The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 22, 1997 - B1

TERRACE STANDARD.

MMUNITL Y <2

comes alive

STAR LIGHT, star bright, first star ] see tonight... Have you ever wondered what the name is of that first star which appears in our skies, ihe one that so many wish upon? Debra Thame revealed the star’s name — Sirius — and a whole Jot more about our night sky to Thomhill "Elementary school students during a special planctarium

INSIDE. COMMUNITY EVENTS B2

AT THE LIBRARY.

SHEELAGH MEIKLEM

Money woes? Look to the public library

H, JANUARY! Still in the depths

of winter’s cold embrace, we must

summon the energy to face down

that equally chilly entity, the lax- man!

Fresh from Christmas excess, we scurry around like squirrels locking for nuts to store in the safety of a cozy R.R.S.P. With interest rates at such a low level people are forced to lank for alternatives to the trusty staid G,LC.

Garth Tumer’s 1997 RRSP Guide is a good place to start researching these allernatives. It is a highly readable book that promises to show the way to wealth and comfortable retirement using your RSP as the springboard.

Before you make this leap though comes the actual filing of your income tax return. There are several books available io belp with this ugly task but the best in my view is published by CCH Canadian Ltd: Preparing your Income Tax Returns. There is a new edition every year, it offers step by step guidance and includes ex- amples of all the forms,

Money can be the root of all evil or it can be a fool that you control and use to your own ad- vantage. Learning the Value of money should begin at the earliest age possible. A Penny Saved by Neale Godfrey is a manual on how to

‘teach your children the values and life skills

they will need to survive in the real world. There are chapters on financial exercises for all ages from pre-school to high school that will leave the whole family in a state of fiscal fit- ness.

Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin is a similar book in that it gives exercises in financial management but it is aimed at adulis, Rather than advising how to make more money it asks if you really need to have as much.

This book shows how to equate ex- penditure with life energy, and dis- cover whether we all can live more pur- posefully by downsizing in all areas.

We have strayed so far from the fifties and ‘sixties when there was work for everyone but

, expectations were less and life was simpler. The

seventies and cighties were dynamo decades — greed overcame us and Work became capital- ized at the expense of family and fun. In the nineties we find ourselves at a crossroads. Jobs

. are scarce, the fulure is uncertain, we are in, the

midst of plenty yet we aren't happy. Could less really be more? This book shows how to equate expenditure with fife energy, and discover whether we all can live more purposefully by downsizing in all areas.

The need to do this and the reasons why are explained clearly in a fascinating book on demographics by David Foot: Boom, Bust & Echo. The study of demographics will prepare you for economic changes and allow you ta profit from them.The aging of the baby boomers indicates an increased demand for health care in the future so any investment in pharmaceutical industries is a safe bet.

Another book on this subject written by Angus Reid is Shakedown, How the New Econ- omy is Changing Our Lives, MrReid is a pollster who has spent twenty years doing market research so he knows his subject. The good thing is that despite the grim statistics he leaves us with hope that we will survive aud

_ even flourish in the fulure.

A somewhat less positive view is expressed by Ann Finlayson in Naming Rumpel-

_ stiltskin: Who will Profit end Who will Lose in

the Workplace of the 21st Century.

Chasing Mammon by Douglas Kennedy is the first travel book written aboul the uses of money, The author spent a year travelling to dit ferent financial markets from the Casablanca bourse to London, Sydney and New York, trying to discover why people worked there and if they found any satisfaction doing so,

For mystery fans: a series all about money and greed features poker pro Tim Waverley as the quirky gambling hero of Tom Kakonis’ books -— Michigan Roll, Double Down, and Shadow Counter. ae

Remember, ‘‘Tie Gods laugh only when you ask (hem for money.’? ;

show last week.

Just because Terrace is a too small to boast its own planetarium, docsn’t mean students. here should be deprived of unique learning opportunities. That’s why the school board brought up a mini planctarium to Terrace, in_ advance of the annual science festival.

The — starlab,

rented from the

Planetarium in Vancouver, is essentially a large domed tent, held open by a blowing fan. It seats about 30 people. Students crawl through a small access tunnel, sit around -

the perimetre of the tent, and then, just like in the real .,

thing, cast their eyes upwards to the sky.

At first students are shown the night sky. The phascs of the moon are demonstrated, and then some of the brighter stars and planets, and constellations are identified,

Next the sky is stripped of everything except the stars“ and planets which make up some of the major constclia- tions. Lines are drawn between them, so students can sec |

the rough shapes.

Then, 10 make the stars come alive, images of the con- stellations are drawn on the sky, The joined shape of the Gemini twins is revealed, along with the proud form of Leo the Lion, the twists and tums of the Great Serpent, and

the bright belt of Orion.

Elementary and primary school students will all have a chance to see the unique show before the science festival begins. And duzing the festival, on Sat., Feb. 1, the rest of the town will have a chance to catch a show, and find favourite constellations. Shows will be running from 10 © a.m, to 2:30 p.m, at Caledonia Senior Secondary. ,

H.R. MacMillan *

=

LOOK WAY UP — Elementary school students around Terrace have the chance

a

to see a mini-planetarium show, as part of activities leading up the annual science festival Grade seven students Lyndsey Stewart, Charity Miller and Melissa Miller discovered how to locate a number of constellations.

