Remember When: Sewickley Herald headlines from 1968
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In the news this week 55 years ago:
• Hal Harrison, a noted naturalist, visited Sewickley Academy to present a film program and lecture to students there. Harrison, who lived in Tarentum, was described in 1953 ad for Bausch Lomb binoculars as “one of the most widely-read wildlife experts in the U.S.” He was the wildlife editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and also published several Peterson Field Guides on birds nests, in addition to writing for National Geographic, Collier’s and the Saturday Evening Post. He was also a photographer and filmmaker of nature documentaries.
• Select Food Market on Beaver Street advertised fresh turkeys at $.69/pound and frozen ones at $.49/pound; cranberry sauce, $.29/can; Idaho potatoes, 10 pounds for $.99 and 29 ounce cans of pumpkin for $.29/each.
• Color Cable, Inc. announced the start of additional cable construction in Edgeworth. The newly-cabled zones were to include the Sycamore and Chestnut Street areas. Customers of the service would have 11 television stations to choose from, plus FM radio stations.
• The Sewickley Valley Board of Trade confirmed that Santa would be swapping his sleigh for a helicopter when he landed at the YMCA athletic field on Nov. 30.
“Prior to his landing, Santa will drop hundreds of ping pong balls from his aircraft and the alert kids who latch onto the five colored ping pong balls will be awarded FREE RIDES ON THE HELICOPTER!”
Santa would then be escorted by marching bands to Christmas Park at Broad Beaver Streets to visit with local children.
• G.R. McMillan, editor of the Herald, wrote “an open appeal to Duquesne Light Co. and its employees” to facilitate the required electrical connections for the light displays put up by many towns around the area.
“This plea is being made on behalf of ALL towns served by Duquesne and for those thousands and thousands of youngsters who just wont understand why all those pretty lights aren’t shining.”
McMillan urged “both company and union officials to find some way to allow the needed work to be done. Everyone in the community would be most grateful if you do.”