Seniors go for the gold Players off to Chilliwack By JESSIE GIES BOB BENNETT has been playing darts since he was 18 years old. Now 80, Bennett has been practising the sport for more than 60 years, -“tt's good exercise and it’s lots of fun,” Ben- nett gave as his reason for playing so long. September 3, today, is the starting date for the B.C, Senior Games which includes a multitude of sports competitions for British Columbians over 55... Bennett, his wife and a group of others who play darts at the Royal Canadian Legion in Ter- race,. will compete in darts at the games, which run over the next-few days in Chilliwack. "Igo along and do the cheering,” said Ben- nett’s wife Hilda. Other people accompanying : Bennett are John and Ruby Whittington who will both play darts in Chilliwack. ’ “Bennett has won several gold, silver and bronze medals, but says he plays darts because it’s fun. ‘All of them have been to dozens of tourna- ~ SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 3, 2003 - BS BOB BENNETT practises for the darts competition at the B.C. Senior Games in Chilliwack. The games run Sept. 3-6. JESSIE GIES PHOTO ments over the years, playing darts since their youth. ; The group agrees Ruby Whittington is the best female player af the seniors who play weekly games at the Legion throughout the winter. “She's our best lady,” Hilda Bennett pro- claimed. By JESSIE GIES IF YOU WERE wandering around the Kin Hut last week, you might have seen Rose Thomas and the Skeena Valley Horseshoe Club practising for this year's B.C. Senior Games. Horseshoes is not an overly physical game, but it’s highly competitive, says Thomas. “Prior to the Games, MARCIE PRITCHARD scrubs down the wading pool al the Terrace Aquatic Centre Aug. 26. She’s a lifeguard helping out with annual maintenance. Pool gets spruced up we'll practise five times a week,” she said, “We'll go aut and throw a hundred shoes. We are very, very competitive.” Horseshoes is played by In past years, Whittington has won two gold, two silver and one bronze medal at past Senior Games and has a wall full of plaques at home. Horseshoe enthusiasts head for Senior Ga THE TERRACE Aquatic Centre is set lo re-open Sept. 15 after shutting down Aug. 25 for rou- tine muintence. That doesn’t mean life- guards get a three-week holiday. Marcie Pritchard and Curolina Polanco are lifeguards at the pool and have been working hard to get the facility in shape for another year. “This is a community service,” Polanco said, adding people in and out- side of Terrace have com- the pool. The pool has been drained and will be scrub- bed and stripped of chemi- cal and calcium build-up. Fresh paint will be ap- plied to gym equipment which will also be inspec- ted for defects. Tiles in the Finnish steam sauna are being re- placed, as are all the lights in the facility. “That's a safety thing,” said Polanco, “we need good lighting.” Employees say the fil- be replaced. Employees say there have been complaints about the roof, but ensured it is sound, Black stains, they say, are from conden- sation inside. Janet McKenzie, who is overseeing the mainte- nance, said there are no major repairs being done this year. She said the pool is maintained year-round but the shutdown is to get at the nook and crannies. “There's always some- thing you can’t get ta, and tossing a metal horseshoe towards an upright peg in a sand pit. Women normally throw from a distance of 9m while men normally throw from a distance of 12m. The objective is to gel the horseshce nearest to ihe peg. A “ringer” is when a player gets the horseshoe around the peg on a toss. “The game is simple,” Thomas said. She has been playing horseshoes for eight years and has competed five very more. ROSE THOMAS brushes up her horseshoe throw- ing technique for the B.C. Senior Games happen- ing this week in Terrace. Her horseshoes club holds weekly practises at the Kin Hut JESSIE GIES PHOTO tration system will also be ed on cleanliness . : ment eanliness al cleaned out and filters will that’s what we're getting to now,” she said. times in the B.C. Senior You’ve got one weekend left in the drag race season . MEMO TO drag race fans: bring ear protection and plan _to be thrilled, This weekend’s final drag event of the season at the airport promises to be at least equal to the kind of racing enjoyed during Riverboat Days the beginning of August or in Houston several weeks later. A’solid circuit of weekend events over the summer season throughout the northwest provides entertainment cand enjoyment, Some 700 fans turned out for the Riverboat Days drag races; ; “In the years I've been involved with the Terrace Drag Racing Association, this is definitely the best ev- - ent we've ever hosted,” said association president Den- “nig Moore of the fan support and racer participation in the Riverboat Days event. . Blake Bedford in his NOS power 83 Mustang was victorious over long time association volunteer Eddie Mattern at the Riverboat Days Saturday night's street “series shootout. “ "On the Sunday, one of the closest races featured Doug Riberio of Kitimat squeaking out a close win over ‘Terrace’s Nelson Dapont in the King Car/Truck final. There wis only .003 seconds separating them. . On the Monday, Jim Braid of Terrace placed first in the bikes/sleds section’ of the brackel division; Dave La- Francois was third in the Pro Class section of the divi- sion. Pro final round action saw B Team partners Chris Bie and Lissa Archibald each have several challenges in either starting their vehicles or computer timing errors. Lee Thompson of Terrace placed second in the Pro/Outlaw group where racers can use electronic devic- es. Next up on the circuit were the 7th annual Houston Drags where a non-functioning timing system on the Fri- day night prevented timed runs. J.L. of Terrace in his pink Nova was the hit of the evening. But that wasn’t the case the next day when J.L. from Terrace continued his Friday night efforts with earsplit- ting, tire smoking runs in his Nova, One run on Saturday was the fastest run of the wee- kend at the race track and perhaps the fastest one ever for the pink Nova, reports correspondent Ed Evans. “JL, ran a 5:7 second blast that just about lasted to three-quarter track until the car broke out, lost traction and did a few heart stopping slides,” Evans continued. “Unfortunately the car was also injured and only made on more run.” Saturday’s winners included Tony Derillo of Terrace in his 68 Camara, . A drizzle on Sunday turned into rain and that resulted in a cancellation of the day’s racing. Games. “It’s the entire atmo- She snid the camara- sphere amongst the detie is what she enjoys players,” she said. most about horseshoes. Ron Kuechle, Joe With this much practise behind them, at least one of the Legion players is sure to bring home MES Wideman, and Bud Hal- lock are other club mem- bers who are heading out to the games. Kuechle won bronze in his division last year, as did Wideman. This year they hope to take home ihe gold. Kuechle said he'd like io see more members join ihe the Terrace club. “We aren't all pro play- ers - we'd welcome anyone,” he said. The horseshoe club has been practising since April, and with a B.C, Se- niers gold medal win be- hind her, Rose Thomas is a shoe-in for the gold again this year. “It's never routine, we're up against new com- petitors every year,” she said. “T can’t say [’m nervous but I anticipate some com- petitive, tight games,” Thomas said. The B.C, Senior Games horseshoes event runs Sept. 4-5 in Chilliwack. To join the horseshoes club in Terrace call club president Shaunce Kruis- selbrink at 635-5382. aha J.L. OF Terrace launches hard at the 7th annual Houston drag races, Rain un- fortunately cancelled racing the Sunday of the event. But J.L. in his pink Nova proved to ba a fan favourite, posting a time of 5.7 seconds on Saturday. This weekend at the airport is the last drag event of the season ED EVANS PHOTO