INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 CHARLYNN TOEWS 1] How to paint OU WILL need some paint and a brush, The brush is optional. You should first thoroughly clean and then lighily sand the surface to be painted, if you feel like it. _ The truth about how to paint is about to be told. For example, you don’t absolutely have to first clean the surface with TSP to remove all traces of grease wax dust fingerprints jam life etc, - These items take paint surprisingly well. The paint job may not last as long this way, but per- haps that’s for the best. (See Choosing Colour below.) Usually 1 skip cleaning and go right to sand- ing. | would rather sand something than clean something any day. And some items of stuck, dried-on food that are a real pain to clean off are a breeze to sand off. I recommend beavy-gril sand paper for salsa. Talk about your sun-dried tomatoes! This works well, believe me. You are now ready to paint. Oh, you can first drape everything in sight and painstakingly lay down yards and yards of masking lape and even snap plumb vertical lines if you like. Sometimes I do this. Sometimes I just use a smaller brush instead, For example, did you know it is very efficient to paini the inside of your kitchen cabinets with the dishes still inside them? Use a small brush, of course, and try.to choose a time when your dishes are anywhere but clean and put nicely away in the cupboard. This is an ideal excuse to ‘put off washing dishes, according to an expert in the field. I should warm you that you may get a few splatters of paint on a glass or two with this method, If this occurs, simply 1. wipe off Cif still wet) or 2. allow to dry thoroughly, then scrape off the drip with your fingernail. Or you could take every single dish and doo- dad out of the cupboards, put them all well away, drape and tape like mad, then paint, and after you let the paint dry and are finally putting all those glasses and cups back, you may still see a splash of paint on a bowl. ‘‘Dang nabbit!”’ you might say (or something worse). ‘I went to all the trouble to blab, blah, biah, and now | have to scrape off this drip with my fingernail!” Either way is fine. And I hate to have to reveal the truth about masking tape. Making tape is no guarantee of a perfect line, ladies and gentlemen, so listen up. No purchase can provide perfection. When | want a straight line, sometimes I use masking tape with the understanding that some paint may seep under. I know this, and accept it, Or some- limes ] just use a smaller brush even though that’s not perfect, either. The paint brush is optional. That’s right. In- stead of a paint brush, you can use a paint roller, paint pad, natural sponge, rolled rag, plastic bag, fingertip, toothpick, j-cloth, Q-lip, tooth- brush, or plaslic spoon. J like to pick my lool of choice according to 1. the nature af the job at had and 2, whether or not I happen to have a j- cloth when the opportunity to paint presents il- self, Use your own discretion in this matter. Choosing the right colour is not the mysterious process some home decor magazines and paint. manufacturers would have you be- lieve it to be. The truth is, you should simply and bravely pick something you like, I absalute- ly guarantee it will go with other things in your house, but only other things that you already like. For example, the colour you pick may clash wilh a big ugly urn of a lamp your aunt gave you. If this occurs, cither repaint to match something you never even liked anyway, or - remove the offending accessory. You may find (be lamp brings a cerlain charm to an otherwise dreary crawl space. | recommend the second de- sign choice, Trust yourself, bave faith, be brave yet calm. ‘My best friend in Manitoba told me in strictest confidence Jately about a decor decision she made. It seems a certain housemate of hers . spent a few lazy hazy crazy days of summer swalting flies against their while stucco ceiling. These dead bug biis dried up there till she noliced them, naturally, Oh,’ yikes, 1 thotight as she told me this. Ceil- ings are so difficult to clean, and with stucco, J realized with horror, you can’t cven sand! So she stepped up on a chair and whited them out, You know, with liquid paper. She did only a few at first, she felt so ridiculous. But then she saw how well ii worked and went ahead and did the rest. So the whole: truth about paint is is that you don’ Leven need paint. Human The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 8, 1997 - B1 SECTION B OMMUNITY==: A fine day for dip in the lake DESPITE near-perfect weather conditions, this year’s Kermode Bear Swim drew only a small number of swimmers, who collected even Icss pledges. Normally about 30 would-be human popsicles show up to take pari in the annual event at Lakelse Lake, but this year just 17 hardy souls showed up. ‘Tt could have been the wealher,’’ mused Kinsmen organizer Bruce Martindale. It was very cold in the days leading up to the jump, which probably dissuaded many people from collecting pledges. Many people. are sick with colds right now {ca. **We lost five or six real die-hard jumpers,’ said Martindale. Despite the poor weather prior to the jump, conditions were perfect on jump day. The weather hovered around minus eight, big fluffy snowflakes fell and there was no wind. Kinsmen cut through the foot-thick ice to carve a hole for jumpers, who plunged into four-foot deep icy water, About 100-150 spectators cheered those brave enough to strip down. Most people scrambled oul as quickly as they’d jumped in, bul af least one thick-skinned man tock or tum or two around the bathing hole. A few couples jumped into the New Year together, and one hardy soul went in for a second time. Martindale estimates somewhere between $600-51,000 was collected, down substantially from the usual $3,000 or so. That’s regrettable, since the money goes to the Kinsmen Rehabili- tation Fund to do research for devices to help paraplegics and quadriplegics. Bird numbers are down this year COLD TEMPERATURES and a nasty windchill kept bird counters in their cars during the annual Christmas bird count. The bird count is a tradi- lion which takes place across North America, and about 20 B.C. communities take part in it. In Terrace this year’s count took place on Dec. 29, and just aver 2,000 birds were spotted, compared to a typical count of over 3,000, But temperatures of -23 de- grees probably kept birds as well as people under cover, said organizer Diane Weis- miller. Still, 20 people went out on the count, more than last year, she said. They spolied 42 different specics. They were a few oddities in the numbers this year, said Weismiller. Counters spotted fewer waterfowl, since there was less open water this year, At Lakelse Lake, 44 trumpeter swans were counted, and bird enthusiasts who live out there have been cutting holes in foot- deep ice to keep water open in different areas. One bird which is normal: ly quite common — chestuut-backed ‘chickadees — was utterly missing from this year’s couut. And only eight black-capped .chick- adees were spotted, when normally 40 or so are sighted. “These are birds which come readily to feeders,” sald Weismiller, She had no explanation for their low “numbers, and said she’s waiting to heat results from VERY FEW black-capped chickadees were spotted during this year’s bird count. And there were no chestnut-backed chickadees, other counts across the pro- vince, to see if numbers are low province wide. One bird is flourishing this winter in Terrace is robins. Counters. noted 114 of the red-breasted birds, © com- pared to aii average of 60 in years past. = Weismiller wondered - whether the . robins were escaping the miscrable snow starm down south. And she said a good berry crap on Mt. Ash trees has provided a ready food source for lhem. Numbers from this year’s bird count will be recorded | and = published §=by the Audubon Society. Around Town Giving Santa a hand NEEDY CHILDREN were given Christmas presents this year, thanks to the efforts of Terrace Anti-Poverty. The society had 342 children registered this Christ- mas, and passed those names along to Kmart and Ter- race Co-op. Those two stores placed the children's names on Christmas trees, for shoppers to pick up. Shoppers then would buy a present for the child, and leave it under the trce in one of the stores. However, this year only 60 per cent of the names were actually picked up, That meant Terrace Ani Poverty bad to buy presents for about 140 children. ‘I’m disappointed in the amount of gifts that were purchased,’’ said Helga Kenny from Anti Poverty. But fortunately the Harley Owners Group had donated $1,000 for Christmas presents for kids, Other community groups also chipped in, and Kenny estimates she spent about $2,000 making sure every child had a gift. “It was kind of fun, I got to play with just about every kids’ toy on the planet,’’ said Kenny. The presents were delivered by Christmas Eve, with the help of members from the Harley Owners Group and Mighty Moe. However, four gifts couldn't be delivered, and Kenny says if you’re one of thase families who didn’t get a gift, you have until Jan, {5 to stop by Terrace Anti Poverty to pick it up. Donations to Salvation Army up at last minute TWO WEEKS before Christmas donations to the Sal- vation Army were about balf what they were at that time last year, When Li. Norm Hamelin spoke to The Terrace Standard then, he was worried that the Salva- tion Army wouldn't have enough money to carry out ils programs through the year, But the ghost of Christmas past must have visiled a few people because donations came up sharply al the last minute. About $50,000 was collected, $10,000 short of the Army’s goal, bul donations are still coming in said Hamelin. ‘‘We’re going to be okay,’’ he said. The Salvation Army also handed out Christmas presents and about 450 hampers to needy families. More presents were collected than were used, so the Salvation Army is thinking about holding a belated Christmas celcbration in Rosswood for kids there. Donations also came in for the food bank from people who'd stopped fo look al the Christmas lights oii McRae Cres. A ton of food was collected which will be used in the upcoming food bank on Jan. 20.