Voters reject changing name to Hershey Township

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) -- Voters in the home of Hershey Foods Corp. have decided not to change the town's name to Hershey Township.
Although it's known worldwide as Hershey, Pa., the home of the nation's largest candy maker formally is the municipality of Derry Township, founded about 170 years before Milton S. Hershey started building his first chocolate factory in 1903.
On Tuesday, a referendum to rename Derry Township as Hershey Township failed, with 54 percent against the change.
Officials in the 21,000-resident city offered the referendum after a plan to sell the company -- which was ultimately abandoned -- raised fears the community would lose its identity if the candy maker changed hands. The Post Office uses Hershey for a ZIP code.
In Pennsylvania, most municipalities outside major cities are called townships.
The Derry Township Historical Society opposed the name change, saying it needed more conclusive proof that a change in company ownership would put residents' mailing addresses in jeopardy.