Linda Ball

Real Life Ministries, 1866 N. Cecil, in Post Falls, is once again offering the PRISM Weight Loss Program. PRISM is more than a diet; it calls for a complete lifestyle change. The program is built on biblical principles and addresses the whole person; body, mind and spirit. The principles presented are designed to provide you with the best possible opportunity to complete your weight-loss.

World traveler and professional clown Jeanne MacConnell, also known as "Gigi," has added a couple of new pins on the world map in her home. In November, she was able to travel to Moscow, Russia, for one week and then to St. Petersburg for another week with doctor, clown and social activist Patch Adams.

New Life Church, 6068 W. Hayden Ave., will begin Alpha, a 10-week course offering a basic introduction to Christianity, beginning Tuesday. Meetings are from 6 to 8:45 p.m. and include a free meal. The course is open to teens and adults. Child care is available for kids up to kindergarten age. The series is presented on video with Nicky Gumbel, an Anglican pastor from London. The course includes a manual. The study is free, but an offering will be accepted.

Five athletes from Idaho have qualified for the Special Olympics World Winter Games Feb. 26 through March 5 in Nagano, Japan, and two of them live within a mile of each other in the Rathdrum area. This will be 21-year-old Brandon Burtis' second trip to world games. In 2003 he competed in the summer games in Dublin, Ireland, in road-biking events. He received a bronze medal in the 15K race, and fourth place in the 10K road race.

River City Middle School history and video production teacher Ryan Wood has just penned his first book titled, "Growing Up Pinecreek," based on his own childhood experiences. Wood grew up along Pine Creek south of Pinehurst in the Silver Valley, and he thinks the book will appeal to anyone who grew up in any rural part of the country.

Hayden Lake Evangelical Friends Church, at 251 W. Miles Ave., held its first worship service in the new sanctuary last Sunday with Pastor Bob Schneiter who brought the message "You Praise Him." The $1 million addition was completed debt-free and consists of nearly 17,000 square feet of space with seating for 700 people.

Community United Methodist Church, 1470 W. Hanley Ave., begins its Christmas season series this Sunday. For the next four weeks, Sunday worship services will focus on ways to prepare for the real "Reason for the Season." Each Sunday will have special themes of hope, peace, joy and love. On Dec. 19, a musical cantata, "A Christmas Carol in Bethlehem," based on Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," will be performed with adult and children's choirs, orchestra and drama.

Just one hour a week with an adult mentor can make a huge difference in a child's life, according to David Hunt, a counselor at Borah Elementary School. Hunt is on the board of directors of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of North Idaho, and played an integral role in bringing to Borah "Bigs in School," the school-based program of BBBSNI. Four years ago, Hunt and Joel Palmer, the former principal at Borah, wrote a grant to pay for bringing the program to the school. The grant funded a volunteer from AmeriCorps, called a Volunteer in Service to America. Ruth Rahimi, the current AmeriCorps VISTA, is in charge of the school program.

The House of Worship has found a permanent home in Post Falls at 3960 W. Fifth. The church has been in existence for two years and had been meeting at the Post Falls Senior Center. The church is a Foursquare denomination, similar to Assembly of God churches. Services are at 10 a.m. Sunday, and there are smaller family groups throughout the week. Children's church is also at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Trinity Lutheran Church, Fifth and Reed, will hold its annual Holiday Fest today from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. There will be handcrafted gifts, a large assortment of hand-tied quilts, afghans, baked goods, a white elephant and several raffle items.

The Rathdrum United Methodist Church will hold its fall bazaar today from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the church, 15468 McCartney St., behind Granny's Pantry. Crafts and baked goods will be available. A spaghetti lunch will be served from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Lunch is $5 for adults and $3 for children. Women's conference scheduled

The staff at the Coeur d'Alene Bridge Academy is preparing the school's 80 seniors for life after spring graduation with what they are calling their Senior Summit. Like the senior projects required at large public high schools, which often involve job-shadowing with a professional, Bridge Academy's summit has a job-shadowing component. But the summit also involves seniors in community volunteer work and the real-life experiences of living on a budget, paying rent and applying for a job. Each Bridge Academy senior is required to take part in a community project, whether it be walking dogs for the Humane Society, planting tulips for Idaho Drug-Free Youth or helping with the coats-for-kids drive at the Harding Family Center. The students must volunteer for a minimum of eight hours.

The North Idaho Unitarian Universalist Church will feature a discussion led by Dr. Justin StormoGipson Sunday titled "Clean Elections, Clean Money," at 10:30 a.m. in the Harding Family Center, 15th and Wallace. StormoGipson will address how corporate influence on legislative decision-making affects all of the issues important to Idaho citizens. He will discuss how full public campaign financing helps level the playing field so that votes count more than money.

Four talented actors from Chicago's award-winning Imagination Theater brought their show, "Ease the Tease," to several Coeur d'Alene elementary schools last week, performing 15 shows in just four days. "Ease the Tease" teaches children how to deal with hurtful teasing and how to recognize the difference between hurtful and fun teasing. The Kootenai-Benewah Medical Alliance, a local organization of physician spouses, brought the performers to town. KBMA teams with the American Medical Association Alliance to identify and address public health issues in our area. This year they are devoting their efforts toward SAVE, Stop America's Violence Everywhere, and that includes schools.