CROOK FARM: Always a great way to spend a day (or two) is the
annual Crook Farm Fair being held today and Sunday at the
historical location on Seaward Avenue Extension. The event features
a wide variety of crafts and food and a full schedule of old-time
country music. A Civil War re-enactment is planned, too. We also
enjoy touring the renovated buildings and getting a feel for “the
good old days.”

NOT RIGHT: Another gas price report, today’s from John Freaney
of Downingtown on Wednesday:

“Gasoline prices in Downingtown, Pa., (30 miles west of
Philadelphia) were ,3.49/GALLON this morning! Gasoline prices on
the PA turnpike are cheaper than Bradford prices. That is just not
right!”

We know, John, we know. We’ve been reporting on this for about
30 years. And they wonder why journalists get jaded.

CALL ME: Hal Harmon of Bradford fills us in on the switch of
phone service from four to seven digits telling us it occurred in
the 1950s or 1960s. We carried an item the other day about some old
phone numbers with four numbers only.

Hal tells us that the word, “forest,” on the telephone keys were
the origin of two of the first three digits – in Bradford, 36. The
number 2 or 8 was added to provide original numbers for Bradford
telephones.

ON PATROL: Pat Franco of Rew follows up on our many items about
school patrols: “During the second World War the patrols weren’t
allowed to go to Washington, I believe for security reasons.
Instead, they went by boat to Detroit. I don’t know but believe
they sailed out of Buffalo.”

Just by coincidence, we received a letter and some photographs
from Don R. Odell Jr. of Marcellus, N.Y. , about just such a boat
trip that he believes took place in 1947.

“My cousin Edward Cummiskey, Orlo Hess and I were awarded a boat
trip to Dearborn, Mich., for our efforts as patrol boys on school
buses.”

His photos indicate the boys did indeed travel by boat. The
Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Co. also issued tickets for Edison
Institute and Greenfield Village, and it’s evident, too, from the
polar bear pictures, that they visited a zoo.

JACK WELLS: Our old RTS buddy Jack Wells is nursing a broken leg
at Bradford Nursing Pavilion where he’ll be a couple months. Go see
him!