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Page 6 October 1985 Cassiar Courier

Many Cassiar Country residents have had the oppor- tunity to meet Dr. Larry Otto during one of his medical locums in Cassiar or Dease Lake. Others know him through his paintings of our area. Now we have discovered he is not only a doctor and an artist — but also an enthus- iastic bicyclist!!

During his locums in Dease Lake he had asked local residents how far the abandoned rail grade went, what condition it was in, and who had travelled it already. But he didn’t find anyone who had the answers. So he decided he’d find out for himself. On July 29th Dr. Otto set off from Dease Lake to bicycle south along the railway grade.

“] thought the trip would take about five days. I'd get a suntan....wade a few creeks,” he said.

But it turned out there wassa lot more to the trip than that! Eight days after setting out he was ten pounds

_ lighter and had put 300 miles on his bike. (That’s not

counting the 200 miles he cycled up the Stewart-Cassiar highway home!)

“My plans kept changing all along the route and as long as I had enough food it became an ever increasing adventure,” he said.

He set out from Dease Lake on a beautiful sunny morning. On good sections of the rail grade he could tra- vel 20 to 25 miles per hour; on bad sections he was slowed down to a crawl. He came across washouts, windfalls, bog and muskeg! Near the Mt. Klappan minesite the rail grade was being used as a haulage road for the ore trucks and was in terrific condition. He met some of the trucks enroute and must have been quite a surprise to the drivers! 2

North of the Stikine the rail grade wasn’t finished and he encountered a huge washout. In places where he couldn’t cycle he had to carry his 30 pound mountain bike and 90 pounds of gear. Most creeks had bridges or he. was able to wade across, but the most hair-raising event of the trip occurred at the Kluatantan River.

There was no bridge. The river, located about 40 miles south of Mt. Klappan, was about 100 yards across, six feet deep, and fast moving. Larry decided to swim across.

He had brought two car inner tubes and a bike pump in his supplies. He inflated the tubes, tied them together, laid the bike and gear on top and jumped in the river! In the middle of the river he encountered some rapids

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Cassiar Country

by Pat Lewis Beaton

Larry Otto

and thought he was going to lose the whole works to the

‘Skeena River which was only one quarter mile away.

“1 managed to get into a pool and pushed the bike to shore,” he said. “I never noticed how cold the water was — the adrenalin was pumping pretty fast!”

Dr. Otto also had some interesting confrontations with wildlife. He saw a total of 19 bears but one in part- icular he won’t forget. He was cycling along the rail grade when he frightened a bear. The bear did not charge but it left Larry fearful of possible attack. He tied two pop cans to the back of his bike and thereafter dragged the cans behind him like some. “‘newly-married” groom.

A wolf also came right up in front of the bike on

the rail grade. “He obviously didn’t see me,” said Otto. »

Other wildlife he spotted included a wolverine and moose.

He also ran into an exploration drill crew who were camped right on the rail grade, and just north of Bear Lake he joined people at the Suskeena Fish Camp for lunch. :

This meeting caused a detour in his itinerary. The going along the rail grade had become more difficult after he reached the section which had steel rails. He couldn’t cycle along the railway ties so had to ride the bike along the shoulders of the rail grade which were overgrown with bushes and trees.

The fish. crew were expecting a helicopter to land shortly and said it could fly Larry to the Johannson Lake Road, which is on the Finlay River watershed. He decided to take the flight and ended up at 4700 feet above sea level with 140 miles to go to Germansson Land- ing and 120 miles to Ft. St. James.

Some people passed him on the road just north of Fort St, James and invited him to their home where he showered, ate voraciously and rested a few days after his long trip. 3

But it wasn’t over yet. He then biked to Vanderhoof, took the train to Smithers, visited a friend, missed his tid to Dease Lake and cycled a further three days from Ki vanga to Kinaskan, where some friends gave him a ride to Dease Lake.

It was quite an adventure, but not the first one for Larry. In 1980 he and a friend were the first people to cycle up the Dempster Highway!

