SNAKE STORY: We get the straight scoop today on
those rattlesnakes found during construction of the Kinzua Dam from
a former Bradford Era reporter.

Don Barry of Tonawanda, N.Y., writes, “Official sources
say construction of the Kinzua Dam began in 1960. But preliminary
work actually started about five years prior to that. I know
because I covered the extensive pre-construction operations as a
reporter/photographer for The Era in the mid-1950s.”

“I was on site when heavy equipment rumbled through the vast
Kinzua valley, cutting down trees and clearing brush to make way
for the reservoir that was to follow. It was exciting to look
across the valley to the opposite slope in a line where the dam was
planned to be built.

“At the time, the valley was known to be inhabited by a great
many rattlesnakes. Bradford outdoorsmen used to go there as part of
an annual rattlesnake roundup, bringing back sacks of rattlers in
their car trunks.

“At the time of the preliminary work, it was theorized that the
snakes would keep ahead of the rising water as the reservoir
filled. Apparently the theories were at least partly true because
rattlers began showing up where they had never been seen
before.

“That may be the case in the southwest corner of Allegany State
Park just over the New York-Pennsylvania state line.

“Without saying where, the park rangers warned visitors not to
go in a certain area of the park because of poisonous snakes. That
corner of the park abuts the Kinzua Reservoir.”

We’d like to know more and are waiting for a follow-up
from our ace reporter Barry…

WORM WORDS: Returning from the Labor Day
holiday, we found this note from an RTS reader in Port Allegany:
“While walking this morning I saw my first wooly worm of the
season.” We’d like to tell you more – length, width, girth and
color – but that’s all he or she wrote.

PROUD GRADS: Nancy H. Kania of North Fort
Myers, Fla., tells us this month’s Indiana University of
Pennsylvania alumni magazine contains a feature story and photo of
Greg Booth, head of Zippo Manufacturing Co.

If we get our hands on a copy of it, we’ll excerpt some
of the content.

Nancy adds, “I am a proud IUP graduate and apparently
Greg Booth is, too.”

There’s a lot of those around!