1a cre TE

INSIDE

COMMUNITY
EVENTS B2

JUST A THOUGHT. -
KATHY FLORITTO

For whom the
school bell tolls

Y THE TIME this is published,
Schools will again be crammed
with ‘‘the student body” - a term
that fails miserably in describing
the reality of jostling, noisy crowds of pre and
post pubescent young people, all chaffing at the
notion of being closeted in a classroom. fo
months on end. .

Teachers, hopefully fresh after what we all as-
sume was two months of totally hedonistic
“time out’? under blazing sun and palm trees,
will greet their new charges with hope in their
hearts and an eagemess belonging to only the
most optimistic among us.

Those for whom the onset of a new school
year has no particular impact will, nonetheless,
read about the honour and glory brought home
by the bands, the choirs and a’ sports team or
three. They will smilingly acknowledge the
days when such ‘‘doings’’ were an integral part
of their own lives. Smiling, thal is, until they
drive to work and become trapped by dozens of
kids nonchalantly forming a human barrier
across the road in their turtle-paced shuffle to
the schoo] yard,

Conveniently remembering themselves as per-
fect models of decorum, the fuming begins...and
the school year has begun on its usual ‘good
foot."’ .

The norm feels so right!

And, speaking of ‘‘the norm,’ I hope you en-.
joy the following bits and pieces I snagged for

you off the ‘Net.

These are the winners of the “‘worst analogies
ever Written in a bigh school essay” contest run.
by the Washington Post...

- . “The little boat gently drifted across the pond,

exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t”
(Russell Beland, Springfield)

‘‘McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement
like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup.”

. (Paul Sabourin, Silver Spring)

“From the attic came an unearthly howl. The
whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like
when you're on vacation in another city and
Jeopardy comes on at 7 p.m.-instead of 7:30,
(Roy Ashley, Washington)

“‘Her eyes were like two brown circles with
big black dots in the center.’’ (Russell Beland,
Springfield)

“Her vocabulary was as bad as,’ like,
whatever,’* (Unknown)

‘He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree, ”
(Jack Bross, Chevy Chase) ae

‘The hailstones leaped from the pavement,
just like maggots when you fry them in hol
grease.”’ (Gary F. Hevel, Silver Spring)

“Her date-was pleasant enough, but she knew
that if ber life was a movie, this guy would be
buried in the credits as something like ‘Second
Tall Man.’”’ (Russell Beland, Springfield)

‘Long separated by cruel fate, the star-
crossed lovers raced across the grassy field
loward each other like two freight trains, one
having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m., traveling at
55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m, at a
speed of 35 mph.’’ (Jennifer Hart, Arlington) °

“The politician was gone but unnoticed, like
the period after the Dr. on the Dr Pepper can."'
(Wayne Goode, Madison, Ala) _

“They lived in a typical suburban neighbor-
hood with picket fences. that resembled Nancy

Kerrigan’s teeth.” (Paul Kocak, Syracuse)

“John and Mary had never met They were
like two hummingbirds who had also never

met.’’ (Russell Beland, Springfield)

“His thoughts tumbled in his head, making
and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer
with Cling Free.’! (Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)

“The red brick wall was the color of a brick-
red Crayola crayon,’’ (Unknown)  ~

Young Mr, Beland, “obviously a prolific
analogist, could do worse than spend a litle
more time in an English class. And if there's

anyone reading these offerings that ‘‘doesn’t get

it,” there's: a chair with your. name on: it at
Caledonia, Pay attention - there'll be a test!

OM

THE FIRST MEMORIAL
totem pole carved in over
100 years in the. Nass will
be raised in Kincolith on
October 5, .
“My grandfather asked
me to do this pole,’’ said
carver Alver Tait. He’s weil
known in the Nass for carv-
ing a number of poles, in-
cluding: the 60 foot pole
which stands in front of the
new elementary school in
Canyon City, and one of the
poles which flank the new
vehicle bridge to the town,
The practice of carving
memorial poles, as well as
many other aspects of
Nisga’a culture, were sup-

pressed by the government

and missionaries earlier this
century,

“T believe. my grandfather
wanted to revive this part of
our culture,’ said Tait.

Tait’s grandfather, Rufus
Watts, died in November
last year. He was a chief,
born in 1906, and when be
died he passed his name —
Gadelibin Hayatsw — onto
Tait.

