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Huron Expositor, 2000-04-26, Page 1Huron .41 In brief April 26, 2000 $i (includes GST) Local weather .Wednesday -Sunny. High 10 to -13. Thursday -=Increasing cloudiness. Scattered showers. High 15: low 4. • Friday--Cloud.y with showers. High 13. Low 5. Saturday --Mix of -$un . and cloud. Chance of. showers. High. 12. Low .4. - From Environment Cando Bugs take bite out of students atpublic school While attendance is back to normal this week, Seaforth Public School had absentee rates over 10 per cent for a few days last week. "There were a few bugs going through the school;" says Marlene Price, of the Huron County health unit. "We get schools reporting above 10 per cent at various times of the school year, -"—she says. • Schools with more than 10 per cent of their population homesick are asked to notify the health unit: , SPS secretary Joanne Jewitt says students "started dropping like flies" on Friday afternoon of April 14 with about 10 students going home throughout the day. And, then the absentee rate was over 10 per cent last Monday and Tuesday. Illnesses ranged from stomach cramps and vomiting to sore throats to fifth disease, a virus with symptoms that include fever, fatigue, joint aches and.a "slapped cheeks" rash. Power. tools stolen from home Several power tools were stolen from , a workshop located in the back yard of a residence on Sparling Street in Seaforth: The owner reported that someone had .entered the workshop through the front garage doors sometime between April 6 after 6 p.m. and before 10:30 a.m. April,l. Among the tools taken were three sanders, two drills, four battery. chargers with batteries, skill saw, orbital sander, nail gun and several other tools. Anyone knowing any information that could • assist this investigation is asked to -contact the Huron _ OPP or by calling crimestoppers. Inside... Walk of witness.. Pape 5 Students perform Passion Play... P09.7 Scouts raise fundswllh spagei.. Page 10 Video cameras being installed High school site of pilot project to use cameras against vandalism By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Staff Security cameras installed recently at Seaforth District High School are part of a pilot project -to stop vandalism at Avon Maitland District schools, says trustee` Abby Armstrong. She says SDHS and Northwestern Secondary School in Stratford: are the. two sites chosen .by board administration to install the cameras. "If they find :the cameras deter vandalism, they'll do it at more or all of the high schools," says Armstrong. The board's facilities administrator Mike Rau says the four exterior cameras at Seaforth District High School and the two interior cameras in the board office will enhance the existing security system that has been inplace at all Huron County schools for eight years. The exterior cameras take pictures of the driveways, parking lots and entrance of the school while the interior cameras scan the upper and lower hallways of the board office. - The cameras sit on stand- byuntil motion trips the beam. Without them, the existing security system only activates if someone breaks inio the school. Rau says SDHS has had two cases of exterior vandalism during the past year -and -a -half when spray painting caused $3,000 and $1,500 in damages to the school. He says a vehicle was also abandoned at the lower exit door during the past 60 days: . Rau says the security cameras, which the board" bought for $10,000, will save the hoard money in the long run..• "This is nothing new. We've had a security system since 1992 and before that we usedto have high thefts and loss. We've had a significant reduction in vandalism and a significant reduction in, insurance costs," he says. . Rau says the board is also considering the installation of security cameras at one of its elementary schools, which he would not name,.where there has been a significant amount of vandalism. "This is not. unique to Seaforth. We have had a problem with pilfering and vandalism throughout the system," says Armstrong, adding that the cameras -are not in response to the board's recent decision to close the high "school. Armstrong says she received one phone call from. Crucifixion Jesus Christ, played by Brad Henderson, of Seaforth, is crucified during the passion play performed by the Grade 8 class at St. James School last Thursday, Susan Hundertmark photo uartet wins championshi Barbershop quartet voices strike a chord at provincials By SusanHuttdertmark .America (SPEBSQSA), Exposifor Staff displayed on his living room mantle. The -moment when -the four _ While his new quartet._ voices of his barbershop called intrigue, has been quartet come together so - together less than a year, perfectly that the chord rings Campbell says the group is is the moment that Dave "by far the highest calibre Campbell, of Seaforth, loves. • group" of which he's been a "The hair stands up on my member. arms. When a chord rings it His last quartet, called seems like'there are more Pastime, placed second five than four voices singing. times at the provincial level. Getting chords to ring all the "We just couldn't find that time is what we try for," hepert level. We learned the says. • hard way thatyou don't And, after 16 years of. automatically come first in singing in barbershop .these competitions," says quartets, Campbell and his Campbell. new quartet, have won a The other three members' provincial championship and of intrigue, who include Dan will be representing Ontario Wilson, of Dunnville, Al. at an _ international Baker, of Hamilton and Chris competition in July. Arnold, of Kitchener, have "I've been trying to win all sung with different that trophy for a long time," ' quartets over the years. says Campbell of the three- Baker has been to the foot- high trophy from the international competition 18 ' Society for the Preservation times while Wilson has been and Encouragement of twice. Barber Shop Singing in "I'm the rookie of the • group. Everyone is very experienced. The guys 1 sing with you have to work to keep up with ," he says,. The quartet gets together once a week to practise. To get their voices to "line up." Campbell says practices usually consist of working together in duets while the other two members listen and analyse what they're hearing. At the international convention in Kansas City from Tub,2 g_'.. -which Campbell calls "the Stanley Cup of barbershopping." See QUARTET, Paget Dave Campbell a Seaforth resident complaining about the cameras. ' SDHS school council chair Maureen Agar says she's never been informed by any school staff or students about the vandalism at the school." "Usually we talk about these things at school council . . meetings but it was never brought to my attention and $3,000 is a lot of spray paint. You'd think someone would have mentioned it," she says. Agar says she's' heard a . . few comments on the street about the cameras but has not had any parents call to complain. "Most people .are rolling their eyes and asking, 'What next? she says as word spread last week of the plans Ss CAMERAS, Page 2 Firemen gearing up for convention By Brett Jewitt Expositor student staff Four hundred -fully servicedcamp sites are being - built. on the north side of the Agri -plea . for the . Fire Fighters Association of Ontario convention to be hosted this summer by the Seaforth Fire Department. And most of the campsites have been' booked for months. This is the first time in its almost -100 -year history that the Seaforth Fire Department has hosted the convention. Approximately 1,500 people are expected for the event on the civic holiday in August. • Dave Devries, a chair of the FFAO committee in Seaforth, said the main question people ask when they hear - where the convention will be held this year is, "Where's Seaforth?". "This convention will make people a lot • more aware of where Seaforth is. It will be great for this town," said Devries. "People will be coming from the Niagara Region and all the way through to north of Orillia, " he said. The convention starts the night of Aug. 4 with an . evening-ofsocializing.for-all--- -- -- in attendance. 'and ends on Aug. 7 when the fire fighters are planning on having a giant palade that will start at 10 a.m. that morning. The parade will be run on the usual Santa Claus parade route, starting at Optimist Park, and finishing at the arena. ;e weekend of activities will all be centered around the Agri-plex and curling club, and will include such things as a beauty pageant, firefighter games, as well as more than one parade. "We have a lot of fun with things like the pageant, but we do have a serious side too with the memorial parade and our meetings." said Devries. "It is hoped that Seaforth will have a millennium celebration in conjunction Sas COMMUNITY, Pop. 2 Your community newspaper since 1860