The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 21, 2005 - B1 * TERRACE STANDARD ‘DUSTIN | QUEZADA Around Town Poetry motion stops THE SECOND annual poetry train will make a - stop here Sept. 21 (tonight) at'7:30 p.m. at Skeena Junior Secondary School’s drama room. - Five poets, Lee Maracle, Katen Akiwenzie- Damm, Joanne Amott, UNBC professor Heather Harris and UNBC graduate Michael Blackstock will perform readings that are free and open to the public. The poetry train runs from Prince George, leav- . ing today, and stops in Smithers, Hazelton and here before it reaches Prince Rupert. When the train re- turns to Prince George on Sept. 25 there will be a gala reading at the Prince George Railway Forestry Museum. - The University of British Columbia (UNBC) i is hosting a writing and aboriginal storytelling festi- . val from September 23 to October 8 and has more than 14 writers taking part. Readings will be held in various locations around Prince George. i Creating a buzz BARBER Aaron Smithanik shaves the head of re- altor John Evans as Terrace RCMP Const. Jason Hydamacka looks on, Evans pledged to be shorn if his $500 donation to the Cops for Cancer bike “trek that stopped here Sept. 14°was matched. MARGARET SPEIRS PHOTO, Wild time at the library AWARD-WINNING author Paula Wild will present ‘a captivating slide show and talk based on her most recent book One River, Two Cultures: A History of the Bella Coola Valley. A community history that holds the reader’s attention like a good novel, One River hit the bestseller list of the Vancouver Sun soon after it was released last fall. ‘One River is a remarkable story of human en- durance anda people’ s relationship with the raw, physical landscape around them. Starting with the prehistory. of the Nuxalk First Nation, Wild docu- ments the arrival and impact of fur traders, explor- ers, gold seekers, the Norwegians who settled the .- valley in 1894 and the rough and ready mix of “‘out- siders” who embraced the challenges of living i ina remote wilderness area. Wild’s presentation provides a glimpse of the awe-inspiring scenery of the Bella Coola Valley and includes a stunning video documenting the Nuxalk’s centuries-old method of harvesting and processing oolichans. _ She will also discuss the two dominant cultures . -of the area (Norwegian and Nuxalk First Nation) and reveal the intriguing story behind the striking mask on the cover of the book, Known for her conversational style, Wild has written for numerous magazines and newspapers including British Columbia Magazine, Reader’s — Digest and Canada’s national history magazine . The Beaver. Her first book, Sointula Island Utopia _received an award from the British Columbia His- torical Federation. Curtains up next month TERRACE LITTLE Theatre presents four shows for its 2005-06 lineup. Two will be performed this calendar year, two in 2006. The first two are: ' Jeff Goode’s The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, is definitely not suitable for children. For that rea- son, TLT is staging it Gators Night Club, Best Western Terrace Inn, October 14 and 22. Doors open 8 p.m., show time 9 p.m. Don’t miss what promises to be a very different evening out with the following antler-donning cast: Garnett Doell, Chris Stone, Patrick McIntyre, Annette Martindale, Nancy Stone-Archer, Jerry Stuebing. and Sarah .. Zimmerman. In November, TLT presents Nunsense, Dan -Goggin’s musical-comedy hit Nunsense that is suitable for all family members. This toe-tapping good time stars Mary Ann Lawrence, Arlene Shep-. pard, Karla Hennig, Robin Hollett and Amy Turn- ‘er. Here is your chance to get involved with TLT © - more backstage hands, and seamstress are still needed. Newcomers are very welcome — training offered! To volunteer in a big or small way, contact director Marianne Brorup Weston (635-2942). Individual 2005/06 membership: $5.00 Full season fare (ONE regular production voucher, ONE Dinner Theatre Voucher and ONE 05/06 Membership $66.00 Dinner Theatre Select (TWO Dinner Theatre vouchers, TWO regular production vouchers, and TWO 05/06 Memberships 84.00 Aunt ttn Dnctondtn siaatt 638-7283 JASON Mattenley, 17, cuts { up three-quarter inch mild steel platings into six inch strips as part of his welding training during the second week | _ of college classes he and others from Caledonia Secondary School are taking with the ACE-IT program. . DUSTIN QUEZADA PHOTO © By DUSTIN QUEZADA IT’S A little early to tell the dividends of an industry training program that’s just started but a school district official in charge of the program says it’s a winner.. “It’s a win-win situation for the district, the’ students — mainly the students — and the college,” says Bruce Daniels, the area’s district principal. The ACE-IT program was unveiled province- wide in October 2004, but.only this September have high school students been able to take it. ‘It is a partnership with the Northwest Commu- nity College Terrace campus that’s jointly funded by the ministries of education and higher educa- ‘tion. It offers Grade 1! and 12 students level one training in a trade or the first step in level one in the culinary arts, while earning high school cred- its toward graduation. While students in other districts were able to take the program beginning in January 2005S, this district was unable to offer it until now because of . two reasons, says Daniels. “First, there was a proximity issue, says Dan- iels, for the students in Kitimat and Hazelton, es- pecially. Second, there was a class’ structure issue. It took Daniels and the district some time to devel- op a plan where students could block off a whole semester. ACE-IT, an acronym for Accelerated Credit Enrolment in Industry Training, is offered dur- ing either of the two school semesters to Grade 11 and 12 students. 