The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 27, 2002 - BI

TERRACE STANDARD

INSIDE SECTION B

COMMUNITY

EVENTS B2

EV BISHOP

Banishing winter blahs

T HERE’S A certain type of evening
here, when the air is crisp and the
clear sky is periwinkle blue, that,

when standing in the Safeway parking lot,

takes on the magical ability to transport me to

Vancouver. It has to do with the scent of the

air; the aromas of East Indian Cuisine min-

gling with Chinese food and pizza and other
food smelis, As the scents drift along they con-
jure up the same sensory feelings I experience
on many of the streets in Vancouver. If a bus
happens to po by, the illusion is made perfect.

This small mirage of Vancouver holds much
appeal for me because once annually I get to
respite there, while it’s still winter here, in
the company of my sister and friends and their,
much earlier, spring. It’s always a much-nee-
ded dose of both sisterly contact and
sunshine. Their weather rekindles my dying
hope. Spring will come north... It’s already hit
south!

Forcing away memories of the city, I go in
to shop, inwardly marvelling at the wide varie-
ty of restaurants that Terrace now boasts. It
makes me happy. I love to try to banish the
winter blahs with food and conversation.

It’s not that I kate winter. In the beginning
of the season [ think winter's a great idea. I
love white Christmases and I’m all for
tobogganing. In fact, I’m sad when we have
years of no snow. I just get tired of the length
of winter. Was it eight months last year? I pet
tired of endless grey, unless it’s flannel, of
freezing slush, of dumps of snow made into
foot deep goop by rain, of sopping wet snow-
suits and winter boots that can’t bé worn be-
cause. they’re soaked through. Come mid-Febr-
uary, I’m more than ready for signs of spring
and I’m determined to do whatever I can to
banish the winter blahs.

“It’s a yucky stench but it’s de-
finitely a spring stench.”

Going oul to restaurants is one of my fa-

vourite ways; I especially favour foods from
regions that don’t experience winter, I enjoy
hot and spicy dishes... anything HOT is
wonderful. However, at this time of the year,
my budget i is so strained that smelling the rest-
aurants is as close as 1 get to them, unless I
indulge in a Chai tea or a Latte. I find though,
that even changing my own cooking
helps. Special menu planning cheers me up
and I try to take advantage of the rainy winter
afternoons by attempting to perfect my own
versions of restaurant favourites.

I find myself seeking little ways to trick my
mind into pretending that winter is gone. I
sign the kids up for swimming lessons and sit
and watch them living it up in the pool,
There’s nothing like bathing suits and wet
soggy towels all over the bathroom to make it
feel summery in my house.

My husband’ cranks up the woodstove until
shorts and T-shirts are the only things even re-
motely comfortable to wear and I think that
the outside temperature is much preferable, I
even complain about the heat! I don’t know if
that’s a typical Terrace summer activity but
it’s my fantasy, I want to dream wildly.

In past years, thinking that 1 could fool my-
self into feeling cheerful, I tried to thoroughly
avoid the outdoors when displeased with the
prolonged sameness of the Grey Season. This
is not a strategy that I recommend. Instead I’ve
found that gelting outside even when, perhaps
especially when, the days are dark for a long
duralion is what teally boasts my mood. I've
heard that there’s a scientific reason for this,
apparently the sun’s UV rays are stil! there
even when the sun itself seems to be oblitera-
ted... Who knew?

Another scheme that helps keep the blahs
away is averting my eyes, That’s right. I go
outside and stand wherever I can find dry pa-
vement and purposely avoid looking at the
melting brawn snow piles and their embedded
gravel or any other winter tag-a-longs. Instead [
stare down intently, trying to see dust. If [ can
find dry pavement and/or gravel shoulders with
dust, 1 know that warm weather is on the
way! It’s pathetic but I really do find that this
encourages me. So does the smell of muddy
school fields. It’s a yucky stench but it’s defi-
nitely a spring stench.

The final way I’m determining to beat the
winter blahs is new to my repertoire of mind
games. I’m thinking of crossing off days on my
calendar until spring arrives. It'll sort of be like

“twist; 1 won’t actually know when it’s going to
arrive... but at: least every. night T rit be one
sleep closer!

COMMUNITY-=

School bands tuned for telethon

By JENNIFER LANG
THE R.E.M. Lee Theatre will be
filled with live music Sunday,
when the annual Tri Band Tele-
thon takes to the stage.

The home-grown telethon is the
main fundraising event of the year
for Terrace’s high school bands,

Parent volunteers have stepped
in to assist with the event, which
is going ahead despite the tea-
chers’ ongoing ban on taking part
in school fundraising activities.

“It is going ahead,” says Kim
Beaupre, a member of
Terrace/Thornhilt Parents for
Music.

She said more parents became
involved this year to help orga-
nize the event.

Last year’s telethon rdised
about $9,500, money that helps
offset travel costs, and pays for
extras like music, uniforms and
even instruments.

“This year, with the
teachers’ strike, we’re
behind.”

As always, this year’s telethon
will feature performances by con-
cert and jazz bands from Caledo-
nia Senior Secondary, Skeena Ju-
nior and Thornhill Junior Second-

RON MACKENZIE and other band students will entertain ~ “and!

raise some cash Sunday at the R.E.M. Lee.

trombone,

While he didn’t divulge what
songs he and his bandmates will
be performing, he did promise au-
diences will hear some “good
music.”

