80 Years Ago
May 3, 1939
Napanee town council amended a by-law that would see daylight savings run from May 6 to Sept. 24.
– A motion was granted by town council to provide a grant of $100 to the Lennox Fair.
– A longtime Bath and Amherst Island tax collector was charged with theft and placed in county jail after allegedly stealing $15,000 from the two municipalities.
Before serving as tax collector the accused had been a reeve and councillor with the Village of Bath.
– Napanee resident James Carr had been assigned Insp. of Coastal Air Defence in Great Britain.
The position was described as having great importance within the British Forces and required ‘special knowledge and ability in the man who is in charge.’
30 Years Ago
May 3, 1989
– Guards at Quinte Detention Centre hit the pavement to protest the dangerous working conditions caused by overcrowding.
A two-hour demonstration was staged outside the provincial jail to also demand early retirement provisions in the guard’s pensions and substantial wage increases. About 15 guards took part in the peaceful protest, which was part of a province-wide demonstration.
– Napanee formed a new steering committee to bargain for boundary changes surrounding an 850 acre parcel of land in Richmond Township. The two sides had come close to a deal earlier, but it was shot down right before it was to be ratified.
Napanee was applying to the ministry to reopen negotiations to study boundary changes or to seek amalgamation with Richmond.
– A former member of the British army was sentenced to 15 months in jail for shooting three holes through the door of the home where his ex-wife was staying.
n An inquest into the death of a construction worker at Napanee’s Goodyear Tire plant was scheduled to take place at town hall.
An ironworker had died in February of 1989 following a three week stay in hospital after falling 30 feet while working on a construction site of the plant.
– Lennox and Addington County Board of Education announced an 8 per cent rise in school taxes as the board approved its budget. That number was considered an accomplishment of sorts as most boards across the province had reported a double digit tax rate increase.
– Napanee’s A.J. Ryan of the Loyalist Gymnastics Club won a bronze medal in the Tryo ‘B’ men’s division of a mens’ provincial gymnastic competition, held in Newmarket.
– Napanee and District Secondary School long-distance runner Joe Horn won gold and silver medals with a strong running display at Queen’s University’s Alumni Track Meet.
He won gold in the midget boys’ 1,500 metre run by nearly 20 metres and also earned silver in the 800 metres with a time of two minutes and 12.4 seconds.