The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - Bi , TERRACE STANDARD DUSTIN QUEZADA 638-7283 JUST A THOUGHT | EV BISHOP Where the wind blows f the wind had a unique smell, and didn’t just. ~ carry scents, and I was asked to describe it, - I wouldn’t have a problem. “Wind” is a July night in Terrace. Beneath the dropping eve- — ning temperature, it has a warm tone. Notes of trees, water, and‘mingled fruits and flowers make up this refreshing fragrance and conjure images of. _ lake water under a purpling sky, of children playing - outside until eleven, and of stars winking through when it's finally dark enough. . The other evening as I worked in my flower beds, I enjoyed the wind and thought about it and _ Other things. - Things like how my “English Country Garden” (Read wild and over planted) is gorgeous, if I do say so myself (and I have to say so myself because my husband calls it busy). Red poppies sway among yellow, orange and pink lilies in.a field of white - - phlox. Cheery faces with petals of purple, pink and blue. abound, plus periwinkle bachelor buttons,’ daisies and a shy, young clematis with purple blos- soms. Things like how, i in another bed, as I slip behind: “ my dahlias, the whole yard and everyone in it is° visible to me, but I am invisible to them. Sitting in the dark chocolate earth, I realize’ why fairies are so appealing, why so many stories are written about the magic of flowers and fauna, and why I need to . reread The Secret Garden yet again. Things like how it’s nice to have a yard to come home to. Things like how gardening has got to be good for your health. Things like how I like the mundane busyness of chores because it helps me avoid what Iim.really trying to think about, At that moment of thought, the wind picked up and shook the trees, and just like that, my thoughts changed from dirt and chickweed to what the actual root of my meditation on my yard was. I decided it was early onset homesickness (Very early, considering I haven’t left Terrace, have no definite plans to leave, may never leave!).. I’m just the kind of person who takes a lang time to say good-bye. If we ever decide to move, it will take me months, years to prepare for it and since I know I] won’t get that, periodically, ] think, what if I move? It’s my way of dealing with conflicting emotions ahead of time. ; an As. they grow older, other places become at- ’ tractive again. | comfort “myself with the fact that I ' could always come back. This pondering is usually triggered by holidays. They remind me that the world is big and that I’ve only experienced a smidgen of it. Chris and I, eas- . ily enamoured by the smallest details — ramshackle, deserted ranches, mini-golf, beaches, rivers that wind in a slightly different hue of green than our ’ Skeena, start to chat, hypothetically, about moving on, changing scenery, trying something new. In the past, our daughter’s always resisted all such talk: with a curt, “I am NOT moving.” This summer, she surprised us with, “I'd like to move here,” * speaking _ about Quesnel. She also interjected positive feelings about mov- | ing to Edmonton, Her input made me feel. like maybe our talk about potentially moving wasn’t purely idle. Looking at my children, seeing their enthusiasm for new things, and hearing their plans for the fu- ture, kindle fires long dormant in me — long dor- mant because Terrace really is a good place to raise a family. AS they grow older, other places become attractive again. I comfort myself with the fact that I could always come back. That was the thought in my mind when T realized my weeding was done and that the roar of the lawn mower had ceased; Chris had finished mowing too. Our yard was a freshly groomed green haven.. I. stood up, loving the breeze on my slightly | sweaty body. I took a deep breath, savouring the scent of cut grass and garden dirt, started back to - the house, and remembered something that relieved me — the jungle mural. I went to my son’s room and looked at the wall we’ve begun to paint. It will take so long to complete that we’ll need to stick around to enjoy it for at least a couple more years. As I studied my son’s Gum-leaf walls and the wind rattled his single-paned window, I realized that my love for Terrace is like the wind. It chang- es with the seasons, gets impatient, is gentle and soothing, and even seems to disappear for a time, but all the same, it’s always there. “We’re not re- ally moving, are we?” I asked Chris. He looked surprised. “Nah. That’s just talk.” I was relieved and still listening to the wind, I thought of details to add to the mural. By DUSTIN QUEZADA THE TERRACE Anti-Poverty Group Society wants to invite the community to its open house tomorrow. The purpose is two- fold says advocate Rosanne Pearce. “We’re having an open house to introduce our new staff. and volunteers to the community,” Pearce says. The open house will be followed by the unveil- ing of a planter bench on the front lawn of the property at 4628 Park Avenue. “(The bench) is basically to represent ‘the. homeless. of the past, present and future,” says Pearce. Like the ones now on display in front of the Farmer’s Market, the garden bench has been made by students at Parkside Secondary. “With 