This day in history: Lilac Festival Association considers combining parades into one event; Spokane implements 9 p.m. curfew for youths younger than 14

From 1975: The Lilac Festival Association was considering the consolidation of its two existing parades into one evening event.

The Lilac Festival had traditionally held its Armed Forces Day parade in the daytime. In 1959, an evening Torchlight Parade had been added.

The Torchlight Parade had lately proven to be more popular. The festival had been experiencing financial struggles, and consolidating the two parades might help solve that problem.

In other news, the Spokane City Council scrapped plans to widen Southeast Boulevard into a major four-lane arterial, following fierce opposition by residents.

“When you get that kind of response, you should listen,” one council member said.

The council said the plan was at least “postponed for six years,” but it would never come to fruition.

From 1925: The big whistle at McGoldrick’s Lumber Co. was scheduled to blow at 9 p.m. to mark the beginning of Spokane’s newly enforced curfew for anyone younger than 14.

The curfew had been recommended by the city’s parent-teacher councils as a way to cut down on juvenile delinquency. No one younger than 14 would be allowed to remain on the street after 9 p.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The City Council was considering a proposal to extend the time to 9:30 p.m. during the summer months, but had not yet acted on the proposal.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1916: On the first day of the Battle of the Somme during World War I, the British Army suffers its worst day, losing 19,240 men.