TWO CENTS: An annoyed reader phoned to remind Bradford motorists
leaving the Post Office that only a right turn is permitted. He
himself was behind others turning left and, with so much traffic on
Boylston Street, it created a formula for road rage.
SCHOOL COLORS: Smethport’s school colors have been orange and
black for decades, according to Lorine Rounsville’s research at the
Hamlin Memorial Library.
She writes, “As I mentioned before, Francis Quirk in his book
said that Harry Rubin chose the colors ‘in the early days of
football. The school board considered changing the colors when the
Smethport schools consolidated in 1961 but were convinced not to by
Mr. Quirk.”
Lorine also reports that she did some research of archives
available online and found an article in the McKean County Democrat
dated Nov. 7, 1946, in which Smethport’s football players are
called “the orange and black” several times.
“Oddly enough,” she added, “the headline for one story was ‘Port
Gators trample locals by 26-6 score: Paul Elliott runs 99 Yds. for
Orange & Black’s only score.”
“There is also a write-up about SHS football with scores from
1922-1946 by A.R. Livermore – “one-time coach of the Orange and
Black.”
Lorine also tells us that Hamlin library has Smethport yearbooks
from 1948-1952 which carried the school’s Alma Mater. She quotes,
“We are ready to defend her, and her colors, too, Orange and Black
are floating o’er us, O’er our school so true.'”
In any case, we know now that Smethport’s colors go back to
1940s – at least.
Incidentally, Lorine tells us the name of the Smethport High
yearbook is Nunundah which means potato or Potato Creek. We would
assume that’s a native American word, perhaps Seneca.
TWO MORE: Why were orange and black such popular colors? We have
no idea, but heard from two more readers Wednesday.
Linda Archer of Port Allegany tells us she grew up in Phoenix,
N.Y., not far from Syracuse. Her colors at Phoenix Central High
School were orange and black. “That was about 300 miles away!” she
notes.
We also heard from our old chum Ken Cogan of Crosby whose colors
were orange and black at Latrobe High School, his alma mater.
TODAY’S QUOTE: “Nobody but fools and censors believe so devoutly
in the power of pornography.” Our quote today is from Heywood
Broun, columnist, author, 1927.
