Kids extravaganza

Kids extravaganza
The first Connie Otter Kids Extravaganza and birthday party will be from 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Conneaut Lake Park on the Free Act Lawn. Connie's birthday party will be at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Admission is $3 per person, per day.
Games, contests, Sonlight Puppet Show, face-painting, pony rides will be featured. Clowns will build a ship out of balloons and the Pittsburgh Passions, -- Pittsburgh's female professional football team -- will conduct demonstrations and interact with kids and a number of mascots will be present all weekend to help Connie celebrate her birthday.
For more information, call (814) 382-5115.
School-year startof healthier living
Want to start the school year eating right? Here are a nutritionist's top tips:
UEat breakfast. It's important for keeping your energy high and maintaining a healthier weight. No time? Try a low-sugar cereal plus low-fat milk, fruit and yogurt, a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread or a high fiber, low-sugar meal replacement bar.
UTake a fruit or vegetable snack -- raisins or a bag of baby carrots or some baby tomatoes.
UVary the bread your sandwiches are on -- try tortillas for wraps one day and sandwich bread the next. Just try to make sure it's whole grain.
UBuy a cool looking water bottle and fill it up at the fountains in school.
UEat a snack when you come home. Sometimes school lunch can be very early and you'll often be hungry after school. If your didn't have cereal for breakfast, try it as a snack.
UGet rid of juices or high-calorie, sugar-filled drinks. Fresh or frozen fruit is higher in fiber, chock full of vitamins and lower in calories. Stick with no-calorie drinks and low-fat milk.
ULimit television watching and computer surfing and opt for physical activity, even if it's just walking around the house! Try putting on some music and see if it doesn't spur the whole family to dance around the house.
UDon't forget the vegetables at dinner. Try two different ones at each meal. Think of half your plate filled with those luscious greens and reds and oranges.
UFinally -- but very importantly -- no eating in front of the television.
'Fantastic 4' Activisionfor PlayStation 2
"Flame on," yells the Human Torch as you take control of the superhero group Fantastic 4 in this game version of the movie. This is one of the better comic-book action games in a long while.
It lures you in from the opening because of how closely it follows the movie and uses the real actors and their voices. It's also one of the few comic games that goes so deep into the origin of the superheroes. In fun game-play, you go through missions to see how four friends affected by a cosmic storm became the Fantastic 4.
"Fantastic 4" reverts to an old style of gaming in which you defeat lower-level enemies until you reach the boss. The controls are quite simple and allow you to use your superpowers easily.
The best feature is the two-player co-op mode, which lets you play with another person. There is also a mode for this type of play without missions, just for fun.
The graphics are OK, but you think more can be done. The environments come labeled as fully destructible, and some are, but there should be more usable doors, alleys, stores and buildings.
"Fantastic 4" is a heavy hitter in the button-mashing genre and is well worth the purchase for young adults and children. A more advanced gamer would still get a belly full of enjoyment out of a rental.
Pretty Post-its
One day, Post-its will rule your life. They'll be stuck to your computer, your calendar, your microwave, your front door and, quite possibly, even your steering wheel -- all reminding you to do one thing or another. Sure, you could use the sticky notes for homework reminders, but come on -- you're young! Have some fun: Leave your best friend a note in her book or ask your crush if he likes you (check "yes" or "no," of course). And while Post-its have long come in more colors than its classic canary yellow, they now come in the perfect flavors for teens: A top pick is "Monkey Notes" with an image of a green monkey and phrases like "monkey around," "monkey love" and "going bananas." Get them for $1.49 to $3.49.