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Friday, October 10, 2008 |
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IN MISSISSIPPI: The cop
OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. -- A park in this town is safer today, thanks to an Ontario police officer here with a group of London volunteers.
But as he raked, and snipped and bagged debris alongside teachers and students here on a service trip through the London and District Catholic school board, Rektor couldn't help but notice something. The park, which sits across from an elementary school, was filled with high shrubs and trees, making it ripe for crime. "The first thing I noticed was that there were still a lot of remnants left from Katrina. Clothes, hoses, yard equipment and all this debris," Rektor said. Before the group was done cleaning up, Rektor and his team had redesigned the park. "We made sure the shrubs were no higher than three feet (one metre), and the trees were cleared up as high as seven feet (2 1/3 metres). Now people can see in the park, you can't go in there and hide." Using vacation time to come here as a volunteer, Rektor is the only adult on the trip not employed by the school board. His connection to this trip is his friend Dave Schiller, a trauma counsellor and former Catholic Central teacher who has been here on volunteer missions before. Since last Thursday, Rektor has become known as Sarge to the teenagers here from John Paul II secondary school and Catholic Central high and has taken on a role as friend to many who enjoy his constant quick wit. Jennifer O'Brien is a Free Press reporter.
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E-MAIL: Jennifer O'Brien