Wahawk Ashlyn Christensen gave the Sailors’ Katie Garrett a battle at No. 1 singles, but Columbus dominated the rest of the way while improving to 5-1 on the season.

“They all played fairly well today,” said Sailors head coach Dave Will.

The Sailors will participate in the Ames Invitational Saturday. The host Cyclones are the Tiffany Bracelets Class 2A state champs.

SINGLES — Katie Garrett (Col) def. Ashlyn Christensen 6-3, 6-2; Anne Nora (Col) def. Kelsey Anderson 6-0, 6-1; Jessica Klieman (Col) def. Merina Bacevac 6-0, 6-1; Mikal Ratchford (Col) def. Sadie Voigt 6-0, 6-0; Lindsay McGonegle (Col) def. Kristin Bastug 6-0, 6-0; Rachael Schaefer (Col) def. Kelsey Elfritz 6-1, 6-3.

DOUBLES — Garrett-Klieman (Col) def. Christensen/Voigt 6-0, 6-2; Ratchford/Tiffany Pendants (Col) def. Anderson/Bacevac 6-2, 6-1; McGonegle/Natasha Myers (Col) def. Bastug/Elfritz 6-3, 6-1.

Credit: Waterloo-Tiffany Earrings Falls Courier, Iowa

While the build-up to February 14 may be a busy time for the on– line dating industry, the “crunch time” this year, says Mark Brooks, president of the Internet Dating Executive Alliance , will be when the red roses have wilted. “It’s then, when subscriptions typically tail off, that we’ll see if the industry will be able to withstand the recession.”

As the downturn deepens, the search for romance among professionals is undergoing subtle changes. Dating tiffany jewellery agencies are re-appraising their business models to attract clients, while signs are emerging that customers are beginning to economise on the costs of a “special night out”.

The recession has prompted 29-year-old Sophie Shaw, a City of London lawyer to rethink: “I’ve always strongly resisted the ‘boys-pay’ thing but recently have been thinking why not?”

Hugo Christopher, a 34-year-old designer from west London, has a new late-date policy in order to avoid restaurant bills: “I generally say, ‘I’m working late, shall we meet at 9.00? I’ll grab a sandwich in the office, you might want to eat beforehand too?’” If a meal is unavoidable, he says, he is becoming well-practised in trotting out lines like: “I’ve heard the best test of a restaurant is the house wine, shall we order it?” Efforts to cut back have not so far led Mr Christopher to end his membership of Mysinglefriend, whose online blog recently advised users to go on snack dates rather than dinner dates.

Greg Waldorf, of US site Eharmony, is cautious about making long-term predictions but he hopes the downturn may be good for business. “My impression is that consumers are prioritising this area of their lives. We’ve seen more site traffic when the stock market has gone down.”

Mary Balfour, founder of 25-year-old offline dating agency Drawing Down the Moon, which charges for introductions as well as some fee-paying sites and two that offer free membership, smartdating.co.uk and grownupdating.co.uk, agrees: “A lot of City high-flyers are saying things to us like they are going to concentrate on the more important things in life like relationships rather than pay cheques and bonuses.”

She has observed some emerging spending differences between the genders: “We do find that quite a lot of men start their search for a partner on the internet now [because] it’s a cheaper option, whereas women are still heading for personal agencies.”

Some are tempted by free online dating sites. Subscription sites may worry they will lose money-conscious members,bangles needing to cut back on typical monthly charges of $25 (pound(s)18), to the free sites such as Plentyof-fish.com and OKCupid.com, as well as social networking sites. In 2006, 8 per cent of traffic to online dating services went to free sites. By 2008 this had reached 24 per cent, according to Hitwise, the market research company that tracks how people use the web. Mr Yagan believes the recession will accelerate this trend: “We are seeing over-35s [the demographic that pays for dating services] joining our site. When you are trying to be frugal, a dating site might well be one of the things you cut back on if there are free sites on offer.”

Mr Brooks disagrees: “At the end of the day 20 bucks a month isn’t that much to spend. People can rationalise it by saying that it’s cheaper than going out for a night out and wasting much more and not meeting anyone.”

Ross Williams, CEO of Global Personals, which owns hundreds of niche subscription sites, believes members will not cut back. He is undaunted by the challeng-e from free sites. In fact, he says they help by of-fering a way for users to try out such services. Such logic persuaded Match.com to launch a free site, DownToEarth.com, last month.

“You get what you pay for,” says Mr Williams. “Users don’t want a free-for-all. They want to know that their potential dates are serious about relationships.” A free site cannot give the same customer service as a subscription version, he says: “Free sites are more likely to have spammers trying to con people out of money and married timewasters on their books because there is no one gatekeeping.”

