12, Terrace Review — Wednesday, January 28, 1987

TERRACE — Wheelchair athlete, Paul Clark of Ter- race was honored for his athletic achievements at home and abroad, during ceremonies last week.

by Daniele Berquist

The ceremonies were held at the Skeena Mall on Thursday, Jan. 22. The event included the receiv- ing of the letters patent from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, declar- ing Terrace a city. It was also celebration for the kick off for the Diamond Jubilee Year.

Clark is considered one of Canada’s finest wheelchair athletes. He has held world records in -the 400M, 1500M, 3000M, .§000M, 10,000M and marathons (26.2 miles). Clark was disabled at the age of 15 in a motorcycle accident.

The tragedy didn’t leave Clark at a standstill. He is actively involved in marathoning, basketball, racquetball, and the organizing of wheelchair sports in Terrace.

Since 1978, Clark has been awarded the 1984 and 1985 Canadian Wheelchair Sports-B.C.

Bound for glory Wheeichair athlete Paul Clark, was honored for his sports

achievements during the Diamond Jubilee celebrated Thurs-

day, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Skeena Mall. During the course of events, Terrace was officially declared a city.

Hundreds of pieces

of cake given out _

A large crowd turned out to celebrate Terrace's 60th birthday on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in ihe Skeena Mali. First Princess Lisa McLeod atong with Miss Terrace, Laura Tupper; and Miss Skeana Mali, Lisa McNeice served hundreds of pieces of cake that evening.

Members of the Terrace Little Theatre provided an entertaining view of “Those happy school days” during Terrace’s recent 60th birthday celebrations at the Skeena malt. The humorous

production was staged in honor of long-time focal resident and school teacher Vesta Douglas, @ City as part of the evening's events. :

~ who was given Freedom of th

Division Athlete of the Year, most outstanding Athlete at the 1983 B.C. Disabled Games, and top wheelchair athlete at the 1981 Ontario Disabled Games.’

In 1982, Clark, was one of Canada’s Young. Achievers sent to.Ottawa to be with the Queen when she brought home the Constitution. Clark was tated as a ‘B’ Card Cana-. dian Athlete for 1983, and an ‘A’ Card for 1984, ‘85 and ‘86. Clark's hard

work and dedication to wheelchair. racing rank him as ‘a world caliber athlete, ~

Clark commented on all the races in the previous years, ‘‘I consider my 1500 meter race in Sweden

in ‘86 as the best. I broke

the four minute -metric mile barrier,’’ said Clark. As an after thought, he added, ‘‘the four minute

mark is perhaps more of a»

mental barrier than

anything else.”’

In Clark’s class, only

cone other racer has broken

four minutes, but not ina sanctioned competition. Considering: all disabled racers together, there have only. been about 12° who have broken four minutes.

‘Clark added that in ‘86, to do a marathon in 1:51:24 was a thrill. “Although I came second to Andre Viger of Quebec,

‘I was only 114 minutes

behind him.” Viger is by far considered the : best

-.. marathoner in the world.

Home is where

the heart is

TERRACE — On Thurs- day, Jan. 22, Vesta Douglas was one of two individuals honored dur- ing ceremonies declaring Terrace a ‘‘City’’.

by Daniele Berquist

Douglas, a long time Terrace resident, was bestowed ‘‘The Freedom of the City”’.

This honored citizen was born in Glenboro, Manitoba. ‘“We are loyal to -our friends on the prairies, but my husband Doug and I have adopted B.C. as our home,”’ stated Douglas:

She has travelled to China, Russia, South Africa and South America to name a few. From her trips Douglas concludes, ‘‘To know how sweet your home may be, do go away but keep the key.”

. Douglas added, ‘‘It ever

remains a source of pride that I was fortunate in be- ing born in the western hemisphere, part of the British Commonwealth, and to that end our an- them O Canada, is ex- tremely meaningful.”’

Douglas was a school teacher but is now retired

after teaching for 40 years

at the primary, elemen- tary, high school and prin- cipal levels. —

Her hobbies include spending time with children, teenagers and her husband.

Douglas feels that to- day’s youth should receive

Lisa

Miss Skeena Mall, McNeice was one of several invited guests during the Dia- mond Jubliee celebrations.

Vesta Douglas was bestowed the freedom of the city during the Diamond Jubilee which was held at the Skeena mali in Terrace.

_ more praise. As for educa-

tion, she is keen about all disciplines. Douglas has high regard for programs offered at Northwest

Community College in.

Terrace. Douglas has been a member of various

Terrace given city status on its.

60th > birthday

organizations; the Terrace Curling Club, an executive member of the Terrace Arena Association and a member of the scholarship committee for years. Douglas also served as chairman of- a_ school board, director of the Child Development Cen- tre, actively involved in the Miss Terrace pageants, the Northwest Music Festival, the Terrace Little Theatre, choral and Red Cross work. For years Douglas has assisted the 4-H Club, along ~ with Scouts and Guides and the Terrace Fall Fair. Douglas has received the Terrace Jaycee Award, Citizen of the Year in 1971 for outstanding services to

‘the community, 2 B.C.

Citizenship medal as well as a Canadian Citizenship medal, Northern Winter Games Feb. ‘83 award and an In Appreciation award for both last year’s B.C. Winter Games held in Ter- race and the Skeena Valley Fall Fair.

In conclusion, Douglas stated her motto: I believe in today and tomorrow. Though the lady has travelled around the world and once again visiting the continents separately, her loyalty and love remains in Terrace. ‘“We are just like homing pigeons in so far as this Skeena Valley is concerned.’’ Home is where the heart is, for Vesta and her husband Doug. .

Congratulations to Terrace on its 60th anniversary from Skeena MP Jim Fulton were conveyed by Fulton's constit- uency secretary Norma Ran- dle at the recent anniversary celebration.