_ SKEENA ANGLER ROB BROWN Trout Travels 9 ! | here is an earth power in the lazy ‘ plunge and swirl of falling things I don’t know what it’s for and somewhere across the neighbour- - hood lake a campfire rests against the curve of earth And touching it the drifting snowflakes make tiny spitting tasting sounds and the small furred creatures of the . night lie under the snow listening for their enemies -Al Purdy _ Kenny drove down a corridor of motels, ’ marked by their bright signs but otherwise bare- ly visible in the driving rain, Vacancy was writ- ten in a neat cursive neon hand under each sign. The hiss of fallen rain caught between the road- way and rubber, the metronomic thump of wi- pers, and engine ostinato filled his ears. ’ ‘The sum of all this stimuli made him think of ‘the carnival midway at closing: that melancholy time moments after the last rotation of the emply Ferris wheel when the echo trailing the last gust of maniacal laughter from the mech- . anical fat woman perched atop the fun house dies in the dark, He followed the luminous arrows on the anepreen sign advertising highway 3 as the route to inceton and, Keremeos.. Once.he. left the carni- evel the: ‘only: ight was:the reflection of his‘own “headlights apainst the lines framing the road sand the headlights of the approaching traffic, ’ which. was sparse and dominated by trucks. He switched on the interior light and glanced at his watch. It was only 4:30, not normally late en- ough to be as dark as it-was. The preternatural ' gloom had to be a result of the blanket of storm clouds overhead. As he climbed the rain changed from down- pour to shower. Some 20 miles further it stop- ped. Kenny was out from under the cloud. There "was enough failing light to bring form to the sur- rounding land. And, what a stark landscape it was, all rock — giant, jagged rock — and rubble, slate gray and extending out of eyeshot in all directions. Wisps of cloud rose like wraiths, ac- centing draws and promontories alike. Kenny slowed dawn and gazed at the bleak, foreboding landscape. Right, he thought, this is the Hope Slide. He’d forgotten the slide was on the route to _ Manning Park and his destination, the upper Skagit River. So, here was the scene where, seven years previously, half of a mountain broke away setting off the largest landslide in the pro- vince’s history. He recalled a driver of a postal truck being interviewed on TV. He remembered ~ how the man, obviously still shaken, told of ' hearing a deafening crack so loud that he stop- , ped the truck then watched stunned as the entire valley just ahead of him exploded as if hit by an atom bomb. _And Kenny recalled the man in the tire ware- house where he once worked for a short time, _The man was in his early sixties, he guessed. Kenny couldn’t recall his name, just his quiet - evasive manner, his black framed glasses, and : the fact that, according to the other employees - inthe place, the fellow had sustained a serious * injury that zobbed him of a normal life when a . pile of huge tires in a box car toppled on him. : Just when he was beginning to adjust to his dis- ability his son and daughter-in-law - or was it daughter and son-in-law, Kenny couldn’t re- member which — were off to holiday in the Oka- nagan when the mountain gave way and they were buried in the Hope Slide: its only two cau- salities, Kenny couldn’t imagine how anyone could withstand such an avalanche of misery. He thought about the indomitable old guy, then he thought about how he might, at that very mo- ment be passing over the very spot where the old fellow’s relatives and their Volkswagen had been buried under a million tons of mountain _ bits, It gave him the creeps. He pushed on the ‘ accelerator, driving onward as fast as the truck could manage. He passed a big burn where a giant cigarette _ hung from white gallows at the roadside. There _ was a sign beside it that Kenny couldn’t make ‘ out at that speed, and in dying light. : Soon it was dark, The sky had cleared. Kenny made out stars in it and the jagged black line of treetops against it. Having the slide far behind jmade. him feel better. Alerted by a campground . * sign, he pulled into a side road, drove a short , distance and parked. There was a fire blazing a ‘short distance away. Kenny could make out the silhouettes of a man and boy against it, oS To be continued... it’s all about By SARAH A, ZIMMERMAN MARIO FURTADO believes the best fighter is one who can walk away from a conflict. A member of Terrace’s Shogun Dojo, Furta- do says karate isn’t really about fighting, it’s about discipline and control. Under the guidance of dojo master Renshi Marwan Abu Khadra for the past three years, Furtado has learned more than the art of kar- ate. He's learned patience, increased his self esteem and has more disciptine. “T used to flip out quite often,” Furtado says about his reaction to conflict situations. “I've got more self esteem and nothing bo- thers me much anymore.” Furtado, 37, took up karate when his young son wanted to join. It was at once a chance to try a sport he was “too chicken” to try before while doing something together as a family. Karate soon became the perfect vehicle for teaching his son what he believes are imper- tant values. “My goal is to teach my kids self confi- dence so they'll be leaders not followers,” Furtado says. He believes karate’s tenets of discipline and self confidence can help children who may face conflict or even bullying situations. “The