Residents of Derry Township, home to Hershey Foods, will be asked whether they want to change the name of their municipality to Hershey Township.

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In a ballot to be held on 5 November, the township’s 21,000 residents will have the opportunity to say whether the name should be legally changed to protect what some see as the town’s identity.


Derry Township was founded in 1729, long before the first chocolate factory was built in 1903, reports the Associated Press. Technically, the town of Hershey is merely a zip code, and supporters of the referendum say a change of name would help ensure the company stays put.


Opponents of the name change say it would undermine the importance of the Scots-Irish Presbyterians who established the community in the 18th century, and is in any case unnecessary.

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