He expected to see a strong
turnoul Sunday at the R.E.M. Lee
to watch the telethon. “It’s usually
packed.”

More than 60 Thornhill Junior
band students will be taking the
trip to MusicFest, putting travel
expenses over the $30,000 mark.

Mackenzie said time is running
out to raise money to help offset
travel costs.

“This year was supposed to be
an easy year,” he said, referring
to the fact that the prior year’s trip
to Oltawa was more than double
thal amount.

“Bul this year, with the tea-
cher’s strike, we’re behind.”

Each year the school tries to
raise money to help reduce ex-
penses to ensure as many students
can attend as possible.

“[’m sure we'll be all right,” he
added. “We were in the same
boat last year because of the
amount of money we had to
raise,”

The telethon begins at 5 p.m.
and continues for three plus hours,
wrapping up at around 8:30 p.m.

It will be televised on Com-

munity Cable 10. Pledge your
support during the show by calling
635-6531 or drop by the theatre in
person.

long before the telethon gets un-
derway, according to Ron Mac-
Kenzie, a Grade 9 student at
Thornhill Junior who plays the

ary. MusicFest Canada, a national
Beaupre said all three schools music competition in Calgary this

taking part in the telethon re- May.

ceived recommendations to go to Band students gather pledges

counting down until Christmas but with a.

EARLY ARRIVAL: Beauty the calf was born earlier this month.

she’s a little beauty

THE SMAHA family welcomed a new
addition earlier this month — a calf named

Beauty.

The Holstein-limousine cross was born
behind the Smaha’s small barn on a
tainy, slushy afternoon Feb. 3.

Her arrival was earlier than expected
but — like the springtime — she’s welcome

just the same.

And since Beauty is a female, they
plan to keep her because she’ll have

calves of her own one day.

Sally Smaha says Beauly has grown
quite a bil since she was born. At almost

three weeks of age, Beauty was already

the barn.

munching on hay with the other cows in

The Smahas raise beef for themselves,

their family members and friends.
They now have five cows, including

Beauty, who could soon have to share the

spotlight.

Two other pregnant heifers are expec-

ted ta calve soon. |

Putting a local touch on
travelling canoe exhibit

THE TERRACE Tourism
council is excited to be
bringing 4 unique museum
exhibit to Terrace.

“The Canoe: A Cultural
Icon” is a travelling exhi-
bit designed to give visit-
ors a look at ihe impor-
tance of canoes to Cana-
da’s history and culture.

’ The exhibit features
four full size crafts, in-

‘ cluding two canoes, one

kayak frame and a birch
bark canoe under construc-

| tion,

It also includes free-
standing interpretive
centres, cultural artifacts
such as tools, paddles and
trade goods, as well as

. Video and audio units.
The exhibit -is currently ;
in Yellowknife and is ex-.
pected to be shipped to.

Terrace within the next
couple weeks, said Ter-
race Tourism Society’s ex-
ecutive director, Darryl
Tucker.

The exhibit originates
from the Canadian Canoe
Museum in Peterborough,
Ontario, Communities hos-
ting the exhibit are en-
couraged to to incorporale
contributions from local
craftspeople and paddlers
to enhance it.

Tucker said that means
there is plenty of opportun-
ity to link up with crafts-
people and First Nations in
the Terrace area to give
the exhibit some local fla-
vour,

Terrace should get its
first taste of the special
exhibit: around the May
long weekend, in.time for

Darryl Tucker

summer tourists. “Anything
that we can use to draw
people to the area and get
more exposure for Terrace
is a very good thing.”

Around Town

READY FOR the rally: some First Terrace Cubs
in the shop preparing their Kub Kars.

Mini car derby

DOZENS GF local cubs will crowd into the Skee-
na Mall Saturday for the annual Kub Kar Rally, an
event that combines aerodynamics with gravity —
sort of like a mini soap box derby

Cubs make the Kub Kars themselves from small
blocks of wood.

The rally is open to other Scouting members, so
look for Beaver Buggies and Scout Trucks to cam-
pete on the track. Registration takes place in the
mall March 2 at 11 am,

Gallery plans spring
arts and crafts sale

DO THEY CALL you crafty? The Terrace Art
Gallery is now taking applications for its spring
Arts and Crafts sale. The one-day-only sale will be
taking place early May at at the Terrace Art Gall-
ery, Deadline for applications is Saturday, April 13.
Application forms are available at the art gallery,
located in the Terrace Public Library.

Home nursing program
to train caregivers

TWENTY Nisga’a students will be trained in home
nursing skills through a new college program, being
offered in the Nass Valley. .

Students will complete classroom sessions and a
clinical practicum in their communities during the
24-week program, offered through a partnership be-
tween Northwest Community College and Wilp
Wilxo’oskwhl Nisga’a.

Students will graduate with a provinclally-recog-
nized home support/resident care certificate from
NWCC that qualifies them to work for individuals
in their communities who need home Hursing care.

“The Nisga’a have been waiting for this program
for many years and are very excited about this de-
velopment in the Nass Valley,” WWN CEO Dean-
na Nyce said.

NWCC president Stephanie Forsyth said this
partnership with the Nisga’a is an example of how
the college works to deliver relevant education
programs in communities.

“It’s more important than ever to have trained
workers able to provide this kind of care in their
communities during the uncertain times we face in
northern British Columbia,” Forsyth sald,