LOCAL ANGLE: Most people have to wait ’til their 100th birthday
to get the attention of NBC’s Willard Scott. That wasn’t the case
for Mrs. Jean Johnson of Bradford on Saturday, shown here with the
nation’s weatherman at the wedding of her niece Shelley Johnson to
G. Gregg Webb on the terrace of the Hay Adams Hotel in Washington,
D.C.

COPPERHEADS: Wow, we thought things were bad with rattlesnakes.
Now we hear about copperheads!

About a month ago now, a pair of readers stopped by with a
photograph of a copperhead from this area. We have been searching
our data base for a copy of the photo but to no avail. Somehow, it
has been misplaced or destroyed.

In any case, though, we can tell readers that we have a visit
from brothers Harry Burns of Bradford and Jim Burns of Ramona,
Calif., both Bradford natives who had their close encounter with a
copperhead while fishing for brook trout in Marilla Brook about a
half mile above Marilla Reservoir.

Jim says, “None of our friends or Harry or I ever heard of
copperheads in McKean County or ever saw one until now.”

Incidentally, both Harry and Jim are grandsons of Jimmy Rich,
former owner of the Option House.

Meanwhile, we also had a call about a man who lived on Bolivar
Drive years ago and apparently “kept” rattlesnakes. His name was
Jim Stiver – or so we were told.

In another report on rattlers, we had a call from Karen Van
Orden who tells us her dad had worked on the construction of the
Kinzua Dam back in the 1960s.

Her dad always told a story that rattlesnakes didn’t like ash
trees and that there are no ash trees between Kinzua and Bradford –
and, hence, the virtual absence of rattlers. She also said worker
had put down ash chips along all the public areas near the dam to
keep visitors safe.