Bound for Costa Rica

WHEN AISHA MANII ap- plied to take part in a youth project in Costa Rica, she didn’t realize. some of her

most difficult challenges would come before she left the country.

This fall Manji was ac- cepted inlo Youlh Challenge International. It's non-profit, and puts together teams of volunteers aged 18-25. They work with local voluntecrs to improve schools, health clinics and water supplies, and do environmental re- search.

Manji thought her biggest challenge would come in Costa Rica, which she'll travel to carly this summer, but now she’s hoping the worst is already behind her.

Before Manji was ac- cepted into the program she had to go through a rigorous selection process in late No- vember in Vancouver. She and 34 other candidates were put through a mock-up of what they might experi- ence abroad.

When the group arrived on a Friday night they went through a make-believe customs, then had their watches taken away, were given sleeping bags and were blindfolded and led up a trail.

They hiked to an outdoors camp, where they had to pitch a tarp which would serve as a tent for the group.

“Pitching the tarp was a disaster,’”? Manji admits.

Before morning they were woken up, and given just five minutes to break camp. Breakfast was an unusual combination —- rice, beats and coconuts.

In the morning they did cooperation games, and then the group — which was comprised of five guys and 30 girls — was told lo go on a hike partway up a mountain so they could radio a message out,

“Tt was really icy, steep, dark and cold,’’ remembers Manji. The leaders in charge of the selection weekend turned out to be fast hikers, and the group became quickly spread out — which was a problem when (hey came to a fork iti the trail.

Then leaders told Manji’s small group that two people were missing,

"We had io do a mock

"search al night,’? she said.

But at the time no otie was

AISHA MANUI Is trying to raise over $3,500 by May to take part in a volunteer program in Casta Rica, She's hoping to do that through bottle drives, car washes and through donations.

sure whether people were missing for real or not.

She and her companions found the fake injured duo, but they weren’t in walking condition, so they had to make sirctchers.

Unfortunately, they weren't lightweight men.

Then we had to make the trail safe for stretchers,”’ she said. ‘It was crazy. We hiked for hours. It was agony. They wouldn’t tell us where we were going,”

But the experience was a bonding process. ,

You really had to pull together.”

The group was supposed to sleep outside again that night, but Manji said: ibe leaders realized ihe youths

‘were starting to “lose it’? ~

Later. Manji ‘learned they

hadn’! gone to slecp until 3:30 a.m, on Saturday morn- ing; were up at 6:30 a.m. and in bed al 2:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

“If ivs like that [ don’t know if 1 want to do il,” joked Manji. But organizers obviously saw something in her because she was selected.

Manji and 45 other youths from across Canada will be going to Costa Rica this May for ten weeks.

Between. now and then Manji has to raise $3,750. She hepes to do thal through botile drives, appeals to ser- vice clubs and donations.

IF you'd like to heip, give her a call at 635-9472.

When Manji returtis home she'll be talking about her trip in ocal schools,

Around Town

Family seeks housing

A TERRACE woman is looking for a place to live for her family after a car accident near Armstrong B.C. claimed her husband’s life. ©

Brenda Keeler is returning to Terrace with her three children after the tragic accident last weck. The family is looking for a house to rent and interim accommoda- tion. If anyone can help, please call Victoria Dodd at 638-1445,

Tax help offered

DO YOU NEED help with your personal income tax return, but can’t afford to pay for assistance?

Revenue Canada is offering two free four hour work- shops {o seniors or people with disabilities. One is at the college, while the other takes place at the Happy Gang Centre. Both workshops take place on Wednes- day, Feb. 7 from 12-4 p.m, or 6-10 p.m. Register by calling 638-5452.

Getting in the spirit THE COMMITTEE organizing the Norther Winter Games this February in Terrace wants to see local businesses get involved. They’re hoping stores will show aff the spirit of the 1997 games through window decorations and in-store displays.

The games will attract about 2500 athletes from 36 sports, February 7-9.

To encourage business participation, the chamber of commerce is donating an annual membership to the best display in the city. A runner-up will receive games clothing.

Displays can be as simple as a welcome sign, or as intricate as your imagination and budget will allow. Store owners can also highlight a particular sport such as archery, snowboarding, ladics hockey, luge, speedskating or Special Olympics snowshocing, For a complete list of sports, phone 638-1997,

Call for artwork

THE FIRST Nations Education Centre is asking for portfulios from artists interested in designing illusira- lions for North Coast stories, legends and curriculum.

The artwork will be published in books, posters and resources far use in schools.

Interested artists are invited to deliver a partfalia by Jan. 31 to Barbara Toye- Welsh at the First Nations Ed- ucation Centre in Clarence Michiel Elementary.

Hallock Avenue named

A NEW road on the bench will be named after long- serving city councillor Ruth Hallock.

City council last week voted to name the new road- way Hallock Avenue. It will eventually connect Gor- don Drive and Bailey St as part of Phase IIT of the Westridge subdivision.

Hallock consistently topped the polls over many terms in office, and was well-known as a former Skeena Broadcasters newsreader and former edilor of the old Terrace Herald.

Festival proclaimed

CITY COUNCIL proclaimed April 7-19th ‘Music Festival 1997°’ in the City of Terrace.

Pacific Northwest Music Festival organizers said prepatations are underway for the annual event.