fo On. a
aflernoon, while nursing the foot I'd burnt by = |.

BENS B2

TANDARD -

"KATHY FLORITTO

If.| only had gills”

hree years ago, we moved to Ter-
race from Kamloops. I couldn’t
wait to get away from endless days
of azure skies, blazing sunshine and
"oven hot temperatures.
Winter had been a chilly breeze with a skiff of
_ snow in January, followed by the onset of a
Sahara-style heat wave that never quit. Spring?
Never happened, ©
‘The morning ritual: By dawn, windows were
"shut tight, curtains drawn and blinds closed to
five the central air conditioning a fi ighting
" chance.
Weeding the garden meant ferreting out as
- many of the undesirables as possible before
s: high noon” - an event that’ usually occurred
before 11 a.m.
Neighbourhood lawn mowers: roared and

oonlight. We’d leamed ‘the hard way that
-grass cul in the moming was burnt stubble by
‘late afternoon. Daytime watering evaporated be-
fore ithitthe ground. -

‘Too much of a good thing,'’ sez T. “T want
“to be somewhere GREEN.. forests thick with
. +7, eodars and fir..emerald vallcys instead of sand
‘and’ sagebrush,
« wilte-capped purple mountains.” I babbled, It
must have been heatstroke.

particularly scorching. Saturday

stepping, sans shoe, on our coricrete sundeck,
“aay husband walked through the door, bis face
_. creased by an_car to car Bring | a
“How'dja like to move to Terrace?”
“» Yestlt Somebody was listening! eer

A’ ‘For Sale’? sign was-immediately. stuck j in: .
the front lawn. Knowing that we'd be exchang-.

oS ing a 3,600 square foot home for one less than a
“third the size, I disorganized one of the biggest
“garage sales in Kamloops history. It was the
- first one I'd ever done and _ it lasted well over a
Lo week, I swore I’d never: do it again...but that’s
another story:

This morning, the cat and !
- fought over the lone paich of
- sunshine that managed to reach
the kitchen floor. | won. fm mean
: when i'm desperate.

"As soon as school was finished for the year,
~ the trck began. My husband, daughter and the
‘family pooch led the parade, transporting what
furniture and etcetera we optimistically hoped
‘we could wedge into the modest litdle coop that
-would serve as new-to-us digs for the foresee-

" able future.

I followed i in my pint-size hatchback with our
“15-year old anti-car cat and miscellanea that
* couldn’ t be jammed into the truck,

"We arrived the following night...it was rain-
ing, “How nice!l’? I cooed. “Showers are so

ob _ sefeshing at the end of the day.”

. There was no time to be curious at t the dry
~ response: “Glad you like it.’’
“Despite the damp welcome, that summer was
» wonderful. Oh, it rained, of course, but the wet
periods were separated by long ‘stretches of
balmy, postcard days and sleep-easy cool
nights, ‘both’ indescribably enhanced by the
fragrance of irees, grass and flowers — no pulp
mill:
n Kamloops, ‘‘they’’ (whoever they are)
label the putrid odor wafting up the valley “the
smell of moncy.”’ Well...money stinks. I dow’t
recommend it.
We spent as much time as possible, from July
“through October, doing what tourists do best —-
: tubbemecking. Each bend of every road brought
_ new delights. I was truly thankful to that com-
© passionate - -Answerer of Prayers...completely
~ forgetting that sage ndvice...\‘Be careful what
you ask for,””
- I'm not ungrateful, but I wonder if a tad less
ae deluge would be not too uncomfortable? I know
-we're on the. edge of the: ‘temperate rain-
-_forest..“‘edge”” being’ the operative word, And
‘while «gray, is probably a definitive fashion
“! statement, what about a little blue sky now and
* then? Just for a change of pace? :
Oh. — almost forgot -— if it were just the
“tiniest bit warmer, would it disturb some grand
-_ design? This morning, the cat and 1 fought over
the lotie patch of sunshine that managed to

“reach the kitchen floor. I won, I'm mean when .

“I'm desperate. .
Weather aside, am I glad w we made the move?

. Absolutely! The people we've. met, the friends . -
we've made will always be treasured and this is,

‘without question, calendar.country, °

‘Tfonly [could see it more often,..does # snyone ‘:

. “make: windshield wipers for glasses?

repairs;

prinklers began their rhythmic thwacking by |

erystal clear brooks, soaring —

5 “AN. ARMY of handymen are
-.; about to invade the homes of lo-
“, cal seniors doing minor repairs

and fix-ups.

It’s. all part of the Volunteer ”

‘Bureau’ s new Helping Handyman

Program.

