Each week, the Gazette looks back on stories from the past. Here is what happened this week, by year…
1928
– A county resident faced a $200 fine and a month’s jail time after police located a large still hidden behind a kitchen cupboard. Police said the still would be capable of producing a large quantity of moonshine. A quantity of mash was also seized from the residence.
– A Rossmore man suffered two broken ankles and severe internal injuries after being struck by a car. The man stepped out of his car to allow a passenger out and did not see the other car coming at a speed of 15 miles per hour. n
– Baseball organizers met to confirm a six-team schedule for intermediate baseball in the Bay of Quinte region that season. Three county teams were set to participate.
1948
– Picton deputy-reeve Robert Cockburn left a council meeting in progress to protest the town’s payment of a court-ordered $400 claim against the McFarland Construction Company for trespassing on private property while working on behalf of the town. He said he felt the town paying would set a bad precedent.
– The D. Allan Jarvis Fish Market on Bowery Street found a high demand for sun fish from customers in Georgia, who trucked the “delicacy” to the southern state. Due to the demand, the price the market paid fishermen was up five-fold.
– Ontario electors were to go to the polls June 7 after Premier George Drew made a surprise Friday afternoon election call.
1978
– Thomas J. Bata welcomed dignitaries to the official re-opening of his 35-year-old Picton shoe plant, which was modernized and expanded to 14,000 square feet — more than double the size. A state-of-the-art solar heating system was installed.
– The Anti-Inflation Board ordered Picton to deduct $20 a week from public works employees over a period of at least nine months after the town overpaid them in 1977 after the town was late in submitting its ratified collective bargaining agreement to the board for its approval.
– The Ontario Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court ruling that a PECI teacher used reasonable force in an incident that saw a student sustain a broken arm.
1998
– County council voted 13-3 to schedule regular closed-door caucus meetings, subject to legal clarification. Councillors supporting the motion stated councillors could discuss ideas, stories, or rumours without mudslinging. Others suggested the meetings were too broad in scope.
– The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board predicted an operating budget of $127.9 million, but they weren’t sure how they could use the money after the province took control of education taxation and promised school boards grants.
– Facilitator Dale Martin was reporting the province should retain ferry ownership at Glenora and not impose tolls for service on a connecting link of a provincial highway.