70 Years Ago
July 28, 1948
– Lennox and Addington County council resolved a dispute over equalized assessment of its member municipalities. South Fredericksburgh was challenging an increase of $15,000 assessment per year, which was driven by the inclusion of the Sandhurst airport. A deal was reached where South Fredericksburgh would see $12,215 of its assessment bill transferred to Napanee.
– The Marlbank general store, which also housed the village’s post office, was partially destroyed by an early evening fire. The store operators, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse York were awakened by their daughter coughing at about 2:30 a.m. as they found their home at the rear of the store filled with smoke. An alarm was sounded using church bells and their neighbours helped keep the blaze from spreading.
– Napanee council held a special meeting to pass a bylaw authorizing a contract with the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation for 25 new homes in town. The houses, which would cost between $6,300 and $6,800 were to be built on land the town recently acquired west of Belleville Road and north of Thomas Street. The town was expected to extend water and sewer services to the new homes via a trench along Simcoe Street.
40 Years Ago
July 26, 1978
– Lennox and Addington farmers were suffering through a period of prolonged drought. Selby area grain farmer Robert Trotter said if it lasted one more week, producers would have to make a decision about seeking financial assistance from the federal and provincial governments.
Most farmers interviewed by the Beaver said their first cut of hay was thankfully very good because there wouldn’t be much use in harvesting a second. Corn crops were stunted by as much as 30-per-cent and some oats and barley were also badly affected by the lack of moisture.
– Bath councillors thought twice about redeveloping Heritage Park at the village’s west end, due to the $48,740 price tag, which would pay for picnic tables, barbecues, washroom, and parking facilities. The federal and provincial governments were to pay 75 per cent of those costs with the remainder coming from Bath and from fundraising.
– Frontenac, Lennox and Addington MP Douglas Alkenbrack criticized Pierre Trudeau’s government for what he called a multi-million-dollar propaganda campaign to support sweeping constitutional reform and to “misrepresent the need to replace the British North America Act.” He also doubted Trudeau’s public statements constitutional shortcomings led to Quebec separationism and Western alienation.