Langley Beta Sigma Phi sorority sisters surprised long-time member, Mary Cooley, by presenting her with the International Award of Distinction at Newlands Gold and Country Club during the annual Founder’s Day Ritual on Monday, April 23.

The rarely presented award is the highest honour Beta Sigma Phi sisters can bestow on a member.

Active and dedicated since joining Beta Sigma Phi in Nelson, BC in 1948, Mary Cooley is renowned for going the extra mile for people both in and out of sorority.

Not surprisingly, many people went extra mile for Mary on Monday night to share the celebration. Daughter-in-law, Ingrid Cooley, travelled from Arlington, Texas, Dolores Leeming from Ontario, and Pat Jorgenson and Donna Yeutsy from Seattle.

Her daughter, Sandy Henry, came from Maple Ridge, as did Hazel Carr and Ev Rilkoff. Other surprise guests included Vernice Stephenson (Surrey), Lorraine Nelson, Marj Cameron and Betty Fleming (Chilliwack), and Mickey Emerton, Marie Merritt, and Doreen Brown (White Rock).

Longtime friend and sorority sister, Sydney MacPherson of Surrey, said: “Sorority and volunteering are her life and we are very proud to share it with her.”

This year, Beta Sigma Phi International celebrates its 80th anniversary.

“We are a cultural and friendship organization that also contributes to our community,” says MacPherson.

This year Beta Sigma Phi celebrates its 40th anniversary in Langley with nine enthusiastic chapters, and an area council.

By Frederick and Christine Cheng, Pharmacists

Article & photos by Lenora A. Hayman.

What a pleasure to welcome Maori Master Carver Rex Homan from Tauranga, New Zealand, back to the Spirit Wrestler Gallery, in Vancouver’s Gastown, for his 2nd solo show “Raven Dreaming (A Gathering of Spirits: Pacific Northwest Coast Birds) from March 31-April 21, 2012.

His 1st show in 2008 ” The Birds of Tane” (Nga Manu a Tane”) featured the unique birds of N.Z. and their inclusion in Maori legends.

This time Rex paid homage to our Pacific Northwest Coast birds, many described in First Nation legends and dances. Rex incorporated Maori designs, such as a moko tattoo on the face of Becker, the Burrowing Owl, rather than borrowing First Nation delineations. Becker, carved in tribute to Becker, the live mascot for the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society in Oliver, British Columbia, reminded me of the wee Morepork owl in N.Z. The Northwest Coastal First Nation members provided the traditional legends accompanying many pieces.  Rex’s birds emerged life-like, from recycled Kauri, Totara and Matai wood.

According to a First Nations legend, Victoria Peak, the 3rd highest Vancouver Island Mountain is the home of the mythical Thunderbird. Thunder was created from the beat of the wings and lightning flashed from the wolf-headed lightning snakes worn as a belt under its wings.  Rex showed his Thunderbird’s strength lifting an orca (killer whale) from the sea and carrying it to his mountainous feeding ground.

In the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter had a pet Snowy Owl called Hedwig. Snowy Owls nest on the ground in the Arctic area of Canada and Alaska and when their diet  of native lemmings dwindle during the winter, they fly south for their food. Last December, Snowy Owls were sighted in BC’s Boundary Bay. The Inuit (Eskimo) believe that the Uppik (Snowy Owl) carries the spirit away when we die.

The crow is often mistaken for a raven. The Nuu-chah-nulth or Nootka comprising of 14 Nations on the West Coast of Vancouver Island call the crow the Ka-in-kus or female doctor. In Rex Homan’s Crow Medicine Woman (Northwestern Crow) he has inserted amongst the feathers a woman’s face in honour of her ability to heal.

Bald Eagles, the national symbol of the U.S.A. are not bald, but the name is derived from the former meaning of the word “whiteheaded”. According to the  Nuu-chah-nulth, the eagle “borrowed” the eyes of the snail in order to see clearly “the house in the sky” and the rascal never returned the loan! I loved the Assailant -Bald Eagle with his magnificent, outstretched, aluminium talons, his “eagle eye” and mighty wings.

For those who did not have the privilege of attending the exhibit, Kenji Nagai has beautifully photographed many of the 38 birds in the book “Raven Dreaming”. When I have international visitors, I always take them to the Spirit Wrestler Gallery which honours the cross-cultural communication between the Inuit, the Northwest Coast Nations and the N.Z. Maori Artists. Nigel Reading, Derek Norton and Gary Wyatt are highly knowledgeable and welcoming. www.spiritwrestler.com  47 Water St. Vancouver  V6B 1A1 Canada  604-669-8813

All Photos by Lenora  A. Hayman.

