B4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 15, 1998

ROB a

Wreng number

FISH ASSAULTS Webb’s dragon.

His reel barks. His rod dips. In the

short time it takes to hold it up, a fat,

silvery trout is leaping from the lake
a hundred feet away. Doug brings the fish in
close. It darts under the canoe and bums off
again. A few minules later he slides the net under
it and hoists it. The fish is about four pounds.
Folded and dripping, it overflows the net. Doug
unhooks the fish, looks at it again, shaking his
head in admiration, then slides it back into the
lake,

“So, did they catch the lady?’’ he asks.

“What lady?’

**The Jady making all the third party calls on
your phone,”

Before the fish hit, I’d beed telling Doug about
my adventures with the phone company - how I’d
gotten bills for hundreds of dollars for calls I
hadn’t made, how I’d been assured everything
would be okay, and how, subsequently, my phone
had been disconnected twice.

“‘No,”’ I replied, ‘* The calls continued and the
dig bills kept coming.”

Webb inspected his dragon then sent it out into
the lake again. He dipped the paddle and pulled
gently as I told him how, in a fit of frustration, I
had made my way to the offices of the phone
company, It was a short walk up to one of those
bright, generic offices, the ones with suspended
ceilings and fluorescent panels of light and a non-
descript rug,

There to receive me was a neatly dressed

_ woman who gave me a “‘how-may-I-help-you”’

smile, I told her the story - my story,A tale of as- .

surances, miscommunication, and irritation; I told
her of the agony of long distance. 1 told it’ clearly
and precisely, and I asked to see whomever was
in charge,

*He’s in a meeting,’’ she said, making a head
feint in the direction of an office behind us. I
walked in. If the boss man was having a meeting,
he was having it with himself.

“I need to talk to you,’’ I said. I could tell he
was startled by the urgency in my voice and the
maniacal, Mansonesque look in my eyes. I told
him the whole story. Once again I told it in detail
with precision, slowly,

The Bossman stood up. He turned around and
stared out the window. A distant look came to his
eyes.

“You knaw what my problem is?’’ He focused
and looked back at me, I was nonplused,

“My problem is I'm surrounded by in-
competence.”

The last word may have been ‘‘incompetents,”’
his pronunciation was sloppy, but I decided it
made no difference to the meaning, It was a
strange admission. Finally, he suggested a simple
solution.

“Change your number,’’ he said. Then he sug-
gested I ha ve the lady outside do that right away.

I thanked him, then left the office. I told the sec-
retary to change my number. She filled out a form
then tried to bil! me, After that ] severed my con-
nection with BC Tel. My wife had a line. I used it

and my life became tranquil and satisfying once

again,

My rod staried thumping against the side of the
canoe. My turn. I pulled against a heavy fish.
Webb set the net on the yoke so I could reach it, It
was a good fish, only a litle smaller than Doug’s.

“Yeah, my problems were over until I was
forced to get a fax line for my business, Omykiss
Contractors.”

Webb listened, a look of sympathy on his face,
as [ told how my nemesis, the phone company,
without my permission, decided to list my name
in the directory alongside my fax number. This
would've been fine except there was no indication
that the number was a fax number only. My fax
machinc, an older model which does not dis-
tinguish between phone and fax calls began ring-
ing much more often than it had in the past. I
started grabbing it on the first ring when it was
possible and discovered people on the other end.

I complained te BC TEL and was assured this -

problem would be rectified when the new direc-
tory came out, The new directory came out and
nothing had changed, I phoned again and was
relayed to a supervisor. I told my story - the
whole story going back to the third party
mayhem, expecting her to apologize on behalf of
the firm and give me some compensation.

Instead of the use of the company car, or a
year’s free phone calls, or even a suggestion as to
how I might solve my problema, she argued with
me. Since then BC Tel has given me an answer-
ing service, which doesn’t solve the problem,

voice mail, which doesn’t correct it either, and '
now they have suggested that I buy some kind of |

machine that distinguishes between rings,

“They're not the only show in town anymore," a

said Webb, He has a point.

