MIREIA SORRIBAS: People in Terrace are “friendly, but . different. City’ Ss purchasing policy revised © ‘TERRACE — City council has. vo adopted i & new purchasing policy submitted by city-treasurer Keith: - Norman. : -The new: policy will: - reduce the number of city. oo employees able to make pur- _ chases on behalf of the city to 12 - and set maximum allowable pur- “chasing limits for each. ‘Under the. policy, working -foremen will be able to make ‘normal day-to-day purchases to “amaximum of $250, directors or - facility managers can make pur- ‘chases up to $2,500 provided ‘they have a record of all prices: wt quoted, ‘and department heads sare” permitted to spend any “amount provided: they have a formal, record of quotations or te ST an approved tender. According ‘to Norman, the policy has been in the works for some time. He says it will insure that city’ staff have effective guidelines. and a reliable monitoring system to be certain ‘that safe purchasing practices - were being ‘carried out. _ A related committee recom- mendation has also been adop- ted which will add ‘‘proposal”’ tenders to the city’s tendering system. This addition allows the city to go to tender without knowitig - all the ‘specifications of the re-. quired item when. council chooses not to _employ a con. — sultant. . Monday to Friday . 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Miteia: Sorribas arrived in Terrace from Barcelona, Spain _ on. August 24, 1988. She is 18. years old, a Rotary exchange - student spending the winter in |. Terrace. By the time she leaves oo induly,-1989, she will have resid- ~ed with four different Terrace. ‘families and completed her ‘Grade 12 at Caledonia Senior — »Sécondary School. . by Pam Whitaker The environment that Sor- a large industrialized city, with accompanying pollution .and surrounded by hills. _ “The countryside here is beautiful,” Sorribas said. “It’s ‘wonderful — I like the snow ny. I’m afraid I won't want to live in the city anymore!” region of northeastern Spain, It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea about one and a half hours two countries are separated by the Pyrenees Mountains. "Catalonia has been described as'Spain’s'economic heart, pro- dicing’ ‘lives; wine, vegetables and cork. '‘Barcelona is the leading industrial and commer- industry. Sbap‘made from-olive oil is a seténdary industry, as well as ledfhei‘ workitig; ‘paper making aid’ Rardware manufac: ture. Vigorous, efficient and lively are words used to describe the Qe i" i people of the Catalan region of | . Spain, Some consider. them more ‘‘progressive” than. their *‘conservative”’ countrymen in Castile. os - The city of Barcelona i is dense- Oly populated, consisting mainly of apartment dwellers. ‘‘One of the biggest differences for me,”’ said Sorribas, “‘is living in a: “house. I am-used to living in an ‘apartment. It is also a big _ change from a big city to a small town,” ; In Barcelona, her father owns a small family-operated food store. She has two sisters, ages 23 and 21. Four years of -high school English and accompanying night | school (three hours per week) has equipped Sorribas with ade- quate English for her venture to Canada. She left Spain with four other exchange students, En route, they stopped in Madrid and changed planes in New | York. Sorribas spent one night in Seattle, where she parted company with her travelling companions. At Vancouver International _ Airport, she missed the plane to Saturday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. ribas left to come to Canada was” miles of beaches. The climate is . warmer there, and humid, being too. I like it best when ‘it’s sun-. ‘Barcelona is in the. Catalonia - from the French border. The — cial city;textilés being its major - - ferent than ours.. methods of cooking differ.” oli es. i i fe 2 aw ay fro m ci ty a Spanish rice with seafood ane an: | omelette - with fried’ ‘potatoes ; would be’a typical meal, ‘She i . . margarine, but rather vepetable "oils, such as olive oil. “It takes Terrace because of ‘not getting through immigration in time, She said: ‘I thought — my counsellor, Wayne Epp, and my . first family,. Chuck and Diane Cey, will be waiting — Oh. no! How am 1 going to tell them I- am late? But:I went to the airline and they were able to make ap- propriate arrangements, It wasa nice surprise having all those . people waiting, even though I was late —- about 15 Rotarians.”’ The family where Mireia Sor- ribas is. presently staying is Richard.and. Melanie Olson. In. February she will join the-Larry and. Darlene Yeske family, after which she will move to the home ; of Dave ‘and Lois Newman. | Before starting her school _-year in Terrace, Mireia had the opportunity to meet some friends: while at a cabin at Lakelse Lake. She-entered Cale- donia High School that first day in the company of her Rotarian -counseilor. ‘‘I was looking to see the people, how the school was when five girls came to me,’’ she explained. ‘‘They said. ‘we met you at Wayne Epp’ s cabin this. summer.” Two. were in my-home - “oom: and - -had. lockers beside | me.”” She was ‘launched. The most difficulty she has i in. school is with English stories and in movies — she. doesn’t - ‘understand. most of. thé jokes! People in Terrace are friend- ly but different,” Sorribas ‘Said. “For instance, when ‘they greet each other, they don't kiss each - other on the cheeks.” “Young people are much’ the ; same, Perhaps “a- little’ more pressure ‘to. conform to dress standards here, but more class ‘distinctions in Barcelona.” She continued: “The foods . _clean.air. I would like to say you -you eat here are not that dif- “This new contender from JONSERED with its stronger mid-section can really take a beatirig. The © ¢ Super 670 pockso 4G powerlul punch. gig More, the ©. —Jonsered Super 670 “Takes onthe * Heavyweights! WD Will out cut anything in its class SEE THE JONSERED SUPER 670 AT YOUR DEALER RIVER INDUSTRIES (TERRACE) LTD. P.O. BOX 548 — TERRACE, B.C. V8G 4B5 5130A HIGHWAY 16 WEST not used to butter time to get used: to new tastes,” she said. “I don’t like them much (butter and margarine), ° but the pies — I like them!” When Sorribas arrives home,’ she will take a university en-. trance exam especially designed for.exchange students, Probably psychology. is the field she will enter, possibly | with an eye to become an educator, “It is much harder to find a job in Spain. Also, they have a lower standard of -living,”’ she explained. _ : She misses her friends at hon but meanwhile is enjoying mak- ing new friends in Terrace and | among other exchange students she ‘meets. during special ex- ‘cursions. She travelled to 100 Mile House.in. the fall and will . ‘go to Whistler on a skiing trip at the.end of February. A journey to ‘California in June is also a possibility. oe “It is really: nice to meet the. other exchange ‘stiidents,”’ Sor- tibas said... feelings often.’” _In Spain:.most of the forests are used:tip “Canada. is: quite ‘new, you “now are’ building a country and what it is to be Canadian,” ‘she said. ‘Especially in Terrace. Everywhere you go in Europe "you see pollution and most. of the forests are gone. You have should take care with the forest.” - ‘It's Cool... It's Fost... I's Tough Accept the chollenge and be © cut obove the test, ProLine A CUT ABOVE THE REST 635-7383 | 635-6300 — Sunday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. COLD BEER and WINE STORE — Open Holidays — “We have the same . and.thé Huildings are: - Inostly of brick and. cement. ~ ‘ Consequently, % she “appreciates 7 the Canadian forests. Co