The Terrace Standard, Monday, December 23, 1996 - C1

UNITY

INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2

SECTION B CRIS LEYKAUF 638-7283

AT THE LIBRARY: SHEELAGH MEIKLEM

A good read for the holidays

ET WINTER winds blow as they will, I will never know because | am curled up in front of a fire with a good mystery!

All year [ have been planning to list the ‘‘Top Ten Murders That ] Have Read in 1996,”’ but now that the time has come, the task scems monumental. What criteria to use ?

My personal preferences are not reliable as they depend on my mood at the time. Finally ] decided that the books on my list must be ex- press -trains, picking me up and carrying me along willy-nilly to the final destination without pausing for breath or thought —- the ultimate great escape,

Dick Francis is the master in this category bul his new book To the Hilt is not on the List simp- ly because it is an obvious winner. He never disappoints.

In the Presence of the Enemy by Elizabeth George was a stand out. A fatter book than most mysteries yet still ending too soon for me, this is a story of a kidnapping that opens up many cans of worms in high-powered British households and leaves devastation in its wake.

The Girl Who Remembered Snow by Charles Mathes introduces Emma Passant, an orphaned magician who travels 1o San Marcos to discover

_. the truth behind ber grandfather’s death and the meaning behind the theft of a model boat. It’s an exotic locale that leads her to a shocking secret concerning her own origins.

Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich is the second entry in a series starring Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter in New Jersey with plenty of attitude and lots of lethal weapons, some of them encased in Spandex!

Footsteps of the Hawk by Andrew Vachss is a gritty novel about Burke’s lalest adventure in the grimy underbelly of New York. He de- scribes himself as a ‘‘bottom feeder’’ yet al- ways dispenses his own version of justice against worse predators than himself.

Darkness, Take my Hand by Dennis Lehane may be the best of the year. It is a complex tale of betrayal and revenge in Boston’s Irish community, involving cops and criminals whose lives and long-buried secrets have become inter- twined with lethal results,

Dance for the Dead by Thomas Perry is ihe _ return of Jane Whitefield, a native American

who specializes in helping people disappear and begin new lives with safe identities. In this case she has two clients, an eight year old kidnap victim, and a fess-than-innocent woman, both in deadly danger.

Lily White By Susan Isaacs is an engrossing novel about a lawyer who is representing a con man who seduces loncly women and may have murdered one of them. In the course of dis- covering the truth about her client, she also dis- covers some truths about her own life choices.

Darkness, Take my Hand by Dennis Lehane may be the best of the year. It is a complex tale of betrayal and revenge in Baston’s Irish com- munity, involving cops and criminals whose lives and long-buried secrets have become inter- twined with lethal results.

The Litte Yellow Dog is Walter Mosley’s latest Easy Rawlins mystery. This writer is the poet of mystery novelists, his prase is so full of image and metaphor. In this book, Easy jeopar- dizes his hard won serenily and his job as a janilor when he falls in lust with a teacher who is promptly murdered,

This Far, No Further is a first novel by John Wessel. His hero is fresh out of prison after serving his sentence for murder, trying to resume a career as an investigalor. His new case invoives him in the life of an extremely kinky plastic surgeon and his victims.

The tntruder is a gripping edge of the seal book by Peter Blauncr. A man’s attempt to dis- suade a street person from stalking bis wife leads him deeper and deeper into a river of trouble that almost destroys his entire family.

Soinething to look forward to in 1997: a hardback debut for. Martha Lawrence with The Cold Heart of Capricora, featuring parap- sychologist P.f. Elizabeth Chase in her second CASE,

All this murder and mayhem can be found on the shelves at the library,.if I remember to return them!

By CRIS LEYKAUF WHEN SHE was 19-years- old Janct Louie climbed into a car with a drinking driver. She had nearly finished high school in her remote home town of Iskut, south of Dease Lake, and had plans to become a nurse.

When the driver lost con- trol of the car, Janet was in the back seat sleeping. She became a quadriplegic that night and spent the next 11 months in the hospital. Now, more than 30 years later, the accident is still responsible for even more health complications.

A simple flu, which most people can overcome in a week or two, has kept her bedridden for seven months. She was recovering, when the day of our interview she had a relapse, and was too weak to talk for more than a few minutes,

Lying on bed in her darkened room, her legs look impossibly small under the blankets, She can move one arm just enough to grab a straw of her drink, and can turn her head to watch tele- vision.

“Tm still angry at him,” she says of the driver. She’s never spoken to him since. Ircnically, he’s recovered from his injuries, and is now married and living in Iskut.

Now Janet tells the teens She meets in her trips to the mall about how dangerous drinking and driving is. ‘Do you want to end up like me?”’ she asks the kids.

Despite what she’s had ta overcome, Janet is amazing- ly upbeat, and her longtime friend, Peter Letendre, says she’s an inspiration to him,

When they met 11 years ago in Vancouver, Letendre was her caretaker, but soon became her friend. They moved to Terrace in 1992, and share an apartment set up to accommodate wheel- chair users,

‘We're companions, but i’s like a marriage,’’ says Letendre,

Janet is very dependent on Letendre for basic life func- tions.