TERRACE STANI

638-7283

Young golfers change i image

ALL ACROSS Canada, gol-
fers get up, stretch their
aching muscles and head to
the greens.

But not today. Now senior
golfers are greeted by fresh
faces of pre-teen golfers be-
tween the ages of seven and
12 and Terrace is no excep-

‘tion,

Skeena Valley Golf and
Country Club now has over

: 120 pre-teen golfers, the

youngest of which is five,

At least 30 of them will
participate in the club’s an-
nual Junior Golf Touma-
ment July 18-19.

They’ve even hired Steve
Holton, a junior golf devel-
opment coordinator to en-
courage young golfers.

Holton’s job is to teach
new golfers etiquette and
rules of the game. Older
kids benifit by bringing up
their development levels.

Holton also coordinates
tournaments and acts as a
liaison between the B.C.

* Golf Association and the

“

Skeena club to start new
programs for kids.

So why would 120 kids
be interested in strolling the
famed green of the local
country club?

“They have a lot of fun,”
said Holton. ‘‘We play a lot
of games and award tons of
prizes.”

Parents usually start junior

family members olf “by
teaching them a few tips and
driving them to lessons. |

Eventually, weekly meet-
ings become social activilies
for kids.

Then, Holton said
when they hit puberty — as
girls and cars lure them
away.

Holton only has nine or
ten girls who play regulary,
but he wishes more girls
would turn out.

“Girls have a fabulous op-
portunity to win golf
scholarships,’’ he said.

‘As long as they have a

handicap of 10 or less they

can win money to ge to
American universities
boys face stiffer competi-
tion.”’

And everyone wants to be
the next Tiger Woods. The
American golf sensation is
credited with increasing the
memberships of golf
courses across the world.

When the kids need to get
into teams at Skeena the
Tiger group is almost al-
ways one of the most popu.
lar.

That’s just what golf asso-
ciations want to hear. The
Royal Canadian Golf Asso-
ciation regularly organizes a
program for youth called
Future Links to ensure the
future of golf in Canada.

a Batter up!

SEVEN TERRACE teams
Terrace's first ever mixed slowpitch tournament last
weekend. Each team paid $100 to participate, and all
the money raised went to the Volunteer Bureau's
senior assistance pragrams,

joined 1 Kitimat crew in

the,
bays generally lose interest’

TERRACE'S NEWEST GOLFING FORCE: The Skeana Valley Golf and Country
Club’s youngest golfers practice weekly. The club tries to encourage young gol-
fers by awarding radios, gift certificates and donuts to keep them motivated.

The Skeena club partici-
pates in the association's ac-
tivities by acting as a depot
for unwanted equipment.
Volunteers shave down
clubs, regrip them and
donate them to needy kids.

Skeena also — operates
July’s Buddy Month pro-
gram to pair juniors with
adult mentors.

But sometimes older and

younger golfers still collide.
**Kids will be kids,’ said

Holton admitting the club
occasionally recieves com-
plaints from other golfers
about juvenile actions on the
course,

super BM strikes again

SUPER BM continued its domination of
the Terrace Men’s Soccer League this
weekend with two win over Forestry.

The teams played a make-up game Fri-
day, July 3 when Super BM came out
strong, leading by four in the first half.

But Forestry mounted a come back early
in the second half, scoring a quick three
goals to get back in the game.

With the score 5-4, and Forestry pressing
for the make-up goal, Super BM attacked
with two goals late.in the half to secure the

win.

_ In their second match of the weekend Su-
per BM led again at half time, shutting out:
Forestry 2-0, Hoping to leam through
repetition, Forestry battled back in the sec-

ond to tie the game.

They thought they struck paydirt when
Super BM’s Nick Kollias was fouled inside

game 3-2,

the 18-yard box and Forestry was awarded

the penalty shot. ; ;
But Super BM’s keeper, Stephan
Granander saved the game. With a few

minutes remaining, Super BM. took the

ane.

Tn their matches this weekend, the Inter.
nationals won a nailbiter against Home

Hardware 1-0. The game was a defensive

struggle, with the goalposts giving both
keepers a helping hand along the way.
The Western Pacific Team defeated the

Kermode Stompers 5-1.

