The dance performance at The Center for the Arts last Friday - Starz - was terrific. I totally loved the youngest break dancer; he melted my heart. So good to see young males on stage, something that back in my high school days was an impossibility as it wasn't "cool" then. My hat is off to the youth of all ages, girls and boys, who work hard to put on such a good show. The adult dancer weren't bad, either.

Wonderful news for local writer and radio personality Molly Fisk. One of her KVMR commentaries, "Eating Locally," has just been published in "A Women's Guide to Saving the World," a new anthology of essays from the U.K. that includes work by Booker-Prize winning novelist Margaret Drabble (83 writers in all). "I'm delighted to be in such exalted, activist company," says Fisk. Congrats, Molly!

Linda Burquez tells me she is offering a free class in trance dance (a moving meditation - sounds good) Tuesday, 7-9 p.m., at Core Movement Center, 578 Searls Ave., Nevada City. Bring a blindfold of some kind. Call her at (530) 470-0906.

For the youth in your life - "Design Squad," a TV program produced by WGBH Boston for PBS, is starting its 13-episode show Wednesday (check local listings, they said) with "Design Squad's" aspiring teenage engineers creating eco-friendly cardboard furniture for display at IKEA, the home furnishings superstore. In addition, a contest is afoot, as the show is inviting kids K-12 from around the country to reduce, recycle and redesign items from their recycling bin to become the next big thing. There is a $10,000 cash prize. The nationwide Trash to Treasure competition will launch at www.bkfk.com on April 1 and run for three months. For more information, go to www.pbs.org/designsquad.

How about this: I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

- Pam Jung, pjung@the

union.com; (530) 477-4232