Other Times
100 Years Ago – 1919: The Chester Rotary Club, which during the war erected a temporary monument at Market Square, Chester, in honor of our boys who sacrificed their lives in the World War, having decided that it has served the purpose for which it was erected, will have it removed. It is the hope of Rotarians that in the near future a permanent monument may be erected in a suitable place to show the eternal gratitude of the people in the heroes, dead and living, who fought in the greatest war of all ages.
75 Years Ago – 1944: Two small “deer” that have been reported roaming the uptown district of Chester the last few days today turned out to be just plain old goats. The deer myth was exploded shortly after 8a.m. when Patrolmen Kieffer and Griffith were dispatched to 15th Street and Edgmont Avenue following a complaint by Rabbi Herman Eisenberg that the billies were nibbling large chunks of luscious greenery from shrubs around his home. The goats, police reported, had apparently wandered into the city from the outskirts, as local laws prohibit the keeping of such animals in Chester.
50 Years Ago – 1969: Springfield Township Commissioners were asked Tuesday night to consider rezoning 45 acres on the north side of Baltimore Pike at Sproul Road for a shopping center. The site takes in the controversial Gibbons Home track, a 34.4acre site, which was previously part of a tract sought by Sears, Roebuck & Co. for a retail store, and the Stewart Home. A Dec. 11hearing will consider a change in the zoning designation from “special use” to “shopping center.”
25Years Ago – 1994: The Ridley Township Zoning Hearing Board has granted a number of variances to the Exxon Corp. to change a former auto service station on MacDade Boulevard at Fairview Road to a self-service gasoline station and 24-hour mini-mart operation. The existing building will be renovated for the switch from an auto repair facility to a convenience store. Parking may not extend into the front yard area along MacDade and Fairview.
10 Years Ago – 2009: After nine years with only one tax hike of about 2 percent, Upper Providence Township is proposing a 48percent increase. The preliminary budget approved by council shows a total tax rate of 4.629mills, 1.501mills more than last year. For an assessment of $250,000, taxes rise from $782to $1,157. “Despite our efforts at keeping costs down, revenue has been drastically down, and we are about $1.2million below expected revenue,” said township Manager Edward Cashman.