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14 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 11, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Living Oakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Phone: 905-845-3824, ext. 248 Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: angela@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2007 St. Dominic's looking back over 50 years particular year. The countdown began in January with Barbora Hucik and Harrison In 1958, shortly after St. Dominic Marshall who told The Oakville Catholic Elementary School had Beaver that in the same year their opened in 1956/57 on Rebecca Street, school opened 50 years ago, Sputnik the New York Giants won the Super 2 was launched, the Montreal Bowl and the Canadiens won Everly Brothers "Life was a lot different. Back the Stanley Cup, were at the top Pez candy was a then the kids had a lot of difof the charts. fad and actually "My grand- ferent things and interests. used as an altermother has a Today we have computers and native to smokCD from the iPods, back then they made do ing by adults, Everly Bro- wit what they had." Elvis Presley hit thers," said the top of the Logan charts with Natasha Ng, Franklin, 13 Heartbreak St. Dominic's student who now Hotel, the Wizard attends Grade 8 at St. Dominic's. of Oz was popular -- and in the Franklin is among a host of Grade Oakville area, a farmer's chicken laid 8 students who have, since January, a giant egg, according to the Oakville been doing a 50-day countdown Record Star. approaching the school's anniversary The cost of things was low, too. celebration set for Tuesday, April 17. Two raisin pies ran 43 cents, a hair Every school-day morning, a cut put you back $1.50 and you could group of Grade 8 Language Arts stu- get highlights for ten cents, said dents at the school has picked a year Marshall. -- starting at 1956 and working You could also buy 30 acres of toward 2007 -- and just following land for $30,000, said Hucik. morning announcements stage a Meanwhile, Logan and his partbrief "radio" show that includes the ners Krysta Tobin and Michayla top news, music and more for their Caughlin, both also 13, picked up the historical trail for 1958. Then, fast forward to 1982 -- more than a month into the countdown -- and Hucik and Marshall were again at the mic to tell fellow students that Michael Jackson was hugely popular and that The Oakville Beaver was reporting photos of a Loch Ness-type monster had been taken at Crawford Lake and had gone to authorities for verification. "There were tunnels that came from the lake and it was supposed to have come from one of the tunnels," said Hucik, explaining the pair did some research into local news of the day to round out their morning radio show. In more recent days, Natasha Ng and Maria Marin, both 14, were at the mic with their `N&M Radio'. France had beat Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup, the Backstreet Boys were popular in music circles, along with the Spice Girls, Teletubbies were a hit with kids and the Chicago Bulls were at the top in the MBA. Celine Dion had a hit with My Heart Will Go On from Titanic, among the top movies of the year that also included Godzilla, Dr. Dolittle, Mulan and A Bug's Life. LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER 50 YEARS OF FUN: St. Dominic's students Harrison Marshall and Barbora Hucik kicked off their retrospective of 1956/57 when St. Dominic School opened. Pez candy was a fad, Sputnik 2 was launched, Elvis had a hit with Heartbreak Hotel and a local farmer's chicken laid a giant egg. See School page 15 Banner at Oakville Place en route to Africa Oakville's Catherine Mulvale, who survived flesh-eating disease and climbed Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro last summer, is at work on a new project -- Art for Africa. The Hope n' Seek International Mural of Friendship Art Exhibit and Sale saw a giant mural done by Oakville students assembled and suspended from the upper level of Centre Court at Oakville Place yesterday. It will remain there until Sunday before it is sent to the Rafiki Orphan Care Centre in Tanzania as a gesture of friendship later this summer. Individual works of art by local students -- 3,000 Oakville students were invited to contribute -- will also be on sale in Centre Court at Oakville Place today, tomorrow and Friday from 3 - 9 p.m., as well as all day Saturday, April 14. It's hoped the sale will raise $27,000 to build a home for 35 orphans living in the Simanjiro PHOTO COURTESY CATHERINE MULVALE District in Tanzania, Africa. Art for Africa was was born when Mulvale NOTES TO FRIENDS: Oakville graphic designer and artist Julie Atkinson with River Oaks and her husband, Tom, were in Africa last sumGrade 8 students Ben Altman and Angeline Malstrom at work on the banner now on display at mer to lead 37 people to ROAR (Realize Oakville Place before it is sent to Africa. Opportunities to Advance Research) Up Kilimanjaro to raise a minimum $500,000 to Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Kilimanjaro, Mulvale spent six days exploring (AMMI Canada). life in Kampala and Rakai, Uganda. fight infectious diseases. After surviving flesh-eating disease herself, That's where she met the youths she's now Funds raised went to the Canadian Mulvale launched LIFE Hike and Surviving trying to help. Foundation for Infectious Diseases (CFID), When she discovered their way of life and which supports the world's largest association Strep ­ Strategies for LIFE eight years ago. LIFE Hike has raised more than $400,000. they asked if she was going to help them, she of medical microbiologists and infectious disHowever in the six days prior to climbing felt guilty that she was in Africa for a whole difease specialists through the Association of ferent purpose. By last Christmas Mulvale was doing what she could -- urging fellow residents to support the Uganda Orphan Fund -- an organization that aims to help teens achieve a secondary school education and so empower them with opportunity for their futures. Myrna Ronald started the organization and has helped more than 200 Ugandan orphans. Her husband is a highly respected Canadian physician who has spent more than 25 years fighting AIDS and HIV. Now, Mulvale is working on Art for Africa to help the Simanjiro District orphans. "The orphans at the centre currently spend every day in an unbearable situation that calls for an emergency response," said Mulvale, a mother of two. The Rafiki orphans sleep on "beds" that are thin pieces of chewed-up foam laid directly on a dirt floor -- with no pillow or blankets. Land for a new shelter has been donated and the $27,000 to be raised should provide not just a home, but also clean water for drinking and hygiene, everyday supplies for school including clothes, shoes, books as well as grain and livestock to meet nutritional needs. The campaign however will do more than help out today, Mulvale hopes it will have an impact on youths on two continents. See Making page 16