Years Ago

Today is Sunday, May 8, the 128th day of 2011. There are 237 days left in the year. This is Mother’s Day.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

On this date in:

1541: Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River.

1884: The 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman, is born in Lamar, Mo.

1886: Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton invents the flavor syrup for Coca-Cola.

1958: Vice President Richard Nixon is shoved, stoned, booed and spat upon by anti-American protesters in Lima, Peru.

1961: New York’s recently created National League baseball team announces that it will be known as the Mets.

VINDICATOR FILES

1986: The Youngstown Park and Recreation Department approves a plan for Youngstown to self-insure parks, pools and the Stambaugh Golf Course, clearing the way for those facilities to open.

U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. invites all Mahoning County Democratic Party officeholders and candidates to a meeting at Smaldino’s Restaurant in North Lima to discuss his plan to unseat party Chairman Don L. Hanni Jr.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at 1110 Fifth Ave. is marking its 105th anniversary.

1971: Youngstown Police Chief Donald G. Baker says that any Ohio registered vehicles in the city parked or being driven without two valid license plates will be towed.

The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District files a $300,000 lawsuit and seeks an injunction to halt pollution of Meander Reservoir by an abandoned strip mine in Goshen Township.

Vandals who removed all veteran flag markers from Oak Hill Cemetery have destroyed 20 years of work by various veterans organizations and have made it difficult to determine where all the veterans are buried.

George E. Cheney, an eighth grade student at Holy Family School in Poland, wins the 39th annual Vindicator Spelling Bee in the 15th round on the word “vitriolic.”

1961: A 20-year-old Poland youth wanted for passing bad checks in Mahoning and Summit counties is being questioned about two Boardman robberies, one of which resulted in the death of 80-year-old Veronica Podresky.

Pennsylvania state troopers and Shenango Township police raid a garage near New Castle where a cock fight was in progress, arresting 35 men on charges of cruelty to domestic animals.

Rolls-Royce warns that orders are off to such an extent after the British government limits income tax deductions for the purchase of automobiles to $5,600 that the company may go out of business. Rolls-Royce limousines start at $16,800.

1936: Youngstown and Warren chambers of commerce are supporting a plan to establish a huge district airport at Vienna to serve all Youngstown metropolitan area communities. Quick action is urged to take advantage of available WPA funds.

More than 3,500 residents of Ashtabula County sign a petition opposing construction of a Mahoning-Beaver canal, which would involve flooding the Grand River area.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church marks its 126th anniversary with dedication of a new addition and pipe organ. Dr. J.F.D. Bowersox is pastor.