Page 12 January 1988 Cassiar Courier Local “weaver” Sandy Sandvik is our featured guest in Cassiar Country this month. Her interests in the arts and cultural development was apparent as we talked. Born in Vancouver and raised in Burnaby, Sandy recalls a pleasant and secure childhood. “I was not aca- demically inclined”, remembers Sandy. “I was more in- terested in Home Economics, Metal Work and Art courses than Math and Science!” 3 Sandy spent hours working with her father in his basement workshop, creating doll furniture, toys and other wooden inventions fueled her artistic fires. By the time she graduated from Burnaby South High School she was intent upon furthering her education in the Arts. Attending Capilano College from 1978 to 1980 Sandy majored in design, drawing, crafts (weaving, pot- tery and fabric design), and art history. This was her forte- and although she says her family is not particularly “artis- tic”, she realized her talents and. went the route most suited for her. After completing her courses at Capilano College, Sandy and a friend headed out on a three month adven-- ture in Mexico. “It was a time of discovery,” recalls Sandy. “Arleigh,” Sandy’s college friend, “and myself were very interested in searching out quality textiles, and finding the superior work that Mexico is known for, not in the tourist sense, but as in the true art form!” This kind of research called on the girls’ inner sense for recognizing quality, and in their ability to accept the tradition of “art” as they found it. “I came to the conclusion that a lot of art forms were well established because each generation passed on basic techniques to the following generation. This was not only a way of holding onto tradition, but was also a financial support base for the family.” Walking through a small village it was not unusual to see a young girl of ten or twelve weaving with a back strap loom. Often the weaving and sale of rugs put food on the family’s table. “You don’t find quality items in the regular tour- ist haunts,” says Sandy. “You have to be willing to explore and go into the smaller villages where real treas- ures can be found!”’ Heading back to Canada, Sandy worked for a short time for the U.S. Customs and the American Consulate in Vancouver. Her love of art, and her desire to use her edu- cation soon landed her a position at the Dogwood Lodge in Vancouver as head of the arts program for the seniors. “I loved this job!” remembers Sandy. “The Lodge pos- sessed many looms and weaving was a number one prior- ity with the residents!” Being an intermediate care home meant that several people suffered handicaps. Sandy found it a very rewarding challenge to assist a stroke vic- tim or teach someone with the use of only one arm to weave. “Seeing the pleasure these people had at their suc- cesses, and then the surprise and pride they felt when peo- ple wished to buy their work was wonderful!” Sandy spent three years at the Lodge and says that they were very good years, full of good memories! o by Iris Trask Our members put in many hours preparing sets, props, costumes and the material for “Christmas in the Enchanted Forest”. It was a huge success! The following is a list of the cast, in order of their appearance: Iris Trask Katherine Lanteigne Donna French Mickey Johnston Janice Coran Pinocchio Sugar Plum Fairy Three Little Pigs Hansel Mary Comper Gretel Lisa Lanphear Witch Norma Ray Snow White Linda Beck Dopey Chrissy Becket Bashful Amy Erickson Sleepy Denise Gay Sneezy Leigh Desjardins Grumpy Jennifer Cavanagh Doc Tricia Gorski Happy Kelly Huber Rapunzel ~ Karen Kuechle Prince Tim Owens Frosty the Snowman Roland Rudkowsky Knight Lee Saeee ee eee Gilda Beck . OIE EO IRE i 6 os, w= ‘Sleeping Beauty ~ Josie Stump — > As so many women of the North have done, Sandy “followed her man” to Cassiar. Husband, Warren, man- ages the District Resource Centre for the Stikine School District. He also teaches Art and Library Science at Cassiar Secondary School. “When I arrived here in 1984 I looked forward to the time I would have to myself for weaving. Without the distractions of the city I felt I could be very dedicated to my art form!” Sandy says she can never run out of things to learn. There are so many different techniques, fibres, new equipment and computer programs as well as the tradi- tional and non-traditional patterns to work with. “I am constantly learning. and weaving is an art form. I am not a verbally expressive person, but through my weaving I find some of my deepest expression exposed!” Many people view weaving as a hobby. Some view it as an art, others as a craft and discussion could be held on the subject. Sandy began weaving for herself, and as time progressed she began displaying her work. People be- gan requesting special orders, and soon she found herself to have enough commission work to keep herself very busy. “Warren actually came up with my business name, Stone Sheep Studio. We wanted a name reflective of this area, one connected with weaving and one