January 2011 Thompson Edition - North of 50

North of 50

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LOCAL LATITUDE, GLOBAL ATTITUDE January 2011 Vol. 4, Issue 1

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Free Publication

Publications Mail Agreement 41188516, ISSN # 1710-4750

Thompson / Nicola / South Cariboo

GARRY GOTTFRIEDSON: AT HOME IN TWO WORLDS

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NORTH of 50 January 2011

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GARRY GOTTFRIEDSON: AT HOME IN TWO WORLDS

Story by Trudy Frisk. Photos courtesy of Ronsdale Press

He looks like a regular guy. Nothing about the calm, sturdy fellow wearing jeans, cowboy boots and a ball cap indicates that he is an honoured Secwepemc elder, a respected horse trainer and an internationally recognized poet.

“Poetry is the shortest form of novel writing that there is,” Garry observes. “When you’re economical with words, you choose your words carefully.”

His business card displays that economy: “Author, Educator, Rancher” it reads, summing up a man equally at home in his traditional Secwepemc culture and the world outside it.

The third youngest of thirteen children, Garry was born into a renowned British Columbia rodeo and ranching family. He grew up on the Tk’emlups Reserve adjacent to Kamloops, where he and his family were integral members of both the Secwepemc and ranching communities. “There are generations of horse people on both sides of my family. It’s like the colour of my skin; I can’t get rid of it.”

Garry’s 2006 collection of poems, Whiskey Bullets: Cowboy and Indian Heritage Poems, reflects his experience of that Western horse circle. He writes in the introduction, “I grew up in an exciting rodeo and ranching family and I am a part of and love both the cowboy and Indian cultures. … I have the best of all worlds.”

Whiskey Bullets describes how the two cultures overlap and strengthen each other.

Garry’s parents, Gus and Mildred Gottfriedson, both worked to reclaim Secwepemc traditions. Both were advocates for their people. Their influence was strong on Garry, who joined the Paul Creek Tribal Dancers as a child and toured Canada performing Secwepemc songs and dances.

In the 1970s Garry lived for a short time at the Alberta Rocky Mountains camp of Chief Small Boy, foregoing modern conveniences for a more traditional lifestyle.

Horses were always important to Garry. He was a bull rider, saddle bronc rider and jockey. “I was riding bulls when I was eleven or twelve years old, riding against men.”

And he was good at it. “You have to be extremely fit to be a rough stock rider.” He did well with cutting horses and rode as a jockey on the B circuit in Alberta.

When his mother insisted that he continue his education, horses helped out.

“That’s how I paid my way through university. It was those horses. And people say they’re dumb animals!”

Garry was one of the first band members from the Tk’emlups Reserve to earn a Master’s degree. After receiving an undergraduate degree in education from Simon Fraser University, Garry was awarded a scholarship to study creative writing at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado. There he studied under Allen Ginsberg and Marianne Faithfull, becoming friends with Ginsberg.

Garry’s first book, In Honour Of Our Grandmothers, was published in 1994, when Garry was forty. He began writing so late in life because, he says, “I was exposed to rodeo and ranching; I was never exposed to art.”

Storytellers have always played a vital part in Secwepemc society, as important as hunters or healers. “Storytellers presented a world view, handed down tribal history. Through stories, people learned how to conduct themselves, what their place was, how to act with respect,” Garry recalls.

In his writing, Garry continues that tribal tradition. His deceptively simple verse is infused with subtle allusions, irony and honest emotion. He playfully points out flaws in both Aboriginal and Euro-Canadian cultures. His recurring theme is a deep, abiding concern for the world which shelters both cultures. He urges his readers to protect nature so that “there will be abundance for both humans and the earth itself.”

Garry describes himself as a “binge writer.” He doesn’t force himself to write every day at a certain time. “If I’m going to write, it would be for someone to read. Why would I write if I have nothing to say?”

And when he does write? “Everybody stay away. Close the door and leave me alone!” He wrote Whiskey Bullets in two weeks.

Garry’s latest book, Skin Like Mine, published in 2010, has been nominated for both the Governor General’s Award and the Griffin Award. His other works include Glass Tepee and Painted Pony.

Garry has read from his work in Europe, Asia and North America. He often gives lectures and writing workshops. His writings have been included in international anthologies.

Today Garry teaches at the Chief Atahm School, a full immersion school operated by the Adams Lake Indian Band, offering Aboriginal languages, songs, dances and outdoor culture, including working with horses. The Secwepemc people’s traditional culture, he points out, is very much centred around horses. “In Secwepemc there’s a whole vocabulary around horses, different types of horses, types of bridles and saddles. We have songs and creation stories about horses.

There is a story that the spiritual connection between horses and persons came about through a little kid. There’s even a horse dance in which women form a corral and men are the horses. Men dance and prance around outside the corral while the women call and entice them to come in.”

After fifteen years away from the community pursuing higher education, Garry came home to his roots. In 1989 he returned to Paul Lake, on the Tk’emlups Indian Reserve. There he and his son Vince cleared land and Garry settled in. In addition to teaching and writing, he got back into horses, raising and training quarter horses. His ideal life, Garry says, consists of riding and writing. He’s achieved that balance.

His poems are a harmonious and powerful blend of the two cultures he understands so well.

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North of 50

a division of 0727724 BC Ltd.

Thompson/Nicola/South Cariboo

NORTH of 50 January 2011

EDITORS NOTES Sometimes, quite by accident, a theme gets tucked in between the pages of North of 50°, as it did in this, the January 2011, issue. This month, we present two stories about ‘connecting’ – connecting cultures and people. We start on page 3 with a personality profile of multi-dimensional Garry Gottfriedson - local author,

Publisher Dean Wallis dean@northof50.com

educator and rancher. Gottfriedson’s poems are the reflection of a man at home in his traditional Secwepemc

Managing Editor TJ Wallis editor@northof50.com

Like personalities, social issues are never one-dimensional, and on page 9, we’re off to the other side of the

Advertising Sales Dean Wallis dean@northof50.com Ad Design & Layout Kristi Boe krist@northof50.com Administrative Assistant Caralyn Doyle caralyn@northof50.com

culture and the world outside it.

world to bring you a story about the Children of Palestine. You are not alone if you are wondering why we chose to publish this story. A few people have asked me why a regional magazine is reporting on world events.

Simply put, what happens anywhere in the world affects everywhere in the world. Last April, North of 50° changed its tag line to Local Latitude, Global Attitude to reflect our belief that this region is part of a bigger picture. Like the song says: We are the world.

While governments and businesses form international alliances, advances in technology and communications link us all. We live in a global economy, and like it or not, isolationism isn't an option. The Thompson /Nicola/

Deadline for Ads to be submitted is the 22nd of the month for publication on or about the 1st of the month

South Cariboo is connected to the rest of the world.

Office Location: Suite 102 Armstrong Business Centre 2516 Patterson Avenue Armstrong, BC

depend on how we see them today. That's why volunteers from this area go to that area, to change the world,

Mailing Address: Box 100 Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0

One day in the not so distant future, the children of Palestine will be adults and how they see us then will one kind act at a time. Maybe, just maybe, every person’s contribution – whatever the size – can help make the world a better place.

But then again …maybe the world isn't such a bad place. after all. So says Dave Seymour of the Frontier Centre, a conservative think tank based in the prairies. His opinion piece titled, Cheer Up: the world is a wonderful place, appears on page 16. Seymour's cheery tone is in stark contrast to Don Sawyer's Fair Comment column (page 8) , which describes “an emptiness in the American heartland.” What's interesting is that though these two columns have different perspectives, you might find yourself nodding in agreement with both, proving

ADS & SUBMISSIONS Phone: (250) 546-6064 Fax: (250) 546-8914 Toll Free: 1-877-667-8450 (877)NORTH50 Website: www.northof50.com North of 50 i s a n i n d e p e n d e n t , f r e e m o n t h l y publication, locally owned, produced and distributed throughout the Thompson /Nicola/ South Cariboo/ Okanagan and Shuswap areas by 0727724 BC Ltd. Disclaimer: The publisher will not be responsible for errors or omissions. In the e v e n t o f a typographical error, the portion of the advertisement that is incorrect w i l l not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid at the applicable r a t e .

the old adage that there are two sides to every story.

I hope you enjoy these articles, and all the others in this issue. Happy reading and Happy New Year!

TJ Wallis PS

It's that time of year when we say, “Out with the old. In with the new.” At least, that’s what we’re saying here at North of 50°. Next month, we will introduce a full colour magazine to our Thompson / Nicola / South Cariboo readers. You are holding in your hands the very last tabloid version of this magazine. We'll look different in February, but the content will still be thought provoking articles like the ones you will read in this issue.

YOUR LETTERS

The opin i o n s a n d v i e w s contained in submitted articles to North Of 50 newsmagazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

The publisher retains the right t o e d i t a l l submissions, including articles and letters to the editor, for brevity and clarity. Copyright is retained on a l l m a t e r i a l , t e x t a n d g r a p h i c s in this publication.

