Each week, the Gazette looks back on stories from the past. Here is what happened this week, by year…
1938
– Picton race car driver Louie Hollingsworth suffered multiple injuries in a crash at the Warkworth Fair. The driver took a sharp turn too quickly, causing his car to roll with great force. He suffered a broken arm, a dislocated hip, and a gash on his spine.
-Wellington council passed a motion that it would no longer be paying rent for people receiving financial relief from the Village over the fall and winter months.
– Prince Edward County fruit growers received a major order as the Boy Scouts of Toronto decided to buy McIntosh apples for their annual Apple Day fundraiser from Picton’s cold storage plants. Hundreds of hampers of polished apples were ready to ship.
1948
– As part of a province-wide effort to conserve energy, it was announced Picton would see its power shut off twice daily, from 6:30-7:30 a.m. and 5-6 p.m. Street light use would also be curtailed at 1 a.m. Rural areas had not yet been limited, likely due the need for canning and cheese factories.
– A severe wind storm blew out all the windows on the control tower at the Mountain View air station and completely overturned two homes in the Schoharie area. Fortunately, it did not impact the apple crop.
– Two Toronto men pled guilty in Picton court to carrying a revolver and ammunition in their vehicle without a permit. Const. P. Hicks observed the weapon in the car, which was parked on Main Street.
1978
– The Ministry of Natural Resources seized record books belonging to several local commercial fishermen as part of an ongoing investigation the fisherman believed was on the illegal trade of carp.
– Picton’s 52-room Globe Hotel shut its doors after a former owner foreclosed on operator George Cimermanis’ mortgage. A competing owner, Norman March, of the Rickarton Hotel, said too many liquor licences were granted in town, making it very difficult for the hotels to stay profitable.
– The Prince Edward Board of Education accepted initial plans for the construction of a pool on its property. A community building committee hoped to secure Wintario grants to finance the project.
1998
– Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board chair Ernie Parsons said the board had no plans to close any of its schools to save money. He said most rural boards made big cuts in 1992 and would not realize savings from further cutbacks.
– The County was poised to award Sophiasburgh’s James Neilson a contract for animal control services for 1999 for $80,250 plus impounding and quarantine fees so long as his property was properly zoned by the start of the year. His bid was the lowest of three submitted for consideration.
– A change in the way the Province funded bus transportation in public schools netted the Hastings and Prince Edward board an additional $350,928, a 3.7-per-cent increase.