The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 26, 2000 - B1

, TERRACE STANDARD

COMMUNITY:

Carpentry student wins B.C. title | |

ae nee

‘INSIDE
‘COMMUNITY
EVENTS B2

J A THOUGHT.

EV BISHOP

Enjoying the day my
ight now, ] have complete free-
dom in writing about my children.
T can relate the cute things, the
and the hilarious things that my
kids come cut with. They don’t roll their eyes
and groan in embarrassment about their mo-
Hopefully I have a few more years before
being forbidden to even allude to the little hu-
mans that I helped bring into the world. All
please!” Then, for the sake of easier relations,
I,ll have to keep all the things my children
teach me to myself.
my children’s perceptions and words, knowing
that countless other parents are just as amazed
by their children as [ am by mine. When |
that comes to mind first is their wholehearted
embrace and love of life. 1 think there is some
part of you that, in childhood, sees things and
ly do. Hanging out with my kids often leaves
me stunned with vivid memories of my own
childhood. Delight and wonderment, pain and
ren's amazement at life and their experiences.
Awhile ago, on the way home from school,
Riah was laughing maniacally, blasting us
She suddenly realized that the breeze was
chilling her sleeveless arms. (You'd have to
ask her why she was sleeveless.)
ted, Moments later, turning a corner too
quickly, I didn’t avoid the ocean of a puddle
formed by the curb.
window, landing on Riah.
“Yahoo, Mom, you’re the BEST,” she chat-
tered,
a friend who were laughing hysterically at the
show.
“Do it again! Do it again!” I didn’t have the

daughter’s way

not so cute things, the disgusting

ther’s references to them in print.
too soon IJ’]l receive the moan, “Muuuuther,
Until then 1 will go on sharing my delight at
think about the qualities my kids have, the one
feels things more poignantly than adults usual-
confusion come back triggered by my child-
with the frigid air of late January in Terrace.
“Hey, I feel PLASTIC!” she yelled, deligh-
Just thawed water sprayed in through the
“Yeah, the best!” chorused her brother and
heart to inform her that I. hadn’t cruised

through the puddle on purpose, that I'm not’

that cool.

Suddenly I remembered a time when jump-
ing in puddles was a priceless form of enter-
tainment.

When my daughter was about to lose her
first tooth, bottom front, her permanent tooth
was almost fully-grown in behind it. The pro-
spect of losing it made her lip tremble and her
eyes well up with tears. Thinking that she was
concerned about pain, my husband and I tried
to reassure her.

She interrupted us, “I’m not worried about it
hurting, but I don’t want my teeth to fall out. I
want rows, like a shark.”

How do you not laugh at that? Inside 1 was
in awe. We live in a society where people so
dread looking “different” that they “fix” al-
most anything they can. For a brief time in
childhood we're spared insecurity about our
tooks 10 a point where we actually think shark
teeth would be cool.

Not every thought my children trigger
comes with a laugh or a funny twist of per-
spective. A sad expression, a moment when I
can see in their eyes a glimpse of older under-
standing, a jumble of hurt feelings that aren’t
in my power to fix... all those cause me to re-
member back also.

Amidst all the joy and fun of parenting, I’m
intimidated by the knowledge of how strongly
the early years of your life influence who you
grow up to be. I’m even more intimidated by
the realization that this is the stage our kids
are in; the having the foundation laid for the
grown up they'll become stage. This know-
ledge challenges me as a parent to make sure
my kids know that I love them, no matter
what. I want to give good input, solid support
and big laughs along the way to help balance
out the harder times, because despite our best
intentions, sad things do happen in childhood.

1 aim to not let myself get too stressed out
while pondering the future. 1 have faith that it
will work out to good and when [ need some
encouragement, the words of my daughter
come back to me, making me smile.

“lam so excited! I can’t wait until tomor-
row. I almost think this is the best day of my

life!” Whal makes these words my all-time fa- -

vorite quote from her? There wasn’t even any-
thing particularly special happening that day,
Her enthusiasm is crazy and good. If I can
teach my kids half as-much as they show me
about living, they’ll be Ok.’

CHAD BUHR isn’t your
average high school car-
pentry student who tinkers
with wooden toys and
boxes.

The 17-year-old Cale-
donia grad is a whiz with
wood and has a stack of
awards to prove it.

Earlier this month, Bubr
won the provincial Skills
Canada carpentry compe-
tition held in Vancouver

“He’s good — really
good. Without ques-
tion he’s the most ta-
lented student I’ve
ever had.”

— Joe Murphy

for the second year in a
TOW.

His gold medal earns
him the right to compete
in the national carpentry
championships held in
Quebec city this summer.

The chances of him
winning the Canada-wide
carpentry competition are
good, says Caledonia high
school carpentry instructor
Joe Murphy, especially
since Bukr won the natio-
nal contest last year.

“He’s good — really
good, Murphy said.
“Without question he’s the
most talented student I’ve

' ever had.”

There’s no limit to Mur-
phy’s praise for his talen-

WELL CRAFTED BENCH: Caledonia carpentry whiz Chad Buhr recently finished making a bench, made
out of focal birch, that he will give to Thornhill Elementary School, Students who take the Carpentry 12
course are encouraged ta do community projects for local schools and non-profit organizations.

ted pupil,

“Chad just has a natural
ability,” Murphy said, “He
has a great work ethic and
takes pride in what he
does.”

Buhr said his talent
comes from years of prac-

tising with his father, who
is a carpenter,

“T’ve been working with
my dad since | was really
young ~ ever since I can
temember,” Buhr said.