main thing Renshi {Abu Khadra) pushes — especially with the kids and teen- agers -- is the best fighter is the one who can walk away,” say Furtado. But karate has also whipped Furtado into shape with a . TERRACE STANDARD. The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 8, 2602 - B7 638-7283 MARIO FURTADO wards off a roundhouse kick from Val Jeffery while sparring at Ter- race’s Shogun Dojo. The two fighters compete in the Canadian national karate cham- pionships in Ottawa May 17-19. SARAH 4, ZIMMERMAN PHOTO. Both agree fighling more experienced ath- letes has its benelits, More experienced fighters tend to be more methodical, precise and decisive than lesser experienced fierce regimen of physical ac- tivity and en- durance. Furtado, who feels better phy- sically than he did at 25 and Shogun dojo agers walk away.” pushes ~ especially with the kids and teen- ,., - is the best fighter is the one who can under estima- athletes, says Jeffery. “The main thing Renshi (Abu Khadra) 1" ‘ck to each match is over or ting one’s op- ponent. “Never go in teammates Mike Diana, 17, and Val Jeffery, 39, put their ~_ skill, endurance’ and: discipline to. he. test’ ‘on the May long: weekend. The trio will take on Canada’s 5 best at the national finals in Ottawa. The competition sees mostly higher level black or brown belt athletes competing in a variety of disciplines from point fighting to weapons forms. That could serve the Terrace competitors well, as renshi Abu Khadra is the national team’s point and continuous fighting coach. But Jeffery and Furtado are brown belts who'll be fighting athletes a rank above them- selves. assuming anything,” says the 119 pound, petite light- weight fighter. “Each fight is.a different fight.” Diana, a tall, stocky teen, knows the impor- tance of focussing on matches on a fight-by- fight basis. While competing at the Fire Ball meet last month he took on a Shogun Dojo teammate in three different fights. The Caledonia high school student says fighting an acquaintance changed how he per- formed and he ended up with three silver me- dais - taking second spot in each match. “T learned how you have to look at the per- son as a competitor regardless of who they are or their size,” says Diana. He's taking that newfound philosophy into the ring with him when he takes a jab at the nationals in Ottawa. This is Diana’s first shot at the Ca- nadian cham- pionships since he earned his black bell. Last year, as a brown belt, he & nabbed three wins over oppo- nents ranked higher than him. And he bag- Mike Diana ged a fourth place finish in point fighting at. the event, “[ feel more in league with my competi- tion,” says the teen about fighting as a black belt. “I love a challenge.” The national competition is a qualifier for the world championships this coming Novem- her, BOB PARK and the Terrace Track and Field Association are trying to raise funds for a new and improved track surface. The estimated cost for the project Is $200,000. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO, Rallying for rubber Push for new track Surface picks up speed By SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN MEMBERS of a newly formed group in Terrace are de- termined that the track to be built at the the new Skeena Junior Secondary school will make the city proud, . The Terrace Track and Field Association is lobbying for a rubberized surface to top the planned gravel track at the school which is expected to open Sept, 2003. The old track was ripped’ up to allow for the construc- tlon of the new Skeena, right behind the current school. As it stands, the contract negotiated for the new school includes the building of a new track with. con- crete curbs and a gtavel surface. “The gravel surface — although it's better than running on a hard road surface — is not nearly as good as one of Park, another association member. the newer surfaces,” said Dighton Haynes, one of the track association’s founding members. Haynes and others want a rubberized asphalt surface because it will reduce injuries, result in faster times for runners and is a harder, more stable surface. At. an estimated cost of eight dollars per square foot, topping the gravel track could top $200,000, said Bob “We are a city of have-not funds so, if you want _ Something you have to do it yourself,” said Patk.. “The city has no money, the school board has fo money but Cont'd page B16 Giddy up HORSE riders in our re- gion are getting back in the saddle as another year of gymkhanas and clear round days kicks off. Riders will be putting their feet in the stirrups this Sunday as the first events get set to go. Gymkhanas -involve seven different timed events including pole bending, barrels and key- hole races. There are seven age groups — Masters 45+, Se- niors 18-44, Junior A 15- 17, Junior B 12-14, Junior C 9-11, Junior D 8 and under. The junior categories are growing every year as more young people get in- © volved in the sport. Clear round days are telaxed jumping events for beginners just starting out or experienced riders who want to warm-up for the season or are working with new horses. This Sunday’s event kicks off with clear rounds Starting at 9 a.m. followed by the gymkhana at 10:30 a.m. at the Thornhill Fair Grounds, Anyone wanting to ride must be a member and can contact either Laurie Mul- ler regarding gymkhanas 635-9401 or Tania Millen for Clear Rounds at 638- 1840, . All ages are’ welcome and spectators are ericour- “aged to come out. ~