Salsa dancers at West Palm Beach library

If you happen to take the elevator this Thursday evening at the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach and stop on the third floor, you'll see adults lined up in rows as they learn how to salsa dance.

Instructor Ruben Sanchez will be there, too, guiding students through the paces of the pulsating rhythms of L.A. style salsa.

"It's one of the most common styles to learn, and that style is danced a lot in this area," he said.

Ode to my dog in Lake Worth

My dog in spring 2004 strikes a vigilant pose.

The dog days of summer remind me of my dog, Miska.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the thought that terrorists were living here, I thought I need to quit procrastinating and get a dog. Growing up, my family had a black dog, a mixed-breed beagle lovingly called Blackie. As an adult, I always wanted a dog. The terrorists' acts brought that desire to the forefront.

I wanted a shelter dog, about medium-size, one that would walk and help me get back into shape. Pure breeds came fraught with too many problems, plus I did not want to spend that kind of money on a dog.

Belly-dancing lessons at West Palm Beach library?

Dawn Rhys shows students the basic of belly dancing.

Music playing and people dancing inside a library?

If it's the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, librarians want to lure residents up to the third floor with offerings of dance and fitness lessons. Then these curators hope the class-takers will stay and pick up a book or two.

The latest offerings include free Belly-Dancing Lessons on Monday afternoons with local instructor, Dawn Rhys.