For example, she can feed herself, but she can’t cut anything up. She can’l Scratch her nose, get a drink

PETER LETENDRE has spent the last 11 years looking after his quadriplegic friend, Janet Louie. She was

badly inured when she was 19, the victim of a drinking driver. She's spent the last seven months bedridden from a flu, and wasn't well enough to be in this photo.

of water on her own, and when she’s sick she can’t even cough on her own.

“The simplest thing is something big lo us,” says Letendre.

One of the hardest issucs Janet has to deal with is that she can’t have children.

“Tt really bothers her,” says Letendre,

But there's joy in their lives too. They both like to go out dancing.

“T sit on her knee when |

waltz with her. People scem -

to understand and make reom for us,”’ he says.

The people — of . Terrace have been wonderful, says

Leltendre, particularly mer

‘who hang out in the mall. “The young people seem to: watch “oul for her,” he

says. “Even the street kids.

heip her out.” And the little

“The simplest thing is something big to us.’

chants in the downtown area who belp her shop: When she’s feeling good

Janet: will catch the Hand-.

iDART into town, go shop- ping and talk to the teens

A reason to celebrate

LAST DECEMBER a local family, the Rossiters, was trying to cape with the serious injuries their son Blake received from a car accident. The family was faced with sudden expenses associated travel and medi- cal costs, and many Terrace residents joined together to host a very — successful fundraising event. Now, 4 year later the Rossiter fam- ily sends greetings from Vancouver.

Christmas is a busy and wonderful time or the year. A time when we reflect on family, values and hope for the future.

A year ago Blake was just emerging fram a coma of six weeks. It was the result of a traumatic brain injury received in a motor vehicle accident on November 4, 1995. He was gravely ill but slill has a welcome smile for his family and friends.

Suddenly we were rejoic- ing, and Christmas turned from a potential sorrowful lime to a time of hope, Bul we hadn't prepared and we were in a panic to make Christmas a celebration.

The next days were spent decorating Blake’s hospital room, wrapping presents and making phone calls to spread our great news, We truly had a miracle as Blake was given a five percent chance of survival and now had awakened.

Blake Rossiter

Over the last year Blake has struggled through many hours of physiotherapy and achieved many daily func- tions we lake for granted,

In his motorized chair he ventures out into the com- munity, does - volunteer work, participates in the running of the house he lives in, and plays be guitar.

Blake’s foremost goals are «

to improve his guitar skills and: td walk again. Despite the —origitial prognosis,

Blake has accomplished whal we were told he would not. With his determination and perseverance he = con- tinues to surprise us all,

We have much to hope for

and to’ celebrate. this. year.

but we'll miss the aclivilies

_ going. on back home in Ter- “race.” Thank -you for’ your

contlied support: |

Happy New-Yearl

-Mike, Lari, Wendy and

Blake Rossiter

Merry Christntas and

kids will chase afler her in the mall; asking her for rides on her chair. ©

Janet loves talking to the kids, and she enjoys helping others, he says. °

For example, both he and Janet volunteer with the B.C. Paraplegic Society, and they worked to get better

‘ramps from sidewalks to the

streets,

It was a project Janet started working on when she realized she needed heip to gel around a lot of areas.

“She docsn’t give up. That’s what she’s taught me. She has an inner strength, and she’s given

(hat to me,” says Letendre. “She's an. amazing woman’?

America,

since,

Audubon Society.

seet)—- 1521

little harder to come by,

al 635-6984,

Bird count to be delayed

THE TRADITIONAL Boxing Day bird count has been moved to Dec. 29 this year. That’s the day when bird enthusiasts will be out counting birds, noting specics and adding them to the official totals across North

The tradition of counting birds during Christmas holi- days was slarted al (be turn of the century.

In olden days a-Christmas Day tradition was for men going out to shool as many birds as possible. Women, on the other hand, chose to go oul to look, and eventually count; birds instead.

Al the turn of the century the first official bird count was organized, and it’s been growing in popularity ever

Taday the Christinas bird count is an annual tradition in towns and cities throughout North America, All data is officially recorded. and published yearly by the

In BC, about 20 communities participate in official bird counts during the ‘last few weeks of December. Victoria holds the. Canadian record for the most species

In Terrace, the average number of specics spotted during the count is about 40, and has been as high as 56 says organizer Diane Weismiller.

She’s hoping the weather will cooperate this year, and nore people will be out counting.

Last year only 12 brave souls ventured out in ex- tremely windy weather, freezing rain and snow.

1 will cost you $5 to join in the official count put on by the Audubon Society, and your numbers will be in- cluded in their publication. However, if you want to just'slay home and count the birds at your feeder for an houror two, there’s ne charge Cor that.

This: year’s deeper. show accumulation means that it will be harder for counters to get to those out of the way spots. says Weismiller. But there could be an in- crease in birds at the feeders because food could be a

“Hyou'd like to take Patt in the bird count, call Diane