‘It’s aimed at seniors or “anyone
with a disability on a ‘limited i in-
come..

The head handyman in charge
of coordinating . volunteers is
Harold Essensa. .

He’ll go to seniors’. homes, ase

‘sess the work: thal needs. doing, .

dispatch volunteers qualified to
handle the job, and oversee the
work. '

The bureau’s Lovina Tyler calls

"Essensa perfect for the job.

-Not only is he a construction
contractor here in town, he was
once a building inspector, he was
the construction coordinator on
the new Anglican Church, and
he’s ‘been a Meals on Wheels
volunteer for at least two years.

‘We really struck a gold mine
when we gol Harold for this pro-
ject,’ says Tyler, ~~

‘They'll be: doing minor home”
plumbing, .

windows, changing. ‘out-of-reach

ight bulbs,” emergency “snow

Temoyal, and installation of safety.
equipment, like enh, ‘bars i in bath-
tubs:

Tyler says they? re now looking
for volunteers with experience in
doing any of the work, needed.

. People who want, to. help, or
seniors that need help can call
- 638-1 ~1330 starting next week.
, “Tyler noted the program: will

also. help seniors. who have"

" money; but are. worried about
being tipped off by contractors.

.Hssensa will look_at. the -work.

that’s needed and provide’. an

-estimaie of What it should. -cost.
He'll also recommend quatified

contractors, and the volunteer

_ bureau itself plans to prepare a

list of contractors who will do -
work for seniors at reduced rates,

“program will

carpentry, -
electrical work, cleaning outside

“Seniors are often very. con-
cerned about who comes into
their homes,’ Tyler said.

“Harold will be a very safe per-

son coming in?» ”
-- Tyler predicts the work will be
very rewarding.

“These seniors have worked

really hard all their. lives. They

have helped build our country.
_They deserve this help. They real-

ly do.’’

A. second. program to help
seniors is also being launched
nextweek,

The Volunteers For Seniors
help connect
volunteers with seniors who need
basic help in going shopping, get-
ting to doctors appointments and
similar assistance.

Some seniors need a lot of help

_ and can’t take even the Hand-

iDart, for transportation, Tyler

"says.

In the shopping. aisles, some

" have trouble picking up cans.

Volunteers for Seniors will also

arrange friendly visits to seniors

in their homes, and telephone
checks to ensure. they’ re well or
just to chat,

Tyler says there will bea traine

~ ing session for the Volunteers For

Seniors volunteers, — .

"She. estimates up to 200 focal
_ sentors could soon benefit from
the new programs. ;
’ “The need is there,” she said,
_ “There are so many out there that
we ‘don’t seem to. see and. we
want to get them out. and into the
community with assistance.”” -

~ And she predicts both’ programs
will” help. ‘seniors “kéep: ‘their

homes and independence. -
‘It’s much less expensive to

thie ‘ZoVerinient and to taxpayers:
“if: they can be in their: own
- hoiiie,”? she noted, “Aid theyre

healthier and ‘happier. ae

looking for moré donations ‘to
support -the Volunteers © For
Seniors program.

RED CROSS branch president Janet McGee presents volunteer

Ann Chow with a ten year service award pin. The award was In
recognition of her work with the Red Crass medical. equipment.
loan service.

Dedicated volunteer

LONG TIME ted cross volunteer

Ann Chow was: awarded with:
badge of service earlier this.

month for almost 10. years af
volunteer work,
Doring those years Chow coor-

_dinated the Red- Cross medical
equipment loan service, This pro- -
gram loans equipment’ such as
wheelchairs, walkers, commodes -

to anyone who needs it for up to.
three months. The service is pro-

vided’ free. of charge, ‘and is-in-
“tended to help those recovering ©
from. operations, or who. need
equipment c ona temporary basis,
As 4. voluntcer; Chow made -

herself available to meet people's
‘neelis, cleaned the equipment and,

” kept inventories.
.- Bat Chow: is‘ moving from Ter-
_ Stace,’ and. the Red Cross is sorely.
_: pressed to find someone. b&b ail het .
- thoes. dagen.

“q think she’s | a little gold-

mine,”’ says Anne Anson,. physi- -

cal ‘therapist, whose ‘clients’ fre-
quently. use the Red Cross ser:

vice. “I'm sorry to sce her go,’’.
Janet McGee, president of the -
Terrace’ ‘branch ‘of the: Red Cross, -

noted Chow's commitment to the

program.
. She ‘would: rush down. to the

depot at any time of the day to as-
~* alst’cHlents’ with their equipment
needs, ray .