No reproduction is allowed of any material in any form, print or electronic, for any purpose, except with the expressed permission of North of 50 P u b l i c a t i o n s (unless for private reference only).

Publications Mail Agreement No. 41188516 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses To North Of 50 Box 100 Armstrong, BC • V0E 1B0

Dear “northof50.com” I just finished reading your Vol 8, Issue 12, and as usual, I found it very interesting and educational.

However, on page 13, I came across a story called “BRONC BUSTERS AND HAY SLOOPS”, and although it was of interest, I found one sentence which did not sit quite right with me. In the middle of the article, there is a sentence which reads as follows: “Ollie Matheson, one of the only women to ride in the Williams Lake Stampede’s death defying Mountain Race;” etc.

I believe the word “women” indicates there were two or more women, yet using the word “one” seems to say she was the only women in the race. If nothing else, Ollie was a “woman” and for sure she was not a “women!

Perhaps I’m a bit too ‘pickie”, but I think you will agree - that if nothing else - the wording used, was a wee bit awkward.

Yours truly, Mike Cotton

NORTH of 50 January 2011

Thompson/Nicola/South Cariboo

I HEREBY RESOLVE

LLL vs MMA

By Lise Simpson Apparently the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions dates back all the way to the time of ancient Rome. Yes, the same civilization that gave us democracy and the western alphabet also gave us the peculiar custom of choosing December 31st as the time to vow to finally read War and Peace, or call our sister more often.

At this time of year we also hear the expression “out with the old, in with the new”.

My Mom taught me this means a hearty round of housecleaning is in order, but it seems she was mistaken. Consulting the Internet has enlightened me – apparently it is an ancient Scottish expression, and means out with the old wife, and in with the new mistress. Not one to doubt the veracity of Internet information, I am packing my bags and freezing a few casseroles, as the new mistress likely won’t be skilled in the culinary arts. I hope she speaks Teenager.

Many think making a resolution is as pointless as signing a petition for a traffic light at McLeod Road (please, will the Ministry listen to us), but for some of us making a resolution does assist with sticking firmly to a new commitment.

Resolutions can be profound (a friend has resolved to generously give back to her community) or not (my husband has resolved to not smoke a single solitary cigarette in 2011, but hold your applause - he doesn’t smoke).

For many years I have not made any New Year’s resolutions, believing them to be as fanciful and fleeting as my conviction that the Bay City Rollers will reunite and release a prolific amount of wonderful new music. But this year, for some inexplicable reason, I feel a renewed sense of optimism in the effectiveness of resolutions, and have made two.

Recently I became breathless whilst bending over to tie my shoes, and it occurred to me that perhaps I had become a tad carried away with Yuletide exuberance. Accordingly, my first resolution for 2011 is to purchase shoes that do not require laces. No, seriously, it is my mission to drop the excess weight that I have allowed to take up cosy residence in my midriff region. I am no longer able to trot out that old chestnut that I have recently had a baby, as my youngest is approximately 5 inches taller than me.

I have upgraded from a cell phone the size of Manhattan to an Apple iPhone 4. This decision was largely made in an effort to impress my teenagers, but the result was merely that I amuse them with my inability to actually use it. Another reason for the iPhone purchase was that my oldest is going to Europe in March with 34 kids from P.V.S.S., and he has an iPhone. So, we should be able to “face time” with each other (Apple speak), because of course there is nothing a seventeen year old boy would rather do when on a trip to Europe than connect with his Mother. My second New Year’s resolution, therefore, is to learn how to use my iPhone to its full marvellous capacity, so that it does not make me feel like an iDiot.

It’s easy to make fun of resolutions, but I see nothing wrong with trying to rid oneself of an annoying habit, or seeking to improve oneself, or deciding to give back to your community in some way. Certainly there’s no concrete evidence that making resolutions results in a higher success rate of these types of goals, but why not increase the odds by stacking the deck? If you have also made some personal resolutions for 2011, be they huge or humble, I wish you the best of luck in achieving them!

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Calvin White

I’M CONSIDERED A LEFT LEANING LIBERAL (LLL). I’m all for teenagers’ rights.

I especially think that parents should let their children crawl, explore, and savour the possibilities of freedom. Creativity is good. I once counselled a teenager’s parents who were troubled by his lying to stop asking him questions so he wouldn’t need to lie. But, it’s come to a point where we have truly gotten lost in our embrace of “anything goes.” We have lost our minds and we are encouraging our children to lose theirs -- literally, in this latter reference.

Arguably the fastest growing “sport” in North America is the “ultimate fighting” concept, often under the label of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). It has been a wildly expanding spectator phenomenon that has seen its participant ranks exploding. Now, our children are rushing to become those participants. MMA clubs and programs in gyms across the country are opening their doors to the young. A recent Vancouver Sun report suggests at least 15 area gyms offer such classes to children.

But, what is behind those doors? Despite any claims of building fitness, agility, endurance, or character, MMA is totally based on beating another human being into submission. This has been a spectator attraction for millennia but not an obvious draw for taking part.

Now, however, there has been a shift. The power and adrenalin associated with combat seems to be the allure. Perhaps this has something to do with the general helplessness many of us feel in regard to events transpiring around us on a daily basis. North America is rife with social and economic changes that affect us, but over which we have no control. Governments and the power elite make decisions with no consideration or input from us, the little people. Thus, we look for some way to express the anger, some way to live some power.

This is all fine for adults who are fully formed. But, our children? Who is responsible for their well-being?

Within hockey circles there is constant debate about whether body-checking should be allowed and at what age. Fighting in minor games usually earns ejection. MMA, on the other hand, unapologetically cultivates the physical violence, and, forgive the pun, ultimately it promotes the inflicting of pain. Adults often resist honest self-reflection when it comes to their own child rearing practices or when their own appetites come into conflict with their children’s needs. But why on earth would we want to teach our children to beat other children?

There is a wonderfully transparent phrase used in MMA called “ground and pound.” It refers to the act of forcing an opponent to the ground and then pounding him/her as often and hard as possible – the goal being to terminate the opponent. I use the word ‘terminate’ because at one time in history that was the precise objective. So, imagine a seven year old smashing the head of another seven year old who lies beneath him or her on the floor of a gym. And, make no mistake, both genders are engaged in the “sport.” The child is enthusiastically cheered on. The coach is pleased and the parents beam at their child’s success at so dramatically defeating the opponent. What a message!

Then there is the guaranteed head trauma. Protective head gear is a misrepresentation of the truth. In hockey and football, muscular adult athletes in prime condition are regularly concussed by blows to their protective head gear -the best headgear that science can apparently produce. For developing brains there can be only one possible consequence of repeated blows to the head, padded or not.

This is not rocket science. We developed safety guidelines for our children in minor hockey leagues everywhere because we understand the need to separate the child world of sport from the adult world of sport. We have safety rules in the professional ranks because we recognize the validity of that need. So, what has happened to eliminate our common sense when it comes to children and ultimate fighting of any kind?

In the last Borat movie there is a dreadful scene, which portrays so desperate to get their children into the movies that they will go to any length – even risking the child’s life. That may explain how parents hope to gain financially from the “success” of their children, but how do we explain such recklessness when there is no profit to be made?

Calvin White is a retired high school counsellor who lives in the North Okanagan. He has over 70 essays published in various Canadian daily newspapers, including the Globe and Mail, the Ottawa Citizen, Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun and Province. If you have any comments on this column, you can write to Calvin White at calvinwhite@northof50.com or to Calvin White c/o North of 50, Box 100, Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0

HAPPY NEW YEAR! from the staff at North of 50°

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Thompson/Nicola/South Cariboo

Coming Events

sunpeaksresort.com.

The Courthouse Gallery Co-operative at the old Courthouse Cultural Centre, 7 West Seymour St. in Kamloops presents "Winter Comforts" throughout January. The fourteen artists work spans weaving, woodcarving, soapstone sculptures, painting, jewelry, glass art, pottery, handspun and dyed yarns, stained glass, silk scarves, knitting, felting and textile all by local artisans. Open Tues to Fri, 10 to 5, Sat, 10 to 4, handicap accessible, free parking. Visit kamloopscourthousegallery.ca January 7 to 9 at 108 Mile Ranch. The Cariboo Challenge Sled Dog Race location includes the 2 lakes, 108 and Sepa lakes as well as the green belt lands and golf course, allowing for a more spectatorfriendly event with better trails and staging and spectator-friendly areas. If you would like to become a volunteer and help with this great event please contact us at info@cariboochallengsleddograce. com.. Dinner Auction, January 8 at the Hills Health Ranch Ball Room. Cocktails at 5 pm. Dinner at 6 pm.

Auction at 7pm. $24.00 per person..

January 9 to 15. Polar Carnival at Logan Lake.