News clips showed about 70 horses were turned loose in her honour (instead of putting flamingos in her castle yard).

The country and many parts of the world took the time to honour their much loved and respected monarch. She continues to be a living icon in an era of political uncertainty.

Join in the celebration of her life by attending a High Tea on Saturday, June 9 at the Langley Seniors Centre, located at 20605 51B Avenue. Shirley McWilliam, formerly of the Chocolate Cottage, will be your hostess for the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Tickets are now on sale and there are two settings from which to choose – Noon and 2 PM.

For more information call the seniors centre at 604.530.3020.

The first week in June also marks Seniors Week. Check with your local seniors centre to see what activities are planned in your community. Make sure to get out and enjoy the fun.

***

The May long weekend is usually recognized as the start of the summer season and lots of people hit the road to go camping (if the weather cooperates) and participate in many other activities.

High on the list of things to do that weekend is the annual Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair.

The world’s top cowboys and cowgirls will compete in a unique invitational rodeo format that ensures the sport’s premier athletes are showcased throughout the five performances, two on the Saturday and Sunday, and the Monday afternoon finals.

But the weekend is much more than the rodeo with the parade, carnival, musical entertainment, kids zone, and agricultural fair. This year will be the first annual Cloverdale Cowboy Cook Off, the World Freestyle Round-up for top pro and amateur freestyle skateboards, a classic car show, lumberjack show and Monster Truck rides. Tickets are on sale now.

***

April was volunteer appreciation month and some people are curious about what you do to volunteer. For those of you who like to make your opinion known in surveys, there is a useful one being done now on volunteer activity. They are collecting data at www.canadian-universities.net/volunteer.

***

On Sunday, May 27 you can run, jog, walk for water.

Abbotsford’s 5th annual premier running event is now a qualifying race for the famed Boston Marathon, but it is still a family friendly five km outing as well. The Run for Water now accommodates participants of all ages and abilities with great post race activities.

The fund-raising event helps tackle poverty and improve health in places like southern Ethiopia. One in six people do not have access to safe drinking water and water is one of the most significant global concerns today. For details about the event and how to donate, check www.runforwater.ca.

by Roxanne Griese

Re-purposing household items… Oh what to do with those old placemats, drapery panels, paper towel holders, cheese and salt shakers? They were a must have years ago; do not discard them just yet. I may have a plan to repurpose old items, giving them a refreshing new function.

Going through my collection of placemats yielded a variety of unused and incomplete sets. Placemats tend to be durable and easy to clean, that is why I started using them as cupboard and drawer liners in bathrooms, the kitchen and laundry room. They are so easy, just lay matching mats evenly spaced in your cabinets, I used two for the large under sink cabinets; it adds a touch of the unexpected. Not to mention, the easy installation, no more difficult shelf liners.

When changing your kitchen decor, keep items like free standing paper towel holders; they will hold up to 3 rolls of toilet paper. Kept under a bathroom vanity it keeps extra rolls stacked neatly.

Cheese shakers or sugar dispensers add charm to a bathroom. Fill the shakers with bath salts, bubble bath, shampoo and conditioner. Grouping the shakers together on the bathtub or counter adds character and originality.

Unused drapery panels make a excellent decorative alternative for showers curtains, move the shower rod closer to the ceiling for a more dramatic effect. Remember to use a shower liner.

Quick Tips: For smaller cabinets, trim vinyl placemats with a ruler and scissors. Cloth placemats can be trimmed and hemmed; a tremendous time saver is iron on hem tape.

“Cheese shakers or sugar

dispensers add charm to a

bathroom. Fill the shakers

with bath salts, bubble bath

shampoo and conditioner.”

Roxanne Griese is an Artist; Design and organizing are her passions, to see more articles and artwork visit, www.artbyroxanne.ca

“Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, we wonder where them MacBooks is!” Writing in mid-April, still no sign of the “new MacBookPro” we’ve been dreaming of. By now, it may be available. Retailers have been reporting difficulty reordering existing models.

Seen the new iPad? While it’s attractive and quick, we applaud you if you decided to save $100 and purchase the iPad2. Whether you bought a ‘Pad from Apple, or an Android tab from Asus, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, or Acer, you’ve joined the ranks of those  shunning “computers” for “tablets.” If you chose an Android, is it all that you’d hoped for? Let us know. For reviews of the “top 5 Android tablets,” check out CNET’s March 19th review: “best-5-android-tablets”.

April saw aggravated bruxism among some Apple users. A handful (us too) had temporary difficulty with iCloud email, although it likely had to do with having ancient passwords that no longer fit Apple’s current parameters. The problem was fixed with a little help from a courteous and supportive Apple techspert in Orlando, Apple Discussions online, and a little intuition.