‘The 10 yeat service award

Chow was ‘given, was in. tecogni-

tion of this dedication.

Now that Chow has moved, the
“Red Cross. is looking for a

volunteer to fill her place, If you

~aré: interested in volunteering, ©
come to the branch meeting. on
September 20: at:7
boardroom of.
“=, Centres.

. “It's being run on donations and’ ”
__ from the City of Terrace,
The ‘volunteer . “bureay . is. sill: -

‘Sept. 29-30 at. grocery ‘stores and.’
the liquor’ store: om support ‘he, :

"|. ty of life for people with disabilities. °°”!

-[: ‘did'she or didn’t she?’ was never adequately answered... :

“pee iat: the o
Aquatic

7 TERRACE
Mf VOLUNTEER
P BUREAU

= AFORNATON |
a eS lal

HITTING THE NAIL ON ITS HEAE a Handyman Harold Es-

sensa heads up a new, Volunteer Bureau: program..The Helping

Haiidyman Program will provide seniors and people with-dis-*:

abilities a volunteer. handyman service. That’s valunteer bureau:
staff Lovina’ Tyler and Freda Schmidt.beside him. For more in-

formation c on nthe n new program, call 6398-1330, starting next week. eee

with, the, help: of:a $5,000. grant: gh
“the iproyince’s: “Continuing. Car
‘They'll be conducting a a tag day

“td the ‘memory of Sati Penman, a.
long ‘time ‘local’ volunteer ‘who! :

Program. . . dled this: summer = +:

Poet published.

LOCAL POET Neil Strect-has had a poem published in an a anthole

ogy put out by the National Library of Poetry in Maryland, a
. -The poem is entitled ‘Do. You Remember,’ aad is about y wa ing:
-‘toTenew marriage vows. S les
"*Street’s been waiting for 20 yeas and his ‘ples. are wildly”
chosen. ; ;

Help wante

THE CAST anid crew of Terrace Little Theatre 8 Upcomt
‘Waiting for the Parade are still looking, for seanistresses.
handy with a needle is invited to help’ the’ costum j .
altcrations and the production of 1940s women *a clothin, If somé-
one were willing to loan the cast vintage doting which could be
altered, that would be greatly appreciated, 2)
.' The production i is also looking. for: an upright. ‘plano with a: low..
‘back; a.1930s'school teacher's‘ desk anid chair; and old upholstered .
easy chair; a Vintage child’s tricycle. (mall); and a ‘wooden’ “Shop
counter. . .
So if you have’ any ‘Weasures hidden in your atic, in ‘an ‘old trunk
or in the back ofa closet, please call: ‘Marianne at 635-2942 or
Laurie at 638-1388, ~

BCPA Fun. Run

THE B.C.:Paraplegic Association and the B we
Association have joined forces to raise money'to improve | the: ‘qual:

- Their first fundraising effort is a:fun. mn; to! be held: Sunday,’ Sep-/
tember 10. Staff from. the Coast ‘Inn of. the: ‘West, and’ people from:

- and 8km mun,
, Everyone is invited to bring their families and pels, to come take
part in-the cin. You.can pick up a Pledge sheet at the Coast Inn, or
make a donation when you register... .
Refreshments willbe: provided before: ‘and atte: the
Meet at W a.m. at the Const inn of the West parklig Io

_ Did she or didn't she?.

CAST AND. CREW for Termce Little Theatre? ‘6, season ope ft:

Blood Relations, have now been selected.
. The play, by award winning. writer Sharon Pollack, depicts ‘the::
_ chilling story‘ of Lizzie Borden. One hot August morning at the turn
“of the century, Lizzie's parents, Andrew and Abby, Borden, were:.
brutally murdered in their Massachusetts home.. The prime suspect .
— Lizzie. Although she was tried and acquitted, the question. ‘of.

‘Julie Jacobs has been cast in-the role of the infamous. Lizle,: while :

~ Joan: Sangster plays the actress, a woman who, acts out Lizzle's life,.-

Karla Hennig is the unlucky Mrs. Borden, while Dave Liscumb is’.

her husband. Judith McLean plays Emma, Hugh Power has been’.

. cast in the cole of Harry.and Patrick Mactntyre plays Dr, Patrick, 1°!
‘Blood Relations is directed by. Dantel Barns {Uand:

. Mavis Hamilton, uss § ngster is

- SECTION We
CRIS LEYKAUF
638-7283

: branch, The ‘program is dedica di |

the local paraplegic association. will be taking part: ‘in the Skaat walk: 2