Junior Polar Carnival King & Queen. Turkey Shoot 50/50 draws, Log Sawing, Bathtub Races, Snowshoe Races, Ice Painting, Broomball Tournament, Torchlight Parade, Teen Dance, Scavenger Hunt, Kid’s Casino, Pancake Breakfast, Fishing Derby, Jousting Blow-Up Arena, and many more events around town. Please see schedule distributed by the WHY or on their website at loganlakewhy.ca or phone 250.523.6229 January 14. Snowed In Comedy Tour at The Kamloops Convention Centre . Tickets $35, 19+.

Doors open at 7:30, and the show starts at 8:30pm.

For more information phone 250.574.5483.

January 14 to 18. Kamloops Symphony Presents The Magic of Vienna at Sagebrush Theatre, 7:30 pm. Mozart, through Brahms, to Strauss and Lanner with choice treats featuring Melanie Krueger's vocal virtuosity. 250.372.5000.

January 15. Curator's Lecture and Exhibition Tour at the Kamloops Art Gallery. 6:30 to 8pm. Guest curator, LeeAnn Martin, Curator of Contemporary Canadian Aboriginal Art, Canadian Museum of Civilization and Adjunct Professor, Department of Visual Arts, University of Ottawa, delivers a public lecture and tour of the exhibition Bob Boyer: His Life's Work.

250.375.2400

NORTH of 50 January 2011

January 17. Shambhala Meditation Group of Kamloops invites you to an Open House at 7pm.

"The Meaning of Meditation as Path" is the topic of the evening. Come to meditate and learn about Shambhala Buddhism with others who also desire a more harmonious and compassionate way of life.

Free. Weekly meditations Thursdays 7:00 pm and Saturdays 12:00-1:00 pm. Meditation instruction offered 433b Lansdowne St. (above Frankly Coffee) For information: www.kamloops.shambhala.org or phone Evelyn 573-5519 or Liz 376-4224.

January 22. Mayor's Gala for the Arts, a joint fundraiser for the Kamloops Art Gallery, the Kamloops Symphony and the Western Canada Theatre. Hosted by Mayor Peter Milobar, the evening includes a scrumptious dinner, fine wine, fabulous entertainment, and presentation of the annual City of Kamloops Arts Award. Tickets $80 + HST at Kamloops Live! Box Office 250-374-LIVE www. kamloopslive.com. Info at 250.372.5000 or e-mail kathy@kamloopssymphony.com.

January 27. First Nations Drumming Workshop at the Kamloops Art Gallery. 250.375.2400 January 27 to February 5. Billy Bishop Goes to War at Sagebrush Theatre. Presented by Western Canada Theatre, Billy Bishop Goes to War is the funny and often sad story of Canadian WWI flying ace Billy Bishop. He zooms down into the trenches, up to the skies, and inside the human spirit. There he attempts to reconcile the ecstasy of flying with the horrors of WWI. A sensational musical, and a Canadian classic of entertainment. The myth of the man is revealed as he tells of crossing swords with commanders, the Germans, the British and those who saw war as a good time. This high-flying ace of a show captures the humor, the hellfire, and the derring-do of an extraordinary career. With a superb mixture of irony and white-knuckle tale telling, Billy Bishop Goes to War is simply a sensational evening’s entertainment.

Tickets at www.kamloopslive.com

January March 2011

January 15 to 23. Winter Festival of Wine at Sun Peaks Resort/ For 10 days in January, Sun Peaks Resort and the Okanagan Wine Festival Society offer those who love wine and winter recreation; the most novel of wine festivals. Imagine skiing or snowboarding in the morning and being hosted to an amazing array of wine events in the afternoon and evening. From wine seminars in an executive kitchen to an amazing progressive wine tasting featuring the great wines of the Okanagan region, the Winter Festival of Wine is pure indulgence in wine, food and recreation at Sun Peaks Resort. For info please call 250.578.5399 or 877.212.7107 or visit www.

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February 25. Heart at Interior Savings Centre. Heart is coming home to Canada in 2011, with their first coast-to-coast Canadian tour in three decades. Heart at last fulfills a long held desire to play for their Canadian fans in every region of the country on one tour. As Ann and Nancy put it themselves: "Heart had its musical genesis in Vancouver and as artists Canada has always been our spiritual home. Canadians love to rock and we are happy to be bringing Heart as it is now back to Canada. It's like Heart is coming home."

For info and tickets call 250.374.9200.

CHASE LEGION BRANCH #107 JANUARY EVENTS Monday's - League Darts, 7:30 pm Tuesday's - Free Meat Draw, 4:30 - 7 pm Closed Wenesday's Thursday's - Team Darts, 7:30 pm Friday's - Ladies Darts, 6 pm Saturday's - Meat Draw & 50/50, 2 -4 pm Watch for our Variety Dart & Acution on Feb. 5th Reno Trip, Feb. 12th. Come on in and sign up Great Fun & a Great Cause!

For info please call 250.679.3536

North Shore Community Centre 730 Cottonwood Ave., Kamloops

January Events!

Sunday, January 9 - Community Dinner at 5pm.

All welcome - tickets $10 in advance. Ukrainian Buffet (perogies, farmer sausage, cabbage rolls, corned beef, vegetables, salads and dessert!) Live entertainment, 50/50 draws and door prizes.

Friday, January 14 - Old-Time dance with members of the Golden Serenadors band at 2pm. Admission $4. Open to all. Coffee and goodies by donation.

Tuesday, January 18 - Pie Night at 6pm. Open dance floor, live music, homemade pie, ice cream and coffee all for the cheap price of $3!

Tuesday, January 25 - Community Dinner at 5pm. Al welcome - tickets $10 in advance. Buffet includes fried chicken, roast beef and gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, penne marinara and more!

Friday, January 28 - Old-Time dance with members of the Golden Serenadors band at 2pm.

Admission $4. Open to all. Coffee and goodies by donation.

And WEEKLY starting January 9 - Sunday Flea Markets running from 9am-2pm at the North Shore Community Centre! 50 tables for vendors available for rent - $5 each and must be reserved by calling 250.376.4777 before FRIDAY. Great deals for all you bargain hunters that you won't want to miss!

NORTH of 50 January 2011

Community Events 100 Mile House

100 Mile Legion AllVeterans get-togethers are held Saturdays at 2 p.m. at the legion. Meat draws at 3 p.m. For more information call 3952511.

Creekside Seniors Centre offers activities for seniors such as pool, darts, bridge, whist, cribbage and carpet bowling.

For more information call (250)395-3919.

108 Newcomers Group.

First and third Thursday of every month at 10:30 am in the Community Centre upstairs room.

Meet other newcomers over a cup of coffee in an informal setting. Dropin fee: $2. Caroline 7919250.

The Spinners and Weavers meet every first Friday at the Parkside Art Gallery, at 385 Dogwood Crescent from 10 am to 2pm interested people can contact our president Unni at: http://www. trollheimenweaving. com/

Barriere

Barriere Survivors meet 2nd Monday of the Month 10:30 am to 12:30 @ Volunteer Centre.

Anyone who has suffered a Brain Injury Ph. Kamloops Brain Injury Assoc (250) 372-1799 ask for John Alzheimers/Dementia Support Group 1st Thursday of each month from 10:00a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Volunteer Centre on Barriere Town Rd. Phone 250-377-8200 or 1-800-886-6946.

Clearwater

The Wells Gray Country Seniors Society meet the first Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Resource Centre; Third Sunday Seniors Social at 1p.m. in the Munroe Room at Wells Gray Inn; Seniors Book Club meet on the fourth Thursday of each month in the Clearwater library.

Contact Lois Geiger, lgeiger@mercuryspeed. com.

Kamloops

Wonder Cafe Soup Kitchen at Mt. Paul United Church, 140 Laburnum Ave. (Kamloops North Shore), serves hot lunch every Thursday from 11a.m. to 1p.m.

Kamloops Ostomy Support Group meets at 7 pm on first Thursday of month at Medichair, boardroom.

210-450 Landsdowne Street, contact for info: Ken at 250-819-0315 or Evelyn at 250-828-6647.

Pottery classes for the Fab 55+.

Discover or rediscover the great feeling of creating in clay- Hand building, sculpture, coils or slabs.

Held every Tuesday from 1-3:30PM at Heritage House pottery studio in Riverside Park. $5 for non members $3 for members. Free clay is available for small projects and fee covers firing, glazing and use of tools. For more information contact Diane Britt at 573-2604 or 377-8793.

Kamloops Garden Club Meets every 4th Wed. of the month in Heritage House at 7:00 pm.

Jeanette Moslin (250) 372-9669.

Dance to the music of the Kamloops Old Time Fiddlers, January 15, at the Yacht Club, 1140 River Street in Kamloops 7:30 - 10:30 PM. Members $6., non-members $7.

Everyone welcome. FMI call 250.376.2330.