He has lived in the north for 15 years, first coming to Whitehorse where he had a medical practice for several years. From 1979 to 1983 he practiced medicine in Faro » and since 1983 he has been moving around the north doing locums for doctors on leave in many of the small

communities. When he is not practicing medicine he calls a small cabin outside of Whitehorse home.

His painting is just a hobby, to fill in the quiet hours. He has painted nearly everything in Cassiar, he said...every shop, every view of town, people’s houses and trailers. He’s very critical of his own paintings and says, “When people like them, I’m thrilled,” but adds,

“it’s just hobby stuff...I’m no competition to Ted Harr-

17?

ison! He works in watercolours and a painting of the © Cassiar Hospital can be seen in the hospital waiting room. ..

Dr. Otto will be back in Cassiar in November and again for a month from mid-December to mid-January. Through his paintings, though, he will always be a part of Cassiar Country!

PIGERD SKAFING

Registration for the 1985/86 season, which will begin on October 1, took place on September 21. Anyone who hasn't registered their children yet may do so by contact- ing Linda Cameron at 778-7351.

This year we are fortunate to have two pros in Cas- siar, Lorraine Drzimotta and Karol Freeman. The skaters will be divided into three groups and the schedule is:

igu :30 — 4:30 p.m. Tuesday Canfigureskate 3:30 Can Skate 4:30 — 5:30 p.m. i :30 — 4:15 p.m. Wednesday Senior Patch 3:30 — 4:1 Senior Freeskate 4:15 — 5:00. p.m. - Senior Dance , 5:00 — 5:30 p.m. Thursday Can Skate 3:30 — 4:30 p.m.

~ Canfigureskate

> - eo oo oe oe oe oe oe oe oe oo eo errr rrr rrr reo

HAPPY 39th AGAIN, RON!

4:30 — 5:30 p.m.

IGN IE AEE OTERO 699 AP IGE MBG OHI

Friday Senior Patch 3:30—4:15p.m. . Senior Freeskate 4:15 — 5:00 p.m. © Senior Dance 5:00 — 5:30 p.m.

Saturday Senior Patch 8:15 — 9:15 a.m.

Senior Freeskate 9:15 — 10:00 a.m. Senior Dance 10:00 — 11:00 a.m. Canfigureskate 11:00 — 12:00 a.m,

The monthly bingos have begun and we are looking forward to a great year. The Bingo on Cctober 16 will be a “Second Honeymoon” Bingo with really super prizes so mark that date on your calendar. The jackpot prize for this season is a trip for two for two weeks to Hawaii.

Seven

Ne Trump

by Kees van der Pol

The Cassiar Duplicate Bridge Club is now well into its -

second season. Two games have already been played — on September 3 and 10th. The turnouts have been quite small. Most likely everyone is still recovering from the summer “rest” period. In addition, some players have mov- ed away from Snow Country.

In order to keep the Bridge Club operating, we need enough players every week. So for those of you who play- ed last year, come out and bring others who would be in- terested in duplicate bridge.

For you lost bridge souls out there looking for a game contact me at 778-7567 for more information. If you would like to come but do not have a partner, contact Sherri Sethen at 778-7564 and she will arrange a partner for you.

We play every Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the

Upper Leisure Room at the Recreation Centre. See you

there!

Ch eOFCSCB9GBS 966 HESS OHHH

STAFF MEMBERS

Snowridge School is pleased to welcome Mrs. Betty-Ann Prier back to Snowridge’s staff. For the 1985-86 school year the Snowridge staff consists of:

Principal David John Kindergarten and French Claire Redmond Grade 1 Shirley Vickery Grade 2 Grace Kurian Grade 3 Betty-Ann Prier Grade 4 Pat Waldera Grade 5 Liz Strebel Grade 6 and Computer

Literacy Keith Kroeker Grade 7 Ray Hamilton Learning Assistance” Mary Lindsay Library & Special Programs Judy Sikora Secretary & Library Aide - Ida Walters Teacher Aide Pat Borsato Child Care Worker Norma Ray Child Care Worker Rachel Joseph

Head Custodian Karen Steadman OPEN HOUSE AND PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE OPEN MEETING

The staff of Snowridge School wishes to invite all parents

to attend an Open House at the School between 7:00

and 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9, 1985. The pur-

poses of this meeting are to:

1). allow parents to formally meet their child’s new tea-

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2) visit their child’s new classroom to acquaint them- selves with their child’s work to date

3) informally discuss the teacher’s goals for their class with respect to the curriculum and classroom organiz- ation for the 1985—86 school year

We hope that many parents will take this opportunity to visit the school and become more familiar with the envir- onment in which their children spend their days.