More serious was the revelation of serious malware (associated with Java programming language) that a Russian source claimed “infected as many as 600,000 Macs globally” (an estimate many have dubbed “dubious”). We don’t know anyone touched by it. Regardless, Apple not only plugged the vulnerability with two Java security updates for Macs running OS 10.6.8 or 10.7.3, but then supplied a third that removed the infection from afflicted machines and made it much more difficult for other evil geniuses to devalue OS X. If you’re a Mac owner and haven’t already read about this, check out any of your favourite Mac sites or try reedcorner.net/news.php/about-the-flashback-malware/ . For a table of Apple security updates over the past 15 months go to support.apple.com/kb/HT1222 .

In an April 16 opinion piece titled “Lessons for IT, Apple in Flashback brouhaha,” Ryan Faas falls all over himself trying both to braise and praise Apple and Mac users. While “Apple didn’t handle the initial situation well….Ultimately, the company dealt with the problem in a way that protected the most non-technical of users and did so at no cost to them….Whether you like Apple or not, the move shows commitment to its users. Sure, it could have issued an initial patch, scheduled a follow-up release later on, and never looked back, but it didn’t.” Faas writes frequently in Computerworld about Apple, its products, and their place in the world.

For those interested in the question of Macs and security, we heartily endorse Thomas Reed’s “Reed Corner Design” site (reedcorner.net). Google “Mac Malware Guide” to see a comprehensive list of the 25 malware (trojan) threats Apple Macs have faced in recent years, of which only 2 rated higher than “low” and are now protected against by Apple’s recent software updates. 14 items on his list have a threat level of “None.” Speaking of updates from the “mothership,” always accept them: they’re free and released for our benefit!

Wikipedia has a decent introduction to malware: “malicious software designed to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems.While it is sometimes software, it can also appear in the form of script or code. Malware is a general term used to describe any kind of software or code specifically designed to exploit a computer, or the data it contains, without consent. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software.

Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, adware, most rootkits, and other malicious programs. In law, malware is sometimes known as a computer contaminant, for instance in the legal codes of several U.S. states, including California and West Virginia.

Malware is not the same as defective software, which is software that has a legitimate purpose but contains harmful bugs that were not noticed before release. Sometimes, malware is disguised as genuine software, and may come from an official company website. An example would be software used for useful purposes that also includes tracking software to gather marketing statistics for advertising.

Therefore, some security programs may find “potentially unwanted programs” or “PUP”. Though a computer virus is malware that can reproduce itself, the term is sometimes used erroneously to refer to the entire category. An example of a computer virus which is not a malware, but is benevolent is Fred Cohen’s compression virus.”  The remainder of this comprehensive Wiki article is similarly informative.

For a list of 1000 examples of malware for PCs, google “McAfee Current Malware.” At the bottom of the list of the newest 20, click View All. The good news: nearly all of them represent a “minimal threat,” and McAfee shows a much lower malware detection rate for Canada than the US.

For more info on computer security, take a look at other websites run by Symantec, F-Secure, Sophos, Kaspersky, and others.

“Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, we wonder where them MacBooks is!” Writing in mid-April, still no sign of the “new MacBookPro” we’ve been dreaming of. By now, it may be available. Retailers have been reporting difficulty reordering existing models.

Seen the new iPad? While it’s attractive and quick, we applaud you if you decided to save $100 and purchase the iPad2. Whether you bought a ‘Pad from Apple, or an Android tab from Asus, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, or Acer, you’ve joined the ranks of those  shunning “computers” for “tablets.” If you chose an Android, is it all that you’d hoped for? Let us know. For reviews of the “top 5 Android tablets,” check out CNET’s March 19th review: “best-5-android-tablets”.

April saw aggravated bruxism among some Apple users. A handful (us too) had temporary difficulty with iCloud email, although it likely had to do with having ancient passwords that no longer fit Apple’s current parameters. The problem was fixed with a little help from a courteous and supportive Apple techspert in Orlando, Apple Discussions online, and a little intuition.

More serious was the revelation of serious malware (associated with Java programming language) that a Russian source claimed “infected as many as 600,000 Macs globally” (an estimate many have dubbed “dubious”). We don’t know anyone touched by it. Regardless, Apple not only plugged the vulnerability with two Java security updates for Macs running OS 10.6.8 or 10.7.3, but then supplied a third that removed the infection from afflicted machines and made it much more difficult for other evil geniuses to devalue OS X. If you’re a Mac owner and haven’t already read about this, check out any of your favourite Mac sites or try reedcorner.net/news.php/about-the-flashback-malware/ . For a table of Apple security updates over the past 15 months go to support.apple.com/kb/HT1222 .

