Each week, the Gazette looks back on stories from the past. Here is what happened this week, by year…
1938
– Gerald Hunt, 13, was back in Prince Edward County and resting after having a nail removed from his lung in seldom performed surgery. Doctors made three unsuccessful attempts to remove the nail he accidentally swallowed before successfully removing it.
– Local composer Gena Branscombe was to conduct a series of coast-to-coast performances of her Christmas music in the United States, including a Christmas Eve concert on the NBC radio network.
– A rise in theft of parcels from unlocked cars prompted police to issue a warning. A Milford woman had clothing stolen, while a Bloomfield resident had groceries and other items taken while in Picton.
1948
– After two women were attacked at night on Picton streets, the town replaced street lights that had been removed to conserve power. Every second street light on streets other than Main and King had been removed.To meet power restrictions, the lights would be turned off at midnight instead of 1 a.m. except on weekends.
– The Wellington Consolidated School was offering special afternoon and evening classes to help the wave of Dutch immigrants to the community to learn English and to learn about Canadian citizenship.
– The Ontario School Trustees and Ratepayers Association set up a Prince Edward County chapter. The education advocacy group was operating in 35 different counties
1978
– Bloomfield reeve Ben Prinzen, 37, was successful in his first bid for the Prince Edward County warden’s chair. He out polled Hallowell’s William Rutherford and Ameliasburgh’s Paul Boyd during a closed meeting to earn the top job.
– The federal government voted to impose a 17-per-cent tariff on imported tomatoes and other ultra-cheap fruit from several countries, including Taiwan. The move was being seen as a positive for Ontario growers, including those in the county who filled the lion’s share of the tomato market.
– Athol Township council unanimously decided it would not support a drive for a pool in Picton as it did not wish to add an additional tax burden for its ratepayers.
1998
– County councillors voted to take their contract negotiations with the OPP into closed session. The main sticking point in the negotiations was the method for paying for policing. The OPP presented a price of $2.7 million based on the average cost of policing across Ontario. The County wished to pay the actual cost of services to an upset limit over five years.
– The Quinte Healthcare Corporation planned to creat a medical manpower plan to attract general practitioners and specialists in light of a doctor shortage in th region.
– North Marysburgh councillor Frank Smith tabled a motion to create a deputy mayor position to fill in for Mayor James Taylor if he was unable to meet deadlines.