The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 15, 1998 - BI

TERRACE. STANDARI

INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2

KATHY FLORITTO

Might as well have a nap

WOULDN'T HAVE believed it... Rodney, the cat that conquered the western World has turned in his fur coat for feathers.

He whose slightest twitch of a whisker put dogs, kids and postics on the run has forsaken his growl for a switch of the tail and dead si- lence,

His Explorer's badge, his Kill counter, even the piercing glare he worked so hard to perfect ~— he’s retired them all.

For 21 years, outside was better than inside — pouncing on a live breakfast beat off the shelf offerings hands down. Where once he slept all day and rendered entire rodent populations ex- tinct at night, he now sleeps all day and all night, only rousing himself when he hears hu- man feet heading in the general direction of the kitchen.

Is it his venerable age? Was our move into a new home one move loo many?

Has being locked up in the house all day with only the radio for company extinguished his marauder’s spirit? Is this wimp I see before me the result of something we've done?

Rodney was never what Id call a ‘‘pet”’ {despot comes to mind here), but pet owners will understand our concern over this sudden and radical change in cat character,

Certainly, there have been a few enforced changes in his lifestyle since the move. With éur daughter, prandson and dog no Jonger under his roof, (actually, they kept his old reof) his two favourite indoor sports are denied him — terrorizing Checkers and planning, with slit- eyed anticipation, young Jonah’s first “encounter with cat.”’

Even plotting the demise of the next construc- tion worker who dares tread on what used to be an open field and his personal smorgasbord is denicd him, since he can’t sce the field from his new digs. But are these enough to tum our furry streak of lightning into a wuss??

I don’t think so. In fact, I think I’ve found the answer, It’s the radio.

Although he suspected, from time to time, that we humans weren’t nearly as bright as barn cats, it surprised him to learn that our government agrees with hirn.

To be precise, it’s the radio station, to whit, the CBC. Where before, life was a blend of mouse squeaks, puppy yelps and the rustling of wind through tall grass, with a little Seinfeld and alternalive music courtesy of our daughter, now his days are filled with news and dissection of the news.

Canadian politics, interviews with Canadian politicians, interviews with interviewers of Ca- nadian politicians....il’s too much for even the stalwart Rodney to handle.

Alan Rock who, as justice minister, used false figures (inflated by over 700%) to convince a majority of Canadians that more gun control laws were necessary, is now the mouthpicce for provincial and federal wooden beads wha sepa- rate the victims of the nation’s tainted blood inlo two groups — those who will receive help and those who will not.

Although he suspected, from time to time, that "we humans weren’t nearly as bright as bam cats, it surprised him to learn that our govern- . Ment agrees with him.

Hearing that studies by-the World Health Or- ganization and the US Environmental Protection Agency show that ETS (second-hand smoke) is not a risk factor for lung cancer, but that agen- cies such as the WCE will continue to describe ETS as a ‘‘known carcinogen” in order to en- force their preferred position, is enough to upset any reasonably intelligent cat.

How depressing to learn that the folks who |

control his indoor food supply govem them- selves on fiction rather than fact.

With us wondering aloud about a government that claims to have eradicated the national deficit and reduced the nalional debt — by bor- rowing $4 billion, and this from a fund paid for by Canadian cmployces and employers as a cushion for the unemployed, what seif- respecting cat would not decide to sleep out his remaining years?

60’s rock! Thal’s if — maybe a few days of Three Dog Night and Credence will get him on his fect, C’mon Rodney, let’s dance...

Co MMUN [TY

Art reflecting inner life

A DAINTY LIMB connects the flowers of a Hawthorne tree. If Harold Feddersen could arrange it, you’d be listening to classical guitar music when you first see this fragile carved egg.

Feddersen has carved his soul into the two rhea eggs on display at the Falls Gal- lery, just as he puts himself into his music.

‘When someone’s play- ing for you, you're not listening to the guitar, you’re Listening to the per- son,’’ Feddersen explains.

It's the same with art,

These are among the first eggs 23-year-old Feddersen has carved, and are also the most public display of his artwork.

Prior to this Feddersen has done painting and drawing, and some wood carving, but recently became fascinated with eggs when he ordered a new carving tool.

The new tool came with a video which showed how to carve large eggs, and Fed- dersen knew that’s what he wanted to do.

“The balance is be- tween structure and Jreedom. Our society is searching for that.’’

‘Eggs in themselves are extremely symbolic for hu- mans,’ he says.

He likes the idea of an egg ‘ — extremely strong, but also fragile. And when carved, lhey’re even more frail.

“‘That’s really good be- cause when something is fragile you take care of it.’’ It’s an important lesson, he says.

Feddersen practiced on a few goose eggs before he tried carving a rhea egg. The two at the gallery are his

second and third attempts. The first one broke — his cat knocked it over.

Considering that the carved eggs are selling for $400 and $600, you'd ex- pect Feddersen would have been furious at the cat.

But he's stoic about the breakage. ‘‘It doesn’t bother me, it’s just a thing.’’

The egg pictured to the right, with the hawthorn flowers, is one of those that survived,

Feddersen chose this de- sign because he wanted to balance the structured omamentation on the base with the freedom of the branch and flower,

*The balance is between structure and freedom. Our socicty is searching for that.’

The other egg Feddersen carved shows four circles with flower bulbs inside,

“The bulb draws all ener- gy in and goes to sleep. It doesn’t ask for anything,’’ he says. And what results when they bloom is beauty.

“If people just allowed themselves to be who they are, like flowers, their beau- ty will show through as well.”

