INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 TERRACE STANDARD > OMMUNIL Y= SECTION B - Through a norti st lens Wendy Shymanski gets up close and personal for her award-winning photos. By JENNIFER LANG WENDY SHYMANSKI is living proof that you can live in the north and stil! have a really cool job. A Terrace-based professional photo- erapher for nearly 20 years, Shymanski recently gained the recognition of her peers when two of her photographs were selected for the National Print Salon, a contest judged by the top pros in the business. Her full colour photograph of a mo- ther duck and her fittle ducklings won for best animal photo, while her stun- ning shat of an airborne snow boarder al Shames Mountain earned her an honourable mention in the journalism/ptess photo category. She had entered both the B.C. and Canadian competitions for the first time. During a recent interview she _ said she’s thrilled that both entries made it to the Salon. “] just haven’t had the time to par- ticipate in these events,” she ex- plained, adding she finally entered be- cause she sees it as a way to maintain her professional edge, motivation and boost her creativity. Anyone who reads magazines fea- turing nature photographs will have seen some of her work. Her photos have been featured in Beautiful B.C. Magazine, calendars, and even cata- logues. One of Shymanski’s photographs is included in Daybreak 2000,.a book featuring images from photographers from around the world. Their assign- ment had been ta take a photograph in the first dawn of the new millennium. So back on Jan. 1, 2000, Shymanski headed out into a rather bleak winter day in the Terrace area. She wasn’t too hopeful. The low cloud cover cast a dim, grey pall over the mountains and trees in the Skeena valley. She banged off a bunch of shots and hoped for the best. Fortunately, she captured a breath- taking photograph showing a pattern of evergreens brought into geometric re- lief, thanks to the very last Terrace snowfall of the 20th century. But it’s in the wilds of the Khutzey- mateen, the only prizzly bear sanct- uary in the world, where she’s found one of her greatest inspirations as a photographer and as a conservationist. The only way humans can enter this park is by boat. Visitors are only al- lowed to remain on shore up to 15 minutes to view bear trails. A guide in the summer months, Shymanski has been able to observe the bears who make their home here, affording her a chance to capture photographs of a mother and cubs that are so close and intimate, they resem- ble portraits. The final product is reflective of her philosophy that animals are to be trea- ted with respect and understanding. “In order to pet good photographs of animals, you have to be at one with them, and you have to bring yourself ¥ peers in a national competition. up te their level.” For her Salon-winning portrait of a female matlard, Shymanski’s ability to connect with animals on an emotional level came into play. She waited by a pond when she saw the female desperately trying to pro- tect her 14 ducklings from aggressive males who tried to attack. Shymanski sat down an the shore. To her surprise, the mother duck headed toward her, popped up on the shore and went to sleep close by. Shymanski believes the duck was using her as a shield so she could get some rest — a ploy she witnessed a sow grizzly employ in the Khutzeyma- teen. The result was a photograph that earned her the best animal traphy at the 2000 National Print Competition at the Professional Photographers of Ca- nada, during Rendezvous 2000 in Laval, Quebec. She specializes in images of na- ture, adventure sports and tourism. Those three areas are rolled inlo one in her second entry, “Mountain Flight”. She took this photo during a snow board competition at Shames Moun- tain. She says she tried to capture the boarder’s intensity and the natural beauty of the mountains encircling Shames. The result is a stop-action photo- graph of an airborne snow boarder that earned her an honourable mention in the best press photo category. Like the “Mallards”, it was also exhibited at Rendezvous 2000. “It always amazes me, how fearless they are,” she says, referring to the athletes. “It’s beautiful — it reminds of a of a bird.” Office upgrade at Hydro helps out Terrace library THE TERRACE Public Li- brary is the proud owner of five nearly new computers. They may be second hand but they’re all Penti- um 100s or 133s, fast en- ough to handle Internet use, CD ROMs and for teaching basic computer skills to tibrary users, li- brarian Ed Curell said. Some of the computers will be used in the li- brary’s popular Internet station, and in a computer lab downstairs. A staff member also needs a computer, he said. The five computers come courtesy of B.C, Hydro. The company up- graded some of its office computers when it made a recent switch to Office 97, said Kelly Kline, protec- tion and telecontrol man- aper for B.C. Hydro. The library has offered free Internet access to the public for three to four years, thanks to start-up grants from the provincial and federal governments — but the library hasn’t been able to afford an equip- ment upgrade, Curell said, adding a local Internet ser- vice provider, OSG Inter- active, has offered the li- brary free cable modem access for the past twa years. The Internet stations, and the library’s free train- ing sessions, have proved very popular with the pub- lic. In fact, one of the BC Hydro representatives who dropped the computers off at the library Nov. 1 says he first went on-line at the library with the help of a tutor. Power line technician Tom Narzt said he’s since purchased a personal com- puter to surf from home. LET'S SWAP: