LOCAL ANGLE: A couple of alert readers spotted a local name in
Kathleen Parker’s syndicated column that appeared in the Era on
Sept. 12 Vice Admiral Edwin R. “Rudy” Kohn, who was quoted in the
column, was born and raised in Smethport.

The column was about a meeting held to recognize four of South
Carolina’s living recipients of the Medal of Honor. Kohn was
quoted, speaking of the valor of these men.

Kohn, who graduated from Smethport High in 1949, retired as
deputy commander of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet. We’re told that Kohn
is quite a world traveler but still comes to Smethport
occasionally.

Our thanks to Betty Comes (and others) for making this local
connection for us.

LOOK UP: Ralph Detweiler of Bradford was excited about seeing an
identified flying object – the International Space Station – which
passed overhead very early one recent morning.

The relatively large object was glowing a white and gold color,
traveling in a west to east direction.

Ralph spotted the space station at 6:15 a.m. as it passed
overhead for about a minute. “It went right over the house,” he
said, and was easily identified although it was traveling at 1,700
mph. Ralph’s vantage point near Hedgehog Lane undoubtedly aided the
viewing since much of the Bradford valley below is socked in with
fog on these chilly September mornings.

Ralph tells us he was alerted to the possibility of seeing a
fly-over by watching Buffalo TV. However, if you’re interested in
details – including some pretty precise locations – they are
readily available online.

40 YEARS: Becky Yunkun of Laurel, Md., writes: “I am a Bradford
native with family still living in Bradford. When I mention
Bradford to anyone they always know about Zippo and Dresser
Manufacturing! In that vein of thought I would love to acknowledge
my dear uncle, Rich Hannon, on his 40th year at Dresser
Manufacturing! I bet a lot has changed since he started way back
then. It takes dedicated, hard workers to sustain such a long
productive career.”

WHITE BIRCH: The current edition of Pennsylvania magazine
contains a photograph which took an honorable mention in the
magazine’s annual contest, a shot of a fallen birch taken by Katie
Weidenboerner of St. Marys. She took it while visiting Marion C.
Brooks Natural Area in Quehanna, Elk County, the magazine
reports.