3 The government money is administered by the Industry Training Authority to the school district. An initial $1,000 per student is used for tuition and a further $1,000 is paid upon successful com- pletion of the program, which is used to defray the costs incurred by parents.” “For parents and students, (ACE-IT) is a won-’ derful financial option,” says Diana Penner, a school board trustee whose son is taking the car- pentry course. She says questions of what graduating students will do can be put to rest and they can find a job after they finish Grade 12. The Coast Mountains district gets even more money from the training authority ($500) if a Student gets up to 240 hours of training and if a. student is employed for at least three months in his/her trade, the district gets $250. This semester, there are nine students from . Terrace, three from Kitimat and 22 in Hazelton — Answering the trades call enrolled in 1 ACE+ IT... The Terrace and Kitimat students attend regu- lar college courses Monday to Friday. Penner says the program benefits students be- cause they’re treated like adults. - “They act more mature and they pick up info on - whether to continue in the trade,” says Penner. The Hazelton students: are taught in their own high school, where facilities exist for the culinary instruction. The college is paid to provide the out- line and tests for the students. Daniels says the main purpose of ACE-IT is to- ease the transition from high school to trades. “There’s a shortage in trades in B.C: and Cana- da,” says the former principal of Caledonia Senior Secondary, ‘adding industry pressure will only grow with commitments for the 2010 Olympics. After initial information sessions in Terrace, Kitimat and Hazelton in April, Caledonia will again offer parents a chance tonight to find out’ more about ACE-IT as part of its meet the teach- ers night. The session runs from 7:45-9 p.m. * Penner says its important for parents to attend. because information destined for them about such options doesn’t always reach them through their ‘children. © 2 For more. info contact the school 635- 6531. It’s hip to be square dancing By Dus’ TIN QUEZADA IF YOU'VE ever stood with your back glued to a wall, unable to venture fearlessly onto a dancefloor, there’s. just the club for you in Terrace. , And the Skeena Squares a are keen . to welcome new members into the fold. “If you can walk, you can square dance,” says Diana Penner, a die- hard dancer. “If you have two left. feet, you belong on the square dance floor — rhythm doesn’t matter.” Rhythm may not be a requirement but learning the 47 basic moves is pretty important. The group meets Monday nights at the Carpenter’s Hall, with the be- ginner dancers doing their thing from 7-8 p.m. and the mainstream dancers shaking it from 7:30-9:30 p.m. “You build on moves on a regu- lar basis,” says Penner, adding when beginners miss sessions it makes it hard to catch up. “It takes awhile — a whole sea- son,” adds Ed McFadden. McFadden should know. He was . - one of the original dancers when the ~ club started 50 years ago. “The club was originally started by Rotarians and couples repre- sented different businesses,” said McFadden, who teamed with wife Nell to represent the department of highways. He and others decided to start call- ing - the art of dictating the moves to the dancers — and eight squares (eight to a square) showed up. McFadden, 85, didn°t stop call- ing until 10 years ago. Penner, 46,. is now at the micro- phone and lucky to get one dance in per night. “If I’m going to learn, I’m going to jump in there and learn the hard ' way,” Penner says. As Penner improves her calling skills, however, she continues to see fewer dancers. There are dwindling younger dancers coming out and the group’s core continues to age. With the winter in the middle of’ the September to April square danc- ing season, Penner says many of the retirees often travel away to warmer - temperatures. ‘Penner says part of the reason the younger demographic is stay- ing away is because square dancing is no longer taught at the junior and secondary school levels here. *' Penner is hoping a manual put . together last year by Nick Turner, British Columbia. square & round dance federation president, will help get schools back to teaching’ the dance. “Skeena and Cal have expressed interest,” Penner says. “They just aren’t sure how to. teach it and they don’t have the music.” The Skeena Squares tailor the Monday sessions to younger danc- ers if they come out. “Jt’s more upbeat, we link elbows and it’s a faster style,” Penner says. The 20 to 40 age group is also wanted. “Parents push their kids and they get into a routine, so getting there is DIANA Penner and Ed McFadden agree square dancing isa healthy and social activity more people should do. _ DUSTIN QUEZADA PHOTO . the hardest thing,” Penner says. A. dwindling: membership also hurts the clubs community efforts: “We entertain at Terraceview ev- ery month,” says McFadden. “They . look forward to it.” - This year, however, the club couldn’t do its yearly Heritage Park dance. ; McFadden, who has travelled with wife and other couples from the club to dance throughout North America for 20 years, says the ben- efits of square dancing are obvious. ! “It’s the exercise and the fellow- ship,” he says. '‘We all square dance together no matter. where you go.” “It’s wonderful exercise,” adds Penner: “A two-hour dance is equiv- - alent to a four’ to five- kilometre walk.” Dancing with the club won't. break the bank either. Beginners dance for a toonie and mainstream dancers pay $5. Call Ron 638-8316 or Diana 638-1626 for information.