INSIDE. COMMUNITY “EVENTS B2_ HERE BY CHOICE FAE COLLINS MOONEY Anevening | out on the town INNER AND THEATRE. An eve- ning out in the City, When I lived in the Vancouver arca we often went to the Quecn Elizabeth Theatre. Tenjoyed those evenings out. Living in the Lower Mainland, going to the ‘theatre was — different, It was an event. Our night out began with an hour’s drive on a freeway, then twenty minutes of crisscrossing streets and avenues in search of a parking spot within walking distance of the restaurant, But that was to be expected. Tn the Cily we had our choice of restaurants, whatever we could afford for that evening: an old favourite, a new one we wanted to try, something completely different... Dressed in our best, cating in a fine restaurant, we felt rich, afMuent. No one knew who we were. We could fake it, pretend for an evening... After dinner we strolled back to the car and once again took up the search for a parking spot within walking distance of the Queen E. And then, as strangers: among strangers, we situated ourselves in our box seats (it took us a while, but we eventually learned where the good seats were, reserving them months in ad- vance), At intermission | always looked forward to one of those treasure boxes of Purdy’s choco- lates, And when it was all over, there was that long drive back to the ’burbs. We still enjoy a theatre performance, Not in Vancouver, but here, in Terrace. We went to most of the Concert Society presentations last year. And we’re looking for- ward again to this season of performances. We do the same here as we used to do in Vancouver, except that we don’t arrive all stressed out from the drive and frustrated with the parking spot, or lack of one. And it doesn’t cost us a minor fortune. We still like to have dinner out first. And we still have a choice: What’ll it be — an old favourite? Mexican? Greek? something dif- ferent? Where do we park? Usually right out front. And now we leave the restaurant about ien minutes or so before the performance is to begin. Because we know we’ll be able to find parking close by. In Terrace I think we have our priorities right. When we're at our R.E.M. Lee Theatre it’s not who we are or think we are, or even who we wish we were. None of that matters, The family limo in the parking lot can be a pick-up with a cracked windshield, and that doesn’t matter either. When we take our seats (there are no bad seats), immediately our necks start swiveling, our heads turning, eyes scanning —- oh, look who’s here tonight, and there’s... Inlermission, from a big cily perspective, is incredible, The audience is not a congregation of strangers, each one going his separate way to the bar, no one speaking to others not in their group. Instead, friendship is exchanged with coffee cups In hand, Small clusters form and disperse and form again, had waves and smiles pass from down in row D to someone up in row R, an ac- quainlance crouched in the aisle converses with another, scated. A steady hum of chalter fills the theatre. Lights dim, the performance resumes. In Ter- race we clap not out of politencss, as seems to be done in the City. We tend to clap even when il’s not expected, or considered appropriate. When we applaud it is with genuine enthusiasm and appreciation. The theatre presentation ends, but the eve- ning may not be aver. Instead of the long drive home, it may be a stop for coffee with some friends we found sitting twa rows behird us, And five minutes later we're kicking off our shoes at home. At the close of a relaxing and entertaining evening, do I miss the big City. experience? No. Not a bit, But I must admit, I do miss that little box of chocolates during intermission — ent hike derails club MODEL RAILROADERS here are looking for a4 new place to. hang their engineer’s hats. The Skeena Valley Model Railroad Association is plan- ning to vacate their current home in the basement of an Agar Ave. church, where. they’ve been for six years. Their new landlords — the Terrace United Pentecostal Church — have decided to double their rent. Church officials say the cur rent rent of $150 per month doesn’t come close to cover- ing the basement’s portion of the property taxes and utilities, It will be a major operation to dismantle the large track layout, says Steve Northridge. Complex electrical circuits to run the trains, and detailed scenery will have to somehow be chopped apart, moved and reassembled. “This was not designed or built to be moved,” Northridge said. “It’s going to be a major job. But I think we can do it.”’ The HO-scale layout features about 300 feet of mainline track and more than 300 feet more of sidings and yards. It amounts to a total of near- ly five scale miles of terrain. Featured are symbolic repre- sentations of railyards in Prince Rupert, Smithers, Ter- race, Kitimat, Pacific and Camaby. There ‘are six bridges and five tunnels. Details are minute, right down to the bamnacles on the wharf pilings at Kitimat. *T haven't even thought about how much actual money is involved here,”’ said Northridge. Northridge says they need a VOLUNTEER WORK New ch MITCHULL PLESHKA was the first to enjoy the fruits of his labour. He voluntecred his time to do the mudding and taping of drywall in the new Evangelical Free Church on Park, His wedding this spring in the church’s sanctuary was the first official use of the facility. Last Friday the efforts of Pleska and countless other voluntcers were recognized through an cve- ning service at the church. An of- ficial dedication took placer Oct. 16. These two events represent the conclusion of three years of effort resulting in a 400-scat sanctuary, a mulli-purpose room, nurscry, classrooms and offices amounting to just under 12,000 square feet. “There were thousands of hours of volunteer labour put in,’ said church building committee chairman Lavern Hislop. Those volunteers some skilled in trades and others who - were not — pitched in after hired subcontractors completed their tasks. It’s the third steucture for the Evangelical Free Church on one side or another of the Park Ave. and Sparks St. intersection. The church was established here in 1954 and moved into its second facility in 1959. That building is now being rented to the Terrace and District Community Services Society for. the time belng. | The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 2, 1994 - B4 SECTION B _ JEFF NAGEL 35° 7283 MODEL RAILROADER Steve Northridge is among the members of the Skeena Valley Model Rail- toad Association that meet weekly to tinker with their elaborate track layout set up In the basement of a church on Agar Ave. They've got about 600 feet of track laid. Towns, bridges, tunnels, and mountains dot the landscape. The model railroaders are looking for a new and inexpensive place to house the track fayout. new space at least as big as the room they now occupy. So far they haven’t found a urch officially blessed “We leamed lots of patience and that you can’t get along with everybody all of the time,’’ His- lop noted of the building com- mittee. “Yet we worked very well to- gether, We certainly had enough - respect for each other to listen to © everybody’s point and we. sup- ported cach other,’’ she said. . The building was constructed in two phases — putting up the shell and siding and then concentrating on the work inside, ‘“‘We had two big boxes and gravel on the floor and that was only a year ago,”’ said Hislop of the sanctuary and multi-purpose room. The structure cost approximate- ly $630,000 and is appraised at at least $850,000, said Paul Manhas who is in. charge of church finances. He said subcontraclors were gencrous in of {cring discounts. Hislop aid Manhas are joincd by Bill - Webb, Wayne Muchowski, Harold Holobuski and Dick Green on the building committee, The front raised portion of the church holding the pulpit and choir area also contains a sunken baptismal tank. It’s concealed by a cover that’s renféved when needed, One innovation was to renovate an existing old hut on the proper- ty. and integrate it into the new “structure. It “is” used by the * church’s youth groups and con- tains ‘alficés. Rinaldi at 635-5736 or 635- 9054, or. Willie Schneider at’ 635-6146. new place, Anyone who can help the club out can contact Richard EVANGELICAL FREE Church bullding committee stands out: side their new structure. That's committee chairman Lavern His- lop with Harold Holobuski, Dick Green, Wayne Muchowski, Bill Webb and Paul Manhas.