IT’S TODAY: For people of a certain generation, it’s Pearl
Harbor Day – that date which will “live in infamy.” Younger folks
will have Sept. 11, 2001, indelibly etched in their memories.

Nov. 22, 1963, is another of those unforgettable days.

Most Americans alive at that time can tell you where they were
when they heard President Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas,
Texas. Seems like yesterday but, in fact, it was 43 years ago
today.

GOOD IDEA: That “new” four-way stop signing at the intersection
of Jackson and Davis prompted this note from John Carson of
Bradford.

He writes, “I’m probably the only person in Bradford that
remembers this but in 1955 City Council made the Jackson
Avenue-Davis Street intersection a four-way stop in response to a
petition filed by the Fourth Ward School PTA.”

“The intent was to slow traffic on Jackson Avenue. At that time,
Jackson Avenue was a major traffic arterial because the Route 219
bypass had not been constructed.

“The result of the creation of the four-way stop was that at
peak traffic times Jackson Avenue traffic was backed up almost to
Rosedale Avenue in one direction and to Kennedy Street in the other
direction. The intersection was returned to a two-way stop after a
short trial period. It has remained a two-way stop since then.

“We now have increased traffic on Jackson Avenue due to the
Route 219 construction. We also have increased traffic on Davis
Street due to the closing of the Kennedy Street bridge.

“The real problem in this area is difficulty entering Jackson
Avenue from Davis Street. Maybe City Council could respond to this
problem by focusing more effort on the cause of the problem which
is the closing of the Kennedy Street bridge.”

BLOOD WORK: We also heard from Jerry Berkhouse of Bradford with
a thought about donating a pint of blood.

He writes, “There is always a shortage of blood for emergencies.
Now I know that there are a lot of caring people out there, but
some of them may not realize that when you get a tattoo or a body
piercing, you have to wait a year before you can give blood
again.”

“If more people knew that maybe instead of getting poked and
painted on they would hopefully give blood instead. Or could I be
wrong and the selfish people are using the ‘I’m-too-busy’
excuse?”