Valentine’s Day: Library sponsors program about favorite teen treat

Here’s a quiz: What bean grows in warm, moist climates and has annual world consumption of about 600,000 tons per year?

If you’re thinking of coffee, you’d be wrong. It’s the cocoa bean, which area teens celebrated Sunday at the Lawrence Public Library with the third annual Chocolate Program.

About 25 people attended the program, where the teens learned the history of chocolate and chocolate facts. And they chowed down on a variety of chocolate products, from white chocolate to unsweetened baking chocolate.

Organizer Kim Patton, young adult specialist at the library, said the Chocolate Program was a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day without getting too lovey-dovey.

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Brain Teaser: Hughes quiz, Day 12

This is one in a series of questions to test your knowledge on Langston Hughes, as part of the celebration of his 100th birthday. A new question will appear each day through Feb. 14. Each day’s answer will be posted at langstonhughes.ljworld.com.

12) Why did Langston Hughes’ father move to Mexico?

Answer to Sunday’s question: Pinckney, New York and Central schools.

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Community service: Jefferson County teen-agers help with anti-smoking effort

Two area high school students are helping with a statewide anti-tobacco campaign.

As members of Teens Against Smoking in Kansas, Ryan Bishop, a Jefferson West High School student, and Chris Dunn, a Perry-Lecompton High School student, are helping to organize three tobacco-resistance activities for youth. The Smoke-Free Teens are Rising Rallies will be in Hays, Wichita and Topeka later this month and in March. The events feature presentations about second-hand smoke, smokeless tobacco and local policy initiatives.

Later this month, Bishop and Dunn will be featured as part of TASK’s anti-tobacco television advertisement campaign. The commercials will begin airing on area stations starting Feb. 18.

In Jefferson County, Bishop and Dunn help promote the activities through Youth Against Drugs and Alcohol, which is sponsored by the county’s health department.