Tuesday afternoon cribbage at the McArthur park lawn Bowling Clubhouse (beside NorBroc Stadium) at 1:30 p.m. Everyone welcome.

No partners needed.

Crib, coffee and good company. Call 250-5790028.

Bridge at Desert Gardens Community Centre,

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Thompson/Nicola/South Cariboo

every Tuesday, at 12:30 p.m. 540 Seymour Street.

For info call (250) 3725110.

The Alzheimer Society of BC, Central Interior, 543 Battle St. Kamloops, offers programs and services for people whose lives are affected

by Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.

Programs and services include education workshops and information and support groups for family caregivers and for people diagnosed with early dementia. Call 250-3778200 or 1-800-866-6946.

Weekly meditations Thursdays 7:00 pm and Saturdays 12:00-1:00 pm.

Meditation instruction offered. 433b Lansdowne St. (above Frankly Coffee) For information: www.kamloops. shambhala.org or phone Evelyn 250.573.5519 or Liz 250.376.4224.

Interior Authors Group, a group that brings people together who are interested in the art of writing, meets the second Wednesday of the month at the Kamloops Art Gallery, 465 Victoria St., at 7p.m.

Call Ted Joslin, 250-3748910.

Join a fun men’s and women’s a cappella chorus, The Hub City Singers, in rehersals every Tuesday, 7 to 9p.m., at the Old Yacht Club, 1140 River St. Members don’t have to be able to read music.

Call 250-578-7503.

Seniors Dance with the Golden Serenadors every second Friday of the month at the North Shore Community Centre, 730 Cottonwood Ave. Admission $4 Call 250-376-4777 PATCHS, a grassroots community-based group working to achieve positive changes in the health care system, meets the first Monday of each month at Kamloops United Church, 421 St. Paul St., at 6:30p.m. Call Rick, 250-579-8541 or email riturner@shaw.ca.

Kamloops Family History Society meets the 4th Thursday of each month at Heritage House, 100 Lorne St., Riverside Park, 7-9 pm (Sept to May). Guests and new members are welcome. For info call 250-579-2078.

CNRailroaders Crib night is held on the First & Third Thursday's of each month at 7pm at the Parkview Activity Centre, 500 McDonald Avenue.

Admission one dollar, includes tea, coffee and goodies.

Everyone is welcome.

Wii CLASSES Tuesday afternoons from 1-3pm anyone can drop in and play Wii Bowling at the North Shore Community Centre (730 Cottonwood Ave), instructed by Sheena.

Drop-in cost is $1. Other games are available to be played, depending on the interest of the group.

Lac La Hache

OAPO #176 Pioneer Centre offer several activities, such as pool, bridge, Canasta, square dancing, contra, rounds, pilates, and general exercise. For more information call Ron 250.396.7298, Agnes 250.396.7231 or Hazel 250.396.7698

of the month at 7pm at the Friendship Centre September thru June.

Logan Lake

Logan Lake Seniors holds Bingo Fridays 1-3, 80 - 150 Opal, Village Centre Mall. Call (250) 523-2759.

Merritt

Bingo Tuesdays at 1 p.m. at the Merritt Senior Centre. Rummoli and Pool Fridays at 7 p.m.

2202 Jackson Avenue.

Join the Toastmasters to gain confidence! They meet every Tuesday at 5:00 pm at the Merritt

Library.

ESL Coffee Circle Practice your English skills every Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Merritt Library.

Frosty Fridays at Merritt Legion - Hamburgers served every Friday at the Merritt Legion from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Savona

Join us for exercise Wednesday and Friday mornings at 8:45 a.m.

OAPO Branch 129, 6605 Buie Road/Savona Access Road. Call Jennier Coburn for more info at (250) 373-0081.

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Lillooet

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 66 737 Main Street Lillooet BC 250256-7332.

Meat draws every Friday 5:30-8:30PM Members and Guests always welcome Carpet Bowling for Seniors, Mondays & Thursdays from 10:30 - 11:30 am at the Gymnasium or Mezzanine at the Lillooet & District REC Centre, 930 Main Street.

Drop In Fee. 50+ Fitness at the REC Centre. aerobic style fitness class, Nov. 10-3, 9-10 am, $56 Phone (250) 256-7527 Lillooet Quilters Guild meet the last Wednesday

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8

Thompson/Nicola/South Cariboo

FAIR COMMENT

Travels with Farley:

An Emptiness in the American Heartland Jan and I, along with Farley the wonder dog (according to an outfit called DNA Your Dog, a combination of Norwegian Elk Hound, Rottweiler, Chow, Yorkshire terrier and (gulp) Pomeranian) just completed a 10-day trek through the western US on the way to visit our daughter in New Orleans. From the Oregon coast to the redwoods and Joshua trees of Don Sawyer California and the mountain-ringed Mojave Desert, we passed through a stunning a land of beauty and contrast, matched in its magnificence only by the equally astounding ability of humans to devastate, diminish and ruthlessly exploit it.

You can tell a lot about a people by listening to casual, unguarded conversations in public places. Let me share an exchange I overheard in the breakfast room of one of those dozens of chain motels that clog highway exits across the country.

The room was watched over by a giant screen TV tuned to the Shopping Channel, where enthusiastic hucksters were pushing tawdry jewellery and other “fashion accessories.” Guests from Minnesota and Pennsylvania ate biscuits covered in gravy on plastic plates, ate Froot Loops from single-use plastic packages, and drank bad coffee from Styrofoam cups (while upstairs plastic cups are wrapped in plastic and residents are urged to “Help Save the Planet!” by not insisting that our towels be changed daily). \Conversation was loud, almost shouted, so it wasn’t exactly like I was eavesdropping. I tuned in when two couples discovered they were both from Minnesota and thus established as cousins, began comparing purchases at a nearby outlet mall. This opening led to -- what a small country! – the realization that both couples were heading for their respective condos in the Phoenix area.

Discussion of the merits of their respective hot tubs ensued, and then the men moved onto golfing.

NORTH of 50 January 2011

So there is a push for cheap gas, in the Gulf and overseas, regardless of the political or environmental impacts. A demand for cheap food, no matter that it means destroying rivers, aquifers and endangered species (termed by agribusiness as “putting the rights of animals before those of humans”). A need for cheap clothing and electronic gadgets so necessary for the contemporary “good life,” even if it means devastated downtowns and the destruction of local producers.

This is a country where freedom has come to mean the right to be a glutinous consumer without concern for others, locally or globally. To be selfish without guilt. To be wilfully ignorant and proud of it. To “save the planet” by making the ultimate sacrifice – passing up fresh towels each day.

I found an explanation for all of this dysfunction in an unusual place – carved into the walls of a washroom in a gloomy gas station on the outskirts of another sad little community long since bypassed and emptied by the clutter of commercial activity along the highway. The message read, “Noboty (sic) cares.” Underneath it someone had scrawled, “No shit.”

Don Sawyer is a writer, educator and former Director of Okanagan College’s International Development Centre. He lives with his wife in Salmon Arm. You can contact Don Sawyer by email at donsawyer@telus.net or by mail at Don Sawyer c/o North of 50, Box 100, Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0. For more information on Don’s writing and development work, visit his web site at www.thenortherned.com.

Wells Gray Tours Plans Visit to Coronation Street

“Do you golf?” one man asked the other Minnesota male.

“Golf!” the man’s wife shrieked. “That Fred’s passion! That’s what he lives for!”

The two men began an exchange, shouted across the room, about the cheapest green fees and cart rentals amongst the hundreds of golf courses around Phoenix, while the women talked about their favourite shopping centres.

The conversations were as hollow as the giant stucco-covered plywood columns at the entrances to these cheap, soulless hotels, which look like they’ve been turned off some gargantuan assembly line in China and plunked in hideous strips of almost identical monster hotels across the country with utter disregard for local history, architecture or commercial impact. But the discussions do contain a cautionary tale, a story of entitlement, casual excess – and insularity. Though they may pass through areas of great natural beauty, when these folks arrive at their destination, there will be no surprises, no challenges. They will find the same stores selling the same stuff, the same chain restaurants with the same bland menus.

This is a country living beyond it means. Not just in terms of the muchballyhooed national deficit, created in large part by the country’s trillion-dollar military expenditures and absurd tax breaks for the wealthy, but in terms of personal financial and cultural poverty. It is a country that has bankrupted itself morally and fiscally pursuing the “American dream” of ever-expanding growth, consumption and extravagance, and where the idols are ruthless business figures like Donald Trump or those, such as Paris Hilton, who are admired simply for their excess.

It’s it no wonder then that American’s are pathologically averse to taxes or that it has one of the highest levels of personal debt in the world. But there is another side to a nation whose citizens are living beyond their means. They demand not the best, but the cheapest. They worry not about their neighbour, but only themselves. Complicating issues such as environmental degradation, the lack of public health care, poverty, and inequitable wealth distribution are simply not on their radar. They, quite literally, can’t afford them to be.

