The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Wednesdsay April 26, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A3 To would-be illusionists, police officer is Magic Mike magic camp in New York that has been around for 25 years, but is very expen sive, and another in Los Angeles that has He can't make your speeding ticket been around for six years. The difficulty finding someone to disappear, but give Halton Regional Police Constable A1 Grose a deck of teach the tricks of the trade and the con cards, a coin or any other small object sequent solitary pursuit of magic is and he will make them vanish in an something even well known names in magic have experienced. instant. For this reason, some of the biggest Six years ago, Grose took up magic as a way of rehabilitating his hand after names in magic have given Sorcerer's a serious injury. It quickly became an all Summer Safari their support. David Copperfield, Siegfried & Roy consuming passion. Learning the tricks to create the illu and Lance Burton, for example, have all sion of magic, however, was not easy. endorsed Sorcerer's Summer Safari and There were no workshops and the only donated a variety of prizes. Magic Mike hand picks all the resources available were books. instructors and counsellors who are, for So when Magic Mike, a full time magician, approached him three years the most part, professional magicians. `T o hire them would cost a lot of ago, after seeing Grose perform at a magic club, and asked him to become money, but they all volunteer," said involved in a camp designed to teach Magic Mike. `They are performing kids the secrets of magic, he agreed magicians from right across Canada and the States." without hesitation Last year Johnny Ace Palmer, a For the past three summers he has given up a week of vacation time to vol world champion magician and a gold unteer at the camp, called Sorcerer's medal winner at the Magic Olympics Summer Safari, for aspiring magicians (held once every four years like the sports Olympics) David Acer and Jay between the ages of 8 and 18 years. "I hardly consider it work," said Sankey were just some of the special Grose. "I reap as many benefits as I give guests who instructed at the camp. Camp Tamarack in Ontario's because while I do instruct there, I'm also in contact with some of the most Muskoka region, two hours north of Toronto, plays host to Sorcerer's incredible magicians in the world." Magic Mike, who has made numer Summer Safari from August 8th-18th. Situated on 1,000 acres of pristine ous television appearances and is cur rently running a magic workshop at the land adjoining a private lake, Camp Royal Ontario Museum, started the Tamarack features a stage with fully camp in 1996 as a way of giving some functional lighting and sound equip ment, a large practice studio, and full thing back. "It was very, very difficult to learn video and post production facilities. The cost is $600 for the week and this stuff (magic) just starting off, so I always had it in my mind that if it was includes transportation, meals, and pro ever within my ability I would do some fessional magic props. No more than 60 thing to make, magic easier for young participants are accepted to ensure an people to get into as a hobby," said optimal learning experience and one-onone time with the instructing magicians. Magic Mike. "We focus on the fact magic is a per Sorcerer's Summer Safari is the only one of its kind in Canada and one of formance art, so it is not just learning three in North America. There is a tricks, there is stage craft, movement on By Sandra Omand SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER M agic Mike (above) does his thing while another camp instructor goes through som e card tricks for a rapt audience stage, choreography and voice projec tion that is taught," said Magic Mike. `T he kids are learning life skills," added Grose. "Many of the kids are very shy at the beginning, but by the end of the week they are transformed." According to Grose, the children and teenagers that attend the camp are so keen on learning magic they often have to remind them to swim and participate in the daily outdoor activities. "Left to themselves they would do magic non-stop," said Grose. Magic Mike laughingly reminded Grose