Though the Stompers scored early when
Frank Watts drove in a hard shot, Western
Pacific played a patient game, taking ad-
vantage of their chances.

Western Pacific Players, Tom Wesile and

Roland Barton, each scored two goals and
Perey F Fowler added one to close the game.

Sport Scope

Ski passes available now |
BUY YOUR SHAMES mountain carlybird season passes before July 25, save over $150

and ski all winter.

Earlybird adult passes are $426.93 including GST, children seven and under are free,
and discounts apply for youlh ages 13-17, juniors ages 8-12 and seniors over 65, Passes
are available at Shames Mountain head office in Terrace at 4544 Lakelse Avenue or pick-
up an application form at All Seasons Source for Sports.

For more information call 635-3773,

Hockey Enrollment down

THE TERRACE Hockey School needs 132 kids to sign up for schoo! this summer, The
program, which usually offers 227 kids dry-land training, ice sessions, and goalie traning

might be cancelled.

Classes are $170 per week for students 5-16 years old, Non-contact evening classes are
$40 per weel: for youths 16 and older.
For More information contact Pat at 635-2537.

Northmen clinch league title

By DAVID D. HULL

THE TERRACE Northmen Rugby club has
returned to their former, at times perennial,
glory securing the title of league champions
with a 37-7 victory July 4 over last year’s
champs, The Prince Rupert Seamen.

Last season, the Northmen surrendered the
title to the "re-bom" and "re-named" Rupert

. squad for the first time in over a decade. But
history was not to repeat itself for the lads from
_ the Cily of Rain(bows).

The Seamen started the year strong with a
string of victories over Terrace and the
Smither’s Camels.

But the long arduous schedule proved to be
too much for the coastal ruckers as they played
perfectly into the Northmen’s strategy of pre-
season fituess training and rugby basics which
carried them through the season.

Saturday’s game was all Northmen.

Graham Bayles played the game of his ‘98
scasol. Even in the twilight of his rugby career,
the grizzled veteran was a force playing out of
his normal wing forward position at stand off.

"' Bayles scored back-to-back trys at the 15 and
19 minute matks of the first half and added a

nice pick-and-run try on a lengthy maul half
way through ‘the second half to give him 15
points for the night.

Place kicking was a little suspect for the
Northmen with the absence of the sure-footed
Doug Wilson.

A variety of players kicked for two-point con-
vert attempts on seven Northmen trys. The only
successful attempt was the first of the night with
Bayles converting the opening try by scrum half
George DaCosta.

With Amie Pelletier, Bayles, Mike Homeniuk
all missing once or twice, DaCosta stepped up
for an atiempt late in the second half and suc-
cessfully converted a Pelletier try.

The Seamen scored with a succeasful convert
near the close of the first half and were only be-
hind 17-7 at the interval and certainly not out of
the game. —

But the Seamen saw their chances of repeating
their success of °97 fade quickly in the second
half as the game was all Northmen with the Ter-
race lads seemingly scoring at will In the last 10
or 15 minutes.

Ernie Dusdal, one of the few veterans more

grizzled than Bayles, played a strong game and
scored the first try of the second half with a
heads up play off a quick line out that caught
the Seamen flat-footed as Dusdal scored, suck-—
ing the remaining wind out of the Seamen's
sails,

Bayles, Pelletier and Homeniuk all added trys
in the final frame to put the Northmen in an un-

‘ touchable position for the balance of the game.

Pelletier, normally a fleet-footed centre,
played a good game for the Northmen in the
forward pack for his first time and was the pri-:
mary Terrace jumper in the line outs,

Only strong tackling by a Rupert winger in the
first half and a number eight in the second half
prevented Pelletier from scoring three or four.
more trys.

The Northmen played their last schedule:

match against the Smither’s Camels last |

weekend in Tertace and will finish the season
travelling to Prince Rupert on the 25th.
The final rugby action in the Northwest will,

be the annual Smither’s Seven’s Tournament at
for both men and women on the B.C, Dy:

weekend, Details io come,