Maybe you missed the live Coronation Street special in December, hosted by Debbie Travis. She travelled across Canada interviewing die hard “Corrie” fans.

Coronation Street has been on the air for 50 years, making it the world’s longestrunning soap opera. It’s popular in 40 countries, has a large fan base in BC, and in response to requests, Wells Gray Tours has designed a tour that includes special access to filming sites that have been used during the last 50 years, including a visit to Granada Studios where a majority of the show is filmed. The show is set in the fictional town, Weatherfield, a suburb of Manchester, England, and it remains one of the country’s most-watched programmes.

“We feel very fortunate to be able to offer our clients this unique opportunity, which includes an expert guide on all things Corrie,” says Dawn Rueckl, Vice president of Wells Gray Tours.

Rueckl is excited about the behind the scenes nature of the tour, including admission to those normally off limit attractions, such as Coronation Street.

While the highlight of this tour for many will be Coronation Street, other attractions include London’s Windsor Castle and Kew Gardens, West End theatre performance, Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s home, King Henry VIII Hampton Court Place, Bath, Stonehenge and more. Want to see The Rovers Return, Roy’s Tolls or the Kabin, or where a certain Corrie character is on trial right now for murder … contact Wells Gray Tours.

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9

The Children of PalestiNe

By Christine Pilgrim

The Palestinian boy who sits on the ground against the metal gate of the Israeli military base has not thrown a stone at a soldier or shouted at the driver of a bulldozer. Neither has he stolen, nor tried to blow himself or anyone else up. He has simply failed to produce an identity card.

checkpoints to get to and from school. The checkpoints all have metal detectors.

Some have turnstiles. The extent to which the checks are invasive depends on the orders soldiers receive. One day they might check every backpack; other days, none at all. This unpredictability, coupled with the fact that the searches often render them late for school, makes the children nervous.

The Thompson Okanagan is a world away from this reality.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, all Palestinians aged 16 and over are required to carry cards to identify who they are and where they live. Palestinian youth can be tried under military law and imprisoned for not carrying ID cards or for being outside their designated zones.

Problems arise when someone aged 13 or 14 looks older. Some boys as young as 12 have been held for questioning. If proof of their age is not submitted, they are transported from the military base to court where they can be handcuffed and remain under ‘administrative detention’ indefinitely.

Johann Funk and his colleagues in the Christian Peacemakers Team (www.cpt. org) also help to ensure the safety of Palestinian children harassed by settler youth who tend to moderate any violent behaviour if they are being observed. In extreme cases ‘CPT-ers’ try to create a diversion to give the Palestinian children time to reach safety. “It exposes us to risk,” says Funk, “but the risk to the children would be greater if we did nothing.” As most incidents occur near sensitive areas, soldiers are often present.

However they are forbidden to intervene when settler youth swarm Palestinian students.

In such cases, Israeli lawyers advise international organizations like the Red Cross and Christian Peacemakers Team to intervene as early as possible, before any formal detention process begins.

Aware that he cannot change the severity of the occupation, let alone end it, Johann Funk watches, writes and prays that he contributes in some small way to the larger struggle.

One such Peacemaker is Armstrong resident, Johann Funk. He recently spent eight weeks in Area C in the old city of Hebron, about 26 kilometres south of Jerusalem. There he helped this youth and several others detained at military bases. (Area C is under total Israeli control.)

Meanwhile, Jewish international journalist Lisa Talisnick, who regularly wrote for Vernon’s Morning Star, left the Okanagan for her second home in Israel at the beginning of last year. She had intended to stay for two months but stayed ten, working with Palestinian children in a village called Al Walajeh on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

This is the fourth year that Funk has acted as Peacemaker. His mandate is to observe and report. When he watched a young child forced to cross Quitoun Checkpoint on her way to kindergarten, he wrote:“She is a vision of innocence, peering up into the dull eyes of the towering soldier who had ordered her to stop. She strains to hand him the backpack that is half her length. He systematically opens every zipper and plunges his hands into each pocket before handing the pack back. It slumps to the ground. The little girl carefully closes the zippers and, with considerable effort, slings the pack on to her back. She is already forgotten by the young soldier who has moved on to the next search. The tiny tot stumbles as she hurries to catch up with her friends.”

According to Funk, this ritual is a significant part of the girl’s education: “to know her place.” Morning and afternoon, students like her negotiate up to three

She and several friends started the All Nations Cafe there seven years ago. As its name implies, the All Nations Cafe brought Israeli and Palestinian children together - singing, dancing, playing and learning.

But the enterprise is threatened by the extension of the separation wall that runs along Jerusalem’s southern border, spanning Biblical sites from Bethlehem to Beit Sahur where “shepherds watched their flocks” and stretching east to Bethany where Lazarus rose from the dead. The wall’s extension will make it illegal for the children to cross into forbidden territory to play with their former neighbours.

Talisnick sees in Palestinian youth the deep need to regain their sense of worth and community. So she helps Israeli, Palestinian and International instructors cross the border to conduct workshops, along with summer and winter camps,

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NORTH of 50 January 2011

under the umbrella of Service and Peace in the Community (http://service-for-peace-middle-east. blogspot.com/).

“Once, in our music class, the kids heard some of us speaking Hebrew and asked if we’d teach it to them,” says Talisnick. “So we did. That was an interesting development.”

Another “interesting development” is the group’s swimming program. Although the Mediterranean Sea is less than an hour’s drive away, the Palestinian children Talisnick works with have never seen it.

Restricted by the separation wall, poverty and large families unable to care for them, they have never gone swimming anywhere.

So Talisnick’s group of volunteers bused 70 children to a pool eight kilometres from the refugee camp where they live. Once in the water, the excited youngsters begged for their turn to learn to float: “Anna! Anna! Anna! Dori! Dori!” (Me! Me! Me! My turn! My turn!)

Talisnick recalls how, when they experienced the sensation of floating for the first time, they felt a kind of release that filled them with wonder.

The program is so successful that the team has now established lifeguard training for 15 teenage Palestinian girls - some from local refugee camps, others from a nearby orphanage. As fully-fledged lifeguards, they will be enabled to earn sufficient to put themselves through higher education and thus enhance their chances of escaping the bleak future that they currently face.

“It’s as if the girls are swimming for their lives,” says Lisa Talisnick who hopes to soon extend the program to include boys.

She shares Johann Funk’s view that we may not be the centre of the solution but we might play a small part in changing these lives of the children of Palestine.

Visit http://service-for-peace-middle-east.blogspot.com/ for more information about the lifeguard and swimming programs, and www.cpt.org for more information about the Christian Peacemakers Team.

(Top of page)Volunteers like Lisa Talisnick give more than swimming lessons to these children of Palestine. Photo submitted. (Above) Children of different nations learning rhythm with drumsticks in a music class run by volunteers in Palestine. Photo submitted.

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Is Spring Around the Corner? The Groundhog May Tell Since the eighteenth century, the tradition of Groundhog Day has been observed. However, it hasn't always centered around a groundhog or been called by that name.

Groundhog Day actually has origins as "Candelmas Day," and began in Germany. When German settlers came to America, and primarily took up residence in Pennsylvania and beyond, they brought the traditions of Candelmas Day with them. Candelmas Day falls midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Superstition stated that if the weather on Candelmas Day was stormy, the second half of winter would be fair. If it was fair and sunny on Candelmas Day, winter would stretch on with more cold weather.

As the German saying goes (and variations from other European countries): For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, So far will the snow swirl until May. For as the snow blows on Candlemas Day, So far will the sun shine before May.

Phil's first prediction was an early spring. Since then, he has been right about 40 percent of the time, according to statistics. Subsequent Groundhog's Day festivities took place at Gobbler's Knob, a wooded hill with a beautiful view. Phil rests in a heated burrow beneath a simulated tree stump before making his prediction each February 2 at 7:25 a.m.

What is a Groundhog?

A groundhog is also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or land-beaver in some areas. It is a rodent of the scientific class, Marmota monax. The groundhog is closely related to another rodent, the squirrel. Groundhogs do spend a lot of time foraging for plant life on the ground. However, they can also climb trees and swim. In the winter groundhogs hibernate in a burrow where their body temperature and metabolism drop.

Early European Christians would also celebrate Candelmas Day, when clergy would distribute candles during the dark of winter.

In Germany, a badger or even a bear was used for prognosticating the upcoming weather. In Pennsylvania, another hibernating mammal was relied upon -- the woodchuck or groundhog. Perhaps that was also because native Delaware Indians who settled around Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania regarded the groundhog as an honorable ancestor of "Mother Earth."

Punxsutawney comes from the Indian name, "ponksad-uteney," which means "the town of the sandflies."

Pennsylvania's first official celebration of Groundhog Day took place on February 2nd, 1886. The groundhog used in the festivities was given the name, "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary." He has since been called simply Punxsutawney Phil.

