This Was Doylestown, 1964

James-Lorah Memorial Home to add auditorium -

One of the dreams of the Village Improvement Association ever since it inherited the James-Lorah Memorial Home on North Main Street in 1954 has been to build an auditorium that will take care of its membership at meetings and serve the community.

That dream will be realized now that a builder has been selected to construct an auditorium along Broad Street behind the home. Five local building contracting firms were asked to bid. William J. Graham was low bidder and the contract was awarded to his firm.

Final plans call for a concrete block structure with a stucco finish. Seating capacity of the auditorium will be about 260 people. There will be kitchen facilities, restrooms and a cloak room.

It was in January of 1962 that a committee was appointed by the president of the Village Improvement Association, Mrs. John Elfman, to explore the possibilities of expanding the facilities of the James-Lorah Memorial Home.

The committee concluded that there was a real need to enlarge the seating capacity of the home. With a membership of 320 and an additional 40 or 50 new members each year, the seating capacity of the old parlor was not adequate. This accommodates only 75 folding chairs.

The board of the directors of the VIA authorized the architectural firm of Martin and Gilmour to proceed with the necessary studies and sketches for an auditorium addition.

In October of 1962, Mrs. Julian P. Perry, president of the VIA, appointed Mrs. Elfman chairman of the James-Lorah Expansion Committee and recalled the original committee to confer with the architects. They worked for a year before sketches and specifications were finalized.

When the auditorium is open to the public, it will further fulfill Miss Sarah James' intent that the house be available for the "benefit and enjoyment of residents of Doylestown and vicinity without regard to race or religious belief."

Council asks $1,000 contribution for parking spaces -

Doylestown Borough Council on Monday night put 11 parking meter spaces along Broad Street, between East Court and North Main streets, on the block for an annual contribution of $1,000.

Borough Council has received a request from the Bucks County Commissioners to create another parking space on the Broad Street side of the Bucks County Courthouse's administration building for the fifth judge.

At present, there are parking spaces reserved for the four judges and the three County Commissioners. The Sheriff's and County Detective's offices also share the parking area.

"Quite a number of the Bucks County employees, particularly of the planning commission, absolutely refuse to use the county parking lot [between Main and Union streets]," said William D. Ritchie Jr., borough engineer. "I can give you the names of county department heads who never use the county parking lot but always park along the streets."

Council can't legally charge the County Commissioners a rental fee, but it can accept a donation.

"We will inform the County Commissioners that we will accept a donation of $1,000, which amounts to roughly $20 a week in meter collections, for the 11 parking meter spaces," said Councilman Allen Z. Bogert.

"If the County Commissioners are willing to give us $1,000," said President John F. Mason, "we will let them decide how many spaces the judges should have, the County Commissioners, the Sheriff's Office and the County Detectives, or whoever they want to designate to use the parking area."

The elevation of District Attorney Paul R. Beckert to the bench, which gave Bucks County five jurists, brought the parking issue to a head.

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Lions Club honors retired high school athletic director -

William E. Wolfe, retired Central Bucks High School athletic director and the first Fanny Chapman Memorial Swimming Pool instructor, was honored for his services to the youth of the Central Bucks area Thursday night.

Wolfe, who started as full-time athletic coach at Doylestown High School in 1925 and whose career spanned 38 years, was presented a plaque by the Doylestown Lions Club during a dinner meeting at Conti's Cross Keys Inn. About 80 Lions and guests gave Wolfe a standing ovation as he was honored.

Lions President Harold F. Hellyer Jr., Doylestown Borough School Board president and a former student-athlete of Wolfe's, made the presentation.

Wolfe said Doylestown High School principal Dr. Carmon Ross employed him in 1925, when he organized the first full-time sports and athletic program, and inaugurated football at the school.

"I taught history and science and coached all sports until 1945, my last year of coaching," Wolfe said. DHS had undefeated football teams in 1926, 1927 and 1928.

In his remarks, Wolfe said the lack of proper guidance by parents contributes to the shortcomings of youth today.

"Parents who say, 'I don't want my child to have it as rough and hard as I did,' are preventing their sons and daughters from developing into the strong, whole, competent and fine adults they themselves are," Wolfe said.

Wolfe was graduated from Lebanon High School [in Lebanon County] in 1918. He was a paper boy as a youngster, and worked in the steel mills in Lebanon during World War I. He attended Lebanon Valley College for three years and then transferred to Temple University, where he majored in health and education.

Doylestown Township Supervisors reject manager ordinance -

Doylestown Township Supervisors on Tuesday night voted against a proposed ordinance creating the position of township manager.

Wells H. Denney, chairman of the board, and Arthur I. Amelung, who crusaded in favor of hiring a township manager, said: "We still feel that the township needs a township manager. But the people of the township were so vociferous in their opposition that we decided not to go against their wishes."

About 80 township residents attended a meeting Jan. 2 when the proposed ordinance was discussed, and the majority protested at that time.

James M. Brinker, newly elected supervisor, said, "I have nothing to say." Supervisor Brinker agreed with Supervisors Denney and Amelung in voting against the measure.

Denney said a township office with limited hours will be opened in a building in Edison for the benefit of the residents. Zoning Officer Robert Chase and Secretary Fred Jahn will be in charge. Definite hours will be announced later.

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Doylestown Hospital sees big jump in emergency patients -

Because of the steady growth of population in the Central Bucks area, use of the emergency ward of Doylestown Hospital has been increasing by 22 percent a year. Patients treated in the emergency ward totaled 2,495 in 1961, 3,031 in 1962, and 3,659 in 1963.

Those treated include area residents as well as visitors traveling through. The most frequent injuries include automobile, home and other accidents, burns, poisonings, gunshot wounds, dog bites, cuts and physical disorders which sometimes result in a prolonged hospital stay.

The emergency ward is not an outpatient clinic and is no substitute for a doctor's office. Headaches, sore throats, colds, ingrown toenails and medical symptoms which have existed for several days should be checked in a doctor's office and not in the hospital emergency ward. These ailments defeat the purpose of the emergency ward, which is to provide immediate service to those in urgent need of treatment.

As in most hospitals of comparable size, the Doylestown Hospital emergency ward is staffed 24 hours a day by hospital personnel. Not having interns and residents, who provide coverage of the emergency ward in large teaching hospitals, the professional service at Doylestown Hospital is provided by the hospital medical staff.

The patient's family physician is used in every case where possible. For this reason it is best to call the family doctor before coming to the hospital. He can then arrange to meet his patient or give orders to be carried out when his patient arrives at the hospital.

In the absence of a family physician, treatment is provided by a "doctor on call," who is contacted when the patient arrives in the emergency ward.

Civil Defense well dug in Doylestown -

Doylestown Borough's deepest well, and probably one of the deepest in the Central Bucks area, has been dug beneath the sidewalk along East Court Street in front of the Bucks County Administration Building.

The well, which was dug as part of the county's Civil Defense, emergency and disaster setup, is 382 feet deep. The well produces from 50 to 60 gallons of water a minute, regarded as an excellent flow

Beyer and Payer Company, of Hatboro, is now laying the cement for the sidewalk and is replanting the shrubbery at the East Court Street side of the seven-story building.

The top of the well will be covered with a manhole lid. Pedestrians will walk right over the well.

The new well and the creation of an emergency center for light and power in the Administration Building is a nearly $70,000 project sponsored by Bucks County Civil Defense. The federal government paid about one-half of the costs of installation, renovation and improvement.

From The Daily Intelligencer, Week of Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 1964