William Thomas Middle School performed Little Mermaid Jr to a crowd. I specify that it was middle school because the talent was so impressive it could have been at least High School. We are all familiar with the story, the junior version is a stage adaptation of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, based on the animated film. It follows Ariel (Chantaya Huse), a young mermaid who dreams of life on land. Defying her father, King Triton (Ryder Magee), she makes a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula (Rachel Carter), trading her voice for human legs. With the help of her friends – Flounder (Mattie Mendez), Sebastian (Carson Anglesey), and Scuttle (Taylor Evans) – Ariel must win Prince Eric’s (Eryx Hamann) love before time runs out. Meanwhile, Ursula schemes to take over the ocean. In the end, Ariel regains her voice, defeats Ursula, and earns Triton’s blessing to live on land with Eric and fulfill her dreams. The thing about school plays is that usually there is a fair amount of mistakes, but I have to say they were impressively few in this production. Sebastian showed particular talent, playing his role with the perfect amount of exaggeration and accent. Ursula did the most fantastic rendition of “poor unfortunate souls” that really couldn’t be rivalled by professionals. Scuttle was another stand-out performer as was Chef Louis (Maximino Cardona). Ariel is rather an obvious role to call out but Chantaya Huse did the role justice. The only negative thing I have to say about the whole thing was the announcement at the beginning, courtesy of Disney. They forbid photography or video of any kind. Corporations like Disney have a way of feeling their evil sea witch tentacles out into even the smallest towns and holding them in their clutches to squeeze out a legal suit and money. I hope Disney reads this to know that they really could afford to sacrifice a tiny bit of exclusivity to allow children’s parents and the community to photograph a student acting a part for goodness sake! There isn’t going to be any money made from selling a photo of a student in a costume that is going to rob profits from Disney. Come on! So, I present you with the only legal photograph, a cast photo. But back to the positives. About sixty students graced the stage in costumes by Disguises Costumes, Denver, CO. Brian Leisher directed with Isabella Fernandez as student director/projections. Frankie Reyes and Noelle Cummins were sound technicians. This adaptations included all your favorites with sixteen well-known musical numbers. Just because they didn’t have a major roll it seems a shame to leave out anyones name because everybody did such a great job. So I’ll list the characters not already mentioned and their student actor(ess). Pilot, Maximino Cardona; Grimsby. Gunzen Rose; Winword, Benson Cummins; Aquata, Paige Barela; Andrina, Hope VanSell; Arista, Elaine Bennett; Atina, Ali Blauer; Adella, Akacia Taylor; Allana, Eden Driscoll’ Flotsam, Lainey Moore; Jetsam, Hannah VanSell; Carlotta, Larissa Rascon Marquez. Gulls: Emalee Alvarez Cardona, Claudia Andrews, Ember Driscoll, Hannah Fowler, Henry Moore, Katelyn Anglesey, Lillianna Duffin, Rebecca Muench. Sailors: Kylee Blair, Cynthia Amboh, Larissa Rascon Marquez, Jocelyn Gonzalez, Pyper Duffin, Emy Leisher, Jetta Pfeifer, Sophia Novak, Eli Leisher. Sea Creatures: AnnaLee Williams, Kelly Quillin, Ashley Cardona, Brynlee Chandler, Emy Leisher, Erik Gilbert, Jenna Hanini, Jimena McLean, Kylee Garcia, Myaleta Curzon, Oaklee Anderson, Oakley Sprague, Phoebe Barela, Rhapsody Hanchey, Rowan Laffoon, Annie Klinkenborg, London Quillin, Sofia Mata, Jonathan Palacios, Leslie Palacios, Bryan Alvarez Cardona. Chefs: Ava Edwards, Audrina Harris, Addalyn Sweeney, Noelle Lammers, Ariana Torres Rangel, Eli Leisher, Gabriella Garza, Konrad Wallentine. Mr. Leisher would like to thank all of the volunteers, students and staff who made the production possible, especially the cast members who have spent countless hours preparing. Bravo!

