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Orono Weekly limes, Wednesday, November 22,2000 - 17 Bereaved Families of Ontario ■ Durham Region Angels' tree of light memorial service The holiday season can be difficult for families who have lost a loved one. Bereaved Families of Ontario - Durham Region will be holding the fifth annual memorial service to remember and honour our loved ones by placing an angel In their memory on the Angels' Tree of Light at the Durham Board of Education building, 400 Taunton Road, Whitby on December 6, 2000 at 7:15 p.m. The tree Is taken down In January and angels will be available to be picked up at our office at 1050 Slmcoe St. North, Oshawa. Your donation will place a special angel on the tree with a ribbon and the name of the person you wish to remember remember will be written orl each angel. In addition, all names will appear on a memorial plaque located next to the tree. Donations to the "Angels* Tree" will assist us to fCommunity Events ORONO FIREFIGHTERS FOOD DRIVE Due to circumstances the food drive that was scheduled for last weekend will be this Sunday, November 26 starting at 12 noon. If we miss you please drop off your non-perishable food items at the Orono Firehall, Main St. ORONO BIA WINE & CHEESE RECEPTION The Orono BIA will be electing their new board of directors at a Wine and Cheese reception to be held on Tuesday, December 5,2000, at the Orono Town Hall, from 5 - 7 p.m. All local businesses businesses are invited to attend. CHRISTMAS CONCERT The Newcastle & District Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual free Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 3, at 1:00 p.m. at the Newcastle Community Hall. Join us for Christmas Carols, refreshments, and of course a visit from Santa. Please bring a non-perishable food item for the Food Bank, , CANADIAN RED CROSS Emergency and Standard First Aid Courses are available on the following dates: December 2, 3 and December 16, 17/00. Please call (905) 723-2933 to register. . « COMMUNITY CARE ADULT DAY PROGRAM Their annual Christmas Craft & Bake Sale is being held on Saturday, November 25th from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The program is located on 20 Robert St. W. in Newcastle. J RECYCLE HORSES Colonial Cquetftrian Centre HORSEBACK RIDING Colonial Equestrian Centre 3706 Rundle Rd. (Courtice) is now accepting new students (children & adults) for our riding and horsemanship horsemanship programs, summer camps, etc. For further information or to register call: 1 (905) 623-7336 Home of the Bowmanville Pony Club WILLOW SPRINGS FARM Horses • Boarding • Training • Youngsters a Specialty Townline Rd. N. Bowmanville (905)263-2678 Call Paul & leave message tfn provide ongoing support through programming and public education to families throughout Durham Region who have lost a child through death. Our services are expanding In the new year to Include children and adolescents adolescents who are grieving. To obtain your special angel or for more Information, Information, please call BFO- Durham at 905-579-4293 or toll free 1-800-387-4870. Or contact us through e-mail "bfodurham@sympatlco.ca". Come and visit us oil the Net at "www.bfodurham.net". Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $25.00 or more. An invitation is extended to all to join us at the dedication dedication service on December 6, 2000. Help us light the Angels' Tree of Light In memory memory of our loved ones. Orono's Joe By: Myno Van Dyke This past summer, I noticed Gerald "Robbie" Robinson up on the roof of the new bandstand beside the Library. Robbie, along with Francis Quantrill, was putting the finishing touches on the wood-shingled roof. It is a great addition to our community community and will provide much enjoyment for the residents in the future and all because of great volunteers and community community spirit. Many years ago, another man named Robinson, no relation to Gerald, had an incident on the roof of the original Orono Bandstand. According to the book, "Out of the Mists" by Helen Schmid and Sid Rutherford, the first bandstand was built in 1895. The members of the Orono Band, under the direction direction of David Morrison, first constructed the bandstand on a vacant lot just north of the Town Hall and later it was moved near the "V" intersection intersection of Mill and Main Street across from the Hotel. Here, on Saturday nights, the Band would put on concerts A "part- negro", named. Joe Robinson, would "pass the hat" for donations. The story about Joe Robinson, as outlined in the above book, is an interesting one. Robinson was bom in Cobourg in 1859 and came to Orono as a young boy to live with his sister Margaret (Mrs. Reuben Weriy). It appears his first job was working at the Bennett Hotel in Bowmanville, looking after the horses there and later he cared for Dr. Renwick's horses horses in Orono. During the 1880's he worked for the Dunsford Stage Line. He would drive the stage, which was pulled by "two small black French ponies" to the Grand Trunk Railway station in Newcastle and return back to Orono with any freight, mail or passengers. After he got back to Orono, he would get on a horse and deliver mail to Leskard. The story goes, that often these stage coach drivers would consume liberal amounts of alcohol- during the trip and literally "fall off the wagon". The horses, however, knew the way and would still-arrive in Orono, with the load intact, and no driver. Joe also had anothér interesting interesting job in Orono that had very serious consequences.' These were the prohibition days and you weren't allowed to consume alcohol in the vil lage. Consequently, there were people who would try their best to enforce these rules and one of them was Robert Knox, Joe's job was to sit on the roof of the bandstand. bandstand. From there he could see if Mr.Knox was walking south from his home at 36 Mill Street toward the bandstand. bandstand. Then he would warn the others assembled below. Unfortunately, in August of 1904, Joe had been drinking up there, fell asleep, and tumbled tumbled onto the ground. He broke a leg and became partially partially paralyzed . By looking at the photograph of Joe in "Out of the Mists", he ended up with both wrists badly deformed. He was taken to Toronto and spent a long time there in a hospital. He wasn't seen walking around the village village again until June of 1906. Later that year, the villagers had a benefit concert, for Joe. In 1915, Joe and his sister Margaret Werry found themselves themselves in dire need of a better house. Through- contributions, contributions, the village residents helped construct a new home for them on the lot just south of the home they were in. This house, at 5150 Main Street, is now the residence of Gord and Marjorie Lowery. Marjorie says that some time ago she found Joe's fedora.in the attic. In November of 1919, the village raised another $150.00 in a benefit for Joe. Later, Joe worked as an agent for the Star Weekly and would often sit in front of the bàrber shop (where the bakery is now) and sell his papers. He would also carry mail to residents in the Village and do other odd jobs. When he died in 1942, he was pronounced dead by Dr. McKenzie. His obituary in the Orono Weekly Times referred to him as "Our Joe" and stated that he was "always trustworthy". trustworthy". bam sure that in the late 1800's, a"half-negro" man or woman would not have been treated very well. However, 1 Joe Robinson, through hard work and determination, obviously earned the respect, trust and admiration of this community. Unfortunately, he ended up with a physical disability and likely more than his share of discrimination. discrimination. He lived to be 83 years of age and is buried in an unmarked grave at the Orono Cemetery. This past summer we saw an incredible amount of community community spirit come forward to build the beautiful new band shell and organize the incredible incredible band concerts. Orono still has that great community spirit, just like in Joe's time. (*Note-Information from this article supplied from the Archives of Helen Schmid ) SUBSCRIBE TO TH E ORONO WEEKLY TIMES $25.00 Call me to buy or sell... Orono and area's real estate representative... Krystyna Jones 983-6013 Sutton Group Dynamic Realty Inc. Bowmanville (905) 697-1700 2 K *