Since tomorrow is Primary Election Day, we thought we’d look back at something The Reporter ran in 1987, when there was quite the race going on for Montgomery County commissioner.
This graphic was created for our election preview in the fall of 1987, and shows depictions of Republican candidates Paul Bartle and Betty Linker on top of a voting machine, with Democrats Jim Maza and Rita Banning hoping to upset the Republican majority.
This year there has been a bit of an upset in the status quo as well, with Democrat Joe Hoeffel and Republican Jim Matthews not seeking re-election as county commissioners.
On the Primary Ballot, incumbent Republican Commissioner Bruce Castor and Jenny Brown are running, and on the Democratic side of the ballot you will find Leslie Richards and Josh Shapiro.
The real contest will come in November, when the four will compete for the three seats on the board.
Oh, and back in 1987, the winners of the November elections for county commissioner were Republicans Paul Bartle and Betty Linker, and Democrat Rita Banning.

In honor of the Lansdale Historical Society’s community program on Tuesday, “The World War II Trunk Show,” we are featuring a photo from the September 1946, “North Penn Photo Revue,” which showcased “The North Penn Victory Celebration” and was produced to honor the area’s service men and women who had served in World War II.It was published by Charles J. Maguire of the North Penn News in Lansdale.
The photo today carries this caption: “Lansdale boys and girls load a freight car with salvaged tin cans, the third car to be shipped from the Lansdale area during an intensive can collection campaign in 1943.”
You will hear a lot more about World War II during Tuesday’s program, featuring Janeal Jaroh. It initially was scheduled for January, but if you remember the kind of weather we had that month, you’ll know why it had to be postponed.
Jaroh, former educational curator of the Cumberland County Historical Society, has developed a series of traveling “trunk shows” that allows audiences of all ages to travel back in time to important milestones in American history.
Her World War II trunk is loaded with memorabilia from the early 1940s when the U.S. was forced to confront enemies on two fronts. During the course of the evening she will involve the audience in tales of what life was like on the battlefield and at home.Jaroh will describe what it was like to serve in Pennsylvania’s famed 28th Division, nicknamed the “Bloody Bucket.”
Meanwhile back home, an anxious public awaited word of sons and daughters who might never return. She will discuss the importance of rationing, war bonds and how women stepped up to fill the void left in the nation’s workforce as men left their jobs for military duty.
Jaroh first appeared at an LHS Community Program in 2008 with her “World War I Trunk Show,” which was considered the hit of the season by those who attended.
The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Lansdale Parks and Recreation Building, Seventh Street and Lansdale Avenue, Lansdale. There is no admission charge but donations are appreciated. For more information, call (215) 855-1872 or check the society’s website, http://www.lansdalehistory.org/.

We’re getting close to graduation season; in fact, the Lansdale School of Business will hold its commencement this Friday night.

So what better time to feature this great photo of the St. Stanislaus School, Lansdale, Class of 1948.Unfortunately the photo was sent in with no contact information and no return address, so we don’t know who should get the credit for submitting this piece of history.

Nevertheless, it’s great to see all of these young, smiling faces as they move from one stage of their lives to the next, moving on from St. Stans in 1948.

Everyone loves photos of old fire trucks, and Donna Hartman of Hatfield has provided a great one today.

She notes that this photo might be from 1942 and was taken in Line Lexington at the site of the current firehouse.

The man at left, in uniform, is Hartman’s great-grandfather, Charles Layer.“He was a retired captain from the Philadelphia Fire Department, where he won a prestigious award for rescuing a person from a burning building in 1932,” Hartman related.“Charles Layer became the first fire chief of the Line Lexington Volunteer Fire Company. I’m not sure who the other men are, but I assume they may be other firefighters.”

Perhaps someone out there recognizes one of the men posing with this great old Line Lexington Fire Company truck.