Alan Pratt Leslie “Alan” Pratt, a cherished member of the Aberdeen, ID, community, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, at the age of 83. Born on Feb. 12, 1941, in American Falls, ID, Alan lived a life filled with devoted service, love for his family, and passion for farming.       Alan’s career as a farmer was not just a job to him; it was a lifelong commitment that he deeply cherished. He took great pride in his work and made significant contributions to the field, developing and inventing the ‘Pratt Potato Digger Blade’, a testament to his innovative spirit and dedication to improving farming practices. Alan enjoyed many happy years farming alongside his father, brother-in-law Larry, nephew Marc, and his three sons, fostering a legacy of hard work and dedication to the land.       Beyond his professional accomplishments, Alan was a devoted family man who loved his wife, Rita Pratt, dearly. He dedicated himself to spending precious time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, relishing the role of a wonderful Grandpa who would share laughter and love. His family often recounted fond memories of his visits as a dedicated Home Teacher, where he would often bring along one of his wife’s beloved pies, a combination of service and delight.       Alan’s personality shone brightly in his interactions with others. He was a friend to everyone he met, always ready with a warm smile. His commitment to serving others made him an exemplary neighbor in his community, and his kindness touched the hearts of many.       In his later years, Alan discovered a passion for woodworking, creating beautiful tables for family members that will serve as lasting reminders of his talent and love for crafting.       Alan is survived by his beloved wife, Rita Pratt; sons Christopher Alan, John Phillip, Alex Spencer; daughters-in-law Tara Pratt, Roselyn B. Pratt, and Nicole Pratt; son Todd Durrant; sister Melanie Reynolds; brothers-in-law Larry Elliott and Jim Crockett; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom will remember him with immense love and respect.       He was preceded in death by his mother, Martha Pratt; father, Leslie Pratt; sisters Eleanor Elliott and Dee Crockett; and granddaughter Heather Durrant.       Alan Pratt's remarkable legacy of love, service, and dedication will resonate in the hearts of all who had the privilege to know him. His memory will live on through the many lives he touched throughout his remarkable journey.       A visitation was held on Jan. 25, from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Aberdeen. The funeral service followed at 11 a.m. To order flowers, or to share condolences, memories, and photos, please visit DavisRoseMortuary.com .

by Celia Klassen Press/Times staff writer The American Falls FFA Chapter put on a free event for people to partake in a Dosha breathing session followed by Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement.      About 20 members of the community gathered at the American Falls High School library Friday, Jan. 17, for “Serenity in Blooms”. The FFA  American Falls Chapter put on the free event for those who signed up to partake in a Dosha breathing session followed by Ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arrangement).      A wide range of ages gathered for the class where Carroll Klinger and Sally Beitia taught about the balance of your Ayurvedic doshas and then about breathing techniques to help deal with stress. Klinger and Beitia have a yoga school in Pocatello called James Barrett Fit Fusion Studio which is more than what comes to mind when you think of “yoga”. They focus on the union of body and mind. The “mind” being different from the “brain”. Everyone’s brain looks virtually the same, but if you could view everybody’s mind, those would all be vastly different.      First up was a self-evaluation to find out whether your three doshas were balanced. Ideally, they would be balanced, but most of the time we aren’t. The three doshas are: Vata (ether and air), Pitta (fire and water) and Kapha (water and earth). There are three classes, and the first focused on Kapha.      Kapha; earth and water. Earth and water make mud. Kapha relates to babies, and things that are new; just created. If you think of babies, “waaah pick me up, hold me,” said Klinger. It’s the part of you that needs to be nurtured.      Pitta; fire and water. Pitta can be likened to the middle part of your life, where you work and you’re busy and you have children and fun times. Vata; water and earth. This is “how we go out” said Klinger.      If you find you are deficient in one of these, or too high in one of these, then you work on it and you do that with breath work. To strengthen Kapha you breathe faster (to get the mud dry). It gets you motivated. Those attending then learned “billow breath” where you circulate the blood and create heat. You lift the fire and bring in the mud to dry it. Then the mud isn’t so sticky, and you no longer want to just stay in bed; you’re ready to take on the day. As we learned this breathing technique we focused on our posture because “Proper Posture Prevents Poor results”.      Klinger, obviously a fan of Winnie the Pooh, likened high amounts of each of these Doshas to characters in the story. Kapha is like Pooh, Pitta like Tigger, and Vata like Rabbit.      What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, and yet we do this in our personal lives all the time. It’s a new year and we set ourselves goals, we think we’re going to turn over a new leaf, and then somewhere mid-February comes the realization that actually, we’ve slipped back into most of our bad habits. We do this because we’re afraid of change, and we don’t know what being different looks like. Klinger encouraged us to put on your own mask first, don’t say yes to everybody else all the time. It’s ok to take a little time for working on yourself.      We then moved into the Ikebana part of the class. The FFA students spread out around the room to help assist with tips and techniques to create your own masterpiece. Although an example was printed for direction, you were free to create whatever felt right to you. I chose to try and copy the example, with a few extra stems. It’s a very different kind of arranging and was nice to do something new. The only challenge then was to get to your car without slipping on the black ice and sending your arrangement across the parking lot.

The Greater American Falls Area Chamber of Commerce is searching for a new board member. Requirements to qualify for the board include: must be over the age of 18 years old; need to be affiliated with an organization that is (or can become) a chamber member; need to be able to attend meetings the first Thursday of each month at noon; friendly and reliable; and, able to attend events for the community, help promote businesses, and get to know people in our community. If this is you, or someone you know, please let the chamber know. Or, if you have questions on the position, you can leave a message at (208) 269-5580 or email amfallschamber@gmail.com ! The chamber will be having a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6, at noon that anyone interested is welcome to attend. Contact a chamber board member for more information.