that people would remember.” Sandy works part time at Marvel Travel and with her commission work, which has remained fairly constant Prince Ugly Step-Mother Ugly Step-Sisters Jason Gay Helen Billingsley Dean Bowden Nicole Deyo Cinderella Chiera Borsato The Club would like to extend a big thanks to Walter Comper for sharing his artistic talents for all the character’s make-up. We would also like to thank Ellen Erickson for styling hair, Susan Hyde for keeping us or- ganized, and Lorraine Lanteigne for assisting with the make-up and obtaining the spotlight at the last minute! Garry Periard was terrific to work with in the preparation of the Enchanted Forest! It is a wonderful experience to put on a show such as this and to know the audience has enjoyed it so thoroughly. Nothing beats a child planting a kiss on Pinocchio’s cheek or hugging Rapunzel, or asking Frosty the Snowman to dance. Our best critics were the children whom we did it all for. Our New Year will begin on Monday, January 11, with a meeting of the cast for the Wizard of Oz at 7:00 p.m. in the Arts & Cultural Centre. Our scripts have ar- rived and we will now be having a busy rehearsal schedule for those involved in the Musical. Have a marvelous 1988!! b Sees _.. non-smoker, she finds her hours well filled. “‘To produce a scarf,” (she doesnt do one at a time, but up to eight might be on the loom at once), “‘can take up to twenty hours.’’ One can. appreciate the time involved in the creation of a unique accessory! Sandy’s sweaters and vests have been on display at all of Cassiar’s fashion shows and one of her “Chiole” a traditional East Indian style top was recently displayed in an art exhibition on Granville Island. “It was an artist’s dream, to see my work accepted for showing on its own merit!” Sandy admits her non-involvement in community affairs has hada lot to do with time, as well as interest. She did, however, allow her name to stand as a director on the board for the Arts and Cultural Centre. I asked her why, as this venture could prove time consuming and cer- tainly challenging. “My interests in the prospects of the Arts and Cultural Centre has a lot to do with the possible promotion of our local artists. Travelling through the Yukon this past summer, Warren and I were impressed by the fact that each small community had an outlet for art- ists, where their art was either displayed or for sale. Cassiar and area has no such outlet for the artist, which I feel is a shame.” Sandy is adament about her feelings and involve- ment with the growth of the Arts and Cultural Centre. “We have a wonderful opportunity to supply a theatre of Arts unique to Cassiar and interesting, not only to our own people, but to visitors to our community.” Education plays a major role in Sandy’s thoughts for the future of the Arts and Culture in Cassiar. A “Liv- ing Display of Art” could be held, with each artist actual- ly creating for people to see. Sounded quite exciting to this writer! Sandy would also like to see the establishment of a bi-yearly arts and crafts exhibition.- “This would be a consistent affair, where the local artisans contributed on a continual basis in the submission of certain of their works for sale!” With the establishment of an active Arts and Cultural Centre, she sees the feasibility of this idea! “The local bazaars are great!” adds Sandy, ‘‘and this idea is not meant to distract from these charitable events. I think they would, in fact, add another commercial out- let for the artists of Cassiar Country!” Such a venture would, according to Sandy, mean the co-operation of the local art community with the realization of the time needed to complete works for the exhibition. “Once established,” Sandy says with assurance, “I think it would become an integral part of tradition in Cassiar.” Sandy and husband, Warren Cocking, enjoy travel- ling and camping in the North. They also plan to make their home in Cassiar for awhile yet! Skiing and hiking are high priorities on Sandy’s lists of activities, and what better place to enjoy nature’s beauty than in Cassiar Country! Quiet and introspective, Sandy is a supportive and positive member of our community. With the possibilities for arts and culture that exist in our community; we are fortunate to have her as part of it all! CHRISTMAS LIGHTS - Joey Pal begged, borrowed, but didn’t steal (as far as we know) to light up his house * 2 THANK YOU r My thanks to Bill Zemenchik and Gord Becket for taking the time to show me some of the plant operations in Cassiar, the con- struction of which | had been involved with some 25 years ago. Frank Mankin, President North Pacific Steel Ltd. Vancouver, B.C. Pe Pee CE EPP APD PK OSD OM EPL PD SE KKK KKK KKK KKK KKK KKK KKK REM MM MR HM HM HM H Km mmm KKK KKK KKK KKK KKK BHM MMMM MY HH HH H eh a a a ae Cassiar Courier January 1988 Page i3 NEIGHBOUR'’S KITCHEN Now that the holiday season is over and the kids are back to school and, hopefully, everyone is back to a normal routine, we offer you a few simple recipes so that you are not spending a lot of time in the kitchen and can enjoy the great outdoors _. or just sit back and RELAX! GR SALMON - IN- A- CRUST Impressive to look at, delicious to eat, easy to make! Assemble all ingredients before starting. 