35 years ago: Interest rate on taxes hits 14 per cent

Pat Theriault, 17-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Theriault of King Street, qualified to represent the Atlantic Provinces in the 10,000-metre race at the national track and field championships in Winnipeg, Aug. 27-28.

Gymkhana games, tractor tilts and chariot races were highlights of the first day of the Digby County Exhibition in Bear River.

Admiral Digby Horticultural Society held its annual flower show in the Digby Fire Hall, with the theme ‘Our world in flowers’.

Rev. Donald Robertson resigned at Digby United Baptist Church after accepting a call to a church in Fredericton, N.B.

Grade 12 students Heather Elms and Sherry Barton were heading a project to build a recreation area for young people of Conway and Acaciaville. With financing from the federal Opportunities for Youth program, a group of young people had cleared a four-acre lot and erected a backstop for a ballfield.

At Save-Easy, imported fresh cantaloupes were 49 cents each, and a six-ounce jar of Nescafe instant coffee was $1.49.

With the Maritime Senior Golf championship scheduled for the Pines course Sept. 4-7, Digby Golf Club was advertising for 100 boys or girls as caddies. The ad said caddies could make five dollars a round.

At the Little Cinema was ‘Enter the Dragon’, a Bruce Lee classic, and if it was fighting theatre goers wanted, the drive-in had ‘Battle for the Planet of the Apes’, the fifth and final chapter in the ‘Apes’ series. 50 years ago Aug. 20, 1959 – Every bed in Digby General Hospital was filled, with 25 people on the waiting list. Beds were borrowed for two emergency cases to be put in the upper corridor, and one in the lower corridor.

Among the patients in DGH was Angus Handspiker of Mount Pleasant, whose seven-room house was destroyed by fire during his hospital stay. His wife, daughter and stepmother escaped unharmed.

In military news, two area men were receiving recognition. Corp Tony Bright, patrolling the Israeli-Egyptian border as a member of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, was awarded the United Nations Emergency Force Medal for his service in the Middle East. Priv. Nelson Thurber of Freeport, a recent recruit with the Black Watch, won the silver spoon as top marksman on the Camp Gagetown rifle range.

Hillsburgh United Church in Bear River marked its 100th anniversary. The church started in 1859 as part of the Annapolis Methodist Circuit.

Margolian’s Store advertised the daily arrival of fall ad winter wear, and had Harris tweed sports coats for $23.75. ‘Hollywood or Bust’ was playing at the Capitol Theatre, with stars Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and Anita Ekberg. 60 years ago Aug. 18, 1949 – Three people were left homeless when fire destroyed the house and barn owned by Elton Wilkins in the south end of Digby. Flying sparks from the town dump were blamed for the fire, and a spark from the burning house ignited another fire a few blocks away. It was the second time fire had destroyed a house on the Wilkins property.

Weekend visitors to Digby were 15 young men from a Quebec seminary who were on a walking tour of the eastern provinces. They dressed like alpine climbers, with green shorts, grey shirts, and red ties and berets.

Pynes grocery store (phone 218, free delivery) had a special on T-bone steak at 65 cents a pound, while home-cured bacon was 55 cents a pound.

The comedy ‘Mexican Hayride’ was playing at the Capitol with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.