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BC’s Other Winter Sports

By Margo Pfeiff

It’s mid-winter in British Columbia, time to slip into a warm and cosy suit, grab a board and head for . . . the beach! If surfing giant rollers isn’t your thing when the temperature drops, meander instead through landscapes where tropical-coloured blossoms sway as wildlife peers wide-eyed from between the fronds of a lush garden . . . underwater! OK, so you’re bundled into a dry suit, but who says winter has to be all about ice and snow? In coastal southern BC, temperatures hint at Mediterranean balminess and lavender and rosemary thrive in window boxes year round, so it’s almost possible to forget it’s December, or January, or February . . .

NORTH of 50 January 2011

Home

The Chocolate Fondue Snowshoe tour at Mt. Seymour promises a delectable experience. Photo: Evan Chandler-Soanes.

Just because BC is rippled with snow-capped ranges doesn’t mean everybody loves to snap into skis – skinny, fat or single board – and challenge their vertical vertigo. That’s not a problem.

Either head outside and pretend it’s spring or go play in the snow: virtually every mountain resort offers a varied and growing menu of winter things to do, from tubing - whizzing down a track on an inner tube - to outdoor ice skating, romantic horse-drawn sleigh rides, even ice fishing.

Unleashing an inner coureurs des bois is as simple as strapping on a pair of snowshoes, a quintessentially Canadian mode of winter travel; most mountain resorts rent them for a mid-winter stroll amid a forest of alpine trees or to mountain peaks. In the Okanagan, the abandoned Kettle Valley Railway is a country trail where you cross wooden trestle bridges with spectacular views. In the same region, go multi-day snow stomping with Wells Gray Adventures who provide everything from snowshoes to guides on cabin-to-cabin treks through the snowy wilderness of Wells Gray Provincial Park, north of Kamloops.

Vancouver’s proximity to the outdoors offers the chance to snowshoe in the woods, with the lights of downtown twinkling in the distance, on Cypress, Grouse and Seymour mountains. In a forest clearing or backcountry lodge at the end of a vigorous walk, adventurists can even opt for a bit of indulgence, with plump strawberries primed for a luscious chocolate fondue. Mt. Seymour also provides twilight tours through the forest, gentle Baby and Me excursions for moms and dads and a chance to crank your cardio on 90-minute snowshoe fitness hikes. Snowshoeing has even gone upmarket amid the Selkirk and Monashee mountains around Revelstoke where Heli Canada Adventures zooms trekkers in a helicopter onto high mountain ridges for a day of heli-snowshoeing, complete with views across glaciers and endless rows of jagged peaks.

Or let the dogs do the driving. The traditional northern transport method of dog sledding is making a comeback as a hot new sport; it’s relaxing to sit on a comfy sled and glide through snow-covered forest trails. The folks at Cold Fire Creek Dogsledding in the Kootenay Rockies setting of Valemount even offer mushing

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The Stars Are Out and About in Atlantic City In May 1978, Resorts Casino Hotel opened its doors and changed the face of Atlantic City forever. Limousines and crowds of people lined the streets waiting to get inside. Rows of people watched as Steve Lawrence threw the first set of dice at the craps table. And with that, the East Coast gambling craze put Atlantic City back on the map as an entertainment mecca.

Twenty-five years and 11 casinos later, Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa opened its doors in 2003. Its television advertisements featured young, urban, hip people riding Vespa scooters on their way to find their “happy place.” Its print ads were sexy. The message was clear. If you are young and hip, Atlantic City is the place to be.

Hollywood, in its infinite quest for youth and hipness, has come knocking. Actors Lukas Haas, Vincent Gallo, Rosario Dawson, and supermodels Maggie Rizer and Bridget Hall were all present at the opening of Borgata. The honor of throwing the first set of dice went to hot actor and rising star, Stephen Dorff (Blade, Cold Creek Manor), with David Arquette (Scream trilogy) and Jersey-born Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix, Bad Boys I & II) looking on.

In 1978, just over seven million people visited Atlantic City. Now that number has risen to approximately 33 million, many of them with movie star status.

Performers like Sting, Seal, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Elton John, LL Cool J, Beyonce, Shakira, Mariah Carey, The Goo Goo Dolls and many more have played in popular and cutting-edge venues like Boardwalk Hall or any one of the 11 casinos. Now when these popular entertainers come into town, they bring their actor, sports star and entertainment friends with them.

Strolling through any casino, you might see the likes of award winning actress and comedienne, Whoopi Goldberg; Criss Angel of A&E’s Mindfreak; Danny Materson, formerly of That 70’s Show; actress and author Jenny McCarthy; basketball Hall of Famer Julius Irving and actor, rapper, comedian and writer, Nick Cannon of MTV’s Wild N Out and Short Circutz, just to name a few.

Major boxing events held at Boardwalk Hall can be considered one of the biggest draws in the city. These events have brought many stars to the ringside including Jay-Z, P. Diddy, Denzel Washington, NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr., NBA legends

Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing, singer Nick Lachey, actress Queen Latifah and film star Mark Wahlberg.

A new breed of celebrity has also come to Atlantic City: the celebrity chef. Now, not only can you enjoy the cuisine of Michael Mina, Stephen Starr, Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, Georges Perrier and Chris Scarduzio, among others, but you may also spot them while eating.

But while the “new” Atlantic City has sent star sightings into the stratosphere, actors in Atlantic City are not a new concept. Hollywood has been in bed with Atlantic City for a long time.

Actors and movie stars have paraded through Atlantic City ever since there was an Atlantic City. The list is long and includes: Roy Rogers, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jackie Gleason, Perry Como, Benny Goodman and more.

Marilyn Monroe was the grand marshal at the 1952 Miss America Pageant. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis regularly attended the famed 500 Club on South Missouri Avenue.

Atlantic City has also been a supporting character in many movies. Three Little Girls in Blue starring June Haver and George Montgomery was partially filmed in Atlantic City and featured the song “On the Boardwalk (in Atlantic City).”

1957’s The Burglar staring Jayne Mansfield was set in Atlantic City. Other movies Atlantic City has made an appearance in include: The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), Atlantic City (1980) starring Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon, Beaches (1988), Snake Eyes (1998), Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and Duane Hopwood (2004)

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NORTH of 50 January 2011

THE STARS ARE AOUT AND ABOUT IN ATLANTIC CITY,

cont'd from page 13

by moonlight. Learn to run the reins yourself by joining Canadian Outback Adventures who teach newcomers how to harness and hitch up a troupe of eager canines before hitting the trails in Whistler’s surrounding Callaghan and Soo valleys.

For a rush onboard a sled of a different kind, try snowmobiling. This distinctly Canadian invention - the brainchild of Quebecker Joseph-Armand Bombardier is perfect for exploring BC’s vast landscapes. Slide into boots, strap on a helmet and hop on board to soar across a glacier near Pemberton or carve tracks in the powder-packed alpine with Totally Awesome Adventures. Take a guided ride – or snow-cat trip – with Canadian Snowmobile Adventures atop Blackcomb Mountain and finish up with chefs serving a three-course candle-lit fondue dinner in the Crystal Hut, a rustic lodge cabin perched at 6,000 feet.

Skipping the snow altogether is another option. For scuba buffs, winter on BC’s coast is the time of highest visibility along 27,000 kilometres (17,000 miles) of coastal waters Jacques Cousteau called “the best temperate water diving in the world.” Suncoast Diving, a National Geographic dive centre in Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast, allows you to commune with octopi. Drift above colourful sea life at a leisurely pace, poke around the wrecks off Powell River or feel yourself tugged along by the surging current of Skookumchuk Narrows, a tidal channel renowned for sea life on steroids.

More fun on the water awaits in Squamish, north of Vancouver. Here, take a wildlife safari aboard a Canadian Outback Adventures’ raft to watch one of the highest concentrations of bald eagles in the world - hundreds of them – gathering from November through February. Watch the birds plunge from treetop perches to pluck migrating salmon from the river. Further north, you can do the flying yourself by soaring above snowy treetops and across streams securely harnessed to a steel cable: Ziptrek Ecotours has made zip-lining a year-round sport at Whistler.

The surf goes up as the thermometer drops on the west coast of Vancouver Island where the small town of Tofino has become Canada’s surfing capital. Rollers six-metres (20-feet) high pound long, empty beaches to the delight of surfers seeking the thrill of riding big waves. Guests at Long Beach Lodge Resort can learn the tricks of the trade from the lodge’s dedicated pros at the Surf Club.

Additionally, the Pacific Surf School has camps to provide know-how and the female instructor-led Surf Sister Surfing School is dedicated to getting girls onto boards (boys can join, too).