2 medium onions, chopped I clove garlic, minced % cup melted butter, divided ¥% cup fresh bread crumbs 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese,, J envelope (% box) Pie Crust Mix 3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced 1 (7% 02.) can salmon, drained and flaked 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh dill J cup sour cream 1 egg yolk % tsp. salt Saute onion and garlic in 2 Tbsp. butter until tender. Combine bread crumbs and cheese. Prepare pastry ac- cording to package directions. Divide dough in half, mak- ing one part slightly larger. Roll out small half on lightly floured board to a rectangle 1/8” thick and about 7” x 9”. Place on baking sheet. Leaving a 1” border around edge of pastry, sprinkle with layers of half of crumb mix- ture, onion mixture, all the egg, salmon and dill, then re- maining onion mixture and crumb mixture. Drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and spread with sour cream. Combine egg yolk and salt. Brush pastry borders slightly with egg mixture. Roll out remaining pastry to 10” x 12” rectangle. Fit over layered filling. Seal and flute edge. well, Cut shapes with any left over pieces of pastry to decorate top crust. Brush pastry with egg mixture. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Bake at 375 degrees for about I hour until pastry is golden. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. FODPOOOOCODSOSSOOOSLOOOSOSOOSOS a fhoad, ( DARREN DECECCO : : | ; : : : ; : : cee tee aS keer wee we we oe ARCTIC CAT BEEF STRIPS WITH TOMATOES I Ib. flank, round or boneless blade steak 3 tbsp soy sauce J medium onion, sliced thin 4% cup vinegar 2 cups fresh mushrooms % cup brown sugar 4% medium green pepper 2 tbsp cornstarch 2 med tomatoes, quartered Cut steak across grain into thin strips, 4” thick. Cut strips into 2-3” lengths. Mix together soy sauce, vinegar and brown sugar. Pour mixture over beef and mix lightly to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Stir after several hours. Pour off marinade and add corn- starch. Pour cornstarch mixture over beef. Cut onion and green pepper into thin slices. Slice mushroom if you prefer. Place 1 tbsp oil in wok (or heavy skillet) over high heat. Add onion, mushrooms and green pepper. Stir fry for about 1 minute. Add beef mixture and cook for about 3 minutes, until sauce thickens. Add cut tomatoes and cook until heated. Serve over bed of rice. Serves 4 - 6. CAESAR SALAD 1 clove garlic, cut in half 1/3 cup olive oil 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce % tsp. salt % tsp. dry mustard I large bunch romaine, chilled and torn into bite-size pieces (about 12 cups) Coddled Egg (below) I lemon, cut in half Croutons % cup grated Parmesan cheese Freshly ground pepper 1 can (about 2 oz.) anchovy fillets, drained and cut up Just before serving, rub large salad bowl with garlic. Place garlic in oil; let stand 5 minutes. Discard garlic. Mix oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt and mustard. Place romaine in salad bowl. Pour oil mixture on top; toss. Break Coddled Egg onto romaine; squeeze lemon over salad. Toss until leaves are well coated. Sprinkle crou- tons, cheese, pepper and anchovies on; toss. 6 servings HAPPY NEW YEAR HAPPY SNOWMOBILING! PHONE: 778-7687 785 MALOZEMOFF STREET, CASSIAR, B.C._ POSOSOCOOOOOCOOOO SSS LOSS looeS DARKENS CATS AUTHORIZED ARCTCO* ARCTIC CAT’ DEALER CODDLED EGG To prevent cold egg from cracking, place in warm water. Heat enough water to completely cover egg to boiling. Transfer egg to boiling water. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 30 seconds. Immediately cool egg in cold water; refrigerate. - \ SAUTEED MUSHROOMS WITH WINE % pound mushrooms, sliced thin 3 - 4 tablespoons red wine, or sherry 2 - 3 tablespoons butter Salt and Pepper Wash, dry and slice mushrooms. Saute in melted butter over medium heat until just tender. Add wine, and stir into mushrooms. Heat to a simmer, and cook gently until wine has formed a sauce. Serve on hot buttered toast, at brunch, lunch or for a snack. rs 2 servings SPARKLING FRUIT % cup boiling water I package (3 oz.) peach or orange flavored gelatin 1% cups sweet white wine (sauterne or muscatel or Tokay) JI medium banana, sliced 4 medium peaches, cut into eighths I pint strawberries or raspberries 1% cups seedless green grapes Whipped topping Ground nutmeg SS HOO oO y Th ti Pour boiling water on gelatin in bowl; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in wine. Refrigerate until slightly thick, about 1% hours. Mound fruit in attractive arrangement in compote, shal- . low glass bowl or 9-inch pie plate. Pour gelatin mixture on fruit. Refrigerate until chilled. Spoon ring of whipped topping around edge; sprinkle topping with nutmeg. & servings. : : |