June 30, 1966

Apathy is king in Springfield on comprehensive plan

Either satisfied that the Springfield Planning Commission has done a sound job of planning in its lately released comprehensive plan for the township, or cowed by the weight of statistics and specialized knowledge the plan conveyed, township residents stayed away by the thousands Monday night for what might have been the single hearing on the plan. No more than 35 people, some of whom represented the press and other agencies, appeared at the invitation of the commission to discuss any and all aspects of the plan revised from that of 1958, never formally adopted by the township. Among the handful present, the major consideration was lack of time to study the plan sufficiently.

July 1, 1976

Wagon train to stop at Valley Green Inn

Area residents are invited to greet the people traveling in the Conestoga wagons that will encamp at Roxborough High School tonight en route to their joining the Wagon Train Pilgrimage at Valley Forge on July 4. The wagons will stop at Valley Green Inn tomorrow, July 2, at noon, for lunch and a dedication ceremony. The 27 wagons, representing each of the original 13 colonies, will be part of the ceremonies at Independence Hall this morning, and then proceed toward Roxborough High. They will be met by the Riders of the Wissahickon at 4 p.m. at Wissahickon Drive and Forbidden Drive. Ceremonies at the school, to which the entire community is invited, will begin at 6:30 p.m.

July 3, 1986

He’s been barbering for 55 years

Raymond MacFarland, who has lived on East Evergreen Avenue for the past 35 years, remembers as his daily chores taking out the kitchen coal-stove ashes, pumping water, and ladling out the family’s daily milk needs from the milkman’s bucket each morning. He also remembers how it was in the barber business back in 1931 when he joined his father in the little house at 7149 Germantown Ave., where he’s been cutting, curling and shaving ever since. Folks got a shave for 10 cents and a haircut for 15 cents! In the early years, after his father emigrated from England and opened his first shop at 7112 Germantown Ave., there were other considerations. There was the matter, for example, of the black eye, the alleviation of which required the application of leeches to draw out the bad blood.

July 4, 1996

Community celebrates Bastille Eve in park

Chestnut Hill will add another patriotic celebration to its July calendar this year. A Bastille Eve party will take place in Pastorius Park on Saturday evening, July 13. Everyone is encouraged to bring a picnic supper. There will be prizes, including a magnum of champagne, to the person with the most authentic French dinner, and a basket of French products including cheese and wine will be chanced off at the picnic. The organizers say this is not a fundraiser; they just want people to come, get to know each other, and have a good time.

July 6, 2006

Women’s Exchange will close for good

The Women’s Exchange in Chestnut Hill will close its doors forever on July 22. Located in the Chestnut Hill Community Centre at 8419 Germantown Ave., the exchange has been run by the centre’s board for at least 35 years. The Women’s Exchange movement began in 1832 in Philadelphia on Seventh Avenue between Arch and Race streets, according to historical accounts, and allowed women whose families and wealth had fallen to earn some income without having to get a job in business or industry. Today, baked goods, tea sandwiches, small entrees and numerous cakes are still available daily. The craft business is now run independently under the name The Happy Butterfly. A large factor in the kitchen’s closing was a lack of volunteers.

June 30, 2016

100th anniversary for Hill’s 4th of July festivities

After nearly a century of festivities, the Chestnut Hill Fourth of July parade is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary on Monday. The event has gone through several generations in the community since its inception, but it has still managed to remain a staple that brings out hundreds of people.