B8 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 16, 2003

SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN

"ROB BROWN

The Taimen and a Shrew

he pools were deep and dark; the top

water of each reflecting alder limbs

that hung like twisted arms with with-

ered fingers ready to grab a fly inten-
ded for any spot underneath them. And that was
where they were, those muscular trout — some
big, some huge ~ waiting for the drop and plop
of a clumsy stone fly; fixed on the narrow win-
dow, eyes narrowed, riveted to the surface,
every muscle taut in anticipation of the next lo-
cust-sized bug to the exclusion of all else; set to
go off like bombs.

Billy had twice seen the boil of a fish as long
_as his arm. He had the right fly, but both times
the boat. was too far downstream for a good
throw, This was the third time. The guide had
the boat in the slot. The success of the venture
rested on Billy now, it resided in brain and arm
memory, and the ability to steer a giant fish
through the snares below and keep it free from
the hedge above.

The slow moving, eight-weight Payne was not
the best rod for this kind of surgical cast but it
would redeem itself if he could pet the giant
trout on. Billy set the rod in motion with an ex-
aggerated kick of the wrist and a crisp haul to
compensate for the rod’s limber action. The fly
shot out to port in a tight loop as the bedside
phone rang. The fly shot out over the river, as
the phone beside his bed rang again. The same
cast, but quicker cast this time, and then for-
ward in an economical arc, missing the
branches...the phone rang for a third time.

‘The plione:.. THE PHONE! -

}nesi of clothes at the foot of the bed. He rolled’
over toward the irritating sound, reaching awk-
wardly to his left with his right arm, knocking
off the lamp and the clock radio in the process.
3:35, He read the red digits before they hit the
floor and disappeared in the dark.

The receiver fell to the floor too. Billy graped

ear at first.

“Hello,” he answered, anger unmistakable.

“Bill? That you Bill?”

“Who's this?”

“Bill, it's Lewis for Gad’s sake.” There was a
pause. “Uh...is it late there?”

Billy lay back on his pillows, The irritation va-
nished at the recognition his old friend’s name.
Things changed rapidly. He felt guilty for re-
sponding as he had,

“3:35,” he said the words gently, as if it didn’t
matter anymore, as if he was no longer tired,
and hadn’t been robbed of giant dream trout.”

“Oh, ’'m sorry — should have thought of the
time difference — ya golla forgive me.”

“Doesn’*t matter. Forget it. Just tell me how
you are ~ where you are.”

Questions flooded Billy’s mind. He wanted to
ask them all, He’d met Lewis in Alaska guiding
salmon and hard fighting rainbow trout on float
plane trips to bear infested wilderness. After
that they contrived to work for a salmon guide
operating on the Taku and its tributaries out of
the Yukon. Later they worked for a steelhead
operation in B.C. Lewis was the freest of free
spirits, upbeat with a keen appreciation for the
absurdity of life and some kind of offbeat, im-
petuous spirituality that Billy loved and tried his
best to understand, but never did.

When Billy was around Lewis they shared a
brotherhood deeper and more meaningful than
the one he had with his brothers, all of whom he
cared for well enough.

With Lewis life became a pageant, no adven-
ture was spurned and small adventures tended to
grow into grand escapades.

They'd been inseparable for over three years
and would have been together still if Billy’s dad
hadn't passed away when the Alaskan King Sal-
mon fishery was in full swing. The rest of the fa-
mily was incapacitated by grief. Billy could
handle it, barely, and did at. the cost of three
months,

He had no contact with Lewis during that time.
Phoning was useless given. the long days the
guides put in and the many days they spent in
the wilderness. Billy left one message he ex-
pected wouldn’t be answered. He wasn't sur-
prised or hurt when it wasn't.

When the mourning and burying was done, so
was the salmon season. Billy expected to find
Lewis but couldn't.

He phoned their old employers. None had any
information about the whereabouts of his friend.
Billy’s search became frantic for a time. After
not hearing a thing for two years, he gave up.
He felt as if he hada hole in his soul,

Continued next week

" Billy-sat .bolt.upright; the cat. leapt from* the

By SARAH A.
ZIMMERMAN

TERRACE auxiliary police offi- ::
cers are stepping up palrols at the ? |.

aquatic centre an Friday nights

after recent bouts of vandalism.
threatened to cance] a popular.

free swim for teens.
Over the past month the aqua-

tic centre has had a candy ma-'‘.

chine stolen from its lobby, a

large interior window was broken .

as was an exterior window.
The bouts of hooliganism

spurred aquatic foreman Janet

Mackenzie to post a notice warn-
ing teens that if the poor beha-
viour continues the swim night
will be cancelled without further
Notice.

“The purpose of the notice is
we have had some incidents and

what we want to do is make them _

realize it can’t continue,” says ,

Mackenzie.

The free swim night is for :

young people aged 12-18 and runs °

from 9-11 p.m. each Friday night.

The intention is to provide a
positive social activity for teens
at no cost.

“My intention is always to
keep the teen swim. I would ra-
ther have them in here being con-
structive than out there being de-
structive,” Mackenzie says.

The program began in Novem-
ber 2000. The first night saw 55
teens attending. That number shot
up to 75 the next week and today
an average of 120 teenagers flack
to the pool each Friday night.

Last year there were problems
with groups of young people in-
volved in fights outside the aqua-
tic centre while swimmers waited
for rides home.One teenager was
even stabbed.

When hockey season started .