200 different societies in Terrace vying to stay alive, says Pearce, the open house is a way of showing the community what services the anti- poverty advocates offer. “We're trying to increase our membership base,” says Kathy Cété, another staff member at the house. “Your $5 yearly membership says ‘We support your organization in our community.’” BUDDING artists (from nD Devon Dunsford, ‘Angela Guerreiro, "Kendal Ruygrok. Spencer and Elliot Merzwood show their completed scratch pictures last week. Children’ S art program gets creativity flowing By DUSTIN QUEZADA. THREE TIMES a week during the summer, kids descend into the Terrace Art Gallery to think outside the box, says the gallery’ 5 director. In an age of rampant TV watching and Xbox video games, which box Kim Woodd is talking about is up for debate. What isn’t up for debate is the benefit of getting kids involved in art and that’s exactly the point of the gallery’s children’s summer art program. The program’s two young coordinators agree that tapping childrens’ creativity is the key to the art classes. “Stimulating creativity is important in ev- erything you do,” year-old University of Victoria student. Co-coordinator Cydney Rusch agreed. The society’s mission statement is simple: To _ensure the fair and equitable treatment of-all per- sons, regardless of income level, social Status or intellectual or physical ability. Putting it into practice isn’t so simple: The non-profit registered charity helps anyone and everyone that seeks help, says Pearce. “You don’t have to be poor to come through our doors,” she adds. The reality is the bulk of the people they help are the low income working poor. And for those people, a variety of services are offered by the six full-time and two part-time em- ployees; along with many volunteers. ' The centre’s community services include its free store, which has clothing, furniture and toys . ’ available to be had every Thursday, its community gardens project, income tax returns, a Christmas tree campaign and Santa’s workshop gift drive. People also can seek advice with legal ques- tions, tenancy regulations, government forms, in- dividual and family problem solving. If the society is unable to help a given person with their problem, they are > directed to the right agency. Pearce says the society is working on a new TERRACE Anti-Poverty Group Society advocates Rosanne Pearce, Kathy Cété, free ‘store coordinator’ Janis “Sharyk and Angie Campbell * pose outside the society’s house where a donated planter bench will be unveiled. tomorrow following their open house. House open for any one initiative, a 50/50 draw, where people can win cash or gift certificates and the proceeds ‘would be re-invested. With social service cutbacks and years without — the old Skeena Cellulose operating, the demand for services has increased, as has the number of homeless in Terrace, says Coté, With administration bills, including running office equipment, rent, utilities and a dumpster . fee, money is always an issue for the society. “We always need money,” Pearce says. “We * need a new photocopier and we could use some new computers.” The society is funded through its B.C. Gaming | License bingo earnings and private and commu- - nity donations. i Part of the reason the group is so taxed — it can - see 50 people in any given day and processed 800 income tax returns this year — is that its services aren’t just serving locals. _' Cété ‘says they have people from ‘throughout the northwest seeking help: ~ _. “We're regional more than local,” Cété says. The open house goes from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Aug. 4, while the new planter bench will be unveiled at 1 p.m. Around Town DUSTIN QUEZADA PHOTO said Amy Warner, the 19- 2005, Continued Page B3 Cenotaph the site of 60-year anniversary ROYAL CANADIAN Legion Branch. 13 Terrace will hold a short service at the cenotaph in front of city hall August 14. Starting at 1] a.m., member the end of World War Two in the Far East 60 years — ago. The community of Terrace is welcome to attend, as the ~ _ local Legion continues to celebrate the year 2005 as the Year of the Veteran. i the gathered will celebrate and re- ~ Opportunity of a lifetime seeks applicants THE ROTARY Foundation of Rotary International is looking for applicants to participate in its 2005-06 Group Study Exchange (GSE) in Thailand between Feb. 25° and March 25, 2006. The GSE is a cultural and vocational opportunity for young business professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40. ; A GSE team consists of four non-Rotarian business or . professional people and a Rotarian team leader. Aside from the age restrictions, non-Rotarian applicants must be: committed to remaining in the work force well after the exchange, be in the early stages of their career, reside or be employed in the sending Rotary district and be a (Cana-- dian citizen. For more details, interested applicants for the ttip are en- couraged to contact Lesley Erasmus of the Skeena Valley Rotary Club at 638-7800. ’ Application deadline for team members is Aug. 15, For more info on the Web, vistit www. rotary.org/founda- tion/education/gse/index.htm! Continued Page B3 ~ DUSTIN QUEZADA PHOTO —