prizes will be given away, and a free hot dog lunch will be provided.

    • Kelly Park Pond (upper pond), Soda Springs...

Pebble Creek's annual Wildflower Concert will be held Saturday, June 26 from 5 to 10 pm.  Music by 2 a.m. Logic and Somewhere in the Middle will fill the slopes as concert goers nestle their lawn chairs and blankets in the wild flowers on the slopes. The hillside just above the deck provides a perfect view of both the performers and the sunset. Guided wild flower hikes around the area will be offered before the concert.

Concert tickets are available in advance in Pocatello at Scott's Ski and Sports, Barrie's Sports, The College Market and The Raven's Nest. Tickets are $7.00 in advance and $10.00 at the gate. Children 12 and under are admitted to the concert free of charge. If the weather is wet, the concert will take place inside the lodge.

In celebration of the beautiful natural wildflower display, Pebble Creek will operate the Sunshine Triple Chair Lift before the concert, for persons wanting to take a wildflower hike back down the mountain. Professional botanists will be along the hiking routes to identify...

POCATELLO – Riverfest 2010 is on June 19th, Taysom Rotary Park, from 2-9 pm.   We will have free kid’s activities from 2-6.  This year we will have Wall-e the interactive robot from the Bannock County landfill, a storm water model, fishing games grow your own food seed give away and many more.  Once again Kirk’s Kruisers will be there with his bikes.

Our music this year will feature DJ Kelly Martinez from, 2-4 pm, Somewhere in the Middle from 4:30-6:30 and the Clumsy Lovers from 7-9 pm.

Our raffle this year is featuring a car from Robert Allen Auto Group, J&J Auto Body, Ideal Audio and John’s Paint and Glass.  We also have a sweet gas grill from Intermountain Gas.  Our third prize is a Fat Tire Bike from Intermountain Beverage and New Belgium Brewery.  Tickets are available for sale at all ISU Credit Union locations. The prize ball drop will be at 6:30.

Greta the Greenway Frog will on site as well as the Ranger from New Belgium Brewery.

Rain or Shine plan to attend the Portneuf...

The Idaho State University Bands has announced that it again will be sponsoring an ISU Summer Band. The ensemble, which is open to all ISU students, faculty, and staff, advanced high school instrumentalists, and community members, will meet Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning on Tuesday, June 8, at 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. at the Fine Arts Building Room 109, and will perform its final concert on Wednesday evening, June 30 at 7:30 p.m. There is no cost to be a member of the band, but there are credit options available for music educators. The band will be organized by Dr. Patrick Brooks, ISU director of bands, and will feature several guest conductors. People interested in becoming a member of the ISU Summer Band are directed to contact Dr. Brooks (broopatr@isu.edu) or Linda England in the ISU Music Department (282-3147, engllind@isu.edu) for more information.