Other Times

100 Years Ago – 1917: The telephone exchange stationed in the house sergeant’s office at Chester City Hall went of commission this morning. As a consequence the entire police “hourly” calling system was out, the patrolmen being compelled to use private telephones. During each rain storm since the exchange has been installed it has gone out of commission. 75 Years Ago – 1942: Edgar J. Magnin Sr., a reporter for the Chester Reporter since its founding, and prior to that on the staff of the Chester Times for years, died suddenly at his Highland Park home. His newspaper career began while still a boy, under his father, the late Capt. Albert F. Magnin, who founded the Darby Progress in the 1880s and which had been in existence ever since. His father was a Civil War veteran, and he was a charter member of Major M.A. Gherst Camp, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, of Darby. 50 Years Ago – 1967: The Chester School Board struck back at its critics and adopted unanimously a resolution limiting public participation at its meetings. The resolution was approved without discussion. Later it was used to quash objections to it from a spectator. The rule provides that “only one adult individual shall be entitled to speak on a particular issue or topic for all other adult individuals or groups who may desire to speak on that issue for a time limit of five minutes” and imposes a 30-minute “total time limit” for “all speakers at any single meeting.” 25 Years Ago – 1992: While Philadelphia remains mired in red ink, two of its Delaware County suburbs are facing brighter fiscal futures. Radnor has a $1.25 million general fund surplus this year. Upper Darby Finance Director James D. Smith said the municipality is holding its own financially, but he added that rising insurance costs may mean cutting health care benefits for its employees. 10 Years Ago – 2007: Gov. Ed Rendell signed a bill into law that adds some minor changes to a boating while under the influence law which took effect in January when a lower blood-alcohol content level became law to finally coincide with that for motorists. State Fish and Boat Commission spokesman Dan Tredinnick said the big change in the law was actually passed in November of last year when the BAC limit for violators was lowered from .10 percent to .08 percent.