638-7283

AUXILIARY police constables like Debbie Simons will be a regular sight at the Friday night free
teen swim at the Terrace Aquatic Centre after recent bouts of vandalism and violence threaten the
future of the popular program. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO

last fall auxiliary police officers
began making rounds at the arena
and in the parking lot between the
pool and the rink on Friday nights
when rep hockey teams were
playing.

Auxiliary police constable

ended and our patrols ended,”
says Simons.

“It was just recently that we
were made aware of the problems
at the pool.”

Simons says auxiliary police
officers started patrolling again

“Wy intention is always to keep the teen swim. !
would rather have them in here being constructive
than out there being desiructive.”

Debbie Simons says there was a
marked decline in problems with
teens after the uniform-wearing
officers started their patrols.

. “Then,,..of...course,

eons aoa

hockey.....,

two weeks ago to make their pre-
sence known ta hopefully curb
any further violence or vandalism.

The constables make rounds

bath inside, and outside the pool.

including walking through change
rooms.

Auxiliary constable Kim Mac-
Dougall said the first Friday of pa-
trols saw more than a dozen young
people lingering outside the pool
after most had gone home, but
once the constables reappeared,
the teens dispersed.

Simons, also a mother of teen-
agers, says the free teen swim
program is a valuable one that, as
a parent of a teenager, she would
like to see preserved.

“T don’t necessarily think it’s
the kids who are going to the pool
who are causing the problems,”
she said, “It seems to be happen-

: ing after the swim is over.”

for it. He held it to his face, the speaker to his

i Kick off

TRY-OUTS for the Caledonia Senior Second-
ary girls soccer team got under way recently.
The season is about to start and will see the
local team head to several out of town tourna-
ments as well as hosting their own tournament
here. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO

SEVEN Terrace athletes
recently returned from the
B.C, Gymnastics Cham-
pionships having competed
among more than 500
competitors.

Siobhan Sloan McMul-
len, Jessica Ames, Kayla
McColl, Nicole Pelletier,
Britt Anderson, Kayla
Brinkac and Ashley Pel-
letier took part in the pres-
tigious April 4-6 event.

“This was the second of
three larger competitions
slated for this year,” says
Terrace Peaks spokesper-
son, Carolyn Anderson.

“This was an exciling

a4

New winners
emerge in

curling finals

THE TERRACE Curling
Club saw league teams
take part in simultaneous
playoffs Apri! 4, Prizes
were handed out to top
teams in regular season
play and playoff winners.
“It was a dramatic
competition as not one
league champion could
sustain their dominance in
the playoffs,” says club
president David D. Hull.
The Wednesday night
Ladies league dominated

Start training for the
Adventure Challenge

CALLING ALL outdoor enthusiasts!

The second annual Terrace Standard Adventure Chal-
lenge is set to go this summer with more prizes and out-
door adventure sport challenges to keep even the most

versatile athletes on their toes.

Downhill mountain biking, swimming, outdoor rock
climbing, offroad running and an endurance biking event
are all on the menu for what’s shaping up to be an even
bigger and better event than last year,

Organizers are looking for volunteers to help out on
race days and with some behind the scenes responsibili- |:
ties. Anyone interested in helping out. with the north-
west's only outdoor adventure sport series is welcome.

Call Sarah Zimmerman. at 638-7283 for details.

by the Jacquie Munson
tink was defeated by. Sara
Rauter’s crew in the play-
off, Thursday night was do-
minated all
Duane Melanson’s rink but
it was Ron Townley’s
quartet who earned lop
spot in the playoffs.

The Friday Mixed lea-
gue leader Gary Doney
lost to. the Wayne Epp
tink. Two leagues did not
see a separate event. The
Monday night mixed
champions went to the Hal

Tuesday night open cham-
pion was the. John Kenne-
dy rink.

season by °

Vousden rink and the the |

=

Solid showing by Peaks
at B.C. championships

event for gymnasts and
parents alike, as this was
the first time the three dis-
ciplines of gymnastics —
artistic, trampoline and
tumbling, and sports aero-
bics were held in one
venue.”

It was the first time for
many of the tumblers to
see synchronized trampo-
line routines, power tum-
bling and sports aerobics.

The Peaks fared well,
bringing home medals and
ribbons, ‘including a gald
on floor by Level 4 No-
vice, Siobhan Sloan-Mc-
Mullen, and a Second

Place Team Award for
Level 2 Argos - Ashley
Pelletier and Kayla Brink-
ac.

Kayla Brinkac also
earned a bronze medal on
the uneven bars.

The next meet sees
local gymnasts hosting
their own full-day event at
the Ed Fairless Gymnasi-
um, next to the Thornhill
Community Centre April
26.

It's an excellent oppar-
tunity for spectators to
come see first hand the
great talent in the north-
west.

Sports

Scope

THE TERRACE Ultimate

Club’s locking for new
members. Do you have wha it takes?

Ultimate Club gearing up

for another season
THE TERRACE Ultimate Club is getting set for another

exciting season of fast-paced,

exciting team play.

The sport, also known as ultimate frisbee, is played
on a field with a disc. It’s a co-ed, team sport and any-
one 16 and over is ivited to come out.

Game nights are Mondays and Wednesdays starling
at 6:30 p.m. The first game night is Monday, May 5 at
the fields located immediately west of Caledonia Senior

Secondary School.

Newcomers and experienced players are welcome —
the first couple nights will serve as an introduction to the

game.
. Cleats are recommended.
details at 635-6636,

Call Richard of Kelly for