After the Open House portion of the evening, all parents and interested community members are invited to the Snowridge gym to participate in the Parent Advisory Committee’s open meeting to discuss the CARE program. This program, which has been proposed by the District’s

Trustees for inclusion in the School’s curriculum, is intend- ed to combat the increasing incidence of physical and sex- ual abuse of children in our society. The agenda for this meeting includes the following:

1) Ms. Sue Henderson of Dease Lake School will present the CARE program to the parents in attendance.

2) District officials will discuss how the program might be implemented in the District’s elementary schools.

3) Parents will have an opportunity to ask questions about all aspects of the proposed CARE program.

-4) The Parent Advisory Committee and parents in at-

tendance will be asked to support this program’s in- clusion in the District’s school curriculum.

REPORTING TO PARENTS

Snowridge school will be reporting to parents about their children’s work at school in several ways during the 1985- 86 school year.

1) Open House: 7:00 - 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9

2) First Report: Friday, Oct. 16. This report will deal exclusively with your child’s adjustment to the new class and grade.

3) Second Report: Friday, Dec. 6, 1985 and Third Re- port: Friday, March 15, 1986. Both of these reports will deal with the full range of your child’s academic social and physical development within the context of the classroom activities.

4). Fourth Report: Friday, June 27, 1986. This final re- port will deal with your child’s last term’s perfor- mance and indicate his or her assignment for the 1986-87 school year.

5) Parent-Teacher Conferences: These will be initiated by the school after second and third reporting periods. However, parents should feel free to contact their child’s teacher at any time they have concerns about their child’s progress at school. Teachers are generally free to accept telephone calls before 8:50 in the mor- ning, between 10:45 and 11:00 a.m. at recess, at lunch time between 12:00 and 12:50 p.m. and after 3:00p.m. in the afternoon.

=~

THE PLAYGROUND

Snowridge’s playground has been progressing slowly but surely. To the present the following was accomplished:

Cassiar Courier October 1985 Page 7

____In and Around Snowridge Elementary School...

1) The district moved the old playground equipment from the high school to Snowridge

2) Cassiar Resources hydro-seeded the hillsides

3) The District completed the gravelling of the grounds by the kindergarten room.

4) $6000 worth of playground apparatus was ordered.

5) Cassiar Resources has provided several tractor tires to serve as climbing equipment.

In the near future, the District will: 6) Install the purchased equipment. 7) Construct and install soccer posts.

SNOWRIDGE SCHOOL STORE by R. Hamilton

' This past school year the Grade 7 class at Snowridge

School undertook to operate the school store as part of a progranr designed to develop individual and group re- sponsibility, to develop organizational skills and to pro- vide leadership opportunities.

Not only did the class have to deal with problems arising out of learning how to conduct an operation, based on basic business practices, but also it had to cope with the complexities of group dynamics. The students were expos- ed to aspects of operation involving planning, purchasing,

controlling inventory; establishing profit margins, ac- counts payable, scheduling and accounting. :

Profits realized from the operation of the store totalled $341. -Parents and students who supported the store during the course of the year will be pleased to learn that

- the class decided to donate the bulk of the money to char-

ity. After discussing various possibilities, the decision was made to donate $150 to each of the Terry Fox Fund and the Rick Hansen Man-in-Motion World Tour. A plaque was presented to Linday’s Cartage in appreciation of the

contribution the Company made to help make the store a success.

A small balance was left to help this year’s class get the operation going again. Now that much of the groundwork has been laid by the class from last year, it should be pos-

sible for this year’s class to be just as successful as last year’s. Z

More School News on Page 14

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