He added: “I just work
well with wood. It comes

Local author recorded
Northwest's history

FUNERAL SERVICES
were held Monday for
Norma Vletcha Bennett,
author and longtime Ter-
race resident.

Bennett, who was born
in Wetaskiwin, Alberta in
1912, died on April 17 at
Mills Memorial Hospital.
She would have been 88
years old April 27.

Her first book entitled |

Pioneer Legacy, Chroni-
cles of the Lower Skeena
River, was Bennett’s ta-
bour of love taking her
more than 20 year to com-
plete.

The book, which re-
counts the story of native
settlement and later on,
white seltlement up to the
1920s, is a well-documen-
ted history of the lower
Skeena.,

Bennett coaxed staries
from early white pioneers,
compiled stories of the re-
sident Tsimshian and
painstakingly gathered rare
photos of the early days to
complement the tales of
those who lived along
these Skeena River.

The book is so well-do-
cumented it won a provin-
cial silver medal for his-
torical content from the
BC Historical Society.

“It was quite an accom-
plishment,” said Bennett’s
son Ric. “She was very
proud of her books.”

Over the years Bennett
compiled so much infor-
mation, she was able to
wrile three more books. .

Norma Bennett is photographed in 1997 at baok
signing event. Her first book Pioneer Legacy, Chro-
nities of the Lower Skeena, published in 1997, is a
well-documented account of local history.

Her second book, en-
titled Pioneer Legacy Vo-
lume H, is expected to be
published soon.

Proceeds from Ben-
nett’s books go to the Dr.
R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foun-
dation, a local society de-
dicated to raising money

for equipment at Mills
Memorial Hospital.

Bennett said his mother
and father Bill Bennett
moved to Terrace from the
United States in 1958 to
purchase a motel, called —
The Motel.

pay for his trip to the na-
tional carpentry competi-
tion in Quebec City,

If anyone would like to
make a donation, call Ca-
ledonia school at 635-6531
or Chad at 638-1960.

naturally to work with.”
After graduating from
high school in June, Buhr
said he hopes to take an
apprenticeship in Terrace.
Buhr is currently look-
ing for sponsorship to help

-Around Town

Dyer returns

NOTED INTERNATIONAL affairs commentator Gwynne

Dyer is making his third appearance in Terrace in 10
ears.

4 Dyer, born in Newfoundland but who now tives in

England, will speak at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre Friday,
May 5 at 7:30 p.m, There is no charge. He'll take ques-

tions after his lecture.

Dyer’s subject is how should democratic countries
‘ conduct themselves around the world.

“After centuries when democracies were the belea-
guered underdogs, we have entered a world where demo-
cratic countries are safe, overwhelmingly power, and
what you might call the moral majority,” writes Dyer in
a summary of his lecture.

He’ll specifically refer to the events in Kosovo where

western countries waged war to protect human rights.
‘Dyer is a newspaper columnist and has made a wide
‘variety of television and radio documentaries.

Calling big bosses
THE HEART and Stroke Foundation of B.C. and Yukon
is looking for company owners or managers to help it
raise money when its Big Bike comes to town May 26
and 27,

The bike can handle up to 29 people cach time and
the plan is to have that number of bosses and managers
collect pledges and tour the town en masse that day on
the foundation’s big bike. A big medal goes to the big
boss raising the most money. ;

A special time, 6:45 p.m., has been set aside for this
particular ride May 27 and the goal is for each person to
collect at least $500 in pledges for the Big Boss Ride,

Demand has been so high that what was to be a May
27 event has been expanded to include rides an May 26.

All 19 rides available for Saturday have been filled
and at least two teams will be going out May 26, says
organizer Rana Nelson. The goal is to top last year’s
collection of $25,000 for the heart and stroke foundation.

More information is available from Nelson at 638-
0017 or from Christine Walkinshaw, the foundation’s co-
ordinator, at 638-8464.

People who wish to ride, but who aren’t part of a
team, are being encouraged to call either Nelson or
Walkinshaw. “Some teams don’t have a full comple- ,
ment so they'll be looking for more people,” said Nel-
son.

Locals urged to support Friends for Friends Day

A GROUP of local merchants and friends of
Rolf and Alexis Ahrens are holding a number
of events Saturday, April 29 to raise money for
the couple’s extensive medical expenses.

Rolf and Alexis suffered major injuries in a
motor vehicle accident in February while they
were honeymooning in Venezuela, The acci-
dent has left Alexis paralysed, unable to move
her fingers or her legs.

Lara Roldo, friend of the Ahrens’, said.

Friends for Friends Day is being organized to
raise as much money for Alexis as possible. “If
we can raise $50,000 it still wouldn't be

enough,” Roldo said.

Roldo added the couple will needs money
to purchase a wheelchair and to renovate their
home to make it wheelchair-accessible,

Friends for Friends day begins April 29 in
the Lazelle Mini mall parking lot at 8 a.m.
with a garage sale and bake sale. A hot dog
sale will start at 11 am. Face painting and
balloons will be available for children.

A silent auction will be held from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m. at the Trades Fair in the Terrace Arena.
A live auction starts at 4 p.m.

Alexis, 30, who was a manager at Ground

Works Coffee, is currently in therapy at a hus-
pital in Vancouver.

According to her brother, Chris Chicoin
Alexis was able to leave the hospital forgil
first time for a few hours last weekend. 9"

Chicoine said his sister is learning to cope
with her paralysis. “She still has goud days
and bad days,” he said.

He would like to thank the everyone who
has helped support his sister.

“We are blown away in regards to the sup-
port Rolf and Alexis have been piven,” Chi-
coine said, eS