INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 JUST. A-THOUGHT. KATHY FLORITTO Where are the heroes? fier reading a second praise exalt- ing the efforts of thase who perform abortions, 1 thought it might be time for an opposing view in this space even though several readers were miles ahead of me with their letters to the editor. There are no. heroes in the abortion busi- ness. There is only a long, long list of reasons why a child is unwanted and while some of those reasons seem worthy of empathy, surely 2 million abortions in this country since 1975 must appal even those among us who sanction . them. “The biggest disease today is nat lepro- sy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for and deserted by everybody. The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference towards one neighbour who lives at the roadside, assaulted by exploitation, cor- ruption, poverty and disease.” — Mother Theresa, a hero Two million... How did we come to this? Have we cared so little about lives other than our own that we have made it so? Do we too often tout a morality in which we are unpre- pared to be active participants? Certainly, it is not enough to rage against abortion yet be un- willing to help raise’ the children whose lives we want to save, Apart from the ethical questions, have we calculated the price tag on two million lost lives? We rebuke our governments for what we see as careless misuse of aur hard-carmed money, yel little is said about what must be the astounding bill for ridding ourse!ves of two million Canadians. Medical costs, including professional coun- selling, examinations, hospital or clinic time, the procedure itself, posl-examinations, post- counselling, etc., must add up to well over $1 billion. And it doesn’t end there. Teachers, books, toys, shoes, clothes and all the et ce- teras necessary for the support of those two million — not needed. Fewer high school dipiomas, fewer graduate degrees, fewer technical and professional in- comes yield fewer dollars going back into the economy and the tax pot. Of the 200,000 lives aborted between 1975 and 1978, how many would now be having children of their own? More dollars lost. Puts a real twist on the term cashless society. Did we buy into the Eu- genics credo that human population growth would eventually outstrip the land’s capacity to produce food? Surely not. That old saw has been a cause for hysteria since Malthus first opined it 200 years ago, even though UN reports continue to prove that human ingenuity and constant improvements in agricultural technology have ensured that global food supplies have grown as fast as po- pulation. Better to look at the inequities in dis- tribution and a cold unwillingness to share as the root cause for poverty and starvation. We are outraged at the application of Euge- nics by such as Hitler and Mengeles, but has something of their doctrine of active or passive extermination of “inferior” masses through curtailed fertility, controlled immigration and/or the cessation of charity somehow man- aged to acquire legitimacy simply through more acceptable wording? Planned Parenthood grew out of the Euge- nics movement. Margaret Sanger, its founder and a British and American Eugenics Society activist, in her manifesto The Pivot of Civiliza- tion, called for the elimination ‘of human weeds, the end of charity and the sterilization of genetically inferior races. Although PP has gone through various fo- cuses during its history, beginning with racial purity, today it touts “quality of life” and, re- grettably, its rationale is acceptable to many. Today, Eugenicists put forth that ridding the world of poverty means reducing the number of poor, not by raising them up, but by elimina- ting the possibility of people who may starve. If we're feeling a bit overcrowded, weed out those wha contribute the least to society, What began as a brutal shove against social values of cquality and charity now tenderly tugs on the heart as it reasons with the mind and it has, obviously, been hard to resist, but we either value all: tiuman life or we do not. Increasingly it appears that we do not. Ridin’ By CHRISTIANA WIENS IF VIA RAIL hasn’t scooped retiring railway engineer Ed Savoie for an advertising campaign yet, they probably should. ; From his blue jeans and jean shirt to his solid steady voice made for someone who has spend the last 44 years driving a train, the 64-year-ald grandfather is a walking taiking train commercial. The railway engineer was in Terrace al the end of last month with his son and daughters. He had just finished working his last shift on the Prince George to Smithers rail line days earlier and the family was in town to visit the Terrace leg of the Savoie family. Savoie slarted working the rails on July 22, 1956 ~ when oil driven steam engines still chugged rhythmically uphill and the rail tines needed fire men to keep the steam pres- sure pumping. Savoie began his career as a fire man for CN Rail in the lower mainland, where he learned to regulate engine pres- sure on a student engine in the company’s training yard. As the engines changed and trains became longer, Sa- voie became an engineer, spending time in Kamloops, Ja- sper and Vancouver before settling in Prince George. In 1990, Savoie switched to Via Rail’s Skeena line, where he’s had the luxury of riding the rails during daytime hours and seeing the north through a tourist's eyes. “Qn the train you can look around to your heart’s content.” His memories include slowing the train while a grizzly climbed a nearby rock face and stopping the train altoge- ther so that a pack of knee-high wolf cubs could join their mother on the other side of the tracks, Then, there are all the employees he worked with, in- cluding his now deceased brother and nephew, a fellow en- gincer operating out of Jasper. Savoie has tons of bad memories too, he just doesn’t want to talk about them, “Pm lucky enough never to have been in a fatal acci- dent,” is all he’ll say. He tells stories of trains bogged down by slow-moving freight trains, cattle or moose that meandered down the tracks and the operator who tailed them for mites. Nine months before his 65th birthday, Savoie decided to call it quits, giving up his engineer’s cap to enjoy the golf courses and fishing haunts in his new home of Salmon Arm. He and his wife also plan on taking a trip across the - country — by train, of course, “It’s just the best way to see the country,” he said. And, as Savoie