INSIDE
COMMUNITY
EVENTS B2

KATHY FLORITTO.

Plotting revenge

CROSS THE street from our little
handyman’s special, a row of
Victorian-slyle homes has blos-
somed in the open field where once
only wildflowers and native grasses flourished.

Before the first residence made its appearance,
huge mechanical beasts scooped, tossed and
graded what used to be our cat’s personal Ad-
ventureland.

Cables, pipes and the gas line dispossessed
hundreds (maybe thousands) of the ficld mice
he considered the mainstay of his private
smorgasbord.

To add insult to injury, when the diggers and
pushers were done, massive metal monsters
spewed concrete over those areas designated as
sireets and cul-de-sacs.

It’s true thal one unhappy feline isn’t likely to
pose much of a problem in a world of five or six
gazillion people and it’s equally truce that most
of us, as the highest life form on the planet,
regard it as quite natural that our needs must be
served light ycars ahead of a 14lb, 20-year-old
dog chaser...but Radney the Cat doesn’t see it
that way.

Rod’s motto: ‘‘If you want the best seat in the
house - you'll have to move me. Go ahead -
move me."” . Lees

As soon as Victoriana began rising, I knew we
were in deep, deep trouble. ;

The builder has a Mutt...a very sociable Mutt.
Boo Boo (1 kid you not) is one of those friendly
Heinz varieties that only come in sizes large and
x-large, ‘What he lacks in smarts, he makes up
for in size.

“Sit, Boo Boo, sit!’? doesn’t work and he can
knock you over with a single lick.

Boo Boo licks a Jot...

Boo Boo found out the hard way that
Rod hasn't lived two decades by play-
ing nicey-nice with man, bird or beast.

Our own dog, Checkers, is also of mixed
origin, but a Blue Heeler and a Brittany Spaniel
do nal a Caninasaurus make, When he tried to
warn the new guy on the black that warming, up
to Rodney was a non-slarter, all be got for his
pains was a slurp that sent him rolling 10 yards
across the iawn.

Checkers hasn’t spoken to Bao Boo since.

So Boo Boo found out the hard way that Rod
hasn’t lived two decades by playing nicey-nice
with man, bird or beast. Since that less than
auspicious occasion, whenever our would-be
visitor bounds across the road, he lurches to a
halt at the end of our driveway and pecks
around the hedge for signs of his nemesis.

If a pair of half-shuttered topaz eyes or a
switching black tail are anywhere in sight, Boo
Boo pumps his legs as fast as he can in a
homeward direction, howling ‘‘Fect don’t fail
ine now.,”?

Checkers, of course, knows that Rodney rules.
He’s adopted a few techniques along the way
that have reduced the claw marks to a minimum
- when Rod wants to play ‘‘Chase the Dog,’’
Checkers runs. When Rod stops - Checkers
keeps on running. If Rod decides to bask in a
ray of sunshine thal mistakenly took Terrace for
Hawaii and our porch for a lanai at the Hilton,
Checkers wisely retreats. He Ilcamed. He lives.

And right now, we're all learning. After two
decades of boarding in Rod-run houses, we
thought we'd seen all facets of his fascinating
personality - all three of ’em - bored, testy and
downright furious. Now, however, a fourth fea-
ture is very cvident...one that bodes certain dis-
comfort, nat just for us, but for thase who have
the chutzpah to actually take up residence in
sticks and stones that hold absolutely no ar-
chitectural interest for one very ticked-off kitty.
He’s developed an aptitude for long-term plan-
ning.» :

Whatever the plot, he’s not sharing, but it’s
got something to do wilh getting even and the
Victorian village, that’s cerlain. Every morning,
he positions himself on the window ledge and
stares, for several hours, at the “enemy.’? Only
his cars and tail arc a dead giveaway that some
Machiavellian scheme is afoot.

Spring will bring more machines, more homes
charmingly reminiscent of a long-ago age and
more neighbors. Guess I should post one of
those “Beware of Cat” signs. Not in my yard -
in theirs. a

Theatre

THE BIG NAME acts are lined up
and now organizers are hoping
people will come out again to sup-
port the second annual Terrace
Little Theater telethon — Applause
“97, on March 9.

