TERRACE STANDARE

‘INSIDE | "SECTION B
~ COMMUNITY “CRIS LEYKAUF
EVENTS B2_ 638 7283

BOOKING IN. .
_ PETER HEPBURN

A visit to |
God’s country |

WICE A year we at the li-

. brary board indulge our-

. selves with a roadtrip. Just a

regional trip, mind you, no
Whistler or Vancouver Island resorts for
‘s.

was something else altogether.

We went to Stewart.

It was a brilliantly sunny weekend,
ideal for a drive north. I had some good
tunes for the car (new CD’s by Blur and
Skydiggers) and a roll of film in my
camera, _

The occasion was a semi-annual North
Coast Regional Library Association
meeting. Turnout was quite good; ap-
proximately twenty trustees and librar-
ians congregated in the frankly small li-
brary at Stewart Secondary School. And
for two hours or so we exchanged ideas
and information.

In some ways the first hour was an ex-
ercise in self-affirmation. We expressed

- admiration for: the ongoing projects: at

the other area libraries, and we en-
couraged their new initiatives. ‘These
gestures were then reciprocated. We
then moved on to the issues that can be
more readily tackled as a collective.

Assess to computer nets has been our
tecent concem. I wish I could tell you
more about the library’s plans in this
field, but I’m allergic to the contraptions
and so I scrupulously avoid the automa-
tion committee. At any rate, it is fair to
say that Stewart, Prince Rupert, and
Kitimat are blazing the path for us, The
Terrace Public Library should benefit
from their experiences.

Quite honestly, I must confess that the
meeting did not introduce any excep-
tional new issues to the regional agenda.
Still, it is often instructive to listen to
other views. I was also glad of the op-
portunity to meet and further ac-
quaintanceships among the other library
folk in the Northwest.

Following the meeting’s adjournment

our day really took off. Herded into a
few vehicles, we rode through Alaska up:

to the Westmin operations for a brief
guided tour. Then off we rushed to view
the Salmon Glacier, Sadly, we spend no
more than twenty minutes there, taking
copious photographs. Pure cerulean
skies and worth every jolt and bump of
the ride up.

Our. dinner was a lively, informal af-
fair at the Bitter Creek Cafe. The late
evening found several of us in Hyder
(thankfully) without Everclear in hand.

The next day’s drive home was super-
bly relaxing.

Whether we accomplished much at the
meeting is not yet altogether clear. Or at
least, I doubt that I can identify the im-

mediate or tangible results of our gather-

ing. I do think, however, that in a couple
of years there will be projects both
ongoing and completed that will have
germinated in Stewart.

And if not that, well, the photos I took
on the trip certainly impressed everyone
back in Wisconsin who saw them a few
weeks ago.

One woman asked me what | thought
of her state. I told her truthfully ‘that I
thought it beautiful, relating the sights

I'd scen.

“It’s God’s country,” she said confi-
dently.

“No, it isn 0 I replied, “but it’s a

close second, ** | smirked winningly and
once again began to show the photos of a

my Stewart library weekend.

This past Seplember, though, the trip

THEIR eyes peer at
you from between the
trees, Old men’s
crinkled eyes. Crafty,
shifty, wise, comical.
They greet those
walking the curved
forest paths with a

silent regard.

Carved an inch or less deep
into the thick bark of coltton-
wood trees, the faces of these
old men began appearing on
Ferry Island approximately
last spring.

Two to three at first, then an-
other bunch, then ancther.
Some with pinched little faces,
others with broad noses and a
mocking expression. Peering

out: from the mossy trunks. .

And nearby one face a lone
owl, each feather carefully
carved into the bark.

The -carver’s identity is a
mystery, though some claim
he is an older native man.
However the carver has left us
a clue. The initials R.G. are
etched next to many of the
faces,

If you’re wondering where to
find these carvings, take a

walk down the main road on |

Ferry Island, heading south.
When you near the end where
high water would make walk-
ing difficult, turn left. The trail
curves around back to the
main road,

It’s hard to say how many
carvings might be hidden
amongst the cottonwoods, Per-
haps 20 or.25 some say,

If yow’re trying lo spot the

carvings, stand still for a mo-
ment. Soon you'll feel their
eyes staring down at your
back,

Cal newspaper a success

WHEN ALL the copies of a
School newspaper disappear
within twenty minutes, it’s a good
indication that its stories appeal
to students.

At least that’s what journalism ..
- students at Caledonia Senior

Secondary are hoping.

This is the first time a joumal-
ism class has been offered al the
high school, and the newspaper is
actually a class project,

Currently named The Dose, the |
paper has given students insight .
into how other newspapers are
put together.

Journalism 12 teacher Al Leh-

mann is pleased with the progress
students have shown over. the
four or five issues printed so far.

“Generally the students come.
up with ideas about what they -

want to write about,*’ said Leh-

_ mann.

At first entertainment was the
predominant topic in the newspa-
per. But now the student writers
are tackling substantive issues
such as curfews, homosexuality,
teenage sex, and an assault on 4
Caledonia student,

The: Dose. is put together on
Macintosh computers by the stu-
dents, then run off and
photocopied ‘‘in house,”’

Photocopy costs have riscn as
the paper gets larger, and one en-
terprising student is selling ad-
vertising to help pay for costs.

On The Dose's production day
last week, a Terrace Standard
reporter visited the site of the
newest competition.

In a Macintosh computer lab at

the high school, Dose reporters
guiped coffee and chewed fin-
germails as they worked to finish
Stories by deadline.

Co-editors Tim Phillips . and
Leslie... Dickson acted a5
troubleshooters, golng from stu-
dent to- student, helping re-write
‘leads, and find the perfect head-
line.

“T didn’t think the editors had
such a big job,’’ said Phillips in a
-aulet moment, 9.

. However: seeing. “the: finished

: _product atthe end of each week mi

LESLIE DICKSON, co-editor of the Caledonia newspaper called The Dose, 2, helps a reporter find

the right words for.an Story. The Dose has proven very popular with Caledonia students,

helps to make up for the work, he

added,

The act of writing for a newspa-

per has also given him an insight
into how other papers work.
. “T didn’t notice how stories

were™ put together before,” he

said. 2
That’s.a common theme among
the class, 3
“The style of writing is very
different from say, doing English

_-papers,”’. ‘said.;Meena Samra, .
She's an ‘investigate. “and: eniter-

tainment reporter for The Dose.
vai ‘ever. kiiew, there Were s0

‘BCrOSs,

many different kinds of leads
(—the opening paragraph of a
news story),”? -...

* Liberty Hull, a ‘general 3 news
Teporter, likes the power - that

comes with. being, 4 member of
- the media...’ a

“T like’ keeping people: ‘iw
formed;"” she says, ‘‘! think more

students need fo be more Intouch _

with things.’”
‘Her. desire to. keep people in-

‘formed. can, backfire on” her
though; In her. zest to gett the story
Hull often ends up writing

stories which are too long for the coe

average seven page Dose.

“T's hard to. condense: ‘things,”. : |
she said. ‘But people doi’t' want.
to'read a book, they want to. read -

‘an article, YES

‘Tes. | common ‘problem . for. :
tite. Terrace’

newspapers,
Standard reporter admitted,

And then the Terrace Standard
reporter was told polltely.chat it.
was after all, ade adline day; and:

put together, an

a een