boarded the train back to Prince George early Wednesday, April 26 he said something that should clinch that commercial. ; . “Take the train sometime,” he said. th FINAL GOODBYES: Railway engineer Ed Savoie waves to family and friends at a SECTION B ALEX HAMILTON 638-7283 Se Jetirement party held for him last month. He's been an engineer for 44 years. Retirement pizza party planned for Chen-Wing WHEN IT comes to noting Caledonia School teacher John Chen-Wing’s accom- plishments, it would be impossible to list them all in one sentence, says the school’s principal Geoff Straker. Chen-Wing’s record of achievement is bigper than Caledonia’s parking lot! Nol only is he a dedicated teacher, but also organizer of the school yearbook, canteen, and the awards and scholarships program. With his extensive community and school in- volvement, and dedication to each of his students, it is difficull to express just what a difference to Cale- donia John Chen-Wing makes. “C is for Caledonia and C is for Chen-Wing, the two go hand in hand,” Straker said. “It’s like that ald song, “ you can't have one without the other.” Who is the person be- hind the dedicated tea-' cher? Chen-Wing got an,” early slart on his education al the tender age of thirty months in his home town of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Chen-Wing attended Queen’s Royal College Where he received his Cambridge School Certifi- cate and his Cambridge Higher School Certificate. He excelled in French, Spanish, Latin and English literature. After high school, he studied biochemistry, psy- chology, zoology and edu- cation at the University of “B.C. Chen-Wing said it was a toss-up between choos- ing a career in medicine -and becoming a teacher, “Teaching was a good choice,” Chen-Wing said. His students think so too, Chen-Wing has taught at Caledonia since the school opened in Septem- ber 1969, . But before teaching at Caledonia, he taught Spanish at a Catholic boys’ school for three years and at Skeena Sec- ondary School for four years. Chen-Wing was plan- ning to leave Terrace in 1969 but luckily for him and his students, he met Alice Uberall in April 1969 and married her May 28, 1970, The couple deci- ded to stay in Terrace, Chen-Wing has made innumerable and immea~ surable contributions to both the community and to Caledonia. He has served as president of the Terrace District Teachers’ Asso- ciation for seven years and was coordinator of the North Coast Professional Development for ten years. He was also a member of the NWCC Academic Ad- visory committee. The Terrace and Dis- irict Arts Council, the North Regional Arts Coun- cil and the Terrace Sci- ence Festival have also been privileged with his- leadership. Students probably know him best for organizing the school yearbook, awards and scholarships and the Brown Door Cafe. Seldom do people think of the effort behind all Ahese projects. John Chen- Wing spends more than $00 hours of his own free time each year helping ‘money for students. This stems from his be- lief that “if something is worth doing, it is worth . doing well.” He also hopes that stu- dents, like him, will put “service to others above all, without regard for per- sonal benefit,” He gives the following advice to stressed out stu- dents: “Try to find some balance in your lives.” Don’t let the little things bother you!” Chen-Wing will be re- tiring from a long and rich teaching carcer on Friday, June 30. Members of the Cale- donia Grad Committee hope to convey their ap- preciation for al! that John Chen-Wing has taught them: devotion, foresight, industry and inspiration. A retirement pizza party for Chen-Wing will be held Thursday, May 18° from 6:15 to 8:45 p.m. in the Caledonia Gymnasium. Everyone js invited. Tick- ets for the party cost $8, In conjunction with the pizza party, a raffle has been organized to raise Caledonia Scholarships. Only 2000 raffle tickets have been. printed and there will be 40. prizes va- lued at aver $100. Tickets for the raffle cost $10° or three for $25, The draw will, take place’-at. the pizza party. 0 Tickels for the pizza party and the raffle can be purchased at Misty River Books ‘and Caledonia School. All proceeds will larship fund, © go to the Caledonia Scho-, Logo Contest THE COMMITTEE for organizing the fourth annual Rosswood Music jamboree Saturday, August 19 is searching for a new logo. By entering this logo contest, the winner’s art- work could appear an the Jamboree T-shirts, adver- lising, tickets and programs. Ail you have to do is create a logo and send it in! All entries must be submitted on white paper, no larger than 11 inches by 17 inches. The dead- line is May 19, 2000. The winning entry will be- come the property of the Rosswood Music Jambor- ee commiltee. Please submit entries to: Logo contest, Ross- wood Community Association, P.O. Box 921 Ter- race, B.C, V8G 4R2. Short stories needed IN THE early 1950’s, a travelling salesman went through ‘Terrace selling Hohner accordions. The re- sult was a number of beleaguered children whose repertoire after months of erratic lessons by the iti- nerant salesman consisted of the only piece that he knew, “Over the Waves.” This hilarious story by Jo Kennedy is one of a collection of anecdotes gathered by the Terrace Regional Historical Society of the folk histary of northwestern B.C. hetween 1900 and 2000. The historical society is looking for more short stories anc anecdotes of the Rosswoaod, Usk, Remo, Terrace and Lakelse Lake areas. If you have an anecdote of what it was Uke to live in this region in the past, contact the society at P.O. Box 246, Terrace, B.C. V8G 4A6 or phone 635-2508 or 638-8494, Red Shield appeal Salvation Army Lt. Michael Spears is looking for voluntcers to offer one evening a month to can- vass for the Salvation Army. Spears urges locals to support the work of the Salvation Army hy donating to canvassers who come to (heir doors, and by responding to the Iet- ters and envelopes sent to them through the mail and in thelr weekly newspaper. Go to summer camp IT IS time NOW. to prepare for he summer holi- days. The Salvation Army’s Camp Mountainview near Houston is a great place for children to s canoe ahd meet friends, Holiday camps for kids aged 7-13 run from July 10 to July 15, July 15-20, and July 24-29, Camps for children-aged 13-16 run from July 29 to August The camp fee is $110, The Terrace Corps will provide transportation at-a cost of $10 per child, For more information call Lt- Michael Spears at G§S-5446,0