Feddersen apted to put these eggs on display be- cause he felt he should share them.

‘‘When sameone has ca-

pabilities to do something’

that makes other people feel

peaceful or good, you should share that with them.’

And he feels he’s com- pleted them to the best of his ability,

While he says the art is a reflection of him, he can’t answer what is being reflected in the eggs.

He refused to have his pic- ture taken for this story, saying if people wanted to learn about him, they could

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

FLOWERS SET IN MOTION — This is one of two carved rhea eggs on display at the Falls Gallery. Artist Harold Feddersen says the eggs are a reflection of some-

thing within him.

:do that through the egg.

“The more you sit with something the more you'll

~pick up subtler things and

Winners named

OUR VOLUNTEER of the Year contest wraps up this week with four more nominations, bringing the total to 13,

Winners of the contest, - sponsored by the Yerrace Standard and Overwatitea, will be announced in next week’s paper,

There will be one grand winner, two runner-ups and a special services winner.

Fire chief Randy Smith nominated Bil] Braam for’ his dedicated volunteer work over the past 13 years.

Readers might remember Braam, who was nominated back in 1996.

Smith described Braam as one of those invaluable volunteers quietly working | out of the spotlight.

In the past year Braam has responded to 122 emer- gency calls at the fire sta- lion. Those ranged from house fires to highway acci- denis. In addition that, he at- tended over 35 training ses- sions.

‘“‘He’s the kind of guy who’s always on the board as an initial responder,” said Smith,

But that’s not all. Braam is also the president of Terrace

Bill Braam

Search and Rescue. He’s been a member for 18 years, rescuing lost hikers and mushroom pickers.

“T just wanted to serve the community,’’ said Braam. _**Be there to help people in need of help.”

Sometimes Braam finds himself volunteering to save unusual objects, like a bunch of balloons stuck on a mountain in 1995, It was

‘just after Canada Day, and

someone saw the balloons and thought they could be a downed paraglider.

But usualiy Braam is help- ing people who really need him. What makes it all worth it for him is ‘‘seeing relief on the faces of people who’ve been helped. "

Pam Straker is also a for-

“mer nominee who was a

runner-up in the 1995 con- test, She was nominated by Alisa Thompson and Dina von Hahn.

Straker has achieved near- ly legendary status in Ter- race among nursing moms. She's been volunteering as a cerlified lactation consultant for the last 18 years at Mills Memorial Hospital.

“Besides volunteering at. the hospital for several hours every day, Pam often gets called at home and has to retum to the hospital at

Be odd hours,’’ wrote Thomp-

son and von Hahn,

Straker first became in- volved with breastfeeding. issues after her daughter was born in 1979, and no one could answer the ques- tions she had about breas- feeding.

Although breastfeeding is a natural act, it doesn’t al- ways come to new moms

Pam Straker naturally, “Helping breastfeed bencfits all of us, not just mothers and babies.

women to

Breastfeeding mcans healthier babies and healthier children. This

means parents take less time off work to care for sick children, our Medicare dol- lars go further and our com- munity is a healthier one,’’ they wrote. ‘It is a privilege for a community of this size to have a resource such as Pam Straker."’ Another nomince weck is Bob Oliver, Joset Graham put his name for- ward for the work he does with Nights Alive and the Terrace Youth Centre De- velopment Committee. Oliver is one of the key

people behind the drive to’

create a youth centre. That's ied him to both help create and take part in many ac- tivities for youth,

Graham says Oliver has been valuable as a volunteer coordinator, organizing ptople to take part in week- ly activities.

Oliver became involved with youth through his work with the Downtown Lions. His wife Del says he was In- volved with the Lions for

tell more about the aztist.”’

aes

something more. He de- In the end Feddersen says scribes it as

something

carving the eggs was part of greater than the sclf -— the a process of searching for -divine.

vw

next week

four years, and was presi- dent for two.

She was the one who got him volunteering with the Lions, roping him into

' doing many BBQs. Lions projects such as the, tcen Halloween dance in-,

creased Oliver’s interest in youth activilies, and

eventually led to his work- ing for a youth centre, Oliver and his wife have _ also been involved with Big ‘ Brothers and Sisters, and are now foster parents.

_- BOB OLIVER in a this *

costume he wore to a Halloween teen dance.

Our final nominee is Mary Amie Dilley, put forward by Jean Thomson.

Dilley is a life long volunteer, although she be- came more aclive on her retirement from nursing 10 years ago.

At her retirement party Gert Grundmann stood up and announced thal now Dilley had retired,her ser- vices were demanded at the Happy Gang Centre.

Dilley organized a choir, and takes part in cooking and working at the many diners, But she doesn’t give many details of her Volunteer wotk, —cmbar-

rassed al being dragged into the spotlight.

“Being a very modest per- son, she tends to downplay her role as a volunteer,’’ wrote Thomson. ‘‘But we who have observed her work over the years think differently."’

Her work with the Happy Gang has also led her to be a member of the Senior's Advisory Committee,

And just this past month. she was a volunteer with the niusic-feslival,

Dilley has also been a volunteer with the St. Mat- thews church for decades. She slarted by helping at dinners and at youth sum- mer camps, but has scaled back her commitment these days,

*] enjoy being with people,’” she says. ‘“That’s my main reason for volunteering.’’

Everyone who's been nominated for Volunteer of the Year is invited to the Volunteer Bureau’s annual luncheon this Friday. And the grand winner Volunteer of the Year — will be ircated to dinner for two al the Bavarian Inn restaurant.

Mary Anne Dilley