RTS for Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007

J.R. EVANS: Kyle Everett of Palm Harbor, Fla., writes, “In
regards to the closing of James R. Evans, I remember as a teen
shopping there and being waited on by an ambitious sales clerk who
went on to bigger and better things, a certain Ken Jadloweic.”

Ken, of course, went on to serve in the state House of
Representatives for many years and has himself retired.

Kyle writes on, “He was a newlywed who lived in a small house in
our neighborhood. A little older than my brother and myself and new
to the neighborhood, he welcomed the opportunity to shoot hoops
with someone. I remember going into Evans mostly to harass the new
salesperson.”

“Sorry to hear of its closing,” Kyle writes.

ODDITIES: Are there some quaint places, people or things about
McKean and neighboring counties you’d like to share with a visitor?
Or how about some unusual or strange collection? Or some oddity off
the beaten path?

Linda Devlin, executive director of the Allegheny National
Forest Vacation Bureau, tells us a visiting writer will be here
next week to look into our nooks and crannies for such things.

If you’d like to suggest one, please let her know.

STRANGE TIMES: Will we be having another autumn and winter like
the ones normally experienced by people a couple lines of longitude
South of us? It’s beginning to look that way.

As of this writing, the weather has been extremely warm for
McKean County in October and more unseasonable weather is expected
for next week.

A reader told us Thursday she had daffodils re-blooming in her
yard!

As for the foliage, we’ve been told it will peak later than
normal because of the relatively warm temperatures. Be that as it
may, colors on our drive home are darn near peak right now –
gorgeous!

TWO MORE: A couple more local residents who can claim the
“orange and black” even though they grew up many miles for either
Smethport or Port Allegany:

Ginny Eppley of Smethport writes, “I graduated from Susquenita
High School in Duncannon, Pa., (near Harrisburg) and our colors
were also black and orange and our neighboring school (East
Pennsboro High School) in Enola was also black and orange.”

We also heard from our old chum Ken Cogan of Crosby whose colors
were orange and black at Latrobe High School, his alma mater.