Other Times
100 Years Ago – 1919: Uncle Joe Cannon, former Speaker of the House, and one of the most notable figures in American politics, will come to Chester on Saturday and speak before the Young Men’s Republican Club at their banquet to be held in Odd Fellow’s Temple. Gov. William C. Sproul has given assurance that he will be present, as well as Attorney General William I. Schaffer.
75 Years Ago – 1944: With reports of Halloween vandalism already coming in from the suburbs, Chester authorities today repeated a warning that property damage will not be tolerated here and that offenders will be arrested and prosecuted. Chief of Police Andrew J. Desmond Jr. and Mayor Ralph F. Swarts reiterated their advice of a few days ago that youths contain themselves to harmless fun and leave private property – including automobiles – strictly alone.
50 Years Ago – 1969: The Chester School Board voted 8-1 Monday to repeal its controversial “choker” rule, effective Nov. 10, then used the rule to silence a Democratic school board candidate. School Board President Clarence H. Roberts, remarking that the change would not take effect until the board’s next session in two weeks, called on the “choker” to prevent B. Granville Lash from speaking. Lash, executive director of the Robert Wade Neighborhood House, 217 Concord Ave., was accused by Roberts of “campaigning.”
25 Years Ago – 1994: The Chester Redevelopment Authority Board yesterday rejected a revamped
$4.5 million proposal to develop the 2.5-acre Jeffries School site at East 12th Street and Melrose Avenue. Mark H. Dambly, of Halliday Properties and co-partner in Jeffries Housing Partnership Ltd., was seeking to convert the vacant school into to 16 rental units, and construct 20 townhouses and a 6,000-foot retail strip on the 2.5-acre site.
10 Years Ago – 2009: The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority has approved a low-interest $1.6 million loan to build a sewage-collection system on the site of the underconstruction soccer stadium in the city, state Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, D-159 of Chester, announced Tuesday. “After completion of this project, Keystone Sports (and Entertainment) is expected to create 360 jobs over the next three years and will invest $105 million in construction and renovation,” Kirkland said in a press release.