“IT became chief upon
burying him,” said Tait,

Now he's honouring his
grandfather's wishes, and
with apprentice Frenchie
Smith is carving a twenty-
foot memorial pole from red

cedar.

The pole, which he hopes
to finish by the third week
of September, contains three
main figures,

An eagle holds a place of

honour on the top of the_

pole. He perches-on a bent
box emblazoned with the
family crest. of a ‘beaver,
Historically. the box would

carry the remains of the
_ @ copper as an anchor,.when.

chief. ;

Below isa figure of a
beaver.

“T's upside down to sig-
nify death,” said Tait

And ai the base of the pole

TERRACE STANDARD -

MUNITY

Pole carved for Nass chief

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 4, 1996 - B1

SECTION B
CRIS LEYKAUF
638-7283

ALVER TAIT has carved'a number of totem pales in the Nass Valley, and is inthe
process of carving the first memorial pole the valley has seen in over:100 years.

Here he performs the Breath of Life ceremony with a pale he carved
munity hall in Canyon City,

‘for the com-

is a human figure wearing a
beaver cap. ,

Only a chief. would wear
this cap, explained Tait. The
man is also holding onto a
‘copper, in the shape of a
shield. ,

‘Copper was a very valu-
able commodity in historical
mative {

by a few canoes, said Tait.
His graudfather once used

moored near a coastal vil-
lage. That's how be earned
his name, which stands for
“Copper. uséd dsan- ane
chor.”* ;

populations. § One.

For Tait to take the task of
caring his grandfather's pole
is quite unusual. In the old
days a tribe would usually
hire a carver to make the
pole.

grandfather.
‘We were very close.’’
Tait will be hosting a feast
after the pole-raising, a tra-
dition during which the dead
chief's: debts’ are thereby

| “T believe my grandfather wanted
‘three foot long chunk would: - this part of our culture?’ ~~

tr

“Pm doing this for free
because J’m the chief,” xr
plained Tait.

settled.
Tait will also -be passing
his name — Jagam Txalpks

‘He also feels its an honour — onto one‘of his nephews,

to carve the pole for his

The feast is expecting to

TAKE YOUR GARBAGE somewhere else, That's the messa
use Ferry Island as @ big garbage can. The city is shutting do

in hopes of keeping the area

cleaner.

WAL

7

ge city councilor David Hull had for people who
wn Vehicle access to southern part of the island

to revive

—-. in the community,’’ be said,

ouncilor

have a gravel Jayer put on
them, to keep them drier
duriig rainy spells. “And
more bridges are- planned
for the spring, —:

-be a large event, with mem-
bers of the eagle and beaver
tribes invited up and down
the coast, as well as many
family friends.

This pole and feast- will
not be the last of its kind,
Tail is hoping other tribes
will also be interested in
reviving this aspect of the
Nisga’a culture, 7

“Tt helps to strengthen ties

He's also inviting anyone
who's interested to come by
and watch the pole being
carved, behind his home at
327 Adams Crescent in New
Aiyansh.

OFF-ROAD drivers be
waried, If you’re fond of
4X4ing on the south side of
Ferry Island — over the
said bar or through the
pond — then your days are
numbered. ;

The cily is shutting down
vehicle access to that part of
the island in a couple of
weeks.

Excessive speeding,
broken beer bottles and yar-
bage strewn everywhere are
the reasons for the shut
down, said city councilor
David Hull.

‘It’s a shame that people
who enjoy the island are to
be inconvenienced by the
oné per cent who are frankly
assholes,”’ said Hull.

People who drive down to
the river to eat fast food
meals, then huck the wrap-
pers out car windows are
big culprits, he says.

“Tf they feel the need to
pollute somewhere they can
slay out of our bloody
park,’’ said Hull.

The cily will be installing
taffic post barriers at two
locations on the island —
the roads before the pond
and the sandbar,

That will still allow people
to park nearby those areas,
and walk to them, said Hull,

"The garbage is mainly
due to vehicle access,” he
said. “It’s just every-
where.”

What really annoys him is
tha! there's a large garbage
can, prominently — placed
nearby that people can drive
right up to.

The city is also planning
olher improvements to Ferry
Island. This fall many of the
trails on the west side will