that he has missed lunch more than once after becoming absorbed in helping a camper master an illusion. "After the lecture, I was asked about perfecting a trick and the next thing I knew an hour had passed by," explained Grose with a shrug. According to Grose and Magic Mike, this is what magic is about: practice. The magic, according to Grose, comes from the audience. "The most important part about magic is the audience. With someone else it becomes magic." . Grose also compares magic to music in that it is a universal language that can break down barriers. This aspect of magic has come in handy more than a few times in Grose's job as a police officer. "It has helped in a couple of incidents at work, if you're trying to warm-up a child you have to interview," said Grose. "It helps them see beyond the uniform." Meanwhile Grose's son is showing signs of following in his father's foot steps. The four-year-old has mastered the technique of making a handkerchief disappear but, like his father, unfortu nately cannot doing anything about speeding tickets. For more information about Sorcerer's Summer Safari contact the camp's Toronto office at (416) 322-1442 or email: magic.mike@sympatico.ca The Little Treasures Clothing C om pany Inc. For your diamonds in the Rough falling all newm om s or m om s tobe H a lto n H ealthcare C H A RITA Blt CORPORATION Nearly New Maternity Clothing Small - Xlarge N ew! Breast is Best-Nursing Wear N ew! Butterfly Weed Herll^ls Herbal Solutions for new moms & babies ! N ew! Preemie Clothing to ;81bs arriving May 2000 New! Baby gift ideas 2 6 5 C h u r c h S tr e e t, O a k v ille Thank You! (9 0 5 ) 8 4 4 -8 4 6 6 Volkswagen. Proud supporter of your disposable income. The Hospitals of Halton Healthcare Services - Oakvillec Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and Milton District Hospital - were proud recipients of more than $500,000 raised by the Community Foundation of Oakville's 1999 Great Dream Home Lottery. We were delighted to be part of this wonderful initiative and extend our thanks to the Community Foundation of Oakville for including us in their plans. We'd also like to thank the members of the Auxiliary to Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital for assisting in the sale of the lottery tickets and to everyone who purchased a ticket, making the 1999 lottery a sold-out success! The proceeds received by the OTMH Charitable Corporation from the 1999 Lottery have been directed towards the purchase of urgent equipment in the Maternal Child area of the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Together, we can help make our community better! Passat G LS Passat GLS G et the solid, gracefully designed, G erm an engineered 2 0 0 0 Passat and have a few bucks left over to pay your mortgage, eat, put clothes on your back. You know the little things in life. s3 9 9 '/m o . 3 6 m o n th le a s e $ 1.999 due at skpvng (plus 1" mo. pay.. *e<- dep. PDv ms.. Sc. and taxes) Drivers wanted; < § > · O ffe r a p p lie s to. a 3 6 -m o n th le a s e fo r a 2 0 0 0 P a s s a t G L S A u to m a tic a n d in c lu d e s fre ig h t. $ 1 ,9 9 9 d o w n p a y m e n t, $ 3 9 8 .9 5 firs t m o n th 's p a y m e n t a n d re fu n d a b le s e c u rity d e p o s it o f $ 4 5 0 re q u ire d a t tim e o f tra n s a c tio n . P D I, in s u ra n c e lic e n s e , a n d a p p lic a b le ta x e s e x tra . M o n th ly p a y m e n ts totaL $1 4 ,3 6 2 .2 0 . L e s s e e re s p o n s ib le fo r in s u ra n c e . A t le a s e end, le s s e e re s p o n s ib le fo r $ 0 .1 0 /k m o v e r 6 0 ,0 0 0 k m , fo r d a m a g e a n d e x c e s s iv e w e a r. R e q u ire s V W C re d it C a n a d a , Inc. a p p ro v a l a n d d e a le r p a rtic ip a tio n . D e a le r m a y le a s e fo r les s . L e a s e ra te is b a s e d o n a n a n n u a l in te re s t ra te o f 6 .9 1 2 % . S e e d e a le r fo r fu ll d e ta ils a n d p u rc h a s e o p tio n . O ffe r e n d s A p ril 30, 2 0 0 0 . S u p p lie s a re lim ite d . C 2 0 0 0 V o lk s w a g e n . O a k v ille V o lk s w a g e n 5 5 7 K e rr S tre e t, O a k v ille (9 0 5 ) 8 4 4 -3 2 8 5 I h n b e H a n d O a k v i l l e S/toe* C/ofb* t 2 16 L a k e s h o r e R oad E a s t 9 0 5 - 8 4 9 - 4 19 0 N o w S a v e 20% O f f T h e E n t i r e S t o r e !