NO UTOPIA: Dick Chiarilli writes to us from Amherst, N.Y., from
a unique perspective:
“Everyone can complain about the weather no matter where they
live. Some are slapped with floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires,
heat waves, etc., which proves there probably isn’t a place to live
called ‘Utopia.’
“We got hit last week, in the Buffalo area, with the ‘October
Surprise’ snowstorm, and it was a beauty!
“My backyard looked like a tornado hit – and we were without
power for three days (some power still has not been restored).
“You could hear the snapping of tree limbs as the heavy snow and
leaves destroyed thousands of trees in the area. Some damage to
property was devastating.
“No place is perfect, so we all have to deal with what we
have.”
AND THIS: Kay C. Rizzuti writes: “It’s so nice to hear that
everyone likes Bradford better than Florida.”
“Why did they leave? Your great city has lost many of its
children to other cities and states not just Florida. The problem
being opportunity. The city of Bradford has been controlled by a
select few for hundreds of years. They didn’t like progress. So our
young had to leave to find jobs in other cities.
“The population in Bradford has been decreasing in leaps and
bounds. If everyone that loves Bradford so much would move back and
open business, Florida wouldn’t stand a chance.
“I am a homeowner in McKean County and pay more taxes than I do
in Florida, and my home in Florida is appraised four times the one
I own there, Why? See everyone has an opinion and this is mine.
Pretty? Yes! But how do I make a living?”
THAT BREAD: Our item about Colella’s bread prompted this e-mail
from Nancy Houser Kania: “I can still smell the fresh doughy aroma
of an unsliced loaf of Colella’s Italian bread. It was a family
favorite!”
“But, right along with that sensory memory is that of Davis
Bakery butter rolls!
“While I have adapted to other Italian bread, I have never been
able to find a product that duplicates the buttery taste of the
Davis Bakery product. And I think they were about $.35 a dozen!
This was in the mid-50s. (The bakery, for those ‘newcomers’ to
Bradford, stood by the Mechanic Street bridge where John Williams
European Pastry Shop now operates).”
