INSIDE
COMMUNITY
EVENTS B2

Making a differenc

Soy

VIKKI MacKAY volunteered at this school for deaf children in Zimbabwe. Rotary

International is sponsoring a project in the country to help the large number of

deaf children.

Texas bird in Terrace

BIRD ENTHUSIASTS are hoping the mild
weather will hold out till Dec. 28.

Not only will that mean good weather for
the annual bird count, but it means 4 rare
bird which has been living on the southside
of town, might hang around a little longer.

Cheryl Thomas and her husband Gamet
first spotted the Hooded Oriole on Novem-
ber 19. The bird normally lives in Texas,
Arizona and California, and this is by far
the most northem sighting.

It’s also only the fourth time the Hooded

Oriole has ever been spotted in Canada.
' The sighting is causing a commotion in
the bird world. Bird enthusiasts from as far
away as Prince George have been coming
to Thomas’ backyard, hoping to see the
Hooded Oriole.

The sighting has even been reported in
the Globe and Mail.

Thomas thinks the bird was attracted to
her yard because of the hummingbird
feeder she hadn’t put away yet. It was feed-

“ing on the sugared water until Judy Chrys-
ler brought Thomas some Oriole feeder.
«The other Canadian sightings of the
Hooded Oriole were in Saanich and in Co-
quitlam in May, 1996,
» Bird count organizer Diane Weismiller
wants the bird to stick around, so il can be
included in the annual Terrace bird count
on Dec. 28.

B

She wonders what other rare or southern
species might be spotted here, should the
warm weather continue.

The average number of species spotted
here during the count is about 40, and has
been as high as 56, says Weismiller. She’s
not sure what will happen this year though.

If the warm weather continues through
the count, then there may be fewer little
birds at feeders, since it’s easy to find for-
age elsewhere.

Terrace is one of about 20 communities in
B.C. which participate in the Audubon
Society Christmas Bird Count. Worldwide,
bird numbers are collected from about
45,000 volunteers .

The count is an annual tradition which
dates back to the turn of the century. In the
olden days it was a Christmas Day tradition
for men to go out and shoot as many birds
as possible, To protest this, women instead
chose to go out and look for, and eventually
count, the birds.

There's a $5 fee to participate in the offi-
cial count, and your numbers will be in-
cluded in the Audubon Society’s publica-
tion,

However, if you just want to stay home
and count the birds at your feeder for an
hour or two, there’s no charge for that.

If you'd like to take part in the bird count
call Diane at 635-6984.

‘THIS HOODED ORIOLE, a native of the southern US, has been wintering In Ter-
aca, It's the furthest north the bird has ever been seen. (Photo: Gamet Thomas)

GIVING TO CHARITY,
and volunteering time is a
common practice at Christ-
mas, The season will soon
De past, but will that
generosity still be there?

Vikki MacKay and Barry
Hunks are proof that the
spirit of giving exists year-
round,

Both work at the audiol-
ogy department at the
Northwest Health Unit and
volunteered with Rotary In-
temational to help hearing-
impaired children in Zim-
babwe.

Mackay combined her
holidays and took unpaid
leave in order to volunteer
in Zimbabwe for a month.
The country is located in

southwest Africa,
Rotary International is
spending about $150,000 on

the project, which began
two years ago.

“Its an ambitious pro-
ject,’ says MacKay. Not
only are children being
fitted with hearing aids, but
volunteers are also teaching
people how to do hearing
tests and how to fit hearing
aids,

The program also involves
teaching Zimbabwe  resi-
denis how to teach deaf
children and administer pro-
grams for the deaf.

Then there’s a whole ad-
ministrative system to set
up, including ongoing
repairs of hearing devices,
and making sure that train-
ing continues once Rotary’s
involvement ends,

MacKay heard about the
program from colleagues
and decided to volunteer
this summer. She’s also

planning to return next sum-:

mer,

“T love to tavel, love
working in hearing. It's one
of life’s opportunities,”’ she
says.

A. large number of chil-
dren in Zimbabwe have
hearing problems, says
MacKay. Meningitis,
malaria and AIDS can all
lead to hearing impairment,
as can many childhood
illnesses,

The country doesn’t have
an advanced medical sys-
tem, so antibiotics aren’?
very common.

During her month there
she tested children’s hearing
and fitted hearing aids for
many. She also taught adults
how to do the same.

Hunks was in the country
the month before MacKay,
working on setting up con-

. tacts for repair services, and

teaching in the university.
Accompanying MacKay
on her trip was an
audiologist and a teacher for
the deaf — both from Van-

Vikki MacKay

THIS WON'T HUAT — Vicki Mackay makes a mold

SECTION B
CRIS LEYKAUF
638-7283

for a hearing aid for this Zimbabwe youngster.

couver.

“Everyone was very, Very
good to us,'” she says of her
experience. ‘‘They’re a wel-
coming people.”’

Although the country is
poor, MacKay commented
that she didn’t see much un-
happiness among locals.

While im Zimbabwe
MacKay was hosted by lo-
cal Rotary families in three
different cities — Harare,
the capital city, Bulawayo
and Gweru.

But she also had the op-
portunity to go out into the
countryside, where people
live in huts made out of
sticks and mud.

“tT saw whole villages of
them,”’ she said.

She also brought back pic-
tures of incredible wildlife,
including giraffes,
elephants, crocodiles and
hippos.

“Tt was like being in Na-
tional Geographic,’ she

says of the experience.

A Zimbabwe woman who
MacKay met is planning to
come to Canada io get ad-
vanced audiology training.

A large number of
children in Zimbabwe
have hearing prob-
lems. Meningitis,
malaria and AIDS can
all lead to hearing im-
pairment, as can many
childhood illnesses.

MacKay is hoping the
woman will be able to stay
with her in Terrace while
she’s training.

But that won't be until
1999, In the meanwhile
MacKay is planning to
return to Zimbabwe next
summer to work in Harare
to get services for the deaf
up and running.

£3

sleigh, complete with a few guys decked out as rol
The mini-sleigh ride was part of a week of school-sp
last week included a coffee house and a gingerbread house making contest. Th
council Caledonia has had for a number of years,

bie ea

School spirit shows
WHY WAIT FOR SANTA? Caledonia students spent a lunch-hour last week pulling around their own
ndeer. They were collecting donations for the food bank.

init events that student council organized. Other events
is is the most active student