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York Regional Police were told sexual assaults occurred in Whitchurch-Stoufiville and Markham after young people were befriended and went to homes located in those towns, said sexual assault unit Det- Oonst. IoeWillmets. BY JOE FANTAUZZI jfantauzzi@yrmg. com TWO men charged after police were told about sexual assaults in Miitchurch-Stouffirille and Markham are to appear in court again Friday. Teens, girl sexually assaulted: police York police investigators were told three male youths were sex- ually assaulted by a man. Investi- gators were told the youths were 14, 15 and 17 when the incidents in 2007. lice have also linked a sex- ual assault against a girl who was five years old between December 1999 and March 2000 to the same Investigators were also told a boy was sexually assaulted by a manin2009.Theboywa515at the time. Police were told the inci- dents occurred at homes in the Whitchurch-Stouffville and SIOUFFVILLE MEI CHARGED Egg Jig Sec MEN page 7. THURSDAYJULYLZMO I SERVWGWECOMUNITYOFWHWSTOUFFVILE I 20PAG£SI$1INCLUDNGGST HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CANADAI CELEBRATE THE DAY IN MEMORIAL PARK BY SANDRA BOLAN sbolan @yrmg. com More than 35,000 people are expected to descend upon Stouffville’s downtown area starting today through to Sunday to cel- ebrate the almighty strawberry. “It's the tOWn’s largest event for the year and it’s probably one of York Region's last remaining free Ella Passafiume, 3, holds up a basket of Stoufiville’s finest as she and her siblings, Eden, 7 (left), Elora, 9, and Evan, 5, pick stawberries at their famile Applewood Farm Winery on McGowan Road Tuesday. There will be plenty of berries at this week‘s Strawberry Festival in downtown Smuflvifle. 35,000 coming over for strawberries festivals,” said Kristina 'Ibomey, event co-ordinator for the 26th annual Whitchurch-Stouffville The schedule gets underway at 11 am. today with the opening of the carnival on Park Drive, pet- ting zoo at Sangster’s Grove and the Whitchurch-Stouffville Minor Hockey As‘sociation ball hockey FESTIVALWEEK tournament on the Memorial Park tennis couns. The Stouflville Lions’ beef bar- becue runs from 4:30 to 7 pm. in the Memorial Park Pavilion. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12.50 for seniors and children. About 1,000 people attend annually. The People’s Parade heads down Main Street at 5 pm. The street will WHTTCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY be closed to traflic from 4 to 6 pm. in the downtown core. At 6:30 p.111. the official open- ing ceremonies will take place at Memorial Park's marquee in the softball diamond. Included are pre- sentations to the Sun-Tfibune's citi- zen of the year, loan Doble, and the nadanay ‘ ugBaskots STAFF PHOTO/SJOERD WlTTEVEEN See FOOD. page 8‘ 0313.59 W