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Safer Highways An inquest jury in Cobourg recently recommended the con- struction of a concrete barrier on the 401 from the 115135 highway to Trenton. The inquest cores after an acci- dent in Cobourg in 1994 involving a school bus that crossed the open median into the other lanes of traf- fic. Two Toronto men died in the accident. According to statistics, the area between Highway 115-35 and Higbway 28 in Port Hope is one of the worst stretches for cross- over accidents. The soonest that construction for the project can commence is two years from now. This is due to the fact that the stretch in question is slated to be widened from four lanes to six and dividers will be included in the construction. Other recommendations includ- ed winter maintenance and the hir- ing of contractors for providing such services as salting and plow- ing. The right to terminate a con- tractors contract at any time that the Ministry feels they are not fui- filling their obligations to the safe- ty of the people using the highway should be included in future con- tracts. On the day in question, the contracted company did not salt the roads until after the accident due to the fact two drivers did not show up and ore truck would not start. Henry Cuesta and vibe player Frankie Wright took the residents of Wilmot Creek on a trip down memory lane in early May with their collection of danceable music. The event was sponsored by Rice Development, the founders of the community, and raised over $4000 for Memorial Hospital. The ballroom down at The Wheelhouse in Wilmot Creek was a movin' and a shakin' in early May when Henry Cuesta and friends came to town. People had to be turned away from the capac- ity event. The occasion was a fund raiser for Bowmanville's Memorial Hospital. People danced the night away to the romantic and happy sounds, and managed to raise over $4,000 for the hospital in the pro- cess. Mr. Cuesta, who plays at Roy Thompson Hall, brought vibe play- er Frankie Wright and vocalist Jimmy Rogers, a regular on the Lawrence Welk Show. Everyone had a great time. This is just one of the many events that go on in Wilmot Creek, tucked down on the lake at the end of Bennett Road. The area is home to over 600 households, with well kept lawns and flower beds. The people who live in that community really have something to be proud of. and never failing, and with him to the end... - And his powerful strength and courage in meeting his own gradu- al decline.... Those of us fortunate enough to have known Bernie in this last, al too short, but highly creative peri- od of his life, sometimes regret not having known him in his previous incarnations, before he and Mary moved to Kendal. But he was hit- ting his full stride as a creative artist here in the last 6 years, and we saw the actor/ playwright/ poet/ musician/story-teller come to fruition as few artists are able to do in a life time. What riches you have given us and left with us Bernie. How priv- ileged we have been to be here, at this time and place, to see and bear you, and to know you as a friend, a brother, an articulator of our world. We will hold you in our hearts forever, and we salute you as you go on your long, last voyage. The likes of you will not pass this way again. Niva Rowan For anyone wishing to make a donation in Bernie's memory, please send your gift to: Memorial Hospital, 42 Libe ty St. South, Bowmanville, Ontar-o, LIC 2N4. Please specify ycur donation is to go to the P.A.C T. (Palliative At Home and Hospi[al Care Team) Bernie Martin.....friend, artist, concerned citizen This community lost a valued member last week, when Bernie Martin passed away at home after a long bout with cancer. Those of us who knew him well, and the many hundreds who knew him only through his work in the com- munity, know we have Iost a pres- ence whicb can neyer be replaced. We have been privileged to see and hear Bernie during the past 6 years, in ail his mature theatre pieces, his music/poetry concerts, and his story-telling performances, both to adult audiences and to chul- dren in schools. He generously donated many of his plays and con- certs as fund-raisers for SAGA, was active in the local fiddle club for several years. and was always willing to give his time and cre- ativity to local events. Beyond our community, Bernie was a major presence at the Cobourg Waterfront Festival, at school concerts in Durham and Northumberland/Clarington, and at the Fourth Line Theatre for the past two seasons, where he appeared in "Moodie Trail" and "The Great Farini". (Who will ever forget that forlorn black figure facing the back wall at the end of "Farini", as the rest of the cast took their bows But remembering Bernie's own theatre pieces...Where to start? Images come flooding in... The opening scene of "Joe Boss", Bernie lying still in a coffin, and at the end, as he went around the cir- cled audience asking "What can I do to help?". I wonder if Bernie ever knew how much he bas helped us ail? How we identified with his unfullfilled dreams, his painfilled disappointments, his buried anxi- eties? We knew he understood the dark side of our souls, the aspiring hopes, the joy and the bleakness of living. Did he not speak for all of us as he struggled with al] his excess baggage, stumbling around bis kingdom seeking solace in an unattainable fantasy named Osa. only to be misunderstood and rejected once again? How fortu- nate for the few of us who saw the one and only performance of that mythic piece, "PonderOsa" . ..rich in language and metaphor.. .yet so accessible. And "Falton Mas" Bernie's last t eatre gem, full of dark imagery and spare language, conjuring up a other world full of corruption a d mendacity that evoked scenes as vividly as though we had be n with him in Guatamala. Then there was the magie of his story telling, spun together in "Coyote", wild and epic reinvented tales of a rogue trick- ster which he somehow became in the telling. And his last poetry reading, "Horses in Great Numbers", in the Orono Town Hall....How appropri- ate that it was there...that so many of his shows were there....from the first one we saw in 1989, "Voyage of the Common Man", to his final performance, given just last Spring. I've touched on only one aspect of Bernie's genius, for as well as performing and writing his own plays, he directed and produced all of them, composed and played the music, did his own publicity, designed his programs, constructed the sets, applied his own make-up, fabricated his costumes, and even wrote his own press releases. Bernie and his wife, Mary Lofthouse, came to this communi- ty in 1984 to live at Willowbrae, the farmi near Kendal where Mary's aunt, Catherine Stewart lived. Previous to that, Bemie was a vital presence in the art community in London and St. Thomas through the 70's and early 80's. Among other activities, he established an adult puppet theatre in London called Punchinello, which ran suc- cessfully for 3 years. He was com- posing music and writing poetry at tbis time as well, and for many years was painting, producing a significant body of work, and exhibiting at the Art Gallery in St. Thomas. During this time, be also con- structed several sail boats, includ- ing a 34 foot steel-hulied sloop, which he later lived on. But there were so many other facets to Bernie besides his cre- ativity, which must be mentioned... - His passionate concern for the human rights of the underdog... - His despairing awareness of the environnental degradation of the planet... - His love of performing, whether it was a jig on his fiddle for a few friends, an old folk tune on one of his beloved button accor- dians (he had 12 of these wonder- ful instruments), reciting a favourite piece of poetry or telling a new story to a gathering... - His dedication to all forms of creative expression by others, par- ticularly music, old and modern, and the-written word, whether it was poetry or theatre... - His uncanny self-discipline regarding his own work... - His sense of humour, quick RANDY REID Sales & Leasing I'm always available to address any of your questions, and for your convenience, in - home appointments are available any time! 1-800-361-8154 frank PLAPURIA PORT HOPE ONT EI M- ROLPH HARDWARE 537 MAIN STREET, ORONO . 983-5207 TORO 8" TRIMMER SPECIAL OFFER With any purchase of either model of LAWNBOY SILVER SERIES LAWNMOWER CONSUMER WILL RECEIVE FREE OF CHARGE ONE 451-3107 8" TRIMMER Moadel1020145-0989 Model10 004M-1010 Modal 10202 41-09" Nodel 1030245-102à In Memoriam... Bernie Martin