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Wednesday April 25, 2001 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A5 Forensic pathologist' s presentation not for squeamish By Kim Arnott SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Unlike on television, real life forensic pathologists don't solve crimes singlehandedly and can't pinpoint the rime of death down to the exact minute. But w hat they can do is gather togeth er the scientific clues the body reveals after death to create a picture o f how and when a death probably occurred, accord ing to Dr. Chitra Rao, head o f the region al forensic pathology unit. As part of special events surrounding National Medical Laboratory Week, Dr. Rao gave a speech entitled "A Day in the Life o f a Forensic Pathologist" at The dead provide vital clues to the living Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital last week. Although she works out o f Hamilton, Dr. Rao is responsible for investigating suspicious deaths that take place any where in the Hamilton, Halton, Niagara and Kitchener-Waterloo areas. Among others, she does autopsies on people who have died suddenly, in indus trial accidents, in institutions, by suicide or by suspected homicide. By looking at the scene o f death, col lecting information on body temperature, rigidity, coloration and injuries, forensic pathologists can often offer police infor mation on the cause, time and place of death. And while paperbacks and television may paint the job o f a forensic patholo gist as glamorous, it clearly isn't a pretty one. Arm ed with slides o f dead bodies in varying stages o f decomposition and autopsy, Dr. Rao elicited gasps and groans from the audience as she pointed out examples o f the types o f clues that lead forensic pathologists to make their determinations. For example, she showed the audi ence, a body that has been dead for three to four days will usually show swelling, blistering, some skin peering and early signs o f decomposition. Another slide demonstrated a black ened, m aggot-infested body that had been found about three w eeks after death. In cases like that, Dr. Rao noted, the pathologist may ask for the help o f a insect expert, who can analysis the rife stages o f the maggot to determine how long the person has been dead. Forensic pathologists can determine if a body has been moved from its original place o f death, and whether injuries occurred before or after death. They are also responsible for collecting any crime evidence that might be found on the body, under fingernails or in the hair and reporting their findings to the police. But while forensic pathologists may help to put together the pieces o f a puz zling death, they can't solve the crime or point fingers, Dr. Rao added. "A s a pathologist, you can only go to court and give your findings -- you can't say who did it," she said. "You are not a witness for the defense or the prosecu tion. It's up to the court to say w ho's guilty or not guilty." Top spellers compete here Saturday By A n g e la B la c k b u rn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF O n y o u r m ark, g et set, spell. A nnual S p ellin g B ee o f C a n a d a se m i-fin als are co m in g up an d in O ak v ille, th e y 'll be on S at. A p ril 28. S p ell-o ffs are b ein g h eld in 12 re g io n s a c ro s s s o u th e rn O n ta rio reg io n s w ith O a k v ille 's at 9 a.m . at the O ak v ille C h ristia n S ch o o l, 112 T hird L ine. "T he n u m b e r one p rio rity is to have fun. A t th e en d o f the d ay th ere w ill be a first, se co n d an d th ird p lace fin ish e r b u t e v e ry b o d y is a w in n er," sa id a re a c o -o rd in a to r B arb A g ard -R ay m o n d . T he O ak v ille re sid e n t is a p ro je c t m an ag er by p ro fe ssio n . S he to o k on the v o lu n te e r jo b to g iv e b ac k to the co m m unity. Yet th a t c h a n g e d w h en th e m o th er o f a le a rn in g d isa b le d ch ild c a lle d to sign up the ch ild w ho is n 't good a t sp o rts, b u t is a sp e llin g w h iz. " F ro m th en on, I w as d o in g it fo r th e c h ild re n ," said A g ard -R ay m o n d , w h o is h e lp e d by a te am o f v o lu n te ers an d sp o n so rs. A n d th a n k g o o d n e s s. O a k v ille h a s n 't p a rtic ip a te d as a reg io n in the S p e llin g B ee fo r s e v e ra l y e a rs b e c a u se o f a la ck o f v o lu n te ers. T h is year, y o u th s h av e b ee n sig n