Ms Balfour says: “There have been a lot of challenges over the years from the internet and free sites. I’ve seen some go to rings the wall. But some people will al-ways pay – they hope it signals ser-ious intent about a relationship.”

Hillie Marshall, founder-owner of 20-year-old social events and dinner dates agency Dinner Dates, says the recession is making her clients demand more of the service: “Our clientele are from their late twenties, professionals, with a lot from the City. Because they have less time and are more money-conscious, they are more demanding.”

On Christmas morning in 1946, thousands of scampering feet raced through hallways to discover new toys as shiny as tinsel on the trees. Bicycles, trains and wagons once again appeared under the tree. World War II had ended, metal was available, and the holidays were getting back to normal.

However, from 1941 to 1945, holiday celebrations were a different story. Families did their best to continue their Christmas traditions in the midst of difficult times and personal sacrifices. Like everyone else, North Carolinians adapted during the war years. Curator Sandy Webbere will explain how during History a la Carte: Christmas in the 1940s on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 12:10 p.m. at the N.C. Museum of History. Bring your lunch to this informal lunchtime program, and step back to this memorable decade. Beverages are provided.

During the war, the holidays brought dreams of peace and wishes for normalcy. bangles Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” reflected what families wanted most – to see their loved ones at home. To bring soldiers on the European war front a little comfort from home, many Tar Heels sent holiday packages filled with Christmas cards, wool scarves, magazines, cigarettes and other items.

On the home front, shortages and rationing called for creativity during the holidays. Gone were the metal bicycles and doll carriages, which were substituted with wooden or paper toys. Rations on butter, sugar and other foods meant traditional recipes were adapted or put aside. Billowing holiday fashions were streamlined to save fabric.

Drop by the museum to hear more about the holidays and the resilience of North Carolinians during the 1940s.

For more information, call 919-807-7900 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org or Facebook.

The N.C. Museum of History’s hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,rings and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The department’s Web site is www.ncculture.com.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

As the season of good will is nearly upon us, the British public are being tiffany jewellery urged to help the forces as much as possible by refraining from sending Christmas parcels to troops in Afghanistan.

Soldiers serving in theatre are literally being overwhelmed by support from the British public who generously post unsolicited parcels, putting a massive strain on the Forces Post Office in Camp Bastion, resulting in packages from friends and family taking longer to reach the intended recipients.

Many of the parcels are addressed to chaplains who have long left theatre, but whose legacy continues. The intention is that the current generation of padres will distribute the parcels to troops on the front line.

Padre Richard Downes, who is the British chaplain at Camp Bastion, said:

“The Enduring Families Free Mail Service enables families and close friends of Service personnel to send packages out to theatre. While such unsolicited parcels are without doubt popular with recipients, the all-important personal mail from soldiers’ families becomes significantly delayed.

“Occasionally the perceived needs of recipients have become somewhat confused, as one rings chaplain discovered to his dismay when he opened a welfare parcel addressed to him personally, but which contained amongst other things a glossy pin-up calendar!”

Padre Richard Downes

Only a small fraction of the unsolicited parcels make it to the front line, the rest are processed by staff in Camp Bastion and the contents held in storage in welfare rest areas and churches until they can be sent on.

Some of the contents, including toiletry items, lie untouched for months at a time and one chaplain reported that he had 70 brand new toothbrushes in the back of his church in a Forward Operating Base (FOB).

In response to the growing problem, the Ministry of Defence is working with the forces charity SSAFA to enable generous members of the public to donate money to the charity as an alternative to sending parcels.

The Operational Welfare Fund is focused on providing support direct to the front line and enables bracelets commanders on the ground to bid for those items which they know will boost the troops’ morale.

Padre Downes said:

“The postal service puts on a massive extra push at Christmas and put extra flights on to get the stuff here. But getting the mail out to the FOBs also takes longer, as mail must fit in around operational transport priorities.

“I thank the British public for their support but I would ask that they keep the pressure off the postal system over the Christmas period. The British military are a generous bunch and the troops will always share with those whose parcels may have been held up.”For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, cufflinks Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

Santa Claus will arrive as usual Nov. 27 in downtown, but he will be following what chamber president Linda Kenyon hopes will be a long procession of floats and other entries for the first lighted Christmas parade in town.

“We’re going to try it this year and see if it adds something to our Christmas Kickoff,” Kenyon said.

La Crosse is borrowing the lighted parade idea from many communities in rings the area and specifically modeling it after the long-running Otis parade.

Kenyon said there is no registration deadline for the parade.

“All they have to do is show up,” she said.

