OUR SYMPATHY: We would be remiss if we didn’t call attention to
the recent death of Helen Johns-Richardson of Bradford, one of our
most passionate writers of letters to the editor. She died last
week. Helen was one of those people who was a true Don Quixote.
Some of her opinions were not in the majority but she fervently
believed in them, wrote about them with sincerity, and was tilting
at windmills right up until the time of her death. She was probably
the first woman in Bradford to have a hyphenated name, using it
well before it was commonplace. A remarkable woman. Our sympathy to
her family.

BOOK NOTES: We conclude our quiz today taken from this year’s
selection of One Book Bradford, “The Children’s Blizzard” by David
Laskin.

Two more questions and then the answers.

11. The symbol for a cold front was not used on weather maps
until the 1920s. What can be predicted when a cold front is
approaching? A.) freezing fog; B.) a long siege of heavy snow fall;
C.) when to take out your heavy underwear; D.) a short burst of
heavy rain or snow, sometimes accompanied by lightning.

12. Large numbers of immigrants came to the Dakota Territory in
the late 19th century from all of these European countries except
which of the following? A.) Norway; B.) Czechoslovakia; C.) Italy;
D.) Ukraine.

How did you do?

We only missed three out of the 12 questions – and haven’t read
the book yet. Let’s hope, at least, that none of our Bradford
readers missed the first question concerning the author of “The
Wizard of Oz.” That’s L. Frank Baum, of course, “allegedly” a
one-time Bradford resident and writer for this very newspaper!

SOD HOUSE: One of the truly interesting events planned for this
year’s One Book Bradford is the anticipated construction of a sod
house at the head of Mechanic Street at the site of the old 3rd
Ward School.

If everything goes across to plan, the sod house would be
constructed this fall and dismantled in the spring.

As explained at a recent City Council meeting, construction of
the house would involve local school children. The Pennhills Club
has reportedly offered the use of its sod machine. Also planned by
the committee are lectures by a weather expert and a local
doctor.

Sounds interesting, we admit.