‘TERRACE STANDARD” INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 Women: forget those high heels ’m late. Vm always lale. I rush around the comer hoping my car doesn’t stall and the dance hasn’t already started. I’m nut sure it looks good when a chaperone can’l get it together enough to be on time. What sort of example is that?! Wow. That’s all I can think (other than park this car and get into that school). Wow, because [ haven’t seen so many beautiful people in one place in a long time. Satin dresses, and jeans, ties and baggy T-shirts, moussed up hair and nose rings. All this against a blue sky with scents of summer flowers and lots of expectations. Rushing through the front doors | bump up against perfumed skin, corsages, tiny beaded hand-held purses and tuxedos. I’m proudly informed at least one tuxedo is made from Teflon! I feel a little underdressed. I also feel a little short. Why are all these young women towering over me? I'm 5’9". Most days I’m the tal- lest woman in the crowd. Then it dawns on me. Heels. Really high ones. Spiked ones and squared ones, slip in ones and strap up ones, neon grecn ones and plain old black ones. A virtual sea of the things. I do a random sample. There’s a sel of feel without them: oh, no, they belong to a boy....wait, over there...yup, the only girl in the crowd sporting flat soled shoes. The only one not wobbling. One of few whose nylons aren’t starling lo run where the new straps are digging into tender foot skin. What is it about women and heels? We can’t run in them, they’re painful, they warp our muscles, make us moan the next day, give us blisters and bunions, force us to sway uncertainly, and make us give off the general tn- pression we might fall over any minute and break our necks. I’m given the dubious position of guard- ing the front doors. It’s my job to ensure nobody sneaks out for little sips of illicit ‘substances, no one comes in late with back- packs of unidentified contents, I sit on the stairs and talk to the teens tak- ing breathers between dances. And | end up guarding a lot of shoes. Spaghetti-strapped, sequined beauties stumble from the dance floor, tear off their shoes, rub their feet and yelp about the pain in their toes and the aches in their calves. Not a single tux-toling gent goes through this ritual. What is it about women and heels? We can’t run in them, they’re painful, they warp our muscles, make us moan the next day, give us blisters and bunions, force us to sway uncertainly, and make us give off the general impression we might Fall over any minute and break our necks. It’s almost the year 2000, Women are doctors and astronauts. We’re nurses and housewives and polilicians and physicists. Sure, we've slill got a ways to go in lots and lots of things, but we're improving our world. So, why are 16 year olds still forc- ing their feet into such frightening things? I’ve got this feeling it has something to do with that “sexy” myth. Well, all I can say is... doesn’t anyone know how beautiful army boots look with velvet and silk? How wonderfully skate, sneakers go with chiffon and satin? How fabulous Birkenstocks can be with evening — gowns? How sexy it looks to be standing your - ground? ALEX HAMILTON 638-7283 Northridge and Steve Northridge In their 1930's coach. Bands battled and rocked IT DIDN'T win the Battle of the Bands June 13, but local band Kingfish rocked the Terrace arena like pros. “We're super stoked with our performance,’’ said King- fish band member Harold Armstrong. “We've only been together for three months and the judges were totally im- pressed with us.” Twelve bands from Terrace, Kitimat, Prince Rupert, Hazelton and Smithers competed in Sight and Sound’s Battle of the Bands for a chance to open for the Rockfest concert in Vanderhoof July 31 to August 2. . Prince Rupert rock group Wade was the lucky band that won a spot on stage with big time rock n’ rollers like April Wine, Dr. Hook, Trooper, Chillawack and Prism at the fes- tival. But, the head of Rockfest was so impressed with King- fish that he’s requesting them to play at the big concert anyway. Second place went to the Prince Rupert band Triple By Pass, who walked away with an $800 triple-channel mixer. Kingfish’s third place finish won them an $800 four- track recorder. The band also won an $800 Venus Fender guitar, which was designed by Courtney Love from Hole, _ ina draw. The purpose of the Battle of the Bands is to promote lo- cal Northwest talent. The bands had 20 minutes to perform in front of a crowd of 300-350 people. Around Town 4 Scholar wins Greyhound trip A local student has won Greyhound Canada’s ‘‘Travel is Educational too’’ program. Jude Casey was chosen to receive two Greyhound passes, good for unlimited travel on all Greyhound Canada bus routes for 30 conseculive days. The travel award program was open to all grade 12 stu- dents who achleved a GPA of 80 per cent of higher in the 1997/98 school year. Greyhound Canada offers the award so that students can see Canada, [1 is acknowledging great achievements at school with a neat travel experience. Scouts garage sale Scouts Canada is holding-a garage sale June 27 from 8 a.m. until noom ai the Scout’s Hall, behind Terrace Builders, Proceeds will go to the World Jamboree travel fund. Anyone wishing to donate items for the garage sale or has bottles or pop cans, scouts will pick them up. Call 635-3656 or 635-4727 after 5 p.m. Free computer classes The Terrace Public Library is offering free computer classes this summer for kids 5-13 years of age. Classes will teach children how to use word processing programs, CD- ROMS and the Internet. Space is limited, 80 please register at 638-8177. a Railroaders move into linear park AN OLD 1930'S RAILCAR is moving into the heart of the city — right into the future linear park, This 80-foot-coach won't be carrying wood chips or lumber. It'll hold model railroads and members of the Skeena Valley Model Railroad Association at their weekly meclings, ‘We needed to find a location for our coach and the Ter- race Beautification Society thought it would be a perfect showpiece for the park,” said John Rinaldi, president of the Skeena Valley Model Railroad Association. Members bought the 60-ton coach from the Prince George Railway Society last year. Before then, the associ- ation didn’t have a permanent meeting place. We can’t get evicted from anywhere anymore,”’ said Ken Haun, a member of the association and a dic hard rail- road fan. , Every time the Skcena Valley Model Railroad Associa- tion moves locations, they have to take apart their model railroad, which is a major undertaking. They put six years of work into one of their model railroads before taking it apart. “We'd just get the railroads up and running and looking good when we had to move and pull it apart again,” said Haun. ‘We've had to move six times for various different reasons since 1983.” To make their new. home more comfortable, members are currently renovating it, They are putting in a new floor and have added propane heal as well as solar paneling for electricity. The coach will also be repainted in the old CN colors: green and black with yellow trim. “It'll just be gorgeous,”’ said Haun. The coach will be moved by crane to its new location in the park before the end of July. But first members must lay 80 feet of track for it to rest on. Once developed the future park will also feature trees, DIE HARD RAILROAD FANS: That's John Rinaldi (right), Ken Haun, Scott landscaping and a 10-foot wide paved path — half of it for bicyclists and roller bladers and the other half for pedestrians. » Competing in the powwow ELABORATE COSTUME: When Alden Pompana pulled into the arena parking lot, he had on apair of jeans and a T-shirt. An hour later, he emerged from his van in his traditional dancing wardrobe. His daughter must help him put on his headpiece and other pieces of clothing. Pompana has been competing in the powwow dance circuit with his children for years, He hopes to win it big at Ter- race's tribal fest pawwow. Money prizes are awarded to dancers and singers, Mammogram screening free Screening mammograms can detect early breast cancer, ofien two to three years years be- fore a woman can feel any changes. Early detection means the cancer is more likely to be small and less likely to have spread, This can mean simpler treatment and a better chance of a cure, For women in their 50s, 60s and 70s, a mammogram once every two years is the best defense agalnst cancer. There is no charge for this test and women don’t necd a docior’s referral. IC you have never bad a mammogram aor it has been a while since your last one, call the Screening Mammogram Program of BC toll free at 1-800-663-9203 to book an appoint- iment