pee Ea INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 KATHY FLORITTO Telling fact from fiction IAR, LIAR, pants on fire... Nose is as long as a telephone wire! How many times have we passed by a playground and heard that childhood chant? “T cannot tell a lie. I chopped down the cherry tree,”” George Washington, so the story goes, con- fessed his crime immediately, Either young George was caught with axe in hand and figured the jig was up, so wisely de- cided he might as well bave the consequences dealt to him right away, or he simply couldn't think of a plausible whopper. Whatever the case he’s pointed to as a wonderful example of that well-known molto, ‘Honesty is the best policy,’’ Politicians no longer seem to fecl that’s the quotes, “Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!’’ “We have a budget surplus!’” *'That money is for forest renewal!’ There’s more from an earlier time... “There will never be wage and price controls in Canada!’’ ““The FTA and the NAFTA will be job makers, not job takers!” Or what about that old standby, ‘‘Trust me.’’ All but one of the above rolled off the oily tongue of a Canadian ‘‘leader’’ and most of us know who said what, when and why. So... how come we know the difference be- tween truths and untruths when we’re barely hatched, but by the time we’re old enough to cast a ballot, we’ve somehow decided that truth is relative. That your truth is not my truth - that a lie is, in some convoluted fashion, a form of truth? When did deliberate deception become ac- ceptable? Ob, we say we'll turf the politicians who don’t ‘‘tell it like it is’’....but, do we? Ap- parently not. We want our children to be pure as the driven snow, pretty as pictures, as bright as new pen- nies and as honest as the day is long, We want them to walk in the light of truth, but if the phone rings while we're watching those movies or scribbling down the address of the latest TV scammer, we sing out ‘‘If it’s for me, I’m not homel”’ We complain bitterly of how we've been used and abused by the “‘Elect Me’® bunch, but they are re-elected in draves, If we think our children are confused, we're probably right. We’ve even determined that some lies are, in fact, “‘half-truths.’’ It sounds better. But, just as there’s no such thing as being a ‘little bit pregnant,’’ there are no half-truths and we know it. That’s why, when our politicians fool with facts, we know we’re being taken for fools and we don't like it When they were kids, didn’t the snake oil salesmen believe their noses would grow, as Pinnochio’s did, if they practiced the evil art of dissembling? Didn’t we? Are they the double-dealing, devious dogs we label them when we learn our trust was based on fabrications? Or is this representative government in the real sense of the word? I don’t recall learning what happened to George after being caught axe-banded, but con- Sidering the parenting practices of the day, he probably avoided sitting down for a time, Did the lesson stick or, by the time he was elected president, had be made a few ‘‘adjusiments’* to Dad’s policy? George may have decided, as so many of today’s politicians apparently have, that while virtue is its own reward.,.it’s nol a particularly useful tool for fulfilling political ambition. Who teaches that class? Can’t be us! We're at home, raising our kids in the ‘‘way they should go” - putting their little [ect on the “right path” - keeping them on the “‘straight and nar- row’’..and all the etceteras. We recognize malarkey when we hear it! We don’t fall for bafflegab! We don’t know who elects and re-elects the Machiavellis of our par- jtiamment and legislatures, but it sure as heck isn’t us! Ub-uh, _ As employees, we're doing an honest day’s work for what, to us, is dared litle pay. If we're employers, we're paying out truckloads of cash for darned little production (it’s a point of view thing). We're the Golden Rule,Gang. We are shining examples of all that we are determined our chil- dren shall be and we never, never reward deceit with re-election. “Trust Me,’” best way to go. Just look below at the following . “TERRACE. STANDARD The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 16, 1996 - B1 (COMMUNITY: SECTION 8 They'll do anything but diapers By CRIS LEYKAUF Opening their home to children in need is a way of life for one focal couple. “WE DECIDED to only have two kids, and buy. or rent the rest,’” Judy Healey laughs as she describes the way she and her husband Ken became in- terested in being foster parents, Both she and Ken are from large families, and she says their decision to be- come foster parents was ‘‘a natural thing for us to do,”’ Over the last seven years they’ve had about 20 chil- dren pass through their home in New Remo. It’s easy to see why chil- dren would be comfortable with them. The large kitch- en table, once cleared of projects, welcomes people to sit and stay for a while. Knick-knacks and mementos fight for room on shelves and ledges, and over the fire place hang two pen- cil drawings of the Healey’s natural children. In the yard the family’s two poodles share the space with chickens, turkeys, ducks and pheasants. Ken and Judy are a valu- able resource for the government, because they are qualified to take special needs children, They’ve taken in three over the last seven years, in- cluding one gir] who’s been with them the entire time. Usually however, children slay with them anywhere from a week to a year. “Tt varices depending on the need of the child,’' says Judy. Children end up in foster care for a variety of reasons. Sometimes parents voluntarily relinquish their children for a time, other times the ministry steps in and takes them away. Parents might also be in- jured or killed, leaving chil- dren temporarily without homes. Whatever the reason, the object of fostering is to re- wnite the children with their natural family, ‘Family is family. There’s a bond,”’ says Ken. “We don’t try to think wee above them,’ says Judy, ‘We're not perfect parents,’’ Ken mects that comment with a look of mock sur- prise. *] thought I was,” he says, Both he and Judy are stay at home parents. Ken was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis seven years ago, and so can only do Limited work, But that means they have more energy to devote io fostering. The Healeys used to look after babies, as well as pre- teens, but have decided their days of changing