Counter-intuitively, keeping your fingers crossed for a storm has become a winter tradition in Tofino for those addicted to that coast’s spectator sport of storm-watching (Official Season: November through March). Enthusiasts head to the west coast, don rain gear and prowl beaches in search of the biggest and loudest thundering waves. Idyllic spots for storm ogling here are as varied as the landscape: curl up in front of a fireplace and watch the raging action from the toasty side of a picture window at the Pacific Sands Beach Resort, nosh on local fare in the fabulously scenic Great Room at the Long Beach Lodge Resort, or be lulled into bliss, courtesy of the pounding surf, during a luxurious hot stone massage at the Wickanninish Inn. After all, après activities are an integral part of winter and they’re as varied as the sports they follow – after a day on the trail, slip into a year round spa in one of BC’s many northern guest ranches like the Williston Lake Resort that shift gears from riding to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. Or slide into a natural hot pool surrounded by the Kootenay wilderness at Radium Hot Springs, all fringed in snow and ice and steaming temptingly into the frosty winter sky.

For more on British Columbia’s destinations and travel information, call 1-800 HELLO BC® (North America) or visit www.HelloBC.com

starring David Schwimmer and Janeane Garofalo. Lesser known films include Tony Palma’s Shades of Paradise (2004), Cut Out (2005) and Frankie and Maddie (2006).

Filming of an Atlantic City segment for the movie Ocean’s Eleven took place at Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, among other areas in and around Atlantic City. It initiated a frenzy of George Clooney sightings. He and co-star Bernie Mac visited White House Sub Shop on Arctic and Mississippi Avenues, probably southern New Jersey’s most famous sub shop and attraction of star power. Its walls are lined with photos of the famous faces that have visited including Frank Sinatra, Bill Cosby, Roddy McDowall and Miss America (actually, many Miss Americas).

Besides the excitement generated by star sightings, what’s in it for Atlantic City?

The filming of the Atlantic City segment for Ocean’s Eleven used 437 room nights and generated more than $729,000 in expenditures for the Atlantic City area.

In March 2004, the independent film Duane Hopwood, finished filming in Atlantic City and the surrounding region. It’s just one of the many productions the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority has helped since dedicating new efforts into film and television production in 2004. As a result, the production of the movie brought $160,000 in direct spending for area businesses.

Not just limited to motion film, Atlantic City has had its hand in small screen productions as well. Television projects filmed in Atlantic City include The Simple Life (2005), America Eats (2005), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2005), Sunday Project (Japan, 2006), The Sopranos (2006) and a Korean mini-series titled Angel (2007), which brought $259,000 in direct spending to the area.

“We made film marketing in Atlantic City a major goal for the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority,” said Jeffrey Vasser, executive director. “We’ve made great strides into that territory and will continue to do so. Our convenient location and multitude of settings - the city and the casinos, the beach and Boardwalk, suburbs and the pine barrens - all make the Atlantic City region an ideal location.”

In order to accomplish this directive, the ACCVA’s Film Office works in conjunction with the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission to lure film production to Atlantic City and the surrounding region.

As the popularity of Atlantic City increases and its audience gets younger, the star sightings will undoubtedly continue to rise. Is it too soon to consider Atlantic City the new Hollywood East?

NORTH of 50 January 2011

Thompson/Nicola/South Cariboo

15

Health Matters What to Look for in an Exercise Facility When a person decides to make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle, that decision is often accompanied by the decision to join a gym. Gyms can vary greatly.

Some cater to specific activities, such as kick boxing or martial arts, while others are more general in scope, with weight training and cardiovascular equipment and access to personal trainers.

Whatever their preference, individuals should be sure an exercise facility can meet their fitness needs before becoming a member.

Regardless of which type of facility an individual is hoping to join, certain external factors go a long way to dictating whether or not joining the gym will be a success.

When looking for an exercise facility, the following items should be taken into consideration before signing an agreement.

* Location: Even the most ardent of gym rats would say it helps a great deal to find a gym that’s conveniently located. If the gym is too far away or getting there requires sitting in heavy traffic, then men and women are much less likely to visit the gym as they would be to visit a gym that’s right down the street or easy to get to.

When looking for an exercise facility, find one that’s either close to home or close to the office (preferably both if you work close to home). For those who work far away from home, the gym’s location should ideally be closer to home to promote working out on weekends when you won’t be anywhere near the office. * Fellow members: Certain gyms might prove intimidating or uncomfortable because of their existing members. While the members themselves might be warm and friendly, those new to working out might be intimidated if everyone else in the building looks like a professional bodybuilder. In addition, women sometimes feel more comfortable working out at an all-female gym.

* Cost: The cost of gym membership is arguably the foremost consideration for many people when choosing a gym, especially since the economy remains largely unpredictable. When looking for an exercise facility, inquire about membership costs as well as any initiation fees you may incur or discounts you may be eligible for. Because of the struggling economy, many gyms have waived or are open to waiving sign-up or initiation costs, which can cost in the hundreds of dollars at some facilities.

Also, when discussing cost with a facility employee, ask if there are family discounts or if memberships are reduced if fees are paid all at once instead of every month. For example, a gym might charge $600 annually ($50 per month), but give a 10 percent discount to any members who pay a year’s worth of dues at sign-up. When discussing membership costs, keep in mind many gyms are open to negotiation, but prospective members must initiate any such negotiations. * Membership rights: Many gyms boast different types of memberships. Some memberships are all-access and allow members to use the weight room, sauna, pool, etc. Other memberships might cost less but not offer as much access.

For instance, a basic membership might offer access to the weight room and cardiovascular machines, but not to the pool or sauna. Choosing the right membership depends on the individual. For those who don’t swim and won’t enjoy a post-workout steam, then the basic membership can save money while still meeting all of the desired needs. For those who want all-access, the more expensive membership might be more up your alley. Whichever membership is the better fit, be sure the membership agreement lists your rights as a member before signing any paperwork. * Hours of operation: Some people prefer to workout before going to work, while others want to sleep in and exercise after a day at the office. Individuals should find a gym that fits their schedules and workout preferences. It’s also good to inquire about holiday hours of operation. A good gym won’t shut down entirely during a holiday, and instead stay open on at least a limited schedule. * Equipment: Even those new to working out should be able to tell if equipment is up-to-date or outdated. A gym with outdated equipment is best to avoid, as older equipment could increase risk of injury. A gym with the latest equipment is a gym that likely emphasizes giving its members the best possible environment in which to workout, and that’s important for all fitness enthusiasts, but especially those who are just beginning.

Creative remedies for winter ailments (NC)—Data today suggests that as many as 80 per cent of doctor visits are for mild, inconvenient disorders. These consultations put a constant strain on public resources, especially when you add the costs for unnecessary medical tests.

Running off to the doctor is not needed for every seasonal ailment and indeed, health specialists are the first to say that many of winter's discomforts can be alleviated with a few tips and tricks at home, like these:

Dry Skin: When you are still wet from a shower, lock in the moisture with a rich body cream or with any product containing petroleum. Instead of rubbing, pat yourself dry to avoid removing your skin's natural oils, then apply a thin layer to the affected area.

Hoarse Voice: Steaming hot water is effective for moisturizing virusinfected vocal cords. If you don't have a humidifier, boil the water yourself and breathe in under a towel. Steam is dangerously hot, so caution is advised.

Virus Defence: Health specialists remind us to keep vigilant with a healthy diet and sufficient sleep—and to scrub our hands regularly. Other proven

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measures include aerobic exercise, meditation, staying well hydrated, and taking supplements like Immunity-FX to keep your immune system strong.

Arthritic Pain: Hot peppers, like jalapenos, are getting thumbs up for giving relief to the joints. When cream containing capsaicin, from peppers, is rubbed on the painful spot, it stops the destruction of cartilage, relieves pain, and increases flexibility.

Some brand-name rubs now contain capsaicin. www.newscanada.com

16

Cheer Up –

Thompson/Nicola/South Cariboo

NORTH of 50 January 2011

The world is a wonderful place

By David Seymour

It’s easy to feel pessimistic for our species. A very few people are getting richer, the glum complain, but only by exploiting the poor. And when they’re not running down their contemporaries, the lament goes, the exploiters steal from future generations by trashing the environment.

The merchants of gloom derive their pessimism from the underlying misapprehension that life is a zerosum game. They choose to believe that wealth can only ever be taken, never created, so there can never be improvement, only injustice. The reality is that everyone is getting wealthier and the environment is generally improving, so something else must be happening: Human ingenuity is creating win-win results.

If you doubt that, consider the phenomenon of e-Bay. It has generated billions of dollars of value by solving the search problem for hoarders and buyers alike. Not many have lost wealth as a result of e-Bay but almost everyone is better off, including the environment since e-Bay has reduced the demand for new goods. e-Bay is a spectacular but normal example, just like the wheel, cell phones, home appliances, better management in companies, and so it has gone on.

It’s hard to overstate that extraordinary innovations in medicine, nutrition, and sanitation doubled life expectancy since the Industrial Revolution, from only 40 in England in 1800 to around 80 in most of the developed world today.

