Features

In a gift store where I once worked, was a section nicknamed, “Old Farts.” In this tiny corner of  the shop were figurines of pudgy old-timers taking a swing with their golf clubs or sitting in a beauty parlor hair matted in curlers. All the figures  had dazed, ho-hum expressions painted on their faces.

The items in this section of the store would have just seemed cheesy and stereotypical to some but I found them laughable because they depicted images so unlike the elders in my family, specifically my grandparents.

“Adolescents cannot feel the future,” was the best take-home message from Dr. Abagail Baird and the Teen Brain Symposium sponsored by the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, earlier this month.

Humor and insight were the order of the day as Baird provided perspective into why teenagers do “stupid stuff.” The truth is there are physical differences in the adolescent decision making process, which make it unique.

The short answer is that the portion of the brain called the frontal lobe hasn’t fully developed yet.

Dance Arts Los Alamos will present its annual Early Childhood Recital at 10 a.m. Saturday at Piñon Elementary School in White Rock.

Audience members will have the opportunity to bid on a piano in a silent auction. Admission is free and a reception to honor the dancers will follow.

DALA’s Early Childhood program is designed to introduce dance in a fun and supportive environment with the goal of instilling a life-long love of dance and movement.

One of Los Alamos’ longest resident families, the Wilsons will spread their artwork throughout the library’s upper gallery.

It is more than just art being celebrated; the show is also honoring family. It is even in the name of the show, Coschwivancundun, which is a “tribal name,” and combines everyone’s last names.

The exhibit kicks off with a reception from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday. The show runs through May 30.

Music, laced with poetry, creates a weaving fit for springtime. It seems appropriate then, that the Coro de Camara is spreading out a blanket of flowery poetry and music, during its upcoming concert, which will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at the United Church. The group will present the concert again at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Scottish Rite Center in Santa Fe.

For the concert, “April Flowers,” Coro de Camara member Laura Erikson said, “the program is choral music set to wonderful poetry of flowers and spring.

Thursdays have traditionally been my favorite day. It started in elementary school because that was the day my second grade class went to the school library. Later, it became my favorite day because it signified the beginning of the end of the work week. I reasoned that Friday was just around the corner and I had successfully made it through another week.

But Thursday means something else to me now. On this particular day, when I see 12:30 p.m. appear on my computer screen, I give a silent cheer. This is when I meet with my friends for our weekly lunch.

Two years ago, Jerry Barlow made his debut performance in the Guitar and Gateaux series. Thursday, he will be back for an encore performance.

Barlow, an acclaimed Celtic finger style guitarist, is eager to return to the series after a successful first show. “I enjoy performing for a warm and appreciative audience,” he said.

Barlow said Los Alamos residents clearly show a love of the guitar and music.

He added it is always nice to have a welcoming audience.

This Friday, folks at Piñon Elementary will put their backs into some shovel work to beautify the campus and celebrate Arbor Day.

“We are having a school-wide event for campus beautification that includes rotational activities for students with everything from helping improve our field, a walk a thon for our track fundraiser, planting trees an hedges to PEEC activities,” Principal Megan Lee said.

PTO President Melanie McKinley is thrilled about the event and their sponsors.

This week, we take a look at Asset #8, Youth as Resources. According to the Search Institute, “Youth are more likely to grow up healthy when they are given useful roles in the community.”

This asset might be best understood by first approaching it from a family perspective. Do your children or grandchildren have tasks they do as a useful role in the family? Even if they don’t admit it, that’s where it all begins. Everyone needs to have a role in the family to feel like a valued part of it.