Computer movers Kelly Kline and Tom Narzt of 8.C. Hydro with librarian Ed Curell. Saving Terrace’s memories, a story at a time MENTION THE word his- tory and you'll likely con- jure up images of kings and queens, or great mili- tary battles. But according to Mamie Kerby of the Ter- race Regional Historical Sociely, history is also . found in the yellowed © pages of a family photo album and in owr recent, and not so recent, memor- ics. Consider the story be- hind an 8 by 10 black and white photo taken in the Terrace area back in the 1930s. The picture shows a local family with 10 child- ren, the girls’ light hair gleaming in the sunlight, the boys’ sturdy knees poking out under short length pants. The mother is holding, an infant. The fa- ther peers determinedly from under a cap. Their story, well, the first half of it anyway, has been documented by local historian Eileen Frank; one of Terrace’s first school teachers. “We're going to see if we can’t finish the story,” Kerby says, her eyes grow- ing wide. The family had tried Archive "2 Mowsber, 18 SEEKING ARCHIVAL TENDENCIES: Mamie Kerby with a poster promoting National Archives Week. This year’s theme is preserving local memories. seltling in the Nass Val- ley, but gave up and deci- ded to move to Terrace. Their horse died half way here, so the family had to carry their posses- sions the rest of the way, requiring several trips back and forth, a huge effort for the mother, Who was six months pregnant. They lived in little red house with white trim, next to the school house -- where the school district offices are today ~ and Kerby remembers thinking “the kids were all cute as bug’s ears”. During the second world war, the family moved to Prince Rupert, Unfortuna- tely, the father dled. One of the children in the photo, now grown up, is being tracked down. She still lives in B.C., Kerby says. It’s hoped the rest of the story will be included in the historical society's forthcoming book of anec- dotes and stories about the Terrace arca from [900 to. 1999, — There’s already about 50 stories already, but more are necded. 3 Anyone who has a per- sonal, positive, and pos- sibly humorous story about their life in Terrace is in- ‘|. vited to make a submis- sion. Kerby points out it’s 4. Community Archives Week in B.C. from Nov. 19-25. This year’s theme is preserving local memories. It’s exactly what the society hopes to accomp- lish with the book. Stories must hive taken place in the northwest re- gion of B.C., particularly in Rosswood, Terrace, the Kalum Valley, New and Old Remo, Usk and La- kelse Lake. Writers should remem- ber to include the decade - in which the story took place. The story must also . be signed. Kerby says stories from * the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s are . also welcome. For more details, call -. Mamie Kerby at 635-2508, - can be * Submissions mailed to the society al P.O. Box 246,. Terrace, . B.C. V8G 4A6, or faxed to Sally Smaha at 635-6362. . _ They-can also be emailed to jusak@telus.net 3 Around Town Write on, Hayley! HAYLEY Gipps, now a Grade 6 student at Uplands Elementary Schoo] in Terrace, has been recog- nized for what the Ministry of Education is calling her outstanding entry to the recent B.C, Kids Write from the Heart literacy contest, co-sponsored by the ministry, the B.C. Library Association and Li- teracy B.C, Gipps was one of 3,000 students who entered the contest while they were in Grade 5. Students were encouraged to write short stories and poems about acts of kindness. Her entry was one of 50 judges deemed outstanding. She'll receive a $20 gift cer- tificate from the B.C. Booksellers’ Association or Indigo Books, The 10 winning entries have been compiled into a book called B.C. Kids Write from the Heart that’s been distributed to the pravince’s elementary schools for use in the buddy reading and violence prevention programs, all public libraries, and liter- acy programs. Drunk driving the focus of drug awareness week THE SOMETIMES lethal consequences of mixing alchohol or drugs and driving are going to be ham- mered home in unforgettable ways this Friday and Saturday, as Drug Awareness Week rolls into high Bear, The RAAD (Reducing the Abuse of Alcohol and Drugs} Committee has organized a parade of emergency vehicles during noon hour Friday, Am- bulance, fire, and RCMP vehicles will be parading from cily hall along past the high schools, commit- tee founder and president Benita Chapdelaine says. Friday night there’s a free family dance at the Kin Hut (see communily calendar). A mock accident will be staged at the Lakelse- Emerson intersection dawntown starting at 11:30 a.m. The mock victims will be extricated from the car wreck and then taken to hospital, demonstra- ting first-hand for the public what goes on when there’s an alcohol-related vehicle accident. Later on, try some mocktails served by the Order of the Royal Purple outside Safeway or take home alco- hol-free beverage recipes. Northwest Addiction Services and the brand-new ATLAS Youth Facility are also using Drug Aware- ness Weck (Nov. 13-18) to highlight substance abuse and to promote healthy lifestyles. Thore’s a day-long display Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Skeena Mall, where you're invited to try the fatal vision obstacle course, try some mocktails, and enter free draws for prizes donated by local businesses. Enter the northwesagy™ regional art show THE TERRACE Art Gallery and the Kitimat Cen- tenntial Museum are co-hosting a regional juried art show Jan. 12 to Feb, 24 being held in conjunc- lion with the B.C. Festival of the Aris. The exhibi- tion will feature the works of emergine northwest artists. Entry forms are available at the gallery.