She said she hopes each entry will be lighted but discouraged the use of Santa since he will be arriving at the end of the parade.

A parade route hasn’t been determined, but she knows it will run some length of Main Street and end in Pride Park, where Santa arrives on a fire truck each year.

The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 27 and follows the traditional free hot dogs and hot chocolate available during the Christmas Kickoff.

Also, some downtown businesses will be open late to encourage hometown bracelets shopping, Kenyon said.

“We just want people to realize what we have to offer in Rush County,” she said. “You don’t have to drive out of county to find some really neat Christmas presents.”

Kenyon said the parade is open to anyone and any type of entry.

“If you go to the trouble of making an entry, maybe take it the cufflinks 15 miles and enter it in the Otis parade,” Kenyon said.

Otis’ lighted Christmas parade begins at 6 p.m. Dec. 6.

Set from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, the tour and activities surrounding it will raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

In addition to the carriage rides, you can have photos taken with Santa and enjoy a sale of Christmas finery and holiday gifts.

Tickets are $10 per person, and children under 12 are admitted free of charge.

Tickets are on sale at the JDRF Office, Fortnight and Walter & Associates tiffany bangles Realtors.

For more information, call 481-5807.

Sponsors include Walter & Associates Realtors; Tony Domeck, Illuminations Lighting and Lawn Service; Sondra Reeves, Catcher of Dreams; Lynne Bischoff, Fortnight; Tulsa National Bank; Peter Walter; B’Howlin Graphics; Norberg/IES; the Drotar Family, J.D. Young and Susan Coman.

JDRF was founded in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, a disease that strikes children, adolescents and adults suddenly, makes them insulin-dependent for life and carries the threat of complications.

Since its inception, JDRF has provided more than $1.2 billion for diabetes research tiffany rings worldwide.

More than 85 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly support research and research-related education.

JDRF’s mission is to find a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications through the support of research.

A dozen authors will introduce and sign their books at this yearly event, sponsored by the Coeur d’Alene Chapter of the Idaho Writers League.

McManus will have a number of his books available, including his most recent, “The Double-Jack Murders.”

Other participating authors include Boots Reynolds, Nikki Arana, Larry Telles, Elizabeth Brinton, George Brinkman, Mike Kincaid, Nancy Owens Barnes, Michael Marsden, Maryn Langer, Charles Lyons and Gary Edwards.

Admission is free and autographed copies of the authors’ books will be on sale.

Reminder: McManus will also read at Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave., on Nov. 22 at 12:30 p.m.

A lyrical Edwards event

Speaking of Gary Edwards, he’ll be reading at Auntie’s on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Did we say “reading”? That doesn’t quite cover the scope of this event. Edwards is necklaces a local poet, composer and lyricist, so he’ll also recite and sing.

His most recent books are “TroubleClef: Life of a North Idaho Musician,” which contains poems and lyrics, and “The Gallery,” a volume of poetry.

A Free Speech book

With all of the attention given to Spokane’s 1909 Free Speech Fight on its centennial, we’d like to bring to your attention local author-historian Dale Raugust’s self-published book, “Fanning the Flames of Discontent: Spokane’s Free Speech Fight.”

The book is available through Amazon. Raugust also has another self-published history book available on Amazon, “The Northwest Inland Empire: Native History and Early Settlements.”

Raugust practiced law for 30 years in Spokane before turning to history. Just go to the Amazon Web site and search under his name.

Auntie’s Angel Tree

The Auntie’s Bookstore Angel Tree will soon be dominating the main floor, as it has for tiffany bangles 13 years.

It’s a large tree decorated with 300 paper angels containing the names of local children. You can purchase a book to donate to one of them.

The tree will go up after Thanksgiving. In the meantime, you can help out by donating to the Angel Tree Fund. Call (509) 838-0206 for details.

The Jess and Sherman Show

Here’s early warning of an upcoming Auntie’s event: Sherman Alexie and Jess Walter, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m.

These two top Northwest novelists will appear together — and spar entertainingly, no doubt — at this ticketed event. You can get a ticket simply by buying one of their books at Auntie’s.

David Thompson books

KSPS-7 will re-broadcast its fascinating documentary, “Uncharted Territory: David Thompson on the Columbia Plateau” on Wednesday at 7 p.m., Friday at 11 p.m. and Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.

For those who want to learn more about this important trader-explorer, here are a few regional tiffany rings books to check out: “The Writings of David Thompson: The Travels,” edited by William E. Moreau (University of Washington Press); and “Sources of the River” (Sasquatch Books) and “The Mapmaker’s Eye” (Washington State University Press), both by Jack Nisbet.