With North Korea threatening nuclear war and with lawmakers battling over gun legislation, prospects for peace seem to be more elusive than ever. One man, though, in his own quiet way, has not abandoned the quest for a better future, taking his message to the streets as he walks from his home in North Manchester, IN to Elizabethtown in eastern Pennsylvania.

That walker, Bob Gross, stopped in Avalon last Thursday, spending the night with Rick and Jane Miller and family.

Avalon Elementary students learned about the importance of healthy eating while also developing their culinary skills, thanks to education partner Sodexo -- the school district's cafeteria food provider --and its "Future Chefs: Health Salad Challenge."

The national program, now in its third year, was created to get students thinking about making healthy food choices while also encouraging them to get active and creative in the kitchen.

Calling Pure Fitness a gym is a bit of an understatement.

Yes, it has lots of exercise equipment for both cardio and strength work-outs. It has classes that include spinning, yoga, pilates, Zumba and TurboKick.

It even has shower facilities and personal trainers, plus massage and sauna offered.

But Pure Fitness has been designed by owner Kim Gregory to offer women a friendly, supportive community that just so happens to be a place where they can take care of themselves.

"It's a place for intelligent, strong, independent women who care about their health," says Kim.

Many career experts will tell you: Do what you love, and success will follow.

What Julie Kramer and Bill Homol love is dogs, and that led the married couple to look in that direction when starting a business. " We always knew we wanted to do something with dogs one day," says Julie.

They got a little nudge in the right direction when Ohio Township, where they live, amended its zoning code to allow property owners with more than five acres to open a dog boarding kennel.

From his home in the hills above the train tracks running parallel to the Ohio River, Rich Kohler hears every whistle of the engines rolling by, every clickety-click of the cars on the tracks.

"That's what I love about Emsworth. You can't go anywhere without hearing the trains," Rich said, looking over his personal world of trains, towns, and scenes of everyday life. It's not the typical Christmas season train set-up, tracks circling the tree. Rather, it's a year-round hobby that is in a constant state of change, with the tweaking and expanding providing the enjoyment of his hobby.

The dedication of Bellevue’s new skate plaza and the borough’s annual Health & Safety Day dovetailed nicely last Saturday, as officials and experts took the opportunity to educate dozens of children about how to skateboard safely.

The plaza already has been the scene of one brain injury that occurred in a fall by a youth who was not wearing a helmet. Adam Bistrican, 14, of Bellevue, told the crowd at the plaza dedication about the weeks of headaches, nausea, and the inability to participate in his favorite activities.

Ask most adults what they recall watching on TV back when they were 6 or 7 years old and they'll probably name their favorite cartoons, followed by some more cartoons, followed by more of the same.

There are exceptions, of course, and Carson Bruno, a 2005 Avonworth grad, would be one of them.

Almost everyone knows the motto associated with the United States Post Office: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Familiar as the words are, they are not the official motto of the postal service, even though they certainly apply to most delivery men and women. Those familiar words actually trace to a Greek historian writing of Persian postal couriers delivering messages about 2,500 years ago.

The biggest show in town last weekend was the 22nd annual Kelly Awards, named for legendary local performer Gene Kelly. Staged at the Benedum Center, high schools from across Allegheny County showcased their 2012 musical productions, which ranged from standards such as "Bye, Bye Birdie" to the more contemporary "Curtains.'

Art and religion have always enjoyed an inspirational bond, from Mozart's compositions to Michelan-gelo's sculpture, with some of their creations spanning years of contemplation and work.

Local artist Clyde Williams did not have the luxury of pondering and revising his latest painting, now on display in the chapel at Emsworth United Presby-terian Church where he rendered a water color and acrylic composition based upon last week's Palm Sunday service conducted by Rev. Susan Rothenberg.

Believing that Christmas can still change the world, Emsworth United Presbyterian Church has partnered with the Advent Conspiracy to celebrate the holiday by spending less, giving more, worshiping fully and loving all during this special season.

Reverend Susan M. Rothenberg, pastor of the church, said that the partnership provides the congregation with the opportunity to purchase alternative gifts to benefit non-profit groups that answer Christ's call "…to seek His presence in the 'least of these,' as urged in Matthew 25:40."

Best-selling author John Irving once observed, "A writer uses what experience he or she has…"

Dennis Marsili, speaking last week at Bayne Library where he promoted "Excessive Forces, A Pittsburgh Police Thriller," the first novel of what he hopes will be a prolific second career, has followed Irving's advice.

Writing his novel in spare time over the past four years, he has drawn upon nearly 30 years of police work that included 11 years as a detective sergeant to pen his police thriller set in the fictional Pittsburgh Metropolitan Police Department.