The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - Bl - JENNIFER LANG EV BISHOP Firsts WONDERFUL THING about having A or perhaps I should say, a terrify- ing thing about having kids (Ok, it’s both!) is that they’re always trying new things and I get to witness all these firsts with them - re-live vicariously through them the way firsts feel. The wonderful part is obvious: First time catching a joke! First times mastering a new feat like seat drops on the trampoline. First time whispers, “she’s my best friend ever!” and remembering the first time I felt that rock- -solid yet giddy feeling of “Hey, this person really likes me and [ really like them, we're friends!” The terrifying part is equally obvious: First injuries. First betrayals and hurt feelings by a friend. First feelings of fear and pressure in so- cial situations. First realization that the world is a big place and it doesn’t revolve around you... may be doesn’t even notice you. First time you're confronted with the inevitability of change. My kids and I experienced some rather monumental firsts ourselves this summer. First time going on a trip without mom and dad (them). First time letting them go on camping trip without us (me!). And [ LEFT town while write!) you're all no doubt relieved) that everything in this small to you, huge to us, set of firsts went splendidly. The kids got home after five days Grandma and babbled non-stop for three hours (and then the whole day after they finally things they’d seen and collected. Grandpa and Grandma seemed to enjoy it as much as the kids did and talked about the trip just as en- thusiastically, repeating several times how good the kids were, how well behaved, how fun, etc, etc... Well, no parent can hear that Christopher did inform me (I couldn’t help but ask) that no, he didn’t miss me. And he couldn’t just feave it at that. He had to really reassure me, “Actually, I didn’t even remem- ber you...1 remembered Daddy though.” (Thank-you son! I’m really happy he wasn’t homesick, really...) But he was happy to see . me again. (That’s a relief.) My kids, Riah especially, looked forward to “You went beach combing without us?” the trip with trepidation. She likes her own bed and had a billion reasons why she would not enjoy the trip and why she should stay home. But forced (I had a course I had to go to) to take a leap, she came back exhilarated and confident, more independent and more con- nected to her extended family. Christopher en- joyed every minute of getting to help his Grandpa in his work and talks confidently - about his own plans for the future based loose- ‘ ly on what he saw his Grandpa doing. If I'm honest, I have to say I hesitated about sending the kids on the trip claiming I wasn't sure they were ready. But really it was 1 who 1 .feared wasn't ready, Like Riah, I was nervous... - nervous about my own plans. What if I flunked the course? What if I wasn’t bright enough? Couldn't hack it? It was good for me to go and ‘realize, “Hey, I can totally do this, I fit right i in here.” And it was good for me to learn that as “much as my kids need me and J them, they can thrive without me always hovering. ] babbled as much as they did about my trip | and adventures and when [ pulled out my beach combing finds after they showed me their treasures, Riah asked with a small bit of awe, “You went beach combing without us?” “Yep, I sure did.” [ affirmed. "f even saw ' hundreds of little crabs.” “Cool!” she exclaimed as I revealed an in- | .tact antique jar with raised Chinese lettering, | ‘several sea and rust-ravaged spoons and mis-. cellaneous bits of glass and metal and shell. . Laughing together and sharing experiences: made me realize that I need to make sure [! keep having firsts, my own firsts... not just : firsts of my children that I enjoy as my own, I" need to share my own current stories of excit- ing “stuff” with my kids. It’s fun and it shows them that new opportunities abound throughout life not just in childhood. I wish you all your own summertime firsts! they did this... I wasn’t even by the phone in- case they needed me. (Their dad was home —~ but that just doesn’t feel the same to. me. However, that’s a column about my con- | trol issues that... yeah, [Il probably never ANYWAY, I'm happy to inform you (and with their beloved (read. spoiling) Grandpa and | woke up) about their adventures and the too many times! I ate it up. ‘ makers A guide to the sounds of ‘summer in the northwest By JENNIFER LANG LOCAL MUSIC fans won't have to travel far from home to find great live music. For the next four weekends, the music festi- val season kicks into high gear, and there’s no better place to use as a base of operations than - Terrace. Let it all hang out at one of the grooviest festivals of the summer at the ninth annual Ki- spiox Valley Music Festival July 25-27. It of- fers two nights and two solid days of live per- formances July 25-27, Headliners include the Khac Chi Ensemble, Prydwen, Purple, George Leach, Lola Parks and Simon Budd. An- other 32 regional acts are also lined up to play the festival. There’s camping on site. Gates close at 10 p.m. The surroundings are a little rustic. You're well advised to bring your own water, although there is water on site. Classic Canadian rock group Prism is the star attraction at this year’s Concerts in the Park during Riverboat Days, Aug. 2 and 3 at George Little Memorial Park. A wide range of local performers and regional acts