Each week, the Gazette looks back on stories from the past. Here is what happened this week, by year…

1923

• Through the efforts of Mr. C. Clapp Spencer, Secretary of the Picton Motor Club, Picton, is to be honored by being included in this year’s tour of the Michigan Pikers’ Association and the Detroit Automobile Club. The annual tour of the Michigan Pikers has become famous among motorists as one of the big motoring events of the year.
• At Monday evening’s adjourned Council meeting, Mr. James L. Shepard was appointed Market Clerk. Mr. Sheppard held this position for several years, resigning about three years ago to engage in farming.
• Magistrate Williams found a resident of Hastings County guilty on three charges and imposed total fines and costs amounting to $72.80. Being unable to pay, he went to the lock-up for the night when his brother came to his rescue, paying $50 to the court and becoming his surety for the balance.

1943

• M. C. McPhail, principal Kemptville Agricultural School, was guest speaker at a dinner organized for the Prince Edward Agricultural War Committee at the Royal Hotel. His message to county farmers was related to the necessity of increasing agricultural production.
• Mr. Bert Moran, R. 1 Demorestville, has been appointed District Placement Officer in the Ontario Farm Service Force. He will be supervisor for Prince Edward, Hastings, Northumberland, Lennox and Eddington and Frontenac Counties.
• At the Agricultural War Committee dinner, several emphatic resolutions were unanimously carried to demand new deals for the farmers, if production goals are to be reached. The presentation and passing of these motions were accompanied by pungent and fearless comment on the necessity for a different type of planning or administration concerning the basically most important production of food products.

1973

• Master Jeffrey Smith, son of Mr. And Mrs. Ronald Smith, Wellington recently auditioned for a singing part with Showcase 73, and was successful in his endeavours. He is the youngest performer in the show and adds a delightful credit to this year’s Artfest.
• Miss Emilia Kripaitis was honored by the administration and staff of Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital as the first person to have reached the 25 year mark in employment at the hospital. Many of her friends were present as Bill Cooke, P.E.C.M.H. Administrator introduced the guest of honor.
• Award of the first contract for construction of facilities that are part of the expansion of the Picton manufacturing plant of Lake Ontario Cement Limited was amounted by William M. Bateman, president. Hugh Murray Ltd., a general contracting firm from Belleville, will commence work immediately.

1983

• Good natured banter between army and Air Force veterans preceded a talk by former Lt.-Col. William Tytula, as nearly 70 people gathered in Wellington to honor Branch 160’s Great War veterans at a Vimy banquet.
• Telephone users in the Bloomfield and Wellington exchanges have approved the elimination of long distance charges on calls between this villages and Belleville. The change was instigated after a survey revealed more than 63 per cent of the Bloomfield respondents and 85 per cent of Wellington respondents favored the new arrangement.
• The population study of Picton and its surrounding area is finally in the hands of local officials after four months of work by a summer student and seven months of review, revision and procrastination by the county’s planning bodies. But the study, started in early last summer by Queen’s University master’s student Robert Taylor and paid for mainly by the province, may have been well worth the wait.