ing up sin ce F eb ru ary . O f th e to tal 2 ,0 0 0 stu d e n ts w ho to o k on th e bee, 105 o f th em are fro m O ak v ille. T h ey p aid th e ir $11 fee an d have b ee n p o rin g o v e r th e ir stu d y m a n u al. T h ey ev en to o k p a rt in a m ock sp e llin g bee. "T h e y 're all w o rd s ch ild re n th e ir ag es sh o u ld know how to sp e ll," a ssu re d A g ard -R ay m o n d . T h e C o n c ise O x fo rd D ictio n ary is the o ffic ia l d ic tio n a ry o f S p ellin g B ee o f C a n a d a , w h ich h as b een a ro u n d sin c e 1987 a n d a im s to en h a n c e th e sp e llin g ab ility , gram m ar an d v o ca b u la ry o f y o u th s. S p e llin g b e e c a te g o rie s c o v e r fo u r age g ro u p s: P rim ary (ag es 6 a n d 7 ); J u n io r (a g e s 8 an d 9 ); I n te rm e d ia te (1 0 a n d 11); an d , S en io r (12 an d 13). F o r ea ch ca te g o ry th e re w ill be ju d g e s, w o rd k e ep e rs, re so u rc e p e r sons an d ev en an a rb ite r to en su re p lay g o es sm o o th ly an d ru les are fo llo w ed o n ce th e S p ell M istress c a lls o u t a w ord. T h e sp e llin g b ee h ap p e n s o v er the co u rse o f the day and ea ch c a te g o ry b eg in s w ith an in sp ira tio n a l ad d re ss by a lo cal yo u th . A ll p a rtic ip a n ts w ill re c e iv e c e r tific a te s an d a g o o d y bag . F irst, se c o n d an d th ird p la ce fin ish e rs w ill re c e iv e p rize s eq u al to a $ 1 0 0 , $50 an d $25 v alu e, resp ectiv ely . Top fin ish e rs w ill m o v e on to the C h a m p io n sh ip F in a ls on S u n d ay , Ju n e 3 at T o ro n to 's M e tro H all w h ere p rize s w ill ran g e fro m g ift c e rtific a te s to co m p u ters. S p e c ta to rs are alw a y s w elco m e. A g ard -R ay m o n d said p a rtic ip a t ing y o u th s h ail fro m all o v er to w n an d all e d u c a tio n a l secto rs fro m p ri v ate to the h o m e -sc h o o le d . T h ey a lso ran g e fro m the v ery e n th u s ia s tic to th o se w h o se m o th e r to n g u e is n 't E n g lish . A t d a y 's en d , A g a rd -R a y m o n d said the k id s w ill h av e le arn ed new w o rd s , m e t n ew p e o p le , g a in e d e x p e rie n c e a t c o m p e tin g , p u b lic sp e a k in g , an d s e lf-c o n fid e n c e -- and h o p efu lly h av e a fu n m em o ry to ca rry th ro u g h life. St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School an independent day school for girls from Junior Kindergarten to University Entrance cordially invites you to its OPEN HOUSE S at., A pril 2 8 , 2001 10 a .m . - 2 p .m . Trio to a n s w e r d ru g c h a rg e s Ju n e 5 T hree people facing drug traf fick in g ch a rg es w ill be b ac k in court June 5. The. trio - com p rised o f a m an and a w om an from O akville and another m an from M ississauga - is sch ed u led to ap p e ar in O akville P ro v in cial C ourt to set a date for trial. A cco rding to H alton R egional P olice, the charges stem fro m an incident on M arch 7 in w hich a vehicle w as stopped in the K err S treet area resultin g in the arrest o f its occupants and the seizure o f 60 gram s o f cocaine. P olice say the p o tential street value o f the drugs w as $6,000. L id u n io S ilv a , 25, o f F o u rth L ine; D anielle M acN evin, 22, o f K err S treet and R o g er D utra, 29, o f S unny H ill D rive in M ississauga, are all charged w ith p o ssessio n for the purpose o f trafficking. T he th re e m ad e th e ir first appearance in co u rt on A pril 17. Find out how our enriched academic and co-curricular programmes equip our students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to succeed and lead in the 21 st century. Visit our new Enhanced Learning Centre, an additional 9,250 square foot facility created to foster integrated and independent learning through various applications of wired and wireless technology. St. M ildred's-Lightbourn School 1080 Unbrook Rd., Oakville, On. L6J 2L1 Tel.: (905) 8 4 5 -2 3 8 6 (905) 8 4 5 -9 9 8 0 Admissions dir. line Fax: (905) 8 4 5 -4 7 9 9 www.smls.on.ca F ou nded 1891 H O M ETBRATRJ Savings on the Home T heatre o f yo u r choice hij · P io n e e r E l i t e · T o s h ib a · K e n w o o d HE! 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Involve me, and 1 uill learn." For Information call w w w .laserland.com /source/ (905) 469-2944 I Hours of operation: Mon. - Fri. 10:130-8:30 Sat. 10:00-6:00 Sun. Closed Abbeywood Dr. Oakville (north of QEW off 3rd Line )