Aug. 25, 1966

8,000 unexpected guests disrupt Wyndmoor home

When one looks forward to weekend guests, it is a bit of a jolt to open the door and find more than one anticipated — 8,000 to be exact. This was the experience a Wyndmoor family had recently. A suburban housewife is supposed to be able to cope with everything but in this instance she decided immediately that expert help was required, because her 8,000 uninvited guests were honeybees! At the suggestion of the SPCA, she called an expert Pied Piper in Flourtown, who took care of the crisis by giving the bees a new home hive. He explained that the swarm was due to an overcrowded hive and the need for a home for a new queen bee. Scout bees had been sent out hive hunting and in this case, they chose the top and inside of a large pillar supporting the porch roof of the family’s home. The bees did not sting anyone.

Aug. 26, 1976

Civilization: How they treat their old

“We have prolonged a person’s lifespan by the use of wonder drugs and sophisticated equipment. It is our moral duty to make that prolonged life meaningful and pleasant,” Dr. R. Claude Rogers, psychiatrist at All Saints Hospital, explained in a recent interview. He envisions a coalition of family, community and the medical profession all working together to make old age a productive, wholesome time of life. He recognizes that his proposals will take some time to implement but he strongly recommends making a modest beginning. “For example, if we can control high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, nervous tension, we may hope to decrease the number of strokes,” he said. A change in diet also would be a big step in the right direction, with more greens and more fish, the doctor noted.

Aug. 28, 1986

Chestnut Hill West line may be axed

Nov. 1 is SEPTA’s doomsday, according to the transit authority. That day may also mark the beginning of the end of several transit lines that serve our community. SEPTA says it must have a balanced budget by Nov. 1 or it can’t draw against grant anticipation notes. Ongoing operational costs, including payroll, are paid through these notes. If that money is not available, a shutdown may occur, according to a spokesman. Scheduled for abandonment would be the R-8 commuter rail line that runs between Chestnut Hill West and Fox Chase. Also, the Route 23 trolley would be converted to a bus route, he said.

Aug. 29, 1996

HRC looks at Napoleon dispute

The city’s Human Relations Commission is looking into the dispute between the owners of Napoleon Cafe on West Gravers Lane and near neighbors who are protesting the granting of a liquor license to the restaurant. The investigation follows an Aug. 13 incident at a Chestnut Hill Community Association executive committee meeting at which there was name-calling, shouted obscenities, and the throwing of paper wads at committee members who approved the license, in addition to a near physical altercation between one neighbor and an owner of the restaurant. Some committee members fled via a back fire escape. The investigation is in its preliminary stages, a commission spokesman said.

Aug. 31, 2006

Mt. Airy pie-eating contest should be a piece of cake

The High Point Cafe is cooking up The World’s First Organic Pie-Eating Contest — a high-stakes, high-calorie, low-pesticide event if ever there was one. The contest is one of several dozen activities scheduled for the upcoming Mt. Airy Village Fair, itself a first-time venture. “At this moment we can’t yet commit to peach, apples or berry. This is an in-between season and we prefer local produce, but we do guarantee organic fruit,” said cafe owner Meg Hagele. Minors entering the contest must provide proof of the support and encouragement of first-degree relatives of the senior sort. “This is especially important in a health-conscious neighborhood like Mt. Airy where some people think sugar is White Death,” she said.

Aug. 25, 2016

Area Olympians earn their way on the track

Three women with area ties were in action for Team USA as the 2016 Olympic Games wrapped up late last week in Rio de Janeiro with marquee events in track and field. Nia Ali, who grew up in Germantown, became part of an historic one-two-three sweep by claiming the silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles. Ajee Wilson, an 800-meter standout whose training base is in Northeast Philadelphia and who frequents the tracks at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and Cheltenham High, got through the qualifying rounds and then narrowly missed out on a spot in the finals. In the 4 x 400 relay, Springside grad Taylor Ellis-Watson was part of the gold medal effort for the U.S., running in the opening round and helping the American ensemble enter the finals as the top seed.