Last year's telethon mised just
over $80,000, much better than
organizers had hoped.

The telethon is in support of a
new 250-seat theatre for Terrace. Ii
would be located on Keith Ave.
across from River Industries. The
building would replace the small,
aging McColl Playhouse on Kalum,

So far TLT has raised about 20
per cent of the proposed $1,25-1.5
million needed, And that means a
few more tclethons before con-
struction starts.

“We want to have the resources
to do the whole thing before we
start,"* says Gordon Oates, chair of
Applause ‘97, He’s hoping to break
sod in the year 2000.

Last year’s telethon brought in 4
number of large corporate dona-
tions, so Oates can’t predict what

this year’s telethon will raise, al- :

though organizers are already
trying to line up some corporate
donations. Oates is hoping for an
increase in business and personal
donations though,

This year’s telethon features a

' brand new line-up,

Acappella group The Euphorics,
also known as U4X, will be singing

pop, doo-wah, classic and gospel

mimbers. Joanie Bye heads up the

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 5, 1997 - Bi

SECTION B |
CRIS LEYKAUF

egg, Henry Stiksma disc

638-7283

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP — Jello didn't make the best cush

lon for a fragile

overad during the egg-drop portion of the science festival,

held over the weekend. Elementary school'students had to fill a milk carton with a
substance that would protect the egg when it was dropped. Below — The crowd
loved it whenever an egg made a gooey mess.
shmallows, popcorn and even mittens to protect the eggs. Leit — Intermediate

Kids were inventive, using matr-

grades had to design a parachute to carry eggs gently to the ground.

group hosts 2nd telethon

U4X Is one of

the headline groups lined up for Terrace Little's

Theatre's 2nd annual telethon, Applause ‘97, The telethon takes
place on March 9 and it's to raise money for a new theatre building,

group. She's made appearances
with Cher and David Bowie. Also
in the group are Helen Davis,
Nathen Asweill and Bing Jensen.

Leora Cashe is the second of the
big name acts lined up. She’s ap-
peared with Michael Bolton, and
has also sung at a number of popu-
lar jazz festivals and in a few musi-
cals. Cashe singes ballads, blucs,
country and pop.

And for the kids, Prince George
based Jim Raddysh has great
songs to keep them. entertained.
Raddysh. has a radio show in Prince
George attd Kamloops called Toon

Raiders. He's toured extensively
throughout western Canada,

If this year's line-up sounds a
little quieter than last year’s, there’s
a reason.

“We're staying away from the
big rock bands,'’ says Oates, Las!
yeat when people phoned pledges
while the rock bands were playing,

the people on the phone bank could:

barely hear them speak.

Lining up entertainment is a dif-
ficult mix of getting someone. in
who can draw a crowd, but siill
making enough to cover expenses.

I's a problem TLT faces all the
time, as they bring in entertainment

all year round, Their last concert,
by Farmer's Daughter, sold out and
made them about $5,000, But often
they’re lucky to break even. Maney
from concerts throughout the year
also goes to support the building
fund.

Oates says they try to bring in
good qualily groups, and often
they’re rising stars.

“Bul people seem to want
champaign entertainment on a beer
salary.’

He admils it’s an education pro-
cess, and says he’s working on just
gelling people to come out to give
bands a try. And coming to the
telethon would be a good start, he
suggests. After all, admission is
free.

Last year the audience averaged
about 100-150 people-in the spa-
cious REM Lee, and Oates is
hoping attendance will double at
this year’s telethon.

Often the entertainers feed off the
audience, he sald, particularly dur-
ing the kids’ shows. And it would
be great if people would come out
to support local entertainers too.

A few more draws are planned
this year, including activities in the
parking lot outside the REM, and
door prizes.

The local entertainment portion
of the evening hasn’t becn firmed
up yet, Oates says anyone inter-
ested in playing during the telethon
should contact. Christ Haltom at
635-2269 as soon as possible, —