24 Terrace Review — Wednesday, January 3, 1990 Who is... Margaret Kennedy? || Margaret Kennedy arrived in Kitimat in 1970, thinking she’d reached ‘‘the end of the earth’’. She was here only two weeks visiting her husband, a boiler- maker, working on the construc-° tion of Eurocan Pulp and Paper. They moved back to Kitimat. from Vancouver (her home town) in 1981 during Oceiot’s construction days. Because she wasn’t working and hadn’t met many people, Margaret found that to be the worst year of her life. by Betty Barton — When they moved to Terrace in 1982, she decided that volunteer work would ease her integration into the community and make her feel useful. Her very first job was as a noon-hour supervisor at Skeena Junior - Secondary School. Then, she volunteered at K’san Transition House for a year. Annalee Davis {now of Don Diego’s Restaurant fame) was the Director then. After her previous volunteer work in Vancouver, her ex- periences in Terrace and her per-_ sonal experience of growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father, Margaret decided to take the Human Service Worker (HSW) course at Northwest Community College. She plann- ed to become a counsellor at:a: transition house. She had no in- clination to work with teenagers, ‘but, during her two year HSW course, she did practicums at Terrace Probation. Because the Young Offenders Act had just been passed, many of her clients were teenagers. She found that she really liked them and felt a great sense of satisfaction i in be- | ing able to relate to them. By. then a_ single - parent, Margaret juggled a part-time job at Annalee’s and Dick’s new restaurant Don Diego's, while attending NWCC and working at the Probition Office. Margaret still works part-time at Don Diego’s (five years later), but her true love is her job as Youth Worker at Lakelse High. Lakelse High is the alternate school run by Terrace & District Community Services. It exists for 14 - 17 year olds who don’t fit into the regular school _‘system,. for any number of reasons. Lakelse High mixes social, vocational and academic train- ing all in the same pot. Every student takes English, . math, social studies and science at Lakelse High, but each subject is personalized for the individual student. In, addition to the academic and vocational train- - ing.provided them, the students have to be at the school long enough to work out’ the group dynamics and develop their in- terpersonal skills. Margaret calls it ‘a pretty safe place’’ to ex- periment with those new skills. The staff encourage their endeavours and Margaret tries to phone the parents monthly to _ give a verbal report on each of the students. She says it’s good for the parents to” hear about their. teen: SUCCESSES however rhe : smalfirr’er’ Ledalia bet PNT, a She also finds that she now relates better to her own teenagers, daughter Cheyenne 18 and son Wade 13. ‘Parents have unrealistic expectations for their own kids and this kind of work puts it all ‘into perspective.”’ She also feels very fortunate that her kids got to grow up in Terrace, especially when she sees other youngsters in Vancouver in the pubs and nightclubs at age 12. Her children have learned to ski, which would have been too expensive to do down south. Margarets not very athletic, but she’s triéd skiing at Kit- sumkalum, too. . She’s been able to buy a house, a modest one which she says the real estate people called the “‘Handiman special’’. She calls it ‘‘a reclamation Project,”” but it’s home. Margaret went to private school at St. Anne’s in New Westminster. She is the eldest in her family with two brothers and one sister. She says her father. was pretty rigid and traditional. So, she learned to cook and clean and keep her mouth shut. She enjoys Terrace because there’s a niche for everyone. Whatever your views or beliefs, you can express. then here. Bill Homberg’s letters are the highlight of Margaret’s perusal of the local newspapers. When asked why she’s stayed at Lakelse High for four years, Margaret Kennedy points to the | students and replies, ‘‘It’s these: guys, I really like them. Day to day, it’s sometimes hard, but it’s ‘rewarding to see the changes and growth in each of them as time . passes. It’s a nice atmosphere | here, too. You have to like heavy metal music, but everyone. works well together. Lots of the kids will drop by the house to visit. That makes me feel that we. really are accomplishing something together.’’ Gift-wrap donation from Co-op to CDC The Terrace Child Develop-: ment Centre was presented with a gift of $1,044 and change Fri- - day, the proceeds from Keenley-- side Insurance’s gift wrapping, service in the Terrace Co-op shopping center over the holi- days. Co-op representative: Wayne Jones said this is the second For. the gift-wrapping project, with the first netting $374, also given -to.the CDC. Jones noted that Keenieyside supplied materials and volunteer labor for the gift’ wrapping. service, which was provided on a dona- yta ‘tion basis to Co-op shoppers. : | the. Margaret Kennedy, full-time youth worker-at the alternate school Lakelse High, moonlights as waitress: cum-maltre d' at Don n Diego” s Restaurant, Regional district | supports “Ksan Village | ‘ The» Regional: ‘District ! of Kitimat:Stikine. has ' voted . to ‘Support a $100,000 GO'B.C. ap- plication. submitted recently by the ‘Ksan Association, the socie- ty that: operates the ‘Ksan historical and cultural center in Hazelton. In a letter. to economic development officer Andy Webber, ‘Ksan Associa- — tion president Val Napoleon ex- plains. that ‘Ksan Village has ~ deteriorated over. the past. \ decade. and’ they- have put together a $300,000, 20th An- niversary enhancement project to bring the village up to world class tourism status. ‘According to Napoleon, ‘*Ksan Village attracts more than 20,000 Canadian and interna- tional visitors ‘every year and this — _- benefits every community in the - northwest. She explains that the - non-profit society elected a new - ‘board of. directors in 1986, and - -while they were: sticcessful in’: bringing ‘Ksan out of a down- swing that. began. in the: early 80's, they were still only able ta | reinvest in minor.capital repairs. But: TOW). ‘she. says, ‘it’s time:to: ke on" the - smajor, - ‘capital. "renovations required : at-'Ksan, ib Moog. AIRES "Mar. 21-Apr. 19 TAURUS — Apr. 20-May 20. GEMINI May21-June20 CANCER June 21-July 22 LEO July 23-Aug.22 © VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 LIBRA ; SCORPIO Oct, 23-Nov. 21 ‘ SAGITTARIUS Noy. 22-Dec. 28 ; CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 AQUARIUS "Jan. 20-Feb. 18 ’ PISCES _ Feb. 19-Mar. 2 : passes to The Sun and Saturn combine to put you in the limelight. Look for an opportunity to enhance your status with power and prestige. Organizing and planning are your strong points, You could establish a study group, with serious objective or justenjoyment. Something of the old, established way of life makeroom for the new. Powerful changes takeplace. . Throw.off any feelings of loneliness or depression. Concentrate on putting out positive vibrations. - - “ " You'll get positive feedback. a It's a good time to examine techniques and pro- cedureson the work front. Look for a better way of doing things. Social gatherings bring much enjoyment. Feel free to express yourself—through actions as . --wellas wordsand deeds. Concentrate your energies on the tasks that really must bedone. Leaving a lot of loose ends can be adrain on theenergles. Seize: any opportunity that comes your way to - change circumstances that have been slowing you down. Move forward. . Let go of old patteins of behavior that are Hold: - ing you back. Positive creative changes arewait- ‘ing for expression. What you accomplish at this time, with the Sun -. in your sign of Capricorn, will have lasting sig- - nificance through the year. _A sudden release from some Hmiting , elroumstance ‘or way of life leaves you with a realng of relief ~and dismay. Team effort is effective when. everyone ‘on the team Is recognized as a contributor. Cooperate with others.