Mayor, 92, wins fifth term

SOUTH COATESVILLE, Pa., Nov. 7 (UPI) -- A 92-year-old mayor just elected to a fifth term is older than the Pennsylvania town he represents.

James C. Kennedy of South Coatesville is not the oldest mayor in the United States, an honor believed to be held by Dorothy Gechen, the 101-year-old mayor of Ocean Breeze, Fla., the Philadelphia Daily News reported Saturday. But he is old enough that he decided to rest instead of attending a victory party Tuesday.

Kennedy, a Democrat, won 85-59. Four years ago, when he sought a fourth term, he was unopposed.

South Coatesville was incorporated in 1921, when Kennedy was 4 years old. The population has risen above 1,000 since the 2000 Census, when it was 997.

Despite its small size, South Coatesville, a suburb of Philadelphia, has its problems. Kennedy said he is on the lookout for grants that will help him avoid raising taxes.

"They had a little celebration down in Thorndale, but I didn't go," he said.