Hub City Hogwarts? Magic classes on offer
MONCTON - Witchcraft class: for many, the term calls to mind a bunch of little wand-toting English kids running around yelling ‘Expelliarmus!’

Okay, so there’s no Hub City Hogwarts concealed in a secret dimension off St. George Street. But wannabe witches and warlocks are, in fact, lining up for local classes in witchcraft and wizardry.

The instructor is Tony Raven, a 36-year-old Moncton business owner and practicing witch for 20-plus years. The aim? Training credulous New Brunswickers in the basics of magic.

Haiti one year on: “living in a tent is not really a life”
The angelical voices of a choir dressed in pristine white singing hallelujahs do not match the hellish scenery that surrounds them: piles of debris, an acid stingy smell of rotten rubbish, women crying while waving their hands at the skeleton of what used to be the country’s main Catholic church, Cathédrale Notre Dame de L’Assomption, thanking God for still being alive, but some also blaming him for plunging the Caribbean country into an abyss.

Freshwater officially fired
On January 10, 2011, the Mount Vernon City Schools Board of Education voted 4-1 to terminate the employment of John Freshwater. A middle school science teacher in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Freshwater was accused of inappropriate religious activity in the classroom — including displaying posters with the Ten Commandments and Bible verses, branding crosses on the arms of his students with a high-voltage electrical device, and teaching creationism. After a local family sued Freshwater and the district in 2008, the board voted to begin proceedings to terminate his employment in the district. Finally, after administrative hearings that proceeded sporadically over two years, the referee presiding over the hearings issued his recommendation that the board terminate his employment with the district. Read full story from ncse.com

Truth about Darkey kelly, burned as a ‘witch’ 250 years ago … but who was really a serial killer
A MACABRE anniversary this week marked the gruesome public execution of a Dublin woman whose reputation in the city’s folk memory has just been debunked.

For generations, Darkey Kelly was regarded as a woman who was burned at the stake for witchcraft after she accused the notorious Sheriff of Dublin Simon Luttrell of fathering her baby.

Happy Friday everyone! I know it may be a little cold for this recipe but, it’s really Yummy and easy to make. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Pie

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Freezing time: 1 hour
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chocolate syrup

• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• 2 cups crisp rice cereal

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1 quart chocolate chip ice cream softened

Discovery, Catholic Church behind exorcism series
(EW.com) – Discovery Channel is teaming with the Vatican for an unprecedented new series hunting the deadliest catch of all: Demons.

“The Exorcist Files” will recreate stories of real-life hauntings and demonic possession, based on cases investigated by the Catholic Church. The project includes access into the Vatican’s case files, as well as interviews with the organization’s top exorcists – religious experts who are rarely seen on television.

World’s Buddhist Traditions Pray for Peace and Inter-faith Harmony
Taipei: Addressing a grand prayer congregation for world peace and religious harmony held on the New Year eve in Taipei, Tibet’s spiritual leader His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s Representative to Taiwan has underscored the importance of religious harmony among different religions of the world.

Representative Mr Dawa Tsering also spoke on the essence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s commitment in the promotion of religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions. Read full story from thetibetpost.com

Press Release: Shopping for Wiccan Supplies Has Gotten Easier at Wiccan Joy
Palm Coast, FL, January 02, 2011 –(PR.com)– Shopping for Wiccan supplies has gotten easier with the December, 2010 launch of Christina Naves’ new website Wiccan Joy. She believes it will not take long for her Palm Coast, FL based company to grow into a leading, nationwide on-line shopping location.

Wiccan Joy contains blogs written by Ms. Naves in which she expresses the challenges of finding acceptance for a Wiccan lifestyle, which is often misunderstood. She also advocates understanding and acceptance of others despite their making different lifestyle choices. Furthermore, she claims Wiccan Joy is a visually appealing website that promises to be continually growing and evolving throughout its existence. Read full story from americanconsumernews.com

[](http://www.pagansworld.org/2011/01/1719/newyear/)