will take the stage. It'll be the place to be during Riverboat Days. Mark Perry TERRACE STANDARD OMMUNI Melody LESTER QUITZAU and Mae Moore appear at the Rosswood Music Jamboree next month. The two performers are married — and on a tour of western Canada. And best of all? There’s no cover charge. One of northern B.C.’s best-known and most distinctive voices, Mark Perry, headlines this year’s Riverside Festival, a showcase of some of the region’s best gospel, bluegrass. and country performers. Terrace’s own teen country sensation, Theresa Marie, will also headline, She'll have just returned home from the Merritt Mountain festival where she performed on the main stage July 19. The fifth annual Riverside Festival Aug. 8, 9 and 10 is presented by the Terrace. Elks. and Royal Purple at Har-Lee’s Place on Kalum Lake Drive. There's camping and food on site. (See City Scene on B2 for more details.) The Sixth Rosswood Music Jamboree {Aug. 16-from noon to midnight at the Ross- A Nass village pla wood fair grounds, 42-km north of Terrace on the Nisga’a Highway) has scored a major coup. The Rosswood Community Association has lined up two impressive headliners: singer- songwriter Mae Moore and the multi-talented roots and blues guitarist Lester Quitzau, The two performers, who married last sum- mer, recently toured Germany and the Czech Republic this spring. Both are accomplished | recording artists. Moore’s latest effort is it’s a Funny World. Quitzau, who’s a solo and en- semble performer, won a Juno for best roots/world music trio for the 2000 release, Tri- Continental. Other acts include Borderline, Nine. One Two, Karen Ljungh and Danny Sklapsky. Watch for further details. Ss host to major carving projects See the world’s largest traditional canoe paddle being carved, organizer says By JENNIFER LANG VISITORS WHO ARE interested in witnessing the cultural renais- sance taking place in the Nass Valley will have plenty of reasons to take a trip there this summer. A lot of interesting visitors have already been welcomed by a group of Nisga’a carvers in Git- winksihlkw who are working on the world’s tallest standing paddle — a project organizer and carver Brad Tait hopes will become a tourist attraction once complete. Tait and carvers Richard Mor- gan, Vern Azak and Fred Moore are pleased to explain the purpose of their project. The 61-foot-tall paddle will symbolize the Nisga’a Sea Going Cance Society - and will commemorate the members of the 1913 Nisga’a land question committee who travelled by THE FLYING Frog canoe sailed down main street during the Ri- verboat. Days parade in 2001. The Nisga’a Sea Going Canoe Society is working on three new canoes. FILE PHOTO Tait says the society wants to hast an annual canoe gathering at Lava Lake starting neat summer. The canoe club is open to any- one from the other Nass villages to join. The original Flying Frog is going to make an appearance in Terrace in a couple of weeks when it’s one of the floats in the Meanwhile, a 30-foot-tall red cedar totem pole that will repre- sent the Frog/Raven clan at the new cultural centre long house in New Aiyansh is on schedule. Master carver Richard Morgan of Gitwinksihlkw has been com- missioned to complete the project in i2 weeks, says Tait, who is one gan. canoe to Victoria in an effort to The other two carvers are Den- and surrounding areas who wants. Riverboat Days parade on Aug. 2. find justice through a treaty. To contact the society or to comment on the carving project, Nisga’a Sea Going Canoe Society completed the Flying Frog, a canoe built out of red cedar. The society is now working on a 26-foot-long replica of the Fly- ing Frog. Carvers Tait, Morgan, Azak and Moore ate also working on a 50-feot war canoe and a 37- nis Nyce of Gitwinksihlkw and Craig Kelly of New Aiyansh. Visitors are more than wel- come to come and hear the stories email boneym @telus.net Three summers ago, the Terrace actor wins trophy at drama festival By JENNIFER LANG ONE OF the stars of Ter- race Little Theatre’s en- semble drama, Speaking in Tongues, has has been - named best supporting actor at this year’s Main- stage B.C, Jason Marshalt earned the trophy for his role in the play, which swept the zone drama festival this spring, taking home more than one dozen regional awards. Speaking in Tongues also earned four honout- able mentions at Main- stage B.C., lield in Pentic- ton and Summerland July 4-12, and hosted by. the Summerland Singers and Players. The TLT’s Dawn Mar- shall earned an honourable mention for best supporting actress. Sharon Lynch re- ceived an honourable mention for best costumes. Speaking's director, Pa- trick McIntyre, has also come home a winner ~ jedges awarded an honour- able mention to all the dir- ectors of this year's Main- stage productions. The play was selected for competition at the pro- vincials after it cleaned up at the recent zone drama festival. The production earned three separate Projects, including foot racing canoe. behind the carving of the pole. ACTORS Jason Marshall and Marianne Weston rehearse a scene from; Speaking in Tongues. Marshall won best supporting actor at the provincials. deemed Courtenay Little Theatre’s The Laramie Project as the best produc- ‘tion in B.C, an honour shared by the TLT’s Marianne Weston and Dawn Marshall. Judges al Mainstage 10 trophies at the Skeena Zones in Prince Rupert, including best production, director, and best. actress, 638-7283 of the carvers working with Mor- :