The benefits are more widely spread than commonly thought. The United Nations Human Development Index, which has measured health, longevity, access to knowledge, and a “decent standard of living” since 1980, shows that nearly all countries have improved over the past three decades. What’s more, the “spread” of scores has been narrowing, meaning that the least developed countries are catching up. The rich are certainly getting richer, but the poor are getting richer too, and faster.

What about oppression? There certainly are some nasty characters around; Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe come to mind. However they are exceptions to an overwhelmingly positive trend. Freedom House, an organisation dedicated to measuring civil liberties and political rights, reported only 44 free countries in 1972. Today there are 89, with the number of un-free countries having steadily declined to 43 from 68 over the same period and a varying number in the “partly free” transition stage.

The moaners will surely moan that a world with an ever increasing population who enjoy ever increasing living standards will invite an environmental Armageddon. But people who make such arguments fail to understand three counterintuitive facts about economic growth and the environment.

Living standards are a measure of the value of finished goods and services consumed, not the value of resources used to produce them. In fact, profit motivates the production of more valuable goods using fewer resources.

Consider the difference between the iPhone on the one hand and a camera, network of telephone cables, record collection, calculator, and alarm clock on the other. The iPhone offers the same features as the latter products combined but consumes far fewer resources. Getting richer is compatible with conserving the environment.

They also fail to understand that increased wealth increases environmental concerns and the demands to protect it. To put it bluntly, starving people can’t afford to join Greenpeace. More seriously, wealthy countries with advanced agriculture can afford to set land aside for nature reserves. They can afford to enforce environmental regulations, their industries can afford to adhere to them, and wealthy people have more time to enjoy nature. Yale and Columbia Universities’ Environmental Performance Index confirms that freer and wealthier countries are better environmental custodians.

Economic growth also reduces fertility and therefore population. As a societies become more technologically advanced, there are fewer “muscle” jobs and more high paying jobs for women. This gives women more power in the home. Meanwhile contraception is becoming more affordable. As technology develops, children move from being a source of cheap labour to a major education expense. For all of these reasons, the United Nations predicts that our population will most likely peak at around nine billion this century, decline slightly, then stabilise. Concerns about overpopulation are now a known quantity.

Altogether the best evidence we have suggests that the future will involve wealthier, healthier people with stable population growth and greater ability to be environmental custodians than at any time in the history of our species. And with that, Merry Christmas.

Seymour is a senior policy analyst at the Frontier Centre (www.fcpp.org)

January 1960 -

50 Years Ago This Month January 1 - The British farthing coin, used since the 13th century, and worth 1/4th of a penny, ceased to be legal tender.

January 1 - Australia became the second nation, after the US, to permit the sale of the birth control pill January 2 - Cuba’s Prime Minister, Fidel Castro, demanded the US Embassy in Havana reduce its staff from 87 to 11 and U.S. President Eisenhower responded by ending diplomatic relations with Cuba and banning travel by its citizens to Cuba.

January 6 - John F. Kennedy was formally elected as the 35th President of the United States.

January 11 - The University of Georgia admitted African-American students for the first time, five days after a federal judge ordered integration.

January 15 - Motown Records signs The Supremes.

January 18 - Canadian NHL player, Mark Messier was born in Edmonton January 25 - John F. Kennedy began a tradition by holding the first live presidential press conference, which was broadcast on all 3 TV networks.

January 26 - Canadian NHL star, Wayne Gretzky was born in Brantford, Ontario .

January 27 - The Soviet submarine S-80, with a crew of 68, vanished in the Barents Sea. The wreckage of the S-80 was not discovered until more than seven years later.

January 27 - The television show Sing Along with Mitch debuted on NBC and ran for six seasons. As Mitch Miller sang, lyrics appeared in subtitles on the screen.

January 28 - The Smothers Brothers, comedians Tom and Dick Smothers, first appeared on national television, as guests on the Tonight show, hosted by Jack Paar.

NORTH of 50 January 2011

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Thompson/Nicola/South Cariboo

Word Search & Crosswords

HAPPY NEW YEAR BABY BEGIN CAP CARIBBEAN CELEBRATE CHAMPAGNE CLOCK COCOA COUNT CRUST CRYSTALS DIET EAT FIREPLACE FIT FLAKES GET HAT ICICLES JANUARY

KISS MEXICO MITTENS MOUNTAINS NEWYEARS NOISE ONE ORGANIZE PARKA PARTY PATH PROJECTS RENOVATIONS RESOLUTIONS SHEET SHOVEL SKATING SKIING SLEEP SLEET

SNOW START SUPERBOWL TOAST TOBOGGAN WEIGHT WINTER

Find the words in the grid. When you are done, the unused letters spell out a hidden message. Words can go left or right, top line to bottom line. Words can go horizontally, vertically and diagonally in all eight directions. Answers to puzzle is on page 18.

stream 56 Behold 57 Southeast by east

ACROSS 1 What dogs sit on 5 Animal foot 8 Sell for money 12 Opera solo 13 Fire remains 14 Eastern Continent 15 List of meals 16 Omelet cookers 18 Root beer brand (3 wds.)

20 Last day of the wk.

21 Expression of surprise 22 ______ Troops, high flying 25 American Football Conference (abbr.)

27 Serving of corn 28 Search in the dark 32 Grand Turk 34 Crease 35 Was in a position of prayer 36 Kimono sash

37 “To the right!”

38 appeal 41 North northeast 44 European sea eagle 45 Old World herb 48 Recede 51 Grainery 52 Melancholy 53 Dined 54 Russian ruler 55 Net strung across a

DOWN 1 Dalai __ 2 Realm 3 Summit 4 Saudi Arabian citizen 5 Pop (plr.)

6 Demand (2 wds.)

7 Whizz 8 Crony 9 not ashore 10 Together 11 Space administration 17 Language specialist 19 encircled 23 Censor 24 Goof 25 Inquire 26 Merriment 29 put in order 30 “Raven” author 31 Female sheep 33 What a nurse gives 34 National police 36 Embellished 39 a tapestry weave 40 Ship’s sail holders 41 Northwest by west 42 African river 43 Decorative needle case 46 Slice 47 Past 49 That woman 50 Teensy

SUDOKU Each Sudoku puzzle is a 9 by 9 grid of horizontal and vertical rows evenly separated into 9 squares with 9 spaces each. Each puzzles solution is determined by the pattern of the numbers already filled in. You solve the puzzle by filling in the missing digits so that, when completed, each row and each square will have all numbers from1 to 9: each number will appear in exactly nine spaces within each puzzle.Sudoku solution on page 18

9 7

3

6

7

1

9

1 2

9

4

3

6

4

1

5

6

8 3

9 5

3 7

2

8

5

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NORTH of 50 January 2011

Thompson/Nicola/South Cariboo

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Dignity and respect for needs are honored by qualified female former L.P.N. First Aid and CPR Certified. Call for interview 250.804.2707.

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For Sale: Sixty-four Zane Grey hard cover books, dated: 1905 through to 1963, asking $1000. Phone 250.545.0289 evenings.

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Read the current issue and past issues on-line at WWW.NORTHOF50.COM

The Christmas Tree Recycling Program in Kamloops continues to January 17, 2011.

Drop off your clean tree at any of the more than 20 drop off points. Recycled trees save landfill space and produce compost material for use in parks and gardens. Kamloops has recycled close to 150,000 trees under this program. Please ensure your tree is clean of any wires, tinsel, decorations or plastic. Call 250.828.3461

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readers in the Thompson / South Cariboo / Nicola and the Okanagan/ Shuswap regions with a free classified - for items valued up to $1000. Your ad will run in both editions.

* Offer not open to businesses / commercial

DID YOU KNOW? During the winter, meteorologists report the actual air temperature outside and the windchill temperature. Do you know the difference between the two?

Word Search Solution: For Auld Lang Syne My Dear

Air temperature is the thermostat reading of the temperature outdoors. Windchill temperature is what it feels like to the body when the wind is blowing. According to the National Weather Service Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services, as the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, decreasing skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it feel much colder. Windchill temperature only affects humans and other animals. It will have no effect on inanimate objects. Those objects will not cool down past the current air temperature.

DID YOU KNOW? January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Across the globe, New Year's Day has become a day of celebration, particularly when the clock strikes midnight and the New Year is officially welcomed.

In New York City, the famous ball drops in Times Square at the stroke of midnight, while other celebrations across the globe also ring in the New Year in a festive way. But January 1 has been host to numerous notable events throughout world history as well. In 1651, Charles II was crowned the King of Scotland. More than two centuries later, the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, issued the second order of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Exactly 17 years later, construction began on the Panama Canal, while on the first day of 1899, individuals witnessed the official end of Spanish rule in Cuba.

In 1999, 100 years after the construction of the Panama Canal began, the euro was introduced to world financial markets as an accounting currency

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