WELCOME: With the Festa Italiana in full swing, we must pause to
welcome people back to the old hometown.
This weekend is often picked for Bradford class reunions since
so many natives are “home” for the fun, food and festivities. Our
e-mail tells us that many people out in the “world” desperately
long to return to Bradford, if only for a few days.
B-R-RADFORD: It’s been decidedly chilly in the morning this week
– sweatshirt weather, for sure.
Our claim to fame in the nation appears to be the recognition we
get for having the coldest temperature – summer, winter, spring and
fall. It happened again just the other day.
And, so, we pass along this note from “Mike in Reading, Pa.”:
“Can you tell me what makes Bradford colder than most areas around
there? For instance last night Erie was to have a low of 62 and
Bradford was forecast to be 49. Is it elevation or is Bradford in a
deep valley where the colder air gathers or some other reason?”
“Thanks for any info you can give me!”
Some of our readers no doubt will correctly point out that
Bradford’s temperature is actually recorded at the airport – some
15 miles or so south and atop a hill. We can buy that – for a
degree or two. But, honestly, it’s not as if it were 45 at the
airport and 75 in Bradford, right?
We figure geography has something to do with it and maybe
topography, too. But does anyone have a scientific explanation,
particularly of the difference between Bradford and other towns
even in McKean County?
AND MORE: Martha Gould McCabe, who had lived on Interstate
Parkway, also has a brain teaser:
She writes, “I recall ice skating and bonfires at the pond
across the road from Bolin’s Dairy. Anyone remember swimming at the
culvert on Hedgehog Lane? Yuck!”
“Also, the dairy farm (Mack’s?) across from the Colley’s
home.
“I rode the elementary school bus with Alan Colley from 3rd
through 6th grade. I still wonder why we had to ride from
Interstate to Lee Driver School – all the way out South Kendall
Avenue (something about the zoning, from what I was told
later).
“It didn’t bother me then, but it must have been a long ride. I
bet Kay Neff, Rosanne Borsa, Don Platt and a few more recall that
journey.”
