Oct. 20, 1966

The end of a streak: CHA plays David to Haverford Goliath

A football game was played here in Haverford this afternoon. Unlike another event that preceded it 900 years ago (Editor’s note: We believe this refers to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 between the Anglo-Saxon English army and the ultimately victorious Norman-French army), the game will not go down in the history books. However, we who were spectators will never forget what we saw. Haverford School had bands, cannon and cheerleaders; Chestnut Hill Academy had Heart. But after the first 12 minutes of play, the cannon was strangely silent and the cheerleading and music desultory. Chestnut Hill controlled the game and went on to end Haverford’s 19-game winning streak, 30-20.

Oct. 21, 1976

Tracy & Hepburn campaigning

Every spring, the Chestnut Hill Film Group, which plans the local library’s “Tuesday Nights at the Movies” film series, distributes questionnaires asking members of the community what movie stars they’d like to see in the series. And every fall, several familiar names reliably appear: Greta Garbo, Astaire & Rogers, Tracy & Hepburn. This season’s Spencer Tracy-Katherine Hepburn vehicle is “State of the Union” (1948), based upon the 1945 Broadway hit. (The stage version, incidentally, won the Pulitzer Prize, besting Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.”). Appropriately, “State of the Union” is a political comedy about a presidential campaign, directed by the legendary Frank Capra. It will be shown next Tuesday, there’s no admission charge, and refreshments will be served.

Oct. 23, 1986

Group plans first ‘ghost walk’

Mary Woods, a resident of a large home in Germantown, died in 1891 at the age of 27. She does not rest in peace, however, and has appeared on more than one occasion in the home of the Winters family, also residents of Germantown. Woods was a schoolmate and friend of Grover Cleveland’s wife and on two occasions, the Clevelands stayed in an addition to the house, which has come to be known as the Grover Cleveland Suite. It is here that Woods — one of whose three children died in infancy — reappeared and looked longingly at a woman rocking her child. This is but one of the many great tales to be heard on Oct. 26 when the West Central Germantown Neighbors Association will stage its first annual ghost walk. Anticipating a large crowd for this event, people are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance and also to book a time for their tour. Starting at Greene and Tulpehocken streets, groups will be led by lantern-carrying guides who will conduct followers to seven different houses.

Oct. 24, 1996

Rosa Parks conquers Chestnut Hill

The tension mounted yesterday at Borders Book Shop as hundreds of fans awaited the arrival of a woman who, in 1955, made history by refusing to give up her seat to a white man aboard a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She is, of course, Rosa Parks, whose agreement to autograph her latest book, “Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue With Today’s Youth,” created an unforgettable afternoon. One lady, who had traveled two hours for this event, said she wouldn’t lose her place in the queue for all the tea in China. Meanwhile, the line snaked down the long staircase, out the door and onto Bethlehem Pike. When the lady of honor arrived, a spontaneous burst of applause greeted Mrs. Parks. (She wore a handsome rose-colored coat and a big smile on her face.) A few commonly asked questions by children in her book: What is your favorite food? (A) I like all vegetables. Broccoli, greens, sweet potatoes and string beans are my favorite. (Q.) What is your favorite book? (A) The Bible. (Q) Do you have any children? (A) No, I do not have any children born from me, but I consider all children as mine.

Oct. 26, 2006

Leaders grow on trees in Mt. Airy

As if Mt. Airy needed any more convincing, a list of 101 “Key Connectors” released by Leadership Philadelphia on Oct. 14 proved that Mt. Airy is a community of energetic activists that like to make connections. Of the 101 Philadelphians named on the list, 16 live in Mt. Airy, second only to Center City, where 18 of the connectors live, according to Leadership Philadelphia, a nonprofit leadership development and civic affairs training organization. Its Key Connectors program defines unique leaders “great thinkers, innovators and doers — people who turn great ideas into reality ... and who have a concern for the common good and would roll up their sleeves to see this work through to the end.” The project was inspired by Malcolm Gladwell’s book “The Tipping Point,” which studied social change and used “connectors” to describe the type of person who “knows large numbers of people and makes a habit of connecting them.” Among those listed from Mt. Airy were Cherelle Parker, Marc Stier and Ken Weinstein.

Oct. 20, 2016

Roxborough group demonstrates success with dog park

In response to last week’s story about a dog that bit a local resident at Pastorius Park — the owner of that dog fled the scene — many readers have expressed an interest in seeing a section of the park fenced off, specifically for dogs. On Facebook, readers voiced support for the idea. In Roxborough, a nonprofit neighborhood organization that formed around the idea of a fenced-in dog park in 2013 might be one model the neighborhood could emulate to see the idea become a reality. The city gave a parcel to the Roxborough Dog Park, which opened in 2015. The park has had a few incidents but organizers say that for the most part, park users are aware that they are responsible. Landscape features have been added to separate the park parcel into sections that make it easier for dogs to stay separate from others if needed.