diapers are , over. Our house smelt iike ‘dirty diapers for too many years,’’ says Ken, And it was too easy ta be- ‘come attached to babies, says Judy, Now they primarily take in children aged 4-12. Their own two children are aged 16 and 18, and Judy says they’ve always been a big KEN AND JUDY HEALEY have been foster parents for 17 years, the last seven of those in Terrace. More than 20 children have passed through their home in the last seven years, and they say they can't see a time when they wouldn't want to be foster parents. help with the foster chil- - dren. “They take a lot of the pressure off us,”’ she says. “They know the routines, the medications.”” “The kids are our relief workers,’’ adds Ken. And sometimes they need a break from [ostcring. Once Judy admits she took off to Mexico for a month, leaving Ken in charge of five children, two of them babies. That could be where his dislike for dirty diapers stems from. Ken’s break comes in the Keeping safe at home THE SENIOR WHO fell and broke her hip needs help getting in and out of the tub. A typist could use advice in finding the tight back support. A child with a learning dis- ability needs help to succeed with school. What do these people have in common? They’re all people whom an occupational therapist could help. Next week, from Oct. 20-26 is Occupational Therapy week in Canada, and local OT Anne Anson wants to let people know the many ways an occupational _ therapist might be able to help them. There are four OTs working in Terrace right now. One is based out of the Child Development Centre, on is in private practice and another works part time at Ter- raceview. Anson works out of the Skeena Health Unit, and says *‘the focus of my job is to keep people safe at home for as long as pos- sible. Keep them out of the hospital.” With cuts to hospital budgets, more patients are opting for in-home care. And that means Anson is called upon fre- quently to give advice on special equipment people can use to use to make their home life more comfortable. That could be anything from suggesting lifts to - help people into bed, to bath support rails or even special taps and door knobs which are easier on arthritic hands. **You’re always look- ing for the weak link in form of an annual huuting . trip. But both are quick to point ‘out that the government never forces a foster child upon them, They always . have the last word on whether or not a child stays | with them. And there’s plenty about fostering which keeps Ken and Judy involved. “When you watch a kid come:-in who is panic- stricken and scared to death, and then he finally relaxes, and feels more comfortable good,’’ says Ken, “It makes you feel like you've done something.’ There are only about 35 _foster families in the Ter- race/Stewart and Nass dis- tric. More are always '- needed, particularly " aboriginal families, If you think you'd like to become a foster parent, cali the Fosterline toll-free at I- 800-663-9999, or call the Ministry for -Children and. Families (listed in the blue pages of the phone book un- der the Ministry of Social THERE’S A LOT of options out there in wheelchairs. And one-person who can help point out the pros and cons of different models is Anne Anson, an occupa- tional therapist with the Skeena Health Unit. their set up and how to strengthen that,’ said Anson, While she can’t supply any special medical equipment, she can point people in the right direc- tion. For example, Anton watks closely with: the © Red Cross foan service, equipment You don’t need a doc- tor’s referral to see an oc- cupational therapist. And if you make an appaint- ment through the Skeena Health Unit, the visit is paid for through the medical system. For more information call | «| 638-2272. — that makes you feel Services). Around Town The show must go on CAST AND CREW of Terrace Little Theatre’s latest play, Sweeney Todd — The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, pulled together to put on the play despite a setback on opening night, October 3. For the first time in the history of Terrace Little Theatre, an actor had to be hospitalized, and couldn’t make a per- formance. Sweeney Todd was sharing the stage with anoth- er one-act play, Midnight Madness, so opening night con- linued with just one play, and the audience was invited to come back another night. Paul Marko, who played the part of Jack Heartwright in the play is still in the hospital. But by the second per- formance on Oct. 4, another actor — Jim Branch ~—- had stepped in to take his place. Branch had played the role of the Bowstreet runner. He in turn was replaced by Stephanie Jacobs. : Incontinence expert here TERRACE IS THE first stop on a Canadian tour for inter- nationally fecognized incontinence expert Pauline Chiarelli. Incontinence is a loss of bladder and/or bowel control, and il has many causes, It affects over one million Canadian men and women, and one in three women will suffer from incontinence somelime in her life. Less than half of those people with urinary incantinence actually speak to a health care professional about their problem. Yet, contrary to popular belief, incontinence can almost always be cured, treated or successfully managed. Chiarelli, who is known for her sense of humour, is speaking at the Skeena Health Unit Auditorium on Oct. 23 from 7-9 p.m, Cost is $15 for the session. Register by call- ing the Kermode Physiotherapy Clinic at 638-1010. HE NATIONAL WHITE ribbon campaign against pomography is Oct. 20-27, Local businesses will be hand- ing out the white ribbons. Wearing the ribbon will allow people to show their dis- approval of pornography, says organizer Betty Ruksys, Part of the rational behind the campaign is to pressure governments inlo backing strong obscenity laws. Senior's lottery on now THE SENIORS’ FALL HARVEST lottery is on right now across the province, with cash prizes of up to $50,000. The Seniors’ Lottery Association is a non-profit organi- zation which raises money for seniors events and projects throughout the province. In Terrace the association gave $10,000 to Terraceview Lodge in 1994, and just over $3,000 to the local branch of the Seniors Games society In 1995. Anyone of any age is eligible to buy the $2 lottery tick- ets. There are more than 50 cash prizes available to be won, with four grand prizes of $50,000, $25,000, $10,000 and $5,000. | ; Tickets are available by calling 1-800-377-5566.