100 years ago in 1923: The Women’s Auxiliary of the American Legion Stevenson Post has been given a special privilege by Mayor William T. Ramsey to sell poppy flowers on Memorial Day. The poppy is the national flower of France. This flower is also becoming very popular in this country in both artificial and natural forms.
75 years ago in 1948: Co-sponsored by Temple University and the Chester School District, Summer School will once again be held at Smedley Middle School. Last year, Smedley hosted its first summer school in 15 years, with 140 men and women taking advantage of the opportunity to make up or refresh themselves. The school will not accept students who must repeat a grade after failing three or more subjects.
50 years ago in 1973: About 50 volunteers with brooms, rakes and energy carried out the second week’s ‘Four Hours of May’ cleanup in Chester on Saturday morning. Mr. William Holland of the Project Area Committee was busy filling out the slips giving the workers each section at 9am today. About 22 Black Youth League volunteers were the first to arrive this morning. Tommy Lee Jones, who led the youth squad from the Youth League, also agreed with the central goal of the cleanup. “I think the aim is right, but if the same thing happens next year, I would like them to think more about how to prevent the garbage pile from happening again,” she said. The group found many things on Third Street and Flower Street, just under the mighty Commodore (John) Barry Bridge, just ripe for cleaning.
25 years ago in 1998: County officials yesterday agreed to spend nearly $300,000 to renovate and streamline the county government. The Legal Aid Department, which carries out a large amount of paperwork every day, needs to be automated. But before it can do that, it needs to evaluate document tracking between OJS, courts and other departments, county commissioner Ted Erickson said.
Ten years ago in 2013: Upper Darby County Council has introduced ordinances banning and regulating bamboo. At Wednesday’s meeting, a hearing was held on an ordinance regulating the planting, cultivation and growth of running bamboo. “Bamboo is taking over the town,” said District 5 council member Colleen Marsini when the city council approved consideration of a suitable ordinance last November. Marsini said he received numerous phone calls from residents complaining of bamboo growing and spreading in their neighbors’ gardens. “It cracks and takes over the cement sidewalk,” Marsini said.
— Colin Ainsworth