In an April 16 opinion piece titled “Lessons for IT, Apple in Flashback brouhaha,” Ryan Faas falls all over himself trying both to braise and praise Apple and Mac users. While “Apple didn’t handle the initial situation well….Ultimately, the company dealt with the problem in a way that protected the most non-technical of users and did so at no cost to them….Whether you like Apple or not, the move shows commitment to its users. Sure, it could have issued an initial patch, scheduled a follow-up release later on, and never looked back, but it didn’t.” Faas writes frequently in Computerworld about Apple, its products, and their place in the world.

For those interested in the question of Macs and security, we heartily endorse Thomas Reed’s “Reed Corner Design” site (reedcorner.net). Google “Mac Malware Guide” to see a comprehensive list of the 25 malware (trojan) threats Apple Macs have faced in recent years, of which only 2 rated higher than “low” and are now protected against by Apple’s recent software updates. 14 items on his list have a threat level of “None.” Speaking of updates from the “mothership,” always accept them: they’re free and released for our benefit!

Wikipedia has a decent introduction to malware: “malicious software designed to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems.While it is sometimes software, it can also appear in the form of script or code. Malware is a general term used to describe any kind of software or code specifically designed to exploit a computer, or the data it contains, without consent. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software.

Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, adware, most rootkits, and other malicious programs. In law, malware is sometimes known as a computer contaminant, for instance in the legal codes of several U.S. states, including California and West Virginia.

Malware is not the same as defective software, which is software that has a legitimate purpose but contains harmful bugs that were not noticed before release. Sometimes, malware is disguised as genuine software, and may come from an official company website. An example would be software used for useful purposes that also includes tracking software to gather marketing statistics for advertising.

Therefore, some security programs may find “potentially unwanted programs” or “PUP”. Though a computer virus is malware that can reproduce itself, the term is sometimes used erroneously to refer to the entire category. An example of a computer virus which is not a malware, but is benevolent is Fred Cohen’s compression virus.”  The remainder of this comprehensive Wiki article is similarly informative.

For a list of 1000 examples of malware for PCs, google “McAfee Current Malware.” At the bottom of the list of the newest 20, click View All. The good news: nearly all of them represent a “minimal threat,” and McAfee shows a much lower malware detection rate for Canada than the US.

For more info on computer security, take a look at other websites run by Symantec, F-Secure, Sophos, Kaspersky, and others.

For a growing number of Canadians, that means hitting the road in a recreational vehicle. There’s a wide assortment to choose from these days – everything from expensive bus-like motor-homes, to towable travel trailers, to camper vans, to relatively inexpensive pop-up camping trailers. Recreational vehicles are growing in popularity mainly because they’re fun, and provide a greater sense of freedom and adventure compared to standard holiday trips.

Although you don’t need a special license to drive most recreational vehicles, it isn’t the same as driving the family car. The experts at Desjardins General Insurance Group advise the following:

• Be cautious and allow more time to brake, change lanes, turn and merge into traffic

• Be sure your vehicle can handle the trailer you are towing. Most SUVs, light-duty trucks and full and mid-size family cars can pull an RV trailer, but be sure to check the maximum weight and factor in any of your belongings inside the trailer.

• Use the right trailer hitch, connect brake and signal lights and make sure they are synchronized with your vehicle.

• Be aware of the height of your vehicle. You wouldn’t want to ruin your vacation by getting your RV stuck or damaged by a tree branch or sign.

• If you’ve never pulled a trailer before, you’ll probably find that backing up is the biggest challenge. If possible, get some practice with the help of someone experienced with trailers before heading out on your holiday. And always ask someone to stand outside the vehicle when reversing to avoid any obstacles not seen in your mirrors.

Whether you own or rent your mobile vacation home, it is important to make sure you have adequate insurance coverage before heading out into traffic, according to the Desjardins General Insurance Group advisors.

They suggest that you contact your insurance company with all the details well in advance of your vacation. Recreational vehicles are manufactured by many different companies with a wide assortment of extras and options, all of which should be taken into account in the insurance coverage.

Basically, your RV insurance policy protects you from financial and other losses that may result in the event of an accident or other unforeseen event. It will typically cover three main areas: damage to your vehicle and trailer including your personal property in the unit, public liability and medical coverage.

With the proper insurance coverage, and a sensible, safety-first approach to driving, an RV holiday on the open road could provide a wonderful adventure and memories that last a lifetime. For more RV insurance information and for a quote, visit Desjardins General Insurance at www.desjardinsgeneralinsurance.com.

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